I must tell you that I can get pretty cranky around hospitals. I mean just the smell of disinfectant and bleach triggers awful memories from the school and just thinking about it makes me want to hurl so bad. But that wouldn't be good for all the people below me right now.
Iggy and I struggled to keep Dylan aloft. I was injured which didn't help and it was like Iggy was carrying the both of us all by himself. I felt like I was going to drop out of the sky at any given moment just like before.
I had wanted to apologise to the flock for what happened. It could have been so much worse and it was my entire fault. If I had of just kept a level head instead of storming off like I usually do, then Dylan wouldn't need serious medical attention right now and I wouldn't have put my flock in danger. But saying that, not accepting Dr. Hans' offer was practically putting my flock in danger. I just didn't know when to stop.
"Max, I think I see something that looks like a hospital, it's got a H on the roof maybe that's it?" Ella yelled trying to point without letting go of Nudge for too long.
"Yes I see it too, do you think we should fly lower and have a look? But what if it isn't a hospital, what'll we do then? Do you think Dylan can hold on for much longer?" Nudge rambled and I suddenly felt queasy. I didn't have any of the answers she was looking for. I had hoped it was a hospital so we could fix Dylan and myself up but if it wasn't, then I didn't know how long Dylan could last.
"Maybe we should have taken Dylan back to Dr. Hans. He would be able to fix him and we wouldn't need to go through all this again." Iggy moaned trying to get a better grip on Dylan.
"No way we are not going back there unless there is a perfectly good reason to. He's the one trying to hunt us down and capture us, why would you want to go back with him?" I shouted. Iggy was silent again but deep down I knew he was right. But we'd come too far to turn back now.
Landing in an alley behind the big building of death, Iggy helped me walk Dylan through the main entrance of the hospital and Ella, Nudge and Gazzy waited in the waiting room. The less of us that showed up the better. I didn't bother asking the receptionist for a doctor, if I did I'd be waiting all day so we found an empty room and pulled the curtain placing Dylan on the bed.
"He weighs a ton!" Iggy complained but I ignored it.
"I'm going to see if I can get a doctor, stay with him OK." I asked and he nodded.
I jogged down the hall searching drastically for a doctor. There had to be one somewhere.
"Excuse me are you a doctor?" I asked a man before I saw his badge.
"Yes I am young lady how may I help you?" He asked politely. The nicest ones always turn out to be the backstabbing ones. Except for my mum of course.
"My cousin has been shot and well he's got some really bad marks on his back. I've been shot to, can you help us?" I whispered showing him where the bullets hit me.
"Oh my of course show me where your cousin is." He replied and I took him to where Dylan was. He looked at Dylan and saw he was in a lot of pain and called a nurse to get a stretcher. As he examined Dylan more closely he spotted the wings and looked at me wide eyed.
"Please just help him." I said and he nodded faintly. It wasn't long until they took him into the OR and a nurse was working on getting the bullet out of my arm and side. I was glad the other doctor had told her not to stare at my wings. Although I think she had a hard time not to.
She gave me a local anaesthetic and pulled the bullets from me easily. Then she gave me a quick x-ray of my torso.
"Please tell me how my cousin is doing." I asked her and she flashed me a smile.
"You're very close aren't you, I can tell." She said and I sort of blushed.
"Well yeah, he's my family. Can you make sure they bring him in here after the operation and whatnot. I would like to see him." I asked and she finished up the stitching and waddled away with her medical things.
"Max, I'll go let the others know what's going on. I'll be back soon." Iggy said and left as silently as he came. I was surprised that he stuck with me for that long.
"Excuse me, Max?" The nurse who had left not long ago said holding x-rays in her hand.
"Yes?" I asked sounding a little bitter than intended.
"I have some x-rays here that I want to show you." She said holding them up in the light.
"Tell me what you see." She spoke looking at me like her eyes were going to bulge right out of her head.
"Well I see bones and more bones." I replied sarcastically. I could tell I was her favourite patient.
"No, look here." She pointed to a small white blip on the x-ray. I squinted to the area where she was pointing and noticed I had something lodged in my side. At first I thought it was something from a previous operation, until she told me I had a tiny circular disk in my side, much like the ones animals have for tracing.
"This can't be possible. How did it get there?" I asked stunned. Another chip? But this is new?
"I was hoping you could tell me? Something like this doesn't just end up in your body. It has to be put there by someone. Now unless you have very over protective parents that are doctors, then I'm going to have to call the authorities and let them come down here and deal with this because this is so very strange." She went on.
"Yes! My Mum, she's a doctor. Well she's a vet but a doctor none the less." I replied hoping she wouldn't call anybody but she didn't seem to believe me. Damn it!
