Chapter Seven
Max had changed into jeans and a tee shirt that Cindy had brought her from their apartment shortly before Logan had filled out the release forms. It was agreed with the doctors that Max would come back next week to have the stitches on several of her more serious cuts removed, and to make sure the rest of her injuries were healing correctly. She had her arm in a sling because of her sprained wrist, and adhesive tape wrapped around her ribs to keep her from injuring her cracked ribs further. A blindingly white bandage was taped over her temple, standing out brightly against her dark skin.
Max packed up the last of the belongings that Cindy had brought for her as Logan picked up the prescription painkillers from the hospital's pharmacy. She looked around the room, the only room she had ever known since she had forgotten everything.
As Ethan had said, she was scared to death of what was going to happen once she left this room. Would she ever remember her former life? Would she hate what she was, what she used to be? While all the people that she had met since she had woken up had been extremely supportive and at times overly helpful, Max knew they were holding stuff back.
Her family for example. Whenever Max had asked Cindy or Logan, for they seemed to be the people she had been closest too, they ever-so-quickly averted the question, changing the subject to some current event or anything else other than the question at hand. Maybe they were just covering up the fact that her family didn't care about her or something. Maybe her friends were all she had.
Max didn't have any more time for self-doubt as Logan walked in the room a moment later. He had the white paper bag containing her painkillers in one hand. He grabbed Max's closed duffle bag with the other. "Are you ready to get out of here?"
Max smiled weakly. "I am nervous as hell actually." She said with a small voice. Logan transferred everything into one hand and reached out with his other hand. Max placed her hand in his. When his hand closed over hers, she felt an aura of safety wash over her. They walked hand in hand down the corridor, and then rode the elevator down to the ground floor.
When they walked outside biting wind slapped into their faces immediately. Logan led Max to his car, pulling the keys out of his jacket pocket and unlocking the passenger door for her. Max slid in slowly, carefully avoiding hitting her wrist or her side on anything.
Logan shut the door for her before quickly rounding the hood of the dark blue car. He jumped in quickly; a drizzling rain was just starting as he back out of the parking space. They rode in silence, Max starring out the window, watching as they passed by stores, wondering if she should know these places. Maybe that was the store she liked to by her clothes at. Maybe she used to eat there on her lunch breaks. Perhaps she knew people who worked at that bar.
"First," Logan said, breaking the silence. "We are going to drop by Cindy's and pick you up some stuff. Then we are going to go back to my apartment, and everyone is coming over later tonight for dinner to celebrate your recovery."
Max nodded her agreement. What kind of recovery had she made? She had no remembrance of her life. Some recovery, Max thought cynically as they pulled up in front of a run down apartment complex. "Is this where I lived?" Max asked in disbelief.
Logan laughed softly at her reaction. "Yeah, you used to live here with Kendra, but shortly after she moved in with her boyfriend, Cindy got evicted from her place, so she moved in here."
Max nodded as she opened the door and stepped out onto the street. They walked up the three flights of stairs in silence. Logan knocked on the door and Cindy opened it a split second later. "Hey Boo, they let you out of that jail cell already?"
Max couldn't help but smile. Cindy's enthusiasm was infectious and Max was pulled into a hug as she walked into the door. Logan dropped onto a couch as Cindy pulled Max down "Ok, let's get all your crap together so you can move in with your rich boyfriend."
"Huh? My rich boyfriend?" Max questioned, completely confused. "Logan?"
"Whops, old joke. We used to say Logan was your rich boyfriend, and you'd claim he wasn't."
"But he was?" Max questioned. He had said that they were friends, but…
"Uh, right. So do you want to pack all your stuff today or do you want to just take what you need for now and I'll bring it over later?"
Max didn't answer, she was walking around the room in silence, running her hand over the nightstand, picking up the framed picture of her, Cindy, and Kendra sitting at a bar, all of them smiling. It looked like they were having a good time. Max wished she could remember it.
"Max?" Cindy asked, concerned at Max's staring. She jumped, as if startled, before turning back to Cindy. "You alright Boo?"
