Chapter Text
The station was far busier than it usually was, given the fact that they had everyone who was donating blood plus the nurses who were taking it roaming around. Just as Bobby entered the truck bay, Chim began addressing the small crowd that had formed.
“So I want to thank everybody for donating today,” Chim said, speaking louder than usual so that everyone in the station could hear him. “I don't know if you know this or not, but 90% of all the blood given to patients in the Los Angeles area comes from volunteers. I know that we all put our asses on the line in the field every day to save people, but today, you're saving people, and all it's taking is a tiny prick of a needle.”
“You still at it, huh? How’d you do?” Bobby asked.
The blood drive had been running for several hours and Bobby had specifically waited until right before their shift to head into the station. If they were meant to be working, no one would be able to take his blood.
“Incredible,” Chim informed him, sounding pretty proud of his project. “Everyone donated. Some people even came in on their day off.”
“That’s great,” Bobby replied, hoping to get the drive finished up soon before anyone could corner him. “All right, well, let’s wrap it up. We got to start our shift.”
“Uh, hold up. Looks here like I am two pints shy of my goal for the day,” Chim said as he looked down at his clipboard.
Bobby bit back a sigh as he tried to come up with another way out of giving blood.
“Well, that’ll give you something to work towards next time.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're the captain of this house, and you and Buck are the only ones who didn't participate,” Chim told him.
“What do you mean Buck didn’t participate?” Bobby asked as he scanned the station for the probie.
Chim simply shrugged and Bobby continued looking around until he spotted Buck coming out of the locker room, already dressed in his uniform and ready for his shift.
“Hey, Buck!” he called, drawing the young firefighter’s attention. “Chim needs another volunteer.”
Considering the fact that Bobby had seen the kid do some pretty terrifying stunts while on the job, he found it worrisome the way a tiny bit of fear appeared in Buck’s eyes at the thought of donating blood.
“I’m uh… I’m good, Cap,” Buck said, quickly trying to make a break for the stairs.
“Uh-uh, Buckaroo,” Hen told him. “Everyone’s gotta participate.”
Buck paused before turning around, slightly hunched over with his head hung, looking every bit a toddler who had just gotten caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar.
“That goes for you too, Bobby,” Chim added.
“I don’t like needles, end of story,” Bobby said firmly.
He practically shuddered at the memory of the last time a doctor had tried to take his blood. At least his biting reflex had turned into fainting over the years, although that wasn’t much better. He was a firefighter for Christ’s sake. Most people assumed it was the sight of his own blood that made him so nervous, but that had never been it. For whatever reason, needles had always just… bothered him.
“Me neither,” Buck spoke up, apparently spotting his way out.
“Oh, come on. Guys, come on,” Chim pleaded. You got to donate.”
“I don't give blood. All right? I never give blood. When I was a kid, they tried to take my blood and I bit the doctor,” Bobby explained.
Bobby’s childhood tale unsurprisingly got a laugh out of Hen and Chim, but Buck remained uncharacteristically silent. Although Bobby didn’t exactly like to have favorites, he couldn’t deny the fact that the kid had wormed his way into Bobby’s heart. Hell, Buck was probably everyone’s favorite. Maybe it was just because he was so young – or the fact that he was literally a human golden retriever – but everyone in the station had just taken him under their wing. And seeing Buck who normally talked a mile a minute so quiet was almost a little scary to Bobby.
“It's not funny,” he argued while keeping a careful eye on the kid. “And the one time someone tried to take my blood as an adult... didn't go well.”
Chim and Hen laughed again and Bobby headed towards his office thinking about the time he had fallen off of the exam table at the doctor’s office. Before he could even make it to the stairs, he heard footsteps following after him.
“Bobby? Bobby, hold... Wait. Hold on. Hold on,” Chim begged. “All right, listen, I get it. I really do, okay? But I really need you to do this for me, all right? Look... I'm alive because that rebar hit my head at just the right angle, and because I had the best damn fire and rescue team to get me to the hospital and the best surgeons in the world once I got there.”
Bobby couldn’t help but let his eyes drift to the small scar still present on Chim’s forehead. To anyone on the street, it would just look like something that had occurred as a result of a small accident, maybe a childhood incident. The idea that a piece of metal had been millimeters away from killing Chim made Bobby’s stomach clench uncomfortable and he quickly diverted his eyes as if that could chase away the memory of seeing Chim in his car that night.
“But I got ten pints of blood, donated blood, given by the very generous people of this city,” Chim continued. “Now, I told you, I just... I wanted to do this blood drive 'cause I wanted to give a little something back of what I was given. And expressing my gratitude like this... It balances me out with the universe. Now, you and everybody else here asked me how they could help with my recovery. Well, this is how.”
It wouldn’t end well, Bobby knew that. But for his team, for a member of his crew… he could at least try, right?
“I hate you,” Bobby informed the man, knowing he couldn’t back away from giving blood after Chim had given such a heartfelt – more like manipulating – speech.
“Thank you. Thank you,” Chim said, at least having the decency to sound somewhat grateful after the scheme he’d just pulled.
“You love us,” Hen corrected before tossing him a stress ball. “Here, you're gonna need this. Just squeeze it.”
“And don’t think you’re getting out of this either, Buck!” Chim called over his shoulder as he walked away.
Bobby turned around to see Buck still standing at the bottom of the stairs, frozen in place. He had a faraway look in his eyes, one Bobby didn’t like seeing at all.
“What do you say, kid?” Bobby asked, holding up the stress ball. “We can do it together.”
His words seemed to shake Buck out of his stupor and Buck forced a tight smile on his face as he gave a small nod. Anyone who knew the kid would have been able to see right through the facade, but Bobby knew not to push the matter. From what he’d been able to gather, Buck wasn’t completely used to having a family, to having support. It would take some more time for him to completely open up to them.
“All right, let's stick ‘em!” Chimney announced with a laugh.
Bobby didn’t end up passing out when the nurse inserted the needle. In fact, he managed to stay conscious throughout the entire process. It wasn’t because he’d gotten over his fear of needles though. No, it was the fact that for once, he actually had a decent distraction.
Although the sight of Buck looking pale and almost shaking made Bobby’s stomach clench with worry, murmuring small reassurances to the kid at least took Bobby’s mind off of what was to his own arm as a pint of blood was drained from his body.