Drowning Is Not Fun

Maeve, Buck and Christopher's Try With The Tsunami

It was supposed to be a fun day.

Maeve was spending the day with Buck and Christopher, they were going to the pier where the all the good games were at, all together with the beach smell and snacks.

Nothing could ruin it.

Bobby was skeptical on whether to leave the kids with Buck who wasn't far from a kid himself (in Bobby's words), but he allowed it when both kids AND Buck begged.

He said they were going to the movies, but changed it last minute and Buck ended up forgetting to tell Bobby or Eddie.

Instead of going to the movies though, they went to the pier to have fun.

They couldn't do anything too vigorous though, Maeve and Buck were still healing. They were doing it pretty well too, other than the time Buck threw up blood.

The pier was packed with people, activities, cotton candy and rides. However, Maeve was too short for some rides and Buck was too talle for others. Lucky Christopher was the perfect height, Maeve found it unfair.

Yet, the young firefighter knew something was bothering the older firefighter. Halfway through a game, she did notice that Buck was staring at the paramedics helping a man who had passed out by the side.

"Buck?" Maeve called, and he turned to her and smiled, acting like he was fine. The younger firefighter knew how badly he wanted to return to work, even though he had hurt his leg.

She did also liked work, but staying at home with TV and cake in the fridge is also kind of nice.

And later, they just sat down at a bench, admiring the view. Maeve and Christopher stood and looked over the edge while Buck held them by their shirts so they wouldn't fall.

"Look, Maeve! A seashell!" Christopher pointed at the rocks below where something shiny laid. "I'll get it." She grinned, shape-shifting into a bird and flying down to the rocks.

Maeve snatched it right off the rock and flew back to Christopher, dropping it in his hand. "That is a nice find, you two!" Buck nodded his head and Christopher beamed.

"... You guys are so happy... how do you do it?" He asked. "I don't know." They replied simultaneously. "I think the answer is cake." Maeve determined, looking down at the crabs on the rocks.

"That is a good reason to be happy." Buck nodded. "Ohh, and ice cream." Christopher added. "Yeah! And... Buck..?" Maeve suddenly sounded tense and Buck had never turned around so fast before.

Others started to whisper, all were staring over the pier and when Buck saw, he also felt tense. The water had retreated back, leaving a whole lot of the sea floor empty. At the far end of the ocean, a wave was growing bigger and bigger.

"Where did all the water go..?" Christopher asked, and Maeve shape-shifted into a cat, with her ears folding back. Suddenly, a loud alarm blared. "What's happening?" Christopher asked, Buck looked at her and at Christopher.

Maeve looked ahead and there was a huge wave, coming right for them.

This was really new.

"We have to go." Buck yelled, he picked up Christopher and ran with Maeve running by his side. Maeve could hear the water crashing behind her.

She should have shape-shifted into a dragon but the young cat was more focused on getting the hell out of there to change forms.

Buck hoisted Christopher and her into a stand, and jumped in just as the water hit. Then, Maeve couldn't see or hear anything but the waves washing over her.

She felt the water seep into her lungs, it hurt so much.

She didn't want to be here anymore.

She wanted to go home now.

She wanted her dad and her mum.

She wanted Bobby.

Everything was going dark again, like it did when she was at the explosion. It felt like the water filled up her entire body, leaving no room for air to breathe.

The current dragged her limp body effortlessly, and the cat had no more energy to battle against the tides. "Maeve.. where's Maeve!?" She heard Buck yell from above, but Maeve didn't think she would be found.

Until something reached into the water and scooped her up, the little cat coughed and shook away the water on herself like it was a dreadful thing.

"Mew.." Maeve gagged, as Christopher hugged her. "Just- just hang on to her, alright?" Buck asked, looking away at the rushing water.

"Buck.. what happened..?" Christopher asked, looking up at him. The older firefighter sat beside them, clutching Christopher like he would never let go.

"Tsunami.. it was a tsunami.."

"Ugh... Tsunami?" Maeve groaned as she shape-shifted back.

She had heard about those, but never been in one.

"Help!" Someone shouted, it sounded like a lady. Buck peered over the truck and there was a lady there, hanging on for dear life to a pole so she wouldn't kept swept away by the current.

"She needs help, Buck." Christopher said, though he was not looking at the lady.

"Uhm, Maeve.." Buck looked at her. Maeve's eyes darted between the scary tides and the lady.

Fear filled her body, and she couldn't move.

Buck noticed her frightened stance and grabbed the firehouse and jumped into the water.

He had made a line of rope from the truck to a tree, so people could grab it and make their way to the water. After a while, the truck started to pile up with people.

