Enemy on the Inside
by
Princess McPhee
Disclaimer: Not mine. Jason Katims. The WB. UPN. All not me, so I guess they're not mine.
Author's Note: This is cliche. I admit it. Hurt/comfort stories are really done much too often. But a good H/C story is the only thing that can make me cry, and I like to write them, as well. Please give it a chance.
Setting: AU-post 'Departure'. Alex is alive, Tess is gone, there is no kid. Michael and Maria as they were, Max and Liz together again, Alex and Isabel, too. Isabel and Kyle's (platonic!) relationship occurred as it did on the show.
Summary: Max's life is threatened by an illness that no one thought would claim the health of the King. What can a helpless group of teenagers do against an enemy that strikes from the inside?
Rating: By chapter
CHAPTER THREE--PG-13
Landing calmly on the strip in the sunny city, the teenagers filed off the plane. Max again insisted that no one touch him, except Liz. Michael steadied Maria as she walked down the stairs, slumping in the heat. The plane was unloading them directly onto the tarmac, and it was at least a hundred degrees out. Roswell had been summer-hot as well, but the plane where they had been for the past three hours had been comfortably air-conditioned.
Wandering into the airport, they all breathed sighs of relief with the end of the awful heat. Michael went to get their rental car papers finished up, and Max sat down, looking decidedly pale. Liz worried over him, but he brushed her off. Maria knew that his constant denial of his illness was more frustrating to Liz than anything else, and she longed to tell Max, but she wasn't sure how.
Normally, Maria approached life with a decidedly blunt tongue. To some, annoyingly blunt, to others, refreshingly so. For Michael, at least at the start of their relationship, blunt had been the only thing that got through. Maria's approach had been the only successful one. But now, with Max in such delicate condition, she didn't want to risk upsetting him.
They got a minivan rental, which was less expensive than two cars would have been, even though Michael and Isabel protested that it would be less maneuverable and slower. Max refused to let Isabel forge more money than they had to, and for the car, he'd drawn the line. So, they all piled into the rust-colored contraption, and Michael drove with Isabel navigating, and took them to their hotel.
After checking in, they set up the rooming arrangements. They'd rented two suites, with four bedrooms, so it wasn't as big a problem as it could have been. Liz refused to leave Max, so they roomed together, and Isabel insisted on being close in case he needed her, so she and Alex took the next room, both insisting, red-faced, that they had none of 'those' kind of intentions.
Michael and Maria didn't bother denying the accusations as they moved into their bedroom in the suite they shared with Kyle. Instead, they just shared a conspiratal glance.
Ever since that night before the whole fiasco with Tess, Maria was pleased with the level of their sexual contact. It wasn't every night, or even very often. They still preferred to cuddle and sleep together than have sex. But some nights, it just wasn't enough, and when either of them was very frustrated, it was nice not to have hold back.
Since they often shared their emotions with each other much more through actions than words, Maria had a feeling that their frustration and annoyance with this situation was going to translate into a lot of comfort sex. She hoped the walls were thick enough that she wouldn't get a lot of ribbing from Kyle, Liz or Alex.
Pulling her clothes out of her bag and throwing them haphazardly into the top two drawers, she dropped it on the floor in the corner. "I took the top drawers," She told Michael.
Michael nodded, his face grim, and Maria's heart ached for him. His best friend was in dire condition, and there was really nothing she could do to help him with that. Except that, maybe she could distract him for a while...
Maria shook her head, mentally reprimanding herself for thinking that way. Michael needed comfort, not sex. Talk, Maria, don't kiss. But knowing her boyfriend, after the talk that they wouldn't actually have, that would be what happened anyone. Momentarily, she wondered why she bothered trying to have the conversation anyway, but then silently shouted herself down again.
Michael needs you to be supporting, not helplessly horny! She told herself, and started to unpack her personal items into the bathroom. "Michael, did you bring a toothbrush?" She called, trying to distract herself.
His answer was short and curt. "No."
What was I kidding myself with, thinking that Michael might actually bring an instrument of cleanliness? "We'll have to go get you one, then. The others might need some stuff, too. Why don't you go ask them to make a list, and we can go get the stuff?"
