Island Time

Chapter 10

Though Fang hated the idea, the only way to get me back to the island was for he and Dylan to take turns carrying me. My times with Fang was normal, me cuddled against him, taking those times to sleep as in Fang's arms was most comfortable. With Dylan, it was awkward and I felt horrible. He was clearly nervous too, especially with Fang breathing down our necks. I mean, gosh, did he think I was just going to strip naked with Dylan in the air or something?

Anyways, I had never been happier to be back on the island. When we landed, Fang had me in his arms. Some people around came to see what was going on, but Fang just ignored them, carrying me to the caves, headed to find my mother or Dr. Royce. Dylan tailed us, though Fang was walking quickly in a vain attempt to lose him.

"Max."

Fang stopped in front of my mother. "Max is sick."

At the moment, I was half out of it. We had finally run out of those pain pills and my arm was killing me.

"Wha-"

Fang sat me down on some empty counter space. "Here, look."

He pulled off my hoodie as some of the other scientists started to gather around. "Look at her arm."

Dylan came closer, also looking even though he had seen it before. "Wow, it grew."

Dr. Royce, who had been at the other side of the room, suddenly was animated. "Can you walk?"

Like I said, I felt horrible. I tried to get down, but Fang moved to pick me up again. Dylan beat him to it.

"You-"

"Not now," Dylan groaned, following after Dr. Royce. "We can fight later, when Max is better."

My mother was the only other person that Dr. Royce let come with us. He took us to a different lab, where we could be alone.

"Sit her down here," he said, pointing to an operating table. Fang must have seen the look on my face at the notion, because he stepped forward, running a hand down my face.

"You're fine," he mumbled as Dr. Royce went to go get something. My mother picked up my arm, staring at it.

"How did this happen?"

Fang took that. "We were in a city, but no one was around. We split up-"

"You left her," Dylan corrected.

"-and a dog attacked her. The next morning, she couldn't wake up. Oh, and shut the fuck up, Dylan."

"You were the one that was just going to leave her out there without me."

"Yeah? What would you have had me do?"

"I wouldn't have let her get hurt."

"Both of you stop," Dr. Martinez told them as Dr. Royce returned. "This is serious."

I folded into myself when I saw Royce had a syringe. Fang's jaw was set, but he said nothing.

"This is going to put you out, Max," the scientist told me. "I'm going to have to-"

"Does she have it? Is this what those guys had?" Fang asked. The doctor sighed.

"Fang, what I need from you is to go into the lab next door. Dr. Martinez is going to run some tests on you and Dylan. Anyone that Max has been in contact with could be at risk."

Great, I infected the only two guys that could ever even begin to put up with me. Just my luck.

Fang seemed angry at the thought of this. He looked at me. "Do you want me to leave you?"

I nodded a little bit. Fang ran his hand down my face one more time before walking out, Dylan right after him. I could hear their argument starting up again as they left. My mother wasn't as easy to get rid of. She wanted to help deal with me, not my two…stalkers. When Dr. Royce finally got her to leave, he explained this to me.

"You can never have someone working on their own kid," he told me, staring down at me. "Max, are you ready? You'll be down for awhile, but I have to get samples from you."

"Do I have what they had?"

"I think so, yes."

Closing my eyes, I nodded when he asked if I was ready. Then, I finally went into a sleep that wasn't fitful.

I had a weird dream while I was out. Fang and I were together, like serious together, and talking about our future. We were trying to explain to Iggy that we wanted to move in together, but he just kept telling us that there were no new caves available to accommodate us. We both told him that we were leaving the island, but he wouldn't listen. Then we ran into Nudge, who was talking in gibberish, but wouldn't shut up. Something about Jessie or Kyle or Kevin or something. Angel and Ella, who never really spent time together, were with each other when we saw them. Angel was crying while Ella comforted her. Apparently, Total had been bitten by another dog and was going to die. We were comforting her when Gasman came running up and shot me. When I looked to Fang for help, he told me he was sorry and that he loved me, but this was for the best. I was, after all, a zombie. They would have to cut my head off. Right when Iggy showed up with the meat clever, Dylan came to my rescue. I woke up as he flew me away.

