-It's okay, do you have everything you need?
Eddie raised his head and shook it, looking distracted. He tapped the pockets of his puzzled jogging and frowned.
Buck reached out to the metal shelf on the table and brandished the keychain in the air. Eddie made a disillusioned pout before stealing his keys.
-Don't play smart, he warned by pointing him with it.
Buck raised his hands in the air as a sign of surrender and repressed a laugh when he saw the firefighter pass in front of him. Both stopped at the reception desk and Eddie signed a whole range of documents and exit authorization papers. When they passed through the doors of the emergency room, the Mexican took a deep breath.
- It feels a lot of good...
Eddie stayed for a few moments enjoying the warm air of May and the soft wind whipping his face before reopening his eyes.
Evan arched an eyebrow, interviewing him with his eyes and he nodded to the car.
The journey to Eddie's was in a peaceful silence but filled with unspoken words. When he crossed the threshold of his door, Eddie seemed not even to recognize his living room. He sat down on his sofa and passed his eyes over the entire furniture and decoration. Buck appeared in his field of vision, with a beer in his hand that he handed him.
He shook his head. Buck sit down and landed on the armrest.
-It's alcohol-free, I know you don't have the right.
He nodded, satisfied but also slightly surprised that Buck knew about it. Knowing him, he had surely asked a lot of questions to all the doctors and especially to Dr. Spracher. Without suspecting that he could become slightly insistent.
-How do you feel?
Eddie grimaced him, reminding him that he had stipulated that he was not asked this question.
-I'm fine. I had two weeks to recover, all I expected was to get out of this bed, I was starting to get sick. On the other hand, he said, pivoting towards his friend the air concerned, you look tired.
Buck put a hand on his face and smiled timidly.
-I had a few difficult nights, but it's okay, I'm becoming a pro in there.
Eddie made a skeptical little pout before giving him a shoulder. He looked at the bottle and thoughtful, turned it in his hand.
-Thank you for taking care of Christopher this week, it made him smile again.
-Now that you're here, he'll be able to enjoy you again. I'll tell you honestly, I was impatiently waiting for you to go out for one thing: I can't stand walking on legos lying around.
Eddie exploded with laughter and Buck followed him closely, failing to reverse the contents of his beer. It made them a lot of laughter, after spending two horrible weeks.
Ten days earlier, Buck's trial was held in an almost empty courtroom because of the new restrictions. Only Athena and Bobby had been able to come. The firefighter's lawyer had defended him brilliantly and the lieutenant had thanked him with a warm hug. All this story had washed him away and he had discovered the underside of justice that he would not have preferred never to know. The pressure, the bad and judging looks and the impression that although all the evidence is in our favor, prison is an inevitable box in this board game.
On May 1, Buck set foot at home, finally free.
That same evening, Bobby called him and told him the news. Eddie's metabolism had got carried away and he had a malaise, a kind of backlash to the overdose. He had started convulsing and foaming like that day in the cage. Once stabilized, he immediately woke up completely out of phase as if he were no longer in the right body and did not recognize a single of his friends.
It had only lasted about ten minutes and yet, not being recognized, for Buck, had a devastating effect. He had slept badly last night and all those after had only worsened. Added to that are the new nightmares and the old ones that were coming back in force.
The day after this small incident, Evan came to visit him, this time he intended to stay a little longer. Although Eddie had slept for most of his presence, he was still reassured to stand by his side. He had the impression that his best friend had been stolen from him and he barely realized that he had recovered it.
« You look better, » Eddie blew, with a pasty mouth and drawn lines.
-At least better than you, you seem to have caught a hurricane in the face.
-Your sarcasm is on the verge of insult Buck.
-But you like my sarcasm.
He had sneered, regretting the vertigo it caused him before notching his head.
-It's true that I prefer this to be drugged like a mule. It was really not fun as an experience.
-Say, can you make me a promise? Please never go back there again. You owe me at least that... "
Eddie smiled and stretched out his little finger before sealing it with the blond finger and promising.
-What are you thinking about? He pulled Eddie out of his daydreaming.
-To our conversation the other day in the hospital. I was serious when I said that I never wanted to go there again.
-I know, and I told you that I would keep my word.
-You already promised me this last time and I discover that you lied to me for several months without any problem. I know you had your personal reasons and I'm sorry but you should be able to trust me Eddie.
The Mexican put his beer on the coaster and straightened up.
-Shannon's death came back to me in the face I didn't know how to avoid it so I needed an outlet.
-You know you can come and talk to me at any time. We rinse each other and rejoice as you say.
-I needed something more violent than alcohol, Buck, he said very seriously. Fighting has this faculty for me.
-And drugs too maybe? He threw bitterly.
-I promise you that I didn't touch that, it wasn't in my intentions.
Seeing that he had difficulty believing it, Eddie put his hand on his knee.
-I'm sorry for all the panic I caused. Sincerely.
Buck put his chin on his hand, embarrassed.
-It was more than panic, Eddie, I was scared. So petrified that I was the ideal target for Jagger.
-He held you in cheek with a weapon, anyone would be petrified, he justified.
Evan pouted and put his eyes on his best friend, looking begging. Eddie shrugged his eyebrows to see him better.
