We Are Forever

Chapter 7

A few weeks later Gabby was off shift and was returning from buying groceries and some stuff for the baby she had found and couldn't resist. She started putting the groceries away and walked to the room which Matt had been painting. As soon as Gabby pushed the door open and took a few steps in, Matt immediately turned around and gently pushed her out of the room.

"Sorry, Gabs, you know the smell is bad for the princess." He smiled and went back to painting. Gabby had noticed Matt getting more and more protective as her belly grew. At times it annoyed her but other times she felt warm and happy knowing he cared so much.

"You know, I forgot to tell you but I think I remembered something else." Matt began, halting his painting. "I had a dream about your first day I think. I remember you walking up the driveway, meeting all the guys and how you instantly connected with Shay."

Gabby grinned. "Yeah. God I was so nervous and worried about how I would fit in. I'm glad I got put at 51."

"There's something else though. In my dream, I mentioned someone named Hallie. Who is she?"

The small smile that was on Gabby's face fell. She knew Matt would remember her but now that he had, she wasn't sure what to say. She took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for support. "Hallie was your ex-fiancé. You guys were engaged when I first came to 51 and had been together for about ten years now. A few months after, you both split. She wanted to focus on her residency at Lakeshore and you wanted to start a family. You got back together and tried to work it out. One day we got a call for a massive pile up, one woman was on her way to the hospital to give birth but her baby was crowning already. You helped deliver her baby and you were so happy. I don't know much about what happened, but that night you went home and came back the next shift saying you and Hallie had split up again. A few weeks later we were called to the clinic where she worked. You found her in a room unresponsive and with burns on her arms and neck. When we got to the hospital, they declared her dead. The report came back saying someone had killed her and then started the fire to cover up their tracks."

Matt now had tears in his eyes and Gabby went over to him and pulled him into a hug. In that moment she didn't care about the fumes of the paint, she knew a few moments in the room wouldn't cause much damage. "Did she suffer? When they killed her?"

"No, whatever they hit her head with killed her instantly."

"Okay." He nodded. Matt went back to touching up the areas that needed paint and Gabby went to her room where she grabbed her laundry basket to start on laundry, knowing Matt needed a few moments alone. She had been so busy lately that she completely forgot about it until yesterday morning when she saw she had only one clean uniform left. After she started the laundry machine, she was walking to the kitchen when she heard something fall.

"Matt?" Gabby called out but got no response. She walked down the hall quickly and found Matt on the nursery floor seizing. "Matt!" She took her phone out and quickly dialed 911, she gave her address and Matt's badge number and told them to get here quickly.

At firehouse 51, Shay and Chout both stood up when the alarm called for them, but Shay froze when she heard the address. "Kelly!" She yelled, but he was already heading out with the rest of squad 3. When they arrived, Kelly immediately ran inside, breaking the door down knowing Gabby would be at Matt's side.

"Gabby! Matt!" He called out.

"In here!" Gabby yelled. Kelly walked to where her voice came from and froze at the sight. Gabby had an unconscious Matt cradled in her arms and tears running down her face.

"What happened?" Shay asked, looking over Matt and hooking him up to fluids.

Gabby watched closely, her hand still holding onto his. "I don't know. I was putting in a load of laundry when I heard something and I came in here, found him on the ground seizing. He passed out a few seconds before Kelly came in here." They loaded Matt in the back of the ambo and Gabby jumped, Kelly and his crew following behind them. "This is my fault."