Doctor's Log
September 27, 2004
They were better behaved today. I guess the music was a good punishment. Just in case they act up though, I've got a new pile of CD's. New Kids on the Block, Janet Jackson, and some really bad songs by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Mainframe burnt their songs off on a CD and gave it to me. He spent probably an hour searching for really horrible music to burn. You'd think he has nothing else to do with his time.
Beach Head and Dusty have taken to calling me Dr. Evil behind my back though. They've also given me a theme song. I found out later from Falcon that it's the theme of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. I threatened them with Sesame Street music after that and they shut up.
Gung Ho and Firewall meanwhile have been on perfect behavior. I even gave them a complement for it. However I wasn't prepared for what Firewall asked me. She actually asked me why I was a Pacifist. You know of all the Joes, she's actually the first one to ask why. I didn't really know how to answer that. Gung Ho made the comment that my parents were probably peace loving hippies. I'm sure he meant it as a joke, but it stung. He couldn't have been any farther from the mark. I actually snapped at him and told him that he knew nothing about my parents. That kind of took him back.
I know that wasn't the best way to handle that, especially since I never really answered Firewall. But how do you tell someone that your mother died when you were young and that your father was an abusive workaholic? I sort of hid out in my office for ten or fifteen minutes doing paperwork to avoid answering her. I did go back out, and she asked me again. I didn't say anything for a while, but I eventually told her that I'd seen enough violence growing up and that I didn't want anymore. Beach Head quieted her before she could ask anymore questions. He and the other two didn't say anything else, but I'd catch them giving me thoughtful looks the rest of the day.
It was hard enough for me to tell Psyche Out about my childhood. The only reason I'd told him was because last year I was having nightmares about my father and Cobra. I was going days without much sleep. It's not like I can just tell someone like Beach Head, Gung Ho, Dusty, or young Firewall that my father was abusive, and that's why I hate violence.
D.C.'s curled him in my lap as I type this, he seems to sense my feelings. Every once in a while he peeks a yellow eye up at me as if he's checking on me. Damn. I shouldn't have reacted like that.
Author's Note: I know this is more serious than the usual humor, but this was a question that I really thought Firewall would ask. This history of Lifeline is in The Battle Files character guide that Devil's Due Publishing came out with. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the Joes actually ever asked Lifeline why he was a pacifist. I promise that the remaining chapters will feature the usual carnage and mayhem.