From Fire Comes Life (Born Of Fire) Ruling Chicago #2 (Chicago Fire)

Chapter 27 "Life Changing"

Driving around trying to kill an hour, Shaylynn drives through neighborhoods watching people put up Christmas lights on their homes, put them up in their apartment windows, whatever they live in.
Her phone rings, startling her....
"Hello"
"Whatcha doing?" she hears Sam say in a little girl's voice like she use to do when she was little.
Shaylynn laughs, "I'm driving around trying to kill an hour," she tells Sam.
"So, you're terrorizing neighborhoods with your car in other words!" Sam says with a giggle.
"I guess you could say that!" Shaylynn says smiling to herself, "The best part is seeing all the little boys, then reading their lips when they say 'wow' when they see the car!"
"Why do you need to kill an hour for?" Sam asks her.
"I'm going to be meeting Kelly," Shaylynn tells her.
"Really?!" Sam says all excited.
"We're just meeting to talk!" Shaylynn says.
"Okay," Sam says.
"Sam, we're meeting in a public place!" Shaylynn tells her.
"You might be meeting him in a public place, but once you see that smile and look into his eyes, that's it!" Sam says.
"Sam, I already saw him on a call and he was in his turnout gear!" Shaylynn tells her.
"And?!" Sam asks her.
Shaylynn's quiet for a few seconds, "Shut up, Sam!"
Sam starts laughing, "You need to listen to what he has to say!" she says.
"Sam, what do you know?" Shaylynn asks her.
"Go into this with a clear head and make sure to listen to him! I have to go! Call me later!" Sam says hanging up.
Shaylynn looks at the time, "Shit!" she says.
She starts driving toward North Avenue Beach.
"Damn it! I forgot to get something to eat!" she yells at herself.

Pulling in, she sees Severide's car parked by Castaways. Why he wanted to meet here at the end of November knowing it's closed is beyond her.
Parking her car, she turns it off and gets out.
Walking over to the side of Castaways that faces the lake, she sees Severide standing there waiting on her.
She walks over to him, he turns and smiles at her as she walks over.
Walking up, he pulls a rose out from behind his back.
Shaylynn looks at him, "Kelly" she says to him.
"What? You can't accept a rose?' he questions her.
Shaylynn takes it from him, "Thank you!" she tells him.
He sticks his hand out to her, Shaylynn gives him a look, "I just want to talk!" he tells her.
Shaylynn rolls her eyes but takes his hand.
They start walking along the walkway.
"What I said to you over the phone was absolutely uncalled for! I shouldn't have blamed you! You had no control over Austin! And then to blame you for Kelly Jr., Shaylynn I don't have the words! As soon as I said it, I wish I could've taken it back!" he tells her with tears in his eyes, "Shaylynn, I'm so sorry!"
"What about the woman? You went to her apartment!" Shaylynn asks him.
"Nothing happened! I didn't have sex with her! I found out some information about her and left!" he tells her.
"What did you find out?" she asks.
"Shaylynn...," Severide says turning to look at her.
"I want to know!" she tells him.
"I found out she was seventeen!" he says.
Shaylynn's in shock! She let's go of his hand, "I didn't know! No one at the Firehouse knew! She had forged papers saying she graduated from Paramedic school. All of her information was fake! Everything except her name!" he tells her.
"How did you find out she was seventeen?" Shaylynn asks.
"By a high school yearbook lying on a table!" Severide tells her.
"But that doesn't make up for you going to her apartment!" she tells him, "You went there with intentions of having sex with her! That is until you found out she was seventeen!"
"I was at a very low point!" he says.
"And what happens when you get to another low point?" Shaylynn asks him.
"Shaylynn, I'm so sorry! What happened to Natalie and her baby is what sent me to that low point! I knew what happened to Natalie and her baby wasn't your fault, but I made it your fault. I just wanted to have that baby!" he tells her.
"And that's just it, Kelly! I can't give you that!" Shaylynn tells him, "I have to go! Since being away, I have work to catch up on!" she says lying to him.
Severide goes to grab her hand, but she moves it, "I'll talk to you later!" she tells him, walking away back to her car.
She gets in and drives off for home.
Pulling into the garage, she turns off the car while the door closes.
Sitting there for a minute, she puts her hands over her face and starts crying.

