Wheeling Around

Chapter 1

Rolling from his office, he was very agitated. 'Where in the hell is Max? I paged her over two hours ago. This is important work, I need her to do. Shit!'

He went to his cell phone and paged her again. 'I know she's a wild thing, but Jesus why now of all times. Cale, that's what you love ... no, don't go there you idiot.'

It had been another two hours and Logan was beginning to worry about Max. 'Why isn't Max here? Why hadn't she called?' Unnerved he called her apartment. Cindy answered the phone with the same old tone.

"Joe's Bar and Grill. Eight ball speaking." Cindy said smugly.

"Cindy, is Max around?" Logan smiled at what Cindy said.

"No. She's not here, why? Cindy knew he had paged her boo.

"I've been paging her and she hasn't called or showed up. Did she say anything to you, Cindy?" Logan said, sounding worried.

"I know you've been paging. My homegirl left her pager here. Nope, she was just upset at you." Cindy said nonchalantly.

"Why would she be upset with me?" he said dumfounded. 'Had he done something to hurt Max? No.'

"Okay. What did I do this time?" He asked irritably.

"I ... you don't know, I aint gonna tell ya." She said. "Good bye, Logan."

"Wait. Cindy, can't you give me a hint, please?" Logan was worried now.

"Man, it's as plain as the nose on your face." Cindy said giggling. "I've got to go." She hung up then sat on the couch with a finger nail file. 'Teach the man a lesson for upsetting my boo all the time.'

'What the hell? As plain as my nose?' He thought angrily. 'Well, if that's the way she wants it; fine. I don't need her, anyway.' He swirled into the living room to the big glass window as he usually did when Max had irritated him.

Bling came in carrying a load of groceries that Logan wanted. Sighing, he noticed Logan in his usual spot, brooding. 'Okay, what's happening now with him and where is Max in all of this?'

"Got your food, your highness." Bling said in a laughing tone.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Bling." Logan said, annoyed.

"I leave for an hour and your mood has done a turnabout; what's with you, Logan?" Bling asked, just to make sure he wasn't wrong. 'I'm sure it concerns Max,' he thought. 'It always does'.

"Nothing." Logan snapped. "Do you know what's in front of my nose? Never mind."

"In front of your nose? What does that mean?" Bling asked in confusion. "Have you been hitting the Scotch or something?"

Madly, Logan answered, "No, I haven't been hitting the Scotch. Geez Bling".

"Well, man, I'm not following you. What's this all about?" Bling said, slightly smiling. Bling knew what was going on.

Frustrated, Logan said, "It's Max. I've paged her twice and ... um ... I haven't heard from her. Do you think she's been hurt?"

"That I don't know, Logan. I'm not her keeper. You know, she might be tired of you always paging her to do your dirty work... your leg work, I mean." Bling was egging on.

"What?" He wheeled around. facing Bling squarely. "That was our Quid Pro Quo agreement." Logan said as a matter of fact.

"Yes, but as far as I can tell you haven't lived up to your part of the agreement, man. Have you?" Bling said with a smirk.

"No, I guess I haven't. Ever since, she got back from Manticore... I haven't ... never mind, Bling." Logan said in frustration. I ... well, I got someone to cure the virus, so ... what did I do that for? It's not like we have anything between us other than a working relationship." Logan said sadly. "What am I going to do, Bling? I need her."

"To be your legs? You can get anyone to do that, Logan. Asha? Besides, I haven't seen her for a few days at that. Have you invited her for dinner and have you gone to Crash to see her?"

No, I ... just." He said, ashamed of himself.

"Well, then do something, man. You sit there high and mighty wanting everyone doing your bidding. There are some people that have a life outside these walls. Max is probably living her life as she had before she dropped in on you." Bling said trying to jog some sense into his friend and employer. "I know you have feelings for her." He added.

"No, I don't. She's just a friend ... my helper on Eyes Only." Logan became defensive at that remark.

