Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Dark Angel the series or the
concept.
Summary: Max's seizures come back full force in the middle of building TC. Being "The One" She cannot let anyone see her so weak. Only she doesn't know just how bad these seizures are gonna get.
A/Note: This will definitely be an M/A fic pretty much based on her seizures. Lots of angst and drama and action. Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Enjoy! :O)
Out Of Breath
Chapter One
She could feel it now, feel the tiny tendrils of pain slowly making their way down her spine, igniting each and every single nerve ending along the way. Forcing her head up, Max kept walking, swallowing the fear that threatened to explode in her gut. "This cant happen now" She thought, glancing around at the bustling control center. It had only been 24hrs since their confrontation with the police and familiars, and TC was still buzzing with excitement, the day's events still fresh in the air, no one noticing that it was now nearing 4 o'clock in the morning.
And it had been so long since her last one. So much had happened, to her, to her world, she had slowly begun to believe that her seizures had somehow been cured, or that she had just plain grown out of them. After a while she had begun to forget, to forget the pain and the helplessness the disability always brought with it, which was why she hadn't realized till only moments ago, hadn't read the warning signs, the cramps in the neck, the weakness in her hands and knees, until it was too late. And she couldn't turn back now she reminded herself, fighting the parts of herself that told her to hide, far away in a locked room so no one could find her. It was to late for that. Coming to a stop outside the conference room door Max heaved a sigh, it was too late to turn back because now she had to go in and head a meeting with their newly appointed department leaders of TC, the leaders which expected her, as command, to show a strong and controlled front. She needed to show them she was a soldier fit to lead their people, not the genetic experiment gone wrong.
Taking a deep calming breath she paused, a just visibly shaking hand resting on the door handle. 'Suck it up soldier" she chided herself, straightening her sagging shoulders once more.
"All you have to do it go in there, give 'em a good strong convincing speech without acting like your in a shake'n'bake box and collapsing under their noses and you'll be fine" she whispered, the smirk quickly fading to a wince as the tendrils of pain made their way into her head, exploding into an almighty headache.
"Right" she whispered, turning the handle and walking into the room.
**********************
" Would you shut the hell up!" Mole barked, the annoying tap tapping of Dix's pen on the table they all sat around finally snapping what little patience Mole had for small, pale man. The other occupants of the room remained silent and Alec, sitting across from Mole slouched back in his chair, heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes as his caught Moles exasperated gaze.
They had all begun to get a little restless, wondering where Max had gotten too, the rest of them having arrived at least ten minutes earlier than the allotted time scheduled for their first TC meeting. There had been an Election within the first couple of hours after the action with the police at Jam Pony, and Alec now glanced round at the new head of departments, deciding he was happy with the choices.
Dix had been selected to speak for the computer analysists and techs department, while Mole had been chosen for weapons and armory. A tall X2 woman called Ayla was picked for food rations and Kitchen, and Alec himself had been made head of security. Which hadn't really surprised him seeing as while Max had been to busy, he had been running security since the place had started to grow. What did though, was that next the crowd had also appointed him as Max's second in charge of TC. Alec grinned at the memory. Max had been wrapping things at the election up when a brave X5 had stepped up, suggesting she have a second in charge. Having agreed it was then decided unanimously that Alec would be it, with even the nomalies and other X series agreeing with a strong affirmative.
The look on Max's face had been priceless, though, admittedly probably so had his. The vote had been unexpected, and Alec was just thankful he had found a seat off to the side and his expression had been out of view. Not that he wasn't grateful for the nomination, he just wasn't entirely sure if the decision to place him as second in charge had meant good things or bad. Back at Manticore he had been pretty up there in terms of rank, and he figured it was only normal for the soldiers to want someone like him up there. As the day rolled on though, Alec had almost made up his mind that the call for a second was a bad sign, the request telling him that their people still did not fully trust their Leader, a woman who deserted their ranks when she was just a kid, not having grown up within the confines of Manticore like they had, and by electing him as their second, they were placing one of their own to watch what she does, and to catch the pieces when their world came crashing down. Whatever helps them sleep at night, he had ended up shrugging.
They all looked up at the sound of the door opening, and Alec shot Mole a silencing glare as Max bustled in, five minutes later than scheduled. Mole, after catching Alec's look, closed his mouth, swallowing his "about time" and simply huffed noisily, squirming in his chair.
After nodding to everyone at the table, Max cleared her throat and began, taking her place at the head of the table she lowered herself somewhat gingerly into her chair, swallowing hard as the pain of keeping her shaking body in check washed over her.
"I assume you were all present at the rally yesterday and are all up to speed with the ranks you have been appointed?" her voice rang out strongly around the room, and a ripple of "yes" was heard from the seated members.
"Does anyone have any problems or questions or is uncomfortable with the position given to them?"
Alec smirked as he noticed Max was looking anywhere but at him, knowing how uncomfortable she still was about his second in charge rank, he leaned back in his chair, choosing to keep quiet as the meeting continued.
