"Is he okay?" Maria demanded of Max who hadn't said anything yet.
Max sighed, "He's not awake if that's what you mean. The sheriff has a hole in his head just under the hairline from one of the alien ray guns. It must have missed directly hitting the brain."
"So, why don't you heal him?" Maria said, "Isabel closed Michael's hole, you could do it to the sheriff."
"It's simple," Max said sadly, "The person I'm healing has to be looking at me."
"I suggested propping his eyes open with toothpicks," Amy said, "But apparently that won't work either."
"He has to see me," Max said. "So, unless the sheriff regains consciousness, there's nothing I can do to help him. I'm sorry Mrs.DeLuca, I'd help if I could." He looked around, "Where's Isabel?"
"In the bathroom," Maria said shortly, glancing to the women's room she had ran to a moment before.
They all glanced up as they heard footsteps coming down the long corridor. It wasn't a doctor, but Kyle Valenti. He was carrying a sandwich from the hospital cafeteria, and it took him awhile to notice the group assembled there. When he did, his face contorted in a mix of pain and rage and he stalked up to them.
"What are you doing here?" he said in a tight controlled voice to Max.
"I came to see if I could heal your father," Max said simply. "But, I can't, unless he wakes up. I'm sorry Kyle."
Kyle ignored the apology. "I don't want you coming here again Evans. You're the reason my father is here in this coma! If it weren't for you, your sister and Michael, he would be walking and normal. Our lives would be normal."
"I didn't want anything bad to happen to the sheriff, and I feel guilty enough it happened because of me," Max said passionately, "I'll accept some responsibility, but I'm not going to beat myself up over something someone else did."
"Want me to do it for you?" Kyle said, in what he hoped was his most menacing voice. But, he didn't look fearsome. He had bags under his eyes from endless nights of staying with his father, and he was just full of hurt at the one person who he had in the world disappearing.
"Kyle, please," Amy said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He cast her the briefest glance, then turned back to Max. "So, she knows too? Why? So she can be another victim left in the wake of Max Evans?"
"Just stop it Kyle," Maria said sharply, but he wasn't listening. Kyle had lunged himself at Max, trying to hurt him.
The two boys struggled in the hallway, Michael trying to pull Kyle off Max. Maria thanked God there were no nurses or doctors around at that particular moment.
Kyle got in a few punches, but he wasn't him normal self. He wasn't fighting smartly, he was just blinded by his anger and wanted to take it out on Max. Max, who never fought, was actually winning.
Max got on top of him, and was about to punch him in the face when he looked into Kyle's eyes. The hatred was still there, but there was something that made him stop in his tracks. Kyle Valenti had tears in his eyes, that he was trying desperately to hold back. All the fight had gone from him.
Max stood up wearily off of Kyle, and pushed his hair back from his face. Kyle got slowly to his feet. He had a haunted look in his eye, and Maria felt sorry for him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"All aliens do is hurt people," Kyle said in a haunted voice, "Tess is dead because of Michael, my dad is near death because of Max. Liz, Alex and your lives have been in danger numerous times. Where does it end."
"Shh Kyle, it's okay," Maria said comfortingly to the ex-boyfriend of her best friend. She was never close to him, but he had nobody else to turn to right now. When he turned towards her, she hugged him tightly, at least trying to take some of his pain away. "It'll all be okay," she repeated quietly.
"It won't, it won't," he said, his voice breaking. "He does this, all he does is take those I love away from me. My whole life, my grandfather spent all his time chasing the idea of aliens on earth. Then, my father caught the dream. If they had never crash landed, if Max had never come to this earth, I would have had my father in my life more. Now, I won't have him at all. He not only had my girlfriend, he had my father more interested in him that he was in me."
Maria didn't say anything, knowing words would be inadequate. She just held Kyle as he tried desperately not to cry, hurting so much he just needed comfort from someone. Over his shoulder, she just stared at Michael who was looking at Kyle with a haunted expression in his eyes. Everyone was hurting, and there was nothing she could do to make it better.
TBC.......
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