Chapter Text
Getting out of his jeep, Buck took a deep breath in, looking eagerly towards the station. As the nerves bounced around his body, his eyes scanned over the trucks in the bay, shining like the beacons of hope they were. Today was his first day as a probationary fire fighter and he'd been assigned to the 118. After six months of hard work, pushing himself through the exhaustion, he'd finally made it and he was eagerly awaiting the chance to put his training to good use. Adjusting the strap of his duffel bag across his shoulder, he took a few seconds longer to steady his nerves before heading inside.
“Hi, can I help you?” Buck looked towards the sound of the voice, spotting a petite brunette woman walking towards him with a tentative smile on her face. Offering a huge grin, he subtly waved at the woman. “Hi. I’m Evan Buckley but everyone just calls me Buck. I’m the new recruit,”
Extending her hand, the woman's smile grew; Buck taking her hand giving a gentle shake, “Nice to meet you Buck, my name’s Dani. Dude, you’re like 3 hours early! None of your shift are even in yet.”
Buck chuckled nervously, glancing at the floor before looking back at Dani. “Yeah, I might have been a little excited about starting. Couldn’t sleep much last night so thought I might as well head in early.” Buck didn't tell her that he'd been awake for four hours before giving in to his eagerness and deciding to head to the station early; take the time to get familiar to the place.
Dani returned a laugh of her own, eyes crinkling, “Hey man, I get it. I remember my first day. I practically bounced into the place I was that excited. Well, welcome to the 118!” Dani waved her arms, gesturing around the station. Taking another moment to look around the place, Buck slowly turned on the spot trying to scan each and every nook of the place he hoped would become a new home. He was excited to finally get the chance to build a new life; he just hoped moving to LA was the best choice he could make. He knew no-one here, only moving from England about 9 months ago so, to say he was feeling nervous, would be an understatement. This was a chance to make something of his life; put his past behind him and move on whilst also getting the chance to make a difference in people's lives; helping people in their time of need.
“Why do the locker rooms have glass walls?” Don’t get him wrong, Buck wasn’t overly shy about his body, but it felt strange that a place designed to change clothes would have little to no privacy. Dani chuckled, waving his concerns away, “Don’t worry, you get used to it. And believe me, you’ll be getting to know a lot about your team so getting half naked in front of them will be the least of your concerns.” Buck turned back to Dani, the woman wearing a slightly teasing look on her face. He couldn't work out whether Dani's comment was meant to be reassuring or not but, before he could question it further, a new voice drew his attention.
“Who do we have here?” Buck turned towards the voice, watching as a kind-looking middle-aged man walked towards him. The man had a kind face but Buck could see a hidden fire behind his eyes as if he could easily switch into a more authoritative mode.
Dani smiled towards the man. “Cap, this is Evan Buckley. He’s the new A-shift probie. Buck, meet Captain Miller, the B-shift captain of the 118!”
Captain Miller extended his own hand which Buck quickly took, “Buckley! Wasn’t expecting you this early but welcome to the 118. I’ve heard some good things about you from Nash…. apparently breaking multiple records at the academy. Nash won’t be here for another couple of hours but I’m sure Dani can give you a tour of the station?”
"It's nice to meet you sir... and sorry for coming in so early. I err... I couldn't wait to get started..." Dani smirked at Buck as Captain Miller offered him a chuckle, “Come on Buck. Why don’t we start with the locker room so you can change and get your things stored away?”
Buck followed Dani into the locker room, quickly being shown his locker. Pulling his uniform out of his duffel, Dani stepped out to give him some privacy (well, as much privacy as glass walls could give). Stripping out of his civilian clothes, he neatly folded them away into his duffel bag before throwing his uniform on. The uniform fit snuggly round his body, not too tight that he couldn't move but tight enough that it showed off his body. What... he's here to help people but he wants to look good doing it! Once changed, he slipped his duffel into his locker before heading back out to find Dani.
