Work Text:
Eddie stormed up the steps to the loft, already dressed for work.
The stormy look on his face caught Hen's attention and she nudged Chim. They watched as Eddie marched over to Bobby.
"You have some explaining to do and it had better be good."
Bobby's eyebrows rose but Eddie continued speaking before the captain could demand an explanation for the younger firefighter's behavior.
"Is the department really holding Buck back or is it you?"
"Buck is not ready to come back to work yet. He needs to come off of the blood thinners before he can come back to full duty."
Eddie balled up his fist but forced himself to take a step back.
"That doesn't actually answer my question. But, that's fine. Because I already know the answer."
Eddie glanced over to make sure that Hen and Chim were paying attention.
"You are abusing your position as captain. Buck is cleared to come back. You are the one working to keep him off of the job."
"I don't know where you heard that."
Hen moved closer while Chim looked a little uneasy. That answered one question that Eddie had. He had wondered how much Maddie actually knew about the situation when he and Buck had discussed the situation.
"I have a friend at the gym who works at HQ. I talked to him about Buck's situation. Mostly because I was frustrated and didn't want to take it out on Buck. He came in yesterday to tell me that he had looked into the situation. There's an investigation started into why you are punishing Buck."
Bobby grimaced. "I am NOT punishing Buck. He pushed too hard and hurt himself. Until his head is screwed on straight, he is a danger to everyone in this firehouse."
"That is not your decision to make. And Buck didn't push too hard. He wasn't aware of the risk of clots and didn't know what to look for. He thought he strained a muscle. But that's not the issue that I have with you."
Eddie moved and put the island between him and Bobby. He wasn't entirely sure that he could stop himself from punching Bobby if he was dismissive about what Eddie was about to say.
"The whole reason I took Chris to stay with Buck the day of the tsunami is because Buck was depressed and needed a distraction. But it would have been unnecessary if you hadn't kept Buck off of the job. If Buck had been here where he should have been, they would not have been on the pier that day. Has it not occurred to you that you almost got Buck and Chris killed because of your need to control Buck's situation."
Bobby looked upset by the accusation but was clearly not going to take responsibility for his role. Hen looked at Chim who seemed unusually quiet before moving to stand with Eddie.
"Bobby, you are our captain. But that doesn't mean that you are the deciding factor in whether we can work or not. That decision was for Buck's doctors to make. And they decided he is ready to come back. But what I don't think you are seeing is the financial side of this."
Bobby looked confused. "Buck is being paid for being out. He's fine."
"Not if he is cleared to return to work. He won't be getting disability anymore. So how do you expect him to pay his bills? How do you expect him to buy food or go to the doctor?"
Eddie was the one to swallow at that. He already knew about those issues since he had spent yesterday evening at Buck's loft.
"Buck already knows what you did. " He glanced at Chimney before speaking again. "And he suspects Maddie's role in this. By this time, he will already be meeting with HR about the investigation into your actions. I don't know if you can come back from this with Buck. And I'm not sure that I can ever trust you the same way again. I almost lost my son because of this. If they had died that day, would you have kept your role in it secret? Or just continue with this narrative that Buck was pouting because he screwed up his recovery."
He felt Hen's hand on his shoulder. He nodded at her before heading to the stairs. "I'm getting started on my chores. Don't talk to me unless it's about the job. I am not calm enough to have a discussion with you about any of this."