Chapter Text
Call him, Maddie had said. He had taken it as Tommy but she had meant Eddie. Maybe she had a point. He wasn’t on Mars; it just felt like Mars. He had been putting it off to not seem pathetic in how much he was missing Eddie, but maybe now was the time. If Buck could hear Eddie’s voice for himself he could put all these absurd thoughts Maddie and Tommy had put in his head behind him.
Just call him, he thought to himself. Holding his phone and staring at the contact name. It held a picture of Eddie and Chris smiling up at him with the pandas behind them at the zoo. He smiled gently at the memory. Chris had long out grown begging to go to the zoo every week. It was more a treat for Buck when he assented to spend the day with him, well before he had moved to Texas.
CALL HIM, he urged himself his finger hovering over the word “call”. He didn’t know why it was so difficult. It was just Eddie, his best friend: his straight best friend. Maybe he should FaceTime him instead. Maybe he should just wait for Eddie to call, after all he was probably busy getting settled in.
Stop being stupid, just call him, he knew he could do this. He took a deep breath and went to press the button. But the phone had started vibrating in his hand.
ST. JUDE’S seemed to glare brightly across his screen and he quickly answered it. His family had been in that hospital way too much to even consider not answering.
“Hi, this is Evan Buckley.”
“Hi Mr. Buckley, I’m calling about the results of your blood tests taken at your psychical,” Buck breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, his annual physical, “when’s the earliest you can come in to discuss the results” Bucks blood ran cold. He was required to get a physical every year for the LAFD, never had they required a follow up to discuss results. His mind went blank.
“Mr. Buckley? Are you there?” The kind voice on the other end asked gently, obviously knowing Buck had come to the correct conclusion.
“Uh yeah, sorry. I am off today and then back on for a 24 hr shift tomorrow.”
“Hmm, Dr. Smith has a pretty full schedule today but there was a cancellation. The appointment’s in 45 min though. Do you think you could make it then? If not we can schedule for the day after tomorrow.”
Buck breathed in deeply and calculated traffic, “I can make it,” he decided.
“Ok then, just come to the same place as before. North wing room 208, where our doctors offices are. See you soon.” The phone hung up and went back to showing Eddie’s contact info. Perhaps now wasn’t the right time to call him just yet.