“Buck! Come and meet some of the guys on B-shift. You might end up working with some of us if you take any overtime or swap any shifts.” He saw Dani standing in front of the ladder truck, talking to two males; both giving Buck a reassuring smile as he walked over. “Buck, this is Scott Jones and Miguel Rodriguez. Guys, this is Evan Buckley the new A-shift probie…. although he goes by Buck.”
The four of them quickly fell into an easy conversation, more of B-shift coming into the mix as they walked over to introduce themselves, everyone asking questions such as ‘When did he move to LA? Did he move just to become a firefighter? How did he break so many records at the Academy?’ Buck answered the questions as best he could without giving too much away; he didn’t feel like spilling all his secrets within an hour of arriving. If he started talking about his childhood, his fellow firefighters would either flee from him or look at him with pity, neither of which he wanted. Internally, he wondered whether his team were going to be just as inquisitive, wanting to know every detail about his life. How long could he keep the worst parts of his life secret before everyone found out? Deciding not to worry about it for now, he continued chatting with the ever-growing group of firefighters, laughing along when the conversation turned into the B-shift ribbing on each other. He could get used to this; the easy flowing conversations mixed in with moments of banter and teasing; working together to watch each other's backs but being comfortable enough to joke at each other's expense. Feeling the smile growing wider on his face, he listened as B-shift started telling Buck about some of their most memorable calls and Buck couldn't help the excitement bubbling under his skin knowing he was going to be in the middle of these calls soon enough. The chance to make a difference in someone’s life.
*
It was shortly before 8am when Robert Nash walked into the station. He always liked to arrive before anyone else on A-shift, believing it set a good example as a captain. Nerves bounced around his body at the day ahead, the first time in years that the A-shift were getting a recruit fresh from the Academy. After Captain Gerrard had been booted following numerous complaints, the A-shift had had a revolving door of captains with none lasting more than 6 months. That was until a year ago when Bobby took over as captain. It hadn't all been easy, adjusting to a new city and a new crew, none of whom knew about the dark skeletons in his closet but keeping a slight distance from the crew had helped him settle into this new chapter in his life. And sure, the station had undergone some personnel changes, both Deluca and Kinard transferring, unhappy with the more inclusive station Bobby was creating but, all things considered, the station was rebuilding as one of the best in LA. Due to the ever-changing captaincy though, the brass had been concerned that it wouldn’t be a good environment for recruits to learn and develop so the A-shift hadn’t had a recruit until today. Now that Bobby had been in the captain’s seat for a full year, showed no signs of leaving, and spaces being available with Deluca and Kinard leaving, the ‘ban’ on recruits had been lifted.
This was the first in a long time where Bobby would need to be mindful of a fresh-faced, wet behind the ears recruit, hence the nervousness. However, he felt good about his choice. He’d spent time at the Academy looking over the files for all the recruits and watching as they went through training. He’d been very impressed with one Evan Buckley who had flown through the Academy, breaking records and finishing top of his class. Bobby knew that he wanted Evan at the 118, so he’d been extremely happy when Evan accepted the invitation to join his station. The only concern he had was the type of firefighter he was going to be. Evan was still young at 25 so Bobby was concerned he may still be slightly immature. He also wondered if his age would make him feel indestructible thereby making him reckless and hotheaded. The last thing he wanted was a recruit who resulted in grey hair and a mountain of paperwork.
Bobby was brought out of his musings when Captain Miller wandered over to him. “Morning Bobby. You excited for today with your new probie starting?” Bobby smirked, nodding his head, “Yeah, it’s gonna be interesting seeing how long it takes Hen and Chim to start the interrogations. I’ll have to have a word with them before Evan gets here; try and rein them in a bit.”
