"If you go at the 45-degree angle, that's your fastest way to die. If you go straight, you will be paralyzed," a girl's voice says. Eddie turns to look to see a girl with brown hair and blue eyes. Eddie smiles slightly.
"Is that right?" Eddie questions. The girl looks at him.
"Do you pay attention to math, Diaz?" She asks. Eddie laughs.
"What's going on, Betancourt?" Eddie questions. She laughs and walks up next to him.
"Eddie!" A voice brings Eddie back to the present. He looks around to see that he's in the firehouse, and Hen is in front of him. She looks worried, and Eddie sees Bobby, Buck, and Chimney with similar looks.
"Sorry, what?" Eddie looks to Hen.
"Eddie, are you okay?" Bobby questions his other son. Eddie frowns.
"Thinking about something. What's wrong?" Eddie asks.
"You spaced on us for an hour, Eds. Nothing could bring you out of it," Buck says, making Eddie frown. Chimney checks for a fever.
"I'm alright, guys. I am. What did I miss?" Eddie asks, but they are weary of that.
"Hen and Chimney are debating on a list of medical supplies and wanted your opinion on it," Bobby says as Hen gives Eddie a list. He looked over it and made some adjustments to the list.
"This okay?" He asks. Both Hen and Chimney look it over.
"Perfect. Thanks, Eddie," Hen says, and the two leave. Buck looks at the time and sighs. He goes and kisses his husband.
"Therapy appointment," Buck says, and Bobby and Eddie wave him goodbye.
"Talk to me, Eddie. What's going on?" Bobby asks the younger man. Eddie sighs.
"El Paso isn't a big city. People know each other, and they talk to each other. My ex wasn't the most beloved person in El Paso, but she wasn't the most horrible person there. She is different from the others. In El Paso, being different is wrong. You get shamed for it. I loved being around her saved my life, Bobby. She was there when I needed someone the most," Eddie says, and Bobby stays silent. He knows that Eddie needs to talk this out.
"There is a cliff that people go to if they want to end their lives. We both know why I was on that cliff. She gave me a reason to live. She gave me Christopher," Eddie says.
"EDDIE! STOP! It will be alright, okay? You can pass this exam," Betancourt says. She sees Eddie pacing.
"You don't know that, Shannon! You know how I am with class exams! Fuck! Why is school so hard?" Eddie says, freaking out. Shannon smiles at that. However, she is done. She pulls him to her and rolls on top of him. Eddie looks at her owlishly.
"Take a deep breath." She orders. Eddie takes a deep breath.
"Good boy. Now, stay my good boy and take another deep breath," She coos at him, making him blush but obeys. Eddie starts to calm down, and Shannon stays on top of him.
"It was us against the world. We also knew that we wouldn't last in the long run, but with our time, it was perfect. One of the reasons that Buck and I work so well together is that we give and take. I give up the control that he needs to have. It's how Shannon and I worked," Eddie says. He loves her with everything he has, but she isn't the one. Not anymore.
"She helped me pass some of my necessary tests and always encouraged me to do more. Learn more. She was always there," Eddie says.
"You passed! Eddie, that's amazing!" Shannon kisses her boyfriend. Eddie holds onto her.
"Thanks, Shan. Without you, I might not have passed," Eddie says. The woman smiles.
"It was easy to help you out," She says before kissing him again. Eddie sinks into her touch.
"She never wanted children, but I did. She offered me a chance to have one. Christopher. I was glad to have her," Eddie says. Bobby sees Eddie struggling a little and reaches halfway for Eddie to reach for him.
"I'm pregnant," Shannon says as Eddie walks into her apartment. She frowns at the letter in his hands.
"Are you okay with this?" Eddie asks her. Shannon smiles. He knows that she didn't want to be a mom.
"I want you to have a kid that makes you think of them. What's that?" She says, and Eddie kisses her forehead.
"Army," Eddie says, making Shannon take a step back.
"What about the child?" She asks. Eddie sighs.
"Army is the best way to support you and to learn more about medical knowledge," Eddie explains, and Shannon nods.
"I'm not happy about this, but I get it," She says.
"Shannon was my biggest supporter. She might not have been happy about my decisions, but she had my back," Eddie says. Bobby smiles softly at this.
"What happened?" Bobby asks as he can see that Eddie has stopped talking. They see Buck coming towards them and sits next to Eddie.
"Shannon! Are you here?" Eddie asks as he comes into the house. He sees a twelve month Christopher playing in his crib and a note on the table.
"I'm here," Shannon says. He turns to see a suitcase beside her.
"Where are you going?" Eddie asks. Both know that she is going, but he was hoping for later.
"We both know this, Eddie. You have your parents to help; you got this. After this tour, you're done. You have Christopher to live for. Live for you, not for them," Shannon tells him, making Eddie slump down. She goes to him.
"You can still be a doctor if you want. You can find someone that can give you the want you need—the help you deserve. It's time to let go," Shannon tells him. Eddie lets the water down his face.
"I hope you find someone that gives you the want you need too," Eddie says. She kisses his cheek and leaves. Christopher starts to cry, and the newly single parent goes to his kid.
"We still keep in contact. She's one of my closes friends. Today is a hard day. Nothing's wrong; it's just hard," Eddie says and leans into his husband. Hen and Chimney came in and surrounded the man with a hug. Bobby nods in understanding.
"What can we do to help you, Eddie?" Bobby asks his son.
"I can work. I might not talk," Eddie says, and Buck kisses the side of his head.
"We can work with that. Buck stay with him," Bobby says. Buck nods in understanding.
"Can we meet Shannon?" Buck asks, and Eddie taps him. The blond grins.
"I can work with that," He says. After that, the shift ends, and it's their day off. Both men take Christopher to the Zoo. They are wandering around when they hear, "Eddie?". Eddie turns to see Shannon.
"Hi, Shan. How are you?" Eddie asks, making Buck stand closer to Eddie. The man smiles.
"Are you Buck?" She asks the man. Buck blinks at her.
"I am. It's nice to meet you, Shannon," Buck says. He's shocked that she comes running to hug him.
"Thank you for loving Eddie. Thank you so much," She says, and this throws Buck. Eddie smiles as he watches this. He's distracting Chris.
"Thank you for saving him," He says. Shannon smiles at him, lets go of Buck and goes to hug Eddie.
"Do you want to join us?" Buck asks her, and Shannon smiles.
"I would love to," She says. The family of four goes through the Zoo. Eddie sees a friendship between the two and is happy about it. When the Zoo close, the two groups split.
"Dad?" Christopher asks his dad. Eddie looks at him.
"Yes, bud?" Eddie answers his son.
"Does mom not like me?" He asks, making his parents heartbreak.
"Your mom loves you. Shannon is a good aunt. She's someone that doesn't want to take care of another human being. And that's okay, as you have Buck and me, and you are our son," Eddie says. Chris leans on Eddie. The dad picks him up.
"You okay?" Eddie asks, making Buck smile.
"She's a good person," Buck says.
"She's the best," Eddie says. The two curled up in bed. Talking about Shannon and their future.