"Alexander James!" joked Howie. "Get off that nasty floor right this minute!"
"What is up with you, man?" Brian asked.
"Yeah," Kevin agreed. "Where were you?"
AJ finally captured enough air in his lungs. He shakily stood up and Howie grabbed his arm when he fell again.
"Did you run all the way here?" AJ nodded with his tongue sticking out.
"Yeah, but where did you run from?" wondered Kevin.
"You were at the hospital, weren't you?" asked Nick, almost accusing him. That got AJ's attention. He straightened his back and crossed his arms.
"Yeah, so what if I was?" Once again, Nick backed up.
"What has gotten into you?"
AJ shook his head and started towards his hotel room. "Nothing. That girl just fascinates me so much. She is so....brave."
Brian laughed heartily. "You think you're brave, what's the difference between you and her? You guys are very darn different if you ask me."
"She's afraid of the pain she's in, but she's not afraid of death." The boys had their share of "oohs" and "ahhs".
Nick showed his so-called muscles and posed like Hercules. "I'm afraid of death, but pain doesn't scare me!" Everyone laughed and messed Nick's hair up.
"Good morning, Max!" greeted AJ as he walked into her hospital room. Max sat up and smiled at him.
"Buenos dias, AJ!" she replied.
"My, you look mighty healthy today," commented AJ as he sat in the chair.
"Thanks! I sure do feel better than I did a week ago." AJ suddenly stared down at the floor and played with his thumbs. She peered at him and waited patiently for him to speak. She's known AJ for a week now and she found out AJ doesn't talk when he's rushed. He then lifted his head and gazed into Max's cheery green eyes.
"Do you still only have a week left....to...to...," he stammered. She smiled sincerely which made AJ finish his troubled sentence. "Li...live?" When he said that, Max leapt from her hospital bed and hugged AJ. He was definetly surprised because this was the first time she touched him. The thing that confused him was, he rather enjoyed her embrace.
"I've been waiting for you all morning so I could tell you the good news!" she said excitedly. She was jumping up and down and AJ just laughed.
"What?"
"The doctors said the tumor is shrinking which is increasing my chance to live!" AJ jumped up from his seat and the two friends started dancing around the room, rejoicing. Max was like a foot shorter than AJ was so she was lifted off the ground. They were both laughing hysterically, both so happy Max might live. After 10 minutes, the two calmed down.
"That is GREAT news," said AJ. Max nodded with a wide grin on her face. "Hey," AJ said again. "Can you do me a favor?"
Max shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, I guess. What?"
AJ took in a deep breath. "Promise," he sighed. She gave him a puzzeled look. "Promise," he continued, "that you will live no matter what."