Work Text:
He's Going To Be Okay
Athena was directing people towards safety as the sun had set quite some time ago.
No doubt some of them were tired and cold from today's events. Some looked to have been in the water and barely drying still from the breeze.
"Everyone. Head this way. They've set up a field hospital and nearby is a reunion center if you were separated from family. Are there any children among you? Please direct them here." She shouted for the dozenth time as this new group passed.
A woman carrying a bundle in her arms stopped as Athena saw her look down at her child.
She couldn't help but feel something in that moment while watching her talk to her kid.
Athena was thankful Harry and now May too was with Micheal while she and Bobby worked.
It was going to be a rough night of tireless working but the people of their city needed them now.
"Can I help you ma'am?" She asked as she walked over.
It was then that she recognized the hair and gasped down at Christopher Diaz in her arms.
"Tú eres Athena?" She said, asked, looking hopeful.
"Sí, uh. Hold on. Simon, you speak Spanish right?" She called one of her colleagues over. Athena knew some and had picked up on more over the years but needed to be sure of what this woman said next.
Why weren't they telling people in other languages too. She'd get on that after this. Spread word.
"Yes ma'am. What can I do?" Officer Simon said, jogging over.
"Translate for us. I need to know how and where she found this boy and thank her too." Athena said, looking over and offering to take Christopher from her.
"De nada." She smiled back, knowing or understanding Athena loud and clear, just fine.
"Get me her name too. I know someone will want to thank her." Athena felt Christopher shiver as she held him and tried protecting him from the night breeze.
"Can you hear me? Are you hurt Christopher? I need to know."
Where was he? It wasn't a school day. Who was watching him today? All needed answers.
He shook his head barely. "I'm- tired. I got lost- I feel off the truck." He barely got out, as a frown darkened his face as tears past his eyes making it hard for him to talk past quiet sobs.
Where were his glasses? Probably with his crutches.
"She says she found him after the water receded. And couldn't leave him alone, but she can't find his dad? Guy named Buck."
And if that didn't throw her for a damn loop. Was Buck? He was watching him today? Earlier?
That would mean Eddie- he still had to be on duty. Did he know?
"Buck's not his dad. He's family though. I need to make a call. And the other thing I asked."
"Oh right. Señora-" Simon asked her for her name. "Gabriella De la Cruz, that's her name. Gracias." They nodded to her.
"Thank you Gabriella. Muchas gracias." Athena said to her.
She needed to get Christopher warmed up and looked at then she needed to get him to Eddie only then could she find Buck.
"Hang in there buckaroo." She said like a prayer on the wind.
--
Eddie was barely outside of the field hospital as his phone rang.
Bosko looked back at her warden looking like she could take this chance to escape.
Eddie looked down and saw that it was Athena. He'd have to call her back. Wasn't she working?
"You can answer it. I'm not dumb enough to leave when it took all this time to get here." She said.
"And risk you going off to find your captain. No chance. Let's get you looked at." Eddie nodded and sent an apology to Athena. He'd call back soon.
He got two texts. Nope. Now make those three text notifications. Was it Buck? Checking in on him.
He knew they were likely called in to work the affected area. Eddie looked down to see all three texts were from Athena.
Bosko took off running as he pocketed his phone and ran.
"Damn it Bosko. You're injured!"
Eddie slowed mid run to see a kid with obvious signs of discomfort. No. Medical distress.
He gave up on following Bosko to check on the young boy.
She was besides him after a minute as Eddie helped the kid.
--
Athena had a young preteen in her cruiser as she tried to contact his father.
Buck's phone was dead. Either waterlogged with his jeep or dropped and broke in their mad dash from the pier.
She couldn't ask Christopher anymore as Athena didn't want to traumatize him further.
What few details were plenty.
A firetruck was a sore thumb on any street. They'd get a group to start there once they had units.
Her duties were being delegated as her supervisors understood after her call where she had explained it to them. How was she supposed to leave a child that had just lost his mother not long ago and lived through this.
Christopher was regrettably not in a booster but the heat was on. Athena drove slow towards where Bobby had told her.
She fought with driving faster. It would be unsafe with Christopher and- if she was slow then she might see Buck maybe.
The boy was annoyingly cocky when she first met him but he'd saved her life not too long after and helped save a little girl.
She'd seen him grow as a person and heard about him through Bobby for what she couldn't see herself.
Whatever made him latch onto Bobby- she didn't want to know lest she give that boy's father or parents a piece of her mind.
A man as tall as Buck but with gray blue hair walked by getting Athena hopes up only to dash them out just as quickly.
"Am I gonna lose Buck too?" Christopher asked, drinking water and looking down.
