Full Summary:
Buck calls off the shift on the account that he's come down with the flu. Bobby understands and tells him to get some rest. Buck texts Maddie to tell her and she messages back that she'll be there after her shift. After a visit from Carla to make sure he's okay, Maddie shows up after her shift. What happens when Buck collapses as Maddie looks on? Will he be okay? And if it's not the flu, what is it?
The Flu That Turned Into Something More:
Buck woke feeling sick. Eddie was already at work and he wasn't supposed to be into work until later. He'd gotten a little more leeway because he had a doctor's appointment and he'd asked for the appointment to be before his scheduled workday. However, he didn't think that he would be able to even make it to his appointment without throwing up let alone work afterwards. He called his doctor and told him that he was canceling and that he had the flu. The doctor understood and they set up a time two weeks later for him to come in. He then called Bobby and told him that he wouldn't be making it in for his scheduled shift as he had the flu and that he'd already rescheduled the doctor's appointment. Bobby said it was fine and that he'd send Athena over to check on him since she had the day off anyways. Buck said he understood and that Carla was probably going to stop by as well since it was her day to have Christopher.
Speaking of Christopher, Buck asked Bobby to relay the information to Eddie and let him know what was going on. He didn't want Christopher coming home to see Buck getting sick and he didn't want the little boy around him when he was sick. Bobby said he would relay the information and that they would all see him when they could. Buck hung up the phone and then before calling Maddie and letting her know what was going on, headed straight for the bathroom. He didn't know if he'd even be able to call Maddie let alone pick up the phone if anyone called. He felt weak, as if his legs would collapse at any minute. When he left the bathroom, he headed for the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle to fill with cold ice water. Instead of going back to his and Eddie's room, he went into the guest bedroom. The bathroom was right across the hall and he didn't have to move much.
Buck hit the bed without getting up for a good hour before he remembered that he needed to call Maddie, or at least let her know what was going on. He was about to get up to get his phone when Carla knocked on the door and walked in with a smile. He smiled back at her but still made to get up off the bed. Carla stopped him, telling him that he needed to get some sleep and that she would be there when he needed her. He told her that he hadn't called Maddie and she said that she would take care of it for him. She said that Eddie had called her and let her know that Buck had come down with the flu and to keep Christopher away. She'd dropped Christopher off with Aunt Pepa. Buck just nodded and dug his head back into the pillow. Carla covered him with the comforter that he'd pushed off earlier while he had been sleeping. She left the room and called Maddie to let her know what was going on.
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Buck woke slowly. He knew that he at least had the flu, but he didn't understand why this time he was way more confused than he should be. He remembered Carla being around earlier but he also knew that she had to pick up Christopher. He only hoped that the young boy would understand that he wasn't leaving him, that he only wanted to keep him safe. He sat up slowly and got out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom and turned the faucet on. He didn't feel the need to get sick, but he did want something cold on his face. He grabbed a washcloth and put it in the sink to soak up the cold water. When the washcloth was thoroughly drenched in cold water, he wrung it out a little and then put it on the back of his neck, which hurt the worse.
Buck made his way out to the kitchen where he found a note from Carla that said she was picking up Christopher at school and then taking him to Abuela's. He turned his attention to the soup that was on the stove and just needed to be heated up. He turned the stove on and was in the process of finding a stir spoon when he heard the door open. He looked up from his task just in time to see Maddie come through the door with what looked like a bag filled to the top of food. She smiled at him and he half waved at her before turning back towards the stove. She put her purse on the table and then the groceries on the countertop before moving around her brother and turning the stove off. He looked at her dumbfounded.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I stopped by the firehouse on my way over and Bobby had soup and food ready for me to pick up and bring to you. I also got a call from Abuela. She is sending Carla back to the house with some of her homemade hot chocolate. No offense, but Mexican Hot Chocolate is the best. And Eddie said that since he's working a 24 shift, that he will see you in the morning when hopefully the flu has passed. Now, please go lie down in the bedroom and get some rest. I will bring the food in when I've got in heated up a little."
