Down Bad (Buck x Eddie)

Chapter One: The Albatross

Evan "Buck" Buckley
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Well I guess it's too late for me to back out of my return now, isn't it?

After our awkward meeting, Eddie and I were tasked with taking stock of supplies on the trucks, a task that I used to do on my own.

"So, Evan. How long have you been at the 118?" He asks, using my actual name, which I made clear I didn't go by. I ignore him.

He repeats himself as I unzip the one of the medical supply bags to count the supplies within. Eddie saunters up to my side and he sets down his clipboard.

"You gonna ignore me? Real mature, Evan." He replies and I sigh.

"First off, I don't go by Evan. It's Buck. Second off, I'm trying to focus on getting this done, so I would appreciate peace and quiet."I snap back quietly and he lets out a deep exhale, then goes back to the other truck to count the medical supplies in silence.

What's up with this guy? I know he's trying to be nice, but I can't take this. Not now. I haven't been back here in four months. I haven't even gotten to see Hen or Chimney, two of closest friends and coworkers, who of course I saw on my time off, but I haven't saw them in a professional setting since the accident.

Scratch that. I saw them containing a small grocery store fire last month when I was picking up my medication from the pharmacy. They were at the building next door and I watched as the team went through the motions I used to go through with them. I felt like a complete outsider.

"Did I do something to piss you off, Buck?" The emphasis on my name pushes me a step closer to decking this motherfucker in the face.

"No, you didn't. Now can we just get this done. I gotta go workout to keep up with physical therapy." I don't bother looking at him, because I can tell the exact expression on his face. I can feel him staring daggers into my back.

Bobby approaches, "How are you two managing? After you're done with this, the ambulance needs to be cleaned. We had someone code while taking them to the hospital and it's not pretty in there."

I don't say anything, just nod, but Eddie does, "Got it cap."

He zips up the bag and puts it away, "You gotta keep up, Buck."

Bobby stops at my side, "I know it's adjustment. You're the last new recruit we got and you may feel threatened and all-"

"It's nothing like that, Cap. It's just the initial shock of coming back and seeing we got a new recruit and no one even bothered to tell me. I wasn't in a coma, a text or call would've been nice. Or even when we met for breakfast to discuss my return last week?" I tell him as I zip the bag and put it away.

"We didn't want you to get like this, that's why no one told you Buck."

"I don't like big changes, Bobby. I've told you that, right? This is a massive change for me. I'm just processing everything."

He nods understandingly and currently, Bobby was the closest thing I had to a father-figure in my life. He's only twenty years older than me, but he's looking out for all of us, more so than a regular captain would. He stayed with in the hospital until I woke up. Maddie was there too, but he wanted to keep an eye on us. Both of us, and I'm grateful for that.

"How about, after you two clean out the ambulance, you go work on some paperwork stuff for the rest of the afternoon?" he offers. Bobby knows I would much rather be going out when that alarm goes off, which I can predict won't be long from now, but he thinks that I'm not ready to full head back out there to protect and serve Los Angeles.

Whatever that means.

"Sure, Cap." I tell him and hand him the clipboard and follow Eddie to the ambulance. The back doors are wide open and Eddie is pulling on blue latex gloves. The inside is no where near as messy as I thought, but blood is still on the floor.