Miller laughed, “Well, you’ll have a hard job speaking to them before the probie gets in…… he’s already here. Been here since about six so I’ve had Dani showing him around. Guy was super keen to get started so good luck with that!” Bobby groaned but he was unable to stop the smile creeping onto his face; on the one hand, if Evan was already showing signs of being over-eager, Bobby knew it would likely lead to recklessness. However, he could also appreciate the kid’s enthusiasm. “Thanks Jeff. I’m gonna get changed and then I’ll go and find him.” Stepping into his office, Bobby chuckled to himself... let the madness begin.
*
Currently watching Dani and Miguel battle it out on Mario Kart, Buck couldn’t help but laugh at the trash-talking which only seemed to intensify when Dani hit Miguel with a blue shell, causing him to fall off the track. However, he knew it was getting close to the time that A-shift would be arriving, so he was keeping a look-out for his captain; after all, he needed to make a good impression. The sound of a door closing drew his attention, looking over the railing to see Captain Nash coming out of his office and heading up the stairs. Buck had seen his captain at the academy a few times so immediately recognized him. Quickly rising to his feet, Buck stood to attention as his captain approached, “Probationary firefighter Evan Buckley reporting for duty Captain Nash.”
Shaking the offered hand of Captain Nash, Buck relaxed somewhat, seeing the smile on his captain's face, “Firefighter Buckley. Good to have you on board. Miller tells me you’ve been here since 6; take it you’re eager to get started?” Relaxing further, a faint blush crept across Buck's face, ducking his head slightly at Nash's knowing look, “Yes sir…… after the last 6 months at the Academy, I’m looking forward to actually getting out there and making a difference.”
“Please… none of the ‘Sir’ stuff. Feel free to call me Bobby or Cap. Well, the remaining A-shift will start arriving shortly. Why don’t we go to my office and make a start on some of the paperwork.”
Buck followed Bobby into his office, and soon, the two of them were swimming in paperwork. As they worked, Buck noticed Bobby wasn't overly chatty, opting to sit back and quietly watch Buck work, offering very little insight past what to expect on calls. He chalked that up to Bobby likely trying to work him out; see what kind of firefighter he was likely to be. Buck knew that his ADHD would make him overly energetic and could lead to his focus shifting on calls, so he was already making conscious efforts to rein himself in a bit.
As they finished the last of the paperwork, Bobby stood and motioned for Buck to follow him. Leaving the office, Buck saw the loft now teaming with fresh faces he hadn't met yet. Taking a breath in to steady his nerves, he followed Bobby up the stairs and across the loft, trying to keep his features relaxed and the nerves off his face. Walking closer, Buck felt dozens of sets of eyes on him, his new teammates getting a look at the newest member to join their ranks. He noticed the firefighters had differing looks on their faces; some giving him a soft smile whilst others looked at him more skeptically. He wasn't thinking too much on it though, understanding that some of the other's skepticism was a way to protect themselves. The crew knew nothing about him and, in a job where you have to have each other's backs, newcomers pose a shift in that level of trust, especially someone younger than them. Knowing he needed to build trust with the team, he kept the soft smile on his face as they finally reached the rest of the crew.
Bobby clapped his hands together, drawing the attention of the crew, “Everyone, listen up! I would like to introduce our newest probie. This is Evan Buckley, but he goes by Buck. He will be joining us on A-shift, so I want you all to make him feel welcome.” Offering a small wave with the soft smile remaining, the crew all but charged forward; Buck suddenly surrounded by firefighters introducing themselves and offering him words of encouragement. Eyes widening slightly, Buck realized there were so many names and faces he'd need to learn as well as the multitude of nicknames he'd need to pick up... it was all a bit overwhelming but he kept the smile on his face, answering the crew's questions as best he could without giving too much away. Being grilled about his life and his time at the academy, which Bobby couldn't help interjecting on, Buck couldn't help the blush forming on his face as Bobby told the crew about some of Buck's records, the blush deepening as the crew started marveling at his achievements.