Michael's voice held a throaty quality she recognized as he vetoed her idea. "Why don't you come back out here and play, instead," He suggested.
Maria smiled to herself, started the shower in the attached bathroom, shedding her clothes as she did so. "Why don't you come this way, Spaceboy?"
Michael rose behind her, she could hear him, and walked slowly in her direction.
"Michael?"
A soft grunt was his response.
"Lock the door."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, after getting Max into the room, he made his way to the couch, and collapsed. Liz sat down next to him, feeling his forehead worriedly, and he smiled weakly up at her. "I'm alright, Liz."
She shook her head at him. "No, you're not," She told him in a low voice so as not to additionally worry Isabel, who was wandering in and out, carrying their things. "You're getting weak, you're in pain. These are the end stages of cancer you're exhibiting, Max." Her eyes shone with tears as she spoke.
Max took her face in his slightly shaky hands, and forced her eyes to meet his. "No, they're not. I'm not human, Liz, for all we know, my alien immune system could be battling this thing just fine. A lot of illnesses make you worse before you get better. I'm not going anywhere."
Liz shook her head a little, but, Max silenced her with a kiss, and then held out his hand. "Help me to the bedroom?" He asked. "I think I'll take a little nap, and then I'll be stronger, I'm sure."
Liz's demeanor trembled a little as he spoke, not nearly as convinced as he was that everything was going to be alright, but she helped him rise, and stayed at his side as he made his way slowly into the bedroom they would be sharing.
Liz thought about the fact that it had been hard enough to convince her parents to let her go camping with Max and the guys, and they would be really freaked if they knew that she was sharing a room with Max, alone, but somehow, it didn't hold the humor it used to. She had pulled up the image purposely, hoping that it would make her laugh, but she just felt too helpless and frustrated to find anything funny at the moment.
Max got on the bed, refusing to get under the covers, telling Liz that he was just taking a nap, unbuckled his belt and took it off, then curled his arms around the pillow he rested his head on, and closed his eyes. Liz kissed his forehead, and told him she'd be in the living room when he woke up, before she left.
Isabel was waiting for her in the living area of the suite, and she looked up when Liz entered. "How is he?" She asked.
Liz shrugged. "The same, I guess," She replied dully.
~~~~~~~~~
Days passed, then weeks. Calling their parents regularly, the teenagers assured them that they were fine, and that where they were camping was beautiful. No, they didn't need money, and yes, they were having a great time. Ten, then fifteen days they were gone, assuring their parents that they were just having such a good time they didn't want to leave.
But inside the motel, things were quite different. Max was deteriorating rapidly, the pain increasing with every hour. Alex and Kyle were busy nearly eighteen hours a day with research and medications and everything they could think of, but nothing had really had much effect. Isabel's increased efforts still only yielded the dreadful feeling that she associated with something telling her to stop.
When Max's pain grew so great that he could no longer sleep, no longer do anything but lie in bed and clutch his stomach in agony, Michael and Maria snuck into a local hospital, and stole a clutch of strong pain-killers. Liz administered them gratefully, watching as Max's suffering lessened, but grimly, she decided that she had to talk to Isabel.
Leading the blond alien into the living area, Liz closed all the doors, ensuring that they were alone. "What is this about?" Isabel asked impatiently, arms crossed over her chest.
Liz nodded to the couch. "You might want to sit down."
Isabel didn't answer, only stood where she was. Liz shrugged, and started talking.
"Max is really sick, Isabel."
"I know that."
"I don't think you do."
"My brother is lying in that bed, in incredible pain, from something that I have no control over! Don't you think that I know he's really sick?"
Liz shook her head a little. "I think you know he's suffering, Isabel. But I don't think you know how sick he really is." Her breath caught in her throat, and tears filled her eyes. "I've been doing some reading, some research, asking some people. It all says the same thing.
"He doesn't have long to live, Isabel."
Isabel's stiff posture suddenly exploded. "Of course he does! God, how could you say that, Liz? You're supposed to love him!" She turned to stalk from the room, but Liz wasn't done yet.
