A/N: So…this is my first Chicago Fire vic! Yay! I've had this one in the works for awhile and since we've had so many lovely snow days up here in the northeast I was finally able to start polishing it enough to post it.

So this takes place during Season 1 "Hanging On". While I appreciate the fact that Matt actually went to the hospital (unlike some other occasions) it still wasn't enough for me. So, I…took some liberties. Enjoy!

PS: Not mine! I teach music for a living Dick Wolf so please don't come after me!

Matt Casey was not a small man. He'd been in his share of knock down, drag out fights over the years and more often than not he'd walked away the victor. In high school he'd been an all state wrestling champion and he spent countless hours at the gym every week.

None of that mattered one bit when the first punch slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling into the alley next to the corner market. It took only a few seconds for the initial shock to wear off and reality to set in. He was being attacked.

He started swinging without even realizing it, managing to land a few punches of his own before one of his attacker's slammed his head into a trash can.

Spots danced before his eyes and the next thing he knew he was on the ground. Pain exploded across his side, the air leaving his lungs in a whoosh as booted feet kicked repeatedly at his ribs. He instinctively curled into a ball in an attempt to protect himself but the feet continued to find their mark for what seemed like a very long time.

And then suddenly they were gone. Casey blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. What the hell had just happened?

"Sir? Sir are you all right?"

The blood pounding painfully in Casey's ears was making it hard to focus.

"Hey, don't move all right? We called 911."

He could hear people moving around and talking. A crowd was starting to gather. He needed to get up.

Casey began to struggle into a sitting position. "Hey, hey, just take it easy," a man in his fifties put his hand on Casey's chest and tried to hold him still.

Casey ignored him and tried to find his wallet. It was still in his pocket. Not a mugging. Then why?

The thought formed slowly. Voight. Voight had done this. He was sending a message. Casey wasn't safe anywhere. Not even in his own neighborhood.

Casey let his head fall back against the pavement. His ribs were burning making it hard to breathe and his hip throbbed. At least the world had stopped spinning so fast.

The sound of sirens rent the air and Casey squeezed his eyes closed against the noise which made his head feel like it might split in two. He must have blacked out for a few minutes because the next thing he knew someone was calling his name. "Matt? Matt Casey?"

He opened his eyes slowly. "Rich?" he asked.

Rich and Sarah were paramedics out of eighty seven. They'd met a couple times at the picnic. Rich had a daughter in college and Sarah was engaged to a television anchor.

"What the hell happened to you?" Rich asked as he began to cut away Casey's shirt. "You look awful."

Casey groaned as the paramedic's hands found his ribs. "Hey, that's a little tender huh?" Rich asked.

"Yeah, just a little," Casey managed.

"Casey can you tell me what day it is?" Sarah asked.

Of course he could tell her the day. It was Wednesday right? Or maybe Tuesday? When had he been at work? "I…I don't…"

"Okay, it's all right Casey. We're going to get you all patched up. Just try to relax," Sarah told him. "Rich I don't like the looks of that bruise. Could be broken ribs or internal bleeding."

"Let's get him out of here."

"The police want to talk to you for a minute. You feel up to it?" Rich asked after they had him on a gurney.

"Sure."

The officer who approached was a stranger to Casey. "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"

"I was attacked by two men. They pushed me into the alley."

"Did they say anything? Tell you why they were attacking you?"

Casey seethed in silence for a moment. "I want to talk to Antonio Dawson out of Vice. He can meet me Lakeshore. I'll tell him everything."

"Sir, I'd rather you just-"

"Officer, this is Lieutenant Matt Casey of the CFD," Sarah piped up, making sure to emphasize his rank.

The officer thought for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "I'll give him a call. You feel better Lieutenant."

Within minutes they were racing toward Lakeshore. Every bump the ambulance went over jarred Casey's body painfully. He gritted his teeth as they hit a particularly large pothole. "Hang on, Lieutenant. We're almost there," Sarah assured him as she adjusted the IV in his arm.