As the initial chatter died down slightly, Bobby instructed the crew to get on with some of the chores; the crew giving Buck gentle pats on the shoulder as they walked past him. With almost all the firefighters dispersed, Buck is left standing with Bobby, Henrietta Wilson, a beautiful, kind-faced woman with a shaved head, a kind smile gracing her lips and Howard Han, a slightly older guy with a mischievous grin on his face, smacking his lips around the gum he was chewing. Insisting he called them Hen and Chimney, Buck couldn't help wondering where the origin of the name Chimney came from. There definitely had to be a story there!
“So Buck,” Hen started, still keeping the soft smile on her face but her eyes assessing him, “I couldn’t help but hear your accent…. definitely not LA based?”
Buck knew this would come up early; his London accent had been brought up a lot in the Academy. Smiling back at Hen and trying to keep his face relaxed, Buck shook his head, “Nah I lived in London until 9 months ago. So, you might have to bear with me if I slip into some British twang!”
“So, what made you move to LA?” Chimney questioned, popping the gum in his mouth as he looked at Buck questioningly.
“Well, I was born in LA but I've lived in London since I was a year old. When I turned 24, I decided I wanted to move back to LA and had already decided on becoming a firefighter so applied for the Academy as soon as I arrived. Luckily, my grandma left me an inheritance which I was able to access when I turned 24 so I was able to buy a house here and fund moving my things from England.” Trying to keep some of his past a secret for now, Buck decided it would be best to tell Hen and Chim about the inheritance he'd received; after all, LA was an expensive place to live, especially for someone single and relocating from a different country. No doubt his living arrangements would come up soon, so getting ahead of the questioning before it came up might help avoid some of the deeper questions he wasn't quite yet to answer.
“So, do you live alone, or do you have a special someone in your life?” Hen questioned, Buck sighing with a wistful look on his face. “Currently single so I live alone. However, I’m looking for a relationship if the right person came along. That’s why I bought a 3-bedroom house. I’m hoping it can become a family home. What about you guys? Are you all married, have any kids?”
Hen answered first, her eyes twinkling in the station lighting, “Well, me and my wife Karen have a six-year-old son called Denny. No plans for any other kids yet but you never know.” As Hen smiled, Chimney piped up next. “I’m with my girlfriend Tatiana. Been together 9 months; met on a dating app for first responders… Romancing the Uniform….” Chimney continued talking about Tatiana, but Buck noticed Bobby barely said a thing, opting to sit back and watch his crew interact. Spotting the sad look on his face, Buck noticed how the captain seemed to be lost in his thoughts, possibly the talk of family was a tough topic for him. Buck was about to change the subject when the alarms rang, a voice ringing through the station announcing a medical call in progress.
“Buckley, with me!” Bobby orders, running down the stairs towards the engine whilst Hen and Chimney dart into the ambulance. Buck quickly jumps into the back of the engine and places the headphones on his head as Bobby gives a run-down of the call. “Medical call; we have an unresponsive male who collapsed in his bedroom. Caller to 9-1-1 is stuck in the bedroom with him but, for some reason, can’t get to him to check how he’s doing. The front door to the apartment is also locked hence the reason we are joining. We’re going to need the battering ram. Buck, I need you to stand back and observe. Give Hen and Chim space to work. There’s not much for you to do on this call once we get in there, but I thought this would be a good experience getting to see a medical call. I understand you are looking to become dual certified so this will be good for you to watch.”
Buck offers a small smile before glancing out of the truck window, watching the world whizzing by. His leg was bouncing, caught in a battle between nerves and excitement. This was it... everything the past six months had been building towards; the chance to be the support people need when they're vulnerable and in need. He understands it's a huge responsibility, needing to make sure he's on his game every single second he's on a call but he's more than ready for the chance to prove himself; make the world a slightly better place by helping when they need it. As the rest of the journey continues in silence, Buck thinks back about how far he's come. All the shit he's been through only spurring him on to make something of his life... find his place in the world and hopefully find people he can call family. So lost in his thought's he nearly doesn't register the truck pulling to a stop outside of the apartment complex. Giving his head a slight shake, he hops out of the truck and follows Bobby, Hen and Chim up to the third floor, keeping a firm grip on the battering ram he'd grabbed from the truck. Reaching the correct apartment, Bobby instructs Buck to use the battering ram to get in; Buck wasting no time, swinging the battering ram towards the door, breaking it open in one clean movement. Standing back to allow Hen and Chim to get in, they hear a small cry for help coming behind the door at the end of the hallway. Rushing to the door, they find it unlocked, so quickly make their way in.
