911/911 Lone Star One Shots

I Can't Lose Another Kid, Part 2

By request, a second part to the previous chapter
TW: suicide theme

At first, nobody knew anything about their conversation. Buck and Bobby had emerged from the office teary-eyed and nobody addressed it, assuming they'd just had another father-son heart-to-heart chat. Bobby kept Buck in his eye line when they were at the station, but that wasn't too unusual when he was on thin ice.

Then they started going on calls. Nobody understood why Bobby was forcing Buck to stay by his side, only doing tasks with his captain's supervision.

"Getting kinda lonely on calls, Cap. Why'd you steal my partner?" Eddie spoke into the headset on the ride back to the station after the fourth call with Buck being forced to stay within arm's reach of Bobby.

Buck looked down, avoiding the eyes of his team. He could feel their eyes on him anyway and it made his face heat up.

"Stick with Ravi for now if you're so lonely out there." Bobby shrugged it off, not giving Eddie, or anyone else's curious ears, an answer.

Before they could get back to the station, they were dispatched to a house fire. This 24 hour shift was proving too long for comfort and it was only midnight.

When they got to the scene, the fire was too intense for Bobby to send anyone inside. They were on damage control on this one, not search and rescue.

The family that lived there was gathered outside on the sidewalk.

"Is everyone out of the house?" Bobby asked in vain, knowing it didn't matter because he couldn't send his firefighters inside anyway; the roof was going to collapse at any moment.

"No! He- the dog. Please, he's family!" The father explained in a panic as his wife clung to him and their daughter in tears.

"Cap?" Eddie looked to him awaiting orders.

Bobby looked between the family and his firefighters before shaking his head. "It's going to go any minute now. I can't send anyone in. Diaz, Panikkar, run lines and start getting water on the house. Wilson, Han, check the family out." He could feel Buck buzzing beside him, unable to stand still. "Buck, no."

"Cap, I've gotta go in." He begged, his whole body shaking as he grabbed his helmet.

"No, you're not. The building's gonna go, look at the smoke." Bobby moved to stand between him and the fire.

"Please! Theo, come out of there!" The little girl yelled, begging her dog to emerge from the flames.

Buck couldn't take it. How could he stand here doing nothing when a helpless animal could be burning alive right there? He could save him. That dog's life was undoubtedly worth more than his. He had to save him. It didn't matter if he died, that dog had to be okay so the family was happy.

He looked between Bobby and the fire before trying to shove past him and run into the fire. Bobby grabbed him, wrapping his arms around his torso and holding him back just as the building flashed and the roof collapsed.

"No! Let me go! I gotta save him!" Buck pleaded, struggling against Bobby's hold as the captain dragged him to the front of the firetruck, away from everyone else.

"Hen, take over the scene." Bobby radioed quickly before forcing Buck to sit on the edge of the truck, holding him in place with one hand on his chest and one on his shoulder. "Look at me. Look at me, Buck."

Buck ignored the order and continued to struggle against him. "Let me go! It doesn't matter if I die! Please!"

"Buck, stop. Look at me. Stop. You're not going in. You're done, stop fighting me." Bobby kept his calm. Buck suddenly switched from fighting and screaming to sobbing, throwing himself against Bobby. Buck's face pressed against his torso as Bobby wrapped him in a hug, holding him tight but also making sure he didn't fall off the edge of the truck he was sitting on.