"Oh yeah, I am fine." She said, dropping the picture onto the bed. "Um, I'll just take some of it now."
They packed, chatting idly nothing at all. Max was standing outside of her closet, when she asked, "Is this the stuff I wear? I mean, it is all jeans and shirts? Do I own a single dress? A skirt?"
Cindy laughed as she stepped over the closet. She pushed aside hangers to reveal Max's pathetic supply of dress clothes. Cindy pointed them out one by one. "You wore that to Logan's cousin's wedding. Um, that one was a present from someone, I can't remember whom though. And that skirt I gave you a few months ago when you were doing some favor for Logan at some fancy party."
Max shook her head. "I have like, no clothing selection."
"I've been telling you that for months. We should go shopping soon, since you have some new found love for clothing."
Max laughed. "You make it sound like I never cared about clothes."
"Because you really didn't." Cindy said, turning to smile at Max.
The finished packing Max's stuff up, and Cindy carried the two duffle bags out to the living room where Logan sat, flipping through the women's fashion magazine that had been sitting on the coffee table. "Interesting article, Logan?" Cindy asked, bemused from the doorway.
Logan dropped the magazine onto the table, "Right, are you ready?" He asked quickly. He took the duffle bags from Cindy's hands.
"What are you cooking, by the way?" Cindy asked as he started towards the door.
"I don't know, want anything in particular?"
"No seafood."
"Ok then, Max, you ready?"
Max nodded as she walked towards the door with Logan. "Bye Cindy." She murmured as she stepped out of the door.
They walked down to the car together, and Max climbed into the passenger seat. She leaned against the door as Logan threw the bags into the backseat. Somewhere along the ride, she drifted asleep.
When Logan shook her arm a few minuets later, she opened her eyes slowly, confused for a moment at her surroundings. "Hey, we're here." Logan said softly.
"Sorry, I guess I am more tired than I thought."
"When we get upstairs, why don't you take a nap while I make dinner."
"Yeah, I think I'll do that." Max said as they walked into the elevator. "I think I'll do that." She said drowsily, yawning as they rode up to the penthouse.
Max had changed into jeans and a tee shirt that Cindy had brought her from their apartment shortly before Logan had filled out the release forms. It was agreed with the doctors that Max would come back next week to have the stitches on several of her more serious cuts removed, and to make sure the rest of her injuries were healing correctly. She had her arm in a sling because of her sprained wrist, and adhesive tape wrapped around her ribs to keep her from injuring her cracked ribs further. A blindingly white bandage was taped over her temple, standing out brightly against her dark skin.
Max packed up the last of the belongings that Cindy had brought for her as Logan picked up the prescription painkillers from the hospital's pharmacy. She looked around the room, the only room she had ever known since she had forgotten everything.
As Ethan had said, she was scared to death of what was going to happen once she left this room. Would she ever remember her former life? Would she hate what she was, what she used to be? While all the people that she had met since she had woken up had been extremely supportive and at times overly helpful, Max knew they were holding stuff back.
Her family for example. Whenever Max had asked Cindy or Logan, for they seemed to be the people she had been closest too, they ever-so-quickly averted the question, changing the subject to some current event or anything else other than the question at hand. Maybe they were just covering up the fact that her family didn't care about her or something. Maybe her friends were all she had.
Max didn't have any more time for self-doubt as Logan walked in the room a moment later. He had the white paper bag containing her painkillers in one hand. He grabbed Max's closed duffle bag with the other. "Are you ready to get out of here?"
Max smiled weakly. "I am nervous as hell actually." She said with a small voice. Logan transferred everything into one hand and reached out with his other hand. Max placed her hand in his. When his hand closed over hers, she felt an aura of safety wash over her. They walked hand in hand down the corridor, and then rode the elevator down to the ground floor.
When they walked outside biting wind slapped into their faces immediately. Logan led Max to his car, pulling the keys out of his jacket pocket and unlocking the passenger door for her. Max slid in slowly, carefully avoiding hitting her wrist or her side on anything.