"Max?"

I groaned a little.

"Are you awake?"

I let my breath out slowly. "Y-Yeah."

I felt someone run their hand down my face, like Fang had before. Only this wasn't Fang.

"S-Stop."

Dylan sighed a little as I finally opened my eyes. I was somewhere in the caves, laying on a pallet on the floor. Fang, or so I assume, had covered me over with sheets and blankets, not to mention put his hoodie on me.

"Where's Fang?" I looked around, but we were off in a cavern, just the two of us.

"I told him to go get something to eat. You've been out for two days. He hasn't left your side." Dylan shrugged a little. "I felt bad for him. By the way, don't go over to the right corner."

"Why?"

"That's where he's been peeing."

I made a face and Dylan laughed. I guess he was joking…I hope… Any who, I looked to my arm and saw that it was still attached to my body. I tried to lift it up, but pain shot through my body. Okay, so mark ping pong off my list of activities.

"You're still weak," Dylan said, laying a hand on my arm. "You're alright, but-"

"Am I infected?"

He looked off. "You-"

"Max!" Suddenly, Fang was back. "You're awake. Oh, God. Get away from her."

Fang pushed Dylan away, suddenly bending down next to me. "Are you okay? Huh?"

"Fang-"

"Shhh." He picked up a cup with some sort of liquid in this. "Royce said to give this to you when you woke up. Here. Drink."

Whatever it was that he forced down my throat was bitter, but I was too weak to resist. After he finished giving it to me, Fang kissed my head.

"Are you okay?"

The stuff he gave me was making me dizzy. And-

"Oh, Max."

-nauseous.

Fang made Dylan go get something to clean up the puke as he went and got me water. Dr. Royce came in while the boys were gone.

"You got sick. Good."

Good?

I must have given him a look, because he continued.

"I want you to puke, Max. There's many things in your body that I can't get out, not with the limited things I have now, on the island. This is the only way."

Dylan came back then, immediately getting to work on mopping up my throw up. Dr. Royce left a little bit before Fang came back.

"Here you go," he said, getting next to me, on my new spot away from my puke. "Water."

I took slow sips this time, Fang holding the cup to my mouth for me. Afterwards, he rubbed my stomach a little.

"Am I…contagious?"

Fang sighed. "That's the problem, Max. Until Dylan and I are cleared…we're stuck here with you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Dylan said, nodding his head. "We've got this whole side of the tunnels to ourselves though. There's tons of food and blankets and things. Royce and your mother though, they had taken those shots that Fang refused to let the two of you take, so they're fine."

"Don't go blaming shit on me, idiot."

Dylan sighed. "Is he always this hard to deal with?"

"Fang, be quiet. Both of you be quiet, actually." I closed my eyes again. "Fang?"

"What?"

"Why don't they just give all the others on the island the injections?"

"They don't have enough."

I thought about this. "One more thing."

"What?"

"Am I really a zombie?"

He leaned down to my ear. "Well, you lack brains, but I'm not sure if that really qualifies you as a zombie."

"Fang, please."

"Of course not, Max. You don't really believe in that stuff, do you?"

"Ten years ago, people wouldn't have believed in winged children either." I shifted a little. "Besides, zombies are more realistic than freaking vampires or ghosts."

"Don't go knocking my vampires, Max," Fang warned gently.

"You wanna be my Dracula?"

Dylan groaned. "I'm stuck here too. Don't make me listen to this."

"I'd rather be your Frankenstein." He kissed me.

"You know," I started in my know it all voice. "Frankenstein was actually the name of the doctor, not the monster."

Fang just stared. "Why, Max, are you offering to play doctor with me?"

"Kill me now," Dylan moaned dramatically, falling onto his back. "I refuse to watch that."

Ignoring him, I said, "No. You can be my Rob Zombie though, if you want."

"My dear Max, you're losing your mind. I don't have the hair for that these days."

"Darn."

