𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 42

"Third time's the charm," Cristine commented as she cleaned the cut underneath Troy's eye, just on top of his cheekbone. Troy just came waltzing in the infirmary during her shift, oozing a restless energy that was a mixture of rage and something rare she'd almost say he looked vulnerable. She'd blinked at the red streak near his cheek that had almost fully healed, same with his right eye where Madison had spooned it, but it was swollen again... a direct blow. Cristine hadn't ask Troy what caused and just grabbed some antiseptic, Troy automatically went to sit down on one of the cots. It was the third time Cristine had to tend to Troy's injury in the infirmary one way or another and it was him who willingly came here.

"Yeah? Doesn't feel like it. Just sounds like the third time the situation grows worse than last time," Troy mused while looking at the ceiling and the corner of his mouth twitched when Cristine swiped at his reopened injury with the disinfectant solution.

Cristine patted the damaged skin near his eyes dry with a clean towel and looked at her hands before discarding the waste in the medical bin. She didn't put much thought to her words, too focused on planting it against his blood soaked eye. "Jake made it worse and now Alicia's volunteered to stay as a hostage at the Nation while we have one of theirs."

"Heard Hailey knew."

"Yup," Cristine the word popped out of her mouth, but Troy sensed the agitation even if it didn't seem to hinder her steady hands touching and prodding at his face. "My dad and Dolores are lecturing her as we speak. They were pretty pissed... Madison's obviously pissed."

"Well her daughter is in the hands of our enemy. But Indians are pretty strict with their proceedings and rituals so they won't hurt her or they risk loosing one of their own. Jake thinks she's safe or he wouldn't have left her there. I believe him." Heck, it was always Jake who protected him, even today when Troy blew over his top and their dad punched him in the face, Jake protected him. Some things in his family never changed, even after so many years.

Cristine scoffed hearing her friend's name and made an irritated expression mirroring Troy's. "Jake kind of forced everyone's hand with that." Cristine wiped her hands on her pants and stepped back and crossed her arms over each other, indicating she was done and asked, "how's Jeremiah?"

"Rightfully pissed." Troy dropped his head and ran his palms over his pale greyish green uniform pants, chewing on the inside of his lip near the corner. "But he's wise to not back Jake's plan."

"But he's giving him a chance to play it out?" The question emerged from her mouth amid brief silence, "why? If he already knows your father doesn't want to give them our water reserves." Cristine didn't understand why Jeremiah wasn't more invested in making a clear-cut decision with the Ranch. Like her father had when he chose her and Troy's side last time they were all together, as brief as that plan lasted, it was better than the situation they were in at the moment. They'd play their last card to actually win.

"Cause even if this parley is clearly a snakebit, this is Jake's play. And Jake's always been our family's wonder boy." Moving his tense jaw from left to right, Troy looked at the entrance of the infirmary and went completely still. His voice a gravely whisper laced with conflicting emotions. Troy's anger was no longer about the situation - it had changed into complicated family issues. Issues Cristine knew all too well. She spotted the signs of a dysfunctional family like she was staring at her own. And she often talk with Jake of the things of old. Only thing was Troy, in particular, still suffered from his father's rage and took it. Watching his slanted profile silently, Cristine tapped her finger on the end of her left elbow, not sure what she could say to better the situation, but distract his mind with something else. The recent offer Troy made came to mind when her family suffocated her and she left for her own sanity to man outpost Beta.