"Yeah, sure it is." Bling laughed. "Do you need anything, because I've got a hot date. We've done your therapy and I did your grocery shopping; is there anything else?" Bling said with an annoyed tone.

"No. Thank you, Bling." Logan turned and went back to the window, thinking through everything Bling had said and hadn't said. 'Was he losing

Max? What happened over the three months she'd spent at Manticore? Our anniversary, weren't we heading in that direction? What happened that I didn't want to push my feelings ... our feelings further? You damn idiot! I went back to the same old same old, damn,' and swung his wheelchair swiftly back to the phone and dialed a familiar number again, "Cindy, where is Max? I know you know where she is?"

Cindy said, "Logan, I don't know where she is. She left a note saying she couldn't handle seeing you and not know why things hadn't changed. That's all I can tell ya, boo, honest."

His heart leapt into his throat. 'He had done it. He had driven Max away from him.' "Cindy, what had changed?"

"You know, boo. The day before all the crap happened to her. She said that thinking of you kept her going in that hell hole; did you know that? She told me what you and she did; that's what kept her going. Now, you're treating her like --- I don't know --- an employee." Cindy said, assuming Logan knew what Max felt.

"No, I didn't know that, Cindy. She didn't tell me. I just assumed ... I don't know what I assumed. I know we did have feelings, but after she came back ... I didn't know. She ... I kissed her the night when she came back. I thought there was something there. Then the virus thing; I just buried my self in Eyes Only with all those missions that she and I could do together. I thought ... I'd wait for her to come to me. I didn't know." He finally admitted it: "I love her, Cindy, and now she's gone." He hung up sighing.

'What was he going to do without her? Why didn't I know how she felt? And myself, I knew from the first time she came back after the accident that I was in love with her. That night, oh, that night, if Zack hadn't come in things might have been different. Oh, man. Her kiss sent me wheeling. I never had that feeling with one, no, two kisses.' He hadn't noticed his pants getting tight from a particular spot. His eyes got as big as a half of dollar. 'I can do it. I can do it.' He smiled wanting to shout to the world, he had an erection. 'But Max isn't here.' He sighed again. 'I've got to find her.' Wheeling back to the phone, he called Jam Pony. "Normal, it's Logan Cale. Yeah, I know. I was going to ask you, if you had seen Max today. She what? She gave her notice, when? This morning? Thanks, Normal."

He wheeled around to his kitchen with both phones in his lap, his cell phone and his land phone, in case Max called on either phone. He thought as he got out some orange juice, he noticed the milk he had gotten for her, for her seizures. He thought, ' her Tryptophan. She didn't get her medicine, shit.' He was now worried more than ever. He just sat the juice back in his fridge. He started wheeling around not knowing where to go.

Finally, back to the window, he suddenly remembered the space needle. 'I'm going to go to the space needle; maybe, just maybe I can see her there. It's my only chance.' Grabbing his car keys and his coat with his cell phone, he wheeled out the door and into the elevator. Coming down into the garage, he blinked; there was Max's bike. 'Where is she? Her bike, she doesn't go anywhere without her baby, as she calls it. What the hell is going on?'

He got out his cell phone and called Cindy, "Cindy, her bike is here in the garage! Have you seen her today!" He was panicking now.

"Yeah, when she was here earlier this morning. You say her bike is there? Oh, shit; what if those bastards has my boo again?" Cindy was getting worried.

Panic was written in Logan's face. Hearing Cindy and her words struck his heart like a stiletto. "See if you can call somebody that knows her.

I'm heading over to Joshua's; call me if you hear anything."

"Sure, boo." Cindy hung up the phone and started dialing whoever she could think of. Alec for one, to start.

Lifting his cell again he quickly called someone else, "Bling, did you see Max's bike here when you came in?"

"No, man." Bling said.

"Well, it's here now and no Max." He said.

"Shit, do you think ..."

"No. Max isn't there." Logan did not want to think of Max back at Manticore. "Bling do you think you can break your date and help me look for Max, please?

