LEXIE
Talk about draining.
The Rescue Crew had returned to the fire house after Rock went into surgery.
Not because they had to go back into service, but because they were being taken out of service.
With two members of the crew injured, they were calling in floaters and members of other shifts to man the Rescue Crew vehicle and take active calls.
And the waiting area filled up again as the crew members returned to sit and wait.
By the time Rock came out of surgery, the whole Emergency Room let out a breath.
Doctor Kay Hata was what some people called petite.
Some diminutive.
But the only word that Lexie used to describe her was AMAZING.
When she walked over to Kate, surrounded by Rock's firehouse family and her brother, Walker, Kate's eyes lifted to her other brother Roan who was walking behind Doctor Hata.
Lexie could see that Kay was well aware of it, but Kay didn't care.
They knew Kate's relationship with her brothers, and she was looking for reassurance.
Who wouldn't?
As Kay spoke, Kate's whole body sagged back into the chair she was sitting in. "He's fine, Kate. He's going to be just fine."
Kay stepped aside and Roan pulled his sister into his arms to hug her tight.
Walker, the detective, blinked back a few tears of his own before he got up and leaned into the hug with his siblings.
Lexie picked up her clipboard, intending to walk away and let out her own sigh of relief, but as she turned, she very nearly walked into a wall.
A very handsome wall.
"Hey," Kaleo put his hands on her shoulders, "how are you doing?"
"Me?" She grinned up at him. "I'm fine."
He looked down at her one eyebrow lifted. "Everyone's been on edge."
She almost snorted a laugh and barely held it back.
"S-sorry," she shook her head. "I didn't mean-"
He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
"Hey," he kissed the top of her head, and she leaned into his embrace, "we've all been on edge. Some people laugh. Some people scream. We deal with stress in different ways."
She looked up, touching her chin to his chest so she could see his face. "Thanks... I've been known to laugh at the completely wrong time. It's just..."
"You don't need to explain." He gave her a smile and rubbed his hands down her back. "But, if you want to talk about things, I'm here. Okay?"
She blinked back what might have become tears.
"My... my emotions are all over the place."
