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For being one of the most physical of the 118, Buck took a lot of the hits for his team.
Usually it was him stepping in when people got angry about one thing or another, trying to diffuse the situation before things got out of hand. Other times it was intercepting a panicked friend or family member, desperate to help and not caring who got in their way.
It had become a running joke at the hospital that at least once a week, Buck would be there getting minor injuries looked at while the victims they brought in were rushed away. Several of the nurses now had a good natured bet on which day he would come in, and they always cut him in out of respect (or just gave his cut to Eddie, who only allowed it to continue when he heard Buck add his own money to the pot).
The only time a problem arose was when he came in with a head injury. The man was usually lucky and avoided actually damaging his head, ignoring the rare slap or cut. But a full on head injury? Only once a year or so.
The nurses remembered the first time he came in after he’d been hit dead on with a bowling ball. While he was conscious and walking as they brought their victim inside, it was clear that he wasn’t okay. Bobby had all but forced him to be seen and it turned out to be a mild concussion. Instead of his happy-go-lucky laugh and shrug, he was surly and annoyed, actually snapping at one of the nurses when he made a comment about the bet.
(Buck did come back once he was cleared to drive and brought donuts and an apology.)
The next time, was after the bombing. Once he was awake from his first surgery, he made it absolutely clear that he didn’t want to be there and that no one was allowed to talk about the bet, full stop. It took Carla and Athena practically throwing Chris at him to get him in a slightly better mood until the concussion cleared up, and then he was back to being the normal Buck the nurses all loved.
As years passed, he still had the same reaction whenever he had a head injury. Luckily for the nursing staff, Eddie had become a pro at managing his best friend’s reactions, talking over him when he was surly and outright threatening to duct tape his mouth shut if he couldn’t be at least polite. It went a long way to helping them get him treated.
After nearly five years, the staff was used to dealing with Buck and his head injuries. It was only when he came in twice in three weeks that caused a massive amount of concern.
Both scans had shown a very slight fracture in his orbital bone, which left him off work for a week and on light duty for two afterwards. Eddie had been the one to handle his moods the first time, but he was still dealing with the aftermath of being held hostage the second time, which left him at the mercy of the nurses.
He spent the night at the hospital and for one was doing what he could to not snap at anyone. He was downright moody, but not rude. Just… done with everything.
His favorite nurse did what she could to at least put him in a better mood, telling him about her twin nieces and spending her break with him, showing pictures of their accomplishments (a dancer who did musical theater in high school, and the captain of girls lacrosse and co-captain of an esports team). It had helped a lot.
Buck was still different when he had a head injury, but they worked together to find a solution that worked for everyone. Now if he could just avoid it for at least a year, that would be great. Eddie would be winning a lot of money if it happened.