Maeve sat next to Christopher on the firetruck, hugging her knees.

"Hey... are you okay?" Christopher asked her. "... No..." Maeve shook her head. "It'll be okay, Maeve..." The boy patted her back, but she didn't respond.

After a while, Maeve fell asleep from exhaustion, she hadn't slept for days anyways. She leaned on Buck's shoulder, as the two other boys played I-spy to pass the time.

She woke up suddenly when Buck shifted Christopher and her up, looking away from water.

"Ugh, what's-... going on...?" The shapeshifter groaned, trying to turn her head but Buck gently pushed it forward. "H-Hey- um... we're just playing a game..."

The three started talking, and Buck sighed tiredly.

"You two.. never cease to amaze me."

"Why?" Maeve yawned.

"You two are just... so happy, even if bad situations."

"You were kicked around and had glass in your leg... Yet.. you gave Bobby and Athena a smile, like nothing happened."

"I can't let Bobby see me be sad.. he makes me sad too." Maeve explained. "Plus, being hurt... it's part of the job." Buck smiled at the younger firefighter and patted her head.

She knew a lot of things for a 4-year-old.

As they took a moment of breath, something hard collided with the boat. The wave had returned, and with it, it brought more destruction.

More people were being washed up and Buck left the kids to tend to the people.

Maeve huddled next to Christopher and suddenly, the shapeshifter felt herself fall into the freezing water, the sudden current swept her and Christopher far away from the boat and Buck's cries grew softer and softer.

It was only then did Maeve realised that she and Christopher had fallen into the water.

...

Water was everywhere, but mostly in Maeve's lungs. Though, she still felt Christopher hang on to her arm. Finally, the water level decreased after 5 minutes and they could breathe.

"Maeve! Wake up.." Christopher shook her, Maeve shook her head and opened her eyes. They were nowhere near the firetruck again, and she had no idea where she was.

"Where do we go..?" He asked, "I don't know..." She whispered, looking around. "Aren't you a firefighter?" Chris asked.

"It's my first tsunami... but I was trained for this, they would set up triage and hospitals. We need to find a dry hospital."

"A dry hospital? Can you even spell hospital?" Christopher joked. "I'm 5, the only thing I can spell is my name and 'mama'... Poor Bobby gets a nameless card for his birthdays."

"Hop on, you can't walk on your own." Maeve shape-shifted into a wolf-dog, allowing Christopher on. "Am I not heavy?" Christopher asked, and Maeve shook her head. Hesitantly, he sat on her back and the two went off in a random direction.

They walked around for a while, and it took about an hour before Maeve stopped and realised they were completely lost. "I don't think we know where to go."

The dog barked in annoyance, and decided to follow the direction of the current.

It was slow and not as strong as before, only going up to her stomach because she was shorter as a dog.

Suddenly, from a distance, there was a cry for help. "Help! There's a man, he's stuck under a pillar!" Someone yelled. "Oh, maybe it's Buck!" Christopher suggested.

Maeve ran towards the noise and indeed, there was a man trapped in a car under the pillar. "Are you two okay?" The man outside the car asked.

Maeve shape-shifted back and looked at the man, and at Christopher.

"Can you watch my friend please?" Maeve asked as the man stared. "Uhh sure, but kid, maybe we should wait for professionals." The man asked, "I work for the LAFD, it's hard to believe at first."

"Sir, are you in any pain?" Maeve asked. "No, I just can't get out." He replied, panicking. It wasn't Buck, unfortunately. But Maeve still needed to help the man.

How old are you?" he asked frantically. "I'm 5, but I am trained... for some reason."

"Can you move your toes?" She asked. "Uhh... yeah! yeah."

"That's good, so no spinal injury. Your car is just very strong and you're stuck." Maeve concluded, sighing. "We have to move this beam."

The young firefighter shape-shifted into a dragon and flew to the top of the beam, with all her strength, she lifted the beam and dropped it to the side.

Successfully, the man was able to come out.

"Thank you so much!" He exclaimed happily. "Do you know where the nearest hospital is?" Christopher asked with hope in his tone.

However, that excitement went away.

"It's that way but the flood hit it... why?" he replied.

"Oh.. never mind, just try and find the nearest firefighters..." Maeve frowned, she shape-shifted back into a wolf-dog and she and Christopher were off.

"We have to find Buck." Christopher said, and Maeve nodded.

The two walked for a bit, actually a lot. "Maeve..?" Christopher called while Maeve was looking through stuff with him.

"I'm scared..."

