know it took me a while to write the second chapter but I would still like to know what you think of it. English is not my motherlanguage so sorry for any mistakes I made. Hope you enjoy it. :)
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Eddie could feel the headache before he was even fully aware of his surrounding. A steady quiet beep was annoying him constantly making him realize that he was probably in a hospital bed. It would definitely explain the smell of chlorine and antiseptic. Suddenly he heard a small movement on his right side. I sounded like someone sitting down on a chair. He moved his head to his right trying to open his eyes but they felt so heavy. After a few seconds he managed to open them into two small slits but he was immediately blended by the bright light streaming from above. He squinted his eyes together letting out a moan of pain. Whoever was sitting at his side immediately jumped up to dim the light.
"Hey Eddie. You can open your eyes now. I dimmed the light a bit." Eddie tried to open his eyes again and was rewarded with the sight of Bobby directly in front of him. He looked concerned so Eddie wanted to tell him that he was okay but all he got out was a harsh cough that hurt inside his lungs. Bobby guided a cup with a straw to his lips and warned him. "You have to take small sips or you'll vomit it out." Eddie grimaced at the thought of vomiting but thankfully the water soothed his throat washing away the strange feeling of dirt and sand. "Wha.. happn'd?"
The glass made a quiet noise as Bobby carefully sat it down on the nightstand. "We were at a farm and a boy was trapped inside of a deep pipe. You went down there. Do you remember that?" Eddie nodded but regretted it immediately as the pain flared up in his head leaving him with a pounding head ache. Bobby gave him another sip of the water and waited for a few seconds while Eddie got his thoughts back together. "I remember going down and getting the boy up but nothing after that." Bobby smiled encouraging. "That's not bad news, okay? The doctor said that amnesia was common after holding your breath for quite some time. You did an amazing job down there and I am so proud of you."
Eddie couldn't help but smile. "As long as the boy is alright." Bobby nodded. "Yeah. The little one is okay. His mother wanted to thank you in person but I think that can wait a few more days until you are better. And speaking of getting better, I think you should get some more rest." Eddie closed his eyes feeling the migraine subside a little bit with the darkness. "Where is Buck? He is alright, isn't he?" Bobby laid a cool hand oon Eddies forehead reducing the pain even more. "He is fine but I sent him home. He was sitting here a bit too long and needed to refresh and sleep for a while. But he will be back soon and I can stay here until you wake up again."
Eddie had already started to nod off as he knew that all his loved ones were safe and warm. Christopher was at Carlas and he knew that she would take great care of him until they could see each other again. And Buck had made it home alright.
Bobby was sitting at his bedside watching Eddie closely and noticed his breaths evening out into a relaxed sleep. Then he pulled up the blanket a nurse gave him and opened the magazine he had been reading. It would take some time until Buck would be here again. Bobby had made clear that he wanted him to sleep at least six hours and eat a decent meal before coming back.
At the same time in Bucks appartment you could hear the quiet music float around. Buck was humming to the tunes coming out of his phone. If you didn't know Buck you would think that it was the most quiet and peaceful scenery you would ever see but the ones near to him knew that Buck was only humming to songs when he was nervous or lonely. At the moment he was both and he couldn't help the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. All he wanted was to shut out the memories flooding his mind.
He turned the volume of the music up and made his way trough the kitchen cleaning everything that he could find. Sure Bobby had said that he had to sleep at least sic hours but Buck didn't think that he could sleep for a few hours with his feelings in turmoil like this. The last thing he expected at this time of day was a knock on his door and for a few second he was scared that the music was too loud but then he remembered that he had headphones on.
He paused the song and laid his phone on the counter. Opening the door he was met with an embrace nearly knocking him over. He smiled and wrapped his arms around the slim shoulders of his sister breathing in her warmth and the sweet smell of her hair. To him the familiar scent meant calmness and safety. He let Maddie down to the ground and held her shoulders as she let her gaze wander down his body searching for any sign of damage. "Everything seems to be where it belongs."
Buck couldn't help but chuckle at that comment. "Yeah, Maddie. I wasn't hurt. I'm okay." Maddie nodded grateful and pushed him toward the couch in his open living room. "Sit down. Have you eaten yet?" Buck looked down a little bit ashamed and shook his head. "Hadn't really had the time for that, you know." Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You wanna tell me that after you left the hospital.." she looked at the watch on her arm "...two hours ago, you hadn't had time for lunch?" Buck looked a bit nervous and Maddie immediately regretted raising her voice. She knew how he could get after a hard case so she came to help him get through.
