"LAFD," Bobby announced after he rang the doorbell. A chime sounded from the door and Mariana squinted up at the camera.
"Dispatch said the patient was unconscious," Buck pointed out.
"And they also said it was a smart home."
The door swung open and a robotic voice greeted them. "Welcome, Los Angeles Fire Department."
"Am I the only one really creeped out right now?" Hen muttered.
"No," the entire team intoned.
"You all saw that Disney movie, right?" Mariana hissed as they entered the house.
"Also no."
Bobby led them into the house and the robotic voice directed them towards the bathroom where the owner of the house was unconscious, bright pink and bleeding from the head. Mariana glanced up at the shower and grimaced at the thought of being burned by your water thanks to some smart home.
"Mari, we're going to need the burn kit," Chimney announced. She nodded and headed back out to the truck to grab the bag and meet the boys with the gurney.
"Now, who would want to live like this?" Eddie asked. Mari caught up to them and dropped the burn bag on the gurney, falling in line with him as he and Buck directed the gurney towards the house.
"Cameras and microphones everywhere, not knowing who's watching or listening," he continued.
"I hate to break it to you, Eddie, but if you got a computer or smartphone, smart TV, or smart anything, really, than anyone can spy on you," Buck announced.
"Oh, don't tell him that. He's gonna get paranoid," Mariana whined.
"Now I'm thinking I shouldn't buy that fancy smart coffeemake I keep seeing commercials for," Eddie sighed as they entered the house.
"Hello Eddie," HILDY greeted. A panel on the wall displayed a not-so-charming photo of him and Mariana had to physically turn away so he wouldn't see her laugh. "Here are some popular coffee makers. Would you like to hear the reviews?"
"Welcome to the future," Buck whispered with glee.
A panicked look washed over Eddie's face and he looked to Mariana for support but she was too busy laughing with Buck. "Why does it sound terrifying to me?"
"No, no. What deals can she get us?"
"Please, I love you. Don't ask her any more questions."
/
"C'mon Buck!" Christopher shouted over the video game. "I'm beating you!"
"You're cheating," Buck accused.
"Or maybe you just suck," Mariana hummed as she flipped to the next page of her book. Her nephew was curled up into her side, watching the screen in awe. "Diego had you KO'd in less than a minute."
She looked up from the magazine in time to see Eddie snatch the last remote off of the coffee table and drop it onto the kitchen table. Slowly, she put her bookmark in and shut the book as she waited for Eddie to make another pass at rounding up all the technology.
"Hey, you two really need to talk to your kids about playing...fair," Buck trailed off as Eddie unplugged the TV. "Or you could just do that."
"Dad! I was beating him!" Chris exclaimed.
"Well, we're taking a little break from the Internet right now," Eddie announced.
"Says who?" Mariana drawled. "Because I thought this was a relationship, not a dictatorship."
"How am I supposed to talk to my friends?" Christopher complained.
"You're talking to people on this thing?!"
"Hey, you know I was kidding the other day, right?" Buck asked. "About the spying?"
"Were you? 'Cause ever since I got that call, every time I go online, there's an ad for coffee maker. Read the news, coffee maker. Check the weather, coffee maker!"
Mariana had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from audibly laughing out loud at the distressed look on her man's face. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out an undignified snort as he glared at her.
"Yeah it's uh called targeted advertising," Buck informed him.
"I didn't even want a new coffee maker! The one we have is fine! I only mentioned it in front of you...and HILDY."
"HILDY?! Are we getting a HILDY?" Chris exclaimed.
"Pleaaaaase," Diego whined.
"No, we are definitely not!" Eddie said. Buck and Mari exchanged amused looks at Eddie's new fear of technology.
"Buck, can we go to your house and play video games?" Christopher asked.
Buck looked to Eddie who crossed his arms over his chest and stared his best friend down before he looked to Mariana who was studying the ceiling with her face twisted into one akin to that of a person trying not to absolutely cry from laughter.
"Uh, sorry kid. I think we're going to be playing it old school for a while."
Eddie started to walk away and Mariana leaned over to whisper to the three boys. "When dad's not home, we'll play video games."
Eddie turned at the sound of her hushed voice and narrowed his eyes at her, planting his hands on his hips. "What was that?"
"I was telling them you're becoming a senile old man scared of technology," she taunted. He marched up to the armchair and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Mariana let out a shriek of laughter and flailed her legs, knowing that he would easily be able to keep a hold on her.
"I can't hear you!" he called.
"You were already old," she yelled back. "Put me down!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't hear you because I'm old."
