Unexpected - Ch 1
Ask and you shall receive :) I wasn't completely sure how to start this story. There were multiple Ross and Herrera moments I saw through the show that I liked as I was re-watching the show but I figured I should start here.
Sullivan and Ross never happened.
After the ball drama. After making sure Jack was okay. After making sure her team was okay she was walking around the hospital, she wasn't able to sit still after hearing the news about Jack never being able to fight fires again.
She was walking around for what felt like hours when she found herself knocking on Chief Ross' hospital room door.
"Come in!" Ross called from in the room and Andy walked in. "Herrera? What are you doing here?" Ross asked, surprised to see the newly minted captain.
"I was just walking around after I got some news about Gibson, and my feet led me here I guess," Andy told her. "Mind if I sit down?"
"No, not at all. I'm sure you're exhausted." Andy nodded and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "You should go home, Andy."
Andy snapped her head up. Natasha had never called her by her first name before.
Andy sighed. "I know I should. I just really don't want to be alone right now."
"You mentioned Gibson earlier. What happened?" Natasha asked and she frowned when she saw Andy's eyes tear up. "What did the doctor say?"
Andy sighed and thought back to the conversation she had with Amelia.
"There's no change in his neuro exam, but there's all kinds of scarring on his brain." Amelia paused and saw emotions play over Andy's face. "It's called encephalomalacia. Small punctate areas of microhemorrhages from previous traumatic brain injuries. It's possible he lost some fine motor skills on his left side."
"Oh, he-he'll recover from that, right? In time?" Andy asked, trying to stay calm.
"He might, with physical therapy. But some football players and hockey players who have brains that look like Jack's, go on to develop CTE. It's a neurologic disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain." Amelia tries to not choke up at Andy's facial expression. "He is alive. That is a win. It's not my call, but realistically, I don't see a world in which any doctor or- or the department will clear him to fight fires again. Not after they see his scans." Amelia briefly touches Andy's hand. "I'm sorry. We will continue to give him the best care we possibly can." Amelia told her, got up and walked away after squeezing her shoulder when she walked by Andy.
Andy swallowed back the lump in her throat. "She told me that he's at risk of developing CTE and that there is no way he can continue to be a firefighter." Andy let a tear fall. She knew that Natasha was her boss, but Jack was one of the most important people in her life, so she was unashamed right now. "She also told me that he's lost some fine motor skills on his left side. He'll be able to gain them back in time with physical therapy though."
Ross nodded and sighed. "I'm so sorry, Andy." Andy just nodded and wiped the tear that fell off her cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"
Andy took a minute. Breathing in and out, trying to calm herself down she looked at Natasha. "I don't think so. But thank you for offering." Andy gave her a small smile.
"Andy, there's something I need to tell you." Andy furrowed her eyebrows. "I wasn't the one to make you captain of 19. I asked the union to make the decision." Natasha paused and looked at Andy. "I couldn't make the decision because I don't want to be accused of a scandal."
