Work Text:
“I'm Deputy Chief De Leon of the San Angelo Fire Department, acting incident commander.” Chief De Leon told them loudly as all the companies stood around him. “For those of you just joining the party, welcome.”
“Buck, I think one of guys over there is staring at you.” Hen whispered softly so only Buck and Eddie could hear her. “It’s quite creepy.”
“He probably just recognize me from insta or something.” Buck shrugged, not looking over as she was used to staring.
“I want to introduce my operations section chief, Captain Owen Strand out of Austin.” Chief De Leon continued, stepping aside to let another man take the lead.
“The thing we were praying wouldn’t happen has happened. The wind has shifted.” Captain Strand said gravely. “The fire’s now on a collision course with the city of San Angelo. There's a possibility of weather coming on, but we can't rely on it, and we won't.”
“I do not like his staring.” Eddie huffed, glaring at nothing.
“Calm down, mi querrero.” Buck smiled. “You are the only one I have eyes for.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Eddie muttered, his lips twitching in an aborted smile.
“We have one last shot to turn the tide. Here. On Copper Ridge.” Captain strand pointed at a map behind him. “We cut a containment line here, and we can stop this beast in its tracks.”
“He is a very good speaker.” Buck said as she listened to the captain speak. “Very motivational.”
“I know you're exhausted. A lot of you haven't had more than a couple of hour’s sleep in days.” Captain Strand sounded regretful. “But on behalf of the city of San Angelo and their 120,000 souls, we’re going to get you up on that fire line and you are going to cut like hell. Good Luck. Stay Safe.”
“Should we report him to HR?” Hen offered as she saw the guy still staring at Buck.
“No.” Buck denied at the same time as Eddie said, “Yes.”
“Hmm, I guess we’ll just keep our eyes open and see what happens.” Hen decided and they decided to split up, Hen walking over to the med tent while Buck and Eddie walked towards the coffee.
After getting their coffee they walked over to where they saw Captain Strand talking to some firefighters. They got close enough to hear the end of captain Strands orders. “Eight man team. Take a medic. You don’t know what you're going to fins up there.”
“I'm a medic and so’s Buck.” Eddie spoke up. “Eddie Diaz and Evangeline Buckley with the118, Los Angeles.”
“You both paramedics?” The woman asked.
“Firefighters.” Eddie said. “But I was a medic in the army, and on more than a few missions that looked like this.”
“And you?” Strand turned to Buck.
“Dual certified.” Buck smiled at him. “Plus former Navy SEAL.”
Eddie smiled proudly as the other firefighters stared at her with wide eyes. After years of people, Steve one of the louder ones, telling her that she was a Navy SEAL, she had finally accepted it. She had even gotten permission from the Navy brass to introduce herself as a Navy SEAL and Eddie was convinced that Steve had pulled a lot of strings for that one.
“What you waiting for, Hollywood? Barbie?” The tall, broad firefighter sent them a grin. “Get your bags and meet us down by the motor pool. We’ll roll out.”
“Copy that.” Eddie chuckled while Buck laughed.
Buck and Eddie quickly gathered their things and met the others by the motor pool. As they approached the three they had seen talking to Captain Strand were already there, talking too two younger men.
“Alright, Hollywood and Barbie has arrived.” The leader of the excursion smirked at them.
“I think it would be better to introduce ourselves before we go.” A handsome black man chuckled. “I'm Paul Strickland.”
“Judd Ryder.” The leader introduced.
“Harry Lawson.” A short, mousy looking man spoke up, “And this is my brother Brian.”
“Hi.” Brian was the opposite of Harry and was built like a bear, fur and all.
“I'm Cormac Brown.” An older man spoke before going back to checking the vehicles.
“Marjan Marwani.” Marjan smiled at them as she looked at Buck with recognition.
“Eddie Diaz.” Eddie repeated.
“Evangeline Buckley, but I prefer if you would all just call me Buck.” Buck shrugged a little.
“Or the Queen of Fire?” Marjan asked with a smirk.
“That works too, FireFox.” Buck laughed. “But it is a bit of a mouth full.”
“You okay to ride with me, your grace.” Marjan bowed dramatically towards one of the vehicles.
“I would be delighted.” Buck giggled and with her nose in the air she walked over to the ride.
