Chapter 18
Things continued to move forward.
Kelly was back in the gym now…building his strength…getting his stamina back. And he was still going to PT. He was working on his balance…and his reflexes. The therapist even worked with the fire department to customize his workouts now to mimic things he needed to do on the job.
And it all felt good.
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Just as his session was ending, the knucklehead kid from Truck 34 came hobbling in…on crutches.
That's when Kelly realized he hadn't seen the guy in about two months.
"What the hell happened to you?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
At least the kid had enough sense to be embarrassed.
"Well…my girlfriend broke up with me. She said having to come here every day was boring…that and she met somebody else. So a couple of my buddies took me out one night…and I got…really…really drunk."
Kelly had to bite the insides of his cheeks.
"So what'd you do?" he asked…even though he could prob'ly have guessed the answer.
"I took a fall down a couple stairs at the club we were at…" the guy said. "And I re-broke my ankle…"
Severide just shook his head. The guy would prob'ly loose his spot…if he hadn't already. The department wasn't gonna put up with a fuck-up like this.
"Well…good luck to ya'." He said…not really meaning it.
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The kids were back in school now. Andy and Jesse were in the fourth grade…and they moved up a level in football. Alyssa was nervous because they'd be playing against kids so much bigger than them…but Kelly knew his boys could hold their own. He wasn't worried in the least.
Maggie followed in her brothers footsteps…and she started pre-school three mornings a week.
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Now that made Kelly nervous…and a little sad. When he and Lyssa had taken Maggie to St. Pasqual's to meet with Mrs. Beatty and Ms. Monahan he realized his baby girl was growing up.
Now he was walking her to school…in her little uniform…the smallest they could find…and it was still big. Her pink Princess backpack was almost as big as she was.
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That first day she clung to his leg…and Kelly almost scooped her up into his arms to take her back home.
He could do that now. But he forced himself to be strong as Mrs. Beatty gently pried Maggie off of him and led her over to the books so he could make his getaway.
Alyssa was waiting for him outside…and she hugged him tight.
"It's okay, Baby…" she told him. "She'll be fine…"
Maggie would be fine…Daddy was another story.
"She's so little…" he said. "She's just a baby."
But they had talked about it…Ainsley was starting school…and it only made sense that Maggie would too. She knew all her letters…and her colors…her numbers…and she could recognize almost fifty words on sight. She could hold a pencil and trace the letters of her name. She was already ahead academically. Now she needed to get the social skills.
Kelly would just have to be strong.
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The Firefighter's Challenge was held on Labor Day weekend…and Hollywood filled in for Kelly this time. Squad 3 won for the fifth consecutive year in a row…and this time Wheaton didn't even make the cut. It anybody realized Morgan wasn't a real firefighter…they kept it to themselves.
Next year…Kelly promised himself. Next year he'd be back better than ever.
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Chicago Fire was into its third season…and Kelly worked a few days a week on that. He still wasn't cleared to work on the action sequences…but it was good to be back in the gear…getting on the Squad.
Soon…he kept telling himself…soon.
The kids made their annual appearance…and this year Andy and Jesse each got speaking parts!
They were with their "class" on a field trip of the fire station…and Andy asked why they had a beagle instead of a Dalmatian. Jesse got to try on the helmet…and he complained how heavy it was.
They had to do that about five times…to get it to sound real. Jesse had been trying on Kelly's helmet since he was about four. He was used to the weight of it by now.
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Halloween was on a Saturday…and St Pasqual's had a huge Carnival. The boys recycled their firefighter costumes…and Maggie was a pink and purple butterfly.
Andy and Jesse cleaned up on all the games…and they came home with about half a dozen goldfish that Kelly hoped wouldn't be dead by morning…a dozen little stuffed animals…and a ton of candy.
Maggie didn't quite get the point of bobbing for apples…she just stuck her whole arm in and fished out the one she wanted. And Kelly couldn't help but chuckle as he carried his dripping daughter to the bathroom to put her under the hand dryer. He'd filmed it all on his phone…and he knew Casey and Mills and the rest of the guys would prob'ly get a good laugh out of it.
Afterwards they had all the neighbors over for cookies and hot mulled cider...the same as they did every year.
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But all that was just a distraction while they waited for the big event. Kelly's appointment at Occupational Health was coming up. The surgeon had cleared him…the orthopedist…the rehab guys…all of them had pronounced him 100% healed.
Now they just had to get past the CFD.
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The night before the appointment Kelly couldn't sleep a wink. He'd only been this nervous once before…when he'd had the surgery to repair his C5 vertebra. That was almost a dozen years ago…before he Lyssa were married. He was forty-five now…and coming back after this injury was the hardest thing he'd ever had to go through.
He knew there was still a chance they wouldn't clear him…at least not for full duty, no restrictions. But it wouldn't be for lack of trying on his part. He could say without any reservations that he didn't leave anything on the table this time. And he wanted this…more than ever.
He held onto Alyssa's hand as they waited for the doctor. He had his shirt off…the doctor would want to make sure all the incisions were well healed…and she gently rubbed her hand across his back.
She didn't have to ask if he was nervous. He was practically shaking. She leaned in closer and placed a kiss against his shoulder.
"It's gonna be okay, Kelly. You're gonna pass this with flying colors." She said softly.