"Sure, I'll be right over." He knew Max was out of sorts with Logan but what was happening he didn't know. 'Man, if anything has happened to Max, Logan's going to go off the deep end for sure this time.' "Logan, have you checked the hospitals, the ... Morgue? Sorry man. I was only thinking out loud. I'll be right over." He hung up. Immediately, his phone rang. "Hello?"

A quiet voice said, "Help, Bling!"

There was a scuffle then someone said, "You bitch. Who you callin? That Eyes Only character?" Bling heard a loud noise sounding like the man belting Max across the face. Bling hung up and dialed Logan's number.

"Logan, Max just called. She didn't say where she was. She's been kidnapped. Her abductor mentioned Eyes Only." He was driving toward Logan's as fast as he could.

"Do what? Are you sure?" Logan was out of his mind now. 'What have I gotten her into? Why Max, why not me, oh God! Max I'm going to find you, I promise.'

He quickly dialed Cindy's number again and said, "Max has been taken. She called Bling. Do you know Alec's number?" he said, out of breath, going back up to his apartment.

"I'm talking to him now, hang on." Cindy said, worrying more now. "Alec, go to Logan's. Max has been kidnapped and I'm on my way. See ya there." Cindy grabbed her coat and ran out the door. 'We're comin, boo. Don't give up on your boy.'

She luckily had her bike from Jam Pony, so she peddled as fast as her legs would go. Ten minutes later, Alec, Bling, and Cindy went nervously up to Logan's apartment.

"Okay, boo, any ideas", she said impatiently.

"All I heard from the phone was a guy knocking the shit out of Max, and her crashing to the floor. We've got to do something," Bling said in a shaky voice.

Mad as hell from that comment about Max being beaten up, Logan clenched his fist and said, "Bling give me your phone; do you have it? 'If he hurts her I'm going to kill him with my bare hands,' He thought as he tried without success to calm down as he received the phone from Bling. He traced Max's phone, which he didn't know she had and found where she was.

After beating Max senseless the big ugly brut hit her in the side breaking her ribs and she screamed with all her might. She had been tortured at Manticore but not like this. She assumed her jaw, several broken ribs; a broken leg from being yanked off her bike and several bruises all over, including her face that was cut up by the ugly ring the guy wore. She was tied to a chair, half passed out from the pain.

I guess you and me are going to have a little fun now. He was unbuckling his pants when the Aztek came barreling into the garage door. Bling and Alec jumped out of the car and started beating the man silly. Cindy and Logan got out of the car. She was the first to reach her. Logan wheeled as fast as he could to Max's side. He gasped at the look of Max. She had untied Max and Logan scooped her limp body up and sat her gently in his lap.

"Oh Max. I'm so so sorry." He said with tears falling from his face. She was just barely breathing. Bling and Alec had finished beating the shit out of the guy and Bling took Max from Logan's lap and placed her gently in the back seat with Cindy.

"Who the hell are you? And what did this girl ever do to you", Logan asked angrily.

Blood was pouring out of his mouth and said, "This slut works for Eyes Only. I was just given her a taste of his own medicine he would get as soon as I find him. This is my turf, man. Who the hell are you guys anyway? You want to have some fun. I was just fixing to bang her when you broke in. Huh?" He said with a cheeky grin even though his mouth was swollen beyond recognition.

Alec punched him in the gut for saying that. "If you say that again or even speak to my sister, I'll put you in the grave so fast it'll make your head spin, you hear me?" Alec said, infuriated.

Logan quickly got his cell phone and called Matt Sung. He said, "There's a guy here at 1287 Warf St. and he just beat up Max. I don't know what shape she's in, Matt, but it looks pretty bad. Yeah, he's tied up. Bling will help me with her. No, I don't want to take her to a hospital." He remembered the hassle he went through with Ames White, thank goodness, he was out of the picture now. "No, if she needs medical attention I've got a good doctor that will take house calls. Thanks, Matt. I'm going to get out of here and see about Max. Okay, bye."

