A Slow Burn // Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek // Chicago Fire ✔️

37 || OTIS

Returning home that night felt surreal to Otis as he half expected Riley to have been there to greet him when he walked in the front door. But she wasn't. Instead was laid up in a hospital bed in what could only be described as a coma.

Otis didn't even want to go home, he wanted to stay by Riley's side until she woke up but he'd been told by Maggie that he needed to go home as they couldn't allow him to stay overnight in the hospital. And he was clearly in no state to return to the firehouse to finish his shift so he had no other place he could go but home.

Not that he could have finished his shift anyway as Chief Boden had sent the entire house home for the remainder of shift. Riley was their family after all, like a sister to some and like a daughter to others, so it was only right that he give them time off to deal with the sudden news.

Upon his arrival home Otis noticed that the smashed window next to the door had been boarded up, and he seemed to recall a text he'd received from Casey earlier telling him not to worry about it and that he'd get it fixed for them as soon as he could get a replacement piece of glass. But Otis didn't care about the window, he didn't care about the busted open gate or the wrecked kitchen, all he cared about was Riley.

All he ever cared about was Riley.

This would be the first night since they got together that he'd have to spend sleeping alone, without her curled up by his side. Without feeling the softness of her hair against his skin, or the touch of her hands on his chest, or even the coldness of her feet whenever she'd tangle them with his to try and warm them up, something he used to not be the biggest fan off because her feet were always freezing. But now he would give literally anything just to be able to feel that again.

The two of them even slept next to each other on shift, after Riley swapped bunks with Mouch so that the two of them could push their bunks together. Any chance they could take to be close to each other they'd always jump on it. But now Otis had to spend the night alone... Although he figured he'd not be getting much sleep anyway as he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes as every time he did, he saw Riley lying in a pool of her own blood.

The rather hard and unintentional slamming of the front door alerted Cruz to Otis's arrival, and he came bounding down the stairs faster than he'd ever moved before.

"Anything?" He asked eagerly as Otis walked back from locking the front door. He was hopeful given the fact that Otis had returned home after saying he wouldn't leave Riley's side until she'd woken up, but with the look on Otis's face that hope quickly faded.

Otis just shook his head lightly, not trusting his words or his voice and he soon felt the warmth of little Lucifer who was rubbing his head on Otis's legs and meowing like crazy. He crouched down, scooping the cat up into his arms and simply holding him there, feeling the softness of his fur as Lucifer continued to rub his head against Otis's neck.

Even their pets seemed to know what was going on, as the dogs hadn't even come to greet him when he entered the house as they were just lying on the sofa with their tails tucked between their legs. After all, they'd been the ones who'd fought Owens off before he could do anymore harm to Riley, and they'd probably saved her life as well. Little Lucifer especially who'd been quick to alert them to Riley's presence in the kitchen.

"Hey, she'll pull through." Cruz said assuringly, giving Otis a comforting pat on the shoulder but at the same time keeping his distance from the cat as he expected him to be extra protective tonight given what happened. But Lucifer seemed uninterested in Cruz as he hadn't starting swatting the air and hissing at him for being near him.

"Yeah." Was all Otis managed to breathe out as she moved towards the sofa where he gently placed the cat who soon went to curl up next to Frodo. Otis just leaned against the back of the sofa, feeling the soft fabric under his palms as he let out a shaky sigh.