Present
Max was terrified.
Plain and simple, he was completely terrified. Never since he lost his own family did he believe he could ever love again. For years he roamed the desert wastelands doing the one thing that existed.
To survive.
He had met Diamond less than two years ago. Now all because of a stupid accident, he was on the verge of losing her. He had driven most of the night, swerving through the desert sand, hands shaking, and eyes darting around nervously as he clutched onto her bloody hand. Squeezing it, he shouted for her to stay with him. It was just a few mere hours before sunrise that he reached the civilization where he supposed his only allies lived. He had left nearly five years before in search of something else, leaving them behind as he took off alone. He had sworn to himself that he was doing this because he was damaged. That these people who now took over were for the greater good.
They would make a community, a safe haven, and start over now that importan Joe was dead. He remembered locking eyes with Furiosa one last time before disappearing into the crowd. He knew he would have been made welcome there, and could of had the chance to start over. Instead he knew he simply didn't belong. He was still haunted by his demons of the past, and was better off alone. That was until he met Diamond. She had saved his life, and for the past two years they had become companions as well as lovers.
When she became with child Max had worried. He feared this wasn't the sort of world a child belonged to be born into. Diamond agreed, but nevertheless, it was still a child, part of him and part of her growing inside. Even though it had taken months for Max to finally acknowladge the idea, he still felt a terrible lurking sense of unease and dread. Diamond had become everything to him, and now that she was in such a fragile state anything could happen to her. And it did. He had carried her into the valley, before seeing the torches lit among the way. Gunners shouted from the crow nests, demanding to know who was trespassing. Unable to fully make the shapes and shadows out in the darkness, he struggled holding into Diamond's limp body before tightening his grip.
"My name is Max. Call for Furiosa!"
He heard a loud banging beat from drums above before two armed men came hurrying out, carrying torches and riffles
"What is your business here?"
Max held tighter onto Diamond.
"Please, get Furiosa, she knows me…"
"Furiosa is out on a voyage across the salt plains for supplies, she won't be back for another day or two…"
Max felt her anger begin to slowly bubble when the other guard stepped forward.
"I remember you. Max right? Furiosa and the others told us all about you. Helped save us all after the fall of the new dawn ain't that right? You've become some legend around here."
"My wife, she needs help!"
Max shouted out of patients, feeling his heartbeat loudly drum in his temples. The two guards exchanged a look before nodding.
"She alive?" Max glanced down at Diamond's dirty battered face before staring up.
"Not sure, she's hurt bad…and pregnant."
"We got the doc down below, he's fixing up old Edgar's leg, stupid fool broke it again, come on now…"
Max nodded greatly as he hurried behind the guards as they entered the city. Up above the large plateaus loomed over him. He saw even in the darkness that a whole not farming had taken place. On all three large mountains were completely covered with crops and growing green plants. He also noticed many tents, shacks, and small cabins on the ground desert floor. Few lantern were lit, but at these early hours of the morning he didn't expect many people to be awake. Hurrying, they reached an old broken down rusting car, with large fins in the back. Strung up lights were hung around it as an elderly man slid off the makeshift metal slab that sat inside of it and limped off using an old wooden stick as a cane. The doc, a grizzly looking man flapped his hand at him watching him go. "You outta remember to mind that leg you old fool!" The guards ran up.
"Doc! We got trouble!"
The doc turned as Max ran over, still clutching Diamond.
"Please help her." The doc stood up in the open car, gazing open the shattered back.
"What's the matter now?"
"My wife, she fell out of the car, rolled underneath. She didn't hit the wheels but she's pregnant."
"Bring her here…"
Max gently laid Diamond out on the table, stepping back as the Doc looked her over. Pulling up her black torn shirt, he examined her stomach before Max stepped back with the guards.
"How far along?"
"Eight months…about."
The doc sighed before motioning him back.
"Step out over there, give me room."
Max obeyed as he stepped out and stood behind the car looking in. His eyes darted around the darkness before looking back down at Diamond's still and pale face. Even underneath all the girt and dirt, he saw how frail she looked. Why had he been so stupid? Why did he allow her to leave the car? He should have stopped… Hearing the voices again, he bit his lip fighting them to stay away.
