training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xxxviii. only temporary

the next morning at station 118, the firehouse hummed with the usual bustle. chimney was going over some notes in the common area, his focus sharp until a deep yawn from across the room caught his attention. glancing up, he saw eddie rubbing his eyes and stretching in a futile attempt to shake off his fatigue. chimney quirked an eyebrow, a smirk already forming on his lips.

“hey, diaz,” chimney called out, waving a piece of paper in his hand. “is my crisis boring you, or are you just auditioning for a mattress commercial?”

eddie shook his head, chuckling weakly. “nah, man, i just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

chimney leaned back in his chair, eyeing eddie with a mix of concern and curiosity. “rough night with christopher?”

eddie’s face softened at the mention of his son, a tired smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “yeah. he’s been having nightmares ever since the tsunami… wakes up screaming and crying. i’m doing everything i can to help him through it, but he’s not opening up. won’t talk to me about what’s going on in his head.”

chimney’s expression shifted from playful to serious in an instant. “that’s rough. poor kid’s been through a lot. but give him time. he’ll come around.”

eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair. “i hope so. i hate seeing him like this, you know?”

before chimney could respond, the firehouse doors swung open, and buck strolled in, looking as sharp and confident as ever with a folder tucked under his arm. “morning, guys,” buck called out, making his way toward them.

chimney grinned, nodding toward buck. “what’s this? the almighty fire marshal has graced us with his presence?”

buck rolled his eyes, shaking the folder in his hand. “just dropping off the fire drill report. you’ll be happy to know you passed.” he paused, a mischievous grin forming on his face. “and since i don’t know math, that’ll be my excuse if i messed anything up.”

eddie smirked, but chimney leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “wait, wait… did anyone else get a call from that lawyer who was chasing the ambulance after the drill?”

buck groaned, tossing the folder onto the table. “yeah, apparently he wants to talk to me about some building violations. i don’t know what’s going on, but it sounds like someone might be suing the building. great, right?”

chimney chuckled. “you’ve always been a magnet for trouble, buck.”

as the guys exchanged banter, bobby approached from across the room, his expression warm but slightly reserved. “buck, i’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

buck raised an eyebrow. “yeah? What’s up?”

bobby gestured toward the back of the firehouse where the lockers were. “you’ve probably noticed we’ve had some temporary changes around here. lucy donato’s station was in the middle of the tsunami zone, so her crew got reassigned. she’s been filling in here for now.”

buck’s smile faded slightly as he caught bobby’s meaning. “you didn’t replace me, did you?”

bobby quickly shook his head. “no, not at all. your place here will be waiting for you when you’re ready. but...”

buck frowned as bobby nodded toward the lockers. walking over, buck saw it - the name “donato” taped over his locker, covering his own name.

bobby sighed. “it’s just temporary, buck. you know that. but her crew needed somewhere to go, and we needed the extra hands.”

buck stared at the tape for a moment before ripping it off with a swift motion, revealing “buckley” underneath. “i’m ready now, bobby. i want to be back.”