She's Coming Home

Telling 51

Gabby POV
We get to the ED and Maggie says 51 is already there. We go in and everyone is yelling hello
Gabby- hi guys
Hermann- how are you?
Gabby- good up breathing
Stella- ya, when did that happen
Gabby- morning. April insists bring vent
April- I didn't say you had to use it. It just needs to come. Have you forgot about last time already?
Severide- what happened last time
Gabby- nothing it's fine
April- ya because chocking and not being able breathe and then still not being able to breathe but insisting on chatting and then having to go back on the other vent with O2 is nothing.
I glare at her
Brett- Gabby! While you were talking to us you couldn't breathe!
Gabby- I could breathe
She continued glaring at me
Gabby- maybe not well
April- SATing around 88
I glare at her again
Brett- Gabby!
Gabby- April, remember PT, practice hit kick. I will practice more.
Cruz- Dawson's back!
Gabby- I will kick you to
Cruz- oh ya!
Cruz comes over ready to fake fight me so I start kicking and moving my arms, which also means my head is moving but whatever. We keep going until April makes us stop because I accidentally pulled my oxygen off which is probably good because I'm starting to choke and need to be suctioned.
Gabby- suction
April- see, this is why we bring all the machines.
She grabs gloves and the suction machine and suctions my trach before reconnecting the oxygen and suctioning my mouth. I try my best not to hit her but once I'm moving it's hard to stop.
Gabby- sorry ruin fun
Stella- you're not ruining the fun. Ruining the fun would be you not being able to breathe. Stop apologizing for things you can't control.
Gabby- ok. We need tell you something. Matt will be way faster you do it.
Matt- ok ya. So me and Gabby need to tell you all something and your goal is to not freak out too much. Also I didn't know until a week and a half ago but I didn't get details until today. But me and Gabby are good, we talked a lot, no hard feelings, we're friends.
I'm so happy hearing Matt say we're good. I try to reach for his hand but instead just flail all my limbs around but he gets the message and holds my hand. Which isn't easy since I can't stop moving.
Matt- Gabby and I have a daughter, she's 2.
Hermann- what?
Chief- um congratulations!
Stella- that's great guys!
Brett- sorry but I thought
Gabby- yes
I cut her off not wanting to think about that right now.
Gabby- not go well but fine now talk later you and Stella
Brett- ok
Matt- ok, ready to meet her?
Everyone immediately says yes
Gabby- wait. Her name is Shay Elizabeth Casey-Dawson
I stop because Kelly started crying hearing her name. I kick towards him and look at him, Matt understands and translates my movements for everyone else
Matt- Sev come here, Gab wants to see you.
He walks over and I try to grab him but can't really.
Gabby- hug
He comes and hugs me and I try my best to wrap my arms around him which results in hitting him in the back multiple times with my uncontrolled movements, but it worked since he started laughing.
Sev- you really suck at hugs
Gabby- shut up. Ok what I needed say.
I glared at Kelly
Sev- sorry!
Gabby- Shay is deaf. She has cochlear implants but if you're too loud she'll throw them. Get her attention before you talk to her, 1 person talk at a time. Tonio will help interpret. I can't
I stopped, that's not the point right now
Gabby- April we go find Tonio and Shay
April- sure
She pushes me into back into the ED and we find Tonio watching Shay who's playing with Nat and Maggie
April- I see you guys are working hard today!
Maggie- says you who gets to hang out with Gabby all day!
April- whatever, we're taking the little one now
Antonio(signs and speaks)- Shay let's go meet mama's and dada's friends
She runs over and tries to climb on me.
Gabby- she can come up. Tonio stay close I don't want hurt her
Antonio- I'm right here and you won't.
He lifts her onto my lap and I try my best to stay still so I don't hit her or knock her off. We head back into the room and 51 is doing surprisingly well at being quiet. She spots Matt and climbs off my lap
Shay(signs)- I go see dada be back mama stay here
And she runs over to Matt. After a while she starts going to see other people but always runs back over tell me first and make sure I'm not going anywhere.
April- Gabby it's almost time for your meds and feed, we should head back to your room.
Gabby- ok. Sorry guys I need go. Stella Brett can you come
Stella- chief?
Chief- sure if Casey can come back with us. I can take 61 out of service.
Gabby- thanks chief. Tonio Shay say bye
He brought her over so I could say goodnight, she needed to go home to eat and then sleep.
We headed back to my room
Gabby- can I have 3 visitors?
April- not technically but these 2 are paramedics so I say it's fine
Gabby- can you call Erin?
She called her and put it on speaker for me.
Erin- hello
Gabby- hi Erin it's Gabby. Girls party in my room.
Erin- ok, I'll head over, who else is there?
Stella- Kidd and Brett from 51
Brett- also known as Stella and Sylvie. Hey Erin.
Erin- hi, I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm close.
Gabby- ok
She hung up

