Dates, first dates at that. One thing that I hadn't worried about for years but for Eddie that was something he was having to face. He was being set up with some girl he didn't know. The firehouse gossip today was definitely good. "So, how'd you leave it?" Chim asked him as we were all sat around the table.
"You didn't freeze her out did you?" I asked him and he looked at me, you never know what could happen.
"We agreed to text each other, then meet up." Eddie said to us as we started to eat, at least that was in the books.
"Well, I mean you could always just conveniently forget to text her." Buck said as he sat down beside me. That seemed a bit unfair to her.
"He's not gonna ghost her, Buck." Chim said while looking at him.
"Exactly, he's too much of a gentleman." I said to him with a smile, I then put my head onto his shoulder.
"Yeah, and she already texted me. You guys don't understand, Vanessa's tía Cuca is in on this, too. That's the combined power of two tías. That's huge. Now I gotta figure out how to let her down easy." He said to us and I didn't even want to know what his options for doing that would be like.
"Ooh. You're not good at that." Buck said and he was right. Eddie was good at a lot of things, but letting people down easy. That certainly wasn't one of them.
"No. I'm not. This is a terrible idea. It's not going to end very well." He said to us before eating some of his spaghetti.
"Or maybe it'll go the opposite, you'll never know." I said to him and who knows maybe she was thinking the same thing.
"Who says to say? Maybe she's amazing." Chim said to us and I started to eat my food that I had.
"Well, she seems nice. And she already picked a place. I just hate being forced to a date. Feels like I have to perform." He said making Hen and I look at each other then at him.
"Maybe you're just anxious about said performance." Hen said before drinking her coffee and this was definitely what we all needed.
"Anxious? Who's anxious?" Eddie asked her and I looked at him.
"You never know, this might be something that gives you anxiety. Which I can totally understand why." I said to him and Hen looked at me. She knew exactly what I meant.
"Tía number three and four has entered the chat." Chim said while looking up and I saw a smile appear on Buck's face.
"First of all, 99% of any first date, arranged or otherwise, is a performance, so get over yourself. Second, it's okay to feel nervous. Vanessa is probably at work right now panicking, too." Hen said to him and he looked at her.
"Trust me, she's probably in the same position that you are." I said to him with a smile. She probably was.
"I do not panic." He said to us and he did at some points. We all went silent and just ate.
"Cap. For me? It's not even my birthday." Chim said as Dad placed a cake down on the table. I knew exactly what this was about.
"Uh, what is this? What's going on?" Buck asked him and I knew the excuse but I also knew what this whole thing was about. Like I said, I can read Dad completely.
"Nothing, it's cake. Nothing, nothing at all. Oh, before I forget, everyone, this week, I'll be seeing you all individually for your annual review. And remember, it's not LAFD policy, but it is my policy. The annual review is not just an opportunity for me to offer you some constructive criticism, but it's an opportunity for you to do the same for me. So, in case, tell me how I'm doing. Dig in. Chim, you're up first. See you at 2:00 p.m." Dad said to us before leaving and I knew Chim wasn't looking forward to this.
"Ready when you are, Cap." Chim said to us as he took his slice of cake.
"All right, now I'm starting to panic. I never know what to say when he asks that." Eddie said and I just changed the subject.
"That's why I change the subject." I said to them all with a smile.
"I'm just gonna tell him that the captains truck is always clean." Hen said to us and that's sounded like what she said last year. He'd know.
"Oh, you did that last year." Chim said to us all and I looked at him. He was so happy with that cake.
"Has anyone complimented him on his super-organized storage cubby?" Buck asked and I shook my head. I definitely hadn't done that.
"Twice." Eddie said, he looked a million miles away.
"Wow, you guys sound pretty desperate." Chim said he definitely wasn't sounding desperate and I wasn't either.
"Clearly, you are not." Eddie said while looking at him.
"What's the secret?" I asked him and he looked at me, I wanted to know if we had the same one.
"I submit that what you are all truly nervous about is the review itself. These things don't concern me. I was here before all of you. I was here before Cap, and I will be here when everyone is gone. Although Little Nash might be my competitor." Chim said and I looked at him.
"You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." I said to him with a smile, I definitely wasn't leaving anytime soon.
"Oh, you mean like a cockroach. Pass me a plate." Hen said and we all went down the table line passing her a plate.
"I'm simply stating the facts. I can't help it if I am a fully actualized human being and firefighter." Chim said to us making us smile. It felt like off the next shift. Chim was at the academy. For 'leadership' skills apparently. I was now nervous for my one. Thankfully we were pulled to a call before that. The EMT gods had answered my prayers.
