Chapter 3
"Kenny, would you just listen to me?" Max pushed, hating the circular conversation they had been having for the last half hour. "It's one more day."
"Where you go off with a guy, who may or may not have something to do with you being kidnapped!" he retorted. "He told you he was your father? Come on, Max, don't fall for that!"
"I didn't say I believed him."
"What is he planning on doing to you? You always do this, think about it. He knows you want to find Nate and suddenly he's your Dad? Max, come on."
"Don't patronize me, Kenny."
"I'm here and I can't walk away from it. I'm coming home to you and the girls."
"Is that what you want?"
"Seriously?"
"You've made it pretty clear lately."
"You and the girls are my life," she said fiercely, hating him in that moment. "How can you not know that? Our family…it's what I never thought I would have. It means everything to me. This is about our family, nothing else."
She's going to get herself killed. "Really?"
"Don't do the disappointed in me and freezing me out thing. This was our project, together, this is our family. God, Kenny. Josh is dead. Samantha, she killed Michael and then…God, I can't even. She killed herself," Max said quietly, feeling her heart break again at it. "Nate, he…he's still alive and…I'm not crying."
"You always get me when you cry."
"I'm not," Max sighed, exhausted from going round and round with him. "Do you know that one of the things I love best about you is how much you care? It also drives me crazy."
"You drive me crazy."
"Of course I want you here with me, come on, we always worked better together. I miss you."
"You're going to do this, no matter what I say."
"It's why I'm here. How can I walk away if…You really don't want me to."
Changed who she was, she quit her job for me, this is the first time in a long time she's been passionate about something…this is the woman I married. This stubborn, passionate, determined, I really like this part of her, what did I turn her into? It's what she's been saying for the past two years, that she changed who she was for me. That softer, warmer, cookie baking, what did I do to her? "It doesn't feel right, it has nothing to do with how competent you are. You call me every hour tomorrow."
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"Maxine," John said standing. "I'm glad you came."
"I'm here for Nate. Anything else…that's just secondary," Max stated, hating that Kenny's trepidation was rubbing off on her.
John smiled and nodded at that. "You have every right to not trust me."
"I've had a rough couple of years. Especially when it comes to my relatives."
"I should of done something."
"You don't even know me. Just because you tell me that you slept with my mother, who helped murder my son, and that you're my Dad, doesn't mean…My husband thinks I'm insane for even talking to you."
"Does he worry a lot?"
"I've given him reason to."
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Glancing at his snoozing baby, and two older girls engrossed in a movie, with fruit, that would make Max happy, Kenny thought. She learns how to cook, and suddenly she doesn't keep junk food in the house. I should be with her, backing her up, we've always made a good team. No, she's fine, she will be fine. John Taylor, see we can find out about her possible father…that has to be messing with her head a bit. Turning back to the computer, he began to type.
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Don't be paranoid, Max thought, following him toward the hospital. Large, public, space, I swear Kenny got into my head with this. Focus. "Thank you for this."
"I should of done it earlier."
Max bit her lip. Is it true? It would explain why my father hated me. "I don't really know what to make of all of this. It's a lot…Yeah."
"I'm not looking to intrude on your life."
My life, Max thought, I meant it when I told Kenny he and the girls are my life. I never thought I would be this person, but I kind of like her. Despite what he thinks, I don't have a death wish. "If you're…I want to do a DNA test when this is over."
John grinned at that, as he held the door for her. "We can do that."
Max gulped. "It wasn't what I expected to hear. I thought you were part of an evil conspiracy. I'm still not totally convinced you're not."
"You must be my daughter then," he sighed. "You think like I do."
"Your wife," Max asked. "Does she know about…you and my Mom?"
"She does, it was before I met her and she…she never liked your parents."
"I think I like her."
"I have two kids, they're aware of it too. I'd like you to meet them," he said, as they walked through the hallways together. "There isn't any pressure."
Max paused at that, trying to make sense of it. I should go to the prison, talk to my parents and…Focus on Nate now. "I appreciate that."
"We're here."
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A stand up guy, except for being his firm representing Michael, Kenny thought, studying his picture. I don't see a lot of Max in him, he mused, but she looks a lot like her mom, kind of like how Emily is practically her clone. She's fine, she's more than capable. Groaning, as the doorbell rang, he shot a look back to his surprinsgly quiet trio. Three girls, he mused, opening the front door, I swear I'm going to make a jock out of Emily. "Hey. If you're here to yell at Max, she won't be home until tomorrow."
Jimmy regarded him for a long moment. "Max is serious about this?"
"You know Max. Dog with a bone."
"Still."
"She has her moments."
"What has she found out?"
That she may have another Dad, he thought, who is most likely screwing with her right now. She is so focused in finding Nate, she'll overlook it and…no, she's fine. "She's following up a lead in Boston, the trail goes cold after that."
"But it's John Taylor's firm."
Kenny nodded, not spilling her secret. "Yeah, she's with him now."
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I'm going to have a nervous breakdown, Max thought, in my next life I'm coming back as a rock. I'd be happy to stay at home and bake cookies at this point, and make macaroni pictures. Smiling nervously at the doctor, as they stopped in front of Nate's room. Glancing over at John, she tried to get a read off of him. Really, my father?
"We've examined him," Dr. Hart said. "He's been to many hospitals, seen all the top speacilists. I'm very sorry, Mrs. Lacos."
Max gulped at that. "About what?"
"He's brain dead."
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"He seems like an okay guy," Kenny said. "Why?"
"She's serious about this?"
"It pulled her out of…You know what a mess she was after everything with Michael, then Samantha…It got her to focus on something again. She really got tired of sitting around and feeling sorry for herself."
"Go. Back her up."
Kenny shot a glance back at the living room. "She's supposed to be back tomorrow."
"What is the chance that is going to happen?"
"Let me call my parents, see if they'll take the girls for a few days."
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Max choked back her tears and hysterics, as she stared at the bed. That isn't him, she thought, that isn't…the limbless, pale, still, boy, being kept alive by machines. Nate, I'm so sorry, I would of done anything and…No.
"Maxine," John said softly, laying his hands on her shoulders. "I am so sorry."
"How?" she croaked out.
"His limbs were lost to frostbite," Dr. Hart read from the file. "He was without oxygen for too long."
Caro, I should have…Damn it. I would of done anything for them. This isn't fair…how do I tell Kenny? "Is he in any pain?"
"No."
So many machines, she thought, he isn't…Don't cry. Don't do it because if I do I won't ever stop. Kenny, god, Kenny, I want him here. How can he think that I don't need him? All I want is his arms around me right now. "Can I sit with him awhile?"
TBC
