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Chapter 25; A Fake and A Shake

Max had three people she considered her 'friends' other than the members of her flock. One of these people, who was actually more of Ella's friend, was a girl named Lynn-Dee, who was twice Max's weight and had a slight acne problem.

Lynn-Dee was droning on and on about how much her older sister annoyed her when Fang and Iggy walked up carrying lunch trays and rather sour expressions on their faces.

The bandana that had been tied around Iggy's head, had been replaced that morning by gauze and a pair of dark sunglasses and they had agreed to tell everyone that Iggy had had a minor surgery over the weekend. To hopefully give him back his sight. Sadly that little lie was more believable than the truth.

"Mind?" Iggy said in a rather uninterested tone.

Lynn-Dee shook her head and continued talking. "But, I mean, O-M-G! She's in the bathroom for HOURS and her school uniform? Puh-leeze. She looks like a slut!"

Iggy was piling the mashed potatoes on his tray into a tower and humming the theme to an old movie when Lynn-Dee turned to him her round face bright red, "What is your problem? Why are you kicking me?"

Iggy dropped his fork, "Sorry, I thought I was kicking Max."

Lynn-Dee rolled her eyes and stood, leaving them to sit beside a few other girls from Max's class.

"So what's up?" Max smiled not as interested in Lynn-Dee's conversation as she'd been pretending to be.

Iggy shrugged, "Its really boring here I hate it. Part of me wants to jump up and scream 'FIRE!' At the top of my lungs..."

Max giggled and Fang eyed the pickle on her tray. After staring at it a moment he discretely took it keeping it hidden in the palm of his hand.

"You're just jealous that I got to be lab partners with Cindy Dillon and you're SO in love with her," Max said quickly.

Fang choked, his hands going around his neck his eyes watering.

Iggy thumped him on the back twice, returning the favor from the night before.

"Okay, maybe Fang's in love with her," Max mumbled and skewered a piece of meatloaf on the end of her fork, staring at it distastefully. Then she noticed her pickle was gone and she scowled at Fang, "Did you take my pickle? You deserve to choke if you did! You pickle thief!"

He glared at her still coughing, his hands around his neck.

Iggy hit his back again wondering why Fang was still coughing and wheezing, "Jeez, just spit it out already!"

He turned and stumbled away hacking.

"Where's he going?" Iggy whispered.

Max watched him stagger out of the cafeteria and toward the boy's bathroom, followed by another boy with severely short brown hair. "The bathroom in the hall ... Kevin's going after him. That was the last pickle too!"

Iggy nodded and turned back to his meal, picking around the fruit salad for a full minute before cocking his head in his hand. "I really hate this school, I don't care if we are graduating in June, I want out..."

Max nodded, "Would you rather be back at THE School?"

Iggy went pale and shook his head, he scratched at the gauze and let out a loud sigh. "When did your mom say she could take a look at my eyes?"

"Tonight," Max mumbled around her meatloaf.

Iggy shifted impatiently, "Would you mind if I complained of a bad headache and went home? You know, since I was supposed to have had surgery and all?"

Max opened her mouth to tell him that she wouldn't mind when Kevin ran back into the cafeteria and straight up to her, "You'd better get to the office, Nick just got sick in the bathroom."

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When she rushed inside she expected to see Fang seated in one of the chairs in front of the principal's desk complaining of an upset stomach as he'd done a few times before, not sprawled white-faced on the couch the school nurse bending over him.

"His heart is racing ... I've already called your mother, Max, she's on her way."

"Nick?" She dropped to her knees beside him taking his hand. His skin was hot and the only color on his face were two red splotches high on his cheeks, from coughing so hard no doubt.

She said his name a little louder and gave his hand a shake. His eyes cracked open and he stared up at her blankly his eyes not really focused.

"Is he fevered? He feels so hot!" She cupped a hand to his face amazed that she could feel the heat radiating from him.

The nurse pressed the back of her hand to Fang's forehead and nodded. "I tried to get him to drink some water a few minutes ago but he said that it hurt too much to swallow."

Max nodded, "He got choked at lunch, could that be it?"

"Choking wouldn't cause such a fever, or the rapid heartbeat for such a long period of time. Though it might explain the vomiting ... Does he have a heart problem?"