Over the course of the next week, Shaylynn has been seeing Dr. Charles to find out what happened to her for her to end up at the Equestrian farm.
According to him, her PTSD was triggered by all the stress she was under. Once she reached a certain point, she mentally blacked out and was running on autopilot, so to speak.
Shaylynn walks out of Dr. Charles office. As she walks down the hallway she receives a call.
"Hello"
"Shaylynn, this is Ms. Goodwin. If you're not busy, can you come to Med? I need to speak with you! It's very urgent!" she tells Shaylynn.
"I'm at Med now. I just left Dr. Charles office" Shaylynn tells her.
"PLEASE come to my office!" Ms. Goodwin tells her hanging up.
Shaylynn wonders what all this is about. She gets on the elevator and heads up to Ms.Goodwin's office.
Shaylynn walks up to Ms.Goodwin's door. She sees it's open but still knocks.
Ms. Goodwin looks up, "Shaylynn, please come in and sit down," she tells her.
Shaylynn walks in and sits in the chair across from her, "Do you know a Jessica Mann" Ms. Goodwin asks her.
"Yes, I met her while I was in the Marines. We became good friends, but then lost contact when I went into the Special Forces. Out of nowhere, she contacted me about a month ago. Why are you asking?" Shaylynn asks.
"She was brought into Med. Shaylynn, I'm sorry, but she passed away" Ms. Goodwin tells her.
Shaylynn can't believe what she's hearing, "We looked through her bag that was with her when she was brought in. We found her will." Ms. Goodwin looks at Shaylynn confused, "Is it common for people in the military to carry around their will on them?" Ms. Goodwin asks.
"Not really! Some do, but most don't!" Shaylynn tells her.
"I think you should read her will!" Ms. Goodwin tells Shaylynn handing the will to her.
Shaylynn reads the will and is in shock, "Where's Jessica now?"
"She's still down in the ED. Since you are the executor of her estate and we know that, we can't move her without your permission" Ms. Goodwin tells her.
"I'm heading down there!" Shaylynn tells Ms. Goodwin as she stands up.
"Shaylynn, if you need help with anything, let me know!" Ms. Goodwin tells her.
"Thank you, Ms.Goodwin!" Shaylynn says walking out the door.
Shaylynn quickly makes her way to the elevator trying to get to the ED quickly.

Walking into the ED, Shaylynn walks up to Maggie, "I'm here for Jessica Mann."
"Ms. Goodwin called me to let me know you were coming down," Maggie tells her, "Follow me!"
Shaylynn follows behind Maggie over to Trauma 4, she pulls the curtain back a little so Shaylynn can walk in.
"Thank you, Maggie!" Shaylynn says walking in.
Maggie nods at her, pulling the curtain closed once Shaylynn walks in.
Shaylynn starts crying at the site of Jessica.
"You deserved better than this!" Shaylynn says grabbing Jessica's hand.
While Shaylynn's in there, Maggie makes a call.
Three minutes later, Shaylynn comes walking out wiping her eyes, she walks up to Maggie, "Jessica can be moved" Shaylynn tells her while she starts crying again.
Maggie grabs onto Shaylynn's arm, "Come this way!"
Maggie leads Shaylynn over to the little meeting room that's off the ED, she walks Shaylynn inside.
Inside the room, Maggie gives Shaylynn a hug, "I'm so sorry, Shaylynn! I will personally take care of everything for Jessica!"
"Thank you, Maggie!" Shaylynn tells her backing up wiping the tears from her face.
"You are more than welcome to stay in here as long as you need to," Maggie tells her.
Shaylynn shakes her head and sits down.
Maggie opens the door and walks back out into the ED.
Shaylynn can't believe in just an hour, her life has changed!
Thinking about Jessica, she starts crying again.
Fifteen minutes later, the door to the room opens.
Shaylynn looks up to see Severide standing there, "Why are you here?" she asks him.
"Maggie called me. She told me how upset you are! Shaylynn, I'm so sorry about your friend!" he tells her.
With tears running down her face, she stands up, walks over to Severide, and puts her arms around his neck. He puts his arms around her.
After about a minute of crying in his ear, she stops, "I'm a mother!" she whispers in his ear.