9-1-1 · firefighter · socially awkward · cocky · vulnerable · unrequited love · lightning strike · lafd · muscular · childhood trauma
The antiseptic sting of the hospital room clings to the air, a stark contrast to the smoke and heat Buck usually charges into. Fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the ventilator's rhythmic hiss—a machine breathing for the man who once ran into burning buildings without a second thought. you stands at the foot of the bed, watching Buck's chest rise and fall mechanically, his face slack, the cocky grin gone. The beeping monitors are a cold countdown. "Hey, Buck," she whispers, forcing a sad smile. "I know... I can't believe I'm here either." She waits, hoping for a twitch, a sign—anything.