Switching the Deck – Chapter Eleven – emersli1

Reading Time:
8 Minutes

The otters were as captivating as could be, and Chris and Buck spent a wonderful time watching them chase one another down the rock slide into their pool.  A clutch of American alligator hatchlings was admired through the glass of their incubator, while a student explained to Chris all about how temperature could affect the gender of the babies for crocodilians and turtles.  Two bobcat kittens wrestled with each other in a small habitat, and a shy fox kit actually came over and curled up in Chris’s lap for a nap.  Based on the look on Chris’s face, Eddie was going to be fielding a request for a pet of some sort in the very near future.

Eventually they had to leave and get on with their business.  Buck headed them up to his advisor’s office and set Chris up with a puzzle in the corner while he went over the paperwork and schedule for his internship.  He had a week before he needed to report to the project lead in Siskiyou County.  So he’d need to leave in five days.

Buck’s heart gave a painful little ‘bump’ at the thought of leaving his family, but he resolutely reminded himself that FaceTime was a thing and Yreka was only a four-hour trip away from LA if he flew.  He could come back a couple of times a month anyway, which wouldn’t have been possible if he’d taken the New York City internship.

So Buck was going to savor these last four days.  Then a ten-hour drive to Yreka towing his things.  That would give him a day to sort himself out before he had to report for work.  Buck took a deep breath, and shook his advisor’s hand, leaving with his copy of the paperwork and collecting Chris on his way out.

He had a lot to do, but right now he just wanted to enjoy lunch with his favorite kid.

After a long and (maybe) nourishing lunch, Buck and Chris went to rent the trailer for the household furnishings and personal items Buck would tow to Yreka behind him.  Some things were being stored in Eddie’s garage, but most of his things would go with him.  He didn’t have much, having lived out of a duffel bag for years, so it was a fairly easy job to make arrangements for the trailer to be delivered to his apartment parking lot in three days time.  Buck had already arranged to get a few students from Moorpark to move his furniture and boxes into the trailer that day.

Buck and Chris went back to the loft to pack the kitchen things which were really all that was left since they’d taken care of his clothes the day before.  Most things were easy to pack, he and Chris had fun popping the bubbles in a stray sheet of bubble wrap that was left after the dishes were safely boxed.

The last things to be packed up were the drawings and papers proudly displayed on Buck’s fridge, along with the few treasured photos he had.  These things went into a special box that would ride in the seat next to Buck all the way to Yreka and would be the first things he unpacked in his temporary home.

After that, they were done.  Turning around to look at the place with its neat piles of boxes and bare walls, it didn’t look like the home Buck had tried to make for himself.  But that was ok, because thirty minutes away in a small bungalow was the real home he’d found.  That he’d created with a man he hadn’t been able to admit to wanting, until their amazing kid had threatened them with his great-grandmother’s slippers.

Buck had to laugh ruefully at the timing of it all… figuring themselves out just in time for Buck to have to leave.  But as they’d told Chris, it wasn’t forever.  And their family was.  Forever.

Eddie was having an even longer shift than he’d feared.  At this point, he was holding on to his temper by a thread…and he was afraid one more question from Bobby would snap that thread clean through.

It was obvious Bobby was afraid Buck had discussed his argument and what he’d found out with Eddie and that Eddie in turn would blow the whistle to the rest of the shift.  And maybe he would have, if he thought any of them would care.  

But here’s the thing…Eddie and Buck had effectively been living together for the past five days.  In that time Buck’s phone had rung exactly three times.  Once had been a telemarketer.  Once had been Abuela, making sure he would come for lunch with the family before he had to leave.  And once had been his advisor at Moorpark to give him the information about open internships.

Not one person from the 118 had tried to speak to Buck at all.  And Buck had told Eddie that until he’d been invited to supper at Bobby and Athena’s he hadn’t heard from anyone since he’d been hospitalized.  He’d talked to people when he’d been on his Fire Marshal gig, but that was it.  No one had called to see how he was doing or even just to chat.

There had been a couple of group texts from Hen about how she and Karen were doing with their IVF and Maddie had texted lists of instructions and recriminations intermittently since the party.  That had been it.  So no, Eddie wasn’t inclined to share any of their business with the 118.  

