Stay alive

Pride

Today was not an ordinary day, today was Kelly's funeral. And even the sky was crying him on Chicago. In his will, he stipulated that he didn't want a ceremony like for Andy, or even Shay. He just wanted something simple, something that looked like him. With few people to say a final farewell: his family, or rather his families. Brett had worked with Christie for two days to organize everything. Sylvie knew that Kelly would have wished to be buried beside Leslie, his first real love. In any case, he would have appreciated this gesture. And she did everything for this. To tell the truth, she didn't get much sleep in order to settle everything: who was going to come or not mainly. His father had promised to come to the funeral as well as Katie and of course, all the members of the firehouse 51 and Boden were coming. In their uniform. Sylvie didn't want to, but they had all insisted to honor him in uniform. Because Kelly was above all an incredible firefighter. Knowing this, she decided to pay tribute to the man she loved as well by wearing her uniform. And Gabby would do it too. It hurt her to leave Matt, but she was determined to come, explaining to her husband that her visits were not really allowed night and morning, that she was tired and wanted to go home to rest and relax, to take care of Eliza, which Matt understood very well. Dressing in her PIC uniform, she decided not to apply makeup. Because she knew that she would cry. As the women who shared his life, she had wanted to make a speech in his honor. But inspiration had never come. Someone knocked at the door: it was Gabby and Eliza. Sylvie opened the door, welcomed them inside for a moment, so that they were not too wet.

"How are you Sylvie?"

"I... I think I will get better after the ceremony. But for now... I'm really emotional!"

"Aunt Sylvie? You know that we're here? Huh?"

"Of course sweety, I know", Sylvie said, crouching to be at the same height as Liz. "Come here to give me a hug, I will definitely feel better."

So, Eliza clutched the neck of her godmother, plunging her head into her neck.

"You're sad aunt Sylvie. I don't want you to be sad."

"In that case, I won't be. I won't be sad. I promise."

They broke this hug, Gabby took her best friend in her arms. Liz had given her an idea of speech, a speech she had certainly not prepared, but worth it. After half an hour, the three girls left the house to go to the firehouse, where they had to meet. All the members of the firehouse had kept their promise: to put their uniform in tribute to Kelly. The entire family was here: Hermann's wife and kids, Tony's wife and their daughter, Katie, Benny, Matt's sister and Violet, who had insisted to come, Trudy, Boden, Donna and Terrance. And of course, all the firefighters. They were all here. Fortunately, the cemetery wasn't far away from the firehouse, and the priest was waiting for them, with the coffin. They all sat down, not even focusing on the prayers muttered by the priest, not even Hermann and Cindy, nobody. Then, Sylvie had to speak. She rose, taking place near the priest to talk. She swallowed, then took a deep breath.

"All of you know what Kelly did. Yes, he killed himself. But... You don't know why he did this. And I will tell you, right here and right now."

All were focused on this speech barely started by Brett. She stopped her gaze on everyone, analyzing their behavior, their emotions. She understood that a majority of them would be emotional.

"Two months ago, and I think everyone at 51 remember that day, we got caught in the middle of a shooting, a gang war. That day, Kelly was on the trajectory of a bullet. That day, he should have died."

She paused, feeling the tears coming up to her eyes. She held them, still swallowing her saliva and taking deep breaths, this time with a smile.

"But Matt has prevented it: he took this bullet instead of Kelly, he got shot in the heart by love for this big brother he never had, HIS big brother. But the doctors couldn't cure him, his heart was no longer viable. However, they gave him a two-month stay, two damn months during which they would search high and low to find him a new heart. But that day never happened."