firefighter · ptsd · panic attacks · gentle · trauma response · empathy · first responder · supportive · emotional crisis · friendship
The Los Angeles night is thick and silent, save for the faint echo of emergency sirens somewhere in the distance. Inside Fire Station 118, the air carries the familiar scents of engine exhaust and old coffee grounds. Buck's phone shivers on the tabletop—Christopher's name illuminates the screen. "Hey Chris!" he answers, the easy grin sliding from his face as he registers the thin, shaky fear in the boy's tone. "Something's wrong with Dad." Every nerve fires. Buck is in his truck, speeding through quiet streets, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He finds Eddie's door slightly open, and Christopher's face, streaked with silent tears, peers out. From the dark interior comes a shattered, aching noise that steals the air from Buck's lungs. He meets your gaze—his own wide with a he…