"Fine, but could you bring some cold water and maybe a couple ice packs? I'm gonna put them on my neck."
"Your neck is hurting you?"
"Yeah, woke up a couple minutes ago with it hurting. Put a wet washcloth on it to soothe it a little. But ice packs may be better."
"Alright, well, I will be in in a couple minutes. I want to check your temperature as well. No need to feel even worse for no reason."
"Alright, I'm gonna go back and lay down. Bring me some of Bobby's soup will ya?"
"No problem, Evan."
Evan looked at her sideways before making his way back into the guest bedroom. His head was pounding and his neck was killing him. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, he was asleep and he didn't even hear Maddie come through the door to check his temperature or put some ice packs under his neck.
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Buck woke slowly. He felt groggy, like he was pushing himself up through a thick layer of blankets that had been wrapped around his head. Every time he moved, pain coursed through his body. He tried to remember what had happened that might lead to him being in pain, but he couldn't think of anything. And then there was the incessant beeping next to him. It was as if the alarm wouldn't stop going off, no matter how many times he tried to hit the snooze button. That was another thing that he couldn't quite figure out. His arms weren't working like they should. They felt heavy and maybe even a little tied down. He searched his brain to figure out why his arms might have been tied down, but he couldn't come up with anything. He sunk back into a restless sleep.
When he woke again, he could tell that his body was trying to fight off a fever but he didn't seem to understand the seriousness of what was going on. He couldn't open his eyes, but he knew that he was somewhere safe. The incessant beeping was still next to him, but he couldn't put two and two together. Everything was still very hazy to him and he couldn't get his mind to focus on one thing or the other. He didn't even know that there were people in the room with him or that he had been rushed to the hospital nearly five days before. All he knew was the pain in his neck had gotten worse and the aches and pains in his body wouldn't go away. He slipped back into his restless sleep before long, not really having the energy to focus on what was going around him, let alone open his eyes.
When he woke the third time, he could hear people talking around him and the beeping next to him told him that he was in the hospital, but he still didn't understand why. He could feel the fever that was still working its way through his body, but he could tell that it wasn't as bad as before. He still couldn't open his eyes, but his mind told him that that was okay for the time being, that his body needed time to recuperate a little longer. He felt someone grab his hand and squeeze it but he didn't squeeze back. He was already starting to slip back into his blissful sleep. The hand didn't leave his and kept on holding on, grounding Buck to this plain of existence and not letting him move on, or so to say.
The fourth time Buck woke up, he could feel that his body was way cooler than it had been the previous times, but he still couldn't open his eyes. The beeping was still next to him, the hand was still holding his, but he couldn't open his eyes. There also seemed to be something down his throat preventing him from moving his head too much. There were people talking and he thought he heard medical jargon here and there but nothing he could keep his mind on for very long. He knew that the doctors must be talking to his family and he could hear Maddie's voice amongst those in the room, but he wanted to understand why he couldn't open his eyes or move his head. For the fourth time, he slipped back into a darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.
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A week later saw Buck fully awake, off the vent and looking at Maddie as she explained what had happened in the time from when he was last awake at the Diaz household to when he finally woke up for good in the hospital. He had tears in his eyes as she recounted how she'd taken his temperature while he was still asleep and then while she was in the kitchen putting the food away, he'd gotten up to use the bathroom. He'd managed to make it into the bathroom unassisted but Maddie had heard him stumbling and had come to help. She'd just opened the door when his shaky legs had given out under him and he'd fallen in front of her, hitting his head on the bathtub on the way down.
When she told him about her frantic call to Eddie about what had just happened, the tears that had been threatening to fall, fell. The 118 had raced to the Diaz household right as Carla had pulled back up to the house, minus Christopher because she'd taken him to his Abuela's so he wouldn't get sick. Eddie had been the first through the door and to where Maddie was sitting with a towel pressed to the back of Buck's head, soaked in his blood from where he'd hit it on the bathtub. He'd paled at seeing him and instinctually wanted to go to his boyfriend's side, but Bobby had held him back as Hen and Chimney pushed their way into the bathroom to help the youngest member of their fire family.
