"So then he starts telling me that he already told this guy everything," Max complained the next night to Original Cindy. "And then he's all mad because I'm not happy he's blabbing all over the world." She leaned over the pool table and took the next shot. The striped ball slapped into the side pocket, and she walked around the table to set up her next shot.
"Original Cindy needs to get this straight," Cindy said. "Your boy goes out and spends all this time and cheddar to get you a private doctor to take care of your problem, right? Mmmhmm. Original Cindy cannot comment."
Max glared at her. "Don't tell me you're on his side."
Cindy went to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Boo," she said quietly, "it's that bitch in your head causing all the problems and you put it in there to cover my back when things got tight." She continued in her normal tone. "Me telling you to not do something that might help, that's like…that's like me telling Sketchy he's invited over with my lickety for a little all-night gong banging."
There was a loud thump from behind them. They looked over their shoulder to see Herbal trying to wake Sketchy up. Herbal was trying to keep from laughing more than he was helping. They'd walked up to hear Cindy declaring she was inviting Sketchy over for some fun, and the poor guy had just overloaded and passed out. The girls doubled over laughing.
They all sat down, and Cindy bought the first pitcher of beer for the group. Sketchy was still glaring at her for ruining the thought he might have finally achieved his greatest dream in life: getting two girls at the same time. They relaxed for a while; all of them glad to not have to hear another bip-bip-bip for the rest of the night.
Max's pager went off. Logan. Figures. She sighed and got up. She probably should ignore it, but knowing Logan, her feelings were at the bottom of the list, and there was a widow or orphan in need of a genetically enhanced rescue. It was a reason to cruise real fast on her baby though. She got up.
"Gotta blaze on out," she said. The others smirked.
"Hey Boo," Cindy called out as Max went to leave. Max paused. "Think seriously about it, aiight?" Max smiled and left Crash. As soon as Max was out the door, she was on the phone.
"You reached the number you dialed," she heard Logan's machine pick up. She glared at the phone. He better be there, or she was going to go there and explain to him why he does not waste Original Cindy's time or dime.
"Pick up this damn phone or I will be planting my…" Logan's voice cut off her rant.
"Sorry," he said. "I was in the kitchen. Did she listen to you?"
"No doubt, no doubt," Cindy replied. "She not hyped on the whole thing yet, but she a little more open to the idea."
"Thanks for the help," Logan said. "She actually listens to you."
"You sure you can trust this guy?" Cindy asked. "Boo better not be walking into heat again on Original Cindy's account." She wanted Max to get some help, but she wanted her to be careful.
"I checked him out," Logan said. "All his credentials are legit all the way. I don't want anything to happen to Max either."
"Yeah, well, you treat my girl nice, you hear?"
"I hear," Logan said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She hung up and went back to the table with Herbal and Sketchy. Logan had sworn to do something to make up for upsetting Max the night before in order to get Cindy to agree to help. She would have anyways though. Max's seizures were getting worse, and if this doctor could help, that was good enough for Original Cindy.
Later that night Max had to admit there was a plus side to Logan making her mad. Every time he did, they'd end up making up over something fabulous from his kitchen. Where he kept his stock of pre-Pulse wine, she'd never know, but she hoped it would never run out. She'd walked into his apartment, lit with candlelight, and inhaled a lovely scent of cooked beef, onion, mushroom, and some other stuff.
"Hey there," Logan said from the kitchen. He had a tray with him. Shish kabob was lying on a bed of wild rice. There looked to be chunks of real beef skewered with onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. The table was already set for two with a bottle of wine chilling on ice. She had to grin. She wasn't sure if this was something planned or if he really had the ability to casually make a gourmet meal on the fly.
"Hey yourself," she replied. She knew she should be yelling at him, but he'd made this really great dinner, and she was really hungry, and he looked so…she had to admit it, adorable waiting for her. Maybe it was the candlelight. She took off her jacket. "No widows or orphans tonight?"
He gave her that slightly embarrassed grin that he did so well. "I made sure they were all in bed early tonight," he said, and put the food on the table. So we can have some time together, he thought. God, she was beautiful, standing there, the candlelight illuminating every feature of her lovely face. He turned away quickly, wanting to shut out those thoughts. What did he have to offer her except for some gourmet food?
She sat down and served them while he poured the wine. When had that become their little ritual? They both ate in silence for a while, their minds on the same subject. Max knew this was a truce offering, but what Cindy had said was sticking with her. Logan had spent a lot of time trying to get this doctor to see her. He didn't just give up his time that easily. The food was excellent though. She was actually glad about the brownout. The candles made everything seem so much more…special.
"Max," Logan finally said. "About last night…I should have asked, and I'll call Sebastian in the morning and cancel the whole thing."
"Well," Max said quickly, "who is this doctor anyways? I mean, you KNOW you can trust him?" Logan silently blessed Original Cindy.
"He was a child prodigy," Logan said. "Graduated high school at twelve, got his masters degree at 16. He went to medical school, and graduated at 20, and also started working on his PhD that he received three years later. He went into research and started working in neurology, specializing in seizures. He was one of the top people in the country, no doubt."
"So who did Wonder-Boy get after him?" Max asked. This doctor had to have done something to owe a favor to Eye's Only.
"About two years after the Pulse, government funding was completely dry for any further research. He went to work for a pharmaceutical company but found out that they were using live human test subjects. They wanted him to do little things like neurosurgery on healthy people for his research to give them epilepsy so that he could find a cure for it. He decided to blow the whistle rather than kill innocent people."
"My predecessor, Los Ojos, was the one who actually did the story. Got a lot of people in some serious trouble. The doctor was a seriously marked man. He was brought to Seattle, and given a different identity. He had to leave medicine altogether, but he has kept up on things. He's got a new life and a new job, but he agreed to one special case out of respect to Los Ojos."
There. He'd made his case. Please say you'll see him, Logan thought. The seizures scare the hell out of me. I know normality is out of the question, but something close to it wouldn't be bad at all, would it?
"So he already knows I'm the original special case child?" Max asked nonchalantly.
"I had to tell him so he'd be prepared on why you have seizures and why they'd gotten worse. He doesn't know everything, just that you had an implant." He prepared for the yelling. She just took another drink of wine and pursed her lips a little. He had to look away. She looked too ready to kiss when she did that.
"OK, so I'll see your boy. But he makes one wrong move, and he's out the nearest high window."
Logan was visibly relieved. There was one detail about the doctor's life that he'd left out, but he'd had to. He couldn't even tell Cindy. If Max knew, she'd never agree to see him in a million years. She'd be furious at him for keeping it a secret, but he had to.
