Granger had raised an eyebrow. “And what if that’s true?”
Salgado had looked like he might bolt. “I don’t care,” he’d said. “I just didn’t think people like you could be like that.”
Granger had nodded slowly. “That’s the point.”
Salgado blinked.
“It’s none of your business,” Granger added. “But since you asked, yeah. I’m bi. Been like that the whole time I was kicking your ass in PT.”
Salgado flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“You didn’t offend me,” Granger said. “You surprised me. Don’t let curiosity turn into cowardice.”
Salgado swallowed. “You ever get treated different for it?”
Granger had shrugged. “Only by people who don’t know how to lead.”
Then he’d slapped the kid on the shoulder and walked off. Mac heard that story three different ways before dinner.
The next morning the company assembled for formation under a sun that was already brutal. First Sergeant Ramirez stepped forwardto address a recent chain-of-command survey. Morale had dipped. Some grumbling about leadership.
Mac stood near the rear of the formation.
Then First Lieutenant Marcus Crawford stepped forward.
“I’ve heard the chatter,” he said evenly. “The comments. The jokes that get quiet when someone from Third Platoon walks in.” He scanned the formation. “I’ve heard the way some of you talk about Lieutenant Hayes. About Carter.”
A few boots shifted.
“Funny thing is, I’ve never seen either of them fail their job. I’ve never seen them slack on duty, miss a brief, or put anyone at risk.”
He let that hang.
“But I’ve seen some of you drag their names through the dirt over assumptions. Over rumors.”
Another shift in the ranks.
“You don’t like how they stand near each other? How they talk?” Crawford asked. “That says more about you than it does about them.”
He paused.
“And if two officers treating each other with basic human respect makes you uncomfortable, maybe you’re the one who doesn’t belong in uniform.”
Ramirez stood nearby with his arms crossed.
“Carter’s been decorated twice,” Crawford continued. “Hayes ran trauma response under fire without flinching. “If either of them trusts the other enough to lean on, that’s not gossip. That’s loyalty.”
He let it settle. “And if it is more than that, what does it matter? Worry about your own standards before judging someone else’s.” Then he added quietly, “People who whisper don’t lead.”
Crawford stepped back into line.
Ramirez stepped forward. “If anyone in this formation thinks they’re being watched harder than others because of who they are outside the wire, that’s a problem.”
He scanned the ranks. “Granger. You got something to add?”
Staff Sergeant Granger stepped forward, calm and squared away. “Yes, First Sergeant.”
He faced the platoon. “I know what it feels like to walk into a room and wonder who’s already made up their mind about you.”