They'd managed to get him onto the backboard before Buck had started to seize. And then Maddie almost screamed as she watched her little brother convulse in front of her eyes. Chimney had helped her out of the bathroom and Athena had taken charge of both Eddie and Maddie with the help of Carla who'd walked in after the team. They'd been escorted into the living room where they stayed until the team was ready to move Buck to the ambulance. Of course, Eddie and Maddie rode with Chimney in the back of the ambulance to the hospital and then relayed what they knew to the medical team that met them at the ER. Carla had put a call into Abuela to let her know what was going on and said that she would keep the family up to date with what was going on.
Buck had been immediately rushed to surgery to deal with the head wound which turned into him needing brain surgery when the MRI revealed that his fall had caused his skull to fracture and the pressure needed to be released. Maddie had been able to be in the surgery with him as she was and always will be a nurse. He'd coded twice in the OR and she'd had to steel herself from making any noise that might get her thrown out. He'd made it through surgery only for the family to get a second blow when they were told that only one person could be in the room with him at all times, but they needed to be in full PPE because his blood tests had confirmed that he had bacterial meningitis.
The fever had coursed through his body for nearly ten days before his body started to fight back. He'd been placed in a medically induced coma for the first five days to make sure his body could heal from the neuro surgery that he'd had. After the five days were up, he was removed from his medical coma but kept in Intensive Care to make sure he continued to get better. His arms had been restrained on the sixth day because he kept trying to get out of bed. They believed that he had been hallucinating, but the doctors didn't know what was really going on in his head.
Maddie had been watching her brother as she spoke, telling him what had been going on and when she said that he had been restrained, he actually laughed a little.
"Why did that make you laugh, Evan?"
"I remember that day. I thought the heart monitor going off was my alarm and that I was late for work so I kept trying to turn it off. I didn't realize what it actually was."
"Well, yeah I guess that would be a little funny."
"Were you the one with me the whole time?"
"I was, until Chimney convinced me to get some sleep. The nurses let me sleep in one of their on-call rooms so that I didn't have to go all the way home. Chimney brought me some clothes from home along with some toiletries. When I was sleeping, Eddie was with you. He was scared he was going to lose you. We all were…but mostly him because he loves you very much."
"I…I love him too. I thought I felt his hand in mine, grounding me to this world."
"We almost lost you Evan. That last fight through the night, we were all moving in and out, giving you encouragement to come back to us. But Eddie, he almost lost it when you seized again. It was the fever for sure, but it's not something we ever want to see you through again, I can tell you that."
"I'm off work for a while I take it?"
"You have to be cleared to go back to work from a neurologist this time. I hate to say it, but I think we should just reserve you a room here from now on. You've been in the hospital way too much for any of our liking."
"Please do not reserve me a room. That'll just be too weird. So, when do I get out of here?"
"Not for another week. And even then, you won't be going home. You'll be going to Bobby and Athena's. May is in her new place and Harry is still living with Michael. You are still contagious, which is why Eddie and I talked to Bobby about you staying with him. Christopher is too young to catch bacterial meningitis."
"I get it. Just wish I could see him is all."
"Well, he's with Abuela right now. We can video-chat if you want to. I promised to call her after our little chat anyways. So, what do you say?"
"Yeah, that would be great. Is Eddie there too?"
"Eddie isn't there; he's on shift like everyone else is. We can video-chat with them after Abuela."
"Alright, go ahead and call."
And with that, Maddie pulled her phone out and put a call in to Abuela. When she picked up, she said that Chris was actually taking a nap but if they called back around 2pm, he'd be awake and ready to talk. Abuela did wish Buck a speedy recovery though and said that she would send some food over as soon as he was able to eat solid food without any complications. He smiled at that and said he couldn't wait. They hung up but before Maddie could call Eddie, a knock came at the door. She looked over and saw Chimney standing outside.
