Page 50 of Lifeline

“You said Colin has been sleeping in the main house for a few nights,” I said slowly as we crept closer and through the door as quietly as we could.

He nodded silently as we crept up the stairs to find that we weren’t the only ones who had come to see the fireworks. Jake, Reno, and Trevor were in the hallway staring at the kitchen door, and I remembered it had been Colin’s night to cook, which explained why they were fighting there.

“I said from the start I wasn’t going to treat you any differently, so I don’t know why you think that’s going to change just because you don’t like the punishment you earned,” Xander barked and I peered around the corner to see he was standing close to Colin. He rarely got close to people when he was pissed, so I didn’t know if that was a sign of how mad he was or how close they were emotionally, or some combination of both.

“You can back up right now, Xander,” Colin said, fearlessly putting his hand carefully but firmly on his chest and pushing him back. “And if you think this is about my wanting preferential treatment, then you really have gone off the deep end into your own ego. This is about all of us who were there. I didn’t ask for preferential treatment, and before you say it, I didn’t ask you to make me their babysitter!”

“They all see you that way,” Xander snapped at him. “Every single one of them. Each of them acts like you’re the second in command and then you let them do shit like this?”

“Let them? In case you didn’t notice, they’re grown-ass men who can make their own choices.”

“Could have fooled me. I thought maybe you might⁠—”

“What? Stand by and let it happen?” Colin shot back. “Then you’re a bigger idiot than you accuse the rest of us of being.”

A shadow shifted nervously in the hallway, and I realized Cait was standing at her office door as Xander’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“Those other assholes picked a fight, and they were going to have it no matter what the hell we did,” Colin growled at him. “They went after Reno first when all he was trying to do was get Jake to a safe distance, and then we were going to leave. I didn’t make that prick go after Reno. And don’t stand there and act like you wouldn’t have taken that fucker’s head off if you’d seen him go after one of your men.”

Xander huffed. “We don’t need the town thinking we’re going to start trouble, Colin. I get you were backing them up, but seriously? There was no other way to handle it? You act like you’re their mother, their big brother, their whatever, but you couldn’t step in? Fuck’s sake, you made Jake back off from Carter, don’t pretend otherwise, I got the full story.”

“What’s your point?” Colin asked, and his face was ablaze with fury.

“You’re not in the military anymore, alright? Where they’ll let you get away with being rough occasionally. And you’re not some EMT on the streets who has to defend himself when people lose their minds, people you’ll never see again. If we look bad, then the town talks, making shit hard on us, and they complain. And what do you think is going to happen if I find out there’s complaints about us?”

Colin’s mouth twitched, and he looked away. “Fine. Maybe I should have made Jake back down sooner, or at least tried, because I’m going to be real with you, Xander, we’re still people, we’re not…we’re not what you want us to be, alright? We’re just people. And when we’re standing there, enjoying ourselves and a group of dipshits get up in our faces about something that isn’t any of their goddamn business…yeah, you’re right, maybe I let it go too far. Maybe some part of me let it happen. Or maybe it was out of my goddamn hands and I was backing up my guys just like you should be doing right now instead of worrying about our fucking reputation like some prom queen wannabe!”

Xander’s eyes burned, and before anyone could so much as move, he turned and stomped out of the room with an inarticulate snarl. Everyone in the hallway scattered to their rooms, though it clearly didn’t matter. It seemed like as long as we were out of his way, Xander didn’t see anyone as he barreled down the hallway, hitting the doors with such force that it was a miracle something didn’t break on his way out.

“Food’s done,” Colin said in a low voice, so tightly controlled it was unnerving. “And you’re back on regular duties tomorrow, everyone.”

“Uh, not to poke the bear here, but is that a good idea?” Cait asked, hanging out of the doorway and looking at him cautiously. “Xander⁠—”

“I said, everyone back on regular duties tomorrow,” Colin said, not quite snapping, but there was no missing the flash of a blade in his tone. “If he wants to hold me to the standard of behavior of a second in command, then I’ll start behaving like one. Our leader is being unreasonable, and I’m overriding him. If he says otherwise, call me on the walkie and I’ll deal with it.”

That was all he said before he walked out, not bothering to take any food with him. The rest of us crept out and watched him go out the double doors, heading to the left, which meant he was going to his clinic. The rest of us looked at one another nervously.

It was Reno who looked at Cait. “You’ve known Big Boss longest; how bad is this?”

“I’ve known him as a bitterly married man, and a bitterly divorcing man. I’ve never seen him as a happily in love man who just had a drag-out verbal brawl with the first boyfriend he’s ever had,” she said with a frown. “We’re out of our depth here, boys.”

Reno twisted to look at Jake. “Is that why you’re so scared of Colin?”

Jake frowned. “I’m not scared of him. He’s Doc. You put respect on that name, that’s all…well, I guess he is a little scary, but that’s because you don’t piss off the guy who comes near you with sharp objects.”

“I think…they’re okay,” Aidan said quietly, and we all looked at him in surprise.

“And how would you know that?” Cait asked, curious rather than hostile.

“A feeling,” he said with a shrug.

“Good enough for me,” I said as I climbed the last step and made my way into the kitchen to find the burgers and fries Colin had made.

“Since when do you trust someone’s word without more information?” Reno asked me as he followed me into the kitchen behind Aidan.

“Because his instinct with people is about as good as Colin’s, he just doesn’t have the same confidence in it that Colin does,” I said, ignoring the puzzled look Aidan shot me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want some peace and quiet.”

“That means no you,” I heard Trevor mutter, and Jake snorted.