Buck watched the joy on everyone's faces. Christopher and Diego were cheering and laughing and it made Buck realize something he's known all along: his friends were really, really great parents.
/
"Dispatch states that the victim woke up and has lost eyesight," Mariana reminded Bobby as they approached the door. "We're most likely going to have to breach."
"Los Angeles Fire Department!" Bobby announced. "We got a call from this address."
"I'm coming! I'm coming! OW!" Crashing sounded from behind the door and Mariana shot her dad an unamused look before stepping aside for Eddie to open the door.
"Ma'am step away from the door, we're coming in," Bobby called. He used the battering ram to break open the door and entered first. "Let's get her up off the floor."
Mari moved the gurney in and pulled out a chair as Eddie helped the girl up and into the chair.
"Can you tell us about your symptoms?" Mariana asked.
"Well, it's really just the one symptom. I can't see anything," she gasped out.
"Have you been having trouble with your vision before today?" Eddie said.
"No! Always been 20/20."
"And this morning, just completely gone?"
"I woke to greet the world and it wasn't there," the girl sobbed.
Mariana crouched down next to Eddie so she could see Becky's eyes better. It was an unusual thing to see considering sudden onset blindness was attributed to chemicals and there appeared to be none in her quick scan of the apartment.
"Ma'am, have you been using any new skin care or makeup products? Anything that might cause an allergic reaction?" Bobby questioned.
"No, nothing like that."
Mariana motioned to the BP cuff but Eddie was already applying it to the woman's arm. She started working on inspecting the woman's eyes and eyelids in hopes of finding out the cause.
"What about household cleaners?" Bobby continued with his questions. "Anything with fumes or a strong scent?"
"Just some essential oils."
"Oils wouldn't do this," Mariana mused. "And Vitamin A deficiency occurs usually in children and it's very hard to not reach your RDA for that."
"Blood pressure is normal, so it's probably not a circulation problem," Eddie reported.
"There's some swelling and minor irritation on the eyelid. Ma'am, I'm gonna open up your eyelid and I'm gonna shine this light up there, okay? Just relax."
Mariana used her pen light and gently pulled her eyelid up so she could get a clear visual. "Diminished pupillary response and minor clouding on the lenses. Almost like they're covered in a film."
She shifted to the side to allow Eddie a better look. "Cataracts don't just appear overnight. What was that?"
"What?" Mari leaned in closer.
"Thought I saw something move."
"In my eyes?!" Becky cried.
"Something like a...a worm?" Mariana grimaced.
"I'm gonna throw up. I'm gonna throw up."
"Please don't," Mariana said. "I'm gonna grab forceps and a sample jar."
"Just try and stay calm for us," Eddie soothed.
"How did a worm get in my eyes?" she wailed.
"Maybe it could be some kind of bug?" Mariana speculated as she brought over the jar and forceps.
"Face flies. It's a type of parasite that infects livestock," Bobby said. "They feed off the tears, lay eggs in the eyes. You don't normally see it in people, though. Mostly cattle."
"I haven't been around cattle! I don't think I've even been in the same room as a burger since 2004!"
"And you probably haven't taken a trip."
"Everything's closed!"
"Maybe something in your workspace," Eddie offered. "What do you do for a living?"
"I teach yoga," she sobbed.
"What kind of yoga?" Mariana looked at him in confusion before she focused on removing one of the worms. He shined the light on Becky's eyes as Mariana did the heavy lifting.
"Goat yoga," she admitted.
"And people pay to do that?" Bobby asked incredulously.
"Well, people say that baby goats offer the perfect weight and resistance to hold a plank position." Mariana dropped the worm in the jar just in time for her and Bobby to stare at Eddie.
"I can know weird stuff too," he sighed. Bobby let out a snort as Mariana grinned behind her mask.
"You're cute, Diaz," she said as she pulled another worm out.
"It's not weird," Becky insisted. "Okay, it's a little weird! But people really like the class and goat yoga's the only thing keeping me afloat while the studio's closed."
"Hey, no offense, but if you're gonna stick with goats, you might want to consider wearing goggles," Eddie told her gently.
"Maybe it's a sign. My sister keeps telling me to grow up already and get a real job. She might be right."
"Or she might be wrong," Mariana said as she pulled out yet another worm. "Who cares what other people think? If goat yoga is your thing, then own goat yoga! Never apologize to anyone for that, okay?"
Becky whimpered out a thank you, her hand patting Mariana's face. The latina gently pulled her hand away. "I still have a tool that can make this whole blindness thing permanent. Stay still. It's only going to take a second."
As if this was a normal thing, Mariana pulled out the worms with ease. She pulled out the final one with a triumphant "aha!" and Becky let out a gasp.