Maddie stood up and went to the door; she poked her head out and saw the whole team. They wanted an update. She smiled and said that she'd just been about to video-chat with Eddie. They said that they'd be in the waiting room waiting on the call. Going back to Buck, she pulled up Eddie's contact and called him up. When he picked up, he turned his phone sideways so that everyone could see Buck and they all wished him a speedy recovery. They spoke little because they could all tell that Buck was getting tired. After the talk he and Maddie had, it was no wonder that he was still awake. Before hanging up, Maddie asked Eddie if he could come into the room. The doctors were allowing two people in at a time now. Bobby nodded and said that he could have the rest of the day off if he wanted to stay. Eddie said he'd be down at the truck after a small visit. He didn't want to bring the disease home to Christopher so small visits would have to do for now. The team nodded as Eddie made his way to the room. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.
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Two weeks later saw Buck in Maddie's vehicle. Mrs. Lee had Jee-yun. They were driving to the Grant-Nash household so that Buck could be looked after and fully heal from his bout of Meningitis. Also, the neurologist still hadn't cleared him and there was a good chance that he could have more seizures even though the fever was gone. The doctors had told him that because he'd suffered a skull fracture when he fell and hit his head on the bathtub, he'd be prone to seizures for a while after leaving the hospital. They were letting him leave now because he wasn't sick anymore and Maddie had promised that he wouldn't be moving around as much if he was allowed to go to Bobby's, Athena would make sure of it.
Maddie looked over at Buck, who had his head leaning against the window. He seemed to be sleeping, but she knew her brother well enough to know that his eyes were just closed and that he wasn't actually sleeping, he just didn't want to talk on the way to the Grant-Nash household. There would be plenty of talking later. Maddie had the day off and would be spending it with her brother. As Maddie pulled into the driveway, she noticed Athena's patrol car sitting in the driveway. She parked her car next to the patrol car and got out, grabbing her purse along the way. She would get the bag that had been packed for her brother before she left for home for the night. Right now, she just wanted to get Buck into the house and into the guest room so that he could get some rest. Even an hour out of the hospital and he was already tired. He would be like this for a while until the doctor cleared him to go back to work.
As she walked around her car to the passenger side, Athena opened the house door and walked out. She was in uniform but had told her Captain about the day planned for the young firefighter. Her Captain had given her the time needed to get Buck settled into the house before she needed to get back to work. Athena walked up to the car as Maddie opened the door to help Buck into the house. Between the two of them, they were able to get Buck settled into the guest room and then set about getting his belongings put away. They talked softly so as not to disturb Buck's sleep. When they had put his stuff in the dresser and closet, they moved out of the room, leaving the door open a little bit just to make sure Buck didn't try and move around too much by himself. They moved into the kitchen and Athena handed Maddie a cup of coffee before she started talking.
"So, I know Mrs. Lee is watching Jee-yun so that you can be here for Buck, but with the medication he's on, he may be out for a while. Why don't you have Mrs. Lee come over and the two of you can bond a little bit more? I have to get back to work but you can have free range of the fridge and house. Just don't make it too messy. I know Bobby is working a 24, but Eddie is only working a 12. He may be over later when he gets off work."
"Thanks Athena. But I've already talked to Mrs. Lee. We both agreed that Jee-yun should stay away from her uncle just like Christopher is staying away. They are both too young to get the disease and I don't want Mrs. Lee taking any germs home to her husband."
"Alright, I just thought you might like some company now that I have to be going."
"Albert is on his way over. He says he needs the company and wanted to talk to me a little bit about something for Chimney. I think I'll be fine. I've brought some things to keep me entertained. And like you said, I've got free range of the kitchen. I'll probably make some food for myself and a little something for Evan."
"Alright, no pressure. But I should be going. Call if you need anything. I will be home sometime around 8pm. And then I can watch him from there. I don't work tomorrow so I planned a day in."
"Thank you guys so much for everything you are doing for him. I don't know where he would have gone had you guys said no to him staying here."
