Work Text:
Don’t
He had grown to hate the name of Evan. Always said in a demeaning manner that made him feel inches tall. That was the main reason he had taken to the name of Buck so easily as it was made in fun and for the longest time kept that way.
That was until his “poor” sister came back into his life. Using Evan, the way his parents used to until she saw he ignored her if she used his given name, then she turned to his name in degradation. Using her tie to his station mates and made family through her boyfriend to continue it.
This showed up in the words and tones they used up to, during, and right after the lawsuit, where she felt she should have total control over his body and worked it so she almost did through her mouthpiece Chim.
When he dared to disobey her, she turned his made family against him. Both names are now used in degradation of him interchangeably.
They were lucky he didn’t turn back to his military training and go cold on them. He loved them too much for that. So, he just went silent and duty-bound with military precision to do his duty to his family and his station.
No one noticed he took extra shifts through the holidays to get the pay he needed to pay off the debts he received due to their actions in keeping him from work. Nor that the talkative one in their “family” was now silent as a tomb.
His extra shifts building up time off for his surgery time. Time, he needed to get the metal out of his leg. Not that anyone asked or talked to him about anything. He just took his four days off and backed them with paid time off to another four days off to recover. Then back to work. No one the wiser. Not even looking at his paperwork where it stated a month later that he was off the blood thinners.
He was still “Buck” as far as they were concerned. Reliable in a pinch for things needed. Known throughout the department for his kindness and big heart. But now only to children and the victims they came across. Otherwise, he was just silent and busy doing the many chores around the station(s) when he worked. All too busy for the jokes at his expense which he now just gave the military stare down at the jokester till they cringed back and the joke died. Then went back to work.
No one picked up on the fact that slowly everyone just had started to call him Evan instead of Buck, even though those who knew him knew why he hated the name. They never put it together, why the change in names.
His sister being demanding of his time through her male appendage, to the point of the demands he meet with her parents that he had paid legal fees when he reached 21 and divorced.
Everyone on Chim’s side after all his “Poor, abused” sister was pregnant and the stress of his not going along with her whims was bad for her and the baby.
He called her work and demanded if she was so fragile they force her to the OB to be looked at to be put on bed rest and force her parents far away from her and her off work until the child was over six months old.
Then had the local police not named Athena go to the dinner he was supposed to show up at to re-show the restraining order to the entire family against HER parents that HE had divorced long ago for abuse that was documented.
He took his new paid time off to get the hell out of dodge with his phone off and a detective friend staying at his apartment to house sit. Where he promptly arrested the Buckley’s, Maddie, and Chim, for breaking and entering. The Buckley’s at least knew they were under the order to stay away and the other two were complicit in trying to reunite them together. Thus, aiding and abetting them was added to the charges against Chim and Maddie.
Charges that had the station up in arms and spamming Evan’s phone. Which was used to demand that they FINALLY get the therapy they were supposed to under the lawsuit conditions Evan demanded when it was decided not to take the money and instead discharge things other ways.
Until then, he demanded he be transferred far away from their toxicity or the department would be in default of the agreement they came to about the lawsuit.
The A-Shift team toxic edition was mandated therapy and until they each passed, they were each suspended without pay for their behavior.
Evan went on to train at the academy since he no longer trusted anyone related to or friends with the 118 A-Shift not to have his back when he worked.
Chim and the Buckley’s and Maddie Kendall were each sent to prison for their actions that day. Maddie lost her child to the system after she was born as her brother would not have anything to do with her anymore. And the new restraining orders were in full force when they each got out of prison.
A-Shift was destroyed as a unit as everyone who had worked there was transferred to other stations and shifts to get rid of the built-up toxicity there that the captain had allowed to grow. Bobby himself was forcefully retired with black marks in his files to keep him from being hired anywhere else.
New protocols were put into place after everything happened to stop it from ever becoming that bad again.
But it was too late for those that had been caught up in the situation in the first place. Like Evan “Buck” Buckley.
Fin
7/9/2026
Edit
7/20/2026