Chapter Text
Sylvie was walking alone across the empty street. All her thoughts were full of the memories about this long day. Two hangovers, one old lady with hypertension, a boy with broken leg from the local school plus several calls where she had to work with firefighters. Herrmann had got traumatized, Cruz had left the burning house with scalds, and Sylvie had helped colleagues not only medically, but psychologically too. She had sent Cruz to Chicago Med, because she had not been sure in his condition.
“Brett, stop, I'm fine”, after her attempts to help her Cruz became mad. He got used to burnt skin and hurt. “You'd better help Herrmann”.
“Cruz, stop acting like a little boy, please”, she pleaded. “What's wrong? If you quarreled with Chloe, it wouldn't mean you can shout at me”.
It was the last call, and she became angry and tired. She wanted to go home, relax on her couch watching her favorite TV-shows. Nobody shared her interests, and she had no one to talk about new episodes.
Now this dream became closer, because she needed only several meters to turn the corner — and her house would appear. It began raining, and Sylvie regretted she had given the car serviced. In a good way, her fridge was empty, and she needed to buy something, even if it would be simple milk, flavor and eggs for pancakes. “Pancakes... I want pancakes with condensed milk”, Sylvie moved her tongue over her lips. Sudden and not loud crying interrupted her thoughts. The woman wanted to ignore it — it was the end of her day, she needed some rest — but immediately remembered: she is a paramedic, she must help. What if tomorrow, there would be a dead person under her doors?
“Hey”, called Sylvie. “Hey, please”.
Somebody began crying loudly. Sylvie's heart started beating faster. Who was this person, what did he or she need? Why here? She couldn't understand. The sound came from the trash cans. They were full of boxes, leftovers and smelled like hell. Sylvie turned on the flashlight on the phone and checked behind them.
“Anyone is here?” she asked. Her legs were trembling. She saw a little girl with a dirty face and wild blond hair. Sylvie's heart calmed down. No bandits, no traumas, just a girl, near five years old. Maybe she had lost?
“Hey, come to me, dear”, she sat down and held out her hands to the kid. “I am Sylvie, and what is your name?”
The girl definitely was scared. She pressed her back to the trash cans and began crying louder. “Hey, honey, please, come to me”, pleaded Sylvie. She moved towards the girl, but the child reacted unpredictably. She tried to escape and fell down in the dirty and bad-smelling soil. Sylvie immediately caught the girl and pulled her closer.
“I got you, I got you, don't cry, I'm with you, I can help you”, she hugged the girl, began to stroke her trembling back. Sylvie's heart was full of excitement and anxiety. The girl was so little! Who could hurt her? What did she have to see? Where were her parents? So many questions... Sylvie didn't know what to do, where to call. As an adoptive child, Sylvie fully understood: this girl would go to the shelter, and nothing good could be awaited. Uncomfortable bed, many people and other children, interrogations and conversations. This exhausted child hardly ever needed all this. Sylvie is not her mom, but in her house the girl would feel more comfortable. She was already quite cold to stand in the rain. The girl, despite it being autumn, was dressed in a thin sweater and started trembling.
“Hey, honey, let's go to my house. I live here, just some steps, okay?” she asked. The girl nodded. Sylvie squeezed her little hand and started moving across the street. Thoughts didn't want to leave her. She has never wanted her own children, because of her adoption, because she had no one with whom she would like to create a family. And she didn't know what to do with this frozen and crying child. The phone in her pocket suddenly started vibrating.
“Brett, sorry for calling you, but I need to ask one thing”, Kelly's voice in her phone's speaker was sudden, because Severide has practically never called her.
“Sorry, Kelly, it's not a suitable time”, Sylvie said, trying to open the door with the phone in one hand and the girl in the other. “Call me later please”.
“You need help?” he asked. The paramedic understood that there was no reason to hide the girl. Anyway, she has to solve this situation before the next shift. Or she will take this girl with her in the firehouse.
“Yes... Oh, no, not me”, she sighed. “Okay, if you don’t have any other things to do, please, come to my place”.
Kelly was very surprised when he came inside Sylvie's house. The girl was on the couch, and Sylvie had covered her with a blanket. She has become calm now. Sylvie found some pencils, and the girl was painting.
“Uh... Brett, who's that? You have a daughter? Why does nobody know about it?” Severide came into her house. Sylvie rolled up her eyes.
“It's not funny, Kelly. I have found this girl behind the trash cans. She was crying. I didn't know what to do, and took her home. I have examined her: no traumas, no allergia, no blood, nothing hurts. She has new clothes... I'm sure she is not a victim of domestic violence, she was not kidnapped or…”.
“So, what do you think?”
Sylvie shrugged.
“Don't know. She doesn't speak, but she is absolutely not deaf. I don't want to call the police. She is so shocked now, and they will interrogate her. I don’t want this for her”.
Kelly sat on the couch, and the girl looked at him. Her face was red because of tears, but she didn’t cry anymore.
“May I see your picture?” asked Kelly and took the paper. There was a girl with yellow pigtails, a house, a tree, sun, flowers, and a dog. She had written something in the corner, but Kelly couldn't read it.
“Nonsence... It seems to me that it's not English alphabet. Looks like Russian, but I'm not sure”.
Sylvie looked at the drawing.
“She has written “6” here... She is probably six years old. Hey, honey, how old are you?” The girl raised her eyes to Sylvie but said nothing.
“She doesn't understand you, I think”, Kelly was sure now. “Maybe she is Russian or Ukrainian. Many Ukrainians came here after the Russian invasion”.
“Oh my God, and what to do?” Sylvie was pretty shocked. She didn’t expect to save the refugee girl from the street. It’s much more complicated to communicate with a child who doesn’t know English, American culture. What awaits such a kid in an orphanage? “How to talk to her if she doesn't understand? How can I ask her what she loves to eat? How can we find her parents? Or what if she is a victim of trafficking?”