Once in the room, everyone’s eyes go wide at the sight in front of them. On the floor next to the bed is the unconscious, fully naked man. However, it's the state of the caller that's the cause of the surprise. Also fully naked and tied to the bedframe with rope, the caller seems agitated, eyes darting around the room and a visible tremble racking his body; the guy looks terrified. Buck can understand the terror though; your partner collapsing seemingly mid-sex and then a group of firefighters having to break into the apartment. However, the more Buck looks around the room, the more he realizes something else may be increasing the guy’s terror; the guy has wax all over his chest and there's also a bowl full of melting ice cubes on the bedside table. Next to the bowl are some energy bars and a bottle of juice. On the bed, Buck can see a black, metal ring which he presumes may bee a cock ring.
Chimney and Hen are the first to move out of their stupor; Chimney rushing over to the male on the floor whilst Hen runs to tend to the guy tied to the bed. Buck meanwhile does as instructed and observes... but this gives his mind time to race as he notices the panic in the restrained man's eyes. At first look, you'd assume he was having a panic attack but Buck can't shake the niggling feeling in his gut that something else is wrong. As Hen reaches towards the guy, the agitation on his face grows and his body twists as though he's trying to shy away from anyone touching him. Buck can see how the rope is digging into his wrists, becoming tighter the more the guy thrashes about; the guy's shaking intensifying. Realization dawns on Buck's face; eyes going wide as his mind races... imagining the way this call could devolve if Hen touches the guy...
“HEN…STOP!” Buck blurts out, surprising Bobby, Hen and Chim; all turning their heads towards him. Buck can see the multitude of faces staring back at him; the shocked expression on Chim's face, the slightly disappointing look mixed with confusion on Bobby's face, the slightly annoyed look on Hen's face as she glares at him, questioning why he stopped her. The face that draws his attention though is the one on the restrained guy's face; terror etched across his features whilst his misty eyes almost look pleading. Chimney soon draws his attention back to his patient, but Buck urges Bobby and Hen to come closer to him.
“Buckley… what the hell. I told you to observe! Why did you tell Hen to stop?” Bobby's disappointed look was now being washed over by a look of annoyance, still tinged with a slightly confused expression.
“I’m sorry Cap, I didn’t mean to shout but I think, if Hen had touched the guy, he could have lashed out and potentially hurt Hen or himself.”
Bobby frowns at Buck whilst Hen gives him a disbelieving look and a shake of her head, “What are you talking about Buckley? Why would me touching him cause him to lash out? The guys clearly having a panic attack which we need to help him through!”
“That’s the thing Hen, I don’t think it’s a panic attack. I think it’s something more than a panic attack. I think he’s suffering from a sub drop.” Bobby and Hen both look at him, Hen raising an eyebrow but her face has lost that annoyed expression. Bobby’s face still shows confusion but he seems to be looking towards Buck as if he's allowing him to explain his reasoning. “I think the two of them were engaging in BDSM. The wax on the guy’s chest and the melting ice cubes by the side of the bed look like they were experimenting with temperature play. The fact the guy is tied to the bed also hints at BDSM.”
“But why would that mean me touching him would cause him to lash out?” Hen queries although her voice no longer has that bite to it.
