It was one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong before Eddie Diaz even had a chance to finish his morning coffee. He sat at the kitchen table in his small, cozy apartment, the sunlight filtering through the curtains, glaring down at his phone as the chaotic texts from Buck and Hen flooded in. Another shift at the firehouse was looming, and from the sound of it, it wasn't going to be a calm day.

Eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair as he scrolled through the messages.

Buck: Dude, are you ready for today? Because I'm not. Something's up, and it's gonna get weird. I can feel it.

Hen: Please tell me you're bringing snacks for the shift. Buck's energy is too much today, and I'm not ready to deal with him on an empty stomach.

Eddie chuckled despite himself. It was always like this—chaos before the real chaos even started. But there was something about today that felt off, like the universe had something twisted in store for them. And considering their job, that was saying a lot.

The lyrics to "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift echoed in Eddie's mind as he poured himself another cup of coffee: "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me…" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. If there was anyone who knew what it felt like to be his own worst enemy, it was Eddie. Between being a firefighter, a single dad to Christopher, and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy in his life, he often felt like he was juggling too many plates, and they were all on the verge of crashing down.

His phone buzzed again, this time with a call from Buck.

Eddie sighed and answered. "What now, Buck?"

Buck's voice was unusually frantic. "You gotta get here, man. It's… it's bad."

Eddie tensed, immediately imagining the worst. "What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everyone's fine, but… we have a new guy."

Eddie blinked, not expecting that. "Wait, a new guy? What do you mean?"

Buck groaned dramatically. "Just get here, and you'll see. I'm telling you, it's going to be a nightmare."


When Eddie arrived at the station, the first thing he noticed was the strange atmosphere. The usual banter and energy were still there, but there was something else—something that felt… tense. As soon as he walked in, Chimney greeted him with a weary look.

"Glad you made it," Chim said, handing Eddie a bottle of water. "You're going to need this."

Eddie raised an eyebrow, glancing around the firehouse. "What's going on? Did I miss something?"

Before Chim could answer, Buck appeared, dragging Eddie toward the main room where the rest of the team had gathered. "You need to meet the new guy," Buck said, his voice low and conspiratorial. "He's… let's just say, he's a lot."

Eddie's curiosity piqued. "A lot? Like, 'I'm going to end up in the hospital' a lot, or 'I have to babysit him' a lot?"

Buck gave him a serious look. "Both."

Eddie was about to respond when the door to the main room swung open, and in walked their new recruit: Chad, a guy who looked like he had just stepped off the set of a reality TV show. Muscles bulging under his uniform, hair gelled back to perfection, and an arrogant grin plastered across his face.

Chad strode into the room with all the confidence in the world. "What's up, guys? Ready to save some lives?"

Eddie blinked, taken aback by the over-the-top energy radiating off the new guy. He exchanged a glance with Buck, who simply shrugged in defeat.

"Oh no," Eddie muttered under his breath.

Hen, standing nearby, crossed her arms and shot Eddie a knowing look. "You're about to have the longest shift of your life."


The day went on, and it quickly became clear that Buck hadn't been exaggerating. Chad was, in fact, a lot. Whether he was flexing his muscles unnecessarily while handling routine tasks or giving unsolicited advice to the team, he somehow managed to make every situation more complicated than it needed to be.

By the time lunch rolled around, Eddie was exhausted—not from the work, but from Chad's endless stream of commentary.

As they all gathered around the table, Eddie leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Is it just me, or does he actually think he's on some kind of firefighter reality show?"

Hen snorted. "It's definitely not just you."

Chim leaned in, lowering his voice. "He tried to give me workout tips earlier. I mean, look at me. Do I look like I need workout tips?"

Buck, shaking his head, added, "He told me I was lifting the hose wrong. I've been doing this for years!"

Eddie sighed, staring at his plate. "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me…" The lyrics from "Anti-Hero" replayed in his head. Was it possible that this entire situation was somehow his fault? Maybe the universe had decided that today was the day to test his patience to its absolute limit.

Chad, meanwhile, sat at the head of the table, oblivious to the exhaustion he was causing. "You know, guys," he said between bites of his sandwich, "I think we should be hitting the gym harder. You never know when you'll need to carry someone twice your weight out of a burning building."

Eddie bit his tongue, resisting the urge to say something sarcastic. He was trying to keep the peace, but Chad wasn't making it easy.

Buck, unable to help himself, leaned over and whispered to Eddie, "This guy's like if a gym membership became a person."

Eddie chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, and a really annoying one at that."


The afternoon brought a sense of relief when the alarm blared, signaling a call. It was a minor fire at a local bakery—nothing too serious, but enough to get them out of the station and into action. As they arrived on the scene, Eddie immediately fell into his usual rhythm, issuing orders and coordinating the team.

Chad, however, had different plans.

"Guys, I got this!" Chad shouted, sprinting toward the bakery with the kind of enthusiasm that made Eddie cringe.

Eddie barely had time to react before Chad charged into the building, completely ignoring the protocol. "Chad, wait! You can't just—"

But it was too late. Chad disappeared into the smoke-filled building.

Eddie groaned, running a hand over his face. "Why does this always happen on my shift?"

Buck jogged up beside him, shaking his head. "Should we go in after him?"

Hen, standing nearby with her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow. "If we leave him in there, is that really such a bad thing?"

Chim laughed, but Eddie shot her a look. "Tempting, but no. We can't leave him."

The team suited up and followed protocol as they entered the building. It didn't take long to find Chad—who had managed to get himself trapped behind a display of pastries. He was frantically trying to lift a massive shelf that had collapsed in his haste, but the look of embarrassment on his face told Eddie everything he needed to know.

Eddie, Hen, and Buck approached, barely hiding their amusement.

"You need help?" Eddie asked, his tone dry.

Chad, red-faced and clearly flustered, nodded. "Yeah, uh… I might've underestimated the weight of this thing."

Buck snickered, and Eddie shot him a warning glance. "Alright, let's get him out of here."


By the time they returned to the station, the sun was setting, and the day had taken its toll on everyone. Chad, finally humbled after the bakery incident, was noticeably quieter, and Eddie couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and exhaustion.

As they all sat down in the lounge, Eddie leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He was used to chaos—after all, he was a firefighter, a single dad, and living in Los Angeles—but today had been something else entirely.

Hen sat beside him, nudging him with her elbow. "Rough day?"

Eddie laughed softly. "That's an understatement."

Buck plopped down across from them, grinning. "You know, it could've been worse."

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Buck thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Well… okay, maybe it couldn't have."

They all laughed, the tension from the day finally starting to melt away. Despite everything—despite Chad's antics, the fire, and the general chaos—there was something comforting about sitting with his team, knowing that they had each other's backs, no matter what.

As the night fell and the station grew quiet, Eddie couldn't help but think about the lyrics from "Anti-Hero" once again: "I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror…" He knew he wasn't perfect. He knew he had his flaws. But at the end of the day, he had his team, he had his son, and he had the strength to keep going.

And for now, that was enough.