"No. We'll find him. He's a firefighter. He knows what to do. Knowing him he's looking for you and probably helping people along the way as he's doing it."
She patted the little boy.
"I'll call your dad again in a second. But we might see him before he answers. Service could be down or he can't reach it since he's helping people."
They continued on. Towards Eddie and the field hospital. Looking out for a sign of Buck.
--
Eddie finally got a chance to check his phone again.
After saving the kid the fight left Bosko. She agreed to get looked at. The sooner she was clear the sooner she could leave and look.
It had to be important. He called Athena back.
"Athena. You called me. Sorry, I had to catch someone before they hurt themselves and treated a kid." Eddie told her.
"Eddie. I have Christopher. He's okay. Tired and a little bruised but alright. I'm gonna get him looked at where you are." She said, hoped he was okay.
"No." He breathed.
Eddie would have dropped his phone if it weren't for the death grip he had on it.
"Daddy?" Christopher could barely be heard as he heard Athena pass the phone to him.
His voice wasn't enough. He clutched his phone closer.
"Christopher. Yeah. It's dad. I'm gonna come meet you. Athena said you were coming here?"
Eddie focused on finding the nearest door to the entrance.
He wasn't gonna rest easy until he saw his son. Held him close.
They stayed on the phone as Christopher told him bits. He sounded tired. Like he did when he was fighting his sleep.
"Buck saved me- a lot o- people. We found a firetruck." His words began to stretch further out.
"I'm gonna give you the biggest hug kid." Eddie promised him.
"What about Buck?" Christopher added, asked his father.
"I'll give him one too" Eddie said.
"No. Are they gonna find him? Are you?" Christopher asked.
"I- I'm gonna make sure you're okay first. Alright. Buck would understand that. And then we're gonna search for him buddy. Ok?" Eddie asked as he saw them pull up in Athena's car.
He rushed over to the car. And thanked God for Christopher's safety. He hadn't lost him.
Eddie might not have known for longer. Until he went home or to Buck's and found it empty.
Eddie held his world in his arms.
Buck protected him when his felt his own world was crumbling.
They'd tried to help him and then all of this so soon after the truck and Buck's embolism too. Fuck.
Eddie looked up to Athena as she walked around to them.
"I already put out an A.P.B. for him. Nothing yet though."
She thought about how he'd gone damn near crazy when Maddie was kidnapped by Doug.
Athena could only imagine what he was going through right now looking for Christopher alone. She wasn't there to help and stop him from being reckless.
To tell him Christopher was okay.
"I'm gonna head out. An extra pair of eyes will help." She said.
"Thank you Athena." He finally said. Felt ashamed for ignoring her when she held Christopher.
"No need. But I've got two other people who you can thank." She knelt down and ruffled Christopher's hair before turning to Eddie and giving his arm a squeeze for comfort and left.
She'd tell him later. Needed to go. Every second counted.
Buck was still on blood thinners and there was plenty of debris.
Athena would call Bobby and tell him Christopher was with Eddie now and she was starting to assist in searching for Buck.
She pulled away from the two of them and started towards the reunion center.
Had her own pseudo-son to find. No, an adopted twenty eight year old. In need of help.
Those Buckley's are too good. They're something else really.
--
Bobby was finally back with Hen and Chimney. Their mass of patients were flooding the area.
The field hospital was going to have its hands full even more than it already was probably.
He, Hen and Chim were catching their breaths as they finished with a patient.
It was quite a day. Getting word of Buck had almost killed him.
But he needed to stay calm. Buck was resourceful. He could charge into things but had plenty of training to help him along.
"Any word from Athena?" Hen asked as she hung up on Karen.
She and Denny were fine.
"Maddie hasn't heard from him either." Chim cut in, felt horrible for breaking the news to her.
They looked to Bobby as he called Athena for an update.
"Athen- Buck?" Bobby said.
They looked at him as she must have been talking about Buck.
"She found him?" Chim asked, his voice hopeful for Buck.
"He's here." Bobby said, his eyes deadlocked behind them.
Over further out was Buck. Looking dead on his feet. Dirty and hurt and tired and bloody.
Shit.
They were running towards him.
Buck turned away from them as he heard a voice call his name.
They barely caught him before his head hit the gravelly ground.
Bobby not caring that phonecase was getting its money's worth or his knees would curse him later.
All that mattered was Buck now. They got him. They found him.
Or. No. He'd found them. Find his way back to their team. To his family. Eddie was nearby.
Bobby looked up to see Eddie standing still. Frozen. He saw as Christopher was being treated behind him. He couldn't leave him. Feared for his son just as much as he wanted to see Buck.
