Serving Chicago

Chapter 32: What do I do?

A/N: GUUUUYYYYYYSSS. 21K Reads!! Huge huge thanks to everyone that reads.

Emilia had decided to keep an eye on Kelly for the rest of that shift, he was clearly distraught about the news and it was starting to rub off at work. He had already snapped at Casey, not that Casey retaliated, he, like most of the firefighters had known Kelly for years and to him it was clear that something was weighing on the Squad lieutenant. 

"So how was your time off?" Stella asked, dropping beside Mia with a plate of breakfast, albeit more of a brunch. Mia had made everyone her famous omelette rolls , she had only been on one call with ambo so had used her time to make something for the hungry firefighters.

Stella was missing her fellow female colleague on Truck, she of course had Otis and the others to keep her company but not the sarky female lieutenant she had grown close to over the prior months.

Mia groaned audibly, finishing the food she had on her fork before she spoke. "Apart from being fussed over."

"Girl. I wouldn't be complaining." Stella shrugged with a chuckle.

The Lieutenant had been prepared to speak when the tanoy blared, notifying the station of their next call.

'Squad 3 - Trapped person - Corner of Kenton.'

"Sorry boys, looks like you'll be eating it cold." Emilia chirped from her seat, watching as the Squad firefighters  jumped up.

Kelly walked passed, ruffling his best friend's neatly tied up hair with a smile on his face, it had been the first smile he had really shared, possibly because it was Mia but she couldn't be sure. He wasn't coping though, he was just putting on a brave face.

At the sound of the sirens and the beam of lights that emitted from the Squad truck signalling its departure, Emilia lifted herself from her seat.

"Hey uh- Matt?" Emilia whispered, her hand on the shoulder of her long time friend as she approached him. "Can we- Can I talk to you?" She asked. Her voice not audible enough for the others to hear.

Noticing the concern in his friends eyes. He quickly agreed. Brushing the remaining crumbs back onto his plate, he stood up, dumping the paper he had been reading on the table, he followed Emilia to the offices.

****

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Gabby asked, confused at Emilia's repeated pacing, a nervous habit of the Lieutenants. Peering in the doorway the silence alerted her. "Has something happened? Is it the babies?"

"No." She snapped quickly, had everything had to be the babies? She was already feeling the pressure of becoming a mum, she didn't need the fear of harm to her unborn children to paralyse her. "Sorry- I just- I'm sorry."

"She's worried about Kelly." Matt offered instead, eyeing Gabby, he had also heard the underlying snap in her tone.

Nodding in understanding, Gabby entered, closing the door behind her.

Matt had been the one to explain what was going on with Kelly and the news that Anna's treatment hadn't been completely successful. Gabby, being a close friend of Kelly - like the lieutenants - understood the difficulty this would cause the leader of Squad 3.

"I mean, he loves her Matt. How am I supposed to help him through this? I barely helped him with his mother." Emilia exclaimed as she paced up and down Matt's office, it was small but that didn't stop her.

Gabby looked to her partner, pleadingly. She had perched herself on Casey's desk whilst he sat in his swivel chair, listening intently.

"Firstly, he's gotta get himself through this and secondly? You were 7 when Catherine died." Matt countered, leaning forward, his arms resting on his knees.