The dark-haired girl grabbed Isabel's arm, and pulled the alien to face her. Tears were dripping freely down Liz's face now, but she was determined to make Isabel see the truth. "I do love him, Isabel. I love him more than life, but haven't you seen? He can hardly breathe, there are tumors in his lungs. He can't eat, there are tumors in his intestines. He's in incredible pain. There's no hope in sight. What are you expecting, a miracle?"
Isabel's eyes showed her desperation. "My God! We're aliens, Liz! That, in itself is a miracle enough. Is it too much to hope for another miracle?"
Liz shook her head gently, the tears running down her face. Miraculously, as she spoke, her voice was still steady. "I'm not saying to give up hope, Isabel. Never, ever do that. But you need to face reality. As much as it breaks my heart, the reality is that Max is very, very ill, and there seems to be nothing you can do for him."
Isabel looked like she was going to argue, but instead, suddenly went limp, and fell into a chair, her body collapsing on her. "You're right, Liz," She told her friend. "I didn't want to think if, but you're right." She started to cry.
Liz went to the blond girl's side, unsure of what to do. Isabel was one of the most emotionally strong people she knew, and it was hard to know what to do when she broke down. So, she just sat next to her, put her arms around the taller girl, and stayed with her.
A few long moments later, Isabel looked up again. Her eyes were full of despair. "What do we do now, Liz?"
Liz looked her over, unsure whether the blond alien teenager could handle what she thought was the next option. Deciding that Isabel deserved to know, she spoke, hesitantly. "I think... you heal Max, bad feeling or not."
Isabel looked stricken for a long moment, but then nodded slowly, realizing the truth in Liz's words. "I think you're right."
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, all of the teenagers were piled into Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel's suite. Isabel, Liz and Michael were in with Max, while the rest of the group waited anxiously for word on their leader.
Max had not been easy to convince, and as it was, he still would not accept the idea that he was in real danger of succumbing to his death. Liz thought that he probably had agreed to this mostly to stop her and Isabel from bothering him about it, but she really didn't care. Either way, what needed to be, was getting done.
Isabel cupped his face with her hands, looking deep into his eyes. Liz held his hand and watched, squeezing his fingers between hers, praying that this would yield favorable results. They'd all suffered enough in the past three weeks, Max even longer. It was time for this to stop.
Isabel and Max's energies fused, but Liz wasn't even sure how she knew. She couldn't see it, couldn't feel it, couldn't really sense it in any way. But somehow, she recognized the sensation that was passing between the siblings as the same one that Max had allowed her to feel, on numerous occasions. She held her breath, praying for a miracle, praying that this would work.
Isabel ran her hands over Max's body, back and forth, up and down, never moving faster than a crawl. Her face was pinched, her brow creased with worry at ignoring what Liz knew to be a very strong 'suggestion' in the back of her head. Still, she was determined to do what she could for her brother, and right now, this was it.
Liz noticed the first change a minute into this, as Isabel ran her hands over Max's chest, concentrating hard. The alien teen's breathing began to even out, become less raspy and with more of a healthy rhythm. Max sucked in a deep breath, marveling at his ability to do so, and breathed deeply, savoring the air. Isabel didn't smile, just moved on to his stomach area.
Ten minutes later, the job was completed, and Isabel was exhausted, a fine sheen of sweat covering all of her exposed skin. "Are you alright?" Max asked his sister softly, trying to sit up. Liz reached over to push him down, and when she failed, Isabel added a heavy limb.
"Don't," She breathed. Max finally consented, and stayed lying down.
"Isabel, are you okay?" He asked again.
She gave him a smile, but Liz noticed it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm good, Max. Just tired."
Michael, who'd watched this whole going-on silently from the corner of the room, stepped out of the shadows and spoke. "Why don't you both get some rest? We'll go out and do something, and be back in a couple of hours. Okay, Max?"
The King nodded, his body rejuvenated with the ability to breathe properly. "Sure. But before you go, could someone bring me some food?"
