Episode 1
TO
WHERE IT BENT IN THE UNDERGROWTH
Chapter Eight
MORNING AFTER
< DAY
LIGHT >
Max was
asleep in the chair beside Logan’s bed, her head resting on the chair’s
shoulders. She had nursed Logan from
his fever throughout the early morning.
She had had to push aside the hungry pangs that gnawed at her body in
order to keep the fever down and as much shark DNA as she had, it was simply
too exhausting – even for an X5… tending more towards emotionally
draining. She had finally slept
through when Logan’s fever had gone into a more stable range, listening to
Logan’s heartbeat as emotional exhaustion claimed her.
Max sat
up, her eyes alert as she heard the front door open and then someone walking
towards Logan’s room. She bolted from
her chair to the door strategically listening as she stood right beside the
door, ready to pounce on the intruder.
The door’s knob turned slowly and opened abruptly. Max was about to lunge, ready top dropkick
the intruder when she saw OC’s hands before her face warding off her attack.
“Max!”
Barely
able to stop herself, Max literally sighed and hugged OC in her relief. “OC!”
She then let her friend go.
“You gotta
lighten up, boo!” was OC’s greeting to Max.
“You been creeping with your brothas and ‘em sista’s you forget the
sound of Original Cindy walking?” She
smiled, trying to lighjten up Max’s mood. Seeing Logan on the bed, OC asked
Max, “How’s hotboy?” Max looked at OC questioningly, wanting to know how she
knew about Logan’s condition… and how she knew Max would be here. OC gave max
a level look, “Alec told me. ‘Sides,
with you mooning over hotboy over there all o’ yesterday, figured you could
only be in one place today.” OC smiled hoping Max would take the hint of her
teasing.
Max gave
her a grim smile as she and OC stepped out of the room to give Logan some
peace as he slept. “Still has fever
from the bullet.”
Remembering
Logan’s state of undress and trying to lighten her boo’s mood, “From the
looks o’ things, he WOULD have had CONVULSIONS… and I’m not talking about
fever from any bullet here.” She teased Max. “Seriously, boo, need any help?”
Max sat
onto the couch as she stared at Cindy still standing before her. “He did have
convulsions.” OC sat down beside Max.
“Dang! And
I thought the virus would -”
Max
sighed, “Not that kind OC! You have a dirty mind!” Max didn’t know whether to
laugh at her friend’s dirty mind or to give in to the heavy feeling she’s
experiencing. “The bullet almost went through his liver. But he’s more stable now.”
“Anything
you need, boo. I got your back -” OC
said seriously.
Suddenly
Max stood up, “Oh God!” She stopped for a second and then ran into Logan’s
room. At the back of her mind, she
had been listening to Logan’s heartbeat using her enhanced hearing
ability. It was subconscious, but
when Logan’s heart stopped beating, that background “music” of his heartbeat
put Max into action. She slammed Logan’s door open as she went in ready to
give Logan CPR, feeling his wrist for a pulse. Then she remembered – the virus. She looked at the door to find OC right behind her, as she had
thought OC would be. She motioned at
OC, the movement of her head indicating the resuscitation bag, “Grab the
ambu.”
OC went to
get the Ambu-bag as she ran towards the side of the bed next to Max. She went and opened Logan’s air passage
and placed the Ambu-bag over it. Max
determinedly said, “On 5!” and they started doing CPR to Logan, with OC
breathing air into Logan’s lungs.
After 4 repetitions, Max could not help but plead, “Come On,
Logan! Show me what you’ve got!” as
she continued to give him CPR with OC’s help, stopping a second to listen to
Logan’s heartbeat. On the 10th
attempt, she heard Logan’s heart begin to work on its own and she let go of
his chest. OC slumped back onto the
chair beside the bed as Max walked to take the Ambu-bag back into the bag.
OC looked
at Max to see her friend’s downtrodden stance as she placed the Ambu-bag
inside. She stood up and walked to
Max, “Come here, boo.” She led Ma out
of the room once more. As they closed
the door, she said, “We can’t have you with hotboy looking like that and
feeling that way. Boy needs your
strength now more than ever and I don’t mean your abilities too.” She hung
her arms around Max’s shoulders as they sat on the couch once more, “Logan’s
gonna make it.” Willing for Max to
look at her, OC called, “Max. Boo!” Max turned her head then to look at OC,
all pain and fear seen through her eyes as OC reassured her, “Logan’s gonna
be okay, you here? If not, tell him
Original Cindy’s gonna kick his butt for all the trouble he brought to my
boo.” Max smiled her thanks to
OC. OC continued to look at Max,
“Will you be okay, boo? Gotta get myself in before Normal trips on me. But I can call in sick if you be needing
me here.”
