Endless Sea:
Chapter Zero:

I found myself adrift in an endless sea of white.
Memories of the past fleeting through my mind.
My highs and lows. Good and bad.
Laid bare before me in that endless sea.

Time immemorial passed,
Till thoughts not mine came
To ask if I wished to return to yesteryear.
To a time, long past for me.
On this endless sea.

What use said I,
To Rectify
Knowledge kept?
Accept.
Changes made?
Would put paid.

And thus, I returned,
To yesteryear.
To pain and anguish and fear.

To rectify and accept
That which is a paid debt.

Song Lyrics from He Was My Brother by Simon and Garfunkel
SEAL Buck
Time Travel: Redo

This is part of my Endless Sea series with Buck being the one to return. Returning right at the moment of the infamous dinner when Bobby announces he was at fault for Buck’s not being able to return to work after the embolism.
Needless to say, there will be no Lawsuit and things will go dramatically different.

Chapter one:

Buck resettled in his skin. Re-feeling the old aches and pains as the return of an old lost love. Stretching out his legs under the table, while picking up his cup of tea and placing it up to his nose to inhale the deep fragrance. Settling his mind on the time period he was placed in and what he needed to do.

Athena brought in the dessert, but Buck never took his eyes off his captain. Making Bobby nervous. Until, just as Athena was sitting down, he blurted out that it was his fault Buck was being held back. That Buck was reckless in his therapy. Going too fast. And needed more time. That essentially Bobby felt that he wasn’t ready. Bobby had everyone else to think about and with Buck on blood thinners it wasn’t a good idea to be on duty at the station.

Excuses basically, to sooth his mind. And all at the table knew it. And all at the table waited for the blow up.
A blow up that Buck wasn’t going to give them as he took a drink of his tea, before sitting back up and placing the cup gently on its saucer.
Looking at Athena to say anything, but getting silence, instead. “So…. How long am I supposed to cool off Captain Nash? How long till you quit listening to Chim whisper my sister’s message in your ear and you actually look at the official paperwork? How long?”

Bobby got a mulish look on his face and was about to speak, before Buck held up his hand, “No. Don’t. It will just be more dabs to sooth your mental ego. But know this, we all answer to someone higher.” Here he looked at Athena. “Some, to multiple people higher than us. And when those in higher places also don’t do their jobs, sooner or later they will be held accountable to their people in higher ranks,” Here he looked at both of them, getting squirms as their conscious started to bother them. “Until then, I’ll say good night, as unlike my sister, and Chim, I’m not in the habit of burning unnecessary bridges. Officer Grant-Nash, dinner was excellent, as always. But I must head out. Thank you.
“Captain. Let’s not do this again.” He casually stood while speaking, nodding to each. Then did a full military turn and headed towards the door, “Don’t worry about letting me out, I’m sure each of you have to report to my sister about this meeting after all. When you do, please remind her that calls at night that are not life or death emergencies will be hung up on. No matter how important she thinks her berating me for daring to think beyond the doublethink she allows. And remind her I like the privilege of knowing and thinking that 2+2=4 and not her Orwellian 5, thank you very much. If she wants to rewrite history to suit herself, please leave me out of it. And please add yourselves and the rest of the shift in that message as well. Thank you again for an interesting evening. Goodbye.”
He walked out the door and shut it behind him to the shocked look of both Bobby and Athena.
Walking to the rental car he got after the tsunami destroyed his Jeep. Leaning his head against the steering wheel for a bit.

He was my brother
Five years older than I

He sat up and began to make plans to get something with a better security rating for any times he might be transporting kids, like Chris. If he ever gets the chance again. Because if he remembered right, Shannon was recently buried and with the close call on his son joining her, Eddie was burrowing at home. And fighting off the dreaded parents from Mount Doom.

They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong

And he planned to be an added outlet for Chris through Abuela and Peppa, so as not to get in the way of Eddie and make things worse all around like he had before.

He was my brother
Tears can’t bring him back to me
He, he was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free

Song lyrics by Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms:

Chapter Two:

Buck was staying at a long-stay motel to stay away from Maddie’s interference in what happened the night before. He had been up for awhile now and was drinking his strong, black, coffee while watching the sun rise over the mist-shrouded city.

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you’ll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

His mind thinking back to battles won and lost in the past.

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I’ve witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

Not only his battles, but Eddies, as he fought battles he shouldn’t have had to. Against his own anger, and against his family who should have had his back.

There’s so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Why must families, Eddies and his, demand to be so different and not allow for growth in each other? Why do they insist on everything staying the same as when they were in control? Like despots. No matter the harm done.

He sighed, he would not make war on his Brothers in Arms, but others? Yes. And turned away from the window.
Time to finish getting ready for the day.

He already had an appointment with the combination of the Union Head, his Battalion Chief and the Fire Chief. And all it took was sending a fake news report showing the internet PR going on from his popularity from his time as a fireman to the bombing. And his full medical report showing he was cleared for duty. Then the roster showing the department not allowing him to be on duty as a fireman. And being placed elsewhere. And the fake internet news on that little matter getting out.
He had added that his captain was the one holding him back, and as such he was willing to go to another station as long as there were no repercussions against him. And serve there until things were straightened out.

So, this morning’s meeting was to see what station and crew he was to serve with till things were taken care of at the 118. Including seeing to it the crew on A-Shift was cleared by the department therapists for duty after the bombing. Since they would very probably be suffering from PTSD as well.

Some day you’ll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

And he’d see to it they did so safely. Even if he had to do it with them kicking and screaming.

%%%%%

The meeting had gone well, with the surprise person at the meeting being his captain, who got raked over the coals for his actions, and put on a five-year probation for everything. Since between getting caught lying to the department and now lying again to the department, they were not happy with him.

A-Shift was off shift till they were each cleared by a department therapist for the bombing incident, and Eddie was put on bereavement leave to boot. And had to be cleared to come back from that as well. Though they all were off with pay. And Chim’s time as temporary captain was under review considering all the complaints on file over it now coming the higher authority’s attention. And he was now, not only on leave, but on administrative leave with pay, till he could explain himself and his actions.

Ironically, as Buck was the only one cleared on A-Shift, he was the only one of the team to return till the others finally could get their butts in gear and do the work needed to pass therapy. And by that time, he was off for six weeks to have the last surgery done and then the pt and healing time.

All the while still living at the motel while the house he bought was renovated to his, and Chris’ needs. Having some of his old roommates get him moved out of his loft and selling that to help pay for the house., and his things put into storage.

During his days off, he was over at the Diaz’s helping Eddie clean out Shannon’s place, and get her estate cleared up. Or watching Chris for him so he could get some downtime. Pushing him to go to VA meetings or having family look after Chris and taking him to an MMA gym to get his anger out in the ring with him. And making sure he was covered where Eddie’s parents were concerned by insisting on a home inspection by Child Welfare Agents in both States with true interviews done to block Eddie’s parents from ever getting Chris from him ever again.

You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

And he would not desert them.