April- ok, can you 2 help lift her back into bed
Both- sure
Gabby- can I wait Erin she not seen me up
April- fine but then you're getting back in bed. Can you 2 watch her while I go get her meds and feed, you just need to monitor her SATs and breathing
Stella- yep
Gabby- I'm fine
April- yep and if your not you can't tell anyone so someone needs to watch you
I rolled my eyes and she left to get things ready. I got Brett and Stella to tell me about crazy calls then Erin came in a few minutes later.
Erin- hey Gabs, how you doing?
Gabby- good look
I start kicking and moving around again
Erin- wow that's awesome Gabby
Gabby- yes and now I can get people when they stupid
I manage to kick Erin
Erin- hey what did I do?
Gabby- proving my point and practice
I grin at her. April comes back in.
April- ok now that you've shown off to everyone, bed
Gabby- fine
April- ok so it's a 2 person lift, Stella, Sylvie can you lift and I'll supervise?
Stella- yep, what do we need to do
April- just make sure you support her head and don't touch where she doesn't have skull.
Gabby- head when move things
April- you'll be fine, I'll tilt you first
Gabby- ok
April tilts my chair back then swings the head supports away and undoes all the straps and they lift me into bed. Then April gets me back on the oxygen and all the monitors
Gabby- braces off
April- a bit longer
She continues getting everything ready to give me meds and then set up my feed
Brett- so Gabby I know you didn't want to talk in front of everyone but I thought you couldn't have kids after...
Stella- after what
Gabby- after first baby. Abdominal pregnancy not viable almost died
Brett- almost died twice, in front of me the second time. I thought you had an aneurysm and getting pregnant was a huge risk.
Erin- ya, I know you were on bed rest and she was early but I never got the whole story
April- sorry I just need to get in here to give you meds. Seizure meds can't wait
Gabby- it's ok
She pulled up my shirt seeming completely oblivious to the fact that I was self conscious about all the scars and the tube
Gabby- sorry you don't need see this scars
Erin- Gabby you don't need to be self conscious. Everyone have scars
Gabby- I have lots and tube
Stella- you've been through a lot and survived. I have scars too, a few on my chest, Rhodes almost had to remove my lung a few years ago.
Gabby- what? Need that story
Stella- later, you're supposed to be telling us your story
Gabby- ok need few minutes
I write out a long message about my pregnancy and Shay's birth and my recovery
Gabby- I was in hospital on bed rest from 28 weeks because of aneurysm. 32 weeks the aneurysm burst I was rushed to surgery. Shay was born in emergency c-section and they did surgery and managed to stop the bleed. Shay went to NICU because she was 2 months early, she was there for a month. I lost a lot of blood, coma for a week, hospital for a month. Home with wheelchair for 2 month no lifting, standing transferring myself. Tonio lived with us and looked after us. Then I started PT, 2 weeks walk a bit, 2 more weeks walking fine and carrying Shay. Month later back to work.
Erin- Gabby why did you keep all that a secret?
Gabby- don't like think about it
Brett- I wish we could have been there for you
Gabby- it's ok, we're fine now
Stella- you have a strange definition of fine girl!
We all laugh, Stella knows how to diffuse a situation.
Gabby- hey I'm breathing now
Erin- ya when did that happen?
Gabby- today. Today was great. Nat April and Maggie gave me a real shower this morning then did a trach change. Not fun. But then I was breathing on my own, no vent. All day just oxygen.
Erin- that's great
We all chatted until visiting hours were over and April had to kick them out.
Gabby- stupid braces off now
I asked April
April- sure, you did pretty good for your second day with them.