“It’s not okay,” I seethed. “You knew he didn’t want that, and you let them put him on a ventilator? He wants a DNR, you asshole!” My fingertips bit into the slight muscle of his shoulders. Feeling the give, I relaxed my grip and took a shaky breath to quell the rage flooding my body. “You knew.”

“I’m sorry,” an older doctor with perfectly silver hair said calmly, as if he hadn’t seen me take Xander to the drywall. “Did you say that Mr. Daniels has a DNR?”

“No,” Xander replied just as calmly, not moving an inch. To the outside world, he probably looked like the composed gentleman he was, attempting to divert attention.

But I knew better. He knew he was cornered by a predator—by me—and the minute he moved before explaining himself, I’d put his ass right back on the wall.

“He does not?” the doctor confirmed, flipping through the chart.

“No, he doesn’t. You’ll have to excuse my brother’s outburst. It’s been a very emotional day for us both, and my father apparently told Camden that he was thinking about a DNR, but we hadn’t ascertained his state of mind when making that request. It’s hard to tell with Dad these days. He looks and speaks normally, but he might be in the wrong year or not even have a clue what his own name is.”

“Don’t apologize for me,” I said quietly before turning my attention to the doc. “Dr. Taylor,” I addressed him after reading the embroidery on his white coat. “I’m sorry you saw that. I’m Camden Daniels, and my father told me both last week and last month that he wanted a DNR, so I’m just a little furious with my brother for allowing him to be intubated.” I tapped into the headspace I used when the mission overruled emotion, the space that had kept me alive for the last decade.

The doctor glanced between us, observing quickly and nodding. “This is a complicated matter, and I can respect that both of you must be at your limit. However, I can’t allow that to happen again on my floor. Understand?” Two figures in blue appeared behind the doc. They’d obviously called security.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, momentarily kicking myself for allowing my temper to hit so hot. At least I stopped myself from grinning at the guards. As if they could actually physically remove me.

“Good. I wouldn’t want to have to ask either or both of you to leave.”

“You won’t,” Xander promised, slipping me a sideways glance that I didn’t meet. Fuck him. He let them put a tube down Dad’s throat.