".. Me too.. I want my Daddy and Mama.." Maeve replied, "I want my dad too, but it's a good thing we are together. Right, best friend?"

"Right.. best friend! ...hey! I found some crutches."

...

Maeve was walking with Christopher when they came across another group of people. This time, someone was injured.

Injured bad.

"LAFD." Maeve said, rushing towards them. "But you're not a firefighter, you're like 5." A lady hissed, making Maeve groan. "Believe it or not mam, I work for the 118. Can you watch my friend please.."

Another lady had a compound fracture, which Maeve has never seen in person. Whenever there was an injury like this or even a dead body, Bobby or anybody would shield her eyes.

She always found it silly.

Was that why Buck covered their eyes earlier?

"It's not for you to see yet." He would say, but Maeve always heard what Hen and Chimney did when they came across them. She pressed two fingers above her foot, looking for a pulse. "Your leg still has a pulse, that's good."

"Can you move your fingers?" Maeve asked, the lady looked at her fingers which shifted slightly.

"That's great. All we need to do is make a splint..."

Maeve moved out of the way and searched the pile of rubble, she found a piece of a wooden board and took a nearby car's seatbelt leather.

She then gently placed the foot on the board and tied the leather around it, breathing a breath of air that smelled like seawater. "This is gunna hurt!" She then tied it down tightly, making the lady scream.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But I think I did it right.."

"Thank you.." The lady smiled through her tears, holding a hand to Maeve's cheek.

"You.." Maeve pointed at the other lady standing next to Christopher, "can you please find the nearest hospital or better yet, call 9-1-1, she needs a better splint."

"Tell them that she has a compound fracture on her left leg but no spinal injuries." She instructed.

"Alright, thank you!" Maeve smiled at her and then led Christopher out, none of them talked until they were at a good distance from the others.

"That was scary.."

"Yeah... I hope that lady gets help.."

...

It turned into night pretty quickly, and the little dragon lighted their streets with her small blasts of light.

"What do we do now?" Christopher asked. Maeve shape-shifted back and yawned, "I dunno... but I haven't slept for days... oh... don't tell my dad."

"It's okay... Let's find more people, then..." Christopher suggested, and Maeve nodded. They turned the block and found another group of people, along them them was hope.

Maeve shape-shifted into a dragon and pulled Christopher onto her back. They ran towards the group, unaware of what was about to come.

Finally, the bunch of people spotted the two. "Can you help-" but they just screamed, screamed like they were terrified.

Maeve shape-shifted into a cat, she was startled and it just made them more scared.

"Honey! Are you okay!?" A lady asked, picking up Christopher. "Yeah, can you-"

"Let's find your mother, we can't leave you with that... thing...!" Another person hissed. "That thing is my friend..!" Christopher argued, but no one really listened.

"It's probably mimicking your friend, the ocean washed it up!"

Maeve shapeshifted back and frowned. "I- uh, please wait-! We're just tryna find our dads, they're firefighters and-..." But she was ignored and shooed away.

"Go away! Shoo!"

The yelling turned into stuff being thrown at her and Maeve ran away, trying to escape. "Find Buck, Christopher!"

"Maeve!"

"I'll be fine! Go!" Maeve shouted before shape-shifting into a cat. "Get lost demon!" The lady yelled, she grabbed a pole and threw it at Maeve.

And she didn't miss.

"Uh oh... AH-!"

...

Buck looked all day long, he thought he finally had a lead on Christopher and Maeve but it was a dead end.

Things got worse when Eddie was at the hospital he was at too. He called Maddie, and he said that Maeve and Christopher were gone, he didn't know how to tell Eddie, let alone, Bobby.

Maeve was clinically dead for 14 minutes a month ago.

How was he supposed to tell his best friend and his boss that he lost their kids? They both have already been through enough and they would hate him forever.

But he had to in the end.

With all his leftover energy and courage, Buck walked up to Eddie with red eyes, still wearing Christopher's glasses.

"Buck! What are you.."

It only took 2 seconds with him for Buck to cry and launch into a panicked explanation.

"Eddie.. I-I promise.. I watched them closely, I took care of them!" Buck cried, and Eddie's eyes widened. "Buck, where's Chris and Maeve..?"

Eddie's eyes welled with tears.

"They.. they.." Buck didn't know what to say, until Eddie whispered something. "Christopher...?" Confused, Buck turned around and there Christopher was.

Standing with a lady.

But Maeve wasn't there.

"Are you Buck?" A lady with him asked, "No, I'm Eddie, his dad.."

"He was looking for Buck..."