“Because it’s likely the guy tied to the bed is the sub in this scene. In some cases, particularly when the scene is quite intense, at the point of orgasm, the sub can go into what’s called sub space. It’s like a nirvana state; the sub will literally zone out. Whilst the sub is in sub space, the dom is meant to provide aftercare. What happens during aftercare can vary and usually the couple agree a list before the scene, but common forms of aftercare are giving the sub food and drink, hence the energy bars and juice on the table. Another form of aftercare may include the dom cuddling the sub or stroking them to keep them calm. If the dom doesn’t provide aftercare to the sub, the sub can suffer a sub drop. Basically, once all the endorphins leave the body and the sub ‘comes down’ from the high, they experience a variety of effects. For some, the pleasure they once felt can manifest into physical pain whilst others feel an immense guilt and shame at what happened. In most cases though, if the sub suffers a sub drop, anyone but their dom touching them can lead them to panic or lash out. In this case, it seems the dom collapsed before providing aftercare, so the sub is likely suffering a sub drop.”
“So how do we help him if we can’t touch him? We need to get him free from the restraints and check to see if he has any injuries.”
“Cap… I know you said you wanted me to observe but I think I can calm the guy down and help him out. It will be best if no-one else talks to him or approaches him though…”
Bobby surveys the scene before sighing and nodding his head, “Hen, help Chimney with the other male. Buck, see what you can do with the guy on the bed. If you need me for anything, tell me what you need me to do.” Bobby then steps back out of Buck’s way whilst Hen goes to help Chimney, the pair having a silent conversation with their eyes before focusing on the unconscious male. Buck slowly makes his way over to the opposite side of the bed, crouching down so he was more level with the sub.
In a soft voice, Buck addresses the sub. “Hey, my name is Buck and I’m with the LAFD. Can you tell me your name?” The sub looks at Buck with panic in his eyes, tears streaming down his face before stuttering out that his name was James. “That’s very good James thank you for telling me. Can you tell me what your feeling James?”
James, with a shaky breath mutters, “I... I'm scared... I don't want anyone to touch m-me... I-I just want Mike! A-anyone else would just try to h-hurt me because they see me as d-dirty and disgusting. I-I know what people will say... if they saw what we were d-doing…” a sob erupting from James, averting his eyes to look at the ceiling.
"James... can you look at me please?" As James looks back towards him, he puts on what he hopes is a reassuring smile, keeping it soft so to try and ease the tension, "James I'm not going to hurt you ok? I need you to believe that. And I don't see you as dirty or disgusting... I actually admire you a bit..." with James looking at him confused, Buck continues, "I admire the fact that you and Mike feel so comfortable and safe with each other that you can experiment a bit... you wouldn't be able to do that if you didn't trust each other. I think it's amazing that you two can express your love for each other and look out for each other. And so what if you like to try new things... as long as you enjoy it, screw what anyone else thinks." James had tears gathering in his eyes, but the comforting words seem to be having an affect as the shaking in his body dies down.
“James, my friends Hen and Chim over there are helping Mike but I know that he would want someone to look after you. I know you only want Mike to touch you but don't you think he would want you to be helped too?" Hearing another sob fall from James's lips, Buck maintains eye contact, needing James to trust him. "Mike would want me to help you but, to do that, I need to touch you... would that be ok James?" He sees James close his eyes, another tear falling down his cheek but the slight head nod he gives tells Buck he's feeling comfortable enough to allow Buck to help him. "Don’t worry James, I’m not going to do anything without telling you each step and asking for permission. When I ask you a question, I need you to verbally reply with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Do you understand James?” After receiving a yes, Buck continues. “Thank you, James. You’re doing really well.”
Buck talks James through everything he was doing; he covers him in a blanket to protect his modesty, he gets him free from the rope restraints, he sits him up and gives him the energy bars and juice, all the while reassuring him how good he is doing. Soon enough, Buck has managed to get James up, dressed and out to the ambulance where Hen and Chim are loading Mike. Buck helps James into the back of the ambulance but, as he turns to leave and make his way back to the truck, a hand grabs his wrist. Turning back, he's met with James's pleading eyes, begging him to ride with them to the hospital. Bobby agrees this will be fine, but tells Buck that he must listen to Hen and Chim until they get back to the station. Nodding his head, Buck jumps into the back of the ambulance, sitting next to James and allowing space for Hen to work on Mike.
