#byeeee!

“Get down!” Buck shouts. 

He and Eddie both hit the deck. A second later, there’s a crack and a crash and the ceiling is coming down on top of them. 

Buck lies immobile for several seconds, until he’s sure nothing more is going to fall. He gets up carefully, various small pieces of debris sliding off of his back as he stands. 

Once he’s back on his feet, he’s immediately moving towards Eddie. It’s dusty and hazy and he can’t see super well, so he calls out to his partner as he makes his way across the room. 

“Eddie!”

There’s no response. He tries again, shouting as loud as he can. 

“Eddie!”

Nothing. 

He almost trips over a chunk of plaster, and then just like that he sees Eddie. Or part of him, anyway. 

Eddie’s legs and head are visible, sticking out from underneath an even bigger chunk of plaster that’s lying atop his back. Buck feels his heart start pounding out of his chest. 

“Eddie!”

He drops to his knees beside his partner and feels his neck frantically. He gets a little lightheaded with relief when he finds a pulse. Eddie’s just unconscious, that’s all. 

The building makes an ominous sound. Buck looks up at the massive hole in the ceiling and hopes that nothing else is going to collapse before they get out of here. 

He shoves the hunk of plaster off of Eddie like it weighs nothing and doesn’t even bother trying to wake him up. He just grabs Eddie in a fireman’s carry and starts getting them the hell out of there. 

It’s slower going than he’d like. He can’t see very well and the floor is littered with obstacles and the ominous sounds are coming more and more frequently. But he knows where the door is, knows they’re not too far from safety. 

After maybe thirty seconds of strenuous walking, he pushes through the door and out into the blinding sunlight as another part of the building crashes down behind him. He breaks into a slightly lopsided run with Eddie still thrown over his shoulder and puts as much distance as possible between them and the actively collapsing structure. 

They’ve come out of the building on the opposite side from where the 118 is set up, but now that they’re out of the way of the most imminent danger, Buck can’t wait any longer. He needs to make sure Eddie is okay now. 

He carefully lowers Eddie to the ground and pulls off his helmet. Eddie’s eyes are closed and there’s a bruise forming on his forehead. His skin is dusty. Despite the helmet there are chunks of plaster in his hair. 

Buck taps him on the cheek. Nothing happens. He taps a little harder. 

Eddie’s eyes open suddenly and then he’s sitting up, far too quickly. Buck grabs him by the shoulders before he collapses back to the ground. He starts coughing. Buck gently guides his head forwards and puts a hand on his back. 

“What happened?” Eddie asks, in between coughs. 

“The ceiling caved in on us.”

“...My head hurts.”

“I know, buddy. Let’s get you to Hen and Chim so they can check that out, okay?”

Eddie nods slowly. Buck cautiously removes his hands from Eddie’s body - he stays sitting up on his own, which is good - and stands. He then sticks his hands out for Eddie to grab and pulls him to his feet. 

Eddie sways forwards into him. Buck catches him and holds him up. Eddie buries his face against Buck’s collarbone. 

“‘M dizzy.”

“Think you can walk?”

Eddie shrugs. Buck takes this to mean no. 

“Let me know if this makes anything worse,” he says, and before Eddie can say anything, Buck’s picking him up in a bridal carry - slightly more comfortable for his now-conscious partner than the fireman’s carry, though less practical. 

“Hey,” Eddie protests halfheartedly. 

“Yeah?” 

Eddie pauses for a second. “Never mind.” He again leans his head against Buck as Buck starts walking towards the other side of the building.

He goes as fast as he can, sure that by now the rest of the team is getting worried. He should’ve radioed them first, he thinks, though a quick glance down at himself tells him he wouldn’t have been able to do this even if he’d wanted to - his radio is gone. He picks up the pace a little bit more. 

It doesn’t take him too long to round the building - or rather, what’s left of it. He catches sight of Hen at the same time that she catches sight of him. She waves her arms. Eddie waves a hand back. 

“What happened?” she’s asking, as soon as they’re within speaking range. “Cap, I’ve got them,” she adds, speaking into her radio. 

“Ceiling collapsed. Eddie took the brunt of it. He says he’s pretty dizzy.”

“Let me look at him.”

Buck nods. He deposits Eddie onto the back bumper of the ambulance and then stands over Hen as she examines him, being careful to stay out of her way while still observing everything. 

“Hey, Buck, how ‘bout you let me look you over, too? I know you have a hard head, but a building did just fall on you.” This is Chim, appearing over Buck’s shoulder seemingly from out of nowhere. 

“Nothing even hit my head,” Buck says, waving him off. “I’m fine, honestly.”

Chim raises his eyebrows. Buck looks at him pleadingly. “I swear, if I was hurt, I’d tell you.”

Chim sighs but relents. “Okay, Buck. I trust you. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I won’t.”

Buck turns his full attention back to Hen and Eddie. Hen is shining a flashlight into Eddie’s eyes. Eddie is squinting and clearly trying very hard not to look away. 

“Buck.”

Bobby’s voice behind him is sharp. Buck turns around. 

“Yeah, Cap?”

“Why didn’t you answer your radio?”

Buck gestures to where the missing piece of equipment should be. “Think it got knocked off during the collapse. I never heard anything.”

“And Eddie?”

He hadn’t heard Eddie’s radio inside, either. “I guess the same thing. I’m sorry, Cap, really, I didn’t -”

Bobby shakes his head, cutting Buck off. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Eddie got hit in the head, I think, and pinned down by a chunk of plaster. He was unconscious for a minute there, but he’s not now. Obviously.” Buck realizes belatedly that Bobby is clearly fully aware of Eddie’s consciousness, considering the fact that he’s facing Eddie’s direction. 

Bobby nods anyway. “Let Eddie know I want to talk to him after Hen clears him.”

“Will do, Cap.”

Bobby walks away, and Buck turns back towards the ambulance just as Hen steps away from Eddie. 

“He’s got a mild concussion and some pretty nasty bruises. You sure you don’t want Chim to check you over?”

“I’m good,” Buck insists once more. “He’s fine, then?”

“Yes, Buck,” Eddie interrupts. “Still kinda dizzy and definitely sore, but I’m fine.”

Buck turns to Hen for confirmation. She nods, then looks at him in a way he thinks is supposed to be significant, though he has no idea in what way. She walks off to the side of the ambulance to join Chim, and then they’re alone. 

Buck sits down next to Eddie and exhales for what feels like the first time. “You promise you’re okay?”

Eddie leans his head on Buck’s shoulder. He’s never been this touchy before, Buck realizes. It makes something flutter in his chest. He tries to ignore it (he’s not very successful). 

“I promise.”