In the end Eddie ended up with Judd, letting him drive as they talked. Not at all worried about Buck, nope, not at all… Okay, so maybe he was a teeny tiny bit worried but could you blame him? They were in the middle of a fucking wildfire!
“Got you some of them critters, Hollywood?” Judd asked as Eddie scratched at his neck. “Bet they don’t get that big in L.A.”
“Oh, well, we got plenty in El Paso.” Eddie shrugged.
“Oh, no way. You're from El Paso?” Judd sounded excited about it. “Where’d you go to high school?”
“La Salle.” Eddie smiled slightly.
“La Salle.” Judd hummed. “Whoa, we used to whoop your ass every year at State. I was Austin Heights.”
“You're a Bulldog?” Eddie turned to him.
“Roger.” Judd nodded.
“And I thought we were gonna be friends.” Eddie shook his head in mock disappointment.
“Whoo!” An ATV drove past them with Marjan and Buck laughing in the front seat.
“I have a feeling that we will regret letting them meet and become friends.” Eddie murmured. “Is she always like that?”
“Always.” Judd agreed.
“Yup, we’re gonna regret it.” Eddie sighed.
“What about Barbie, she always like that?” Judd wanted to know.
“Oh yeah, she is.” Eddie laughed. “She’s an adrenaline junky a lot of the time.”
“Known her long?” Judd asked with a smile.
“Feels like forever.” Eddie murmured with a small smile. “I met her on my first day at the 118 around three years ago and now we’re getting married on February 28th.”
“No shit.” Judd gaped at him before a smile broke out on his face. “Congratulations, man.”
“Thank you.” Eddie leaned back in the seat.
“Is that why you both offered to do all this overtime by coming to help out?” Judd wondered kindly. “To pay for the wedding.”
“Both yes and no.” Eddie shrugged. “We don’t really need it for the wedding but we’re trying to buy a bigger house and we have two kids.”
“How old are they?” Judd asked kindly.
“Christopher is nine and Penelope is four months.” Eddie smiled at the thought of his and Buck's kids.
“I don’t mean to be rude but…” Judd trailed off hesitantly.
“How can Christopher be Buck’s son if I've only known Buck for three years?” Eddie asked with a smile. “Christopher is mine from an earlier relationship but Buck adopted him over a years ago.”
Before anything more could be said they arrived at the campground and Eddie stood up to count the kids before Judd could even park.
“I only count seven kids.” Eddie called out. “IC said there was supposed to be eight.”
“Yep, and a counselor.” Judd jumped out of the ATV.
“They're missing!” One of the campers said as all the campers ran up to them.
“Hey! Back up. We’re here now.” Judd quickly took charge. “We’re gonna get you down the mountain, okay? Marjan, Eddie and Buck’s gonna check everybody out, make sure they're okay.”
Eddie, Buck and Marjan quickly got to work to check the kids out to make sure they weren’t injured or had really bad smoke inhalation.
“Hey, hey, hey, who’s missing?” Judd asked one of the campers.
“Mr. Gomez.” The kid said. “He left last night looking for JJ, and he never came back.”
“JJ run away?” Paul asked quickly.
“No, man.” The kid denied. “He was out doing his solo.”
“Solo?” Marjan and Buck asked at the same time.
“Yeah, it’s two nights mandatory alone in the woods.” Judd explained. “It builds character and self-respect, but it’s usually pretty well-monitored.”
“You know this how?” Paul looked at Judd with a raised eyebrow.
“Mr. Gomez have a cell phone?” Judd wanted to know, ignoring Paul’s question.
“He’s the only one that does.” The kid answered. “We’re not allowed.”
“No call in eight hours, it could just be bad reception.” Marjan pointed out but Eddie saw someone walking towards them.
“Or something else.” Eddie was up and running towards the person before he finished speaking.
The man wheezed and coughed as they approached. “Please help.”
“Oh.” Marjan said as Gomez collapsed.
“Where’s JJ?” Paul asked hurriedly.
“Couldn’t find him.” Gomez passed out after he managed to wheeze the words out.
Eddie leaned forward and with wide eyes he looked up at Judd. “He’s not breathing.”
They carried Gomez over to the table and placed him on his back. Everybody crowding around but Eddie ignored the kids as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the man.
“Marjan, grab the IV bag from the kit. I'm gonna run a line.” Eddie ordered. “Buck I want you prepped for stitching, cutting or placing pressure.”
