Evan Buckley ♡

Chapter 8

I rubbed my stomach with one hand and clicked on a patient's chart with the other. I groaned and looked down at my stomach. "You okay?" A nurse friend of mine asked. "Ahem. Yep. We are good. Totally great." I smiled and went about my business. The day went on and I started having more pain on and off. I sighed and breathed out. "Whoooo. Okay. Good. Good. I'm good. We are good. Hear me, little miss?" I said as I looked down at my stomach.

Buck's POV

I was making a sandwich when I heard the sirens going off. "Dang it!" I shoved the sandwich in my mouth as I ran downstairs to get my gear. We got on the truck and drove to the location. We ran into the backyard of the house to see the little girl stuck at the top of the tree. I chuckled as I looked at Eddie and he set up the ladder. I climbed up. "Hi, sweetie. Can you tell me your name?" The little girl shrunk back from me. "No? No? Okay. It's okay. My name is Buck. I'm here to help you get down. Can I help you?" She looked at me with a fearful stare. "Can you tell me how you got all the way up here?" She gulped. "There was a doggy. A big one. He looked mean."

I nodded. "Okay. Okay. Yeah. Doggies can be scary." She nodded. "Josie." I looked at her. "Josie? That's your name?" She nodded. "Okay, Josie. I'm gonna get you down. Okay?" She looked at me and nodded, gripping onto the tree. "Okayyyy..." I said quietly as I looked around. "Can you reach out and grab me?" She nodded and let go with one arm before screaming and grabbing back onto the tree. "Josie! Josie. Hey. Hey. I'm right here. I am not gonna let you get hurt. I promise. I just need you to trust me. Okay?" She nodded and I reached my arm out to her. She shook her head and hugged the tree. "Buck. I'm scared." I nodded. "I know you are. But it's gonna be okay. It's alright." She tentatively let go with one arm, leaving the other one wrapped around it.

I reached my arm to her and she reached over. I smiled when her small hand touched mine...then I heard the branch crack. Aw, hell. I lunged forward and grabbed her with both arms, right before the branch she was sitting on collapsed, almost hitting Eddie and Bobby. I wrapped both my arms around Josie as tight as I could, keeping my legs wrapped around the tree branch I was on. "Okay. Okay. EDDIE. WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING. THIS BRANCH WON'T HOLD MUCH LONGER!" I yelled down. "What do you want us to do???" He yelled back. "I...ehhh." I shrugged as he nodded. "Josie. We're gonna be just fine. We are about to get you down. And safe. And your mommy is on her way home. Okay?" She nodded.

"Please please don't let Alex be in trouble." She sighed as she looked at me. "Who's Alex, sweetheart?" She hugged my chest again. "My brother. He was watching me and he just went inside for a minute because the phone rang. It was my fault I got stuck." I shook my head and kissed hers. "No, no, no, no, no. Nobody is gonna be in trouble. Okay? EDDIE!! HOW WE DOING?" I looked down and they had one of our inflatable air pads. "Okay, Josie, we are gonna go down now, okay? We're gonna go down the ladder and I'm gonna give you to my friend Eddie, okay? EDDIE. SAY HI." I yelled as Eddie smiled and waved. She nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck as I held her on my back and started climbing down the ladder. "Okay, so Eddie is gonna take you." I felt the little girl getting pulled off me. I jumped off the ladder and smiled as I took her back from Eddie.

"Hey." Henrietta ran over with my phone. "Maddie keeps paging and she's on the phone now..." I looked at her and took my phone. "Why? There are other deployable units..." I looked at her in confusion. "Yeah, but all the other units don't have a firefighter whose girlf- fiancée is IN LABOR AND IS BEING EXTREMELY STUBBORN AND WON'T GO TO OB." Maddie yelled from my phone. "Oh...crap!!!! I...um...I don't have a car...sh- I'm on my way!!!!" I hung up as I looked around. Athena smiled and waved at me. "Come on. I got my car. You'll get a police escort." I smiled and ran over to the car.

I got to the hospital and ran into peds to see Alyssa pacing back and forth with her hands on her hips. "Baby...I love you...but what in the hell are you doing???" She shushed me and hit my chest. "HUSH. Kids!!" She gestured around her before she started pacing again. "Alyssa. Alyssa. YOU. ARE. IN. LABOR. We are going to OB. RIGHT. NOW. Come on!" She sighed and looked up at me hopelessly. "Damn it." She whispered. "You, sir, are lucky you're pretty." She poked my chest and leaned up to kiss me.

I chuckled and gave her my arm. We walked into OB and she sighed as Dr. Matson looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You've been in labor all day, haven't you?" Alyssa went to shake her head when I cleared my throat. "Yes...I have..." She sighed and looked at me. "Hey! I was in a tree! I didn't even know she was in labor!!!!" Alyssa looked up at me. "Tree??" I cleared my throat. "Dog. Kid climbed up. Got stuck. Not important. You. Brinleigh. Important right now." I said as I kissed her head. Dr. Matson chuckled and checked us into a room. Alyssa begrudgingly put a hospital gown on and sat in the bed cross legged. "I'm not even that far into my laborrrrrr." She whined as she tossed her phone in front of her and put her chin on her fists. I chuckled from my spot in the plush chair. "Well, baby. You are nine months pregnant...you are in labor...but it's not gonna be fast. You KNOW that." She pouted at me. "Not helping by being logical."

I laughed as I got a text from Eddie. "Well, Brin has a crib and a rocking chair. Now just needs a dresser and all her clothes put up..." I smiled as I looked at her. "Yayyyyyy." She said dreamily. "Ohh...okayyyy...Whoa. Brinleigh...that one hurts, baby girl." She winced as she grabbed her side. I sighed and walked over there, sitting in front of her, taking her hands in mine and kissing them. "Shh, shh, shh, shh. It's okay. It's alright." I said softly against her cheek before I kissed it. She sighed and smiled, putting her left hand on my cheek. "All better." I smiled and pecked her lips.

29 hours later

I smiled as I kissed Alyssa's head. "Okay, okay, baby. Come on. Come on. You're almost there. You are almost there. Come on, babe." She screamed as she pushed one last time and I heard crying. I smiled as they gave Brinleigh to Alyssa. "You did it, baby." I whispered as I pressed my lips to her temple. I rested my head against hers as I looked at my daughter...my daughter. I smiled and reached my hand out to touch hers. I took her from Alyssa and smiled as I held her head in my hand and her body was laying on my arm. "Hi. Hi. It's Daddy. It's your Daddy. Hello there, beautiful girl." I sat next to Alyssa on the bed, who was falling asleep. "You can sleep, baby. You deserve it." I said as I pressed my lips to her cheek, smiling against her skin after.