The pulled into Lakeshore and Rich opened the back doors allowing Sarah room to jump out and remove the gurney with Casey on board.

"Thirty three year old male. Possible internal bleeding and head trauma," Rich told the approaching doctor as they went through the automatic doors.

Casey didn't recognize him, unusual considering how much time he'd spent at Lakeshore over the years. "I'm Dr. Gutierez. What's your name?" the man asked.

"Matt," the Lieutenant said.

"You want to tell me what happened Matt? Bar fight?"

"Something like that."

"Matt?"

The new voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion and so familiar he thought he might cry. Matt shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the hospital bed as Hallie hurried over. "Baby what happened?" she asked worriedly, her eyes searching him for injuries.

"He was brought in for possible internal injuries and head trauma," Dr. Gutierez explained.

Hallie took a deep breath. "Okay, I got this Carl, thanks," she told her colleague.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she waved him off. "Matt what's going on?"

"Some of Voight's thugs." Casey winced as he shifted on the bed. "Antonio Dawson should be here any minute. I need to talk to him."

"You know what that can wait," Hallie was examining the large bruise that was spreading across his side. "What hurts?"

"Hallie-"

"Casey, answer the question," her voice was all business.

He wasn't going to win this one. "My ribs, my hip."

"You hit your head?" Hallie's fingers brushed over his swollen cheek.

"Against a metal dumpster."

Hallie pressed firmly against his rib cage and his agonized cry was almost enough to undo her composure. Casey gripped the sheets and gasped for air as the pain subsided.

"Okay, he's going to need a CT scan and x-ray's," she told the nurse at her side. "Let's get him admitted and up to a room." She gripped Casey's hand tightly. "You're going to be okay Baby."

In the hour that followed Hallie didn't leave his side for more than a few minutes. Every movement was excruciating and after the final transfer from a wheelchair to a hospital bed Casey thought he might pass out. "Hey," Hallie put a hand on his cheek, "take a breath. I'm right here."

Casey couldn't speak, so great was the pain. Every breath was like a knife into his side. It was only made worse by the anger that had been steadily growing inside of him. He was going to kill Voight.

"Here," Hallie handed him an ice-pack. "We'll get you some pain meds as soon as your CT scan comes back. Can't take any chances with a possible head injury."

"It's fine," Casey replied.

It wasn't. He couldn't remember time when he'd felt so awful.

"Boden's on his way," she told him. "I figured he needed to know, especially if you have to take any time off."

"I'm not going to take any time off," Casey protested.

"You'll take time off if I say you will." Hallie narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a look that brooked no nonsense.

"Casey!" Antonio Dawson appeared in the doorway. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" Casey asked angrily.

He knew he was directing his anger at the wrong people but he was so tired and in so much pain he didn't care. "It was two of Voight's thugs. They shoved me into an alley."

"Did they say anything? How do you know they were Voight's?" Antonio asked.

"Who else could they be?" Casey asked angrily. "They didn't take my wallet, they didn't ask me for anything. They just beat the crap out of me and left."

"I'm going to go check on your x-ray results," Hallie told him softly before slipping out of the room.

Antonio rubbed a hand across his face. "You've stepped in some bad shit my friend."

"Then help me get out of it," Casey told him.

"What can you tell me about these guys?"

Casey closed his eyes and tried to picture the fight. "They both had boots on. Bandanas over their faces. One wore a green vest."

"That's good. That's a good start," Antonio pulled out a notebook and started writing down the details. "You sure they didn't say anything to you?"

"No. They just started swinging. I might have gotten a few hits in. Things are a little hazy," Casey told him.

"Yeah I'll bet. I won't take much longer," Antonio looked directly into his eyes. "We'll get Voight, Casey. I promise."

A/N: So? What'd ya think? Please leave your opinions in the reviews! Also, does anyone else miss Hallie? I really liked the Casey/Hallie pairing. So thanks for that Dick Wolf. Oh well! More to come soon!