Chapter Text
El Paso
Christopher Diaz glares at his phone screen, trying to muster some resolve.
In the distance, he can hear the muffled voices of his aunts and grandparents arguing endlessly in the hallway. He glances up at his Dad, lying silent and helpless in the hospital cot, pitches his eyebrows, and looks back down at his phone. He knows what he has to do, but he cannot get his thumb to press "Call."
The pit in his stomach is a familiar one. Over the past several years, there have been so many times when he's been in this exact position: an iPhone in hand and a voice in the back of his head telling him not to trust his childhood instinct to run to Evan Buckley at the first sign of trouble. For years, he's been successful in fighting that instinct; too hurt and proud to call the man he once thought would always be there for him.
But this time, the trouble is not some petty argument over curfews or allowances or college tuition. Now, it's his Dad's life on the line. And Chris can't shake the feeling that Buck is the one who can save it, even after all these years.
He moves his thumb, presses down, and panics more with every passing ring.
Los Angeles
For just a moment, Buck stares at his buzzing phone - his pulse instantly racing as the unexpected image of him and a much younger Chris pops onto his screen. They are smiling together at some zoo or aquarium, back when they did things like that. Back when they were part of each other's lives.
He slides to answer. He always will.
For a moment, the other end of the line is silent. Of course this is awkward. The kid -young man!- has barely spoken to him in years, and definitely never calls.
"Chris?" he asks, uncertain.
"Buck. It's bad," Chris starts, sounding more like the scared kid in the Tsunami than the angry teen Buck's grown accustomed to. He sighs, slipping effortlessly into parent mode.
"Chris, I'm sure it's going to be ok," knowing he sounds much more confident than he is. Chris wouldn't ask for his help if it wasn't serious. "Just tell me what's going on."
"Dad had an accident at work. It's bad." Chris repeats. "They want to take him off life support, but they can't! Apparently you're in his file, and the doctors won't let them, and... you have to save him, Buck!"
"Christopher, slow down!" Buck's mind is racing. Eddie. Hurt, maybe dying. He needs to know every detail, but he's having trouble processing. Then that last part clicks. "Who? Who is trying to take him off life support?"
"Abuela! And Abuelo too, I think. They're always fighting, and I overheard them saying it's his time! But it's not!"
Chris is almost yelling, pleading. Buck can't stand it, so he does something impulsive.
"How can I help?"
The relief is instant. In a way, he knew that Buck cares. That he tried to connect, even after. But everything had gotten so twisted, and Chris had been shitty to Buck over and over. Buck's offer of help now, in yet another giant crisis, somehow makes Chris angry and hopeful and guilty all at once. But he needs this, and so does his Dad.
"I want to transfer Dad to a hospital in LA. Away from his parents. I'm starting at UCLA in the Fall, and I can do everything! I can take care of him! But like I said, you're on his file and we can't do anything major without you while he's... out."
"Here?" Buck asks, sounding strangled. For a moment, Chris thinks he's about to back out and almost loses his tempter. But before he can yell, Buck continues, quietly, "Would your dad even want that? All his family is in Texas. He left for a reason, Chris."
Chris looks over at his motionless father, thinking how Buck doesn't know the half of his reasons. "I'm sure. Everyone here is fighting all the time. They keep talking about lawyers and arguing about his wishes and the doctors all hate them."
Chris pauses, thinking. Trying to say something without admitting too much. Finally, he settled on, "He needs you, Buck. I know everything got messed up, and I'm so mad at you, but he needs you."
Buck doesn't know what to say. He's still in his parked Jeep, fresh off work, needing to pick Nora up from daycare. He puts a hand over his tired face. He feels old.
"Buddy, I want to help..." he starts, cringing at buddy. "But I wouldn't even know how. And I am sure that your dad put someone else in charge of his medical decisions years ago. You should talk to your grandparents. Or maybe your Aunts?"
He can almost FEEL Chris' glare through the phone. A signature Diaz talent.
"Come to Texas, Buck." he says, sounding very grown up suddenly. "You are still in his paperwork, all the doctors say so. Just come for a day, sign a few papers, and I promise you won't have to hear from us again. I'll do everything, I just can't do it here."
Buck hates that Chris always does that, acting like he is an inconvenience that Buck is trying to get rid of instead of a person that Buck treasures.
He relents. "Ok. I will come to El Paso. For a few days, just to understand what is going on. I care about you, Chris. I care about your Dad. I've tried to say and prove that so many times, but I will do it again. I want to help."
"Great." Chris says, sounding victorious. "Text me your flight info. You can stay at Dad's place or get a hotel."
And then Chris hangs up, and Buck's mind goes a little haywire. What the hell is he doing? And why is he so determined, despite all the bad blood.