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The night had fallen hours ago, but the station was still illuminated by the cold glow of fluorescent lights. Eddie sat on a bench near the lockers, a helmet in his hands, his gaze fixed on a crack in the wall. Buck walked in silently, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and stopped a few steps away, hesitating.
“You planning to sit here all night?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.
Eddie barely looked up. “Maybe.”
Buck frowned, dropping his bag to the floor before sitting down beside him. “What’s going on, Eddie?”
Eddie turned the helmet over in his hands, his face unreadable. “Nothing. Just thinking.”
Buck nodded, crossing his arms. He knew Eddie well enough to recognize that patience was sometimes the only way to get through to him. Still, waiting wasn’t exactly Buck’s strong suit.
“You know you don’t have to keep it all to yourself, right?” Buck said softly. “I’m here. You can talk to me.”
Eddie let out a small laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Talking… that’s your thing, Buck. Not mine.”
“Doesn’t have to be a speech,” Buck replied. “Just… tell me what’s on your mind.”
Eddie stayed quiet for a moment, then finally set the helmet down on the bench beside him. “Today, I saw this kid… he couldn’t have been much older than Christopher. And I kept wondering if I’m doing enough for him.”
Buck tilted his head slightly. “Chris knows how much you love him. He knows it better than anyone.”
Eddie turned to look at him, and Buck could see the worry in his eyes. “But is it enough, Buck? With what we do—this job—is it really enough?”
Buck didn’t answer right away. He wasn’t expecting Eddie to open up like this. Eddie turned his gaze back to the floor.
“Every call,” Eddie continued, his voice quieter now, “I wonder if I’ll make it back. And what happens if one day I don’t? If he wakes up one morning, and I’m just… gone?”
Buck nodded slowly. He understood that fear; he lived with it too. “It’s part of the job, Eddie. But…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “It’s not just what we do at work that matters. It’s what we do when we’re here. And you? You’re here for him. Always.”
Eddie studied him for a moment, his expression softening slightly. “And what if one day, I can’t be?”
Buck reached out, resting a hand on Eddie’s shoulder—a simple but steady gesture. “Then you count on the people who’ll be here for you. Like me.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite himself. “You?”
“Yeah, me,” Buck replied, half-serious, half-teasing. “I might be impulsive, reckless, and occasionally a pain in the ass, but I’ll always be here for you. For Chris. No matter what.”
Eddie looked down, letting Buck’s words sink in before meeting his eyes again. “You really mean that?”
Buck smiled, genuine and without hesitation. “Eddie, there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for you two.”
Eddie didn’t say anything right away, but he nodded, a quiet acknowledgment. “Thanks, Buck.”
Buck patted his shoulder before standing up. “Now, come on. It’s already been a long day—no need to make it worse by brooding here all night.”
After a moment, Eddie rose to his feet, a small but real smile on his face. As they left the locker room together, Eddie felt something shift. The fear was still there, but sharing it had made it lighter—something a little easier to carry.