Halfway to the hospital, Buck sees the shift in James's emotions; the shaking stopping completely and a sense of clarity shining through his eyes. "You ok James?"
"Y-yeah... I feel better now... not as panicked. T-thank you for helping me through that! It's the first time we've tried it and it all got a bit too much..."
Buck smiles, "I get it... must have been terrifying when Mike collapsed."
"It was... I was so scared but then, when I thought someone was going to touch me... I just wanted to run and hide... didn't even think about the restraints I had on... but you knew. Knew what was happening and all the right things to say... I-I can't thank you enough."
Buck offered another smile towards James, "It's what we're here for James."
Hen smiles at the pair before interjecting, "You know James... today is actually Buck's first day. In fact, this was his very first call as a firefighter!"
James's eyes go wide, looking back at Buck in disbelief, "No way?! Oh god... you're first call was BDSM related..."
As the three of them break out into laughter, the ambulance rolls to a stop, Chim instructing that they're here. Buck helps Hen get Mike unloaded and wheels him through the doors where a group of doctors take over. As he follows the doctors, James glances back at Buck, thanking him for today. With a small nod of his head, Buck turns and heads back to the ambulance.
They were halfway back to the station when the radio crackles to life announcing another medical call. Chim checks and sees that they are two blocks away so announces to dispatch that they would attend. As they pull up to the house, Buck helps Hen gather the supplies and follows them into the house, already agreeing that this time, he will purely stand back and observe and would make sure to stay out of their way.
Upon walking into the house, the trio find a young mother who has stopped breathing. Kneeling next to the woman is a teary-eyed boy who looks about 6 years old. Buck immediately goes over to the boy, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and pulling him slightly away from his mother whilst Hen and Chimney get to work.
Crouching down to put himself more on the boy's level, Buck gives him a small smile, “Hey buddy. My name is Buck and my friends, Hen and Chim are going to help your mom okay? Can you tell me your name little man?”
The boy looks at Buck, bottom lip wobbling as he speaks, “C…Cameron. My name is Cameron.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Cameron. So, whilst my friends help your mom, why don’t I keep you company.” Buck glances around the room and sees the dinosaur figurines. “Woah... I take it you like dinosaurs. Which is your favorite?”
Rubbing his eyes with his tiny fist, Cameron seems to perk up a bit at the chance to talk about dinosaurs. His voice remains quiet but Buck sees the sadness leaving his face slightly, “I like Velociraptors. They’re so cool!” Buck chuckles at that; he knew a few facts about velociraptors. “Did you know that scientists believe velociraptors actually had feathers instead of scaly skin. And that they believe velociraptors were roughly the size of big chickens?”
“No way! That’s so cool!” Cameron has a look of wonder on his face which Buck couldn’t help chuckling about.
Whilst Hen and Chim stabilize the mother, Buck keeps Cameron talking. He finds out that Cameron’s aunt is a nurse at Cedars and that his favorite ice cream flavor is cookie dough. As the two continue to talk, Buck notices that Cameron is cheering up by the second; giggling and arms flailing as he tells Buck about his plans for Halloween. Soon, Hen and Chim are ready to wheel the mother out and into the back of the ambulance so Buck offers his hand to Cameron who grips it eagerly, chattering away about his school friends as Buck leads him towards the ambulance. Helping Cameron up into the back of the ambulance, Buck sits down next to him and continues to keep Cameron talking, distracting him from the sight of Hen continuing to work on his mother. As they near the hospital, dispatch announce that they have managed to get hold of the boy's aunt who is waiting at Cedars so she could look after him. Hearing the news, the boy cheers before turning to Buck and asking if he thinks his aunt would get him ice cream. Laughing with Cameron, Buck proceeds to teach him the art of pulling off puppy dog eyes, saying it may convince his aunt to buy him as much cookie dough ice cream as he wants. Seeing Cameron kick his legs in glee, Buck can't help the wide grin on his face. As they were pull up to the hospital, Buck gets the back doors opened, being greeted by a nurse in scrubs who he assumes is Cameron's aunt. Helping Cameron out the back of the ambulance, Cameron practically dives into his aunt’s arms whilst his mother gets wheeled into the hospital by the doctors.
