So this idea came to me after hearing a haunting version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Enjoy! :D
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
The heat was almost becoming too much when Gabby and Herrman heard Matt's voice through their radios, "You guys get out of there! The place is falling apart!" He had beaten chief to the punch in telling them to get out, which they began to do, getting just got the door when Gabby stopped.
"Herrman! I heard something!" She called out to him, turning her back and heading to the room just at her side. Herrman followed her, trying to reach her but she was back moments later, a small child wrapped in her arms protectively. "Come on, let's go!" They moved quickly back towards the front door but as they did so they heard the buildings ground creak and shift underneath them.
It all happened in an instant, Matt's voice called out for both Dawson and Herrman, Dawson gave Herrman a rough shove out the door so much so that he tumbled down the stairs of the building while the two levels above gabby crumbled in on itself, the brick cascading around her, encasing her in a small area, nearly enough for her to fit, the small boy held tightly to her chest, darkness slipping over her sudden.
As the dust settled around the scene, Matt jumped, helping Herrman to his feet, his head snapping around, looking for Gabby, needing to know that she had gotten out as well but it didn't take long until he realised that she wasn't there, "Dawson! Dawson report! Dawson!" He called into his radio, hoping she would reply but all he got was silence, he glanced back towards the chief, his eyes telling Matt to do what he had to do to get Dawson and the child out.
He tired again, calling her name through the radio, hoping that he might get a response at some stage.
Gabby coughed as she tried to sit up, the weight on her chest keeping her down, rubbing her eyes with her free hand, me he tried to get her bearings, instantly she realised that she couldn't see, darkness everywhere. The movement of the weight on her chest made her remember the child she had found before the building collapsed around her, "It's ok buddy, we are going to be ok..." Again she glanced around, hoping to maybe see something, again yet she didn't.
Her name caught her attention and she glanced around, realising that her radio was not from her, although she had no idea where, feeling around her felt the tell tale plastic feel of her radio sitting by her side, she pulled it to her lips, Matt the only person who was coming to her mind as it dawned on her that she and the little boy were trapped and in danger.
"Casey! Can you hear me?" Gabby groped for the on button on her radio, the darkness was deafening as she lay, in the cramped space the fallen debris had cited, her leg trapped under the rubble, although glad that it wasn't being crushed, just trapped. She could feel her radio by her side but she had no idea if it even worked anymore. She could feel the young boy in her arms shaking, terrified of both the fall and the darkness. "Yeah Dawson, I can hear you! Are you alright?" Sighing deeply when she heard his voice coming through, even though weren't together anymore, he still knew how to calm her without him even knowing it.
"Yeah, yeah we are alright, I have a young boy...hey buddy how old are you?" She leaned down to the boy tightly wrapped in her arms, she couldn't see him but she hoped that he was all right.
"I'm four years old. I'm scared." He wasn't scared, he was terrified, shaking like a leaf, she and no idea how they both fit in that small space but they did but she s becoming concerned about air, it wouldn't be long until they ran out of it.
"Victim is four years old, we are both ok but I'm trapped Casey, my leg is stuck." She tried to pull it free but it hurt, "Arg...Casey, I'm really stuck in here..." She was trying not to panic; she was trying to keep her cool for herself, her team and the boy in her arms.
"Alright Dawson, sit tight, we are gonna get you outta there ok. Keep your radio live..." She could hear Matt through the radio; his voice was strong, keeping her strong. Sighing deeply she flicked the switch, she couldn't hear them but she knew they could hear her. It was what was going to allow them to make sure she was still ok.
Casey turned to his men, all of them standing in front of the collapsed building winning where to start. They knew there were issues getting in, the building was unstable, that much was clear, they just had no idea how far down gabby and the boy was or even exactly where they were. "Alright everyone, start by moving the bigger pieces back, but be careful, we need to make sure not to shift the foundations too much."
Casey watched as his men moved instantly, each and every one of the crew from 51 moving to the rubble, each anxious to get Dawson and the boy out alive. Matt watched on as the men moved around, his back tensing at the thought of gabby being trapped. They may not be together anymore but he loved her, and is he had his way he would have her back in his arms that moment if he could. "Dawson, you gotta give us some time ok? The foundations are unstable so we gotta take it slow." He spoke clearly into his radio, knowing that he wasn't too give away too much emotion as the rest of his men could hear him loud and clear.
