Burning Flames (Chicago Fire Fan-fiction) - Under Editing

Chapter 44: Insignia

Gabriela Dawson's POV
---

I walk over to my locker, and start to put my things in a box.
"Dawson. My office, come on." Boden tells me.
I shut my locker, and follow Boden to his office. We walk in and Severide shuts the door behind him.
"Dawson, Severide has filed the report of what he was there for, but you need to tell me what happened, and then fill out the paperwork." Boden tells me.
"Chief, I no longer work the department. The report will basically be meaningless." I tell them both.
Severide clears his throat and says, "You have a verbal message. No paperwork, two week notice, or Chief Boden's approval. You are still on Truck 81."
I nod and say, "Well... we had found a mother and boy. The boy was trapped under a concrete slab, so I radioed to Lieutenant Casey, and they got to us from above. Lieutenant Severide came down with Mills, Lieutenant Severide started setting up support struts. Jones was staying with the mom as I set up jacks under the concrete slab, and Mills took care of the boy. Then, the boy started coughing up blood. Jones helped get the mother up, and came back over to Mills and I. She told me that she could finish setting up jacks while I helped Mills.
I reluctantly agreed. We got the boy incubated just as the bomb went off. I was blown back several feet, and so were Mills and Lieutenant Severide. I thought that the same had happened to Jones, but she had actually been blown forward into the concrete slab and the boy.
When I found her she had the boy loosely wrapped in her arms and under her. She had a wound in her abdomen that looked like rebar had punctured her, but I would say the cause of death would be crushed by ruble... she saved that boys life, you know. She should be rewarded with a medal of valor, and not just three bells...
Anyways, we put jacks and cribbing in to support the concrete over them, and pulled the boy out first. Then, Jones. She was dead when we pulled her out."
"Thank you. Don't worry about getting all that wrote out, I have it recorded." Boden tells me.
I nod, and Severide and I walk out.
"You know, this is probably a bad time, but my offer still stands. You are good at rescue, and you know it." Severide says to me as we walk back to the lockers.
I think about it and say, "I don't know. I mean I've gone through a lot with Truck. I mean, all the lives we save, the people we help, they don't give damn witch company's insignia I wear, as long as I'm the guardian angel they so desperately need in a fire."
Severide nods and says, "If you ever change your mind, just tell me."
I nod, and open my locker. I put my stuff back in, and walk towards the commons.
"Hey, Dawson... uh, I wanted to apologize. You were right. I wasn't there, and I shouldn't be trying to put more guilt on you. You aren't the one responsible for Jordan's death. The suicide bomber was." Otis says to me right outside the commons.
"Otis, I know it hurts to lose someone you love, but don't put all that on us. We all feel the grief of losing a firefighter. You and I the most. If you ever need someone to talk to I'm here." I tell him as his eyes start to gleam with unshed tears and turn glassy.
He clears his throat and wipes his eyes then says, "Thanks, Dawson, and I really am sorry."
I give him a smile as we walk in to the commons...