Chapter Text
Buck crouched lower into the bushes behind the house. He could feel the heat of the flames even from here.
The little pulled his aching arm to his chest while silent tears streamed down his face. Where were Philip and Margaret? If he didn't find them, he was going to be in so much trouble.
Yet Buck couldn't move. The flames were so scary and the flashing lights didn't help either.
The little could hear voices shouting at each other and wood crashing and feet stamping and it was all just too much.
Buck curled in on himself a little tighter, his entire body trembling like a leaf. This was more terrifying than anything he had gone through. Atleast with Philip and Margaret there wasn't this much confusion.
Suddenly, a light cut through the darkness of his hiding spot. "Got someone."
Buck's eyes shot open. He looked up at the approaching figure through wide teary eyes. The sight of the tall imposing brown figure looming over him pulled an honest to goodness wail from the frightened little.
Immediately, the giant figure crouched down. The clear glass like mask came off to reveal a human smiling kindly down at him. He tried to calm Buck with gently 'shhh'ing. "It's okay. You're okay. We're not here to hurt you."
While he sounded so nice, Buck knew that could all be lie. More cries continued to pour out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, the taller man scanned the frightened little for any injuries. He stopped when he saw Buck's arm clutched tightly to his chest.
It was sitting at an odd angle and bleeding profusely.
The man reached one hand forward. "Did you hurt yourself? May I see?"
Buck squirmed further into the bushes while his sobs grew louder.
Immediately, the taller man pulled back. "Okay. Okay. We don't have to just yet."
"Everything alright back here Cap?"
The man looked up to address another brown figure. This one was a little shorter with black hair. "Got a survivor, but he's in a lot of distress."
The second man's eyes drifted down to Buck who was still sobbing his lungs out. As if on instinct, he also crouched down. "Aww, hey little guy."
Little? Was Buck little right now?
No. He wasn't a little. They had told him he wasn't.
Suddenly, from behind the duo, something cracked. They both instinctively covered Buck as a chunk of house collapsed in on itself.
Once it was done, the dark haired figure of the duo turned to the first. "If we don't move now, we'll lose our exit."
The first figure nodded before turning back to Buck. "I'm sorry little one."
A second later, Buck was up and moving without his feet even touching the ground. One strong arm went under his bottom while the other went around his back.
Buck's hand clung to the figure. He squawked once before going back to sobs.
"Shhh, I know. We're almost out," the voice from before reassured him as they passed around the side of the house to the front. "We'll be away from the flames soon."
In response, Buck slowly slid his thumb into his mouth. Philip and Margaret said that wasn't something he should do as a non-little, but he really needed the comfort right now. This was all so much.
Finally, the duo was standing in front of a white car with funny flashing lights.
Buck sobs has dwindled to cries around his thumb. It was a lot cooler and easier to breathe out here.
The man carrying him hefted him higher onto his hip. "Hen, incoming."
A lady with hair shaved close to her head peeped around the doors of the strange white car. When she saw Buck, she immediately started to move. Her calm eyes quickly scanned the diatraught little before melting into a sympathetic smile. "Hi baby. What happened to you?"
Buck ducked his head, pressing it into the shoulder of the man carrying him. He should be talking. Philip and Margaret said it was rude not to respond in actual words when someone was talking to you . . . but Buck couldn't seem to get his mouth to work out anything other than cries.
Instead of chastising him, a chuckle rumbled through the man holding him. "You don't have to be scared of Hen. She may nibble, but she doesn't bite."
Buck peeked out at the lady named Hen.
Only for her to lift her hands up and wiggle her fingers while letting out a low growl.
Surprisingly, Buck didn't feel scared. A little startled given the jolt his body did, but not scared. He still went back into hiding though.
Hen cooed. "Aw, I'm sorry baby. I won't do it again."
The man started to move. "Let's get you inside the ambulance. It's a little quieter in there."
"Yeah, and we have lots of cool things to see."
Buck found his cries were starting to dwindle to sniffles as he was lifted into the back of the ambulance.
It was a lot nicer back here. Very quiet and calm, but it did smell funny and was still very bright.
A moment later, Buck found himself being sat down on some kind of bed with low railing on the sides. He cautiously studied it while the man and Hen moved around the back.
The man grabbed a device on his shoulder and spoke into it. "Firefighter Ravi. Firefighter Eddie. How we looking?"
"No one else in here Cap," responded one voice from the box. "We searched the whole building."
There it was again. Someone had called the man Cap.
Buck titled his head to study him. That didn't sound right. He didn't look like a Cap to him.
But then Cap was studying him back.
Buck's eyes widened and he turtled into his shoulders while his gaze dipped away. He had been staring. That was rude.
Cap didn't seem to mind though. He chuckled again and went back to his box. "The house is a lost cause Eddie. Let's focus on stopping it from spreading. Take Ravi and start a water line around the perimeter."
"Sure thing Cap."
Again, all of Cap's attention was back on Buck. His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Can you tell me your name kid?"
Buck should be able to. He spoke just fine all the time.
