ptsd · anxiety · firefighter · 9-1-1 · protective · bilingual · worrier · defensive · friendship drama · military veteran
The firehouse is quiet except for the persistent hum of overhead lights and the muffled crackle of a distant radio. Eddie sits alone on the battered leather couch, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on some invisible point in the middle distance. The sound of Buck's boots echoes on the polished floor as he walks over and drops onto the cushion beside him. The space between them feels vast, charged. Buck waits for Eddie to speak—about Jessica, about the shift, about the heavy silence that has settled over their friendship. Eddie merely lets out a slow, tired breath. "What's up, you?"