Backslide

There was a long pause, and Max wondered if she had gotten the wrong number. Then, there was the sound of somebody swallowing like they had choked on something and couldn't quite get it down. "Max?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Oh my…" he began, obviously shocked beyond human belief. "I thought you were dead! I saw the fire and…" Logan paused. "You have no idea what has been going through my mind since I heard about the destruction of the building."

"Yeah, well, I'd stay and gab, but there's a bigger issue at hand."

"Which is what?"

"Ok, right now I'm in this forest near the outside of Seattle, I think. I need to get to a hospital or someplace, and so does he."

"He?" Logan asked, sounding strangely surprised.

"Zack."

"Oh." He paused slightly, and continued. "You want me to come and get you guys?"

"Please?"

"Sure, where are you?" Max looked around, trying to find a road name or anything. She saw nothing but a couple buildings, the road, and lots of trees.

"Well, I don't have an exact place for you, but I'm at a gas station on…it looks like a main highway. Oh!" she cried, seeing the rusted sign displaying the name of the road. She rattled it off to him and in turn, he promised to be there in a couple minutes.

Slowly, she hung up the phone and the change clanged at it rolled around inside the old machine. Max rested her pounding head against the telephone frame. This was too much. Way too much.

Logan, who she liked, was coming to save her. Zack, who she also liked, had saved her. Yet, she wasn't sure who to be completely loyal to. There were things that she would have to decide upon based on her choice between the two men.

Max hurried across the road and slid down the ditch. At first, she didn't see Zack in the shadows of the trees and called out his name.

"Right here, Max," he replied. She walked in the direction of his voice. Finding him sitting at the base of a tree, she saw that he had torn off the bottom half of his left pant leg.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing really."

"Then why'd you tear your pants? I wouldn't call that nothing."

"The fabric was irritating the burn," he stated.

"I see," Max replied and turned away for second, hearing the rumble of the cars nearby. "Zack?" she asked, making sure he was listening.

"Yeah?"

"You remember Logan, don't you?"

He looked puzzled for a second, like he wasn't sure what she was asking, but nodded his head.

"He's going to be here in a little bit to take us into Seattle," Max told him. "Then you can get to a hospital or something so they can check out your leg." She grimaced. "It doesn't look good."

"Really," Zack muttered, unimpressed. He was angry that Logan had to become involved. Zack didn't really like Logan, and Logan really didn't like him. They put up with each for the benefit of Max, more or less. It wasn't that they out-right hated each other, there was too much competition between the two. The prize of course, being the adoration of Max.

"You okay?" Max asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Always have been, always will be."

"Of course." They waited in silence before Max heard a car slowing down beside the road. She scurried up the side of the ditch and peeked over.

Logan had parked his car over at the gas station and looking around, searching for Max. Upon seeing him, her stomach leaped into her throat with raging emotions. Ignoring the cars that ran by, Max hurried across the highway.

"Logan!" she called out. He turned in his wheelchair to see her coming towards him. Immediately, he broke out into a smile and came towards her.

They hugged fiercely, missing each other greatly. "My, what a long, strange journey it's been," Logan laughed quietly even though he was close to tears upon seeing Max.

She laughed louder than he, recalling all the events that had taken place. "Couldn't be better said."