“On it.” Buck nodded and quickly disinfected her hands and lower arms before she pulled on a pair of sterile gloves.
“Can you hold this?” Eddie held out the IV bag towards Paul who quickly grabbed it so Eddie could listen as Marjan pumped the bag to force air into Gomez’s lungs. “I'm not hearing any air escaping. Lungs are intact.”
“Then why isn’t his chest rising?” Marjan looked confused.
Eddie hurried to pull the blanket Gomez had wrapped around himself aside and cursed. “Ah, damn. We need to do an escharotomy.”
“What the hell’s that?” Marjan asked with wide eyes.
“That burn tissue? That’s called eschar.” Eddie explained as Buck started handing him the things he would need. “It’s constricting his chest like a rope and it’s preventing his lungs from expanding.”
“He can't draw a breath.” Buck took over the explanation as Eddie got ready to cut the eschar. “We need to cut it otherwise Mr. Gomez won't make it.”
“Now?” Marjan gasped.
“Now.” Eddie nodded and placed the scalpel against Gomez’s skin. “Hope you're not squeamish.”
As Eddie cut the eschar, Buck stood ready to place the sterile and protective film over the cuts when Eddie was done.
“Rescue breaths.” Eddie ordered Marjan who did as he said.
Suddenly Gomez gasped and tried to sit up and the first thing he said was “JJ.”
“Easy, buddy, easy.” Marjan tried to calm him down.
“Sir, we’re aware of the missing kid, all right?” Eddie forced him back down so that Buck could patch his chest up a little. “I need you to take nice and steady breaths.”
***
“This is Great Oaks strike team.” Eddie said into the radio as Marjan stood beside him. “Do you copy.”
“This is base med unit. Go ahead.”
“Sending seven minor your way. Mild dehydration, smoke inhalation, few lacerations, but they're fine.” Eddie told the man on the other side quickly. “One adult male, critical. Gave him 11 milligrams of morphine. He will need a life flight.”
“Hey, Eddie, it’s Hen.” Hen’s voice came over the radio. “You're sending out seven minors? I thought you went up there for eight.”
“One kid’s still missing.” Eddie reported sadly. “Buck and Judd from the 126 are out searching for him now.”
“Alright, you got about two hours of daylight left, and the wind reports are not good.” Hen informed him.
“Yeah, it’s getting a little toasty out here.” Eddie admitted.
“Alright, Eddie, you need to put a clock on this.” Hen ordered strongly.
“I don’t think any of these folks are leaving without this boy, clock or no clock.” Eddie huffed in amusement. “And Buck is here to, so…”
Around half an hour later Marjan was pacing and looking like a caged animal. “Maybe we should go out and help them search.”
“Judd told us to stay here.” Eddie pointed out calmly. “That’s what we should do.”
“How can you be so calm under literal fire?” Marjan looked at him.
“Well, at least no one’s shooting at us.” Eddie smiled slightly as he pulled out his phone and followed FireFox on Instagram.
“Seriously?” Marjan laughed. “You wanna follow me on Insta?”
“Well, you and Buck are already friends there so I thought I’d show my support.” Eddie chuckled. “She says you're pretty badass.”
“She's one to talk.” Marjan smiled brightly. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“I should warn you that my social media is pretty boring.” Eddie hoped the sweat, heat and dirt hid his blush. “I only post pictures of my son, my daughter or Buck.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Marjan smirked.
“Fine. Deal.” Eddie started looking though her Insta as she followed him back. “Is that a Prius in the air?”
“Tornado dropped it between two buildings.” Marjan answered nonchalantly. “Is these your kids?”
Eddie looked up as Marjan held up her phone. “Yeah, that’s Christopher and Penelope. They’re my world. Them and Evie.”
“Evie?” Marjan looked confused.
“Buck.” Eddie laughed. “Her full name is Evangeline but she prefers to be called Buck. Only a few people get to call her Evie.”
“You did not build him a skateboard!” Marjan exclaimed a few moments later.
“It was mostly Buck.” Eddie smiled softly. “After his teacher had made some very ableist comments about Chris not being able to skateboard and knowing his limitations.”
“Well fuck that person and good on you and Buck to prove them wrong.” Marjan sneered at the thought of a teacher acting like that.
“Is this the guy that kept on staring creepily at Buck earlier?” Eddie held up his phone to show Marjan.