~~~~~~~~~~~
When the group returned, two hours later, the room was quiet. The air, however, no longer held the painful stench of almost-death that it had for all the time they'd spent there. Max, for the first time in five days, greeted them from the couch, where he sat, munching on a bagel. "Hey," He said as they filed into the room, laughing quietly and discussing the movie they'd gone out to see.
Liz rushed to his side, her spirits soaring. "Max! I'm so glad you're feeling better!"
He grinned at her. "Me, too."
Alex looked around the room, finding six teenagers crammed into the rather small space, but not the one he was looking for. "Where's Isabel?" He wondered aloud, not really addressing the question to anyone in particular.
Max raised a hand effortlessly, something that Liz had seen him struggle to do just yesterday, and pointed to the bedroom. "Still asleep."
Alex cocked his head in the direction Max had pointed, and raised his eyebrows. "Do you mind?" He asked.
Max shook his head, and went quickly back to Liz. He put his hands on the arm of the couch, and pushed himself up, grunting with the effort. His body was still weak, but it appeared healthy, and Liz grinned unabashedly as he managed a standing position, and leaned down to land a kiss happily on her lips. "I feel a thousand times better," He told her.
Liz smiled. Actually, she had never stopped smiling. She wasn't sure she could, if she had to, but she didn't care. "I'm so glad, Max."
She pressed her head to his chest, her smile fading as she thought about where he had been only days before. "We almost lost you," She whispered into his chest.
He steered her back to the couch, noticing as her legs went weak, stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort. "I know. I always knew, Liz, but I was so scared." His voice was low, addressing no one but her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Michael, Maria and Kyle file out of the room quietly, trying to give them their space. Alex was still in with Isabel.
Liz raised a hand to his head, tucking his unruly hair behind his ears, brushing his bangs out of his face. "I know. I was terrified, and I can't imagine how you must have felt," She whispered into his neck, her face pressed to his shoulder. She felt his arms tighten around her.
"Do you know what I was the most upset about?" He asked her, pulling her chin gently out of his neck, asking her to look at him.
She met his eyes seriously, feeling like she was drowning in his eyes. "What, Max?"
"That I would lose you."
A happy tear fell from Liz's eye as she struggled to reign in her emotions. The stress, the fear, and now the joy, were taking their toll, and she began to cry, softly.
Max just stroked her hair and held her, seeming to understand that she only needed to let it out.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Max was feeling well enough that he decided they should take themselves out and celebrate. So, early in the morning, the whole group piled into the minivan, and drove to the heart of San Diego, to Sea World. They parked as close as they could, but the parking area was huge, and Max's recovering system was still exhausted by the time they got to the gate.
At Liz and Isabel's insistence, they rented a wheelchair, which Max grudgingly sat in. He insisted on walking some, and frequently, the only time that they could get him into the chair was when he was exhausted. Liz was a little worried about how tired he was getting himself, but she couldn't get him back into the chair. He insisted that he was going to enjoy himself, that this was their celebration.
Around lunch time, after they'd been there for three hours, Max conceded defeat, or at least exhaustion, and sat in the chair for the rest of the day. But he refused to let them leave, and insisted on participating in the shows, seeing all the animals that they could, and generally having the time of their lives. After all, when was the next time they were going to be in San Diego, he asked.
Around four in the afternoon, the group was getting chocolate cake from a cafe, and a little boy ran up to them. He went straight to Max, addressing the issue that Liz was sure half the park had been wondering. "Why are you in a wheelchair?" He asked, very precisely. "You don't look sick."
Max smiled at the little boy, as he glimpsed the child's mother, or caretaker, running up towards them, out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not, anymore. But I used to be, and now, while my body's recovering, I still get tired really fast."
The little boy digested this for a moment, and then nodded sagely. "So you're not really sick, you're just tired?" He asked.
Max nodded, and Liz and Maria smiled at the child. The little boy's mother came up and apologized for her son, but Max waved it off, smiling and telling her that he'd only been curious, and it wasn't a crime. The mother dragged her son away, lecturing him about manners, but the child glanced back, and Max threw him a final smile, in parting.