"Well, that was fun." Alec said with laughter in his voice. "I'll be by to check up on Maxie in the morning. I'm supposing Max is going to be at your place?"

Yes, Alec. Thanks, I owe you one." Logan said edging his way back to his car. "Bling would you drive?" Logan was looking at Max from the back window past Cindy.

He opened the passenger side and swiftly transferred to the seat. Looking back at Max he said, "Max? Max, can you hear me?"

"I've tried ever since I've been in the car. She's not responding, boo." Cindy said worrying about her girl.

"Log ... an". Max whisper hoarsely.

Logan stretched over the seat and reached for her hand, which was also bruised and stained with blood by the ropes. "Max, I'm here. " He felt Max's pulse, which was beating very slowly.

"Bling, Max barely has a pulse. Hurry as much as you can. I don't want to loose her. Turning back he said quietly, "Please, Max hang on."

He got out his cell phone again this time calling Sam Carr. "Sam, its Logan. I need you to come to my place as soon as you can, please. Max has been beaten up pretty bad, and I don't want to take the chance of taking her to the hospital. I ---- I think she's got a broken leg, blood on her face. No, I can't tell anything else, Sam. Hurry please."

Bling turned the car too sharply, ran over a curb and Max yelled, "OHHH". Then she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Max, are you alright? Max? Max!" Logan screamed. "Cindy can you feel a pulse?" He was trembling so badly he couldn't feel Max's pulse.

"Barely, boo." Cindy shouted. "Man, watch you're drivin, boo!"

"Shit, Bling. She's unconscious. Drive!" Logan yelled.

"Woah, I'm right here!" Bling yelled back at him.

Coming fast into Logan's garage, Cindy got out and ran to get the elevator. Bling got out, picked up the limp body of Max and was starting to move with her when Logan came around saying, "Let me have her, Bling," he said, looking intensely at his therapist.

"Why? I've got her," Bling asked, confused at Logan's abrupt protectiveness.

"I ... need to hold her Bling. I want to make her feel safe. Please, Bling give her to me." He spoke sadly, looking at Max.

"Okay." Giving Max to Logan, Bling shrugged. He walked behind his employer just in case Logan needed a hand wheeling with Max. Logan held Max for dear life, even though he could not feel Max's weight, his mind could feel her weight on his lap. He kissed her forehead gently. He said to himself, 'Max, I'm not going to let you go.'

He whispered softly in her ear, "I love you. Please don't leave me." He held her gently after saying that and kissed her lovingly on the ear. Bling went quickly past Logan and Cindy to unlock the door and turn off the alarm. Logan wheeled down the hall to the spare bedroom, gently placing Max on the bed after Cindy turned the bedding down.

Bling was near the door waiting for Sam Carr. He let him in and then they both went to the spare bedroom. The doctor looked shocked as he began to look at Max. "Who did this to her, Logan? Could you Logan and," the doctor motioned to the other person in the room, "would you mind going outside with Logan while I examine her? Bling, you want to assist me?"

Logan just nodded his head feeling frustrated that he couldn't do anything for Max. Sadly, he left the room. Cindy, on the other hand, spoke,

"Can I help?" She looked intensely at the doctor then looked back to Max.

"Yes. You can gently undress her, but be careful. She's pretty broken up." Carr said sympathetically. He went out the door to let Cindy and Bling undress Max. As he walked down the hall, Logan was coming with fresh linens for Max's bed. Logan slowed down and looked up at the doctor saying, "Well, what do you need, Sam? Whatever you need I'll get it."

"I don't know yet. It's serious, Logan, she's in bad shape considering what she is. She should be healing quickly with her revved up genes. Maybe, with the extent of her injuries, it will take awhile, I don't know, Logan. I'll know when I finish examining her." Sam was trying to tell Logan something.

"Oh God, Sam. You've got to save her." Logan said.

