Everyone's Man – 13

 

 

Marc woke to the sound of his cell chiming. Muttering that he was supposed to have two hours until he was due at the hospital, he found it, read the message, and immediately called in. After a brief conversation with the nurse, he was heading to the bathroom to take a fast shower. It wasn't until he got back to the bedroom that it sank in that he wouldn't be there when Bill got home.

 

"Oh great, fight night again," he muttered as he finished dressing. Once he'd donned clean scrubs, he grabbed his wallet and keys and took off.

 

Thirty minutes later he stood at the side of Colin's bed. The young man's face was pale and drawn. The fear in his eyes belied the slight smile he tried to give Marc.

 

"He found me," he told Marc in a shaky voice.

 

"How do you know? Has he been here?"

 

"He…he called." Colin looked at the phone beside the bed. "He said he'd be waiting when I got out."

 

"Did he threaten you?"

 

Colin shook his head. "He's too smart for that, but he knew I'd get the message loud and clear."

 

"Then we'll have to find you a safe place to stay."

 

"You'll help?" Colin looked at him in surprise.

 

Marc nodded. "Isn't that why you wanted me here?"

 

"I didn't… I mean, I did… I do…" Colin chewed a nail as he looked at Marc. "I didn't ask them to call you. The nurse did it on her own."

 

"Tabby would," Marc told him with a laugh. "But either way, I'm here and I'll help. We just have to find you a safe house."

 

"Not here, not in this city. Nowhere would be safe from him." Colin's voice rose in panic.

 

"Colin, calm down." Marc took his hand, stroking the back with his thumb until he felt some of the tension leave the young man. "I'll call the police. They can find him if you can give them a description."

 

"No!" The word was a shout of panic. "No police. They won't… No way they'd believe me and if he…if he found out…"

 

"Calm down, Colin. I'll make you a deal. For right now we'll keep them out of this," Marc said, unwilling to upset the young man at this juncture. "Instead, I'll see what I can find out about this man. For starters, he could have been lying about himself. What's his name?"

 

"He… I don't know. But his house is huge, at least what I saw of it."

 

Colin's eyes went dead then, his body going rigid with tension, and Marc knew he was back there, remembering. Marc took Colin's shoulders and shook him gently.

 

"You're here and safe," he told him firmly.

 

Slowly, Colin relaxed again. Taking a deep breath he asked, "Can we get out of here before… I mean." His fingernail was back between his teeth again.

 

"I can get you signed out, yes, but I'm not going to until after my shift is over. There's no way I'm letting you go off on your own and take a chance that man meant what he said." He smiled at Colin. "I'm getting tired of stitching you up."

 

"I'm sorta tired of it too, even though it does mean I get to—" He looked down, blushing. "I didn't mean…" he muttered.

 

"Hey," Marc said softly, "no need to apologize. Okay?"

 

"Okay, but still I shouldn't have even… Can we change the subject before I say something really stupid? I bet you're already taken so I should—" Colin bit down on his lip hard. "So I get to sit here and stare at the walls for another eight hours? I'll go bug-fuck."

 

"Actually, no. I'll find a different set of walls for you to stare at. I'm…we're not going to take any chances. But first we need to get you something to wear so you don't look like a patient."

 

"We know your clothes won't work," Colin said, a tiny grin quirking his mouth.

 

"Maybe we can fake it with a set of my scrubs." Marc got up, admonishing Colin not to go anywhere until he got back.