"Chim, Hen. Help me lift him." Bobby said. "Hen. Radio that we need blood sealers."
"Already on it." She replied as she helped Chim with his legs.
They moved a cot over towards Eddie and Christopher's direction as they got to work.
How long had he been bleeding. Walking or running around. On his own. With no rest or food.
"We've got you Buck. Hang on."
--
Buck woke in bits then at once.
He shot up and met arms holding him down. No.
"Let me go. I gotta find him. I lost Christopher. I can't let Eddie-"
"Buck!" Athena broke through his mental panic to reach him.
His eyes focused on the others.
Eddie was with them holding him down while trying not to hurt him.
They were silent as Buck saw the I.V. in his arm and then also the various bandages wrapped around his other arm and body.
"You're okay. You're both okay. Christopher is over there." Athena's said in a calming voice, made sure the others moved for him to be able to see Chris.
He was safe and sound. Asleep in a bed next to Buck's own.
Buck's eyes began to water as Bobby ran his hand over his hair.
"You're okay kid. You're okay Buck." He comforted him.
"Can I see him?" Buck begged. Looked to Eddie with tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" He shook his head, sobbed.
"You can see him. If you don't blame yourself for this." Eddie counted. It was a low blow.
"But I lost him. I- couldn't prot-"
"But did you do it on purpose though? Would you willingly have let that happen Buck? I know you wouldn't." He said.
The others were dead quiet. Their eyes bouncing between the three boys before them all.
"No." Buck closed his eyes.
He knew it to be true. He'd kept going. Searching. Didn't stop. Pushed past pain and blood and- kept on looking for Christopher. Needed to find him.
"Then you can see him. He wanted to see you. But we barely got you wrapped up before he was asleep himself." Eddie explained. His hand never leaving Buck's shoulder.
"Buck. Be honest. You were going to keep looking for him the same way you did for Maddie. Weren't you?" Athena asked.
He couldn't answer that. But they knew the answer to it though.
It was clear as day. Clean cut.
"Speaking of- she's on her way."
"Can I see him. Before I get an ear full?" Buck asked, defeated.
They let him get up and follow Eddie over to Christopher.
He hovered afraid to touch Chris like if he did he'd break a dream.
"That boy is gonna be the death of us." She told her husband.
"No. Don't think he'd allow it." Bobby smiled at them before turning to Athena.
"Shoot. You're right." She laughed. The first time all night. "He is a fighter." She nodded.
"Yeah. He's a firefighter. Through and through." Bobby agreed.
"No. Like her." Athen nodded towards Maddie coming over.
Chimney greeted her and led her over to Buck at Christopher bed.
Hen was making sure Buck's I.V. wasn't knocked over and wasn't hurting him while working.
Buck looked over at Maddie as she called his name then.
Christopher stirred at the name.
"Buck!" He shouted surprised, looking a little more rested and cleaner than he was before.
"Uh. Hey buddy. I- I was looking for you. I promise. But- looks like someone else found you." Buck told him, apologized to him.
"Yeah. I have to make three cards when I get home. One for you. One for Ms. Athena. And one for Ms. Gabriella. They found you. Like you were trying to find me, right?" He asked.
Buck didn't understand but waited to ask later. When they both were closer to 100% again.
"Uh. Yep. We- we got separated but- we're back together now." Buck nodded. Finally got a chance to hug Christopher.
Then Eddie came around Christopher's other side to hug them both and join in.
"I- almost lost you two." Eddie whispered. Only Buck heard.
"I'm sorry." Buck whined.
"You don't have to be." Eddie said back only to Buck's ears.
He could tell they were running in circles. It would take more to get through to him but Buck was going to be okay just like Chris.
"Buck."
They watched as Maddie resisted hugging him tightly due to his I.V. line being in.
The night's events were starting to take their toll.
"Alright everyone. I'm calling us in. We're off duty. Let's go back to the station and get home." Bobby announced to them.
Maddie and Chimney would stay with Buck to get further tests and another transfusion if needed.
Eddie, Hen, and Christopher would join them in the cruiser.
"Keep us updated Maddie, please." Athena asked her.
"I will. Thanks for finding him."
"We didn't. He found himself."
Eddie gave Buck a soft look that said that they weren't through talking about all of this over Christopher asleep in his arms.
Hen and Bobby said goodbye to Chim with similar requests of texts that Buck and them were fine later on.
They all parted ways into their respective groups.
Each with members looking at the other as one left the field hospital towards the station.
Athena looked in her mirrors and saw as Buck leaned his head on Maddie's and knew he'd be okay. They had him now. Buck wasn't alone.
Bobby was right.
He was going to be okay.
All of them were.