Chicago Fire: First Day On The Job

First Day

She started work the next morning. Heading up to the front door she heard quick footsteps behind her. She looked back to see but was suddenly lifted by strong arms around her rib cage and spun around. She laughed and felt the arms. "Hhmmm...soft yet firm...gentle but can be harsh too. Severide." She said. "You're good!" He said and let her down then walked up to the building with her and let her walk in first. "First day! Are you excited?!" He asked her. "Yes! Absolutely! Off to keep you all safe from dust and dirt and grime! You know, I am still saving your life. Only this time, from diseases and filth." She said. "Ha ha." He said and swatted his hand out. "Get outta here." He playfully told her. "Bye Lieutenant." She said. "See you at lunch." He told her. She went through the main doors and said good morning to everyone then headed off to the cleaning supplies. "She is really committed to this job." Hermann said. "Gotta love a hard-working woman." Cruz sighed. "Give me a break." Gabby said. "You're probably not even her type. I'm sure she would have a crush on Matt, if he wasn't married to me." Gabby said. "Or Severide?" Cruz said and chuckled. "Severide is every woman's type." Hermann said. Mouch agreed. "Seems like it." Matt said. "Yeah? Well...I'll prove you all that I can get her." He said and started to walk away. "Here we go." Mouch said. "Ten bucks says he comes back in here with a bucket over his head. "You're on." Matt said. Sylvie smiled. "She is way too smart for him." Gabby said.

"I have a better idea." Cruz said and headed toward the main doors. "Better than a bucket over his head." He added. They watched him in curiosity. He opened one of the doors. "Hey Severide! Otis is hitting on the new girl hard! Says he wants to make babies with her!" He told him. Gabby covered her mouth and nose with her hands. "Oh he done it now." Sylvie said. Matt smiled and watched Severide march through the main door and head around to a hallway. Cruz smiled and started to stride back to the kitchen. "And that, my friends, is how you handle a bozo." Cruz said. Hermann smiled. Kelly searched for Otis and went into the locker room then spotted him down the lockers and leaning on the wall, talking. He started making his way over. "So, if you ever wanna hit up Molly's. You know. Since you said you met your other friends at a bar. I'm guessing you like to have a drink. Or two. It'd be on me. I mean, on the house. Because I'm part owner. Of Molly's. It's a cool place." Otis said. Severide stood right behind Otis and was breathing down his neck. River was scrubbing down the tiles in one of the showers. "Girl, either it's drafty in here or you excite me somehow because the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. She looked at him oddly then continued scrubbing. Kelly grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him away to the lockers and pushed him forward. "Okay! Okay! I get the hint!" Otis said and showed surrender then headed out. Kelly turned and went to the wall then stood by it. "You okay?" He asked her. "I'm good. His come ons aren't even making me come on." She said. He chuckled. "He's so not my type." She added. "What is your type?" He asked her. "I don't really know. I think...if it came to it, I would just...go with how I feel." She said. "Have you ever been in love before?" He asked her. "No..." She admitted then dunked her brush in the water and started scrubbing again. "I mean, I've asked. I've put myself out there. But only the...jerks or mentally unstable have ever...taken an interest in me. So, I gave up. And I still have." She said then stopped scrubbing and sat on her knees then looked at Kelly.

"Your boy, Otis. I know he means well and he would treat a woman so nicely. But there's just no..." She paused and couldn't find the word. "Feeling. You have no feelings like you imagine you would." Kelly said. "Yeah. Unfortunately." She said. "Well, don't be upset about it. If it isn't there then it isn't there." He told her and shrugged. She nodded then dunked her brush and started scrubbing again. "Maybe it'll happen one day. Maybe not. I'm just...carrying on through each day. But I feel lucky. Privileged. Blessed. I have a real family now." She said. "Your family back at home isn't great?" He asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I was an orphan. Growing up. I only live with my caretaker. She, took me in when no one else would." She said. "I'm sorry. But...also, I find that hard to believe. That no one would adopt you." He said. She looked at him. "I wasn't always this pretty." She said and smiled. "Besides. I'm the kind of girl who likes superheroes and is into movies and I wear pants, not mini skirts and I don't have a bubbly personality enough or am blonde." She said and kept scrubbing. "Geez. People get way too picky nowadays." He said. "But, if I was, I wouldn't be where I am now. So I'm glad that life turned out the way that it did." She said. "And, I promise you, that no one is going to abandon you." He told her. She smiled. "Thanks, Kelly." She said. "You're welcome. And hey. Make sure those showers are spotless. Okay? When I come back, I don't wanna see they're still filthy. I'm checking every nook and cranny!" He said. She dipped her fingers in the pail and threw water towards him. He laughed and jogged to the lockers. She kept cleaning and he stopped then looked back for a moment before continuing on.