Chapter Four
I woke up, with no clue where I was. Everywhere was white. Everything was white. My half-opened lids couldn't open probably without the threat of being blinded. I tried to open my mouth, to call out to anybody, when a familiar deep voice speaks up.
"Sleeping beauty awakens."
I turned my head, towards the source of the voice and found myself blearily looking at Fang. "Fang?" I whispered my voice scratchy. I winced. Ouch. It hurts my throat.
"Shhh, don't talk." Fang said, and I saw his outline move closer to me.
"Where am I?" I demanded, ignoring him. He bent down to look into my hooded eyes and I got lost in two pools of darkness.
"Hospital." he replied simply, staring at me with concern. I slowly and carefully opened my eyes fully and saw that, indeed, I was in a hospital.
"Oh. I'm in a hospital." I said. I had no idea I said that but anyway. Even though Fang had said it just before. I think my brains trying to wake up.
"Nah." Fang snorted and I didn't do anything.
I pulled myself up, slowly.
"Woah! Steady! Nurse says that once you wake up you should stay in a sleeping position for a while depending on how long you've been out of it." Fang pushed down gently by my shoulders, and I weakly fought but found it was no use. Instead, I used my strength for speaking.
"How long have I been out for?"
"Five days."
"Five days? That's a long time." I said, surprised that I had even stayed asleep for two hours. "Did you guys or the nurses been giving me sleeping pills or something?"
Fang looked uncomfortable. "No. . .You can't take drugs or anything."
I looked at him suspiciously. "Then how did I stay asleep?"
"You've been in a coma from the time you fell asleep with Ella and Iggy." he tried to explain, but he sucked at it.
"Oh really? And why was I in a coma in the first place?" I asked, my eyes narrowed at him. He better tell me what was happening.
Fang fidgeted. And even though this is mean of me to say it, I actually enjoyed making him uncomfortable. Finally he opened his mouth but before he could say anything, a nurse breezed in.
"Looks like our patient are awake!" she said smiling at me, completely oblivious to Fang. That figures. Since he blends so well with the shadows, half the time you don't even notice he's there unless he's breathing down your throat. "How are you fee-"oh? So now she has noticed Fang. And sad to say it, she's completely dumbfounded by his 'devil-may-care good looks'. Not, that I think he has anyway. *cough cough*
"How are you feeling?" I finished for her, she looked at me with wide eyes and I fought hard to keep back an eye roll, "I'm feeling fine thank-you." And if you could keep from ogling Fang, than you will be too. I read her name tag, and it said Lissa. Huh, that fits with her redhead hair.
"Tha-thats good." she stuttered and looked back at Fang, who was staring right back at her. Ok, so maybe this would be a great time to say that she might be pretty. The type that Fang might go for.
"So, when am I able to go back home," I asked, faking jolliness and pretending that I can't see anything going on between her and Fang. *fist clench*
"Uh. Well, you have to have a talk with your parents," parent, biatch. "And after that we'll have to take you somewhere and then you'll be back in your own bed." she smiled seductively, not at me (eww, I am soooo not a lesbian), but at Fang, as if he was the one getting the news. Fang smiled right back at her, and there was silence for about five seconds. I cleared my throat and they both jumped and gave me nervous smiles. "I better be going now. I'm working down in the nurse's bay if you need me." And that invitation went straight to Fang, but I was just the cover up.
"I'll keep that in mind." I said nastily. Damn! I don't know why I'm acting like this all of a sudden! Maybe because I don't like redheads? No. That can't be it. She flung her long red hair over her should and turned around and twitched out of the door. I think she was deliberately shaking her butt to seduce Fang, but belch!
Fang stared after her longingly, and I coughed. He looked at me with surprise. "If you want to, er, you know, go and ask her if I need any medicine than your welcome to go?" I grinned. He just looked at me with an eyebrow raised. I just shrugged. "Don't pretend that there wasn't anything going on between you two. Because I saw it with my own two eyeballs."