It took a moment for her reply to come through but when it did he could tell she as struggling to stay calm. "Got it Casey, we ah...you might wanna hurry though, getting a bit cramped in here." She was telling him that she was running out of air without saying it, not wanting to worry the boy.
"Got it Dawson, we are doing what we can." He nodded to Severide and his men, who had come to help search, Severide sending a quick glance in his friend's direction, knowing he was very concerned about Gabby, he knew his friend still loved her.
"Hey kiddo, how you doing? What's you're name anyway?" Gabby spoke after a few moments of silence, figuring the boy needed to be distracted.
"Adam. I'm ok. What's your name?" She could feel him move away from her grip a little, probably trying to look up at her.
"My name is gabby. Don't worry you are going to ok. We are both going to be ok." Even though she spoke as though she believed it, Gabby was sending a silent prayer to matt, hoping he would get them out soon.
"Gabby...I'm scared..." Gabby felt Adam burry his he'd further into her chest, holding him tightly against her.
"I know kid, me too..." She didn't even care that the whole of 51 could hear her speak, her radio still live, she was scared, they were in real trouble and she knew it. Sudden movement came around them, the rubble shifting above them both, sending small prices crashing to the floor and dust sprinkling around them, the piece moving lower on her ankle, causing a painful flash to shoot up her leg. "Arg!" She pulled Adam closer to her, her body covering his to hide him from the falling debris.
"Casey! Casey! Matt!" His first came caught his attention and he motioned for everyone to stop, the sound of the men moving the rubble obscuring the sounds of her voice. "Stop! Whatever you are doing, you gotta stop!" She was even more panicked now, not even bothering to hide it.
"Dawson, what's wrong?" He was worried, the sound of her voice and in her voice putting him on edge. Stepping forward towards the rubble, he listened to her breathy voice.
"The rubble is shifting, my foot, it's trapping it further. Matt please, you gotta stop!" She was borderline hysterical at this moment, the pain getting to her.
"Alright Gabby, it's ok, we are going to go at this a different way, you just hang in there. How are you both doing?" He nodded to his men to continue, there was no other way to get to them but she didn't need to know that.
Gabby felt Adam coughing against her, the dust settling on their bodies and in the air. Reaching around her, she was thankful when she found her mask and tank, both having fallen off as she had fallen. "Here Adam, I want you to put this on ok? It will help you breath easier..." She just hoped the tank was working but as she pulled his over e boy's face and turned it on, she knew it wasn't but she needed him to believe that it was. "We are doing ok Matt, just ah…we wanna get out of here…please…" she was desperate, begging for him to help her.
"Guys we gotta get this stuff moving, they are running out of time!...Hang in their Gabby, we are coming for you…" Casey barked ordering into his radio, struggling to keep his emotions in check as he heard Gabby starting to cough through the radio.
"We need help here lieutenant!" Herrman called to Casey, noting that they were getting nowhere fast. He watched as Casey nodded back, radioing instantly to Main that they needed help, that they had a trapped fire fighter and child victim.
It was no more that 10 minutes that passed when they heard the sounds of sirens echoing in the distance, Casey thankful that they were arriving, minutes later two more crews began to work through the rubble, moving it away as they searched for Dawson and the boy.
"Gabby...I'm tired..." It was what she feared, she was tired too, air s becoming an issue now and it wouldn't be long until it was all gone.
"Yeah buddy me too, me too. Casey...we'd really like to get out of here...any chance of it happening sometime very soon?" She spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she tired to slow her breathing down; she knew they didn't have much air left.
"I know Gabby, we are getting there, you just gotta stick with me ok?" She smiled gently at the sound of her name from his lips, God she had missed it.
Matt didn't even bother stopping himself as her first name slipped from his lips, they were on borrowed time and it was starting to get cut short on them, he just hoped that he would be able to call her that with her back in his arms. He needed her to keep talking and although he knew it would use more air that they didn't have, he needed her to stay with him, he needed to hear her voice.
"Gabby...I'm tired, can you sing me a song?" Adams voice was soft, scared and it broke her heart because there was nothing she could do to help him. She moved her free hand to his hair, running her fingers through what she could, as the mask covered his whole face.
"What would you like me sing buddy?" Her words were short, trying to hold back as much as she should.
"Mummy sings me 'somewhere over the rainbow' when I'm scared." And that's what she sang. She voice filtering through the radio to the men standing above the ground.
