The team were laughing and joking telling stories about buck while he was resting in bed. Eddie left to take him some food.
Meanwhile outside, Maddie looked up at the hospital and pushed herself up off the ground. She held on to her side and people just walked past her. She limped inside the hospital, she pushed open the door and walked into the waiting area. She looked around and all the staff were busy working,
"Can... can.. anyone.. help.. me?" Maddie whispered trying to get her breath
"Take a seat ma'am" the receptionist said not even looking at Maddie
She could hear laughing and joking from behind her and she limped around to look as she heard some familiar voices. She started to smile as she saw the uniforms and the faces,
"Listen chim, I told you over and over again that Buck did that to me.. on.. on. Maddie?" Hen said
"Maddie, no she didn't know-"
Hen stood up, "no.. Maddie!" She pointed as Maddie was looking faint
Chimney jumped over the chair and ran to Maddie and caught her,
"Get a gurney!" Hen shouted at the nurse
"Maddie... Maddie" chimney said shaking her
"Chim.. I'm sorry"
"Oh no, don't you be sorry. Ever"
They loaded Maddie on the the gurney and started to rush her away, "visible stab wound to the abdomen. Run an open line and get some blood down here now and let the OR know we are coming" the doctor said
Bobby just caught Chimney as he knelt on the ground and put his head in his hands,
"She's safe now chim"
"I never thought I would see her again"
"Come on, let's sit down" Bobby said helping him up as he walked to a chair. Everyone sat back down and it was silent in the waiting room.
Bobby made sure chimney was ok and then he went to deliver the news to buck. He knocked on the door and went in, buck was laid in bed and was taking to Eddie,
"Hey cap" Eddie said
"Hey guys..."
"What's up cap?"
"Erm.. I thought I would come and tell you now.."
"Bobby..."
"Buck-"
Buck sat up, "it's Maddie isn't it. They found her. Is she de-"
"Woah buck no, no" Bobby walked towards buck, "Maddie is here"
"Here!" Buck pulled his blanket off and threw this legs round the bed, "Buck you need to stay in bed" Bobby said
"I need to see my sister"
"Buck shes in surgery"
"Surgery."
"She was stabbed by Doug. They rushed her into surgery"
"And where is Doug?"
"He drove away after he dumped her off"
"If I ever get my hands on him, I'm gonna kill him"
"Buck, if he's smart. He'll run and never look back" Eddie said
"Was she ok?"
"You know I never lie to you buck but she looked pretty beat up"
"She has to be ok"
"She will buck, she will" Eddie said.
Buck sat on the edge of his bed and grab a hold of his drip stand and pulled himself up,
"Buck?" Eddie asked
"I just need some air..."
"Ok" Bobby said
"...alone" buck said as he walked out the his room. He walked to the elevator and pressed the button and got on. He stepped outside of the hospital and took in a big breath of fresh air. He limped over to the bench and sat down. He was sat in the wind and watched people walk back and forth. By the time he knew it, he had been sat out there for two hours. He felt someone sit down next to him, it was hen,
"Hey buckaroo" she said
"Hey hen"
"You've been out here a while, you ready to come back in yet. It's cold"
"I'm not cold"
"Buck.."
"I'm ok hen. I can't sit in there anymore." Buck started to cry, "I'm so mad. I'm mad at everything and everyone. My life was so fun and exciting and now I just want to crawl into a little ball. I could of done something but I didn't"
"You're still buck. You can still have a life like that"
"I don't think I can anymore. I think I just want to be alone"
"Buck"
"Please hen"
"Ok. Okay"
Hen got up and started to walk away, "hen?"
"Yes?" She said turning around
"Tell everyone to go back home LA"
"Buck?"
"I don't want them here. I want it to just be me here when Maddie wakes up. I just want my sister, everyone else needs to go. Back to their lives they had before this!"
"Ok" she watched as buck went back to staring in front of him and watching people.
Hen walked inside and saw everyone in the waiting room and then she saw Eddie and Bobby walking back corridor,
"hey guys.. got a minute?"
