If You Play With Fire

The Game with Fire Part 3

Kelly managed to free the child's leg. Casey nodded gratefully to his friend. He gently took his son in his arms. He never thought that Liam had become that heavy by now. Granted, the last time he carried the boy, Liam was 8 years old.

Severide recognized a fire extinguisher in a corner, grabbed it and tried to control the flames at the exit. He nodded to Matt as he brought the flames under control. Only a small gap was cleared by Severide.

Through one of the side doors they get outside.

"Oh my gosh, Matt!" Gabby screamed and ran to him. Sylvie hurried after her with the stretcher and Matt put the unconscious 13-year-old on it.

"His respiratory system is completely closed," Sylvie said, desperately trying to find a way to intubate him.

Gabby in the meantime gave access to the infusion and checked his vital signs.

Helpless the crews of 51 stood around the stretcher. Liam had burns, a head injury, an abdominal injury and smoke poisoning. Only the broken foot is not bad.

"Gabby?" Matt asked anxiously.

"He needs surgery right now," Gabby said.

"I drive you, you take good care of Liam!" Said Joe Cruz and hurried behind the wheel of the ambulance. They stowed the stretcher with the boys in the back. Sylvie took care of Liam. Matt and Gabby sat next to her, holding each other's hands, looking desperately at their boy. After all, Sylvie was able to intubate the boy successfully.

In the hospital Liam disappeared quickly into surgery while Matt, Gabby and the people of the 51 waiting in the waiting room for news.

"What happened?", Hermann asked and pronounced exactly what everyone wanted to know. It was a mystery to them all why the fire station burned.

"The boy took advantage of the hour and blew up the 51!" came a voice from a distance. There was no one less than the commissioner of the CFD, "The same detonator as the other fires!" he hissed.

"This boy would never play with fire! He didn't set a single fire! He also has no mental disorder!" Gabby hissed.

"This is the 8th fire. Liam Casey was there! Captain Matthew Casey you're suspended!" he ordered.

Matt did not contradict. He did not really care. At the moment he just wanted to go to his son. His head heavily supported in his hands, he sat next to Gabby, who put her arm around her husband.

"Dawson's right," Kelly said, "Or do you seriously think Liam sets his home on fire?"

"I think we all have to apologize to him," Stella said. "We weren't exactly friendly to him."

"And if Liam can't make it?" Otis asked, answering his own question, "Then he dies thinking that we all considered him a traitor."

"Otis! You mustn't think about that!"Cruz said.

"But not to be ruled out!" Otis said, "We all treated him like a rat. We avoided him saying spells, or in other words, bullying him."

"I think everyone got it, Otis," said Kelly, who did not want to think about what if Liam really could not make it.

"When you found Liam, was he conscious?" Sylvie asked curiously.

"No," Kelly answered.

"Liam always reported a man. How could the man hear the cries for help when Liam was unconscious?" Sylvie said.

"That bastard! Where's that? "Kelly hissed, clenching his hands into fists.

"He was taken to Med by Ambulance 94," Sylvie explained, and immediately Squad 3 disappeared.

Of course, the thought did not pass Matt, only he did not want to leave the waiting area under any circumstances. He finally wanted to know what's happened to his son.

Luckily they were good friends with the staff of the Meds. April unobtrusively gave them a hint where the guy was. So the crew of Squad 3 entered the treatment room, where the guy was currently alone.

"So you like to set fires and blame a kid for that?" Kelly asked angrily.

"I don't know what you mean!", the man said.

"You almost killed my son!" Gabby hissed. She hesitated. Did she seriously say 'my son'? She swore from the beginning that she never took the motherhood away from Hallie.

Severide turned around in confusion. He did not know Gabby was following them.

"I tell you one thing: if Liam doesn't survive then you have a big problem!" Gabby said, slapping his face, "with me!"

"Dawson!" Kelly said perplexed, "Good hit"

"Antonio is on his way. Keep an eye on him, yeah?" said Gabby, "I have to go back to Matt. He needs me."

Gabby returned to the waiting room, "Hey Matt," Gabby whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek, "The guy is in custody."

"How could I be so blind? I actually thought my son was an arsonist," he said stunned.

"Don't blame yourself, Matt," she said, "Liam was acting very suspicious."

"But as a father, I should have believed my son, right?" Matt asked.

"You should not have behaved like that to him," Gabby replied. "In the end, Liam had the feeling of being shunned. You forced him to stay on 51, even though each one made his life difficult. I think Liam felt pretty abandoned."

"After all, you are honest with me, I would have expected a beautified answer now," Matt grinned lightly.

"Should I say 'Oh no, Matt. You did everything right?'" Gabby asked.

"No," Matt sighed.

"Cheer up, Casey," Cruz said, "Liam will forgive you."

"Just not us," Otis said, "We've been really disgusting with him the last few days," Otis revealed. The worst comments they have made even behind Captain Casey back.

"Oh well, let a week go by and the boy has forgotten all the incidents and allegations," Hermann said.

"I think we should come up with something as we apologize to Liam," Boden intervened in the conversation, "He certainly won't forget the incident."

Before anyone could answer, Dr. Choi came...