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"My God, that's the biggest damn fire I've never seen" Chim said looking up at the building, Kat chuckled.
"Fire alarm was triggered at 12:20 call came in 30 seconds later. Boots down, hoses out, 12:43" Bobby told the 118.
"That's what?" Eddie asked.
"For minutes over our allotted response time"
"Ouch, that's gonna cost us some points" Hunter muttered.
"Someone's gonna have to explain that to the new fire marshal" Hen replied. The team looked over to Kat, she groaned.
"I hate you all"
...
"There was a stalled bus blocking both directions on Grand. Vehicles couldn't clear a path, which delayed our arrival" Kat said to Buck.
"And yet the 144 managed a response in under six minutes. That is a full 17 minutes before the 118" Buck replied.
"The 144 is five blocks away" She mumbled under her breath.
"What was that?"
"I said, the 144 is five blocks away so write that on your clipboard" Kat shot back.
"I hear you, Katniss, I do, and- and I wanna help. I gotta be impartial here, you know? Look, if I'm gonna do this kind of light duty, I gotta take it seriously, okay, be strictly by the book, just how Bobby would want me to be"
"You're enjoying this way too much" She replied and walked away.
...
Hunter was rambling on about something, as Kat was tying her shoes. Hunter glanced down at his younger sister but instead of listening she was yawning.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is my crisis boring you?" Hunter asked her.
"Sorry, uh, didn't get much sleep last night, Buck's driving me crazy" She replied.
"Careful, guys. Hall monitor's here" Hen said. The two walked out the locker room to see Buck walking over.
"You guys paint?" Buck asked. "Why does the place look smaller?"
"I think your head just got bigger" Kat said, Hen chuckled.
"So Fire Marshal Buck decided to drop off his report in person, is that a sign of maturity?" Bobby asked. "Or is it just revenge for all the times I've written you up?"
"Actually, uh, you passed. I bumped up the numbers got fancy with the math" Buck told him.
"You don't know math" Kat teased, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Which will be my excuse if anybody calls me out on it, uh, speaking of, did any of you get a call from that lawyer?"
"The ambulance chaser?" Hen questioned.
"Yeah, he wants to talk to me about the building violations. Think somebody might be suing them"
"Yeah, he was passing out cards like candy"
"Hey, Diaz!" Lena called. "I need a spot over here"
"Got you. Hey, good to see you man" Eddie said to Buck and walked away.
"Uh, who-who's that?" Buck asked, Kat, Hunter and Hen looked at each other then quickly walked away.
...
"So I told that lawyer off big-time. You know, I said, you're not gonna get me to sign any affidavit that blames the 118 for anything" Buck told Bobby, Athena and Kat while they sat at the dinner table.
"Appreciate that" Bobby replied.
"No, please, the nerve of that guy to think I would turn on my friends? Uh-uh. Whew, I missed your cooking, Cap" Buck told him.
"Well, I miss your eating, never had to worry about leftovers"
"Collard greens?" Athena asked Kat and Buck.
"Oh, no, not for me, Uh, i can't eat those, not while I'm on the blood thinners, too much vitamin K" Buck told her.
"Oh, it sounds like you're talking your very seriously"
"I figure the better I manage this, the sooner I can go back to work"
"That's very mature of you, Buck" Athena told him.
"Thank you. Hey, that-that lawyer, uh, he did get me thinking, there's strength in numbers, right? Maybe I could get everyone to sign a statement of support or something, show the higher-ups that- that you guys don't think I'm liability" Buck said, glancing between Bobby and Kat not noticing the worried look on Kat's face.
"Buck-" Bobby tried.
"They'd have to listen, right?"
"I want you to listen to me"
"If you told them that I was ready, I mean, these- these dumbasses, they would- they would have no right to keep me-"
"I'm the dumbass" Bobby interrupted, Buck went silence.
"...Uh, what?" He asked.
"You're not ready, that's what I told them when they asked"
"Would anybody like any cornbread?" Athena asked.
"Thank you" "Thanks"
"You're the reason they won't let me back?" Buck asked him.
"The medication is the reason" Buck didn't say anything.
"Bobby is just worried about you, Buck, that's all. We all are" Athena told him, Buck glanced to his side to look at Kat.
"Did you know?" Buck asked her, she didn't reply.
"Buck, we're just trying to make sure your at 100%" Bobby said to him.
"I am at 100%" Buck replied, slamming his hand on the table making Kat jump. "I- may-maybe even more, you know? I-I-I've never f-felt so good"
"Buck, I know that you went through a lot in that tsunami and maybe you feel like you can survive anything"
"Anything. Like a knife in my back" as he stood up. "Um, Athena, I just wanna say thank you for inviting me"
"Buck-"
"I'm sorry, I-I-I gotta go"
"You don't have to leave"
"Buck"
...
Kat woke up the next morning after the dinner disaster. She just went to sleep. Buck wasn't by her side that morning. She got out of bed and walked down stairs and saw a note and a envelope on the counter.
She looked at it confused and grabbed the note.
'I'm sorry, Kat. I'm going to a hotel. Well the lawsuit goes on, I just want my job back. Love you xx' she read the note over and over again.
"What lawsuit?" She asked herself and then quickly grabbed the envelope and opened it. "What the hell?"
