i know it won't happen, but it would be Peak Comedy To Me if every so often in this CONTAGION arc we just flash over to eddie sitting in traffic while his uber passenger complains about the weather or something super mundane.
Beautiful. The composition. Colors. The lamp. The fact that the photographer managed to make the moon look GOOD (not all cameras and photographers can achieve that).
Absolutely spectacular. Ultraluminary. Yes.
this is unironically one of the most beautiful photo sets i've ever seen
hi so uhhhh. is it okay if i make a post to brag about my coloring again? because this time i think i might have actually outdone myself
idk why i asked i'm just gonna do it
this took me 4 hours (please turn off night shift if you use it, it looks way better without it lol)
i do think it was a masterful choice to start killing chimney first. in a whole team emergency. when it's their family on the line. and they take out the heart immediately. and all the other organs can do is watch their heart fail in real time.
“Eddie.”
Buck’s voice is ragged. Scraped raw, hoarse enough that Eddie would be concerned about his throat if his emotional state wasn’t the more immediate concern. Eddie can tell from the chest-up view he has that Buck’s not in his turnouts. He’s in a hoodie and LAFD tee, and his face is drawn and pale, his birthmark a stark point of red on his terrified face.
“Buck? Hey, what’s going on?”
“I’m - I don’t have a lot of time, I have to get back in there,” Buck says, low and urgent. Eddie can tell he’s outside, can see some kind of plastic tent behind him. He’s clearly on a call, and there’s a very short list of reasons Buck would call him while in the thick of it like this - none of them good.
“Okay. Tell me what’s happening.”
Buck swallows, closes his eyes briefly. “We’re on a call. A-a lab, caught fire. They were working on testing for a-a virus, and it’s bad, it’s really dangerous. We got - we got separated, I was helping someone out and the building went into lockdown, and they’re in there, Eddie, they’re stuck and I can’t get to them, I couldn’t get them—”
“Woah, hey, slow down. Breathe, Buck,” Eddie says, stomach is in his throat.
“Chim’s sick,” Buck continues, ignoring Eddie’s missive. “It’s bad, he c-could die, and soon. And Hen - Hen got hurt. Collapsed lung. Bobby put in a chest tube, she’s awake and talking but they’re - they’re not letting us in.”
“Shit,” Eddie swears. He collapses into the armchair, presses a hand to his chest. Tries to stave off the impending panic. “Who’s not letting you in?”
“The army. The fucking army, Eddie,” Buck spits, full of venom, and Eddie feels it too. Betrayal, anger, helplessness - all of it rising in his chest, twisting inwards because he’s 800 miles away and useless. “They’re here, they were helping us get to them, me and Athena, but this virus is too dangerous, it could be released to the public, and they’re just going to let them die.”
“They’re not going to die,” Eddie says, injecting conviction he isn’t sure he feels into his voice, because Buck needs it. “Hey. Look at me, Buck.”
Buck does, eyes wild and tearful, and Eddie feels it like a blow. His chest is aching and his hands shake, but he holds the camera steady for Buck.
“What are you and Athena going to do?” Eddie asks. “How can I help?”
Buck smiles despite himself - a ghost of a thing, just short a twist of his lips that nonetheless settles the gnawing dread.
Buck sniffs, wipes at his eyes with his sleeve, and tells him. Eddie walks through it with him, gives him tips and ideas. Buck waves Athena over and they all go through it together, and then their time is up. Eddie has half a mind to ask Buck to keep him in his pocket, take him into the trenches with him. But he can’t risk draining his battery, especially if things go south and Buck ends up as stuck as the rest of them. Eddie grits his teeth and wishes Athena luck as she disappears to start her distraction, and Buck lets out a shaky sigh.
“Hey,” Buck says before he hangs up. “Think you’ll have enough sway with your Silver Star to get us off the hook later?”
Eddie laughs, and Buck rewards him with a real smile.
“Yeah, I got your back,” Eddie says.
“I know,” Buck answers. “I - thanks Eddie.”
“Always,” Eddie says. “And Buck?”
“Yeah?”
“Be safe.”