Lost and Found || Buddie

Chapter 6

The three had sat and cried together for nearly an hour before Maddie's phone started ringing. Sighing heavily she stood from where she was laying next to her brother. "It's mom and dad. I'll make up some bullshit excuse as to why I'm not there for dinner. I'll be back." She walks out of the door, closing it behind her, leaving Evan and Eddie alone.

"She missed you, you know?" Eddie speaks up. "She moved back to El Paso shortly after you went missing." He adds. The older man wasn't entirely sure what to say. He had so many questions for his best friend but he didn't ask.

"She did? I figured she was just there visiting or something." Evan shrugs and begins fiddling with the edge of the hospital blanket.

"Yeah, she moved back. Shannon and I have her over for dinner once a month when I'm home. It was nice to have her there." He ran a hand through his hair, he was exhausted.

Evan nodded. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her." He said softly and then went silent for a moment. "It was horrible." He started, tears filling his eyes once again. "I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again. Everything was just awful."

Eddie reaches over and grabs Evan's hand, giving it a squeeze. "We didn't think we'd see you again either Evan. But by some miracle you're alive and you're safe." He whispers.

"C-can you call me Buck? I don't like the name Evan anymore. It'll just constantly remind me of them." He spit the last word out bitterly and it made Eddie mad. It angered him that his best friend didn't like his name anymore all because of some monster.

"Of course Buck." He gives a small smile. "Just explain that to your sister when she comes back." He tells him.

"I will." Buck says and looks over at Eddie. "So you're a dad, right? Or did I make up that conversation? I made A lot of stuff up while I was gone."

Laughing, Eddie shook his head. "You didn't make it up. I very much am a dad. His name is Christopher and he just had his fourth birthday yesterday." He beams. He loved his son and talking about him made his heart happy. Reaching into his pocket, Eddie pulls his phone out and shows Buck a picture of Christopher.

"Cute kid." Buck comments with a smile. "I'm sure you're a great dad."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure and I don't think Shannon thinks that way either." He sighs. Talking to his best friend was easy, he missed it.

Furrowing his eyebrows Buck shifted in his hospital bed. "Why would you think that Eddie?"

"I don't know. Everyone tells me I'm just leaving him behind ever since I enlisted in the military." Eddie shrugs his shoulders, averting his gaze from Buck.

"You did what?" Buck asks incredulously. "For the record I'm not judging, thank you for your service, but that's the last thing I thought you'd say. But that doesn't make you a bad father."

"Tell that to my parents and wife." He says. Before Buck could question him about Shannon being his wife, Maddie walked back into the room, water and two coffees in her hands.

"The water is for you little brother." She spoke as she handed Buck his drink. "And here's your coffee Eddie, black, just the way you like it." She smiles and pulls up a chair next to Eddies.

"Thank you." Buck and Eddie say in unison.

"Um, do you think you can refrain from calling me Evan?" Buck asks nervously. "I'd like to be called Buck from now on."

Not even questioning it, Maddie nods her head. "Yeah of course little brother." She smiles.

The three of them talk mostly about Maddie's life and Christopher as Buck didn't really want to talk about what he went through for all those years. He wasn't ready to hash it out yet.