He kissed my lips. "Darn indeed."

"Death can't be worse than this," Dylan said, still not moving from his spot on the ground. "This is my Hell. I have died. The real Max infected me and I died. Wow."

Fang made a noise with his chest. "Would you shut up? You wouldn't be here if you hadn't butted in when I was with Max."

"You're lucky I came. I carried her back to safety, you know. Or have you forgotten?"

"I would have gotten her back home somehow."

"Yeah? Just like you kept her safe?"

"Stop it," I said, wishing that I was strong enough to sit up. "No one needs to take care of me."

I got a snort from both of my…whatever they are. Boyfriend and ex, I guess. Each had saved me in their own respective ways, but I would never admit to it aloud.

"Anyway," Fang started, moving to sit on his butt. "We're gonna be here awhile, Max. They have to analyze our blood samples or something."

"Aw. Did they take your blood?"

"Yeah."

"Poor, Fangers."

Dylan let out another noise. "Fang, I know you hate me, but just end it now. Please? Don't torture me."

"Nicknames, eh?" Fang stared down at me. "You must be loopy. Should I add it to the list of your symptoms?"

I shut my eyes again. "At one point, I dreamt that we all went out to a Mexican place and ate nachos."

"Yum."

"No. There was too much cheese. It got everywhere. The salsa kept fall in our laps. Total was licking us all over. Angel got jalapeño juice in her eye."

"Ouch."

"Yep."

Dylan stood up. "I'm going to get some food. Anyone want anything?"

"No," I said and Fang shook his head. As soon as he was gone, I said, "Fang, you need to be nicer. Dylan has done nothing to you. At all. Anything that happened in the past is just that, the past. If you guys can't be friends, that's fine, but I'm his friend and that's all that matters."

Fang watched me for a moment. "Go back to sleep, Max."

"Fang-"

"Just sleep." He ran a hand down my stomach. "Come, Franky. For me? For your Nick?"

I smiled a little bit and he kissed my head, covering me over with some new sheets, as I had gotten sick on the others. I went back to sleep.

When Dylan got back, Fang was still tending to Max. She felt cold, so he wrapped her up better. He felt Dylan stare at him for a moment before going over to a corner and sitting down alone. Fang spent a few minutes making sure that his girlfriend was all settled before standing. Going over to boy wonder, he began.

"Look, I don't like you. You're arrogant, you made my family hate me, you think that you belong here when you don't, and you messed Max and my relationship up."

"You-"

"But," Fang interrupted, "Max likes you. She thinks of you as a part of our family now. Not my family, but hers. And that means that I have to at least tolerate you. So just stay out of my hair while we're here, alright? You heard Royce. Max is…sick. There's a good chance she won't…make it. I don't want her last days to be spend with us arguing."

Holding out his hand, Dylan asked, "Truce?"

Taking his enemy's hand in his own for the better of the girl they both loved, Fang repeated though words back.

When I woke up, Fang was messing with something in the corner of the room, not the right one so get your mind of the gutter, and Dylan was playing with a deck of cards.

"Where'd you get those?"

They both looked up when I spoke. Fang immediately turned, showing me that he had taken apart a flashlight for some reason. I was going to ignore that and assume it was out of sheer boredom.

"Dr. Royce. We have to burn then when we're done with them. You know, if you are contagious," Dylan said with a slight smile to let me know that he was just joking. I expected a snide comment from Fang, but he just stood and came closer to me.

"You need anything?" He asked, but I just shook my head. "Come on now, you have to drink something at least. Here."

He got me a little bit of water before going back over to his corner. Dylan came closer.

"Hey, Max, pick a card."

I eyed his wearily. "Dyl-"

"Please?"

Staring at him, I was suddenly reminded that he wasn't really as old as he looked. He was really only about three at this point. I felt bad for him, so, with my uninjured arm, I reached out to get a card.

Dylan smiled, going on with his trick. I let him do a few more for me, because, like I said before, who doesn't love a good card trick? So while I was being entertained with Dylan, Fang chose to leave for awhile. I almost called out to him to find out where he was headed, but I decided to let him be.