The nurse walked away but looked back at me now and then for what reason I didn't know but I started to panic. I looked around the room and found a small scalpel that the nurse had stupidly left. I picked it up hand shaking and memorised the exact spot that I had seen it. Luckily I didn't have to go anywhere near my bullet wound and re-open it.
I made a small cut in my side, which luckily I didn't feel because of the anaesthetic and pushed down harder on my skin. My blood began to soak the bed as I cut deeper and deeper into my flesh. It kind of tingled but I ignored it and tried to finish the job before someone caught me.
I cut through tissue upon tissue until I saw the chip staring back at me. So long sucker I laughed as I tried to dig my way around it and make it loose. I'd lost a lot of blood but I wasn't going to stop until this chip was out! But every time I tried to dig it out, I ended up pushing it further and further back. If I keep this up I'll be digging into my stomach.
"Max! What the heck?" Ella screamed rushing over to me.
"Guys I've got another chip inside of me, I saw it on the x-ray!" I told them struggling to breathe.
"Are you sure? I only left you for a few minutes." Iggy sighed shaking his head.
"Nurse!" Ella shouted and a nurse came over and nearly fainted at the mess I made. She told everybody to wait in the waiting room and took me to the recovery room first which is beyond me.
"No take me back I can do this myself! Take me back!" I yelled trying to break free of the bed restraints.
I was placed next to Dylan who was now awake and looking a lot better. He smiled when he saw me as though he knew I would do something stupid.
"Max calm down. We're going to help you." One of the doctors said.
"No you're not! You're going to knock me out and do all sorts of things to me! I don't give you permission to knock me out!" I screamed at them waking some old man up in the far corner.
"Max we won't put you out if you don't want us to OK?" A doctor told me trying to calm me down. I crossed my arms over my chest and spread the blood all over me.
"She's lost a lot of blood we need to do something now." A nurse said reaching out for a syringe.
"Oh no I don't think so!" I laughed trying to push and kick everyone who came near me away.
"Look Max, your cousin is awake. We helped him and now we are going to help you." A nurse said sticking the syringe into my arm sneakily.
"Hey! You can't…" I began but felt myself become calm and stable.
I saw my flock standing close by who refused to wait in the waiting room.
"Max your going to be alright." Ella called over.
"See Max, your friends are here. Everything is alright now." A nurse told me and I almost believed her.
I laid back on the bed and let out a huge breath. A nurse pushed Dylan over towards me more so he could talk to me. I think they planned to take my chip out and stitch me up here. The curtain was pulled all around me and doctors put on their gloves and got their equipment ready.
"The lights are really bright. Why are the lights really bright?" I slurred trying to reach out to them above me. "Where's my flock, are they OK? Where is everybody?" I asked looking in all directions.
"Max they're fine don't worry." Dylan said next to me.
"You saved me. Thank you. You're my hero." I told Dylan reaching my hand out to his but not quite being able to touch it. Dylan blushed and smiled.
"You're very welcome. Anything for you Max." Dylan said in a quiet voice.
"But you nearly died! You could have been dead now if it wasn't for me. I'm such a clueless idiot." I groaned.
"What did you give her?" Dylan asked one of the nurses.
"We gave her some valium to calm her down." She replied. Dylan smiled widely as he had remembered one of the flock telling him what happened to Max when she took valium before. She openly admitted her love for Fang in front of everyone.
"Dylan why do you love me? I'm harsh and pushy and you're just completely perfect. Your sooo kind to everyone why would you want me?" I asked trying to focus my blurry vision on his perfect model face.
"Because I know you're a good person who wants to help the world. You do what you think is right and I love that about you, always trying to please others before yourself. You are so beautiful and inspiring you just don't know it." Dylan told me and I had tears falling off my cheeks.
"Really? You think so?" I asked with Bambi eyes.
"I'm always here for you. I love you." He whispered just as my head became too heavy to lift and I felt myself shifting in and out of consciousness. The last thing I could remember before completely falling asleep was the words I love you too slur out of my mouth.
Four Hours Later
I bounded up in bed feeling a sharp ripping sensation in my side as my stitches ripped slightly but not enough to do me harm. I didn't care though, I needed to get us out of here now!
I climbed out of my bed, put on my clothes and shook Dylan drastically in the bed next to me.
"Come on, we've got to go. Can you manage?" I asked helping him to his feet.
"Ughh sure I can walk no problem, but I can't fly anywhere yet." He said pointing to his back. Of course, flying was out of the question for him.
"Let me find some clothes." He said looking around slowly almost like he wasn't really looking at all. That's when I noticed that Dylan was only in his boxers. Eek!
