Chapter Text
When Buck woke, the vice grip around his neck stole whatever air he should have been getting.
He struggled to sit up in his bed, hands clenched around whatever was choking the life out of him, only for him to shift too far to one side and slide off the bed. The shock of hitting the unfamiliar floor shook him back into reality.
His hands fell to his sides to try to push him back up, only to encounter soft carpet as opposed to the laminate wood floors that should have been around his bed. And another thing, he was right against the wall, instead of having at least a foot of space. The comforter was light, a different material than what was on his bed, nor what he used while at the station.
Everything rushed back. The home invasion, him fighting off his attacker, sending the text message that saved his life, and him being brought to the Grant-Nash home to try to recover.
Buck curled himself into the small amount of space between the wall and the bed, straining to catch his breath and try to let go of the “fight or flight” feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins. The wall felt cool against his skin, grounding him.
As he came back to himself, a soft knock came from the door across the room. He croaked out a greeting, remembering belatedly that his doctor at the emergency room (and wasn’t it fitting that he basically had his own, he saw Dr. Rybin way too often) had ordered him to keep from speaking for the next several days, due to his swollen throat. Considering how much it hurt, Buck had a feeling he’d been ignoring the doctor’s advice while sleeping.
The door cracked open, and in came Bobby, looking rumpled in sleep clothes. It quickly dawned on him that it was early morning, going by what light was sneaking into the room on the edges of the black out curtains.
“Hey kid, you okay?” Bobby said softly before spotting Buck against the wall. He made his way around the bed and gave the younger man a quick glance over. “Need a hand?”
It took a second for him to react. Did he want to leave the safety of this small space, meaning that he’d have to go and talk to people about what happened? Or did he want to stay in this corner, meaning that people would have to come to him. He raised his arm up, accepting the help.
Bobby easily helped him off the floor and back onto the foot of the bed, before settling down beside him. Buck let his head fall against his Captain’s shoulder, silently demanding a hug.
“Eddie called. He went by to pick you up for work and saw the police cars. He’s on his way here, and no, I didn’t tell him anything.” Buck nodded, somewhat relieved. He needed to tell Eddie everything, including why he didn’t want to call him the night before, but he’d rather do it in person. “You and I are off today. I wanted to make sure you have someone in your corner when Detective Ransone comes by to get your statement.”
He paused, letting Buck take a moment. Then, “That nightmare… Was it because of last night? Or-”
“Both,” Buck croaked out. Bobby silently pulled out his phone and opened the Notes app for him, which earned him a soft Buckley smile. Buck took a moment to type out his answer.
“Started with the normal. The tsunami, the well, then right back in my room, that man leaning over me. Took me a second to realize I was still in the dream, and then I woke up. Sorry if I woke you.”
Bobby sighed, reading over the text. “I was already up. Hard to sleep knowing just how close we came to losing you.”
“I’ll be okay. Just want this over with.” Because, Buck thought, the faster this was over with, the faster he was home and everything would be normal again.
“You know that Eddie isn’t going to let you back in your loft for a while, right?” Bobby said, almost reading his thoughts.
Buck nodded. Oh he knew, and was trying not to think about it. Eddie was already not happy when he figured out how he featured in Buck’s nightmares, thanks to the one he’d had at work a few weeks prior. Now to tell him that the nightmares are just going to get worse? He probably wouldn’t be back in his loft except to pack up and move into the Diaz house forever at this rate.
… Not that that would be an issue. Being around his two favorite people? Sold.
Another knock came from the door, this one a little louder since Bobby had left it cracked when he came in. May peeked around the door, saw Buck, and beelined to his other side. Behind her, Athena leaned against the door jam with arms crossed, taking in the scene.
“You okay? I took the call last night,” she said. Buck noticed that she was still in her uniform from the call center. She probably came right over after her shift to check on him.
He nodded, trying to hide his misery.
“Oh, Buckaroo, why do you have the worst luck,” Athena muttered, crossing the room to plant a soft kiss on his crown on untamed curls. “Lou texted. He’s bringing breakfast with him. You have about ten minutes.”
Like a bobble-head, Buck nodded again. He held up Bobby’s phone with a question already typed across the screen.
“Did Maddie get into contact with any of you? I sent her one of those texts last night.” May read the text out loud, before looking at her mom and step-dad. Athena shook her head, but Bobby nodded.
“She checked in with me this morning,” the captain said. The knot in Buck’s stomach, ever present at this point, loosened a bit. “She asked me to keep her in the loop and to take care of you, but that she wouldn’t be able to answer for a while.”
A grin forced itself across Buck’s face. She was still in treatment, wherever she was, but she still cared. That’s what mattered on that front.
Everyone turned when the doorbell rang. “That’s Lou,” Athena said, turning to go answer the door.
Buck caught May’s eye and shook the phone one last time. She read off the text and barely held in her laugh.
“Ten bucks it’s Eddie.”
And of course, his voice came from down the hall. Buck breathed a sigh of relief. He was okay now. He had his backup.