Max shook her head, "No."

She wanted desperately for the principal and the nurse to leave the room so she could check the back of his neck ... To assure herself he was not expiring...

Five minutes later Dr. Martinez showed up took one look at Fang and had the school nurse help take him to her car.

"I'll take him to the hospital to get checked out and call you later, Judith."

Max watched her mother drive away with Fang slumped in the front seat and she wondered if she really was going to take Fang to the hospital or not.

The fast heartbeat could be explained easily, the whole flock had rapid heartbeats, as well as higher temperatures ... But that didn't explain why Fang's temperature had suddenly gotten hotter.

She wondered what was wrong with him ... Was he dying? Was his expiration date approaching?

She'd never known Fang or any of her flock to get sick like that ... Never so much as a cold. So why did Fang suddenly have a raging fever?

What was wrong with him?

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When they got off the bus that evening they ran directly to the house and inside expecting to see police swarming their rooms, but they only found Aaron playing chess with David, who was winning.

"Where's Fang?" Max said as soon as she was through the door.

Aaron looked up, mildly perturbed and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "He's in there."

"Where's my mom?" Max dropped her book bag into the corner and kicked off her shoes.

"She drove into town for some ice-cream, she'll be back in a few."

When she got into the living room she noticed the TV was on and a man and woman were kissing passionately on the screen. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing.

Fang was lying on the couch under a blanket his chin propped in his hand watching a soap-opera.

"Wow, Fang I didn't know you liked 'The Young and The Restless'!"

He turned his head lazily to her scowling. "I can't find the remote." His voice was no louder than a strained whisper.

"Did you fake all that today, or did you really get sick?"

He shrugged, "The whole fainting thing was an act, but I really am sick."

Max hit him over the head and plopped down on the couch beside him. "Sick in the head is more like it ... You had Iggy so scared, I should kick your butt!"

He shook his head, leaned toward her and opened his mouth wide, hooking his index fingers in the corners of his lips.

She stared at him revolted then shook her head, "You're gross, what are you doing, trying to be a Wizard?"

He shut his mouth and scowled at her, "Your mom says my throat is all red and gross looking. She said it might be my tonsils," He licked his lips and continued in a whisper. "I bit into that stupid pickle and it felt like I'd swallowed a handful of razorblades."

Max rolled her eyes and fished in the couch cushions for the remote, "Is that why you choked? I thought it was just excellently timed karma."

He sighed and settled back against the couch arms crossed. "Coughed till I threw up, then decided, what the hell, let's add fainting ... So I just kind of ... Flopped over."

She eyed him and a tingle of fear ran up her spine, "You really passed out, didn't you."

He hesitated then gave a small nod.

Oh, God, why couldn't he have lied?

Total leapt onto the couch between them and settled himself on Fang's lap. "If you don't learn to control that big brother of yours I am going to bite him, that's your warning and his."

Fang stared down at him for a moment then shook his head, "What did he do?"

Total rolled his eyes, "He called me a 'pooch' I am NOT a 'pooch'!"

Fang swallowed again wincing and nodded unwilling to tax his voice further and speak.

"I don't like him ... He smells funny," Total shifted uncomfortably and eyed Fang, He sniffed absently at Fang's chest then settled down across the boy's lap, head on his knee.

Total remained seated for a few more minutes then sighed and climbed off of Fang's lap depositing himself on Max's. "He's too hot!"

Max turned and flattened her hand on Fang's forehead again then made a disgusted face when she drew her palm back moist with sweat. "Ew! You're all clammy!" She wiped her hand on his shirt.

Fang gave her a scathing look and turned back to the TV wondering absently where the remote was and if the two people groping on screen were making Max as uncomfortable as he was becoming.

"Why are we watching this? This is weird ... Change the channel to Animal Planet, I love watching those crocodiles," Total grumbled and jumped off the couch, trotting across the room digging under the nearest chair for the remote.

Aaron and Gasman tiptoed into the room and jumped in front of the TV.

Gasman threw his arm up, the back of his hand to his brow and he tossed his head dramatically, "Oh, Fangie-poo! I love you dearly, true!" He said in a breathy version of Max's voice.

