The tension felt thick around them, the beeping of the heart monitor the only thing that cut through the silence weighing heavily in the room.

"So we have two options." Nathan's heavy but commanding tone eventually spoke up. "We leave her here and block the door. Or we pull the plug."

Rolen sucked in a deep breath, the hand clutching his arm tightening as frustration stirred in his chest.

"We're not killing her."

There was something about the goth’s tone that caused Nathan to fix his red gaze on the engineer’s blue one. It was clear he wasn't willing to budge on this.

Lexa looked down, watching the sleeping figure’s rhythmic breathing with a detached expression of her own. She opened her mouth to say something when all three of them tensed.

Loud footsteps came down the hallway, sprinting closer in their direction. The combat medic and the redhead immediately turned, weapons aimed at the doorway while Nathan’s large body moved in front of Rolen like a shield.
Rolen gripped his own gun with his good arm, but the metal felt heavy in his hand, like the weight of the idea of taking a life pressing on his shoulders.

Nathan peered over his shoulder to glance back. Rolen’s hands were trembling, and his aim was off.
With one hand still aiming his gun at the rapidly approaching footsteps, the soldier used his free hand to nudge Rolen’s arm back to his side, his large, warm hand gentle on the engineer’s trembling, cold one. For a second, just a second, that soft buzzing returned to the back of Rolen’s skull, his skin tingling under the other’s touch.

Just then, whoever had been sprinting toward them burst through the doorway, the barrel of a shotgun mere inches away from Nathan’s handgun.

It was a stranger, a Black man wearing a security uniform. Sweat trickled down his brow as his eyes fixated on Nathan.
Rolen could nearly feel the anger building in the large soldier shielding him. The static-like noise intensified, and Nathan’s eyes flared that glowing red for a split second.

"Give me one good reason not to paint this wall with Red Eyes’ brains!" the stranger barked, thrusting his shotgun forward until it nearly butted barrels with Nathan’s gun.
The man’s hands were shaking.
Nathan’s were still.
Worryingly still.

Like the calm before a storm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lexa warned, her finger already resting on the trigger.

Rolen raised his hands, ignoring the throbbing in his arm and wincing through gritted teeth as he slowly stepped away from behind the combat medic. "H-he’s not dangerous."

The man glared at the soldier. "Not dangerous my ass," he scoffed. "If he so much as twitches at me, he'll be a new decorative piece for Ms. Johnson to look at whenever she awakens."

Nathan breathed in deeply. "Sir." His tone was cold. "We need medical supplies. Our friend is wounded." He nodded toward Rolen, the bandages around his arm now almost fully red.

The guard’s eyes flicked over to Rolen, yet he didn’t lower or move his weapon from Nathan. His gaze tracked over the engineer’s arm before returning to the combat medic.

Silence fell over them while nobody moved a muscle.

Without lowering his shotgun, the guard reached to his belt. The sound of metal against metal clinked through the room. He slid a pair of handcuffs across the floor until they stopped at Rolen’s feet.

"You, cuff him," he stated simply. "Y’all are coming with me."

Rolen and Lexa glanced at each other before he slowly picked up the cuffs and walked over to Nathan, who hadn’t moved an inch.
Lexa raised a hand to stop Rolen.

"We’re not going anywhere with you until our friend gets treated," she said sternly.

"If you want him treated, then I need to take you to Doctor Smith. And you are not seeing Doctor Smith unless he’s cuffed," the guard snapped back, glaring at both of them.

Nathan balled his free hand into a fist at his side. Then he lowered his gun, switched the safety back on, and returned it to its holster before holding his wrists out.

"Are you sure?" Rolen whispered.
Nathan glanced down at him, seeing the uncertainty in the other’s eyes.

"It’s okay. I will be fine." He nodded, his gaze softening.
The young engineer moved the cold metal around Nathan’s wrists, tightening the cuffs before glancing back at the security guard.

Lexa slowly lowered her weapon but didn’t stop glaring at the guard for even a second.

"Good. Now come with me," the stranger stated. He lowered his shotgun but kept it locked and loaded in his arms while he watched everyone leave through the door before quietly following behind them.