Finally, at around six-thirty, when it was getting dark, the group managed to convince Max to leave the park. They were tired, exhausted, even, but thrilled with Max's improvement, and glad to be having some fun for the first time in weeks. They collapsed back at the hotel and booked a flight for two days later, calling their parents and telling them they would be back then.
The remaining day was spent happily celebrating Max's return of health. Liz grinned and participated with the best of them, but kept a careful eye on her boyfriend, having noticed that his symptoms hadn't really gone away. Max still tired extremely easily, and couldn't always be trusted to be able to walk even half a mile.
With his alien system, Liz had expected he'd be back on his feet much quicker, but for now, she was just going to watch and wait. No good getting worked up over nothing. After all, his system had just been through an awful ordeal, and it would certainly take a human a while to get his feet back under him.
The night before the flight was scheduled, Maria came up with the idea that they should rent a movie, get lots of popcorn, and have a movie-fest. The group voted to send Alex to pick the movies, and Maria went to get popcorn, Michael insisting on going with her, his rationale being: "It's dark, and we're in a strange city. It doesn't hurt to be a little careful."
When they returned, the entire group of teenagers crowded onto the couch, into the chairs, and lay on the floor, trying to get a good enough angle to watch the television. Maria sat happily on Michael's lap in a creaky old kitchen chair, bouncily depicting the perfect image of a happy child. Liz sat on Max's lap on the couch, somewhat more sedately, and Isabel, on the floor, pulled both Kyle and Alex to her sides, resting her head on each of their shoulders for a time.
The movies weren't all that good, and the popcorn was a little burnt, but they all enjoyed themselves. "What are we watching?" Michael asked, about twenty minutes into the movie, rolling his eyes at Maria, who was trying to feed him the popcorn.
"The Craft," Alex replied. "It's about witchcraft. I figured we could all use a movie about powers that aren't alien-related."
"It sucks," Michael stated blankly.
Maria turned to face him, and started berating his assessment. "No, it doesn't! I like that song, a lot."
"You just like it because it's the theme from Charmed," Michael muttered.
"Yes," Maria answered, dragging out the word, making it sound like a question. "And what's wrong with that?"
Before Michael could reply, Isabel turned to look at him, ignoring all of the teenagers who were now watching the conversation instead of the movie. "Wait. You know what the theme song from Charmed is?"
At Michael's reluctant nod, she burst out laughing. "That would mean that you've actually watched Charmed, Michael."
"It was not my fault! Maria had it on, my apartment is only so big! It's a little hard to miss."
The mood now set, the group continued their good-natured banter through the movie, stopping only occasionally to actually watch. When it was finally over, and Maria clicked it off, Liz turned to her friend, her lipstick smudged on her face. "What was that about?" She asked.
"Well, maybe you'd know, if you hadn't spent the whole time smooching with Maxie," Maria told her teasingly. Liz blushed a little, and Maria grinned. She put her hand up to her face and mimed wiping it. Liz repeated the action, and blushed an even deeper red when she found the lipstick Maria had been warning her about.
Isabel smiled as Alex kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear. Kyle, sensing the romantic mood, tried to pull away, but Isabel held onto him with a tight, alien-born grip, and refused to let him go. "Iz..." He protested, but she turned to him with a look on her face that said, Don't fight, and he shut up.
Pushing the movie out of the VCR, Maria shoved it back in it's case. "Well, who wants to watch something else?" She questioned.
Nobody answered in the yes. She looked around at the room, annoyed, and then noticed that Isabel had Alex kissing her neck, and had actually allowed Kyle to go, Liz was running her hands through Max's hair, and whispering in his ear, and Michael was waiting for her.
Placing the movie on the table, she turned to the couples who still remained in the room, grinned, and said, "Get a room!"
Liz lifted a hand, and pointed in the direction of their room. "Got one," She mumbled. Isabel and Alex simply ignored the small, blonde girl's statement. Michael grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the room, and she grinned all the way back to their room, and into the bedroom.
Kissing him hard, Maria's spirits soared. Max looked like he was going to be okay, Liz was better now that Max was, their parents would ever have to know the real story, and life just looked good, at the moment. Plus, Michael was pulling her clothing off...
