chapter twenty-seven! enjoy.
-Max's Point Of View-
"So," He started, taking a ripped piece of paper out of the file. He walked over to me and stood just two feet away. "Ella Martinez, do you happen to know a Maximum Ride?" He asked, placing the folded, torn paper in my hand. I looked up at him in surprise. Only one thing came to my mind…
What was going to happen next?
"Uh," I said, trying to think of something to say. "I think I've heard of her." I said, lying through my teeth. "Why?"
"Well that paper is addressed to one Maximum Ride." He said lightly. "I'm assuming one such as yourself may know Ms. Ride." I glanced down at the paper and read the four words scrawled out on the front.
Maximum Ride
Top Secret
I studied the penmanship and inwardly smiled. The 'R's were backwards and the letters were tossed out around the small side. It was truly the work of a young girl from The Institute. I felt the corners of my lips twitch up as I gently unfolded the edges. I glanced up and saw the doctor studying every move I made. I flattened out the paper and read the small message written in the inside.
Warehouse.
Sinpo North Korea.
Bombs.
I reread the message over and over again, letting my mind overflow. We still had to go halfway around the world. How were we supposed to get there? Why did this have to be so hard?
I sighed and looked back up at the doctor, seeing him gently smile. His features were illuminated by the light shining behind him.
"Thank you." I said sincerely. For once in my life, I was happy I had met a doctor. He had helped us when no one else could.
"Just make sure you do not let anyone see that paper on your way out." He said warningly. I nodded and carefully slid it into the back pocket of my jeans. "I wasn't supposed to give it to you. If you get caught with it, I'll lose my job and you'll be questioned. You'll most likely have to go to an agency that deals with unsolved cases like your own." He said, looking through the slits on the blinds carefully.
"Thank you." I repeated, not really sure what else to say. "I really appreci-"I started but he interrupted.
"You're welcome." He said, walking back over to me. "I understand what you are doing now and thanks to bad password protection on certain websites, I know everything that has happened. I want to help you." He said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket. "Take these. They'll get you to North Korea. Once your friend is okay, you can leave. "He pushed the envelope in my hands and I stuffed it in my pocket, confused about his actions.
He gently pushed me through the door to his office and into the waiting room. I went over to the bench that the flock was sitting on and sat down in between Fang and Iggy. They both gave me quizzical looks. I took one last fleeting look at the doctor as he went into the operating to check on Nudge. I sighed as I pulled the envelope out of my pocket.
"What happened?" Iggy asked, turning to me.
"Max?" Fang asked, worried. "What's that?"
I gently opened the envelope and took six small, rectangular pieces of paper out of fold. "Plane tickets," I said, reading them over. "Six plane tickets nonstop to Sinpo North Korea."
"Sinpo? Why – Did he give those to you?" Iggy asked, nodding his head to where the doctor was standing in Nudge's room. I still don't understand how he did that.
I sighed and flicked through the tickets. "That he did, Iggy. That he did."
"Max?" Angel asked, looking at me through wide eyes. "Is Nudge going to be okay?" She said, standing up next to the Gasman, who watched her carefully.
"Yeah, sweetie." I said, giving her a weak smile. "She'll be fine."
"Max?" Iggy asked, standing up. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I nodded and stood up next to him. He grabbed my hand and brought me around the corner.
He listened hard, making sure that no one else was in the hallway. When he was sure, he turned to me. "Are you sure this is safe?" he asked, slightly paranoid. "I mean, we don't even know this doctor guy. It could be a trap."
I looked up at Iggy in surprised. "Ig?" I asked, unable to mask my pure confusion. "I would expect this from Fang but, not you. What going on?"
"I'm worried." He said simply, not caring how he sounded.
"Worried?" I asked, more confused than ever.
"Yeah." He said, looking down. "I'm worried about Nudge." I looked up at him, seeing as he is at least five inches taller than me, and I sighed.
"I know." I said as I reached up, hugging him. I felt his hands hesitantly move as he placed them on my back. I reached up on my toes, wondering what was going through his head. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."
I felt him nod as I leaned back down, looking up at him yet again. I grabbed his hand gently and brought it up to my lips, letting him feel me smile. I felt his fingers gently brush my lips as his hand fell to his side. I looked up at him, seeing a small smile play the corners of his lips and I smiled. He was going to be fine. He grabbed my hand and took me around the bend, back to the bench. I looked around, making sure everyone who should be here, was.
