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.

Restraint
Chapter one:

Buck took a moment to resettle in his skin. 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 here and now and what he needed to do.

Even as Athena brought in the desert, but Buck never took his eyes off his captain. Making Bobby very 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 soothe his mind. And everyone 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 soothe your mental ego. But know this, we all answer to someone higher. Some, to multiple people higher than us.” Here he looked at Athena. “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 of them. 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. And made plans to get something with a better security rating for any time 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. 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.