Doubling Down – Chapter Four – Emersli1

Reading Time:
10 Minutes

Buck, for his part, was no happier about it than Chris.

He would have liked nothing better than to stay right here in this warm little bungalow with his favorite people and see his son getting better and better.

But his flight left at 9:15 PM.

He’d get to tuck Chris in bed, but then he’d have to leave for the airport.

Dinner had been cleared away, and a command performance of The Jungle Book had been shown.  Teeth had been brushed (and that was now an adventure that required three people, two bowls, one toothbrush, and a washcloth to clean up the evidence).  Three chapters of Over Sea, Under Stone and Chris was out like a light.

As Buck moved back into the living room, his phone rang.  He answered it reluctantly.

“Hey Bobby, have you gotten my texts?”

“Hey Buck, yeah.  I’m glad it’s going well for Chris.  I hope Eddie’s captain is being good about all this.”  Bobby knew being a single parent was a tough road.  Hopefully Captain Martin was prepared to be understanding about Eddie’s need to be there for his kid.  “Uh, listen.  Have you had time to give any more thought to what I said about taking the paramedic track?  I can shuffle the roster a little until Hen gets some distance, if that’s what you guys need.”

Buck sighed.  “Bobby, right now I’ve got more than enough on my plate.  I’m flying out of here in two hours leaving behind a kid who can’t move without pain and a man who can honestly burn water.  I just don’t have the spoons to deal with anything else right now.”

“You’re leaving again?  With Chris … well, I know he’s not really your responsibility but he relies on you a lot.  And Eddie definitely needs your help.  Why are you leaving now?”  Bobby knew how much Buck loved Chris, and he had money on the whole BuckandEddie thing in Hen’s betting book.  He just couldn’t believe Buck would take off on another trip while Chris was recovering from major surgery.

“I don’t have a choice Bobby!  They need me back.  Chris and Eddie understand, and support me.  But it’s tearing me up inside to go.”  Buck took a deep breath.  “It would make me feel a lot better if I knew they had someone looking in on them from time to time who weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet with rocks in their pockets.”  Abuela might be fierce, but she was too small to lift Christopher in an emergency.  “And who could make sure they didn’t starve or die of food poisoning.”

That would almost certainly earn him the dreaded chancla, but Abuela didn’t need to be constantly over in their kitchen.  They’d had a scare last year with her heart, and Buck wanted it to keep beating for a good long while yet.  Not to mention the broken hip.

Bobby chuckled.  “Well, luckily for you I meet both those criteria.  And Athena might not meet your weight requirements, but she’s an excellent cook.  And has plenty of experience with boys his age.  I’ll drop in on them in a day or so to give Eddie a bit of a break and make sure they have food that won’t poison them.  You go do whatever it is you need to do, and we’ll talk when you get back.”

“Thanks Bobby.  I’ll rest a little easier knowing you’re looking in occasionally.  Thanks for calling.”  Buck hung up the phone and turned around to see his partner standing in the hallway giving him a Glare of Messy Death^tm.

“Look, I know … ok.  But … it’s just …”  Buck trailed off, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Eddie relented a little and uncrossed his arms.  “I get it.  I don’t have to like it, but I get it.  I haven’t cut my parents off either.  Because for all their faults … they love us.  And Bobby loves you.”

Buck shook his head quickly.  “Bobby doesn’t really know me.  Not the real me.  He knows the goofy kid who stole a firetruck, but he’s never really known all of me.  And part of that’s my fault, but part of it’s because he didn’t seem to WANT to know the rest of me.  But he can’t love me and think I’m such a glory hog or danger junkie that I’d put my team at risk coming back too early.”

Eddie walked over and drew Buck into a strong embrace.  “He doesn’t think that Evan.  He thinks he can’t send his child out to get hurt again.  I’m not excusing what he’s done, because deep down, he had no right to deny you your agency.  You’re a full-grown adult, and what he did was reprehensible.  But he doesn’t think so poorly of you as that.”

“And it doesn’t really matter, anyway.  Because YOU love HIM.  And that’s enough for me to make my peace with him.  Eventually.”  Eddie held Buck to him for a few more precious moments.  “Now, I expect you to keep your head on a swivel Evan Buckley.  I do not want to get a call from your boss telling me you’ve been shot.  You understand me?”

Evan had to laugh a little.  “Yes, sir.  Loud and clear.  I wish I could just stay, but …”

“I know.  You were absolutely right, though.  Chris and I do support you.  We always will.”  Lights pulled into the driveway.  “Now, Paco’s here to take you back to the airport.  Try to get some rest on the flight.  I know you haven’t had much the last few days.  And call us when you can.  Te amo mucho, querido.”

“I love you very much too.”  Buck grabbed his duffle and hurried out to the truck, climbing in and waving.  He’d be back in a couple of weeks, but for now he needed to refocus on the danger waiting for him in northern California.

It was nerve-wracking, handling a weapon again.

There was a big difference between the personal handguns and law enforcement credentials he now carried and the weapons he had  been trained on in the Navy.  But the presence of both indicated the same basic truth.

Someone was trying to kill him.

Oh, not him personally.  Not like Han in his delusion-influenced madness.  But generally.  He was once again in a position where random people might be seeking to do him harm.

And now, unlike during his Naval service, he actually had people who cared about him and would miss him if he were gone.