"Oh, Max! My dear, come to me! Come to me, do!" Aaron said loudly in a slightly British version of Fang's voice. Which sounded oddly normal coming from him...

Gasman tipped backward, in a faux-swoon and Aaron caught him laughing loudly.

Fang growled and threw off the blanket, taking after his brother intent on strangling him.

Aaron squeaked, dropped Gasman to the floor with a loud 'THUMP!' and his voice instantly changed to Max's, "Oh, yes, CHASE me! I'm such a tease!"

Max growled and leapt over the back of the couch.

"Oh, boy!" Total said loudly and began chasing Aaron also, barking loudly and growling, "I'm gonna get you, you stinking bird-brain! No body insults Max!"

Aaron looked over his shoulder and his face fell. "Bugger me!" And he started running faster than ever toward the door. "Out of the way!" He dove between Iggy and Ella and out the door, sprinting across the lawn toward the trees, never once remembering he could fly.

David and Angel laughed loudly as he streaked across the yard Total, Max and Fang at his heels. As he neared a rather large tree at the edge of the yard he jumped, grabbing the lowest limb with both hands and clambering atop it.

Total growled up at him, "Now that we've treed him, what are we going to do? Tar and feather perhaps? Nah, he's already feathered. I say we tie him to two teams of horses and let them pull-"

"OI! Yeah, real nice, you've had your fun, now bug-off! I didn't mean any harm!"

Fang sat his jaw, extended his wings and with a single downward stroke leapt onto the branch beside his brother. His voice sounded strained as he walked slowly forward tottering dangerously, wings out to keep his balance.

Total growled again, "You're in for it now, bud! I knew there was something fishy about you!"

"Tell Max you're sorry."

Max propped her hands on her hips, "I can stand up for myself, Fang I don't need your help!"

He turned to her his wings drooping visibly and grimaced as he swallowed, "Well, what if I want to stand up for you too?"

Her tongue felt thick in her mouth, thick and useless, just a hunk of immobile muscle and taste buds.

Aaron took the moment of distraction and jumped from the tree, gaining altitude with every beat of his wings. He flew toward the house and dive-bombed the yard, landing hard on his hands and knees. He was on his feet and running inside before Max could make her tongue move again.

"I can stand up for myself..." And she turned, running back to the house red-faced.

She locked herself in her room and didn't come out until dinner.

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Chapter 26; Iggy

Fang, David, Gasman, Angel and Aaron stayed behind that night when Dr. Martinez took Iggy Max, Nudge and Ella to the clinic.

The gauze that had replaced Nudge's pink bandana was removed and Iggy lay on his back on the X-ray table his legs hanging off the end into space toes tapping nervously.

When the X-ray came out Nudge explained to Iggy what she saw. What was now obvious to everyone ... There were two one-quarter inch, round computer chips in Iggy's eyes.

"I can't get them out... They're IN there ... Kind of like a lens replacement but..." Her voice trailed off and she shifted on her feet examining the X-ray more closely. She pointed to the two little hair like wires leading from the computer chips back into Iggy's head. "Those wires are tapping directly into his optic nerves... If we could somehow disable those wires-"

Iggy jumped off the table and started feeling around on the walls.

"What are you doing, Iggy?" Ella said quickly.

"It's a computer chip ... How do you overload a computer chip?"

Max shrugged, "Put all your weight on it?"

He shook his head, "If a computer gets hit by lightning what happens?"

Ella put a hand to her mouth, "No, you can't be serious!"

He grinned, "If a computer gets hit by lightning the motherboard gets fried and it won't work anymore."

"You are not going to electrocute yourself!" Dr. Martinez said loudly. "You could be seriously hurt or killed."

"I don't want to electrocute myself ... Just a shock, just enough to fry those things!" He pointed to his temple. "I've been shocked before and it obviously didn't work so it will have to be something a little bigger this time ... Do you have an extra car battery lying around here?"

"NO!" Max barked.

"There is another way..."

Max turned to look at her mother.

"I could talk to Merrick White..."

"Who is Merrick White?" Iggy said his hands twitching at his sides.

"He's an opto... An eye surgeon."

Iggy tensed.

"His wife is the secretary here."

"I'd rather electrocute myself!" He said and began feeling the walls again.

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