"It's fine…we see him as a surrogate son anyways. Anyways, I best be going. Like I said, call if you need anything."
"I will thank you."
And with that Athena got up, put her coffee mug in the sink and then left the house to get back to her job. She would definitely need to get off a little earlier than she was expected but her Captain was very understanding of the situation and that she needed a little bit of a different schedule for the foreseeable future, which she had actually been given. She hadn't talked to Bobby about it but she knew that he would understand. After she left, Maddie pulled out her tablet and played a couple games of scrabble before deciding to go into the kitchen to cook up some lunch for her and her brother.
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Two months later saw Buck back at the Diaz household and back with his boys. Carla had taken Christopher for the day as Eddie had gone to Buck's doctor's appointment with him. As much as he liked being with Athena & Bobby, sometimes he just wanted to be with his boys and nothing more. After two months at the Grant-Nash house, Buck was ready to get back to his own house. Maddie had to work that day, but Eddie had been able to get the day off. This was the appointment that would determine his fate as a firefighter. Buck was looking out the window, wondering what would happen if he couldn't be a firefighter anymore. He remembered the young woman he dated while they were working on the Oil Rig. He hoped that he could transfer into maybe being a lifeguard. They both did important work. Maybe she could get him a job and that way he would still be helping people and saving lives. Buck was just about to ask Eddie what he thought of the idea when they pulled into the hospital parking lot. That line of questioning would have to wait until after the appointment.
As he got out of the truck, Eddie looked over at Buck to see if he was doing okay. He knew Buck was having a hard time with the fact that he may not be able to be a firefighter again. While staying with Athena & Bobby, Buck had had three more seizures due to his head injury. Maddie had been called each time as she was the Nurse in the family. Though the seizures had last a couple minutes, by the time Maddie had gotten to the house each time, they had passed. Bobby had taken to recording them after the first time so that Maddie could see what was going on and they could discuss with his doctor what the best course of treatment would be. His doctor had just put him on some new anti-seizure medication to try and stop the seizures as best as possible.
This was the reason everyone was so on edge with this appointment. It'd been nearly three weeks since his last seizure and Buck was feeling apprehensive to say the least. Eddie moved around the truck and over to where Buck was leaning against the vehicle. Despite being on the mend, he still tired out very easily. Eddie went over to Buck and grabbed his hand and then the two headed into the hospital for the appointment, with Buck leaning every now and then onto Eddie for support. Every time they entered the hospital, Buck was given a wheel chair just to be on the safe side, so this time was no different. As soon as they were in the hospital, Eddie grabbed a wheel chair for Buck to sit in while they headed up to the neurology department where Dr. Andrews was waiting for them. They were a little late but Dr. Andrews understood the reason.
The nurse ushered them into the patient room and then started asking questions. Eddie had to fill in some holes that Buck knew nothing about during the times he was seizing. Bobby had sent him the videos of the times Buck had seized at the house and Eddie pulled his phone out and brought them up to show the doctor. There wasn't any sound, thankfully, so Buck couldn't hear it but the look on Dr. Andrews face said it all. Buck just hung his head and didn't even look at the doctor. Dr. Andrews nodded his head as he handed Eddie his phone back. When he looked at Buck, he could tell the young man had some deep thoughts going through his head.
"Alright, I think we should get a MRI to see what is going on in that head of yours. I want to know if the fracture is healed and how the treatment plan going forward will look like."
"Wasn't this appointment to see if I could get back to work?" Buck asked.
"We will know more once the MRI is done. I don't want to make any premature decisions before I need to and you should be okay with lying down for a couple hours. A light sedation to keep you relaxed shouldn't be a problem, but that just means you'll be a little loopy later on at home."
"That will be fine, doc. He's no longer at our Captain's home. He came home this morning. I can look after him. My son is spending the night with his friend so he will have my undivided attention." Eddie said.
"Good, there's no need to be alarmed. This is routine. I do this with all my patients once they've been released from hospital. If this one turns up normal, then every appointment we make after this one should as well."