"Your going to lose her…everything you touch dies…"
Max nervously stood looking in through the shattered windshield. He took deep breaths, trying his hardest to control himself as he flexed his hands together in tight fists at his sides. Laying underneath the light was Diamond, her body sprawled across the metal makeshift table, her large swollen pregnant stomach sticking out. The doc felt her wrist for a pulse, before looking up meeting Max's serious and worried stare.
"She's alive..."
Max felt a terrible sweeping of relief hit him as he let out a gasp. Instantly he looked down at Diamond's sleeping face.
"And the child?"
The doc sighed before listening.
"I don't hear anything..."
Max clutched his fists again.
"Can we save it?" "Yes, but we need to take it out now." Max shook his head.
"No, you'll kill her!"
"I can operate quickly, she'll be perfectly fine I swear."
Max stared at his partner's face before leaning forward. Gently he brushed back her hair and nodded.
"Do it...do it now." The doc nodded and began the work. The second he saw him begin to slit down her stomach he felt Ill. shutting his eyes, he focused on her face. Gently humming, he continued brushing her hair back when he heard an odd noise before the doc ripped the baby out. Max looked over and saw it, the baby was lifeless, his body covered in slime with the cord still attached. Max stared in disbelief before the doc sighed.
"I'm sorry...had he stayed in another month he would have survived it was just too early."
Max felt faint as the doc used his knife to cut the cord and held the baby up by it's feet.
"Bloody shame, perfectly healthy…just too early."
He then placed the baby down before he began working again on Diamond.
"I advise you to get some fresh air, this may take a while and it's going to get awfully bloody."
Max couldn't focus, instead he just continued staring at the baby before one of the guards gently touched his shoulder.
"We'll clean him up and give you a moment, come on mate…"
Max grunted and shook his head.
"I'm not leaving her."
The doc who all ready was up to his elbows in blood produced a syringe.
"You're lady won't be coming around anytime soon, I can give you one as well you calm your nerves."
Max swallowed dryly before the guard gently began pulling him back.
"Come on, you're no good to her right now. Come sit down for a spell. I'll alert the others up top you're here…come on now."
Max in a daze slowly was led away and walked thirty or so feet before his knees buckled and he fell on his bad one, causing the brace to loudly creak. Taking deep breaths, he stared off into the darkness feeling such a numbing rage he barley knew if he could control it. Instead he simply knelt there staring off as the guards watched him. Reaching to his sides, he grabbed handfuls of sand and dirt and lowered his head. It was his fault. This was his second child he allowed to die a filthy dirty death in this wasteland of a world. Closing his eyes, his heart ached as he waited. Not too long afterwards, a gentle hand touched his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Dag standing beside him. She was just a little older, but still had the fair sweet face of a child. Her blondish white hair was braided, and she wore a flowing cream colored dress.
Max blinked.
"Dag?"
Dag warmly smiled before kneeling down and surprising him by wrapping her thin arms around him tightly. Max, who barley showed any human contact or affection with anyone besides Diamond was stunned for a moment before slowly putting his arms around her and hugging back.
"We believed you were lost from us…"
Dag harshly whispered before pulling back and smiling. Max stared at her with sad confused eyes before Dag sadly smiled.
"We brought your wife up above, she's asleep but the doc said she'll live. Minor injuries, mostly a few broken ribs and a wrist. She'll be fine."
Max knew had he lost Diamond as well, he would have simply ended it all with his pistol by dawn. Closing his eyes and letting out a grateful sigh he nodded before Dag motioned back over her shoulder.
"They told me everything. I'm so sorry about the child…"
"Can I see her?"
Max cut her off.
"Of course, come."
"Thank you…"
He muttered, feeling as if he was going even more insane. Nodding, Dag stood, letting her hand out.
"Furiosa will be back by tomorrow, sunset at the latest. You would be so proud of what she's done here. It's wonderful…"
They walked together, side by side before coming onto the platform. Dag nodded as the chains began to creak and they slowly began to rise. Max scanned the area, and saw the first signs of the sunrise beginning to touch the pale golden sky.