Logan shut the door for her before quickly rounding the hood of the dark blue car. He jumped in quickly; a drizzling rain was just starting as he back out of the parking space. They rode in silence, Max starring out the window, watching as they passed by stores, wondering if she should know these places. Maybe that was the store she liked to by her clothes at. Maybe she used to eat there on her lunch breaks. Perhaps she knew people who worked at that bar.
"First," Logan said, breaking the silence. "We are going to drop by Cindy's and pick you up some stuff. Then we are going to go back to my apartment, and everyone is coming over later tonight for dinner to celebrate your recovery."
Max nodded her agreement. What kind of recovery had she made? She had no remembrance of her life. Some recovery, Max thought cynically as they pulled up in front of a run down apartment complex. "Is this where I lived?" Max asked in disbelief.
Logan laughed softly at her reaction. "Yeah, you used to live here with Kendra, but shortly after she moved in with her boyfriend, Cindy got evicted from her place, so she moved in here."
Max nodded as she opened the door and stepped out onto the street. They walked up the three flights of stairs in silence. Logan knocked on the door and Cindy opened it a split second later. "Hey Boo, they let you out of that jail cell already?"
Max couldn't help but smile. Cindy's enthusiasm was infectious and Max was pulled into a hug as she walked into the door. Logan dropped onto a couch as Cindy pulled Max down "Ok, let's get all your crap together so you can move in with your rich boyfriend."
"Huh? My rich boyfriend?" Max questioned, completely confused. "Logan?"
"Whops, old joke. We used to say Logan was your rich boyfriend, and you'd claim he wasn't."
"But he was?" Max questioned. He had said that they were friends, but…
"Uh, right. So do you want to pack all your stuff today or do you want to just take what you need for now and I'll bring it over later?"
Max didn't answer, she was walking around the room in silence, running her hand over the nightstand, picking up the framed picture of her, Cindy, and Kendra sitting at a bar, all of them smiling. It looked like they were having a good time. Max wished she could remember it.
"Max?" Cindy asked, concerned at Max's staring. She jumped, as if startled, before turning back to Cindy. "You alright Boo?"
"Oh yeah, I am fine." She said, dropping the picture onto the bed. "Um, I'll just take some of it now."
They packed, chatting idly nothing at all. Max was standing outside of her closet, when she asked, "Is this the stuff I wear? I mean, it is all jeans and shirts? Do I own a single dress? A skirt?"
Cindy laughed as she stepped over the closet. She pushed aside hangers to reveal Max's pathetic supply of dress clothes. Cindy pointed them out one by one. "You wore that to Logan's cousin's wedding. Um, that one was a present from someone, I can't remember whom though. And that skirt I gave you a few months ago when you were doing some favor for Logan at some fancy party."
Max shook her head. "I have like, no clothing selection."
"I've been telling you that for months. We should go shopping soon, since you have some new found love for clothing."
Max laughed. "You make it sound like I never cared about clothes."
"Because you really didn't." Cindy said, turning to smile at Max.
The finished packing Max's stuff up, and Cindy carried the two duffle bags out to the living room where Logan sat, flipping through the women's fashion magazine that had been sitting on the coffee table. "Interesting article, Logan?" Cindy asked, bemused from the doorway.
Logan dropped the magazine onto the table, "Right, are you ready?" He asked quickly. He took the duffle bags from Cindy's hands.
"What are you cooking, by the way?" Cindy asked as he started towards the door.
"I don't know, want anything in particular?"
"No seafood."
"Ok then, Max, you ready?"
Max nodded as she walked towards the door with Logan. "Bye Cindy." She murmured as she stepped out of the door.
They walked down to the car together, and Max climbed into the passenger seat. She leaned against the door as Logan threw the bags into the backseat. Somewhere along the ride, she drifted asleep.
When Logan shook her arm a few minuets later, she opened her eyes slowly, confused for a moment at her surroundings. "Hey, we're here." Logan said softly.
"Sorry, I guess I am more tired than I thought."
"When we get upstairs, why don't you take a nap while I make dinner."
"Yeah, I think I'll do that." Max said as they walked into the elevator. "I think I'll do that." She said drowsily, yawning as they rode up to the penthouse.