He smirked and got up. He stretched and leaned towards me with a glint in his eyes. "Anything for you," he whispered in my and disappeared down the hall, with an echo of his laughter behind him.
Stupid bastard! Thinking he can get his way! I grumbled to myself as I pulled myself up with more ease.
Just as I finally propped myself up and started getting comfortable with the pillows, Jeb and the devil herself walks in. And, I'm proud to announce it, with a bandaged nose and a fading print of a handprint that looks familiar.
"Hello Max," Jeb said. Valencia just walks in and sits down, looking over me.
I snorted. "Be a little more cold would ya dad?"
Jeb frowned at me and settled down in an armchair. "Now Max," he started. But of course, being me, I had to interrupt him.
"Why was I in a coma?" I asked, giving him a serious look. He fiddled with the arm of the chair and Valencia coughed. "Why was I in a coma?" I repeated again, waiting for an answer. More Silence. "Would you like me to say in another language? Why was I in a coma?" I raised my voice, getting irritated by the fact that no one wants to answer me. My pulse monitor was quickly ascending, due to me quick rise of adre3naline. Which I got from seriously wanting to punch someone.
"Max. You need to settle down." Jeb said hastily, getting up and taking a step forward. But before he could reach me, I gave a glare so bad that it would make the devil proud. He stepped back and cleared his throat. "You need to-"
"I don't need to do anything! What I need to know is why I'm all of a sudden in comas! Is that too much to ask for?" I screeched and Valencia winced slightly.
She sighed and bit her lip. "Max. Why do you do drugs?"
"Valencia!" Jeb protested loudly.
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"You're not supposed to tell her anything!" he said, before pulling himself back together. He sighed. "Max. –"
"Will you please stop saying my name at the start of every sentence?" I exploded. "I know what my name is!"
"Fine, fine." Jeb rolled his eyes before continuing on. "The doctors said that the reason why you blacked out was because of the reaction your body had to the drugs that you've been taking."
"Huh?" I said brilliantly. "What, drugs?"
"That's what we want to know. Doctor Frankston is running some tests to find out what type of drugs you took. Unless, if you tell us, then we won't have to wait three weeks." Valencia replied, sharing a look with Jeb.
Now this is getting weird. Drugs? I am completely opposed to drugs. Why would I take them? I looked up to the ceiling, which was, yes, you guessed it, white. I tried to think of all the things I would have taken that would be close to be called drugs. Panadol? Nope. I haven't had a headache since the last time Jeb and Iggy fought. Ibuprofen? Nah, that's the same as Panadol, just in different shape and yuckier taste. Hence the reason why I wouldn't take it.
"Well, to be honest, which is what I'm going to be, I can't think of anything that called resemble drugs that I've taken lately." I said frowning. Valencia and Jeb looked at each other and Jeb sighed.
"You must've taken something. Otherwise there wouldn't have been traces of pharmaceuticals in your stomach."
"Do I have to repeat myself? I have not taken any drugs! I do not take drugs. I will never take drugs. God! Get it through your thick heads!" I said, starting to get irritated. I wiggled around in my sheets and threw them off, because it wasn't starting to heat up.
"Alright. Alright. Alright!" Valencia grounded through her teeth, looking like I was feeling. If they think they were having a hard time, how do they think I feel? Being the victim and all.
"Alright what? Are you going to leave off so that I can pull myself together? Or are you scared that I'm going to take another drug as soon as you leave and then black out?" I said sarcastically, the heat getting to me. Obviously.
"Another drug? So you admit that you've been taking drugs? I knew it!" She crowed, looking victorious. It was short-lived though. Jeb just sat there, shaking his head at her daftness.
"Dude, ever heard of sarcasm?" I smirked. Her face fell and her victorious smiled was replaced by a scowl.
"Come on honey, let's get out of here and let poor Max get some sleep." Jeb ushered Valencia out before we could start trading insults.
"Honey? Poor Max? What, are you two getting married again? And are you finally realising that maybe a little affection might get you a long way?" I joked, amusing myself by watching both of them turn red from is that blushing? "Please don't tell me you are getting remarried?" I groaned, seeing the signs that flashed 'IN LOVE. AGAIN.'