Max looked once more around the room and finally her eyes fell back onto her own hands, clenched tightly in her lap, their unsteadiness hidden out of sight, and it was then, when she felt a pain so sharp run along the back of her spine, and it was all she could do not to cry out, that she decided to end this bitch then and there. Lifting her eyes again she hurried on, her nails biting into the clenched palm of her hands as the shaking worsened.
"I think we have covered the essentials, I'm going to have to cut this meeting short" She rushed on, deciding that it was easier to risk being taken the wrong way by her fellow members than to remain sitting, the seizure threatening to rip her apart at any moment.
Alec sat forward, as the others had done, confusion and protests rising through the room.
"Wait a second Max.." He began, but stopped when Max looked up at him, and his next word died in his throat as their eyes met, and he saw the barely controlled desperation and pain in her gaze before she quickly looked away again. His brow furrowed in confusion, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise and prickle.
"I need to go" Max bit out, placing her unclenched hand on the table, pushing herself up and exiting the room without another word.
The room paused, and Alec caught the annoyed look Mole sent him, feeling Joshua lean over next to him. "Little fella don't look good" He said quietly, and Alec nodded, his hand absently rubbing the back of his neck as he too stood and exited the room in the direction Max had taken.
She didn't look up when she exited the room, hearing the hustle and bustle around her Max concentrated on keeping her body movements controlled, praying no body would follow her she aimed for the rear exit and reaching it she bust through, into the fresh cold air of the alleyway. Feeling another load of pain rush up her spine and explode in her head she staggered, and sobbing collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath. Closing her eyes and leaning her head against the brick she felt the control of her body slowly ebb and she breathed deep, fighting to keep the panic in her gut from rising.
"Max?"
Startled, she opened her eyes to find Alec standing infront of her, concern creasing his features as he watched her, still leaning heavily against the brick wall.
"You ok?" "I'm fine" She growled, not looking at him.
"Right. Your holding the wall up, not the other way round huh" He said quietly, his heavy scrutiny only annoying her more and she struggled to keep from wincing as she pushed herself away from the wall.
"Sorry for leaving the meeting like that but I've got places to be" She replied. Standing on wobbly legs it took all she had to pull herself up and look him in the eye, his suspicious gaze forcing her to turn quickly away.
"Beside, if there's any problems, as second, you should be able to handle it" she added, walking away from him.
"Max if there's anything wrong." she heard him call after her, and not looking around she cut him off,
"Go away Alec"
Turning the corner and out of his sight she clenched her fists, and kept walking.
Summary: Max's seizures come back full force in the middle of building TC. Being "The One" She cannot let anyone see her so weak. Only she doesn't know just how bad these seizures are gonna get.
A/Note: This will definitely be an M/A fic pretty much based on her seizures. Lots of angst and drama and action. Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Enjoy! :O)
Out Of Breath
Chapter One
She could feel it now, feel the tiny tendrils of pain slowly making their way down her spine, igniting each and every single nerve ending along the way. Forcing her head up, Max kept walking, swallowing the fear that threatened to explode in her gut. "This cant happen now" She thought, glancing around at the bustling control center. It had only been 24hrs since their confrontation with the police and familiars, and TC was still buzzing with excitement, the day's events still fresh in the air, no one noticing that it was now nearing 4 o'clock in the morning.
And it had been so long since her last one. So much had happened, to her, to her world, she had slowly begun to believe that her seizures had somehow been cured, or that she had just plain grown out of them. After a while she had begun to forget, to forget the pain and the helplessness the disability always brought with it, which was why she hadn't realized till only moments ago, hadn't read the warning signs, the cramps in the neck, the weakness in her hands and knees, until it was too late. And she couldn't turn back now she reminded herself, fighting the parts of herself that told her to hide, far away in a locked room so no one could find her. It was to late for that. Coming to a stop outside the conference room door Max heaved a sigh, it was too late to turn back because now she had to go in and head a meeting with their newly appointed department leaders of TC, the leaders which expected her, as command, to show a strong and controlled front. She needed to show them she was a soldier fit to lead their people, not the genetic experiment gone wrong.
Taking a deep calming breath she paused, a just visibly shaking hand resting on the door handle. 'Suck it up soldier" she chided herself, straightening her sagging shoulders once more.
"All you have to do it go in there, give 'em a good strong convincing speech without acting like your in a shake'n'bake box and collapsing under their noses and you'll be fine" she whispered, the smirk quickly fading to a wince as the tendrils of pain made their way into her head, exploding into an almighty headache.
"Right" she whispered, turning the handle and walking into the room.
**********************
" Would you shut the hell up!" Mole barked, the annoying tap tapping of Dix's pen on the table they all sat around finally snapping what little patience Mole had for small, pale man. The other occupants of the room remained silent and Alec, sitting across from Mole slouched back in his chair, heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes as his caught Moles exasperated gaze.