"Oh here they are." He said picking up his clothes. "Can you help me?" He asked and I nodded. Having to dress the flock when they were little was one thing, but having to dress a man was embarrassing. I think he loved it more than he was letting on.
Running down a hall we found the flock still in the waiting room.
"Max you're awake, did the doctor discharge you?" Ella asked happy to see I was all in one piece and sane.
"Ella you have a lot to learn." Iggy said grabbing her hand and smiling.
"Let's get out of here." I urged and we managed to slip away without being too noticed.
"Oh Max I have something to tell you." Nudge began." You see while you were asleep, your phone kinda rang and it was Fang. He said that he has news on the one-light. But the details are on his blog so we have to find a computer." Nudge informed me.
"Thanks for telling me. I think I saw a library near here on the way in. They should have a computer we can use." I said and she nodded sweetly. We weren't out of the door five minutes and Ella was already asking for directions to the library.
"Ella… The library is here." Iggy said and Ella blushed.
"Sorry." She said and hung her head low.
"Gazzy before we go in do you want to empty your gas contents first?" I asked him and he giggled.
"You know, I don't think I've ever been in a library before." Dylan said wrinkling his perfect brow.
"Oh library's are sooo fun, they have all sorts of amazing books for all different types of people! They have books on anything, they even have books on books!" Nudge bellowed. I rolled my eyes at Dylan and he laughed. I'm glad he wasn't talking about what happened before. I cringed just at the though of it.
"I'll be over by the explosives section if you need me. I've got some learning to do." Gazzy said running off dragging Iggy with him.
"Ella I'll find us the hair and clothes books. Not to mention the books on shoes and nails and jewellery…" Nudge babbled taking Ella away with her leaving Dylan and me. Again.
"So where to?" He asked and I pointed towards the computers on the second floor.
"At least we can keep an eye on the others up here." I told him looking over the balcony trying to keep myself from looking at Dylan for too long encase the images of him in just his boxers came flashing up. Oh damn now I'm thinking about it.
"What happened back in the hospital may I ask?" He smiled and my heart thudded in my chest. Here we go…
"I know right, a chip out of know where? It's insane!" I laughed but he didn't look fooled.
"No, I meant when you were on Valium, you were very different. You called me your hero and told me you loved me. Do you not remember?" He asked and I shook my head.
"No I don't, but I think I would remember something like that don't you?" I said like I was confused. He still didn't look convinced.
"Max, all I want to know is what you said true?" He spoke louder putting his hand on my shoulder to stop me from moving.
"I was drugged and confused and in pain and in a hospital. I didn't know what was going on. I'm sorry I don't know what to say." I explained walking away but he stood in front of me and put both of his hands on my shoulders tight.
"Do you really think I'm perfect? Do you really think I'm your hero? Do you really love me?" He demanded, his voice getting quieter and quieter to the point where I could hardly hear him.
"Yes, you're too perfect, yes, I'm thankful for what you did and I didn't mean love as in that kind of love I just meant that I like you." I tried to explain to him but talking about feelings just made me sick to my stomach. I didn't know how I felt about him and I couldn't decide that now of all places. I walked towards a free computer and began clicking away. Dylan sat next to me quietly not asking me anymore questions about how I feel. I guess he got the point.
"When you're ready to talk. I'll listen." He smiled. That's just great, now he's going to be waiting for me to tell him I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him.
I typed in the address for Fang's blog and half-expected videos of Maya and Fang laughing and messing around together like me and Fang used to but the first thing that popped up was this huge profile picture of Fang! WTH? Fang never had a picture before, In fact he seemed quite strongly against it, but here it was. I clicked on it to make it bigger and Fangs face and torso filled the screen. He was standing against a dark wall with his arms crossed and his wings peeking out from behind his back. His fringe was sweeping across his face making him look sexy and mysterious and he had the most amazing smile I had ever seen. Dylan must have sensed my attraction towards the picture and grabbed the mouse and clicked it off and clicked on messages.
Max, I've over heard that the true one-light is recruiting 'special' people with abilities to join the DG. They are recruiting people and inviting them to some sort of dinner/meeting in Malibu. The address and the directions are in the link below. I'll meet you at the house and we will go in together. Be there for 3pm tomorrow.
F.
"I can't believe they're recruiting. I don't want you going in there alone with him, It's dangerous Max." Dylan said but I held up my hand.
"Listen, these people might have my Mum, if so, I'm gonna get her back. I can handle this." I told him and got up to leave. Sooner or later he was going to have to understand that I do everything my way. Besides, its not like I'm going to pass up the opportunity to work with Fang by my side again is it?