"How many appointments are there going to be?" Buck asked.
"I typically like to keep an eye on my patients for a year after the initial injury that brought them in. But that doesn't mean that you can't work during the time. After the MRI, I should know more and how fast you can get back to work."
"Thank you for the information, doc. I'll make sure to relay it to the rest of the family."
"No problem, Mr. Diaz. You can accompany him to the MRI machine if you want, you just won't be able to go in. But when certain patients need reassurance from loved ones, I do allow them to sit in the booth with me."
"That would be much appreciated. And you can call me Eddie, everyone does."
"Good to know. Shall we get going?"
Eddie stood and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. He followed Dr. Andrews out of the room and to the MRI machine. When they got to the room, Eddie was led into the booth while Buck was rolled into the scan room. One the way to the MRI machine, Buck had removed all of the metal he may be wearing and Eddie had pocketed it. He also had his wallet and cell phone. Buck was situated within the machine and told not to move as they needed an accurate image to move forward with his treatment plan. Buck did as he was told and didn't move, he didn't need anyone getting mad at him for not listening.
Dr. Andrews walked into the MRI booth and sat down in the chair. Eddie had been given a chair to sit in and watch and jump in if necessary. He made sure the speaker was off as the machine was turned on by a nurse and Buck started moving into it. Dr. Andrews turned towards Eddie and started speaking.
"I meant to ask back in the exam room, but do you know when his last seizure actually was?"
"It was about three weeks ago. This is the first time he's been allowed to come home and we are headed there after this appointment. Will that hinder your diagnosis and his treatment?"
"Not at all. He should be able to go back to work as long as it's limited duty and he doesn't go out on calls. The two of you are in a relationship if I remember correctly. Do you have any medical training?"
"I was a medic in the Army and I have my paramedic certificates. And yes, we are in a relationship. I should have corrected myself earlier and I'll apologize to him for it. Christopher was my son, but he's our son now."
"I did see the look in his eye when you only called him your son. Like he deflated a little. The two must be very close."
"They survived the tsunami together. He's very protective of him."
"Well, at least I know that this isn't his first stint in the hospital."
"Oh no, he's been in and out for the last couple years. He tries to stay out, but the very first one we were all worried about was when he was kidnapped and buried alive. He was still on blood thinners and managed to get buried alive with another girl. They were buried inside of a rattle snake pit and the venom reacted badly with his blood thinner meds."
"Yes, I believe I heard his sister talking about it to one of the nurses early on in his recovery. Apparently the guy has yet to be caught yet."
"How do you mean?"
"Agent Jones has had multiple people in the VIP wing as of late to keep them safe after their ransom was paid and they were rescued. The FBI has pretty much rented the entire VIP wing out to keep the survivors safe while they recuperate."
"Well that's good to know. I'll keep a better eye on him and let the rest of the family know what I've just learned. Don't need him getting kidnapped and buried alive on us again."
"No, that would be unfortunate. Alright, let's see what we've got here."
Dr. Andrews quit speaking as he focused on the image being displayed on the computer monitor. It was as he suspected. Despite the fact that the fracture was healing properly, there was still some brain damage from the fracture and fever put together. Buck would be stuck with seizure from that point forward. Limited duty wouldn't be an option like he'd told Eddie. Buck was going to have to stop being a firefighter. Jobs as dangerous as being a firefighter could spell disaster if a seizure were to happen while out on a call. Eddie had watched the doctor watching the monitor and watched his face as it fell. He knew that it wasn't good news.
Once back in the exam room and his belongings back in his pockets, Buck listened to what the doctor had to say. He would never be able to be a firefighter ever again. Which also meant that he probably wouldn't be able to a lifeguard either, not with a seizure disorder. He hung his head. He didn't know what he was going to do now. But he did know that he loved Eddie and that the two would get through this together. And he still had his fire family, whether or not he was a firefighter. Eddie stood and shook the doctor's hand and they left the exam room. They stopped by the nurse's station and booked another appointment for next month. Dr. Andrews wanted to see Buck on a monthly basis. They left the hospital in silence. Once back at the truck and safely inside, after Eddie put the wheel chair back inside, Buck broke down crying. He loved being a firefighter and everyone knew it. Only time would tell if the doctor ever let him be one again.