Buck watched with teary eyes as his heart pounded in his chest, there was one kid, where was the other? Oh god, she couldn't be... she had to be alive... right?

"Buck? You okay..?" Bobby asked. Of course, he had to show up now.

Bobby noticed Buck staring at Christopher, and looked around for a familiar face. When he didn't see it, he looked at Buck, starting to worry.

"Buck, where's M-... where's my daughter?"

But Buck had collapsed onto the bed, with Hen and Chimney helping him sit. He was hyperventilating, and looking at Bobby with a scared expression like a child fearing getting hit.

"She.. she was swept up by the tsunami.. I-I dropped her with Christopher and.. Bobby, I'm so sorry.." He gasped, and Bobby put his hands on his hips.

Maeve was... gone?

Again...?

"Wait, are you the captain of the 118?"

Suddenly, a lady walked up to Bobby and the man finally breathed again. "Yes?" Bobby replied, his tone dripping with hope. "One of your firefighters, the- um, little girl, she made a splint for my best friend..."

"Maeve made a splint?" Hen asked, accidentally smiling. "Is this what being proud of your kid feels like?" Chimney asked. "Yeah, my friend had a... a-a compound fracture, and she made one with little materials.."

"She's never seen one before." Bobby replied. "And yet, she saved my friend's life.." The lady smiled.

"Did you see where she went?"

"No, but I wanted to thank you.. she's a special kid.."

"Thank you, alright, we're going back out!" Bobby said before the lady next to Christopher spoke up, sounding guilty. "Wait!" She called.

"The little boy, she was with this dragon..."

"Where did the dragon go?" Bobby asked seriously. "I... threw a pole at it... I thought it was some monster the ocean washed up."

That made the firefighters' blood boil.

"That monster is 5!" Hen added angrily. "What were you thinking!?" Chimney asked. "Do you know how scared they both must have been?!" Eddie yelled, holding Christopher.

"You could have killed her!" Bobby yelled, as Buck held him back. "I didn't know, I'm sorry, I think one of the animal shelters picked it up." The lady replied backing away.

"Alright, let's go!" Bobby shouted. And the sound of his voice made Athena came, "What happened?"

Bobby turned to her with a worried look and Athena feared the worst.

"Maeve's missing."

...

"Hello sweet thing!"

Maeve woke up and found herself in a cage with other animals. She was still a cat, and her side was bandaged up because of the pole. She knew she felt someone take it out and stitch her back together, it was not enjoyable.

Maeve wanted to shape-shift back but this much metal around her didn't let her. Metal interferes with the things in her brain that allow her to shape-shift.

It was almost a weakness, like Superman and kryptonite.

"Goodness, I hope we find you a mummy and daddy soon. I'd hate for you to end up on the street, it's tough out there." Maeve just hissed, swiping at the cage doors. "Let's really hope."

Maeve side hurt a lot, god, surgeries sucked.

All she could do now was lie down and wait.

Many people came to try and adopt Maeve, just trying to find a pet during a tough time but Maeve hissed and growled at everyone, it almost annoyed the shelter lady.

"Work with me here." She sighed.

Maeve even tried to claw a kid.

She just wanted her parents.

After looking in every other shelter until morning, the 118 finally pulled up to the right one. "Hi, excuse me, I'm looking for a dog... or a cat." Bobby asked the receptionist.

"Did you lose a pet, sir?" The lady asked. "Uhh, yeah... yeah, I did."

"Alright, can I ask how old?"

"Um.. wait, how old is she as an animal?" Chimney asked, and everyone shrugged. "We'll just have a look." Athena added. "She may be injured... and we have looked everywhere." Buck added breathlessly.

The lady nodded her head and led them to the back where all the injured animals were. "I hope you find her."

"There're so many.." Hen said softly, taking in the sight. "The flood did a number on them... 4 dogs, 5 puppies, 3 cats and 8 kittens.

"Uh oh... you know what, just check all of them." Athena suggested, "right... again." Chimney sighed. Hearing the familiar voices, Maeve lifted her tired head.

She growled softly until she saw they were firefighters, 118 firefighters! "Mew!" she clawed at the cage, trying to get their attention. Bobby was checking the top cages when he heard a meow.

He kneeled down as the others checked the other cages, noticing the frantic cat. "You're very lucky, that kitten has been sour with every other person that walked through the door."

Bobby stared at the cat that pawed at the cage and ran in circles in its cage, and he smiled. "Hey sweetheart."

He opened the cage and pulled Maeve out, she was tiny in his hands. The small cat purred as she rubbed its head on Bobby's finger, lying down exhausted.

It has been an exhausting two days.