"yeah sure whats up?" bobby said
"Just been out to see buck-"
"What? He's still out there" Eddie said walking past her when she grabbed his arm,
"Don't Eddie. Just let him be"
"What's going on?" Bobby said
"Trauma. He doesn't want to be with anyone and he wants everyone to go back home"
"But-"
"Eddie listen. He's just been through a hell of a lot. He needs some time"
"She's right Eddie... we all have to start getting back to normal eventually. Let's go tell everyone" Bobby said
The three of them walked over to the team,
"Hey guys, got a sec"
"What's up cap?" Chimney said
"We need to go home" he said
"What that's crazy. Maddie is still in surgery as we speak"
"It's from buck. He wants to be here alone with this sister. They have been through something awful and we need to give them that time to heal. We're leaving in 10"
"This is stupid" chimney said
"No. She is my girlfriend" he stood up and went to walk away when the doors opened and buck walked in. He looked at them quickly before looking away, he started to walk away when chimney stormed over to him. Chimney went to grab his arm when Buck flinched and nearly tripped over,
"Chim!" Cap shouted
"Buck I'm.. I'm sorry" chimney said
The nurse came out from behind the counter and walked over to buck, "Evan.. you ok?"
"I want them all to go now. Me and my sister want to be alone. No visitors" he said as everyone listen.
"Let's get you back to bed. You are due some meds" the nurse says putting her arm around buck. The nurse turned around and looked at the team, "you need to go now"
"Don't worry, we're going. Sorry for this" Bobby said grabbing chimney and walking outside with everyone. Eddie took one last look behind him at buck as he stepped into the elevator with the nurse.
The team got outside to the truck and chimney punched it, "he can't just-"
"Yes he can" hen said
"Hen.."
"I was outside talking to him chim, the look in his eyes, the pain. He's blaming himself for this. That is his sister, the only close family he really had. She is his life and he's scared. Scared he's going to lose her and himself in the meantime. He is going to need time to fully understand what has happened. Maddie will be ok and you can updates everyday from the hospital." Hen said
Chimney got in the truck as Bobby nodded at her to say thankyou.
Back in the hospital, Buck was sat in his bed when the nurse, the same nurse from before came in,
"How are you feeling Evan?" She said
"Tired, in pain"
"You've been through a hell of a lot. That's normal"
"How long do you think my wound will take to heal?"
"Everyone is different Evan, they all take time just a couple of months maybe"
"Buck.."
"Sorry?" She said
"Everyone calls me buck"
"Buck... I like that"
"I'm wondering if you can do something for me?"
"Sure?"
"My sister, Maddie Buckley she's been in surgery for a while now and I need to know how she is"
"I'll go find out. Try not to worry ok"
"Thanks"
The nurse left and buck started changing the channels on the tv, he found an old film he used to watch with a kid and he left that on and after about ten minutes, the nurse came back with a wheelchair,
"How about you and me go for a ride?" She asked
"Where?"
"Maddie got out of surgery a little while ago"
"She's alive"
"She's alive" the nurse repeated
"I can walk"
"Nope, no more walking for today. You are healing and you need to be careful"
"Ok" buck got out of bed and got into the wheelchair. The nurse pushed him to the elevator and they went up a floor. They got to the corridor and they walked to the end and buck saw Maddies name on the door,
"I've got it from here" he said, "Thankyou"
"Anytime buck" she said walking away.
He grabbed a hold of the wheels and wheeled himself in, he got next to Maddies bed and her eyes were closed. He looked at her bruises around her face and arms, she also had a cast on her hand where Doug had broken her fingers after standing on them. He grabbed her hand and she squeezed it, she started to opened her eyes and she looked around,
"Maddie?" Buck said
"I'm dreaming aren't I" she started to cry, "I need to wake up, wake up!" She shouted
Buck stood up and grabbed her face, "Maddie Maddie Maddie, it's me buck"
"Buck?" She cried
"Yeah it's me"
"You're dead. He shot you, I watched and I-"
"Maddie I'm not dead. They saved me"
"Ahhhh" she cried in disbelief, "I thought he killed you, I never thought..I'd.. I'd.. see you again"
"We're both safe Maddie. You and me, united front always"
"I was so sure you were dead"
"We fought Maddie, we got through it" he said hugging her
"He's still out there isn't he" Maddie said
"Yes but he's never going to hurt you again"
"Where is everyone?"
