Current Time - 10:36pm, Saturday
Chicago, Illinois.
Driving.
Gabriela Dawson - Gabby or Dawson
Matt Casey - Matt or Casey or Captain
Charley Tyler - Charley or Tyler
Brett - Sylvie or Brett
Severide - Kelly or Severide or Lieutenant
Boden - Chief or Chief Boden
Connor Rhodes - Connor or Dr. Rhodes
William Halstead - Will or Dr. Halstead
Stella Kidd - Stella or Kidd
Antonio Dawson - Antonio
Herrmann - Chris or Christopher or Herrmann
Mouch
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Charley and I are cruising down the main road in the city. About 45mph.
We're going to Walmart for some frozen yoghurt.
We both just finished work and he's dropping me off at mine after that.
It's a quiet night here, considering it's a Saturday night.
The rest of the team are at Molly's, Charley and I weren't up for it.
Casey stayed with the team. He told me he'd be home later.
——
I quickly undo my seatbelt so I can reach my purse from the backseat.
I click the button in and get up.
——
I slam into and straight through the windshield on the car.
The glass shatters so quick.
Everything just turns into slow motion, i feel like I'm watching a movie from a third person perspective, I don't feel like I'm in my body.
Glass shards fly everywhere and it's just horrifying to watch.
Maybe this is a dream, I might've fallen asleep at work or I'm daydreaming. This can't be happening.
——
I land onto the concrete a couple metres from the car and bounce my head off of the ground. It knocks all the breath out of me.
It had been raining earlier today therefore that's why the road was wet.
I lost consciousness for a second, I know it just from the way I felt.
I laid there on the freezing cold floor, watching up at the sky which was lit up by the city lights.
I couldn't move. It's like someone had glued me to the ground.
I couldn't even lift my head. Being an EMT I should know all about staying still after an accident, but it's kinda different when it comes to yourself. Your first instinct is to get up and move away, but sometimes it's just too severe.
——
Then it hit me...
Charley.
I try my hardest to turn my head despite the pain and I catch a glimpse of the car. It's a wreck.
Tears drip down my face. Charley. I mean c'mon. This is ridiculous.
My back hurts so much, it's like I'm being stabbed. Over and over again.
So I shut my eyes, and keep them closed, I keep telling myself that I can make all this go away.
——
Figures walk up to me, I can hear their footsteps.
They mutter and I can't really make out what their saying. I feel like I'm deep underwater.
A guy, I can only just hear his voice over everyone else's, kneels down next to me and moves my chestnut brown curles out of his way.
"Hey? Can you hear me?" He asks. Gently shaking me awake. He knows he can't move me it's too dangerous and common sense.
"The guy, in the car, is he ok?" I ask instead of answering him.
He gestures over to what seems like his friend and the other figure walks away, in the direction of the car.
I have a feeling he knows what he's doing, what he's talking about. From the way he's acting.
"Don't worry about him. Do you know where you are?" He asks.
"Chicago... I.. I don't know exactly. " I reply
"It's alright, what's your name?" He exclaims
"Gabby.. Gabby Dawson." I say "I'm an EMT with the CFD."
"Ok Gabby, my name is Connor, I'm a surgeon at Chicago Med. Where is the pain?" Connor questions.
"My back is killing me, my head is pounding, and my lower abdomen." I say.
Connor attempts to roll up my shirt, but is startled and stops when he hears my screams.
"Shush shush, it's alright. Did you lose consciousness?" He asks.
"Yeah.. just for a second though. I could tell. I don't know how I just knew I did. God! It hurts so much." I reply and my body tenses up as I say so.
"Alright Gabby, my friend has called 911. The ambulance and Fire Department are on the way." He says
"Ok.." I reply. I feel so lightheaded, like I'm floating, I close my eyes..
I feel so tired.. I could just fall-
"Will! We're losing her!" He screams in the opposite direction to me but it still scares me awake.
He applies some pressure to my side. It makes me wince.
"Your losing consciousness, Gabby. You've. You've got a piece of metal through your lower right abdomen. You've got a head trauma too." He says.
My eyes widen in shock.
"No. No. Oh God." I say, gobsmacked.
Metal in my side? I think to myself, I won't be able to work. I'm going to be at home for so long. At least a month! That's so long, I have to go to work. It's only a scratch surely.
——
I hear the sirens in the distance.
I hope it's 51 - First Shift responders.
They arrive and I can hear them all talking to each other assigning tasks. I can hear Chief Boden's voice too. I almost smile. At least I know these guys.
"Over here!" Connor shouts and gestures over I'm guessing around 3 people.
"It's Gabby Dawson, she said she's from the CFD and an EMT? She was awake and alert, but she has an embedded wound and she's losing blood and consciousness." Connor updates the crew.
"Thankyou Connor, we've got it from here." Says Brett. I love how I can recognize their voices.
