Chapter Text
After a month off Evan Buckley starting back at the 118 he is still a man behind.
It is taking a toll on his mental health he wants to speak to Eddie but he is getting the cold shoulder so he gives up.
He also needs to speak to Bobby Nash but yet again he gets the cold shoulder again until he screams “ Captain Nash I need to speak to you!”
He doesn’t know he has screamed his name until a cold stern look came off of bobby’s face.
He thinks to himself he shouldn’t have said that but he couldn’t help himself as he has had enough of this treatment of his fellow colleagues especially Eddie and Bobby.
Bobby thinks to himself “what has happened” he thought to himself and he was now starting to worry suddenly because no one says his unless it’s urgent.
Buck was so worried he started to shake and Eddie just ignored him.
Buck started to retreat to the gym as it was lunch and he had never been invited to eat with his crew members since he was back working.
He took all his anger out in the gym.
Bobby was thinking to himself “if he should go and speak to him and ask is he was okay but he got scared because of what happened when he told Buck he was the one who stopped him from coming back to the 118”.
so he decided to carry on cooking but still made a plate up for him.
Suddenly, the alarm sounded and everyone jumped up running as if nothing happened.
Buck “knew he was gonna be left behind again” he thought to himself
Bobby said “buck you coming”. Buck couldn’t help but smile.
However, Eddie shot him a cold glare his smile suddenly faded.
He thought to himself he couldn’t let Bobby down again so he replied hesitantly “yes I am coming captain” he didn’t know whether saying Bobby or captain would be best.
He didn’t know it was breaking Bobby’s heart by saying captain but no one seemed to say anything.
They got into the truck and sped off no one spoke to Buck only when Bobby said there’s been an incident at the court house it’s where Jeffery Hudson court case was being held.
Buck was horrified when he found out because he knew what jeffery had done to Athena a year prior he was arrested.
He was so scared for her because he knew that she was going to stand up and testify against Jeffery and it really made Buck sad because she should never have been attacked.
Meanwhile, at the courthouse it was going as well as expected it to be while he was standing up and giving false statements to the jury and this is what made Athena furious because she still gets flashbacks off the incident.
However, she was looking forward to see buck, she was just pulling her phone out to message him.
However, all hell broke loose and the next thing she knows is that she is chasing Jeffery down the road then she’s flying thru the air hitting the pavement and everything went black.
Back at the 118 engine still speeding down the road with lights, lighting up the dimming sky although it was eerily quiet in the truck itself, no one spoke or made contact with buck.
He felt depressed and hopeless because no one will listen to his side because everyone is very angry at him.
They don’t even know that he is going to resign and become a police officer of course he talked to Athena about it she wasn’t happy about it but she understood she always understands him.
Hen and Chimney always gave him dirty looks and excluding him away from talking to them and spending time like they always used to do.
As they were arriving Buck was starting to worry more his leg was bouncing and shaking no one helped him like they usually do. He was thinking “what would happen if Athena was caught up and beaten up by jeffery again”.
Just as they were arriving on scene the ground started to shake and the 118’s engine veered off the road.
Bobby’s voice came through the intercom and said “everyone okay” Eddie replied with “I’m okay, chimney “I’m okay” and Hen said “I’m fine they said to Bobby”.
Apart from buck he wasn’t anywhere to be seen panic was running through Bobby’s head as buck was still on blood thinners.
“Firefighter Buckley, report,”
Bobby almost shouted
through his radio.
Eddie, Chimney, and Hen exchanged glances.
“He’s probably gone MIA because he couldn’t handle the pressure,” Eddie muttered.
“Or maybe he just wants attention,” Hen added.
“Pack it in. Now!”
Bobby barked. His voice cracked like thunder.
“You know absolutely nothing.”
The room fell silent.
He weaved through traffic, unaware that his name was echoing through the radio, demanding a status report.
He was so panicked he didn’t even notice that he was at the accident site in less than 5 minutes.
His tracks suddenly stopped all together when he saw a police Sargent lying down motionless on the ground face down.
He thinks to himself “ it can’t be Athena can it?”
He doesn’t care that he’s scraping himself down the path as another wave of earthquake tremors happen.
His knees are scrapping across the hard terrain but he doesn’t care at all he can think about is getting to this police Sergeant.
After what felt like an eternity Buck was faced with the realisation that it was Athena.
His heart sank and all his colour drained out of him like as if he had just come face-to-face with death itself.
Back at the 118 truck, Bobby, Eddie, Chimney, and Hen climbed out as if they had just seen a bomb explode.