-I promise you Buck, that what happened with Jagger does not change the look and esteem I have for you. I know that our friends think the same thing, you defended yourself, that's all we remember. In particular, what I remember is that you saved my life. Now that I'm thinking about it, you'll have to think about stopping, you've already saved my son and now I'll have to catch up...
Buck laughed and shook his head. He had no attention to end up in a dangerous situation again, even if obviously it would happen again.
They remained silent, Evan observing the seams of the sofa and Eddie looking at it, amused and his heart warmed up. He asked for nothing more. He was at home with his best friend, his son would return from school in a few hours and he had a few days off again. He had asked Hen for news of the barracks when it passed through his room between two interventions.
« Léna took your position, a little guy from the 107th took Buck's. It's less fun but they're cool. "
Lena belonged to the 136 but her entire team was heavily impacted by the tsunami that ravaged the Bay of Los Angeles on which the 136 team was intervening. Buck and Christopher stood a few meters away and Evan could not help but watch these firefighters intervene while, according to him, the sky was having fun driving him crazy by forcing him to attend this kind of event when he could no longer practice. It was another sign when the wave fell on them.
The 136 was swept like a trail of dust and it was on its way by boat near the Ferris wheel half submerged by the salt sea that the 118 met Lena Bosko and her strong burnt head character.
Eddie had made sure that she was taken care of for her broken ribs and it was there when he came out of the makeshift hospital that he met Buck, injured, with Christopher's glasses around his neck but without Christopher.
« Prevents Lena from touching my reserves of Mexican spices, she will eat everything." He asked, pointing to her to show her how serious he was.
Hen had sneered and promised her that she would try.
The result was clear, the next day, the spices had disappeared.
-Why are you smiling? Buck came in staring at him.
Eddie squinted his eyes.
-I was doing a retrospective of this past year and there's no need to say...
-She was shitty, he joked.
-But at least we will have met great people. Lena...
-Chimney met my sister...
-Hen and Karen met Nia...
-Bobby and Athena got married...
-I met a nice girl on top of that, she even came to see me in the hospital.
It made him feel like a grenade in the chest. If he had drunk at that moment he might have spit everything out. He frowned and stared at his friend.
-Wait, who?
Eddie had a little laugh and looked at him from above.
-Christopher's teacher... Yes, I know, it's not terrible, it's not very professional, he apologized, scratching his temple.
Buck nodded and rested his bottle slowly. He got up.
-I hope it works with her... I have to leave you.
-Wait, stopped Eddie by imitating him, I have the impression that it bothers you that I tell you that? You told me everything about Veronica I don't see why I couldn't.
-It's not the same! Veronica is... it was a mistake! In addition, she sleeps with Albert, who lives in my apartment and lives at the other end of the corridor. I'm living a waking nightmare, it's horrible!
-But why didn't you tell me before? I thought it worked between you.
-Eddie you were in the hospital, I wasn't going to tell you about my shitty sentimental life when you had other things to think about.
-I wish you had told me! He was carried away. It would have saved me from setting up an appointment with her just to make you jealous!
Evan frowned, his birth stain darkening.
-What does that mean??
-I don't know. You're right, you'd better leave. Thank you for bringing me back, it did me good to see you.
Eddie went to open the door and took off, leaving enough room for Buck to go out, but not too much either, which caused their hands to brush against each other.
-If you need help, don't hesitate to call me. I would always be there in case, Buck assured as he left.
Eddie stood on the door sill.
-What if you stopped worrying about me as an overprotective mother and took care of yourself for a day's space? Go to sleep, you really need it.
When Buck started the car, Eddie's face in his rearview mirror annoyed him to the utmost, he wanted to cry.
He spent the entire journey getting angry with bad drivers and red lights. Arriving on the floor of his building, he took a look at apartment 307 and found himself thinking that Veronica might open the door to him.
He unlocked his front door and threw the keys on the table. As soon as he returned, the noise of the TV disturbed him. He advanced towards the small living room and Albert raised his head towards him, surprised.
-Veronica?
That's all that came out of his mouth at that moment and anyway he didn't intend to ask more questions, he didn't want to know.
-I'm going to bed, he informed them. Make yourself at home, he invited the young woman who stared at Albert, embarrassed.
His roommate raised his head and pointed the kitchen.
-I found this on the doormat behind the door, it's for you.
He arched an eyebrow and turned around to see the envelope on the counter. The address was written by hand and the ink had drooled a little. The paper was slightly yellowed and the mail seemed to be fine.
He went upstairs and opened it with a penknife. All the envelope contained was folded paper and a photograph.
He unfolded the letter and read it very quickly. It was simple, it contained only a few words.
« I know what you did »
The photograph was black and white and he recognized his car, as well as his own shadow behind the wheel, parked on the edge of a sidewalk in front of the 9-1-1 dispatch center.
He raised his head and tried to see Albert where he was from. He hoped it was a bad joke but Chimney's brother seemed to have no interest in what was happening above him.
« I know what you did »
It was written in black and drooling ink, but there was not the slightest spelling error or hesitation in this sentence.
Although Eddie advised him to rest, Evan was unable to close his eye for the rest of the day. And the night didn't necessarily go better.