“Auntie Hannah, do you think I could get some cookie dough ice cream?” Cameron follows this up by pulling the biggest puppy dog eyes Buck has ever seen. He watches as Hannah considers it before the power of the puppy dog eyes becomes too much and she readily agrees. Cameron turns to Buck, face wide with excitement shouting, “Buck it worked! It worked!”
Buck leans slightly in, “Nicely done little man. Just remember, don’t use them too much otherwise they’ll lose their power.” Cameron nods along whilst Hannah has a confused look on her face. Hen turns to Hannah explaining the puppy dog eyes lesson which got Hannah laughing. With a promise to buy him plenty of ice cream, Hannah thanks the trio before heading to walk into the hospital. Just before they walk in, Cameron looks over his aunt's shoulder, bouncing as he gives the biggest wave. “Bye Buck!!”
Buck waves back before getting back into the ambulance with Hen. Thankfully they are able to make it back to the station without any further calls coming through so, after Chimney finishes backing the ambulance into the bay, Hen and Buck are free to jump out, being greeted by Bobby who had spotted the trio returning and came rushing over to see how the last call had gone.
“Call went well Cap,” Hen starts. “Managed to get the mother stable so the doctors are optimistic she’ll make a full recovery. Buck also made a new friend and potentially created a monster at the same time so….” Bobby didn’t know what to make of that, looking towards Buck with a confused look. Soon, Buck was telling him about Cameron which got everyone laughing again.
Bobby smiles. “Well, now that you’re back, I wanted to say well done for how you handled your first call. You stopped us potentially causing more harm.”
Chimney couldn’t help butting in at this point. “I’m interested to find out how you know so much about BDSM and sub drops. You got some kinky skeletons in your closet Buckley?”
“Nah! Definitely not for me. Back in England, I had a girlfriend that wanted to try it. I never like to go into something without knowing a bit about it, so I did some research on it. After reading it up, I decided it wasn’t something I wanted to try. Thankfully, my girlfriend was on the same page in the end. Let’s just say, some of the stories I read online were eye-opening…”
Hen cackles before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come on Buck. You can help me restock the ambo before we get another call come through.” With that, Buck follows Hen into the back of the ambo whilst Bobby and Chim head up into the loft.
As they work on restocking, the two fall into an easy conversation. Buck finds it easy talking to Hen; he likes her honesty and openness. She confesses that she was concerned when she saw him this morning, thinking he would be a macho, white guy like some of the firefighters that were here when she started. However, seeing him on the two calls they had been on, she realized she needed to get to know him first before judging him. Buck appreciated that and soon, the two were chatting about how they both found the academy, and what their hobbies and interests were. Hen opens up about her wife and son, telling Buck how her and Karen met and what Denny’s interest were.
With the ambo was restocked, Hen drags Buck up to the loft, stating it was approaching lunch time and promising him that he was in for a treat. Getting to the top of the stairs, Buck is hit with the most delicious smell. Looking towards the kitchen, he sees Bobby carrying a tray of Mac and Cheese to the table, which already held garlic bread and other sides. Buck's mouth was watering and he felt a grumble coming from his stomach so he quickly takes the seat next to Hen marveling at the delicious looking food in front of him. Serving himself a generous portion of mac and cheese, Buck's first bite is heavenly, his tastebuds tingling as he appreciates the flavors; a moan escaping his lips. “Wow that is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted. This is amazing… is it always like this?”
Hen smiles. “Always! At least while Bobby’s in the captain’s seat.”
Buck looks at Bobby before smiling. “Well, I think I might be in the right place.”