"Just get some sleep. And we'll see you when you wake up." Jeb hurried behind Valencia and took off down the hallway.
Hah! Me? Get some sleep? Pfft. I've had enough to last thirty lifetimes. Now it's time for some riot and pranks.
I hopped out of the bed slowly and quietly. I was making sure that the bed wasn't squeaking at the loss of my weight, but nope, all good. I tiptoed softly to the end of the bed, and peered around the curtain tht was separating my next door neighbour from me. I saw that there was a girl, around my age, staring back at me, with unblinking, honey coloured eyes. Her hair was dark brown, with streaks on honey tone in her hair, making it look like lightning bolts.
"Hi! What's your name?" she asked me, watching with an almost hawk like glaze. She seemed like a nice person, I thought to myself. But I wasn't looking for friends.
"Max." I replied shortly and walked around her space to the one next to hers.
"I wouldn't go near her." the girl pulled a face that made me choke back my laugh. It was something cross between a pug face imitation and an I-just-got-a-major-wedgie-from-my-sister. The girl smiled at my reaction and motioned for me to go near her.
I cautiously walked over next to her bed and sat down gingerly on one of the hospitals chairs that looked exactly like the one Jeb had previously occupied.
"What are you doing out of bed? I heard the doctors saying that you wouldn't be awake for the next two hours. And that was 45 minutes ago." the girl asked, pushing herself up and wriggling her toes.
I shrugged. "Maybe my body sensed the presence of someone near me and woke myself up? I don't know."
The girl giggled and bit her lip. "The boy that I heard you talking to once you woke was hot. He walked past, probably to chase Lissa, like you said he should."
I looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "You heard? Do you listen to everything that goes on in this gracious room?" I spread my arms out, as if pointing out that this room was anything but gracious.
"Only the interesting ones."
"I'm sorry. What was your name?" I asked, looking at her. I like her. She had this thing about her.
"Jennifer-Joy.' she scrunched her eyebrows up with distaste.
"Poor you!" I stared at her, stunned. How could you possibly have such an unfitting name to a girl?
"I know! What were parents thinking? Naming me that horrid name!" Jennifer-Joy winged, clearly enjoying the drama.
"And I thought my name was bad!"
"What? Max? Because it's a boy name?" She asked, shaking her arms as if she had pins and needles.
"No." I winced. "Because that's only a shortened version. My names actually Maximum."
"Oh how cliché." Jennifer-Joy said sympathetically. "You may only call me JJ. That's what all of my friends call me. And my parents."
"Do they do that thing where they only call you your full name when you're in trouble?" I asked curiously. Mine does that. I had been wondering if that only ever happened to me and my brothers.
"Yeah. It's the type of thing parents do. It's like they're trying to make you feel bad right?" she replied.
I nodded. "That's what I think."
"So what are you doing out of bed?" JJ asked curiously, completely changing the subject.
I grinned mischievously. "Riot."
She grinned, almost exactly like me. But of course, no one could beat my expressions.
"Need any help?"
"Gladly." I hopped out of the chair and she slid out of her bed. She stuffed her shoes on her feet and I looked down at my bare feet, slightly pink from the cold. Funny how the temperature changes quickly around here. I wonder if anyone had thought to bring any clothes and shoes from home to here.
JJ, sensing my thoughts informed, "Your clothes are in a blue bags in both of your bedside drawers and you shoes are under the bed."
"Thanks," I said gratefully and pulled back the curtain all the way to wall and went to fetch my shoes, from in a bag that was sitting under the bed. I pulled out a black canvas shoe and found the other one under my gray and white ones, down near the bottom. Then I hunted through all the drawers with the bags til I found a pair of sock, which I pulled on quickly.
