Pressure

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Andy had gone home after shift, had a shower and just went to bed. She didn't eat anything she just slept until 6 pm. She sighed and got out of bed. She hadn't eaten in a day and figured she should. She had a small plate of pasta and went back to bed.

It was 4 am when Andy woke up and after half an hour of trying to go back to sleep, she flung the sheets off of her and sat up in the bed. She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed.

Andy got up and after grabbing everything she needed for work, she put a pot of coffee on and sat at the kitchen island, waiting for it to finish. While she was waiting she looked through her emails on her laptop and sighed when she saw one from Ross saying she finished the paperwork for Ruiz's termination and called him into her office yesterday. She slammed her laptop shut. She was so not looking forward to having to tell the team that Theo was gone.

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2 hours later

Andy was an hour early for work, so she changed into her workout clothes when she got to 19 and went to the gym and decided to lift some weights. She went from weights to the bike, to the treadmill and then just as A shift was arriving she was hitting the punching bag.

Andy was so caught up in her workout that she didn't hear someone knocking on the door. "Captain!"

Andy turned to the door and saw Vic. "You okay, Cap?" Andy nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good," Andy told her, took off the boxing gloves and walked out of the room to quickly clean up and change into her uniform. It was 6:50 am when Andy was done and was pacing in her office.

Just tell them. Just get it out first thing. Andy told herself and when it was 7 am she walked out of her office.

"Lineup, 19!" Andy called and walked into the barn. Andy only had to wait a minute for everyone to line up. "Alright, I have an announcement to make before you all get going on chores..."

"Wait," Vic said, interrupting Andy. "Where's Ruiz?"

Andy closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking at Vic. "Ruiz no longer works for SFD." Andy rushed out.

"What?"

"Why?"

Andy heard and raised her hand. "Quiet!"

"Does this at least solve our budget problems?" Sean asked and everyone turned to look at him.

"It helps," Andy said, quiet but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Beckett, Bishop, Hughes and Wiggins you're on the engine with me. Sullivan, Montgomery, Kline, Larsson and Cutler you're on the ladder. Green and Boyd. You're on aid car." Andy gave out instructions. "dismissed." Andy finished and walked out, leaving a group of shocked firefighters behind.

"Did you know Theo was leaving FD?" Travis asked Vic.

"No," Vic answered. "We broke up so it's not like we're texting or telling each other anything."

Travis nodded. Everyone else stood still until Maya decided to go and see what was going on with her friend. Maya looked for Andy in her office but saw she wasn't there, went to the beanery, but Andy wasn't there either. She frowned and was about to give up when she thought about the gym. She saw Andy running and frowned.

Andy wasn't one to run often. The last time Maya knew of was when Ryan and she were running before shifts.

"Hey, Herrera," Maya called but Andy didn't answer. "Andy." No answer. "Captain!" Maya shouted and watched Andy jump to the sides of the treadmill and turn around, sweat on her forehead.

"Sorry, didn't hear you," Andy said, trying to catch her breath.

Maya looked at Andy, she saw the bags under her eyes and frowned. "Are you okay?"

Andy nodded. "Yeah, just wanted to work out. Is that suddenly not allowed?" Andy asked, attitude dripping from her voice.

"It is. I'm sorry. I just know you aren't much of a runner." Maya tried to explain, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"Well, things change, Bishop," Andy told her and walked past her and out of the gym. Andy was turning to walk down the stairs when she nearly ran into Robert. "Sorry," Andy said and walked around him.

"Wait," Robert called, and Andy turned around.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Andy asked.

"Why isn't Ruiz with SFD anymore?" Robert asked and Andy sighed.

"Ask Ross, not me," Andy told him and walked past him and to her office.

Andy got into her office and drank some of the water that was on her desk before getting changed. She lay down on her bed and sighed. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep but her brain would just not turn off.

Andy got up, went to her desk and picked up her phone and called Theo.

"Herrera, what's up?"

"I just wanted to check-in. Are you doing okay?"

"I've been better, but I found a new job. It'll be an adjustment but I'm going to be fine. Look, don't stress, okay? I get it."

"Theo, losing you still hurts. I wish like hell you were still here." Andy told him, emotion clear in her voice.

Andy heard Theo sigh. "Andy, it does suck, but these things happen. I'll be fine." There was a pause between the two. "look, I gotta go. I'll swing by the station sometime soon, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Theo." Andy said and ended the call.

Andy sighed. She could hear the disappointment in Theo's voice, and it tugged at her heart. She did that. She caused that disappointment.

Andy took off her button-up shirt and went up to the gym. She went over to the bench press, adjusted the weights and lay down. She did three sets of 12 and then sat up.

"Hey, Cap. Want to join us for lunch?" Travis came in and asked. Andy shook her head.

"Nah, I had a big breakfast," Andy told him and walked out of the gym, leaving a confused Travis behind.

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"Cap not joining us?" Vic asked, seeing Travis walk into the beanery alone.

"No, she said she had a big breakfast," Travis said and looked around. Everyone looked as confused as he felt right now.

"Okay, something seems off with her," Maya said, and everyone turned to look at her. "She was working out before shift. She was running on the treadmill not that long ago and she was in there again just now." Maya told them. "Andy never works out that much."

Everyone was silent when they heard footsteps. "What's going on in here?" Robert asked, eyebrows furrowed at how quiet it was.

"Nothing," Vic said and turned back to her breakfast when Andy walked into the beanery, grabbed a bottle of water and walked back out. Not saying a word to anyone.

"Okay, something is seriously wrong."