It was a lot of pressure.

Mateo had found an instructor and he and Jake were training hard, but it would be a while before they had the skill and control necessary to pass the range test for law enforcement credentials.  Mateo had decided to go to the source and had approached the deputy sheriff who was the range master for Siskiyou County for a recommendation.  When Deputy Collins saw how determined the man was, he took him on as a pupil himself, with Jake along for the ride.

Buck didn’t envy them.  Deputy Collins was an exacting taskmaster, but when he finished with them they would definitely know what they were doing.

There hadn’t been a deer shot since Bill Carver had been shot in the field, but everyone was staying vigilant.  No one wanted themselves, or worse their partners, to be the next ones hurt.

All these thoughts were running through Buck’s mind as he answered his work phone.  “Buckley.”

“Hey Evan, we’ve got a report of a dead deer.  I’ll send you the GPS coordinates.  Dr. Carter says to take the whole team.  There’s been a report of winds shifting unpredictably, and there’s wildfire to the north so get out there, assess, get your samples, and haul the carcass out if it’s CWD.  If it’s shot, leave immediately and call the Sheriff’s office.”

“Roger that.  Jake’s here with me.  We’ll pick up Marsh and Mateo as we head out.  I’ll keep you posted.”  Buck’s shoulders drooped a little.  He’d just gotten home from the lab and had been planning to get dinner quickly so he could FaceTime Chris.  He’d been talking to Eddie every day for updates, but that couldn’t replace getting eyes on his favorite kid.

Jake looked at him across the living room.  “Another dead deer?  I’ll run over and get the M&Ms.”  He headed out the front door, leaving Buck a moment.

He used the time to send a text to Eddie.

“Hey sweetheart.  Going out on a call.  Give my love to Superman.  And keep a little for yourself.”

Then he headed out the door.

Bobby had consulted with Athena and Harry both.

He wanted to make sure the things he cooked for Eddie and Chris were both kid and mom approved.  

Pulling up into Eddie’s driveway, he felt unaccountably nervous as he started unloading the bags full of containers.  Did Eddie even know Buck had asked him to stop by?

He rang the doorbell with his elbow as both his hands were full.

Eddie opened the door, looking strained and tired.  Bobby’s paternal instinct immediately went into hyperdrive.  “Hey Eddie, Buck had talked to me about stopping in once in a while to give you a bit of a break.  How can I help?”

Eddie sighed looking at the man standing at his front door, loaded down with food and concern.  Dammit.  In this case, Eddie really wanted to stay mad for a little bit longer.  But …

Taking a step back, he gestured Bobby into his house.  “Hi Bobby.  Yeah, Buck told me about that.  We’re trying not to lean too hard on Abuela, since she scared us so badly last year.”

Eddie led the way to his kitchen.  He had been considering dinner options, having just come off a twelve-hour shift and sent Carla on her way.  She’d offered to stay and cook, but she’d had a twelve-hour shift too and really needed a break.

Bobby looked at the tired father.  “Hey, why don’t you go take a nap while I’m here.  I’ll check in on Chris and get dinner started.  I brought the stuff to do butter chicken.  Most of this” he nodded to the containers on the counter. “Most of this is for the freezer.  I put instructions on everything.  You’ll just have to heat it up.”

Eddie was tempted.  It had been a long shift, and if he was home he was always on ‘Chris duty.’  He didn’t resent it at all, but … Chris was as stubborn about pain meds as Eddie himself was.  He was trying to get by on Extra-Strength Tylenol, which meant he wasn’t sleeping well.  Nightmares had become an almost nightly occurrence over the past four days.

God, Eddie was tired.  “Are you sure, Bobby?  I really appreciate all the food.  I hate to put you out any more.”

Bobby frowned at him a little.  “I told you that you and Chris were still part of the family.  It’s no trouble.  May and Harry are at Michael’s and Athena is working.  I’d just be rattling around the house by myself, cleaning things that don’t need cleaning.  I’m happy to help out here.”

“Oh, by the way … as soon as Chris feels up to it, Harry wants to come over to entertain him.  He also said to let Chris know he’s available most nights for game marathons on their Switches.”  Bobby looked at him earnestly.  “Now, go lay down for forty minutes.  It’ll do you good.”

Somewhat reluctantly Eddie followed instructions.  He really did need some rest.  And taking a nap would mean he didn’t have to make small talk with the man while he was still angry with him.  That was a plus.

Lying down on his bed his phone chirped at him.  Reading the text Buck had sent, he couldn’t help but worry.  Sending back a response of a blown kiss and a heart, Eddie tried to let his mind rest.

Unfortunately it kept circling around his family.  Chris laid up in the other bedroom, bravely trying to work through the pain of his surgery so he could get to what he termed “the really hard stuff.”  Physical therapy.

Eddie just knew he was gonna need an extra session with Dr. Yost to get through that without punching some poor physical therapist for doing their job.

And Buck, out there with some crazy person taking pot shots at field biologists.  Out there without him to watch his back. It’s not that he didn’t trust Marsh, Jake, and Mateo to watch out for Evan, it’s just …

That was supposed to be his job.  It was the promise they’d made to each other more than two years ago … back when they could barely stand each other.  Buck so afraid of being replaced and Eddie so determined to impress his new teammates.

Eddie hated not being able to keep that promise.