✓ 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝘦. 𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺

chapter thirty two

thirty two
"i'm sorry"

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   IT HAD BEEN AWHILE SINCE Hen had left Lynn behind in order to find a way out, and then a way in for the other firefighters to save Lynn. She wasn't sure if it had been half an hour, or half a day, all she knew was that she was losing more and more of herself by each passing minute.

She hadn't spoken to anyone for a bit, other than Bobby checking in earlier to make sure Lynn was still conscious and breathing. She wondered if Buck could still hear her, because she hadn't heard him since the first time she had awaken, and she was desperately craving his voice.

"Evie, you still there?"

And just like magic, Buck's voice echoed over the radio and brought instant relief to Lynn's body. She almost let out a happy whimper, knowing she wasn't going to die without ever hearing the boys voice; the person she so deeply cared for yet had never admitted she had feelings for.

And here she was, practically on her death bed and that was one of her biggest regrets. She regretted never telling Buck how she felt about him sooner, she regretted holding back for so long, she regretted the fact that would would die without muttering those words to him.

"Yeah..." Lynn trailed, her eyes steadily staring at the cement that was hanging above her. "Evan, I-I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out."

"Hey, you hold on, Eve, we're all coming for you, alright? We found a tunnel, baby, we did, we're coming for you," Buck responded, and Lynn let out the softest of chuckles under her breath. Leave it to Buck to always sound so believable, but Lynn could tell, there was worry written in between the spaces. "Just hold on, for me, okay?"

Lynn wanted to do exactly that, to hold on so she would be able to see Buck's handsome face again, to see Bobby's wrinkles and Chimney's forehead scar, and Hen's soft smile. She wanted all those things, but she couldn't.

"Evan...I can't."

Lynn's eyelids were so damn heavy and all she wanted to do was give in, to just let to pain flow away from her body as she fell into a peaceful sleep. She wouldn't carry all the heavy weight on her shoulders, and she wouldn't see the terrible things every shift.

She could just let go.

"Yes, you can, Evelynn Kennedy, you're the strongest person I know," Buck stated, and even though Lynn couldn't see his face, she knew he had tears swelling in his eyes.

"Can you tell Lizzy, t-that she was the best damn sister anyone could've asked for, and I love her so much," Lynn choked out, trying her best to control the emotion in her voice but it took all too much energy. "A-And, you guys, my team. I love you, guys. So much, you'll never have any idea."

"Evie...Evelynn, please stop," Buck mumbled softly into the radio, and Lynn couldn't help but allow a tear to slip slowly down her cheek and splatter onto the ground.

Lynn wanted everything inside of her to just finally spill her feelings about Buck, but she abruptly stopped herself just as the words were about to drip from her lips.

She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't admit all of the feelings that had built up over the past eight months and just suddenly spill the beans while she was dying. She couldn't leave it that way.

"I'm sorry."

And with that, Lynn finally caved. She caved to all the emotions she was feeling and to the pain erupting in her body. She caved to the part of her telling herself she would be okay if she just let go, that it's okay to just fall into that nice slumber.

So, that's what she did.

•••

   "Evelynn!"

   It didn't take much long for the many firefighters, who had come together to save Lynn in the rumble, came across where the bloodied woman had went unconscious.

   Buck let out a loud gasp, and even against all of his body telling him not to cry, he couldn't help it. He rushed forward instantly, wrapping a solid arm under Lynn's neck for support while the other was placed on her soft cheek. She felt cold to the touch, and even with him slightly moving her, she didn't even flinch.

   "Evie, hey, c'mon, wake up," Buck mumbled softly, his breath bouncing off Lynn's face while he slowly rose his fingers to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "Wake up."

   By now, the rest of her team had surrounded her body and Chimney had managed to sneak his index and middle finger onto Lynn's neck. He then turned to Bobby with a sad expression covering his face, and he slightly shook his head.

   "I can't find a pulse," Chimney stated, and then he intertwined his fingers into the CPR position, and started heaving up and down on Lynn's chest; careful of her abdomen wound.

  While Chimney was busy with trying to revive the girls pulse, Hen went to town of her bleeding abdomen. She wrapped proper gauze around it, protecting the wound and tightly wrapping it around the pole since they would surely have to move her with the pole still intact.

   "Anything?" Bobby asked, and Chimney let out a grunting noise, and anyone could only assume that was a no to his question.

   "C'mon, baby, c'mon," Buck consoled, staring at Lynn's somewhat lifeless face, and he just wanted to see those gorgeous ocean blue eyes of hers again "Please."

   "I got it!"

   Everyone swung their heads in Chimney's direction, and it was like an entire weight was lifted off the group to the news he had found Lynn's pulse. There, two firefighters pushed forward a backboard, and both Chimney and Hen took it into their hands.

   It took a second for the crew to unhook the steel pole from being intertwined with the cement below, but they finally did it. Careful not to move the pole in any direction in case they would hit an artery and only further injure Lynn.

   "See, I told you you were the strongest person I know."

a/n: ahh this was such an emotional roller coaster to write🥺