They had all begun to get a little restless, wondering where Max had gotten too, the rest of them having arrived at least ten minutes earlier than the allotted time scheduled for their first TC meeting. There had been an Election within the first couple of hours after the action with the police at Jam Pony, and Alec now glanced round at the new head of departments, deciding he was happy with the choices.
Dix had been selected to speak for the computer analysists and techs department, while Mole had been chosen for weapons and armory. A tall X2 woman called Ayla was picked for food rations and Kitchen, and Alec himself had been made head of security. Which hadn't really surprised him seeing as while Max had been to busy, he had been running security since the place had started to grow. What did though, was that next the crowd had also appointed him as Max's second in charge of TC. Alec grinned at the memory. Max had been wrapping things at the election up when a brave X5 had stepped up, suggesting she have a second in charge. Having agreed it was then decided unanimously that Alec would be it, with even the nomalies and other X series agreeing with a strong affirmative.
The look on Max's face had been priceless, though, admittedly probably so had his. The vote had been unexpected, and Alec was just thankful he had found a seat off to the side and his expression had been out of view. Not that he wasn't grateful for the nomination, he just wasn't entirely sure if the decision to place him as second in charge had meant good things or bad. Back at Manticore he had been pretty up there in terms of rank, and he figured it was only normal for the soldiers to want someone like him up there. As the day rolled on though, Alec had almost made up his mind that the call for a second was a bad sign, the request telling him that their people still did not fully trust their Leader, a woman who deserted their ranks when she was just a kid, not having grown up within the confines of Manticore like they had, and by electing him as their second, they were placing one of their own to watch what she does, and to catch the pieces when their world came crashing down. Whatever helps them sleep at night, he had ended up shrugging.
They all looked up at the sound of the door opening, and Alec shot Mole a silencing glare as Max bustled in, five minutes later than scheduled. Mole, after catching Alec's look, closed his mouth, swallowing his "about time" and simply huffed noisily, squirming in his chair.
After nodding to everyone at the table, Max cleared her throat and began, taking her place at the head of the table she lowered herself somewhat gingerly into her chair, swallowing hard as the pain of keeping her shaking body in check washed over her.
"I assume you were all present at the rally yesterday and are all up to speed with the ranks you have been appointed?" her voice rang out strongly around the room, and a ripple of "yes" was heard from the seated members.
"Does anyone have any problems or questions or is uncomfortable with the position given to them?"
Alec smirked as he noticed Max was looking anywhere but at him, knowing how uncomfortable she still was about his second in charge rank, he leaned back in his chair, choosing to keep quiet as the meeting continued.
Max looked once more around the room and finally her eyes fell back onto her own hands, clenched tightly in her lap, their unsteadiness hidden out of sight, and it was then, when she felt a pain so sharp run along the back of her spine, and it was all she could do not to cry out, that she decided to end this bitch then and there. Lifting her eyes again she hurried on, her nails biting into the clenched palm of her hands as the shaking worsened.
"I think we have covered the essentials, I'm going to have to cut this meeting short" She rushed on, deciding that it was easier to risk being taken the wrong way by her fellow members than to remain sitting, the seizure threatening to rip her apart at any moment.
Alec sat forward, as the others had done, confusion and protests rising through the room.
"Wait a second Max.." He began, but stopped when Max looked up at him, and his next word died in his throat as their eyes met, and he saw the barely controlled desperation and pain in her gaze before she quickly looked away again. His brow furrowed in confusion, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise and prickle.
"I need to go" Max bit out, placing her unclenched hand on the table, pushing herself up and exiting the room without another word.
The room paused, and Alec caught the annoyed look Mole sent him, feeling Joshua lean over next to him. "Little fella don't look good" He said quietly, and Alec nodded, his hand absently rubbing the back of his neck as he too stood and exited the room in the direction Max had taken.
She didn't look up when she exited the room, hearing the hustle and bustle around her Max concentrated on keeping her body movements controlled, praying no body would follow her she aimed for the rear exit and reaching it she bust through, into the fresh cold air of the alleyway. Feeling another load of pain rush up her spine and explode in her head she staggered, and sobbing collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath. Closing her eyes and leaning her head against the brick she felt the control of her body slowly ebb and she breathed deep, fighting to keep the panic in her gut from rising.
"Max?"
Startled, she opened her eyes to find Alec standing infront of her, concern creasing his features as he watched her, still leaning heavily against the brick wall.
"You ok?" "I'm fine" She growled, not looking at him.
"Right. Your holding the wall up, not the other way round huh" He said quietly, his heavy scrutiny only annoying her more and she struggled to keep from wincing as she pushed herself away from the wall.
"Sorry for leaving the meeting like that but I've got places to be" She replied. Standing on wobbly legs it took all she had to pull herself up and look him in the eye, his suspicious gaze forcing her to turn quickly away.
"Beside, if there's any problems, as second, you should be able to handle it" she added, walking away from him.
"Max if there's anything wrong." she heard him call after her, and not looking around she cut him off,
"Go away Alec"
Turning the corner and out of his sight she clenched her fists, and kept walking.