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Eddie was on the phone with Maddie. It had been nearly two weeks since the doctor had told Buck that he may never be a firefighter again. Dena had been over multiple times in that span of time to try and get Buck to talk about what was going on in his head, but he wouldn't talk. Not even when Dena brought over her kids. He'd say hi and then go to the guest room and not speak to anyone. When people were over at the house, he'd go to the guest room so nobody would walk into his and Eddie's room unannounced or without warning. People generally walked into the guest room because they knew that it had become more than just a room to Buck; it had become his sanctuary. So, now Eddie was talking to Maddie about what to do because he was headed back to work in a couple days. He'd taken the two weeks off as a way to re-acclimate Buck back to being at the house, but he couldn't take any more time off.
Maddie said that she and Jee-yun would be over the day he had to go back to work. Though she was doing better mentally, Maddie hadn't gone back to the 911 center just yet. Sue told her to take all the time that she needed and now that Buck was depressed, she decided the two need some bonding. Chimney would come home from the firehouse and mention how much people missed seeing Buck around. And when Bobby had learned that Buck might never be able to be a firefighter ever again, it had crushed him. Buck was the son that Bobby had never had. Athena felt the same way about Buck, though she did have a son. It was different for Athena though. So Eddie mentioned to Maddie that it might do Buck good to get out of the house and that Dena would be coming over that day as well to get him up and about. He told Maddie that Dena had mentioned a simple hike, nothing too fancy and nothing that would cause undo strain on the fragile man sulking in the guest room.
They had removed the bed in the room and put in a hide-a-bed so that Buck and anyone that came over could use the room as a game room or library. Buck had kept most of his books in there even though he was primarily sleeping with Eddie. Maddie said she understood and would see if Athena & Hen could get the time off work to do like an intervention to get Buck out of his funk. Neither of them realized that he wasn't really depressed, but planning instead. He'd gotten ahold of Kristina and talked to her about his job and what was going on. Though they parted ways some time ago, they still kept in contact as friends and she'd even joked that if he got tired of being a firefighter that he should become a lifeguard because they always needed the help.
So when he'd called her, she was at first surprised until he told her why. They'd talked at length about everything and then while Eddie was at work one day she'd shown up to talk some more and bring him the information he'd asked about. She did indeed have a position open for him on the beach within the Headquarters, as that was the only thing he would be able to do until he was 100%. They would take into his job as a firefighter and move him to the same position that Kristina was; Lieutenant. He told her that he didn't mind office work and understood where her boss was coming from. They would share and office so that he wouldn't be alone. They had all the details worked out; they just needed to get the paperwork signed. He was set to go down to the beach Headquarters on Friday, after Christopher was at school and Eddie had left for work. He wasn't allowed to drive so she said that she would pick him up so that he wouldn't have to use the bus to get there as that could be expensive as well.
Two days later, after Eddie had left to take Christopher to school and head to work and before he could call Kristina and tell her that Eddie was gone, someone knocked on the door. He went and opened it, not expecting Kristina to be at the house so soon. When he saw Dena, Maddie, Athena and Hen standing at the door, he knew something was going on. He allowed them into the house but looked back out wondering if Kristina would realize that he had company over when she pulled up for the day. Even though Maddie had Jee-yun with her, she noticed the hesitation at the door and so she spoke up.
"Were you expecting someone else, Evan?" she asked as she put the baby carrier on the ground next to the coffee table and sat on the couch.
"Uh…kind of yes. What are you all doing here? Don't you two have work?" he asked, pointing the last question at Hen and Athena.
"We both have the day off. Eddie called Maddie a couple days ago and we all thought it might be a good idea to get you out of the house. Dena has planned a simple hike on a not-so-dangerous trail." Athena said.