However, his mouth refused to get the memo. Everything came out very jumbled around his thumb. What was wrong with him? Did he hit his head on the way down?
Cap chuckled even more. "We can work on that later."
Buck blinked. Shouldn't he be . . . mad? Or atleast upset?
However, the sniffling little didn't have time to think long on it before Hen gently squeezed his shoulder. Buck hadn't heard her and literally jumped.
Hen pulled her hands back with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. That wasn't on purpose."
This time, the kind lady held out her hands.
"May I see?"
Buck blinked at her in confusion. See what?
"Your arm." Hen motioned to his chest. "It looks like he got hurt."
When the sniffling little understood, his eyes went wide again. He pulled his bad arm closer to his chest, angling himself away from the lady while he shook his head.
"I promise I won't hurt it." Hen turned and grabbed something from one of the nearby drawers. "In fact, I think I have some really cool things that we can put on it."
Buck curiously studied the packets she brought out. There were so many bright colors and pictures to see.
"Let's see." Hen sifted through the individually wrapped guaze rolls. "Do you want planets? Or puppies? Or maybe bows?"
The little took his thumb out of his mouth long enough to reach out. He slowly picked up a light blue guaze roll with green dinosaurs smiling up at him.
"Oo, that's a great one." Hen set the others back in the drawer. "Can I clean your arm? Then we can wrap the dinosaurs around your cuts."
Buck looked down at his hurting arm. He still didn't know if he trusted this kind lady.
"I promise to be very gentle. I just need to make sure it doesn't get yucky."
Buck blinked again. A warm fuzzy feeling had been building up inside of him. He'd been feeling it since the moment he'd heard Cap's voice.
It was something he felt before, but Philip and Margaret always told him it was bad and should be ignored. That he shouldn't listen to it. Then Buck would try until he physically couldn't.
But the longer he was with Cap and Hen, the harder the fuzzy feeling was to ignore.
"She's really good kid," Cap piped up. "Softest touch in the business."
Hen snorted. "Thanks for that Cap."
"It's the honest truth." Cap grinned at Buck's wide eyed stare. "She is the best."
Buck curiously turned his attention back on Hen. He guessed if Cap could trust her then he could too.
So he carefully pulled his arm away from his chest, holding it out tentatively to Hen.
She smiled at him. Her touch was really gentle as she took his hurt limb in her hands. "Thank you for trusting me sweetheart. Now what do you say we get these icky cuts all cleaned and bandaged, hm?"
The fuzziness inside of Buck grew stronger and stronger. He probably shouldn't, but he was so exhausted from everything, that he was having a hard time ignoring it.
Especially when Hen walked him through each of the steps she was doing in the smoothest voice he had ever heard.
"First, I'm going to check it to make sure there's nothing trying to hide in there."
Buck brought the thumb of his good arm back to his mouth. His roll of dinos plopping on the bed next to his leg.
Hen continued her work. "Then we have to clean and disinfect the cuts. It might sting a little, but if we don't get rid of the dirt, it'll get worse."
Buck blinked as something was sprayed onto his arm. It did make tears well up in his eyes and did make him fuss a bit as it stung just like she said it would.
"Shhh," Hen soothed, her hand gently stroking the back of Buck's hand. "I know. That didn't feel nice at all."
Buck soothed back still again. Her hands were calloused, but still the most gentle things Buck had ever felt.
"There we go." Hen's hands lifted to pick up the guaze roll that had landed on the bed. "Then we put down our guaze pads and the dinos go right on top."
The little watched her work with rapt fascination. She was really fast too.
Soon, Buck's arm was covered in dinos. It still hurt a lot, but didn't sting as badly.
"There we go sweetie. You were so brave." Hen reached into another drawer. "For being a great patient, would you like to choose one of these?"
A moment later, Buck was looking at three dummies wrapped in plastic. He knew what they were, but Philip and Margaret never let him have one. They were for littles and he wasn't one.
But he had always been so tempted to try.
"We have red, blue, and green." Hen held them out. "Which one would you like?"
Again, the fuzzy feeling was pushing up hard. Buck wanted to sink down into it and run away from it all at the same time.
Before he could stop himself, Buck found himself reaching for the blue one. It was in his hand without a second thought.
"Another great choice." Hen put the other two back before opening the top of blue's plastic. "There you go."
Buck hesitated. He stared at the piece of plastic. For whatever reason, this felt like the point of no return for him.
"What's wrong baby?"
Buck started. His eyes turned fearfully to Hen's concerned ones.
"Do you need help?" The kind lady offered. She held out her hand. "Want me to put it in for you?"
Buck quickly clutched the wrapping to his chest, fearful she would take it away.
Hen chuckled. She pulled back her hand back. "It's all yours sweetheart."
Buck blinked once more before going back to the dummy. Something pulled him to it. Like something was mere seconds from clicking.
So he hesitantly fished the dummy out of the packet then slowly lifted it to his mouth.
As soon as it passed his lips, the fuzziness completely took over.