"Everyone has a fair place. We lost nearly most of the war boys shortly after the first winter due to illness, but whoever is left is treated equally. Everyone has their own place, we all pitch in, farm the land up top, pump the water, guard the area, it's nothing like before…"
They reached the level when Dag motioned for him to follow. Walking along the narrow walkways nearly eighty or so feet above, he remembered running through these very same passageways nearly five years ago. Going inside, the air felt cooler as they passed different rooms.
"Furiosa has allies across the way for fuel. We all trade, there's no bloodshed, breeding, or sickness. We've been waiting for you to return…"
"Mamma!"
A young little girl with fair blond hair ran up wearing a stitched up dress dress. Dag smiled as the little girl wrapped her arms around her leg and squeezed.
"Now little one, what are you doing up at this hour?"
"I woke up and you weren't there. I was scared mamma."
Softly smiling, Dag patted the young girl's head before smiling up at Max.
"This is my daughter, I had her after everything…I named her Angharad Max…"
Max smirked down at the little girl who stared up at him with wide blue eyes.
"Who's that mamma?"
"That is Max, remember the man I taught you about. The man who protected mamma when you were still growing inside my belly?"
The little girl stared at Max a moment longer before taking off running in the opposite direction. Dag smiled.
"I'm sorry, she's shy."
"She's beautiful." Dag and Max continued walking before Dag nodded.
"Yes, well…safe to say she didn't get any of that from her father…"
They reached another hallway before stopping at the door. "She's resting inside, the doc is with her. As soon as Furiosa arrives I'll inform her if you're arrival. You won't be disturbed I promise. Anything you need there's a rope inside you just ring."
Max's eyes nervously darted back and forth before he muttered… "
Thank you…"
Touching his arm, Dag stared up at him.
"Again, I'm so sorry Max…"
With that, Dag turned around and began walking away leaving Max. Feeling his hands shake, he took a moment to control them before opening up the door. Inside was a beautiful open room with a large window that over looked the land below. Laying in a large bed, her face now clean of dirt, and her red hair brushed back laid Diamond. She had blankets of different colors of brown and orange covering her. He saw the doc sitting beside her, a tube of blood leading into her arm. Max stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The doc saw him.
"Hello, she's deeply sedated, won't be coming around until this evening, maybe even later…I'm giving her a fresh transfusion since she lost so much blood. She'll be sore, but besides a new mending bones she'll be perfectly fine. She needs rest through, a week maybe more. I bandaged her up, the surgery wasn't that bad…she can give you more children in the future."
Max seemed taken off guard and hurt by the last statement, as if such a thing even mattered now. Instead he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Gently he reached over and took her hand.
"Mind explaining to me what happened again?" The doc asked. Looking over Max sighed and shook his head.
"Stupid really. We were heading West, when my engine began to overhead. Diamond said she just needed to pour come water into the pump. I went to slow down but she was always climbing out of the car and working on it whenever I was driving. We had just escaped some looters a few miles back and took their guns, she didn't want to risk stopping in case they had bikes. She had constantly been crawling out on the trunk, even in her condition and made it look so easy. I tried making her take the wheel but she was all ready climbing out. I yelled for her and just as she got out and started forward the wheel hit a rock and she fell. I thought I ran her over and nearly flipped. When I stopped she was laying there not moving…"
The doc sighed.
"Foolish and reckless I agree, but nevertheless not your fault."
He stood up.
"I have the baby…we can't hold onto him much longer before either burning or burying him with the heat. I suppose you want her to see him first if she wakes tonight?"
Max looked confused before the doc walked over to an old wicker basket that sat on the ground and lifted the baby, now wrapped up tightly in a brown blanket.
"I'll keep him down below where it's cooler, but just for tonight. If you think she can't handle it or she isn't coming around we have to take care of it."
Walking over he placed the lifeless child in Max's arms.
"Again, I'm so sorry."
Staring down, Max looked down at the baby and felt everything that was ever sane inside him become destroyed. This was his fault, and never would be forgive himself for what had happened.
"He outta have a name don't you think?"
Doc asked standing watching him. Looking at the baby's lifeless still face, Max stared down before nodding.
"Johnny…his name is Johnny."