Matt's back tensed as she listened to gabby sing to the boy, his hands gripping his radio as his heart tightened painfully. Her voice was soft, each word a breath that she couldn't afford to give, the fresh air moments away from being none existent, sending them both into a sleep that they may not wake up from.
"Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dreams that you dream of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true"
It was as if the sounds of the rest of the world fell away, Gabby's voice we the only thing that matt could hear, his fewer moving on to terror as he thought about how much longer they needed to get to them and how much time she had left, neither of them matched up.
"Matt... Are you there?" Her voice caught his attention, each and every one of the fire fighters on scene moving around but still listening to what she was about to say.
"Yeah I'm here Gabs, you need to stick with me ok? We are almost there, you just gotta give me some more time, I need you to hang on baby..." He didn't care, no one did, he loved Gabby and he was losing her.
"Mattie, I just need you to know that I love you. That I am so sorry for everything and if I were to ever get out of this, I wanna come home, I wanna marry you and I want to stay with you forever..." Her voice was breathy; barely able to get the words out, her mind blurring as the darkness started to take over, darkness she knew there was no coming back from.
"Baby it's ok, we are going to get you out of there and-" he was panicked, she was saying goodbye and he couldn't deal with the that but he couldn't bring himself to help the men, knowing he wouldn't be much help as his hands were shaking too much, but he needed to stay on the radio with gabby, needed to keep her talking, keeping her awake.
She cut him off as he spoke, "-I know you probably don't care anymore but I just need you to know that I regret walking away. I've been regretting it every day since..." Matt swallowed deeply, he needed to tell her he loved her but he didn't want to, it was the goodbye he wasn't going to allow but her voice was haunting, terrified and deathly.
"It's ok baby, listen to me, I don't want you think about the past baby, think about coming home, think about everything we talked about and how we are going to have it because I want you to come home. I regret letting you walk away Gabby, I should have come after you, I should have fought for you. Stay with me baby please..." He was beyond terrified, his heart was breaking with every word she spoke, he was shaking, knowing that both the eyes of his and the other house's chief were staring at him but he didn't care, he just needed Gabby with him.
"I regret so much Matt, I lost so much because of this job, my best friend...you...please...I'm so sorry..." She wasn't listening anymore, her mind barely working more than thinking of the words that she wanted to say; the lack of oxygen had taken over.
"Gabby can you sing for me?" The boys voice died out, no doubt he had fallen unconscious, up matt head gabby kiss his head, continuing to sing.
"Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly, over the rainbow
Oh why, oh why can't-"
And that's when it happened, with one deep breath, Gabby smiled to herself, Matt the last thought on he mind before she fell into the darkness, "I love you Matt."
Then silence, a lone tear streaking down matts cheek as she cried into his radio, "Gabby, come on talk to me...damn it gabby! Baby please talk to me!" But he knew it was no use, he raced passed his men, pushing Otis and Cruz out the way as he began to fight against the rubble keep them separate, each man renewing their search, this time with more effort considering they knew it was almost too late, but they weren't going to give up, they weren't going to loose Gabby.
Again, minutes that felt like hours passed until Matt moved the piece of rubble he never thought he would, sunlight shining into the small opening he made, showing him the small open area they had been searching for, but more importantly, the open space sending fresh air rushing into the cave like room.
Instantly Matt dropped his head into the small space, not much could be seen except for a hand, laying outstretched, palm up, fingers curled slightly in, it was gabby, he recognised how she was laying because she would lay like that while she as asleep in bed, he loved seeing her like that. "Gabby!" He leaned in a little further into the space, the whole yet big enough to get him in, but he doubted he would actually fit; there wasn't much room at all.
As he leaned it, he was able to reach for her hand, his fingers curling around hers in an effort to make sure she was real, then his slipped his fingers to her wrist, feeling for a pulse which be prayed was there. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "She's alive but only just, her pulse is weak, barely there!" He called out to the medics who were standing by, Mills and Brett ready to jump the minute it was needed.
Stretching a little more Matt tried to reach as far in as he could, not really succeeding, although the movement of Gabby's arm seemed to cause another movement, something shifted, hoping it was gabby matt called out again, "Gabby! Open your eyes for me baby, I'm here...come on..." But it wasn't gabby, the small body that was curled into Gabby's was moving, the boy she had saved.