He squeezed her hand in his…and he couldn't help but think that seven or eight months ago he hadn't even been able to do that.
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They walked out of the clinic feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted.
He was cleared to return to duty…no restrictions!
He could still lead Squad 3!
He grabbed his wife in a tight hug…and picked her up off the ground. He twirled her around and laughed out loud. He didn't give a damn how many people stopped and stared. He didn't give a damn if the whole city thought he was crazy.
He was going back to Station 51 next shift!
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This called for a celebration.
He stopped at 51 to give Boden the paperwork…and the whole house had erupted in chaos! Everyone was hugging him and slapping him on the back. They hugged Alyssa too…and there were a few tears shed.
Lieutenant Severide was back!
Once Kelly and Lyssa had left to have their own private celebration, the planning kicked into overdrive. They'd have everyone at the diner…they'd have all the Lieutenant's favorites…they'd get at least three kegs…this was gonna be the blowout bash to end all blowout bashes!
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Kelly had a few things to do on his own.
He had missed their anniversary. Not that he wasn't home…but he was so busy feeling sorry for himself that he was in no condition to celebrate.
Originally he had wanted to take a romantic vacation…like they did for their fifth. He had been planning it…back before their lives had gotten all turned around. So now he walked into a jewelry store downtown…and he told the clerk what he wanted.
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The other errand wasn't so pleasant.
He found out where Darren Chesnick was buried…and he went to the cemetery.
He found the stone…it was simple…plain. Just a name and a date. No sentiments about him being a loving husband, a father…a son. Not even a Maltese Cross that was the symbol of the fire department.
Kelly looked down at the pathetically lonely grave. There were no flowers, no sign that anyone had been there. What a waste, he thought.
"You didn't beat me, you sonofabitch…" he said to the stone. "I made it…I made it and I'm still a firefighter. You didn't take that away from me."
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The whole family gathered at the diner. The firehouse family…Hermann's wife and kids…all Lyssa's brothers and their families. Her nephew Donnie and his wife came from Kansas City. Her niece Brittany came from Iowa, where she was in grad school. Even Nadine and Tony Sr. were there.
Benny was there…and he was already well on his way to having a world class hangover the next morning. This whole thing had been as hard on him as it was everybody else…he tried to help, but he really struggled this time with Kelly being hurt so badly. He knew what it was like to have to give up the thing you love…even if you couldn't do it anymore. Not a day went by that he didn't miss the firehouse…hearing the bells go off…throwing on the gear and jumping in the Squad ready to face whatever they rolled up on. And even though he'd never admit it out loud…in his heart he knew that his son was the best of the best.
Kelly's aunt Kathy was there…as were her sons Josh and Blake were there with their families.
And there were friends. Hollywood was there with the entire cast and crew of Chicago Fire. The Riordans were there…and Eric Whaley had jumped on a plane as soon as Casey had called to tell him about the party. His wife and sons weren't able to make the trip…but Eric had to be there for his buddy.
Even Jonny DiNardo, Alyssa's oldest friend, had come all the way from London where he was starring in a revival of Phantom of the Opera.
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Kelly couldn't believe all the people that had come out to celebrate with them. He'd have been happy to have the family for a cookout or something. But the diner was filled to capacity. He wandered around, talking to everyone…accepting their congratulations…sharing toasts left and right…remembering to eat every now and then so he wasn't drinking on an empty stomach.
Until he found himself face to face with his mother in law.
Nadine had really been trying to make peace. She had come over with prepared meals while he was recovering…she had babysat for Maggie a few times…and she'd gone to Andy and Jesse's games and things at their school.
But she pretty much left Kelly and Alyssa to do their own thing.
"Nadine…" Kelly said cautiously.
"Kelly…congratulations. Tony and I are really happy you're okay…that everything's all right again."
"Thanks…" he said. "And…thank you…for the meals and stuff. That was nice of you."
"I was wrong, Kelly." She said. "I was so wrong about you…and Alyssa. I don't even have an excuse for myself. I just hope…that maybe…one day…you can forgive me. And we can get to know each other."
Kelly was surprised…shocked even.
"Maybe…" he said. "We've got plenty of time."
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There was something he wanted to do…before everyone got too drunk.
He took Alyssa by the hand…and he led her out into the center of the crowd.
"I've got something for you…" he said.
He reached into his pocket…and drew out a black velvet box.
"Kelly…" she started to protest.
But he stopped her. He opened the box slowly to reveal a heart encrusted with diamond chips.
Alyssa gasped when she saw it. It was stunning…she'd never seen anything so beautiful. It was too much.
"Kelly…" she whispered.
He took the necklace from the box. He handed that off to Shay…and he circled around his wife. He carefully hung it around her neck…and then turned her to face him.
It was like the whole world suddenly melted away…and he forgot that there were over a hundred pairs of eyes on them. He softly stroked Alyssa's cheek and looked deep into her brown eyes.
"I missed our anniversary, Lyssa." He said. "I still can't believe it's been ten years."
He wiped away a tear that had slid down her face…then he wiped away one of his own.
"I can never thank you. There's…no words…to say how I feel. I just know…that I couldn't have made it without you. You always believed in me…even when I didn't. You believed in us. And the reason I'm standin' here right now…it's all because of you. I owe you everything, Baby. Everything…"
And right in front of all their family and their friends…Kelly took his wife in his arms…and he kissed her.