Angel and the Gasman were sitting the floor, playing hang-Jeb (Our wonderful version of hangman) on a pad of paper a nurse had given them. Fang sat in front of them, watching the Gasman write down letters as Angel guessed. I looked over at the room where Nudge was and felt my heart tug.
"Nudge." I whispered, jogging into the room. She was sitting on the bed in there, awake. I stopped right next to her bed and I took her hand in mine. "Sweetie, how are you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm fine." She said, looking behind me. Her eyes were fixed on something over my shoulder and I froze, turning slowly to see what it was.
Iggy.
I inwardly smiled as I let go of Nudge's hand. I turned around and watched as Iggy and Fang entered the room. I swiftly walked around Iggy, walking straight into Fang and pushing him backwards out of the room.
"What are you doing?" Fang asked, surprised.
"Let them talk. Let them talk." I said, grinning from ear to ear. He looked down at me, seeing my obvious happy state of mind and gently wrapped his arms around me. I smiled up at him and put my hand in his, feeling as if this situation wasn't as bad as it seemed.
We all planned to get going as soon as Nudge was up for it and miraculously, she was fine by the next day.
"This can't be right." A nurse muttered, unable to believe it. "There isn't even a scratch on her."
"That's normal." I said, coming up behind her. "Just ask the doc." She jumped as I spoke and I smirked, watching her catch her breath.
"Ask me what?" The doctor said, coming into the room. He slipped his hands into blue latex gloves and came over to the side of Nudge's bed.
"There is no way she could have recovered that fast!" the nurse rambled on and I smirked as the doctor gently pulled the side of Nudge's hospital gown off of her shoulder.
"Perfect." He said, feeling the small scar on her shoulder. "Right on schedule. As soon as she wakes up and we check a few things, you can go." He said happily.
"Thank you." I said, gratefully.
"This is crazy," The nurse said, looking at the chart. "How is this possible? It isn't. She can't have healed that fast. This is nuts. There's something I don't know." She backed out of the room and sprinted down the hallway.
"I don't think she's okay." I said, chuckling. I felt so good for unknown reasons.
"I really don't think so." The doctor said, smiling. "I'll talk to her later. I'll make up a disease that gives you 'rapid healing and re-growth'."
"That might be a good idea." I said, twisting my head, wondering where the nurse went so quickly. I sighed and looked back down at Nudge, seeing her chest rise and fall in short breaths. I took her hand and concentrated on her face.
"I see you didn't leave her for long." The doctor said. I looked up at him, confused but then saw him looking at the remaining four members of the flock sprawled out around the rest of the hospital room. Angel and the Gasman had fallen asleep in a large chair across the room. Angel's head was resting on the Gasman's lap while her feet were hanging off of the arm of the chair. Fang was snoring quietly while leaning his back against the side of that same chair. Iggy had fallen asleep in the wooden armchair he had moved next to Nudge's bed. I smiled as I noticed her hand was still tightly intertwined with his.
"We could never leave her." I said, smiling. "She's too, special." I tried to find the right words but there were none to describe her, or any other member of the flock.
"You all are." He said, watching me. "But you need to be more careful."
"I know."I said, masking the shame in my voice.
"With any other kid, I wouldn't think that they would actually listen to me." He said, absentmindedly. "But with you, I'm sure you'll listen." I smiled and looked back down at Nudge. I saw her eyes flicker open as she yawned.
"Ma-Max?" She asked. I stroked her hair and smiled.
"Yeah sweetie?" I asked, preparing to do anything for her. When it was me in the hospital, wounded, I wouldn't do anything, but when it came to the rest of my flock, I'd jump through fire to make sure they were okay. "What is it?"
"Can we leave? This place is creepy."
I smiled and I felt the doctor chuckle next to me. "Yeah, sweetie, we'll leave just as soon as this doctor does a few tests."
"Okay." She said, looking up at the doctor. "Mr. Doctor? What are you going to do? Will it hurt? When can I leave? I'm hungry. I think there is a cafeteria somewhere. I hope I can her food like doughnuts and cake and pie and cookies and pudding. Especially pudding. It's awesome. The best of all foods. It's all jiggily like jello and chocolaty like, uh, chocolate. I don't like tapioca pudding though. It's all gross and yucky. I like jello too! I wonder how they make it. What are you doing? Does that thingy move? What's that thing around your neck?"
