after season seven

Chapter 7: Eddie

We're on our third call of the day and this one is much bigger than the previous two. A car accident occurred at an intersection a few miles away from the station.

As we pull up to the scene, I notice a Jeep that looks scarily similar to Buck's Jeep.

"Is that Buck?" Hen says nervously, almost like she doesn't want to breathe it into existence.

I jump out of the engine while it's still moving without thinking and sprint over to the Jeep as fast as possible. I hear Chimney, Hen, and Bobby yelling my name but I can't bring myself to care.

"BUCK!" I yell right as I round the back of the Jeep. The biggest relief falls over me as I look down and see a middle aged woman sitting in the driver's seat. "Oh thank god." I mutter as I check her pulse.

Hen rushes over to me as I'm trying to yank the car door open. I notice her sigh of relief as she sees it's not Buck in the car. "She has a very light pulse. We need to get her out of there."

Chimney and Cap attend to the person in the other car while we focus on getting her out of the car and safely into one of the ambulances that has arrived on scene.

10 minutes later, we find ourselves standing outside of the hospital while the victims are carted away on gurneys.

"Eddie, I need to talk with you." Cap announces.

"Yeah, Okay." We step off to the side while Chim and Hen make their way back to the engine.

"You should never, and I mean never, jump out of a moving vehicle. You could have been seriously hurt and then we would have been one man down, and have to help you as well."

"I know. I'm sorry, Cap. I just got caught up in the moment and I was so worried about Buck-"

"I know that, but we all were, Eddie. That doesn't make what you did okay. You know we can't let our personal lives get in the way of the job. Don't do it again." Bobby walks off before I get the chance to respond and I do the only thing there is to do. Follow him.

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We arrive back at the station after a very tense ride back and the smell of lasagna hits us as well get out of the engine.

"You guys are back!" Buck exclaims.

"Buck! You made it. Where were you earlier?" Bobby questions.

"It's a long story but I basically lost my phone and my car wouldn't start so I had to walk."

"You walked all the way to the station?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes. How else was I supposed to get here? Oh! I also made lasagna for you guys while I was waiting. It should be ready now!"

Buck jogs over to and up the stairs to go check on his lasagna. I wish he wasn't so casual about this whole ordeal. He really had me stressed out for a few hours there.

Bobby, Chimney, and Hen swiftly follow Buck up to the dining room and I follow as well after taking a few moments to settle my thoughts.

Buck sets down the platter of lasagna just as I make it up the stairs and everyone starts digging in.

"So... what do you guys think?" Buck asks after everyone has had a chance to try it.

"It's good but it was also good the last time you made it." Chim states. "Did you do anything different?"

"No, but I just wanted to make sure the last time wasn't a fluke or anything, you know?"

"Buck, you need to have more confidence in your cooking abilities. You've come a long way." Bobby compliments.

"Thanks, Cap." Buck replies, bashfully.

Just as I was about to get a word in to reassure Buck, the alarm blares again and we are off on yet another call.