But Bobby was seriously getting on his last nerve.

Just when Eddie thought he was going to have to go hide under one of the trucks like an offended cat, his phone rang.  He indicated to Bosko that he was going to the roof, and trotted quickly up the stairs, answering his phone as he went.  

“Hello?”  He didn’t recognize the number so knew it wasn’t Buck.

“Hello Diaz, it’s Jeff Martin over at the 89.  I saw your transfer request in the system, and wanted to be sure I got in first.  I’ve got two openings over here for heavy rescue and if you wanted to go strictly paramedic I’ll have an opening in three months, which just gives you time to complete the coursework.”  Eddie had worked several overtime shifts at the 89 earlier this year when one of their guys broke his arm, and found he worked well and fit in with the crew, many of whom were veterans like himself.

“Thank you, sir.  I’d prefer one of the heavy rescue posts, if that’s possible.  Paramedic would be a last resort for me.  Still a little too close to the sandbox for me to be really comfortable with it, though it feels more possible than it did when we talked last year about it.  So I guess time does help.  But I’m not there yet.”  The 89 would work out perfectly for Eddie, being closer to home and to his abuela’s house.

“It’s yours.  I’ll put the paperwork in the system now and you can report in three days for your next shift.  I’ll see you then Diaz.”  And with that Captain Martin hung up, obviously eager to get the processing going on his end.

Eddie heaved a sigh of relief.  At least that was his transfer sorted.  He would’ve been prepared to up stakes for Yreka with Buck, but with Chris already in the planning stage for another surgery the timing just really didn’t work.  This transfer would allow him to keep everything the same…insurance, benefits, schedule… so the surgery could proceed.

This time next year, well, they’d see where they all were.

Eddie put his phone up and moved back toward the stairs.  All he had to do now was finish out this shift without punching his captain in the nose.  Surely he could do that.

Deep breaths.  Just keep breathing deep breaths, Diaz.  You can do it.

When Eddie dragged himself home the next morning Buck and Chris were already up.  The table was set for breakfast and all he had to do was put his duffel in the laundry room and wash his hands before he collapsed into his seat at the table to be served with his favorite butter pecan waffles.  He could have cried… or kissed the chef.

Then he realized that he actually could, so he got up and caught Buck as he was moving the platter of bacon to the table.  Pressing a brief, gentle kiss to his lips, Eddie wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and rested his head just briefly on Buck’s shoulder.

Buck leaned his head over to cuddle Eddie’s for just a moment before they moved back to the table together, to see Chris wrinkling his nose at them happily.  Buck blushed a little and smiled shyly at Eddie, which was so charming that Eddie felt his heart melt just a little.  He sighed as he put his napkin in his lap, ready to tuck in.

“So Eds … long shift?” Buck asked as he moved two pieces of bacon onto Chris’s plate before supervising the boy’s application of syrup.

“Too long.  Not enough calls, too much of Bobby chasing me around the firehouse.  It’s a good thing it was my last shift there.  Oh, I’ve got our stuff out in the truck.  Once we’re done with breakfast I’ll grab it and bring it in.”  Eddie moaned in pleasure as the first bite of waffle landed on his tongue.  Then it was his turn to blush as Buck cocked an amused eyebrow at him.

“So, last shift, huh?  I take it one of the captains you wanted called you back?”  Buck always felt happy to see the people he loved enjoying something he’d made, so Eddie’s happy noises were music to his ears.

Eddie took a moment to swallow and get a quick drink before he replied.  “Yeah, Captain Martin over at the 89 is taking me for one of his heavy rescue spots.  Couldn’t be better, really.  Closer to home and Abula’s.  I’ve worked with the crew before and we mesh well.  I’ll be in good hands.  So what did you find out about your internship?”

Buck happily began sharing the details of his new internship, interrupted occasionally by Chris telling his dad about all the animals he’d seen and the fox baby that curled up in his lap.  It was a cheerful, chaotic breakfast conversation in the Buckley-Diaz household.

And it was perfect.