"I told them to go back to LA"
"Why?"
"I didn't want them here"
"Buck why?"
"I needed some time and space. They've been suffocating me for days and I couldn't handle it anymore"
"Chim?" Maddie asked
"He went with them"
"I need my phone"
"I don't know where your things are"
Maddie pressed her call button and the nurse came in,
"Maddie?"
"Hey, I need my things. My phone"
"We couldn't locate your phone"
"Right oh yeah, when he-" Maddie stopped talking
"We can get you our phone if you want" the nurse said, the nurse left and brought back a phone for Maddie to use,
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" She asked
"Yeah, I need a transfer for me and my brother back to LA hospital, we need to be in a place where we live with our people"
"Sure, I'll put a request"
The nurse left and Maddie looked at buck and he was staring at the floor, "how are you so-"
Maddie cut buck off, "Normal?"
"Yeah"
"It wouldn't be the first time buck had put me in hospital. I'm pretty immune to this thing now"
"How can you be? After what he did"
"Buck.. I.. I'm gonna heal, so are you"
"But he took us, tried to kill-"
"BUCK"
Buck jumped and Maddie looked at him, "I'm sorry.. I"
"I'm gonna go back to my room" he said turning his wheelchair around,
"Buck wait"
"I'm tired" buck said as he wheeled himself out of the room and Maddie stared at his back as he got further away
Maddie dialled the phone and put it to her ear, it rang and rang and then he answered,
"Hello?" He said
"Chim?" Maddie said
"Maddie, it's you"
"It's me"
"Are you ok?"
"I'm okay Chim, the surgery went well"
"I was so scared, when buck told us to leave I was so mad and all I could think about was what I would of done if you didn't make it"
"I'm going to be ok Chimney, I fought like hell"
"I know you did and that's why I love you"
"I love you Chim"
"I can't wait to see you. I wish I was there"
"The nurse is putting in a request to move us back down to LA"
"Thank god"
"Chim, is Bobby there?"
"Yeah, wanna talk to him"
"Yes, I'll see you soon Chim"
Chimney passed the phone over to Bobby,
"Hey Maddie, we're so glad you're ok and you're gonna pull through"
"I need to talk to you about buck"
" Sure thing"
"How's he been?"
"The last couple of days he spent it in bed, Eddie's been with him. He been up and about a little bit but then today he completely shut down on us all, he sat outside in the cold for hours and then forced us all to leave and told the nurse to not let any of us see him or you. He looked scared"
"I'm worried about him, he may looks strong and tough but when it comes to things like this. Doug did this for years to me but Buck never saw it in person"
"We will be okay Maddie, we're all here for him"
"I just need to get him back home"
"We'll all be waiting for you when you do"
"Thanks Bobby"
"No problem. Take care of yourself"
Maddie hung up and rested the phone down. She laid in her bed and drifted off to sleep. It was long after until the nurse came in and tapped her shoulder. She jumped awake and grabbed the nurses hand,
"I'm so sorry" Maddie said
"Don't be sorry, it was my fault. I just have an update for you. We've got an ambulance on route to pick you and your brother up to move you back to LA"
"That was quick"
"We provide the best care for our felllow emergency services team"
"Thankyou very much"
The nurse left and shortly after the ambulance arrived, Maddie was moved onto a gurney and placed into the ambulance and then so was buck. He was laid on his side facing away from Maddie. He had his eyes closed and Maddie left him alone.
Maddie and buck were both asleep as they got back to LA. They were put in rooms next to each other. Chimney walked through the hospital and up to Maddies room, he looked into bucks room and saw he was laid facing the window. He knocked on Maddies door and walked in,
"Hey" She said
"Hey..." he said walking in standing near to her bed
"Chim... come here" She said putting her hand out. He took her hand and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked around at her face and the cast on her arm,
"Chimney"
"Yeah?"