"Wow." The doctor said, blown away. "You really have the gift of gab."
"I know. Everyone always tells me to shut up. Iggy calls it the Nudge Channel. It's a pretty funny name, don't cha think?"
"It is a very weird name." he said, pulling a small black cuff out of a drawer. "I'm going to put this on your arm and I'll squeeze this." He said, holding up a small rubber pump." It is going to get tight so I can get your blood pressure."
She nodded and eagerly watched as the doctor slid the cuff up her arm. I smiled and glanced around the room at the flock. Angel and Gazzy were still asleep but Fang was standing up, stretching out his back. He came over to me and placed his hand on my waist, looking down at Nudge.
"How ya feeling?" He asked groggily.
"I feel great!" She said excitedly.
Fang took a deep breath and whispered in my ear, "What'd they do? Up her dose of valium?" He said, holding his arms out wide. I elbowed him in the gut and he groaned.
I looked over to Nudge's right and saw Iggy waking up slowly. He lifted his head off of the back of the chair and looked over at Nudge. I saw his hand loosen as he leaned over to her. She smiled and turned to face him. They started to have a conversation quietly. I sighed and looked up at Fang.
"We're leaving today." I said, making conversation. "We probably should wake up Angel and the Gasman."
He nodded and yawned, still not fully awake. He walked over to the chair they were sitting on and gently shook them awake, talking to them softly.
Ten minutes later, we were outside the emergency room doors, walking towards the woods. I followed as the flock did a running take-off and rose into the air. I jumped up and flew beside them, keeping an eye on Nudge, who was still conversing with Iggy. I, yet again, smiled and thought about them. Oh what wonderful things come from being a genetically enhanced bird-kid.
As we flew, I took in the scenery; the rolling green hills. The small pond surrounded by geese. It all truth, it was gorgeous. I felt free, right until I felt something crash into me at full force.
I, unwillingly, flew across the sky by the force of the impact. I managed to stop myself and when I turned, my day was immediately ruined. Sam was hovering just twenty feet from me.
"New wings, huh?" I asked, furious.
"Yeah. If you ask me, they really bring out my eyes." He smirked, batting his eyelashes. I rolled my eyes and gagged.
"I'll 'bring out your eyes'." I said, snidely. "Just in a little bit of a different way. A way that you will not like." I smirked as he flinched away from my insult. That gave me a second to look around. I saw the flock surrounded by erasers; there was no escape. They were all fighting for their lives.
I noticed a swarm of erasers next to me and I shot up, buying some time, but what I saw next, surprised me more than anything else could.
-Fang's Point of View (This is strictly for the story line purposes)-
I was so eager to get out of that godforsaken hospital that as soon as we exited the building, I sprinted to the trees, already extending my wings through the slits in my windbreaker. I smiled, yes, smiled. As I felt the cool winds rush through my hair. I turned around as I reached the treetops and saw the rest of the flock following me.
I sped up into the air, making sure that no one saw us as we rose into the sky. I sighed and waited for Max. She flew right past me, not even giving me a glance. Something was up with her. Hopefully she hasn't figured it out yet.
I looked at Max, who was above me in our formation and I felt my heart race as something slammed into her. I focused more closely and saw that that thing was Sam. I turned and saw a whole army of erasers coming towards us. This new batch had wings.
I was soon surrounded; at least fifteen erasers were throwing punches and kicks at me. I blocked as many as I could, throwing a few of my own. I glanced up and saw everyone holding their own.
I felt like I was fighting for six hours when in reality, it was probably only six minutes. I had taken down half a dozen erasers with more lining up to get to me. I tried to avoid them but they just kept coming. I finally had enough and closed my wings, dropping down twenty feet, trying to get away. I snapped my wings back open and looked up, seeing some erasers run into each other thinking I was still there.
I felt their beady eyes on my and I looked down, straining to get away. What I saw below me was not what I needed to see.
There was Sam. Standing over someone on the ground, punching and kicking them. I squinted my eyes, trying to see who it was and I found out once Sam sprung back into the air, leaving Max on the ground, lifeless. I felt my heart freeze as I flung myself to the ground, hoping, praying that the Gasman's first vision was not going to come true.
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