"I can see!" Her joy faded to disgust once she saw Mariana shoving the worm into the jar. She gagged and then looked up at Mariana. "Do rabbits have worms? Maybe bunny yoga is the future."
"Do rabbits have worms? Would you like to hear what I found on the Internet?" the familiar robotic voice chimed. Panic flooded through Eddie's veins and Mariana stifled her laughter as he flew across the room to silence the HILDY.
"NO!"
"What is your problem with it, Edmundo?" she laughed. "You act like it's going to become sentient and kill us in our sleep."
"It just might!"
/
Mariana was carrying a laundry basket down the hall when she heard the knock at the door. It was late so no one should be at their door in the first place. Setting the basket down in the pantry/laundry room, she headed to the living room to find Eddie staring at a large box.
"What is that?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe next to the table where Diego and Christopher were working on homework.
"Dunno. You didn't order anything, right?"
"Not that I can remember."
He grabbed his box cutter out of his jean pocket and sliced open the box as Mariana walked over to join him. She peered over his shoulder curiously and immediately had to hide her smile at the letter on the top.
"A gift from HILDY," she read aloud. Eddie yanked the bubble wrap away to reveal that coffeemaker he had been fearing all week. She could see in the way that his shoulders went rigid and his jaw clenched that he was actually believing that this robot had gone rogue and giving the coffee machines.
"We got him," Christopher announced. Diego and Chris erupted into laughter and Mariana grinned as Eddie held his hand out for the phone.
"Thanks Buck. Real funny," Eddie drawled before he hung up.
"Hey, I got a new coffee maker out of this," Mariana hummed as she passed him with the box in tow.
"Traitor."
"Ooo, I never said I was on your side."
Later that night after Eddie had successfully tucked in both boys after Mariana read to them, he found her seated on the couch with her reading glasses falling down her nose and his laptop open on her lap. She absentmindedly pushed them back up onto the bridge of her nose as an annoyed look passed over her face. It was the exact same look Diego had given him hours before when Eddie wouldn't let him play video games. The Ramirez genes must come with disgruntled expressions and sass because the kid was like a mini Mari. He could only imagine the hellions Luis and Mariana were together.
"Whatcha doing?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder so he could see the screen.
"Installing a VPN and ad block on your laptop so you stop getting targeted ads," she answered without even looking at him.
"What?"
"Buck taught me a while back and I never thought about doing it to your stuff until you became all paranoid. It's funny, yeah, but I know you. I know that you worry and you mean it well. If I can help make sure you aren't worried, I'll do it."
He hopped over the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulder so he could lean in and see better as she typed.
"I love you." Eddie pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then her cheek.
"It better be because I have a stunning personality and a hot body rather than your fear of robots," she replied dryly.
"The glasses are cute," he hummed. She pouted at his comment and he laughed, pulling her in so he could pepper her face with kisses as she whined and tried to squirm away from him.
"If anyone ever finds out that I have to wear reading glasses now, I will personally see to it that your body is never found."
"Promise."
"I called the bank today, by the way. Finalized the paperwork and I made sure to submit our files to city hall. All done."
"Really? I could have done it, y'know."
"I know but you handled everything else. I wanted to do it."
She grinned up at him and he kissed her sweetly. Before either one could continue, her phone buzzed followed shortly after by his. Mariana frowned and grabbed hers, reading the text displayed on the screen. Biting back a curse, she looked over at him.
"Think Pepa can watch the boys for a bit? We've been called out to Texas."
/
"I've been on the list for special deployment ever since I joined the department. Never got a call before today," Buck said as he joined Eddie. Mariana was seated on top of the truck, her legs swinging near his head as she inspected the checklist for the trip.
"I've seen my fair share of wildfires here," the latina replied. "Never been to Texas though."
Eddie grinned up at her. "'Bout time you come to my neck of the woods."
She passed him the list and shimmied down onto the apparatus bay floor, looking over the truck one last time. "Are we good?"
"We are ready to roll," he agreed.
"Oh no. I know how you three are," Hen said dryly. "Everybody, make sure you use the bathroom before we go. I don't care if you think you need to or not. We have a twenty hour drive and we're gonna make good time."
Everyone sighed and slowly made their way to the locker room. Hen rolled her eyes and called out once more. "Mariana is driving the first leg of the trip."
All personnel started rushing to the bathroom and the latina smirked.
"I didn't know you were coming with us," Eddie remarked.
"I got two kids and med school bills to pay. I'll take all the emergency overtime I can get. Besides, it'll be fun. I've never been to Texas."