"He buddy, it's ok, can you move towards me? We are going to get you out of here...I'm a fire fighter..." The minute matt stated that he was a fire fighter the body moved again, this time his head popped up, matt noticing that he was wearing Gabby's mask "Good girl Gabby, you probably saved his life" Matt thought as he reached for the body who moved himself away from gabby, his sluggish movements telling matt was he struggling for breath but the air that the hole had let in was helping. "It's alright buddy, I got you..." Matt whispered softly as he pulled the shaking child from the hole.
Pulling him gently, Matt could hear cheering from the crowd around him, there were lots of people watching now, none of them owning the real danger that lay ahead, getting gabby out alive and in one piece. Matt felt the boy tightly hold him around the neck, too scared to say anything or let go but as Herrman took him, he began to cry but matt didn't care anymore, he was too focussed on Gabby. "Come on Gabby! Damn open your eyes! You gotta wake up for me!" He resolve was fading fast as he tried to reach for her again but couldn't.
As matt tried to reach for gabby, the rest of the fire fighters continued to move the rubble, making the hole as big as they could but as they did so, the foundations moved again, each of the having to steady themselves as not to fall. "We can't move anymore lieutenant, the whole thing will collapse if we do!" Someone called out behind matt, who knew this was true and instead he tired to fit himself into the hole.
"Wait lieutenant! You're gonna get stuck! Let me go in, I'm smaller!" Otis' voice pulled Matt back for a second, he could tell he wasn't going to fit but he needed to get to her. Nodding he moved away, handling Otis the working mask with already flowing oxygen and watched helplessly as he shimmied his any into the hole.
It was dark inside and the team could only listen as Otis moved around as much as possible, no doubt slipping the mask over her face, they could hear his voice, "I got you Dawson, we are going to get out of here, Casey is waiting for you..." Matt could feel his cheeks redden but he didn't care, he was waiting for her and he needed her to come out of this alive.
The sound of shifting rubble could be heard and moment's later Otis' voice came through, "Pull her out lieutenant! She is free!" And with that, Matt pulled Gabby through the gap instantly, his arms cradling her tightly, not letting her go and not letting anyone else help. He carried her bridal style gently towards the waiting ambulance, 61 already having left for Lakeshore with the boy.
"I got you baby, you're going to be ok..." As he placed her down gently, his fingers ghosting across her cheek as the medics wheeled her into the back of the ambo, matt jumping in straight after her, a knowing nod sent his way by Severide and Chief.
"Hey baby, how are you feeling?" Matts voice filtered into Gabby's mind, it was distance and soft though but the hand than ran over her cheek was not distant, she could feel the softness of the hand, the gently caress that it gave her, it was matt.
Smiling to herself, she rolled her head to the side, her body sluggish but she wasn't in too much pain, she could tell by the sounds around her no the feel of what she was laying on that she was in hospital, although there was a dull ache in her ankle. "Hey...what happened?" Swallowing deeply, Gabby noticed that it was hard to talk, her throat dry but matt just smiled, oh how she missed the smile that he gave to her, the one he kept just for her.
"You were trapped under a building...do you remember?" He watched as she thought for a moment, her mind trying to remember what he happened.
"I remember singing...somewhere over the rainbow..." Then something clicked and she sat up as fast as she could, matt by her side in an instant, "The little boy! Is he ok?" She was starting to panic as the memory of the little boy came back to her.
"Gabby baby relax, come on its ok, I need you to relax ok baby..." He was leaning over her now, his smile wider, "The little boy is going to be just fine, you saved his life. You on the other hand, your ankle is going to take a few weeks of healing..." He watched as she looked down, her ankle strapped and being iced as she lay there. "It's not broken so you should be off work for about 3 weeks until the swelling goes down."
Gabby looked back up at him, she was confused, she didn't remember much but her EMT training was telling her that she had lost consciousness while trapped, the lack of oxygen causing her not to remember much.
"I remember your voice..." She slowly placed her and on his cheek, searching his eyes for something that would tell her what he had said. "I remember..." She looked away then, parts of what she had said to him coming back to her, "I'm sorry, I'm sure that I said some things that-"
Then his lips were on hers, his kiss silencing her apology that she as no doubt going to throw back at him. She responded after a moment, her hands tangling in his hair as he pulled her closer to him, this kiss full of everything that they had been missing over the last few months. Matt pulled away suddenly, his forehead resting against her gently as he smiled, "God I missed you. I was so scared we wouldn't get to you in time. When you get out of here, you are coming home baby. I love you."
Smiling widely at matt, gabby kissed his again gently, "You are my dream that came true over the rainbow matt. I'm coming home."
Thoughts?