"So, what did you and Fang do while you were all alone?" Dylan asked me as he shuffled his cards. I had pulled myself into a sitting position and we were going to play Speed.

"Dylan," I warned.

"Huh? Oh, no I meant…not that, Max. I mean, if you're doing that, which is really none of my bus-"

"It's really not," I agreed, shaking my head. "Besides, Dyl, we just hung out really. Then I got sick and he took care of me."

My ex nodded. "I'm glad he was there. You know, to take care of you."

I stared at him for a moment. "Yeah, me too."

"Fang really, uh, likes you. Loves you, maybe."

"I know."

He passed out our cards. "I love you too, by the way."

"I know, Dylan."

He smiled at me again. "Just different, of course."

"Of course."

"Sure you're up for playing?" He asked me. "I won't go easy on you, Max."

"It's cards, Dylan. I think I can handle it."

"Suit yourself," he said before laughing. "Get it? Huh? Never mind."

"No, I got it. It just wasn't funny."

He shook his head. "I think it was."

The rest of my days went pretty much like that. Occasionally, Dr. Royce came by, but never my mother. Angel never tried to get into my mind either. As for the three of us, Dylan and I spent our time playing every card game known to man. From B.S. to War, we played them all. Fang for his part spent his time in his little corner, ignoring us. I kept expecting him to comment on Dylan and I spending time together, but he said nothing, just kept tinkering with whatever electrical item he had. I don't know what he was doing with them or where he was getting them, but I let him be. When I was ready for bed, Fang would always come over and lay down next to me, making Dylan go to the other side of the cave. When I would wake up though, he'd be back in the corner, my food waiting for me by my side.

About a week and a half later, my mother finally showed up. I was actually asleep when she first got there, but Dylan woke me up.

"Max? Your mom's here."

I felt Fang push me. "Hey, Max. Are you alright? Come on, get up."

I opened my eyes a little to see my mother hanging back by the entrance. "Mom?"

She smiled weakly. "Max."

I sat up a little. "Why are you here? Where's Dr. Royce? Are you okay? You're not infected too, are you?"

"No, no, Max. I came because…they thought it would be easier to hear from me."

Fang, who had been crouching down next to me, stood. "What would be easier to take? Is Max…What? What is it?"

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "Not Max. You, Fang."

"Me. Me what?"

She looked at the three of us each for a moment before staring at just him. "Do you remember when Jeb tried to kill you and the others wanted you? Your body holds to the key to invincibility."

"We remember," Dylan said, nodding. "So what?"

"Your body and your body alone has not been infected, Fang. Yet. Even those samples we took yesterday were fine."

He glanced around. "Good."

"No," she said slowly, now looking at Dylan and I. "Max and Dylan are infected."

"What? No. I'm not puking, I'm not turning black, I'm not-"

"You were not directly infected, Dylan. You should be easier to heal, if we can find a cure, but you are still sick. Max, you have a direct hit. You…We might not be able to cure you."

"That? You came here to tell us that?" Fang was bucking up, but I knew he wouldn't fight my mother…would he?

"No," she said slowly for about the millionth time or so it felt. "Fang, the virus that has infected them will continue to mutate and surely become airborne."

"Fine. They won't leave the cave."

"Fang," she said, shaking her head. "You have to leave. You have to get out of here and let Max and Dylan stay."

"What? No!" Fang looked at the two of us. "No. No. You're fucking crazy. No. I'm not leaving her with him."

"Fang, you have to. You might be our source of a cure. We need you to-"

"I'm staying with Max, right here. Take boy wonder."

"We can't, Fang," she sighed, sounding exasperated. "You're the one that has immunity."

"Fang, go," I said, frowning. "Do you really not trust me this much?"

"No, Max, I don't."

Well then. I frowned. "Then I don't want you here anyways."

"Max-"

"No, go. I don't care what you do, but I don't want a guy who doesn't trust me around."