"Who are you waiting on Buckaroo?" Hen asked.
"Kristina actually. I gave her a call about a week ago."
"The lifeguard you told me about?" Dena asked.
"Yeah…she got me a job at the Lifeguard Headquarters. Basically doing what she's doing and in the office, just till I'm my old self and the seizures aren't a big problem anymore."
"And you haven't told Eddie any of this why?" Maddie asked.
"I didn't want to tell him until I had the paperwork signed and in hand. That's why she was planning on picking me up today. Guess I better call and cancel."
"Oh, no, you are not doing that. She doesn't need to pick you up but we can all go with you to sign those papers. Eddie thought you were depressed and when you refused to talk to Dena about any of it, well Eddie called me and we planned this sort of intervention today. But seeing as you are not depressed, we can sure as well help you out with this lifeguard plan of yours." Maddie finished with a smile on her face.
"Leave it to Buck to come up with a plan that none of us saw coming. But maybe you might want to get your boo in on the plan, otherwise he's going to go nuts thinking your gonna hurt yourself when he's not around." Athena said.
"I was planning on telling him tonight after I got all the paperwork signed. Once that happens, I'm supposed to start in two weeks."
"She's giving you two weeks to get ready isn't she?" Dena asked.
"Yes, actually. She thinks I need time to acclimate to the new lifestyle. As I won't be on the beach, I won't be wearing just shorts. It also gives me time to get my uniform in order."
"Well, then why don't you call her and tell her you are on your way and you can ride with Jee-yun and I. Athena & Hen came together and Dena came by herself. We already have the necessary items for a hike so all you need to do is grab your hiking bag and when you are done signing your paperwork; we can all go for a hike and have a picnic."
"Sounds like a plan, Maddie."
"Is that shark still hanging around the beach?" Athena asked.
"As far as I know yes, but it stays at the coral reef more and more now. I think they figured out a way to feed him out there so that it opened up more beach area but I can't be sure. You can always ask her when we get there."
And with that, Buck went into the garage to get his hiking gear and call Kristina. She said that that was perfect as she hadn't been able to leave the office yet to come and get him and that she would see him when he reached the beach. Once back from the garage with his hiking bag, he headed back into his and Eddie's bedroom and got dressed and grabbed a good pair of walking shoes.
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Three months later saw Buck being able to drive again and he and Eddie left for work. Eddie headed for the firehouse while Buck headed for the Beach. Eddie had been a little apprehensive to say the least when he found out what Buck had been planning behind his back but he understood. Lifeguarding was a much safe profession than being a firefighter and it allowed Buck to still help people. He loved being a firefighter but he also like being a lifeguard. Kristina had been keeping a good eye on him and other than one seizure; he'd gotten along marvelously with the rest of his new co-workers. Dr. Andrews was okay with the new job but he still wasn't ruling out Buck not being a firefighter forever. He'd told the family that Buck could rejoin the LAFD at a later date, after his brain had more time to heal. And working in an office allowed his brain to do just that.
Before Buck got into his Jeep, Eddie gave him a kiss and told him to be careful. He did that now, now that they didn't work with each other. Carla had already come and gone with Christopher to take him to school. Eddie got into his truck and pulled out first as the Jeep was almost always parked in the garage now. It'd been broken into nearly a month ago. And then Buck pulled out, pressed the garage clicker and then headed for the beach. With the new schedules, though Eddie had to work 24hr shifts, Buck was home for dinner every night. Chris liked having him home, though he did miss the sleepovers at Abuela's; he liked being in his own bed every night and sleeping. He understood that the lifeguarding job was just temporary, until Buck was 100% healthy to go back to being a firefighter, which wasn't even off the table at all yet.
Life was good in the Diaz household. And life would continue to be good. Buck smiled to himself as he drove to the beach. He had a plan in mind and Kristina was helping him put it together. He just needed a little more time to get it done.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I know this took longer than anticipated, but I've been busy with my new job and was having difficulty writing this chapter. Next chapter has both Eddie & Buck in danger.