She comes closer and kneels next to me feeling my pulse as she lowers to my level. But Matt just stands there horrified.
"Gabby? It's Me, Sylvie. I'm with Casey and Severide... God, what happened?" Brett asks.
"Some Idiot collided with us, I was grabbing my purse from the backseat. I.. I.. Is Charley alright?" I reply.
"He's banged up pretty tight but he's fine." Severide answers my question.
Firstly Brett applies a neck collar onto me, as it's protocol then administers an IV with some morphine, to block the pain. Then she adds a dressing to my head wound. Which makes me twitch.
"Sorry Gab." She says.
"Ah. It's okay." I reply.
The drugs don't work straight away, and my adrenaline is wearing off. And the pain sneaks through. Although it doesn't really 'sneak' because at this point I start hyperventilating and I grab Casey's arm, I grip tightly.
He comes closer and kneels by my side.
I squeeze his arm tight and Brett puts an oxygen mask around my face and it doesn't effect my breathing, I'm still struggling.
"Calm down Gabby, alright? your going to be alright." Casey says.
"She's having a panic attack Captain." Brett answers
"She's shivering badly." Severide states.
"Hey Lieutenant could you go grab some blankets and the backboard from the rig?" Brett asks.
Severide nods and walks off but is soon replaced with Boden.
"Gabby?" Boden says
"Hey Chief." I answer barely smiling.
"I won't bombard you with questions now, all I want to know is that your ok." He says.
"I am ok." I say between longer, more calm breaths.
The pain is going now, and that's better. But again, I feel weak and like I'm floating. And why are these people trying to stop me from sleepi-
The sounds become muffled again.
I just want to shut my eyes and go to sleep is that too much to ask.
I know it's from blood loss but I can't keep my eyes open.
"Gabby? Brett asks, I can hear them but it feels like I've got a bad head cold.
"Yep, we're losing her. Let's get her on the rig." Brett Says.
Sylvie wraps a foil heating blanket around me to keep me warm. I hear them all shuffle around and something hard scraping the floor.
Brett has moved out of the way, and they're getting me a backboard. I'm trained I know what they're doing I do it everyday.
"1...... 2...... 3......" They all count and slide me across together. I'm an experienced woman and that is the worst pain I've ever felt. Even with the drugs.
They lift and put me onto the Gurnee. Severide is the closest. He's so lost after Shay.
Mouch and Herrmann walk up to me.
"Hell Gabby, what did you do?" Herrmann says.
I let out a small laugh, and I feel relaxed all of a sudden.
Mouch shakes his head in a sarcastic manor.
"Get well soon Gab, we'll be up later." Herrmann exclaims.
Brett takes me up to the ambo and Casey follows. Matt is traumatized I can tell as he's hardly said anything.
Brett clips me up to the heart machine and Kidd gets onto the rig.
"Gabby? Watcha doin on the Gurnee? Your supposed to be driving the ambo." Kidd teases, then she smiles and comes next to me only to speak to Brett.
"I'll drive Brett." She says and they both smile then Stella disappears.
"I should've come home with you Gabby." Matt Says.
"No, it's okay. Your not responsible." I say and he squeezes my hand tight.
I smile. I feel so bad for him. He blames himself and that's not fair.
I've kinda ignored my injuries and focused on more important things like sleeping. But I'm going to be outta work for sooo long.
"Better get going." Kidd says and turns on the ignition forcing the engine to keep going."
Kidd is filling in for me I guess, ah well she knows what she's doing.
"Med is around 10 minutes out." Brett tells me. "You just gotta hang on till then."
She administers a second shot of morphine and god if I'm not high.
Then goes onto check my vitals..
-Blood Pressure
- Heart Rate
-Breathing
-Heart Rhythm
I know what's going to happen, I'm going to get rushed to med, I'm going to get booked into surgery, then my mom is gonna come and complain to me.
Great.
——
"Ambulance 61 to Med, we're about 5 mins out. Standby."
Me and Brett are just chatting, about the latest fashion magazine, even though I'm not all that into fashion.
"Thanks Brett." I say
"Don't be stupid, your family." She replies
I smile. I love these guys.
——
Kidd stops the ambo and I hear her get out.
Everybody stands up, except me obviously, and Kidd opens up the backdoors and lowers the platform
They wheel me out on the Gurnee and ooh look guess who's there. Connor and Will. I thought they hated each other from what Antonio was telling me.
Brett is going on about all the details and then I hear Maggie say
"Trauma 3"
I'm covered in wires monitoring my every move. I'm going to need therapy. I don't even know what happened to the driver of the other car. I didn't even think about them.
I'm brought across onto the bed, and everyone is reaching and fussing over me.
Brett and Kidd get their gear together and tell me everyone will be here soon.
Matt stays but Maggie tells him he's got to wait outside as I'm going for surgery soon.
This day is the worst.
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Current Time - 11:48pm
Chicago Med, Chicago, Illinois.