After that I slid on my shoes and bounded back to JJ, who I noticed was wearing a pink t-shirt with a black jumper that read on the front in big, orange writing, Life's A Bitch, but I'm A Bigger One. I grinned slightly at the caption and looked down at myself. I was wearing the same clothes that I had been wearing from the disaster dinner. A blue t-shirt underneath with a black jumper on top. I was also wearing a pair of black jeans that had a couple of grass stains that wouldn't come out no matter how many times I washed from a football incident.
"So what's the plan?" JJ grinned, bouncing eagerly. I only just noticed that we were around the same height.
"Well," I said thoughtfully, thinking of a genius plan that only just popped in my head. "You remember the nurse Lissa?"
"Yeah." she nodded.
"I was thinking that maybe, she might need to rewrite all her information in her folder. Because maybe, just maybe, she could've written all the wrong things."
JJ smiled. "Perfect."
So we tiptoed past the sleeping girl that was next to JJ, who informed me 'was a total bitch and was probably Lissa's younger sister' and sneaked out of the room door, after looking out to see if anyone was coming. We slipped out down the corridor and ducked down on our knees and crawled next to the nurses bay area. A couple of adults looked at us strangely, and the kids gazed at us with wide eyes, like they knew that we were up to something.
"Do you reckon we can hack into the system?" JJ whispered to me, after we crawled under one of the unoccupied computer desk.
"Yeah. It's my thing." I replied, sticking my head out from under to see if anyone was walking towards us.
"I mean without getting caught."
"Maybe." I said absently, catching sight of Fang and Lissa standing right across from us.
"Are you listening to me?" JJ hissed and when I didn't reply, she stuck her head out next to mine. "What are you-Oh." she studied Fang and Lissa.
"Isn't that the hot dude that visits you?"
"Yep. And he's my . . . step-kinda-brother." I told her. I didn't feel like he was an any type of brother. Which was strange? Especially since I feel for him in a way I've never felt before. Like I said. Strange.
"Uh huh. Well, to me, right now he's just another complication to add on the growing list of problems." JJ said grabbing my head and pushing it back while settling back comfortably.
"What? What do you mean? It's easy as pie." I asked, confused.
"Pie is not easy. And I mean how the hell you are going to sit in the chair, hack into the system, into the folder of the chick that happens to be right behind you, without getting caught. Not to mention if a nurse walks behind you and notices that you're a patient." JJ rattled off.
I rolled my eyes. "For starters, pie is not even a real equation in my world. It's just a phrase to exaggerate. Like a cliché. And Lissa will not catch me, because she's going to be occupied by something else. Or should I say someone else? And if a nurse walks past, I'll just tell her that I had to change Lissa's details because another nurse told me that Lissa had filled it out wrong and that it needed fixing. And if she asks me if Lissa said of its alright to be in her personal folder, I'll just say no, not directly at me, but at the boss nurse that said it was alright for me to do it." I explained, watching with one eye at Fang and Lissa, and the other with JJ, who was staring at me with a 'Huh?' expression.
I sighed. "So I'll repeat. –"
"No no no no no! I get it! Just, who's going to be distracting Lissa?" JJ said hastily.
"Fang. Who is going to be distracted by someone else. This means Lissa's going to be occupied with two things. One for every eye. And brain cell. And since she only has two eyes and most likely two brain cells, she is going to be completely distracted from what is going to happen with her personal folder."
JJ nodded thoughtfully. "And whose going to be distracting Fang?"
I smiled. "You."
She gaped at me. "No way! He is not even going to listen to me! What am I even going to say to distract him? He probably won't even look at me!"
I waited patiently until she had finished and said, "Tell him that I've gone, and that I was going to punch both parents faces in. and say that if he goes looking for me, that he might probably need back up because I looked mad."
She nodded and gulped. "Hopefully he'll hear me."
"He will. All you need to worry about is that you can live with Lissa's dagger stares for about a minute." I reassured her and she smiled.
"That bitch better watch out if she does."
"Atta girl." I nodded appreciably and thumped her on the back before whispering, "Go get 'em."
She slid smoothly out from where we were and walked the long way around the nurse's bay, out of my sight