You'll never get out alive.
The thought raced through his mind. Like lightning before a clouded sky, burning behind his closed eyelids.
Buck was on the ground. His helmet lost somewhere in the rubble around him. Left behind as he tried to free himself and slip through the fallen debris. Discarded together with the rest of his equipment.
He opened his eyes, but it was to no avail. Thick black smoke was all around him. Now he wished for his gear again. Just one deep breath from the oxygen tank to fill his screaming lungs. His radio to contact his team.
Coughing and with tears streaming down his face he continued to crawl forward. If he was edging closer to the exit or just deeper inside this hellscape, he couldn't know. He just had to trust that instinct would lead him out.
But Buck had long lost his sense of direction. Fire was all around him, devouring what was left of the apartment building. He was so close to the flames it felt like they were scorching his skin even through the jacket.
With trembling arms he shoved himself onwards. Piece by piece. Closer to the wall. Coughs wrecked his body. His lungs filled with biting smoke. Every breath like acid, scorching his insides. But with every gasp he was determined this wouldn't be his last, not his final breath.
Finally his hands scraped at the tapestry. With every remaining ounce of strength he pushed himself upwards along the wall, hands frantically searching. If he remembered correctly there had to be a window just within reach. But he couldn't feel it. There should have been the rhythmic waves of the blue emergency light filtering through the window. Lighting his way out of here. Bringing him to safety.
But he couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel the window sill underneath his gloved hands.
Trembling and coughing he sank to the ground. He felt the flames grow closer, snapping at his heels like rabid dogs. The smoke engulfed him as he closed his eyes.
You'll never make it out alive, he thought before the darkness washed over him.
He woke with a start. There were lights and noise and people all around him. He couldn't make out faces, only dim shapes moving in front of him. Everything swam before his eyes.
His lungs were burning, the sensation sending him into a coughing fit. His body responded with waves of dull pain. Buck wanted to scream, but the only sound escaping his lips was a low moan.
"It's okay, Buck. You're alright. We've got you."
Someone was cradling his upper body. The hands were firmly holding him in place, yet remaining gently wrapped around him.
Something stiff was covering his face. Maybe this was why he felt like being suffocated, a heavy weight sitting on his chest. Sluggish he raised his hand, but before he could claw at the thing, someone caught his arm.
"That's your oxygen mask, Buck. You need that to breathe. So leave it on, ok buddy?"
Buck blinked and tried to focus on the blob in front of him. He recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it. Slowly the blurry shape came into focus as he finally made out Eddie's dark hair and soft eyes.
"Eddie?", he mumbled.
His friend drew closer, cupping his face with one calloused hand. "Hey Buck, yeah it's me. It's Eddie. Welcome back."
Again Buck raised his arm, but this time in Eddie's direction. The other man gently caught his flailing arm and carefully wrapped his own hand around Buck's.
Eddie was positioned behind him, holding his upper body steady and slightly elevated to ease his breathing. His muscles were shaking in Eddie's grip and he felt completely drained.
"I made it out", he whispered, relief washing over him.
His voice was hoarse from all the smoke he had inhaled and barely audible. Eddie leaned in closer. "What did you say, Buck?"
At this moment a shadow loomed above them and then crouched down next to Buck.
"Hey, kid. Glad to have you back." Bobby smiled down at him and patted his leg. "How do you feel?"
Exhaustion was pulling at him. Too tired to form any more coherent sentences he just raised a thumb in approval. He felt his resolve to stay awake weakening under the careful eyes of his teammates.
"Stay with us, Buck. Come on."
Eddie carefully pried his eyelids apart and shone a light into his eyes, checking for his reaction.
A sudden spike behind his eyes made him screw them tight. The light source seemed to stab into his skull like a thin blade. He gasped and tried to turn away from the light squirming in Eddie's grip. Bobby's and Eddie's voices filtered through to him, but he couldn't make out anything as a wave of nausea washed over him.
He struggled against the hands pushing him down and tried to roll over. Promptly the mask was removed and strong hands supported his weight. Gagging he curled in on himself, vomiting as his stomach contracted. He couldn't breathe, only give way to the painful contractions of his body.
After what should have been mere seconds, but felt like painful hours, he was pulled back into Eddie's lap. Buck was gasping for breath, sweat trickling down his temple.
Someone wiped his mouth with a wet tissue and settled the mask back into place. His head sank against Eddie's thigh. He knew he should feel ashamed, but the emotion was dull, subdued by the drowning wave of exhaustion. He couldn't force his eyes open anymore, only focus on his steady breathing.
He knew his teammates were still close, hovering beside him, taking care of him. Bobby's hand was on his side. Maybe to stabilize Buck, but also himself. As if he wanted to remind himself that Buck was safe.
Eddie hadn't moved from the spot behind him. One of his arms wrapped around Buck's chest, the other one atop of his head, gently weaving through his hair.
Buck could hear them talk, but his head was swimming and his thoughts felt as viscous as honey. He felt Bobby's presence disappear as a rattling noise grew closer. There were several hands on him now, pushing and prodding. Eddie was shifting beneath him. Suddenly he was gone, Buck lying flat on the hard concrete.
Buck gasped and his eyes snapped open. Frantically his gaze shifted over blurry surroundings, trying to make out Eddie. At this moment the world seemed to tilt, the ground moving away from him as he was lifted. The ground was replaced by a smooth and cold surface. There were belts around him now, straps adjusted snugly against his body.
Buck pushed weakly against the restraints. He felt trapped and his muddled brain couldn't make any sense of this new situation. The only thing he knew was that one moment he was surrounded by friends and now he was alone.
"It's alright. I'm here, Buck", a hand grasped his shoulder. "Don't move. We are taking you to the hospital."
Buck nodded weakly. He slumped against the stretcher, eyes still trained on his friend.
Eddie smiled down at him. Gently he took Buck's hand, thumb slowly drawing circles across his skin. "You'll be fine."
With that his mind finally slipped into darkness, hand carefully wrapped in Eddies.