Chapter
Ten: Untouchable
The funeral over, Max led Liz into the
Crashdown and sat with her at 'his' booth. Sadly, he reached across the table and took her hands in his. She looked up, presenting him with a weak
smile. "Liz," Max began softly, "I'm so
sor –" She shook her head. "Just don't, okay? Don't apologize. It's not
your fault." "Still," he said, "I just
wish …" He paused, closing his eyes
briefly. "I wish I could make this all
go away." Liz gave him that same small
smile and pushed away from the booth, muttering as she went to the kitchen, "so
do I."
Max watched her carefully, his brows
creased with confusion. He stood to go
after her when Kyle and Tess came in. "How's Liz doing?" Kyle wondered immediately. Max shook his head. "I
don't know. I think she went
upstairs." Tess put her hand on Max's
arm in sympathy. "What are we gonna do
now?" she asked softly. Max sat once
again, heaving a great sigh. "It's only
been a week," he mumbled, mostly to himself, "and already two people are dead
and another is infected. We haven't
even begun to understand this thing." "We need to alert the rest of the town," Kyle stated matter-of-factly,
"we need all the help we can get." Tess
and Max shared an uneasy look. Max
sighed again. "You're right," he
acquiesced, "first thing tomorrow."
**
Liz's hand lingered over a picture
of she and her father. She was eight
and Jeff carried her on his shoulders as she squeezed him around the neck. Both were laughing uproariously and Liz couldn't
remember why. She truly was daddy's
girl.
"Oh gosh. Oh, I should have knocked." Liz fumbled with her robe and turned back
around, tying the sash securely. "No,"
she assured him, "it's alright, it's okay." Still, he shook his head. "I've
gotta get better at this privacy thing." Liz gave him a small smirk, holding the robe close to her neck. "It's no big deal dad," she said again, "did
you want something?" He nodded, finally
able to face her. "Uh, listen sweetie,
about this camping thing. We should
just go and take advantage of the time together. I wouldn't miss that for anything." Liz smiled softly in agreement. "I was actually gonna say the same thing." Jeff flashed his familiar toothy grin. "And I can get to know that guy Max you've been hanging around
with. He has a sister too, right?" Liz nodded. "Isabel," she confirmed. "And
the guy with the hair?" Jeff said, motioning to his head. "Michael," Liz laughed. "Michael, yeah." "But I really doubt they're even going," Liz told him. Jeff smirked, standing, his middle-aged legs
creaking in protest. "Oh," he said,
"well, I guess some fathers just aren't as involved in their kids lives." He bent to kiss the top of her head. "Well, thanks." Liz nodded. "Sure dad."
Setting the picture back on the
mantle, Liz wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Mom?" she called, moving further into the family apartment. She noticed the light on in the bathroom and
went to it. "Mom?" she asked again,
softer this time. Nancy peered into the
mirror above the sink, her eyes searching her face. "I've got it, don't I?" she asked. Liz swallowed difficultly. "Yeah," she nodded, "I think you do." Nancy didn't say anything, just reached and cupped water into her hands,
splashing it on her face. "I think you
should go back with Max now," she said, drying her face on a towel and flicking
her light off on her way to the bedroom.
"No," Liz insisted, following her, "I'm not leaving you here
alone. Not tonight." Nancy sighed, averting her eyes from Jeff's
side of the bed. "It's too dangerous,"
she told her daughter sternly, "now I want you to go." Liz blinked rapidly, tears flowing in
earnest down her cheeks. "No," she
said, just as sternly. Nancy looked up
in surprise. "We buried daddy today,
mom. It's just you and me now. And … and if you now have this disease, I
don't want to leave your side." She
released an anguished sob and faltered, everything hitting her full force all
of a sudden. "Please don't make me
leave," she cried helplessly, "please mommy." Nancy held a hand to her throat, paying no mind to her own wet
cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to
go to her daughter and enfold her in her arms, but she was untouchable
now. They could only cry separately.