I'm soooo so sorry guys. I had a really busy day, and I'm barely able to release this chapter today. I had two basketball games, including a tournament game, and then I had to go right from there to my Grandparents' house. They don't have wireless internet, so I couldn't update there. I just got back and quickly typed up this chapter. Anyway, I hope it's enjoyable.

Disclaimer: I hope somebody's happy that I'm doing this, 'cuz it's taking up my precious time. Maximum Ride = NOT MINE.

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Dr. Martinez instantly began bombarding me with questions.

"Some kind of poison," I said, shaking my head, forcing the tears welling up in my eyes not to fall.

"Symptoms?" my mom asked bluntly.

"Green tissue around wounds," I returned.

Dr. Martinez looked at me quizzically.

"We need to talk," she said taking my arm.

"No!" I shouted, wresting my arm from her grasp, "we don't need to talk! Fang needs help!"

Dr. Martinez looked at me sympathetically, and Ella just stared at the semi-conscious Fang.

Then, Jeb walked swiftly into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the eight of us standing in the family room.

"What's going on here?" he asked, walking over to us.

"Fang…" I tried to say.

Following my gaze, Jeb saw Fang in the sling, and immediately rolled him over. He sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the wound.

"It's Karsine," Jeb said shakily, "we designed it at…well…"

"The School," I said, and Jeb winced.

"Anyway," he continued, "It was supposed to be used as a medicine, a miracle cure. Unfortunately, one of the scientists made some major miscalculations when combining the chemical compounds, and it turned out to be an acidic poison."

The rest of us stared at him blankly.

"What did you say?" I asked, knowing that it would annoy him.

Jeb's face tightened slightly, but his overall composure was unaffected.

"Karsine deals tissue and organ damage. It seeps into the bloodstream and is eventually carried to the heart where it eats away at the muscle. Eventually, the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body, and the victim will suffer brain damage due to lack of oxygen." Jeb explained.

Everyone stared at him again except for Dr. Martinez, who stood solemnly next to me.

"Are there any cures?" I asked, always the first to get to the point. Except Fang of course…

This time, it was Dr. Martinez that spoke.

"There is a cure, but it's safeguarded at the School. The…white coats…wanted to keep it a secret in case they ever had to…eliminate…a target."

"Which there is now," I said.

My mom nodded sadly.

Fang's body racked as he began to cough uncontrollably.

"How much time?" I asked, dangerously close to tears at seeing my best friend like this.

He's not just your best friend, he's more than that. The voice said. I groaned inwardly.

Jeb looked me in the eyes.

"Forty-eight hours," he said.

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Hey, I really want to know if anyone has checked out my blog or profile yet. If you haven't, please check it out. I also have a poll on my profile page that I want people to vote in.

R&R!!!!!

Rock On,

FangOwns