Danger Zone (File One of The First Responders Files)

Chapter Twelve

And there's the semi-scheduled 6K+ word count, folks. That's in flashbacks and moving plot.

Matt gives Sylvie a heart attack (what's new there?), Gianna learns more about the officers, the Deputy Chief visits Firehouse 126, the Chicago trio get themselves sorted, and Maddie finally cracks.

Also, will someone please try and convince me not to create a Sylverasey one-shot book? I need help. XD

Enjoy!

***

Gianna had learned at her previous firehouse that there were three very important relationships to make firehouses work. The first, and most obvious, was to make sure the entire firehouse could work together as a unit. If everyone in a firehouse wasn't working together, how could they expect to do their best working together in fires? The second, also obvious, was the relationship between each individual members of crews. Each crew was only as good as their weakest link, and Gianna had seen crews with the strongest officers falter because of their weak relationships with each other.

The third, which wasn't always found, was the relationship between firehouse officers. And holy crap, the bond between Matt Casey, Kelly Severide, and Sylvie Brett was something to put on a pedestal.

Whatever had happened earlier that week was a thing of the past. Wherever Gianna looked now, she only had to look for one of the officers to find the other two. Kelly was the only one of the three who often sat with his crew, with Matt and Sylvie occasionally hovering, Sylvie more than Matt. If they weren't at the Squad table, Gianna only had to look in the officers' quarters.

Especially after that aerial incident earlier in the day.

Gianna had been treating the victim Capp had brought to her when she heard an eerie creak from the aerial, then a strangled cry from Sylvie of their captain's name. When she whipped around, she saw Sylvie staring up at the ladder in horror, her arm being held by Herrmann, who had stopped her from bolting for the truck rig. When she followed Sylvie's gaze, she inhaled sharply when she saw Matt dangling off the side of the ladder, Gallo scurrying to pull him back up. She swallowed hard, watching in relief as Gallo hauled Matt back onto the ladder, and a shaky gasp came from Sylvie, who slumped against Herrmann, the engine lieutenant giving her a side hug.

Gianna diverted her gaze as she released her patient, then heard the radios of Squad 3 crackle to life. She turned to see Kelly barking into his radio, giving his victim a side glare. Gianna jogged over to take care of the man, and Kelly frowned. "Where's Brett?" he asked.

"If I didn't know better, having a heart attack," Gianna answered, gesturing over to her partner.

Kelly blinked, immediately twisting on the spot. When he found Sylvie sagged against Herrmann, the engine lieutenant rubbing her back, he gave his victim one last look before running over. Gianna didn't see what Herrmann said to Kelly, but she saw the squad lieutenant's face pale under the ash, and his head whipped up to the ladder as he took Sylvie from Herrmann, leaving the engine lieutenant to take command of putting the fires out. Gianna took Kelly's victim to the ambulance, starting her examination, occasionally peering out to see what was happening. She already had one prediction about what would happen.

And sure enough, as soon as Matt's boots hit the ground, Sylvie tore from Kelly's arms to frantically check the captain over, Kelly hovering behind her. Matt did not look happy to be fussed over, but he conceded in letting Sylvie drag him over to 61 and tend to the cut on his eyebrow. Kelly stood between Matt and the truck rig, occasionally surveying Mouch and Gallo. "It's not too deep," Sylvie finally said, and Gianna barely kept from laughing when she saw both the paramedic and the squad lieutenant visibly relax at the statement. "Just need to clean it and put a bandage on it."