"I need to go back in and begin the examination." Sam said shaking his head. He walked back into the bedroom and Cindy walked out. "Boo,

I haven't seen her this bad in a long time. She's bruised from head to toe. Why did the monster do that?" Cindy asked shaking her head.

"It has something to do with Eyes Only; that's all I know right now. But I will find out that's for sure." Logan said guaranteeing.

"Good. My boo doesn't deserve this," she was thinking out loud.

Bling came running out of the room and ran past Cindy and Logan. Logan said in shock, "What's happening?" Bling didn't have time to answer. He just kept going.

When Bling finally got to the bathroom, he started throwing everything out of the linen closet. "Where did you put it, Logan?" Bling yelled.

"What?" Logan asked.

"You know, her medicine." Bling said exasperated.

" Here, in the medicine cabinet. I was going to give it to her today. What's happening Bling?" Logan was now wheeling after him.

"No time to talk. See for yourself." Bling said in haste.

"Sam, what's going on?" Logan said coming in the door.

"She's seizing Logan." Sam said hurriedly.

Logan's eyes were fixed to the beautiful young woman in the bed while he was holding his breath. Cindy was doing the same thing. They couldn't move. "Is the Tryptophan helping at all," inquired Logan.

"Is there anyway you can call in and get some stuff delivered?" Asked Sam.

Yeah, what do you need? You know, I've got a pharmacy..." Logan was cut off.

Yeah, yeah. Well, can you go and get the meds I need?" Sam asked.

"I can doc. What do ya need?" Cindy suddenly said, because she didn't know what else to do. "I can't just stand here, I've gotta do something."

"Sure. I'll call it in." Sam said quickly. "Thanks."

"Anything for my boo." Cindy was gathering her coat and was about to leave when Logan came wheeling after her.

Cindy, wait. My pharmacy is on 15th and Tyler. Tipton Pharmacy. Do you want to use my car?"

No, I can get there faster on my bike. But thanks anyway." Cindy gave a slight smile in Logan's direction. "She'll be alright Boo." Then she was out the door.

He headed to the bedroom and said, "Well?"

Bling said, "The meds are working finally. But Sam seems to think there is some internal bleeding, but he can't tell yet. He's trying to stabilize her now. Why don't you go make some coffee?" Bling patted Logan's shoulder at his suggestion.

Logan looking down at his footrest, said, "Okay. Thanks Bling." He wheeled into the kitchen and began to think of all the chances he missed telling Max how he felt. 'What if I don't have the chance to prove to her that I still love her? Max, you got to make it.' He couldn't or wouldn't think about the consequences. He had to think confidently.

As the days wore on, Sam came frequently and Cindy came usually after work. Logan had sent word through the informant net about the guy that had beaten Max to learn his identity. 'I didn't think of asking his name, stupid. Maybe Matt will know.' Calling early one morning, he said to Matt Sung, " Is that guy still there that beat up Max? Did you get his name. Great! You're kidding. Well, what charges do you have on him, or do I have to go down there? No, Max is still unconscious. Thanks, Matt." Logan smiled at the end of the conversation. Wheeling back to Max's room he straightened up her covers and then just sat looking at her. He quietly whispered to Max, "Please wake up Max. I need you," in frustration he came to a decision. "I need you for me, not Eyes Only." Sitting there, he was beginning to doze off after several days of constantly watching Max that he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

He was standing; Max was there. "Hey," Max said with a smile.

Logan smiled at her and said, "Hey, you."

"Whatcha think about my hiding spot?" She smiled as she spoke. At that moment, he was in a cozy house with a fireplace in the living room with a big picture window looking towards Earth.

"Max, who are you hiding from? Manticore? Me?" He didn't want to think she was hiding from him.

"Yeah, and just life. I'm so tired, Logan. I just want to quit running. I can't do this anymore. That's why I'm here, so that no one will chase or beat me. And ... and use me just because I'm not human. I may be made up in a lab but I still have feelings, Logan. I'm finally free, don't you understand. The one person I love with all my heart. ... I thought at one time you loved me." Tears were in her eyes now. "You need to go. Bling will be here to bring me some nasty stuff to drink, Ugh. It's been nice seeing you and talking to you." She came over and she placed a slow, sultry kiss on his lips.