“Oh, that’s Mateo.” Marjan smiled slightly. “He wasn’t trying to be creepy, he was just fanboying over seeing the Queen of Fire in real life.”
“Great Oaks search team, give us your current location. We’re sending air support.” The radio crackled to life.
“Air support?” Eddie asked with a frown. “Who's crazy enough to go up in something like this? I mean, if I didn’t know Buck was with Judd I would say her, but now?”
“Would she really?” Marjan raised an eyebrow.
“She would.” Eddie nodded. “She has already convinced her older brother to teach her how to fly a helicopter so…”
“If I wasn’t already in love with Paul, and didn’t respect you and Buck so much, I would so totally try and steal her form you.” Marjan chuckled.
***
“Cap, we got him.” Judd said into the radio as Buck fell to her knees beside JJ.
“How’s he look?” Captain Strand asked over the radio.
“Not good.” Judd admitted. “His ankles caught in a bear trap.”
“Think you can get him out?” Captain Strand wanted to know.
“I don’t know. It’s got him pretty good.” Judd said slowly. “Alright, we’re hooking him up to the LIFEPAK right now, but it looks like he’s lost a lot of blood.”
“What kind of loser gets caught in a bear trap running away from a bear, right?” JJ asked with a huff.
“You ran from a bear?” Buck asked softly.
“I thought they were chasing the wolves.” JJ explained.
“There’s wolves now?” Buck shook her head. “Next you’re going to tell me that there was a wendigo chasing the bears or something.”
“Not that I know of.” JJ smiled thinly.
“Hey, Judd? This is Paramedic Henrietta Wilson.” Hen said over the radio as Buck placed a tourniquet under the knee but above the wound. “I'm up here with your captain. I'm pretty sure you and Buck are equipped and capable to handle this.”
“Tell her to help.” Buck told Judd as she tied the tourniquet as she turned to JJ. “JJ, I'm not gonna lie, this is going to hurt like hell when I tighten it.”
“Please, walk us though it.” Judd said into the radio. “Buck has already placed a tourniquet under the knee but a few inches above the wound, though she hasn’t tightened it yet.”
“Buck, I need you to tighten it as hard as you can.” Hen ordered.
“You ready?” Buck asked JJ who nodded.
“It’s what I deserve. “ JJ muttered . “Just like my dad always said. I'm a waste of space.”
“You listen to me and you listen well.” Buck made sure JJ was looking her in the eyes. “If anyone is a waste of space it’s the sperm donor calling himself your dad.”
After saying that Buck started twisting the metal piece of the tourniquet to tighten it, making JJ grit his teeth and grunt in pain.
“You did it.” Buck smiled proudly at JJ.
“Okay, did it.” JJ panted form the pain.
“Tourniquet’s on.” Judd said to Hen. “What now?”
“Alright, get him out of the trap, but keep his foot elevated above the heart.” Hen instructed. “Then wrap the wound as fast and as tight as you can.”
“Let’s do this.” Buck nodded at Judd and they got to work.
They pull JJ’s foot out of the trap and they boy screamed in pain. Then he was bleeding out no matter how hard and fast Buck was wrapping the wound. She bit her lip not to cry, he didn’t deserve to die, he was just a kid, he had his whole life ahead of him.
“Talk to me.” Hen demanded. “What's happening?”
“He ain't doing good.” Judd answered. “He's bleeding out and he's crashing.”
“You need to get fluids in him to stabilize him.” Hen told them. “Saline, now!”
“Hey, man, keep him talking.” Buck ordered Judd as she set up the saline.
“Hey, I know you think you deserve this.” Judd moved over so he was closer to JJ’s head. “You're wrong.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” JJ protested weakly.
In the end they managed to save JJ with some fluids and some tough love from Judd the kid was stable. Buck chuckled as Judd called Hen ‘Miss. Henrietta’ and whispered to JJ that Hen would probably punch Judd later for that.
“You're really pretty.” JJ murmured to her.
“Thank you, kid.” Buck smiled softly.
“Well, it looks like we’re taking an ATV back to camp.” Judd declared.
“Oh, how fun.” Buck beamed.
“JJ is going with me and Diaz.” Judd shook his head at her. “You and Marjan are crazy drivers.”
“Are not.” Buck mock pouted.
They had just managed to get back to the ATV when the helicopter with Captain Strand and Hen on board went down. Buck felt the air freeze in her lungs and her heart stop as she saw it crash.