Bobby was still waiting for Buck’s reply before reporting him missing in action.
Bobby suddenly had chills down his spine as if a ghost has walked past him.
However, before he could spiral the radio crackled and Bucks voice came through.
He sounded very anxious, scared and he stammered “f-firefighter B-Buckley r-porting.”
Bobby dramatically stood up as if a five-alarm fire broke out.
He said “Buck, is everything okay?” Bobby’s voice was full of worry and concern.
However,
he got no response
No reply,
he screamed “ Eddie, Hen and Chimney get up we’re going to find Buck!”
They groaned and dragged themselves to their feet like tired soldiers headed into battle.
Athena started to wake up groaning and spluttering she tried to sit up but got pushed back down.
She panicked and was going to get her gun out when someone stopped her.
It was a male voice soft as a sea shell whispering through the air.
She must have thought it was jeffery Hudson and started to panic more.
Her eyes were burly and couldn’t make out the figure.
Until she heard buck saying “your okay it’s me buck remember” relief flooded her and she fell back down.
“I need you to stay awake for me and talk to me.” Buck says.
Athena says “b-uck?”
His smile lightens up “hey there I’m here it’s me.”
“A-are you hurt?” Athena quietly says while her eyes are rolling to her back of her head.
“Don’t worry about me.” Buck says smiling.
“Hey!” He screams.
“stay with me, stay awake please I can’t loose you I’ve already lost the 118 I can’t loose you too.”
Tears brimming in his own eyes.
Bobby comes running around the corner eyes blown in bright panic.
He stops dead in his tracks and starts screaming.
By seeing buck crouched down beside a police officer figure looking quite like his wife unmoving.
“Buck!” He screams.
“Athena”! He screams again.
Athena’s eyes fluttered, blood running down her forehead. Buck was still crouched beside her, voice trembling.
“You’re okay… Athena, please—stay with me.”
Behind him, Bobby froze. The realization that the broken, unconscious officer was his wife hit like a freight train. He stumbled forward, falling to his knees beside Buck.
“Athena—no, no. Stay with us.”
Buck was trying to stay calm, but the sight of Bobby shaking, eyes full of tears, cracked something in him.
“I didn’t know if she was alive,” Buck whispered, voice hoarse. “She saved me. She’s the only one who still—”
Bobby placed a hand on his shoulder. No words. Just weight. Connection. Maybe forgiveness.
Sirens wailed in the distance. The rest of the 118 came around the corner, eyes wide. For the first time since Buck returned… no one looked away.
Hen stepped forward. “Buck… is she breathing?”
Buck nodded, barely. “But we need to move. Now.”
The team moved as one, instincts kicking in. And for the first time in weeks, Buck wasn’t alone.
As the ambulance doors closed behind Athena and Buck climbed in beside her, he looked back.
Bobby was watching. And this time, he wasn’t looking through him.
“You’re gonna be okay,” he whispered, over and over, even as blood trickled from a cut on his own head, his knuckles raw, legs scraped from the pavement.
Inside the ER, doctors and nurses swarmed Athena. Buck stayed back, swaying on his feet, the adrenaline wearing off fast. He was pale, shaking.
A nurse turned to him. “Sir, are you—”
But Buck didn’t hear her. His vision tunneled. The world tilted.
He stumbled backward, grabbing the wall, trying to focus. All he could think was:
“She’s alive. She’s alive. That’s all that matters.”
Then everything went black.
He collapsed, hard, onto the hospital floor.
A beeping monitor was the first sound he heard. Sterile light. IV in his arm. A deep ache in his body.
He blinked, groggy, confused.
Bobby was sitting beside him, arms crossed—but not in anger. His face was drawn with worry.
“You scared the hell out of us,” Bobby said softly. “You’ve been in here for two days.”
Buck tried to sit up but winced. “Athena…?”
“She’s okay. Stable. She’s been asking about you.”
Relief hit him like a wave. His chest loosened for the first time in what felt like forever.
“She was the only one who believed in me,” Buck said, voice cracking. “I couldn’t lose her too.”
Bobby’s jaw tightened. Then he leaned forward. “You should’ve said something, Buck. About what you were going through.”
Buck looked away. “Didn’t think anyone would listen.”
Bobby exhaled, his voice thick. “Well, I’m listening now.”
For a moment, the air between them was heavy. Then Bobby stood and said:
“You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
And for the first time since the lawsuit, Buck believed it might be true.
Buck asks about Eddie coming to Bobby.
His face fell, his eyes softened.
“I’m sorry” he says.
That’s enough to make buck cry.