Chapter Text
Eddie has never felt this angry before. He felt a fire on his chest that filled him like a wild flame. A Uncontrollable hell. He has not felt these flames since Shannon left with a duffle bag and weak promise to see them again in a few weeks. It took five years for her to come back. She was gone before Eddie could get her to stay and Shannon wasn't ever going to come back.
This time it was Buck. He gently picked up the papers that were on the kitchen counter. Most of the 118 were doing their usual work routines but Boddy, Chiminey, and Hen sat in the kitchen and took turns to watch Eddie.
"He's gonna sue?" Eddie couldn't believe it. Buck was gonna sue. His bestfriend. The person who lived and breathed being a firefighter was gonna sue the department. Which meant that until the court proceedings, Buck wasn't allowed to legally see them. He wasn't allowed to see Christopher. Eddie felt the angry blaze burn hotter as that was probably the reason why he didn't pick up the phone call from the night before. "You have to be fucking kidding me!"
Eddie slammed the paper down on to the counter and looked at them. Bobby frowned as he sat up with his arms crossed over his chest. "He came last night to drop off the papers....I waited for him to call back to drop it. I tried calling him but....He isn't taking my calls."
"Cap, come on I don't think that has anything to do with this." Hen tried to reason, she walked to the table to take a seat next to him but Eddie shook his head.
"No. Buck isn't taking any calls. Called him twice last night." The three of them looked back at Eddie in surprise at the confession. As if to test the theory, Chiminey pulled out his phone and dialed Buck's number. He placed it on the table and hit the speaker button. They waited as they listened to the phone ring for a second then to straight to voicemail.
“Hey this is Buck! Sorry I missed your call. I’ll try to call back as soon as I can.”
Chiminey tried again. Then again. He reached for the phone one more time before Hen stopped him.
"He isn't going to pick up. Maybe we should give him some space. It is a lot. Okay?"
"Space? He is being a fucking idiot. Someone should knock some sense into him. " Eddie scoffed. This was incredibly selfish even for Buck. He gets that Buck was feeling frustrated for being out of the field but to actually sue the station, that was just bullshit.
"Eddie...Come on man." Chiminey put his phone away as Eddie shook his head.
"No! I'm not going to pity him. He is acting like a child with this tantrum he is doing."
"But-"
"Enough." Bobby stood up with this coldness in his eyes that was enough to dim the flames in Eddie's chest. Hen and Chiminey all turned to watch their captain as he made his way to the stairs. "We will discuss this later. Right now. We focus on work."
And as if the universe could hear him, that was the moment the alarm rang. Every moved to action. This was going to be a long day.
-The night before the proceeding-
"This could have been avoided if you just talked to him," Athena stated softly as she climbed into bed.
Tomorrow the 118 was told to meet with the Buck and his lawyer and see if they could counter their case. Athena could see this going a couple ways and she wasn't too sure if she liked any of them. Especially if it involved losing Buck for good.
As more days go by, the chance of Buck coming back at all grew slim. A part of Athena wondered how they would be able to handle that? A more reasonable part of her brain realized that they lived just fine without him for the last few months.
She didn't like that one bit.
Bobby sighed, closed his book then turned to look at his wife. Athena knew that he was growing more agitated as the days went on but she took notice that as their desperation grew, so did their anger. They wanted to blame someone. Buck was the easiest target to hit.
"Athena, he wasn't ready. You know that. I know that. The actions he choose to face should be a prime example that he wasn't ready."
"Is that true? Or are you using that as an excuse to say that you weren't ready." Bobby's mouth turned into a thin line. Athena watched as he tapped his right finger over the cover of the book as he took a second to collect his thoughts. They both knew she was right so before he could say anything she spoke again. "He almost died...That boy has to be the luckiest or most unluckiest man alive to survive all of the things he went through in the last few months. It is scary that we almost lost him."
Bobby didn't look up until he felt her hand over his own. He was quick to flip his hand over and intertwine their fingers together. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. She used her free hand to cup her husband's face and tilt his head to look at her. "I know that you are trying to protect him. I know that. I bet he knows that too but....you should have told him the truth earlier. Told him that you were scared."
"...I was afraid of his reaction. Look how it ended up. I had a right to be," his arguement felt as weak as it sounded. Bobby knew that she was right, she was always right, but another part wanted to hang on to the anger and frustration. Why couldn't Buck just do as he was told for once?
"You did but imagine...if you are this scared to let him back on the field with all the best people by his side to protect him-" Bobby frowned, he gave a gentle squeez to her hand- "how would you feel if he was alone."
Bobby didn't like the thought of that. Athena knew that to from the way he squeezed her hand.
"I'm worried about him too, Bobby. I'm alot more worried about him now than I have ever been when he was on the field. "
"What do you mean?"
"Nobody has been able to get a hold of him."
"Well the lawsuit prohibits that until the case is over with. Buck knew that. He caused that."
"Yea....But Buckley has never been much for the rules. That rule also doesn't apply to Maddie."
"What? Maddie hasn't spoke with him?"
"She has been trying for over a week. Calling him. Texting him. Hen and Chim said they even went to visit. His car was there but....he never answered the door."
A small part of Bobby broke. Athena leaned her head against his shoulder and held him tight.
"I'm a lot more worried of leaving him on his own. That boy has been through it. I can't even begin to imagine how he could handling it all on his own."
They weren't close and it took her and Buck a while to get to the relationship that they hand now. She used to think that Buck was nothing more than a hot headed child that was gonna get himself killed. On most days, she still thought so but she knew better now. Athena knew how pure hearted his intentions were even if they were misguided. He never meant to cause harm. He was hurt and scared.
She understood that. She has seen it. She had lived through it. A scared animal will attack in defense for even the smallest chance at life. What was Buck's life if he wasn't at the 118? Athena figured that he might not have much of one. Even before Abby, he never really mentioned anything outside of the firehouse. No one even knew he had a sister until she had shown up.
Bobby cornered him without meaning too. He knew that he did but he was angry. Angry that Buck couldn't get it through his thick skull that he was trying to protect him. Angry that Buck decided to take him to court instead of talking to him. Bobby was angry that Buck for being hurt.
Although Athena was right in a way. With all of this going on, has Buck had anyone to talk to about his traumas? Bobby couldn't even remember if they has discussed the bomb incident.
He knew Buck went to physical therapy but did he go see someone? Any therapist? He must have if he was cleared before the embolism.
"....I don't actually remember if he saw a therapist for the bombing."
"What?"
"The paper work said he was cleared but.....I was there for every physical session and if I wasn't he would tell me about them but....I don't think he ever mentioned therapy. "
"Not even when he was in the cast? Maybe he just didn't want to talk bout it."
"He would have told Maddie and no offense to her but she normally tells Chim everything. Secrets are hard to keep at the 118. Yet I haven't heard Chim say a thing about it."
"....After the hearing tomorrow. Bring me his file."
"...Alright."
They both had a cold feeling in their chest.