"Max, come home with me. I want to protect you and be with you wherever you are. Here in your dreams or a million miles from Seattle, as long as you're safe.

"Logan, this is the only place I feel safe. Gotta blaze." Before Logan could speak, Max bounced out the door, got on her bike and left.

Logan woke up then and was wondering if he and Max just shared another dream. 'Had she really meant it? She wasn't coming back ... to me.' He shook at that thought. Surely, she didn't mean me. I was an enemy like Manticore. No, I hurt her heart. I'm the biggest fool.' About that time, Bling came in with some stuff. "What's that stuff you're giving Max?" Logan remembered.

"It's food supplement for the people that are unconscious without doing the intravenous thing." Bling wondered why he asked.

"Max doesn't like it." Logan said, matter of factly.

Bling turned around with a shock on his face and said, "How do you know that? Did Max wake up and you haven't told me?"

"No --- uh --- she hasn't woken up." Logan said hesitantly. He didn't know if Bling understood, but he thought he try to explain it to him.

Bling was trying to understand what his employer was saying. Logan shifted in his chair. He knew something like this would happen now that the exo was broken again. 'At least I could be walking around instead of sitting on my butt.' "You know, the transfusion --- I shared a dream with Max --- do you remember me telling you about it?" Logan stuttered.

Yeah, you told me. Is that why you know that Max didn't like the food supplement?" Bling looked at Logan while he asked.

"Ah, yeah." Logan said.

"Well, what did she say?" Bling said, looking intensely.

"She said --- um --- she was in her safe spot. She's not coming back, Bling! I don't know what to do." Logan said with a defeated tone. "A beautiful house, fireplace overlooking Earth from the picture window. Said she was free."

"Wow," was all Bling could say, sitting down in a chair next to Max. "I don't know what to say to that, man." Bling looked dumfounded at what Logan just said. The men sat staring at Max. In his confusion, Bling hadn't given Max the supplement.

So deep in thought, they both jumped when Cindy said, "Knock, knock." The men stared at each other, deciding whether they should tell her what Max had told Logan.

"So, how's my boo today?" She asked.

"Same ole, same ole." Logan said absentmindedly. Bling jumped out of the chair, taking the food supplement with him out the door. He settled on an intravenous drip instead of the other for Max, since she didn't like the other. He was in a fog still from the conversation he had had with Logan. His mind was on keeping Max's strength up and he didn't know what her makeup was capable of doing. He knew she could take the supplement cause he had seen her responses to it. 'Well, that leaves only the drip Max. I hope it will satisfy you until you return to us.'

"Listen Cindy --- um --- what are you doing after work?" Logan asked. "I don't want Max to be alone, but I've got to --- do something, a basketball game. I'm really not in the mood but they say they need me. I've tried talking them out of it, but I can't get out of it. Around seven or so. Do you mind?" Logan looked at her but not seeing her; he was still in his own little world of Max.

"Yeah, sure. I was just going to Crash, but I'll be here. After you get back I'll go." Cindy said, shrugging.

"Thanks, Cindy." He spoke as he wheeled out of the bedroom.

Logan was still trying to figure out how to get Max out of her dream state, wanting to stay in her own little world. He was so consumed that he didn't even see the basketball hurdled at his head from a teammate. "Where is your mind, Cale?" Scott said.

"OWW!." Is all Logan could say.

"Are you in lala land?" he said in amusement.

"No, I'm fine. Just got something on my mind, sorry." Logan apologized. "When is the game starting? He had been practicing his hook shot, he thought, but wasn't sure. "I'm --- "No, he didn't want to tell the guys about Max. "It's about a friend of mine," Logan finally said with a sigh.

Scott knew what Logan had been through because they had talked one-on-one. They were good friends.