"I'm gonna be ok, I'm going to heal. He hasn't won, and never will"
"You just look so hurt"
"But it will all heal"
"I'm back with the person I need in my life and I spent the last few days scared out my mind but I didn't give up because I knew back here in LA I had the only man who I trusted with my whole life"
"I love you Maddie Buckley"
"I love you"
He leant forward and gave her a kiss. He put her legs up in the bed and she leant onto him and rested her head on his chest.
Outside of Maddies room, Eddie was stood against the door frame of bucks room watching him. He was still laying on his eyes, sleeping. Bobby tapped him on the shoulder and he walked away from the door,
"Hey" Eddie said
"Hey, don't you think you should be getting home?"
"I'm good. Carla has Chris. He'll be playing video games and eating pizza no doubt. I can't leave him"
"Eddie, he isn't talking and moving"
"Exactly"
The doctor came over to them both, "hello, I'm bucks doctor" they both said hello, "has Evan spoke to you since they arrived?"
"It's buck... No, he hasn't moved" Eddie said
"Hmm" the doctor said
"What?" Eddie said
"I'm worried about the way buck is dealing with this. I read in his report from San Diego about how he was before he left and it may be in bucks best interest to see a psychiatrist"
"A psychiatrist... he's just tired he's sleeping"
"He had completely shut himself off from the world, his closest people. Buck had suffered a trauma that is hard to move on from and i this is going to get worse before it gets better."
"So what are you saying?" Bobby said
"Buck is showing signs of ptsd, depression and he should speak to a professional before this gets worse"
"Let me talk to his sister because anything." Eddie said
"Eddie, I think we should listen to the doctor-"
"No. No psychiatrist Until I talk to Maddie"
Eddie walked over to Maddies room and opened the door,
"Hey Maddie"
"Eddie?"
"I'm glad you're ok but I need to talk to you"
"It's about buck isn't it"
"Yeah"
"What's going on?"
"Depression, they think. Ptsd"
"Has he moved yet?"
"No, they want to get a psychiatrist down here"
"Get me a wheelchair"
"Maddie" chimney said
"I don't care if I rip my stitches getting out of this bed. Get me a damn wheelchair so I can see my brother"
Chimney grabbed a wheelchair from outside and he helped Maddie get of her bed into it. It hurt but she needed to do it. Chimney pushed her into bucks room and left.
"Hey buck" she said moving over to him. She sat in front of him. He opened his eyes but wouldn't look at her
She grabbed his hand, "you need to listen to me ok. I know you're scared and hurt but he cannot hurt you or me anymore. He's gone and he won't come back. You're safe. You've got a lot of people that care about you buck but the doctors are going to get psych down here. We need buck back"
"I'm sorry" he said closing his eyes
"Buck this wasn't your fault. I'm doing ok"
"I want to be alone"
Maddie stroked his arm and wheeled herself out,
Chimney, Eddie, Bobby and the doctor were outside the room.
"Maddie you're bleeding"
"I'm okay. Just a couple of stitches.. make the appointment" Maddie said to the doctor
"Maddie what" Eddie said
"Eddie, we can't do anything else"
"What about your mom and dad?"
"Do you see them here? You can see what kind of parents they are. No one calls them. Understand me" she said as chimney wheeled her back into her room and a nurse followed them.
"I can't be here for this" Eddie said, "I just need to say bye to him"
Eddie walked into bucks room and sat in front of him, "buck it's Eddie. They're sending psych in here. I know you went through hell but you're alive, both of you. You are a firefighter and amazing at it. You're strong and you can't let this person do this to you. I'm going home because I can't watch this happen but you know I love you man"
Eddie stood up and buck grabbed Eddie's hand, "I'm always here for you" Eddie said as buck looked up at him.
Eddie left and went home and Bobby followed after him,
"Eddie, you're leaving?" Bobby said
"I'm not staying to watch him get admitted or whatever they'll do"
"He's been through hell"
"AND HE GOT OUT CAP"
"He's stopped talking, walking, eating. He hasn't got out. He's dealing with it"
"You call that dealing?"
"I call it grieving. After everything that's happened, part of him died."
"I need that part of him back. He's my best friend" Eddie's shoulders bounced up and down as he cried. Bobby wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. Eddie went home and decided to leave Chris at Carla's as it was late already.