"LAFD." Dad said once we walked into the bakery.
"She's over here. I shut off the machine as quickly as I could, but I'm afraid it's too late. She's still unconscious." The lady said to us as soon as we entered. We started following her.
"LAFD, make some room. Ma'am?" Dad asked as we got over to the machine. Blood in the dough with her arm stuck in it. This wasn't looking too good. She was faced down in it as well.
"What's her name?" Hen asked her and I looked at the crowd of workers.
"Reyna. Please help her." The lady said to us and I looked at her.
"We will." I said to her with a reassuring smile.
"She's breathing but her pulse is racing. I'll start oxygen. Eddie, you run a line wide open." Hen said to us all and I looked at her, this lady needed her head out of the dough.
"Copy." He said to her.
"Okay, we're gonna have to take this thing apart to get that wand out. Buck?" Dad asked, I take it this job was too heavy for me.
"Ready to go, Cap." Buck said to him and handed him what he needed. I then started getting the lady's head out of the dough but very carefully.
"Okay, you ready? One, two, three." Dad said as the took the cover off. Eddie was checking out Reyna's arm.
"I've got no pulse in her right hand." Eddie said to us and I looked at the position it was in. It definitely didn't come to a surprise.
"I wouldn't expect it. I'm seeing a full separation here." Hen said and this definitely wasn't looking too good for her.
"Arteries?" Eddie and I asked, if they were severed, this would be a difficult move.
"The dough's suppressing most of the flow. We should wrap around her, transport her with the mixing wand, and let the surgeons address it." Hen said to us that was before we heard Reyna moaning in pain. She was waking up. She was screaming whilst attempting to move.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." We all got out.
"Don't move. Don't-don't move, Reyna. Don't move, just breathe. We're giving you something for the pain." Hen said to her, and whatever it was she'd probably still feel a bit of pain.
"Ok, Cap looks like we're fully dismantled." Buck said while looking at the side of the machinery.
"Clear on this side, too. Hen, let us know when it's safe to remove that mixing wand." Dad said to her and I was hoping it would be soon. Eddie started to administer the meds.
"Okay." Hen said before she started to wrap the wand to Reyna's arm. "All right. We're set." Hen Said to us and that was our cue.
"All right, Buck, you ready? Slowly and carefully. Okay. One, two, and lift." Dad said and the two of them started to lift the wand out. We then got her on the gurney and started to prep her.
"No, it's not your fault. It's not your fault. I was pushing the numbers. I let the bosses get in my head. I'm sorry." Reyna said to her employee as we started to take her out.
"Reyna, it's okay." She said to her boss.
"No. You should be supervisor, Laverne. Everyone looks up to you. You'll take care of them. Fight for them." Reyna said to Laverne. That would definitely be the right thing to say. If only I could say that to Dad.
"Okay." Laverne said as we got nearer to the door.
"She'll be at Presbyterian." Hen said to her while look about.
"Thank you." Laverne said to her.
"Congrats on your promotion?" I said hesitantly.
"Thank you." She said to me and with that we were gone. When it got to us being at home Buck and I had things to sort out.
"Baby names. Listen you always said I could name the boys if we had any and now we're having one and I think we should go for Devon Otis Daniel Nash-Buckley. We can call him Dev for short." He said to me with a smile. We were cuddling on the couch.
"That's a lot of names though but I like it. You did well with that." I said to him with a smile and he then looked at me. He wanted to know what I picked.
"What's your choice then for our second daughter?" He asked me and I looked at him with a smile.
"I like Fallon or Drew." I said to him and he rested a hand on my stomach.
"Switching it up, I like it. But no matter what we pick. They'll be perfect." He said to me and I looked at him. He was right, I was always thinking about Mars would take to them as well.
"Mars will be a good sister as well." I said to him with a smile and he looked at me.
"That'll be before they can walk, talk and take her stuff." He said to me and I laughed before we went up to bed. When next shift was happening I was called to the captains office.
"Y/n, you know I've got no complaints about your work. But I feel like being here we're holding you back. I'm holding you back, you should be a captain with all your knowledge. You've been on a squad team which is highly impressive. Which is why I've selected you a few houses that you need a new Captain." Dad said to me and I looked at him. This wasn't what I was expecting.
"But I am not leaving, I don't care if I'm being held back or not, this place is where I need to be. You cant make me leave either Dad. Besides I know you love having me around." I said to him and I saw a smile appear on his face.
