Danger Zone (File One of The First Responders Files)

Chapter Three

Me: I want to keep this consistent, let's aim for about 4.5K words per chapter.

Also me: Decides to make the chapter 5.2K words long because god damnit why is Sylverasey so fluffy?

Buck has a question, TK gets interrogated, the boys get chaotic in the chat, and Squad 3 and Ambulance 61 come home.

Enjoy!

***

"Can I ask you a question that might sound a little . . . stupid?"

Maddie looked up from the piece of cake she was eating when she saw Buck walk over, looking at her intently. "Of course you can, Buck," she smiled at her younger brother. "You can ask me anything, and I'm sure it won't be stupid." She stepped away from the cake table to a quieter spot. "What is it?"

"So, at the train derailment the other night, I met a few new friends," he began.

"Great!" Maddie beamed.

"Well, it just made me realize there aren't that many firefighters I know as well as I know my shift at the 118," Buck said. "I really want to get to know these two first responders, but it just made me realize my circle of friends is . . . pretty much limited to the 118."

"Is that a bad thing?" Maddie tilted her head.

"No!" Buck quickly shook his head. "No, not at all. I love being at the 118, I love the crew . . . I just know that outside the 118, the only friend I have who isn't a first responder is Carla, and even then, I met her through Abby. Josh isn't a firefighter or a cop, but he's a dispatcher, which is arguably just as important. Everyone who is a friend or family I've met through the 118, and . . . " He huffed. "I don't know what I'm trying to ask."

Maddie smiled. "You're asking if it's normal for someone to be friends only with people in their occupational circle, or if they branched out to others."

Buck paused. "Kind of?"

Maddie grinned. "When I was a practicing nurse, most of my friends were at the hospital I worked at, yes. But there were several meetings or conferences or conventions I went to that put me in contact with nurses from all over, whether they were from hospitals in the same state or states over. Those contacts died out as I finished practicing, but they were people I enjoyed talking to. They were people I didn't share what seemed like every waking moment with."

Buck relaxed. "That helps a lot, Maddie. Thank you."

"Of course," she smiled brilliantly. "You said they're first responders?"

"Uh, yeah," Buck nodded.

"I like the sound of them already," Maddie grinned. "Where are they from?"

"TK was born and raised in New York, but he's in Austin now," Buck answered. "Sylvie's a paramedic based in Chicago."

Maddie blinked rapidly. "What were Austin and Chicago first responders doing in Los Angeles?"

"Santa Monica, actually," Buck shrugged. "They were there for the same conference, apparently. When the train derailment call came in, they were called to help. I met TK right after I climbed through the train, and he called Sylvie to check me over."

Maddie paused midchew, then narrowed her eyes. "Buck, I swear, if you've been hiding an injury . . . "

"I was cleared!" he held up both hands, eyes wide. "I was just fine! She was the top paramedic at her house!"