Fang groaned. "Max-"

"We don't have time for this," Dr. Martinez told the two of us. "Fang, you're not staying. It's just that simple."

He stared at my mother for a second before coming to sit back down next to me. "Move me."

I looked at Dylan. "Move him."

Fang glanced at me before at Dylan. "Touch me, boy wonder. I'll rip your fucking wings off."

"What's with you and cursing?" I frowned at Fang. "Just get up. Please? You're giving me a headache."

"No, Max. If they're not going to cure you and you're going to…die, I'm not leaving you."

"Wouldn't matter much if you were there or not. Or at least it didn't for Maya."

And then Fang was up, at Dylan's throat. Mom took a step back while I forced myself in there, planning to pull them off each other. When I did though, Fang, who was grabbing at Dylan, ripped his nails into my injured arm, making me howl in pain.

"Look what you did!"

"What I did? That was you!"

I backed away from them, holding my arm. God, how weak was I? "Damn it, Fang! You freaking hurt me!"

"Max-"

I swatted at him when he tried to come closer. I sat back down on my pallet. "Leave, Fang. Now."

"No, you-"

"Leave!"

Fang stared at me for a second and then at Dylan, who was still on the ground, watching the two of us. Then he was gone, walking away. Mom tried to help me with my cuts that Fang had inflicted, but it was useless. I was hurt, but not enough to require attention.

After Fang and my mother left, it was quiet. Dylan just sat there, staring at me.

"What?" I finally snapped at him. "Huh?"

"I just…Fang and I made a pact not to mess with each other, because of you. But he was being such a little…brat."

"Still, Dylan. Even I don't talk about Maya. That was his girlfriend."

He rolled his eyes. "Not really."

"Yes, really."

"If she hadn't been you, he wouldn't have been with her. He's not upset for her, he's upset because the thought of being with her is embarrassing. That older woman you told me he liked, Brigid or something, she's dead, probably. You can talk about her, huh?"

"Still, Dylan. Just…he's raw about that."

"Seems like you guys should work around it," he mumbled.

"It's none of-"

"-my business, I know." He looked up. "I'm just saying…never mind."

"No. What?"

"I trust you. With my life. And you cheated on me. You've done nothing, but good for Fang and he can't trust you? That's bull." He picked up the deck of cards. "Anyways, you wanna play-"

"Dylan, I do like you," I said, staring at him. "I just…like Fang more."

"I know. I was just your, what's Iggy call it? Rebound. I was your rebound. It's my own fault. I knew I was, but I just kept trying to get closer to you." He sighed. "I mean, I knew Fang would come back. And we all knew that he didn't really like Maya. Even she knew it. Just like you never really liked me. You guys just needed a break from each other."

"I-"

"Here." He made a bridge with the cards, shuffling them. "Let's play a game."

And so we did as Fang and I do, but instead of talking around our problems, we played around them.

When Max went back to sleep, Dylan sat there next to her, listening to her. She was so pretty.

Getting up, he walked over to the corner where Fang had been messing with whatever electronic thing he was taking apart, looking it over. The other boy had never explained to him what he was doing and Dylan couldn't tell from just looking at it. Going back over to Max, Dylan picked up her arm gently, rolling up her sleeve. Fang had this weird obsession with just pulling her shirt off without her permission, but Dylan liked living, so he'd live with just rolling up her sleeves.

Fang's nails had cut her, but the blood had already clotted. Dylan wanted to do something to make her feel better, but he didn't know what to do. At least, not something that wouldn't get him slapped or worse. He wanted to kiss her arm and let her know that he was there, but he figured she'd take that as some sort of sexual advance, so he went ahead and voted against that one.

"Dyl, stop," she mumbled and he let go of her arm. Max rolled over, giving him her back. She opened her wings, which brushed against his leg.

"You want his hoodie?"

"No, I'm fine." She went back to sleep after that. Dylan stroked one of her wings, watching them flutter. After a few minutes, she mumbled stupid Fang's name in her sleep. That stopped him.

Sighing a little, Dylan covered Max over better before going to get some food from one of the other caverns.