A Slow Burn // Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek // Chicago Fire ✔️

38 || LUCKY

The regular occurring beep of Riley's heart monitor had become like white noise to Otis by lunchtime on the third day he'd spent in the hospital by Riley's side. The sound was not nearly as haunting to him as it had once been, given that Riley's odds of waking up had increased to 80% over the past few days.

Today would be the day Riley woke up, Otis could feel it. Of course, he'd felt it the last two days as well and yet she still slept, but today? Today he could really feel it and he'd woke up that morning with a little extra pep in his step, so he knew that it had to be a good day.

It was a little after lunchtime and Otis had just finished reading The Hobbit aloud for Riley, something he'd started late last night and hadn't had time to finish. It was Riley's all time favourite book, as clearly shown by just how read and worn her "reading" copy of it was, (she had multiple copies but only one that was for use, the others were strictly display only), and so he figured that hearing it being read to her might just give her that last push she needed to wake up. Especially if it was him doing said reading.

But Riley remained asleep, even after he'd finished the last chapter of the book, and so he sat in silence with the regular tick of the clock, beep of the heart monitor and faint drip of the IV as nothing but familiar background noise. That is, until a gentle knock on Riley's door alerted him to the presence of those on Truck 81, who'd returned to work the next shift and had come to check in on the two of them after a call.

"Can we come in?" Casey whispered through the open door, unsure why he was whispering as it didn't really matter how loudly they spoke.

"Yeah, course." Otis nodded, gently letting go of Riley's hand as he stood up, each member of the Truck greeting him with a hug, except the floater who was filling in for him and Riley, he just stood outside the door.

"Anything?" Stella asked, her hand remaining on Otis's shoulder as she glanced over at Riley, her best friend who she missed greatly.

"Nothing yet." Otis sighed out, sinking back down into his seat where he quickly took Riley's hand again, something he didn't even need to think about as it just came naturally to him now. "But Doctor Halstead says her odds are improving so..."

"Yeah? That's great." Stella said with a smile, feeling a touch of relief over hearing that things were improving. She couldn't imagine how hard it must be for Otis, sitting here day in and day out feeling like he was completely helpless. And she knew he felt the weight of guilt over what had happened, even though Stella herself and many others had told him multiple times it wasn't his fault.

"You've been reading to her?" Casey questioned, having noticed the book that lay on the bed next to Riley, the book he'd seen Riley herself reading around the firehouse often.

"Oh, um, yeah. I have." Otis nodded with a clear of his throat, feeling a touch of embarrassment rushing through his body. "Doc said that talking to her could help."

"Good, that's good." Casey said with a brief smile as he stood on the opposite side of Riley's bed, Herrmann and Mouch by his side. "She's lucky... to have someone like you in her life."

Actually, it was Otis who felt like he was the lucky one in their relationship as Riley was still so incredibly out of his league and yet she'd picked him. She could have any guy she wanted and yet she wanted him, he'd never felt as lucky as he did the day he found her waiting outside his door. The day they finally confessed their feelings for one another. It was a day the two of them would never forget.

"I've been meaning to ask..." Herrmann said, pulling Otis from his thoughts about how lucky he was. "Have you contacted her family yet?"

"Not yet." Otis replied, shaking his head a little as he began to feel a slight nervousness in his stomach. "I was, uh, I was hoping that she'd wake up before I had to... And I know that's not right but, it's just-" He sighed out, running his free hand down his face. "The one thing her dad asked of me was that I look after her... And just two days after I promised him that I'd never let anything happen to her, this happens... I just- I can't face him knowing that I let him down... That I let them both down."