Kelly hugged her. “Don't panic and keep calm. You can’t show her your emotions! She believes in you, she hopes you can help her return home. So… Now you are responsible for her”.
“You know, this information doesn't make me feel one bit better”, Sylvie grinned sadly and looked at the girl. She was drawing a new picture. “We will find a way to solve this. Besides, have you eaten something?"
“Oh”, Sylvie understood she had forgotten about food. "I have nothing in the fridge. And this little angel, probably, wants to eat too".
“Okay, I will go to the supermarket and buy something”.
Sylvie sighed. When Kelly left her house, she looked at the girl. “So, what should I do with you?” she asked, but there was no answer. This girl only smiled and continued drawing a new picture. There was the same little girl with pigtails and the other one, bigger, with long dark hair. “Your Mama?” Sylvie asked. The girl nodded. Mama in many languages means the same. So, this little angel had a mother. But where is she? Why was this girl alone on the street?
In a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. The girl screamed and squeezed Sylvie's hand. “Don't be afraid, honey, nobody will hurt you, okay? It's, probably, Kelly, he bought some food for us”, said Sylvie calmly. There was really Severide. He came back excited and put the bags with products on the table.
“I know her name. She is Solomia”.
“What?” Sylvie didn't understand anything.
“I met the cashier from Ukraine in the shop. And I asked her to see that drawing and read it. She said that our girl had written “Solomia, six years old”. So, she is Solomia”.
“Wow!” Sylvie smiled. Severide put a stuffed bear out of the bag and returned to the girl. “Solomia, it's yours now”.
The girl's eyes were full of excitement, she took the bear, pulled it closer, said something in her language and then hugged Kelly. At that time, Sylvie started making pancakes for her guests. Severide had even bought condensed milk and jam. The meal was ready in a few minutes, when Kelly and Solomia were finishing another drawing. There was a plane and Ukrainian flag. Kelly's guess got confirmed — this girl was from Ukraine.
“Maybe, we should find a translator?” suggested Sylvie during the eating. Solomia was eating pancakes with great pleasure. “And she will tell him what has happened, so we will find her mother”.
“Hmmm, I'm not sure it's a good idea”, said Kelly. “Nobody knew what she had seen and who could have chased her. But we can communicate through drawings. Or at least, ask Otis to talk to her. Maybe she knows Russian too”.
“Okay, but if her mother is looking for her right now? Maybe, we should send Solomia's photo to the police?”
Kelly frowned. “I think the only reason to leave a mother for such a little kid is that something awful had happened to her. But you are right, Brett. It would be good if the police knew where Solomia is”.
They took a photo of Solomia and sent it to Halstead, but he didn't answer. Maybe, he was undercover or on the operation. Sylvie recognized that the girl started yawning. “You want to sleep, honey. Let's take a shower and then go to bed, okay?”
“I will also go home”, Severide said.
“Thank you, Kelly, for today”, a short smile appeared on Sylvie's face. After seeing Kelly off, she took Solomia to the bathroom.
This night was unusual for the paramedic. Usually nothing could wake her up, she was sleeping even when there was repairs in the street. But now she slept soundly, listening to every breath of Solomia. Because it was, probably, the girl's first night without mom. And when at night Solomia started crying again, Sylvie just pulled her closer. Every child understands the language of hugs, and Solomia was not an exception.
Next morning was sunny and warm. When Sylvie woke up, Solomia was peering into the street. Sylvie's long T-shirt looked like a dress on the girl.
“Good morning, my dear”, Sylvie smiled. “What do you want to do today?”
Solomia started talking in her language. As the paramedic understood, she was in a wonderful mood. Sylvie just hugged the girl again and suggested: “Let's eat some breakfast, okay?”
They had just finished breakfast, when Kelly came. He was happy. “So, princesses, would you like to go to the shopping mall?” Solomia, probably, didn't understand anything, but she ran up to Severide and snuggled up to him. Kelly immediately took her in his arms. “I think she will like it”, Sylvie smiled. “And you're right, she needs some clothes, books and toys”.
After shopping and hundreds of bags with items for girls Kelly and Sylvie were both tired. The paramedic was afraid for Solomia, because she hadn't known this girl and her behavior. Besides, Solomia even wouldn't understand her. But her fears had none of the sense. Solomia was calm and cheerful, she even played with other children in a kids' zone. Because children can easily do something together without knowing each other. They somehow understand each other without language, and this was amazing. But even playing, jumping and running, Solomia always was trying to find Sylvie and Kelly among other parents.
“We have to decide something about her”, the paramedic said, looking after the girl, who was jumping on a colorful trampoline. “Tomorrow is our shift, and if we don't find her mother, we will have to take her with us”.
“No problem”, Kelly didn't notice anything strange. “Look, you and Solomia are very similar. The same blonde hair, big blue eyes, and she is also kind and cheerful, like you. Nobody could have said that you have met only yesterday”.
Sylvie enjoyed hearing it, but anyway, the firefighters' unit is not for children. There are many unknown people, a lot of noise, all these loud signals... Solomia may be scared of it. And what if Kelly and Sylvie get a call together? Who will stay with the girl? Halsted didn't answer, and Sylvie began worrying. Who will help her? Solomia can't live with her always. The girl needs to go to the kindergarten, then — to the school. That's why Sylvie was abnormally worried taking Solomia to work. The girl decided to take her bear — Kelly's gift — with her. As soon as they left the house, Sylvie noticed a kind of shadow, which immediately hid behind the tree. “Probably, I might have imagined it”, the paramedic thought reluctantly.