"Well. What do you have a sister for? I'm gonna make you french toast and a fruit salad, alright?" She didn't even wait for an answer because she knew that he would only say that he was fine and capable of making his own food. She began to chatter about her day at work involving Buck in all the things going on with her colleagues and distracting him from his own thoughts. The fact that he had his headphones on the kitchen table didn't slip her attention but she knew that mentioning it yet would get her anything. It took her about half an hour to make up a wonderful fruit salad and some awesome french toast.
Buck began to munch on the toast and noticed his stomach rumble a bit. Maybe he had been hungry after all. Maddie smiled at her brother eating his favorite meal. "I hope that they are as good as they used to be back then." Buck nodded eagerly. "Of course. That was always my comfort food. I love it. Thank you Maddie." She picked a strawberry from the bowl and quickly threw it into her mouth taking in the sweetness. "Yummy. So what did you do the last two hours if not eating." Buck was blushing again and concentrated on the food on his plate but he couldn't manage another bite of the toast without getting sick.
"You know. This and that. I showered and cleaned a bit and then you already rang my doorbell." Maddie noticed the fading appetite and pulled away the plate. "You mean you listened to music and got lost in time while trying to drown out your thoughts." Buck felt caught but he knew that he couldn't keep a secret from his sister. "Maybe." She smiled at him trying to reassure him. "It is alright to get lost in thought Buck. Everyone deals differently with problems. You like to listen to music and that's okay. I don't care what our father said about that."
Buck flinched slightly at the mention of him but he dismissed that thought. He had no control over him so he shouldn't be afraid of something that had happened so many years ago. Maddie knew that Buck was uncomfortable so she decided to change the tactic. "Lets watch some TV okay? I've got a new show I wanted to show you. It's hilarious really." Buck managed a smile and let himself be dragged towards the couch. He settled in beside Maddie and pulled her close. She put her arms around his torso and laid her head on his shoulder.
"The guy there had a big business but he was caught doing some illegal stuff. And the cops are so funny. They are like always bantering and-" She felt the breaths of Buck get deeper and deeper as he slipped into the darkness leaving him snoring quietly. Maddie turned the volume down a bit more and settled into Bucks embrace. She had time and Buck needed her now.
The both of them woke up five hours later. Maddie stretched her sore muscles and looked over Buck. He was massaging his neck from laying uncomfortable on the back of the couch. He smiled at Maddie when he caught her eye but the smile wasn't real. Maddie sighed. "Buck, what is going on? Chimney told me about the difficult situation at the farm today." Buck scrambled to his feet. "Yeah, it was hard to get the boy out. He had played hide and seek with his brother and he thought that an old water pipe would be a great place but he got stuck and..." Maddie cut him of mid-sentence. "You know that I am not talking about that."
Her tone was serious. Buck slumped into a kitchen chair and held his head in his hands. "Yeah I know Madds. I thought I had lost Eddie. He was down there and he was alone when the thunder struck the drilling mast. The whole thing went down and for a while I thought that he had to be dead." Tears were pooling in Maddies eyes leaving her sight slightly blurry but she got on her knees pulling Bucks chin up until he was watching at her. His own blue eyes were clouded by tears and pain. She managed a small smile. "Eddie got out and he is fine. Nothing a few hours of rest wont fix."
Buck was frustrated and his voice almost a shout. "But I didn't help him. It was luck that got him out there." Maddie pulled Buck up and into a tight hug. "I know that scared you and you don't want to think about what happened to Eric but that isn't the same. Eddie knew what he was doing when he cut that rope. He knew the risks and he was willing to accept then in order to safe the boy. It was his decision." Buck began to sob. "I was so sure that he would die down there all alone." "I know. When you were trapped under that firetruck with the madman at your side I was so scared. I thought my heart would explode with fear but I realized that you weren't alone and neither was Eddie. He knew that you were there and that the whole team was searching for him."
It took Buck a few minutes to get himself under control. He pulled back and sniffled. "To talk to." Maddie was confused to say at least. "What do you mean?" Buck couldn't help but grin. "You asked what I had a sister for. I have you to talk to. I love you Madds. Don't you ever forger that." A smile was showing that Maddie understood what he meant. "I love you too baby brother but you should take about the thing with Eric. It is eating on you and your relationship with Eddie and Bobby." Buck nodded. "I know and I will. I already mentioned something to Bobby and I don't think that he will let me of the hook with that one."