F | Burning Love (One Chicago)

FIVE: "Mistake."

Half an hour later, everyone returns to Alicia's room. They see Travis and Jack sitting in the chairs. Jack has his head in his hands.

'Where's Alicia?' Jay asks, concerned. 

'They took her to the O.R.' Travis replies. 'She haemorrhaged. The placenta came away from the uterus. There's more chance of her losing the baby than-' He's interrupted by Jack standing up, pushing the chair back as he does, and storming out. Andy goes to follow him but Pruitt stops her. 

'Let him go.' He whispers. 

'How long has she been in surgery?' Jay questions.

'About half an hour.' Travis tells him. 'It could be a while.' 

.

After a few hours, Connor and the O.B surgeon walk back into Alicia's room. Everyone is sitting in silence. Casey has joined them. Will has also joined them at the hospital after Jay called him to inform him of what had happened. When they see Connor and the O.B surgeon, Jay and Will stand up. 

'Are you okay for us to discuss Alicia's condition here or would you prefer to do it somewhere more private?' Connor queries. 

'Here's fine.' Jay nods. Connor looks at Will who also nods.

'Alicia lost a lot of blood. We're still transfusing her as we speak.' The O.B surgeon tells them. 'Other than that, she's fine.'

'The baby?' Jack asks, hopeful. The O.B just shakes his head.

'I am so sorry.' The O.B surgeon sympathises. 'There was absolutely nothing that I- we could do.' 

'We'll give you some space.' Connor says before walking out with the O.B surgeon. Jack rubs his forehead and sighs. 

'Alicia always talked about how we would have kids.' Jack smiles. 'One boy and one girl. We agreed that we'd name the boy Elijah and the girl Lily.' Andy puts her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. 'We tried, we got negative results, we got a few positive results. We figured getting pregnant wasn't meant to be so we stopped trying and we started talking about different options. Adoption. Surrogacy. Donors. And then she said that she wanted to move back here. I told her it wasn't the right time for me.' He continues. 'If I'd have moved here with her-' 

'Jack.' Travis cuts him off. 'I told you to not even think like that. Alicia wouldn't like you to think like that.' 

'He's right.' Ben nods. 'Alicia wouldn't want you to think like that.' 

'All you have to do, Jack, is be by her side when she wakes up. You need to be the first face that she sees.' Maya tells Jack. 

'No.' Jack shakes his head. 'I can't be the first face she sees.'

.

It's been an hour. Alicia is back in her room. Everyone from Station 19 apart from Travis and Jack have returned to their hotel. Will and Jay have both been called to work so Travis and Jack have been left alone with Alicia. When Alicia's eyes start to flutter open, Travis is the first to notice. He quickly grabs onto her hand. 

'Alicia?' Travis says. Jack looks at Alicia and also sees that Alicia is trying to open her eyes. 

'I'll go get a doctor.' Jack says, going to stand up but Alicia. 

'No.' Alicia says weakly. 'You stay. Travis will go and get a doctor.' Jack and Travis look at each other. 

'I'll be right back.' Travis nods. He gets up and walks out. Jack sits back down and takes Alicia's hand. 

'You're here.' Alicia smiles, looking at him. 'That's good because I need to tell you something.' 

'Alicia-' Jack sighs. 

'Just let me finish.' Alicia tells him. 'I only found out a couple of weeks ago. I'm-'

'Alicia.' Jack says again, tears in his eyes. 

'What's wrong?' Alicia questions. 

'Alicia.' Jack tightens the grip on Alicia's hand. 'You lost the baby.' 

'What?' Alicia's eyes start to fill with tears. 

'The placenta came away from the uterus. You were bleeding quite heavily. They did everything in their power to save the baby.' Jack tells her. Travis then walks back in with Connor. 

'Hello, Alicia.' Connor smiles. 'I'm Dr Rhodes, I've been-' 

'Is it true? I lost my baby?' Alicia queries. 

'Yes.' Connor nods, sorrowfully. 'I am so sorry.' Alicia takes a deep breath in and out. 

'I remember being in the accident. What other injuries did I get?' Alicia tries to take her mind off losing the baby. 

'You had a subdural haematoma - bleeding on the brain - Dr Abrams, our head of neurosurgery was able to evacuate the blood using burr holes.' Connor informs her. 'Other than that, you got lucky.'

'Other than that and losing my baby, you mean?' Alicia says. 

'Right. Sorry.' Connor nods.

'How soon can I get back to work?' Alicia asks.

'Given your job, I want you to take at least a month off and then we'll re-evaluate.' Connor tells her. Alicia throws her head back and groans. 

'Alicia, it's only a month.' Jack tells her. 

'A month too long.' Alicia replies. 'I need to get back to work Jack. I'll go crazy, you know that.' 

'And it's going to do you good.' Jack says. 'It's going to be okay. You've been in similar situations before.' He then stands up and kisses her on the forehead. 'It's going to be okay.' He whispers. 

'Is it okay if you both step out for a couple of minutes whilst I run some checks on Alicia?' Connor asks Jack and Travis. 

'Sure.' Travis nods. Both Travis and Jack leave the room. Connor walks to Alicia's bedside. He takes his stethoscope from around his neck and puts the earbuds in his ear.

'I'm just going to listen to your chest.' Connor tells her. He listens to her chest. After a few minutes, he puts his stethoscope back around his neck and takes out his pen torch. 'Look straight at me.' Alicia does as she's told as Connor checks her pupil dilation. After another minute, he stops. 'Follow the light with your eyes.' Again, Alicia does as she's told. 'How'd you do it?' 

'Do what?' Alicia asks, confused. 

'Be friends with your ex-fiance?' Connor clarifies. 

'Well we were friends and co-workers before we were engaged and I'm-  I was pregnant with his baby.' Alicia replies as Connor puts the pen torch away. 'It was easy to just go back to being friends.' She adds. 'Plus, he was my lieutenant so I had to get along with him. Station 19 is pretty much the equivalent of Firehouse 51. We're all family.' It then hits her. 'Wait- how'd you know that Jack and I were engaged?' 

'Will and Jay always talked about how you guys were the perfect couple.'  Connor tells her.

'Of course they did.' Alicia laughs. For a moment Alicia and Connor stare into each others eyes. Connor clears his throat to break the silence.

'Erm- well, your pupils are reacting normally.' Connor tells her. 'If all goes well, you can be discharged within the next week.'

'Thank God.' Alicia sighs. 'I hate hospitals.' She laughs.

'I'll check on you every hour.' Connor tells her before walking out. Travis and Jack then walk back in. Jack sits back where he was before and grabs onto Alicia's hand.

'Alicia, I've been thinking.' Jack begins. 'I'm going to stay here for a while.'

'Jack, you don't have to.' Alicia shakes her head.

'I want to.' Jack says. 'I've already spoken to your captain, they've been looking for a luitenant for engine 51 for a while. All luitenants covering have only done one shift. It's all been cleared with SFD and CFD.'

'Jack.' Alicia smiles.

'I made a mistake letting you go.' Jack tells her, tightening his grip.