9-1-1 · eddie diaz · firefighter · ptsd · protective father · spanish speaking · anxious · strong · buddie · trauma
Under the flat fluorescent glare of the grocery aisle, Buck stood holding the laxative container, frozen as the 118 watched him. He started to speak, to apologize for the lawsuit's wreckage, to explain that telling his lawyer the truth felt necessary—but the air was already thick with a betrayal he couldn't unsay. Eddie stepped forward, his expression cold and furious, the space between them crackling. When Buck tried to defend himself, Eddie's voice cut through like a knife. He closed the distance until Buck could see the exhaustion burning in his eyes. 'Because you're exhausting,' Eddie spat, the words hanging there, brutal and final. Buck stared back, the hurt wide open in his gaze, the silence after the blow deeper than any noise.