Max smiled
and shook her head. “No. better not
press our luck with Normal. Thanks Cindy.”
“That’s
what I’m here for, boo. I’ll drop
your packages for this evening here.
I’ll tell Normal you couldn’t make it coz o’ those sector police. He’ll believe it.”
Max smiled
as OC got up. She followed OC as OC
went and got her jacket and opened the door, pausing before she goes down to
her bike, “He’s tough, boo. Hotboy’s
gonna make it.” She hopped on her
bike and left for Jam Pony with Max staring at OC, hearing her parting words
over and over again. Hoping that
she’s right.
< LATER
>
Logan
opened his eyes wincing at the pain down his ribcage. He could not remember walking to his bed
and lying down, but here he us.
Wondering why he had chosen to sleep with his jeans on, he removed the
sheets from his sweat-clad body. It
was then that he saw the bullet wound in his lower left ribcage. He looked around the room and noticed the
resuscitation bag at the dresser near the foot of the bed. He was thirsty and he needed water
fast. He pushed his arms on the bed,
hissing as the pain shot up his body, until he was in a sitting position with
his back on the head board of the bed.
Breathing deeply, he braced himself on the bed as he lifted his legs
and placed them on the floor, catching his breath at the pain, his hands
gripping the bed harder, his knuckles turning white waiting for the pain to
subside. He then pushed himself up
and crouching, he walked towards the dresser to get a robe. He moved very slowly, putting on the robe,
then walked towards the kitchen, thinking he was alone. The sight of Max eating some chicken as
she looked at the sink caught him off guard, “Max!” he croaked.
Max
suddenly looked up berating herself silently for thinking about the Logan
that she didn’t even hear him stir.
“Logan! You should be in bed!”
Logan
smiled, “Yeah, well. If you keep this up, I’d be dead before I could get
myself some water, catnurse.”
At that,
Max immediately got up, got 2 pairs of latex gloves and put it on. She then got a glass and filled it up with
water to give it to Logan. “Sit
down,” She said a bit firmly before she turned to see that Logan had followed
her instructions and sat on another chair.
She handed him the water and he drank it up. Trying to find something to say or do, Max said, “I cooked some
chicken – not any Cale-type of cooking, but nonetheless fills your stomach.”
Logan
placed his lass of water on the table and grimaced, “Mmm… sounds good” He
didn’t really feel like eating, but he didn’t want to offend Max’s culinary
debut. “I’ll have some later… if
that’s okay by you.” He looked
meaningfully at Max, making sure he conveyed his desire to eat anything she
tried to cook. “I think I’ll head back to the bedroom… but keep it in the
oven. I’ll take it a little later.”
He pushed himself up on the table with Max ready to help him, but not
wanting to offend him by doing so.
After
scanning Logan’s form to make sure he could get into the bedroom by himself,
Max said to Logan, “Suit yourself.
Won’t promise you any leftovers, though.” teasing him as he went into
the bedroom. Logan stopped and smiled
along the corridor before continuing on into the bedroom as Max breathed a
sigh of relief at seeing Logan up and about, “He’s gonna be okay.” Convincing
herself more after the brief stay of Logan in the kitchen, she smiled at the
thought.
< SPACE
NEEDLE >
Max is
sitting on the needle, looking across the panoramic sky.
~ FLASHBACK ~
Logan
mumbled through his increasing temperature caused by the wound, writhing in
pain as Alec took over Max’s first aid, “Max… Max… I should have known…
always flickered your eyes when you’re hiding something… I saw your tear…
should have stopped you… but I didn’t…” Joshua took off Logan’s jacket. “you
always fidgeted with your hands whenever something’s bothering you… that far
away look …you’re holding your breath… …if you’d only tell me …even if I’m
not Alec… I’d settle for anything… God! …what I’d give to see you… he can
protect you… more than I could say for myself… you’ll always be Max to me -
my Max… that will never change… you deserve some happiness… I’m so sorry…”
Max’s eyes flickered for a moment before returning to her task.
~ END OF FLASHBACK ~
Max thought, Lying’s always been easy for me… then I met Logan. Truth will set you free, they say. Truth of the matter is –I’ve been lying to myself, even worst, to Logan. Logan’s gonna be aiight. That’s all that matters – for now. Tomorrow will be here soon enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END
OF EPISODE ~~~~~~~~~~~~
************
Please don’t forget to review. Click here
Home What's New News & Info Fiction Pictures Multimedia Links Feedback