"I'm so glad that you said that, that was a test. I knew that you wouldn't leave but one day you'll have to. Know is there anything you could say about me?" He said to me and I looked at him. I knew one thing to say.
"That your an excellent Captain, I can't imagine anyone else in your position. Your a great Captain, father and grandfather. And talking about Grandkids. Can you look after Mars this weekend? Buck and I are wanting to go looking at houses." I said to Dad and he looked at me with a big smile on his face.
"Anytime. Athena and I will take her out somewhere nice." Dad said to me with a smile and I walked out the office. I witnessed Buck head in. He was going to be in for a ride. Of course he was only saved by the bell when his review was over. When we arrived at the scene it was a war. "LAFD, coming through." Dad shouted as we came in.
"You keep close to me. Grab my arm." Buck said to me and I knew exactly why he wanted me to do that. We couldn't risk anything.
"Trust me I'm not letting go." I said to him and he kissed my head lightly. I then saw Athena.
"We're still working on crowd control, but the stage is safe for you to work." Athena said as we walked over to her. This whole thing was like a fight club.
"What's with all the rage?" Dad asked her and if I had to guess it was something to do with this competition.
"It could be the steroids." Hen said to us as we started going downstairs.
"But your victim's name is Biggs. Former bodybuilder, used to be a legend, apparently." Athena said and the crowd was booing as we walked through.
"Please help him. His arm blew up, he's bleeding out. We can't stop it." Who I presume was Biggs' son said to us.
"Let's take a look." Eddie said and Biggs groaned there was a nasty gash on his muscle. "Clear blood is never a good thing. Pus. Usually means infection." Eddie said to Hen and I. I looked at him.
"I don't think it's that." I said to him and Hen looked like she agreed with me.
"I don't think that's pus." Hen said and the adjudicator said to us.
"Synthetic oil, meant to enlarge his muscles." She said to us, makes sense as to why everyone was angry now.
"Maybe that explains why everyone's so angry. No one likes a cheater." Buck said to us and everyone was still shouting.
"You can say that again." I said to him and Buck went to look at the crowd.
"Well, they're liking him less by the minute. Ma'am, it's not safe. We need to get you out of here. Come with me, please." Dad said before he walked off with adjudicator. We started to pack his wound.
'He's gonna need broad spectrum antibiotics at the hospital, and an orthopedic surgeon to repair whatever's left of this arm." Hen said to us and let this big a huge lesson to him and his son.
"He's gonna lose his arm?" His son asked us and we looked at him.
"Unclear, and not for us to determine." Eddie said to us.
"We'll know more at the hospital." I said to them with a nod.
"I've already lost a lot more than my arm, son." Biggs said to him and I bet he was regretting his decision.
"I was to afraid I couldn't live up to you. And you were cheating?" Biggs son said to him and I could hear the anger and disappointment in his tone.
"I was afraid, too. Didn't think they would love me anymore. But you best your fear. You went out there and won. I'm sorry." His dad said before he started crashing.
"We need to go now." I said while looking at them all.
"Cap, he's tachycardiac. We got to get him out of here." Hen said to Dad but it seemed impossible.
"Uh, yeah, that's gonna be tricky right now." Buck said and I stood up and looked at the crowd. They won't going to let us out easy. I saw them trying to push forwards.
"Sergeant, we got to move. A little help?" Dad shouted to Athena and I saw her walk and take the mic.
"Ladies and gentlemen, ...I don't know if what this man did is illegal. But I do know this: that pursuant to section 148.2 of the California State Penal Code, it is a misdemeanor to willfully obstruct emergency personnel from discharging their official duties. Now, let me advise you. Do not obstruct." Athena said and the whole area was quiet. We then managed to get out safely. Once shift ended I looked at Buck.
"So I like this house, it's semi-perfect. Three bedrooms. One for us, one for the girls and then one for our only son. This way it'll be easy for them and for us. Probably not Mars though." I said to him and he looked at me with a smile.
"Whats the garden like?" He asked me and I gave him a look.
"It's not the biggest but there's enough space for Simba to run around and for the kids to play." I said to him with a smile as we were looking at the pictures of it.
"Then I think we should go and see it, together." He said to me before he kissed my head.
"I'm glad you said that because I already made an appointment for tomorrow." I said to him with a smile. Let's say the showing was a success but that wasn't the only thing when we had next shift. There was a surprise.
"Hey, look who I found." Chim said as he was walking in. He was with Ravi.
"Hey, Ravi's back." Eddie said and we all went to him and welcomed him back.
"It's lovely to have you back Ravi, we all missed you." I said to him with a smile, we all were catching up before the alarm went. We were finally a team again.