Alec groaned, opening his eyes slowly. It was dark. He looked around,
trying to orient himself. Max's room? he closed his eyes again, trying to
remember. Something about Sketchy? Telling him. something. God, why
couldn't he think straight? His head was pounding, and he had never had a
headache, except for after. Oh Shit! He had gotten the shakes at work. Max
had been there, and brought him back here. Damn. She had seen him like
that. Weak, and shaking, like a nomaly.
He threw the blankets off him and rolled out of bed. he still didn't feel
that great, maybe some milk would help. God only knew why it had worked
last night, he had never tried it before, but it had seemed to. Last thing
he wanted was to appear even more weak in front of Max. He would never live
that down.
Alec staggered into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up.
He felt really bad. Grabbing a bottle of milk, he sculled about half the
bottle in one go. It helped, kind of.
He leant back against the counter and rolled the bottle across his
forehead. It was so hot in here. And his head was still pounding.
He sighed, pushing himself off the counter.
A wave of dizziness hit him, and he fell, spinning around to try to grab
the counter, keep himself up. The bottle slipped out of his hand.
Max heard the sound of broken glass, and jerked awake, moving off the couch to investigate. She saw the door to her room open, at the same time as she heard a groan from the kitchen. Max moved quickly in the direction of the sound. Alec lay sprawled on the ground, lying on his back, but trying to stand up. Max was beside him in an instant, pushing him back down.
"What happened?" she asked him. "Slipped" he muttered, his voice sounding low and rough. "I'm okay" he told her, trying to sit up.
Max pulled back, not sure why, but understanding that he needed to appear strong. He stood slowly, then grabbed the counter, lowering his head as he fought to stay on his feet. Max stood quickly, putting her hands on his hips to keep him steady. "Alec, sit down, okay?" she told him.
he should have pulled away, he should have told her he was fine, gone back to the room before this got any worse. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. but he couldn't move. He didn't think he could take even a step without falling over.
"Alec, come on" her arms moved tighter against him, helping him to turn around.
"I'm fine" he told her, leaning back against the counter again, running a hand through his hair.
Max shook her head. He did not look fine. His eyes were bright, and he was shaking, despite his efforts to control it.
"Alec."
"I'm alright" he told her, feeling his arm start to shake. No, he told himself. Not here. He forced himself to pull away from her, and walk towards the bedroom.
Max watched him go, and shook her head. She did want to help her friend, more than anything, but she understood. In Manticore, you were punished for appearing weak. How could she get him to understand that it was okay in the real world to admit that you were hurt, or in pain?
Alec shut the door, and made it to the bed before he collapsed, his whole body starting to shake. It had never been like this. The seizures he had had in the past had been one-off affairs. This was so much worse. he bit down on his lip as the seizures increased, grabbing the bedpost to try to steady himself. He started breathing harder, pressing his face into the pillow to keep himself from crying out. Finally, he felt it easing.
two hours later, Alec forced himself out of bed. he staggered into the bathroom and turned the shower on full. Stripping off his clothes, he moved under the spray, letting the freezing water pound against his skin. His body started to go numb from the cold, a relief from the aching in his joints that he had been feeling. He turned the shower off, and grabbed a towel, rubbing his hair briefly before wrapping it around his waist. He dressed quickly, wanting to get out of there before Max and Cindy woke up. Not that he wasn't grateful, but he just wasn't good with females in the morning. Small talk and all that, counting the seconds before he could leave. Not his style. He opened the door and moved silently into the living room. Max was asleep on the couch. Good. He bit his lip nervously, and moved to kneel beside her, his breath catching in his throat. "Thanks" he whispered, almost soundlessly, as he reached over and pulled a blanket over her. He would never be able to tell her that in person, but maybe she would understand anyway.
And maybe she would understand why he was about to take her bike. He smiled vaguely as he grabbed her keys off the table.
"he's dead. He is so dead." Max repeated for about the twentieth time as she slammed her locker shut. Cindy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he had a really good reason to take your bike" she told her
"There is no reason good enough for taking my bike. That bike is my life." Max explained to her slowly. "If he has harmed it in the slightest, and I'm talking one paint chip here, he is so going to pay."
"Well, here comes the corpse now" Cindy nodded towards the door. Max turned to glare in the direction of the door.
Alec walked in slowly. The first thing Max noticed was the way he was walking. Stiffly, like he had been hurt in a fight and was trying to hide it. He nodded briefly to Normal, otherwise ignoring his boss, who was about to say something to him.
"Hey, Boo" Cindy greeted him. "OC" he spoke softly, his voice deeper than usual. He leant over and hugged her lightly.
"Hey" Max interrupted, anger clear in her voice. Alec turned. "What the hell reason could you." she started to berate him, then stopped, getting a good look at him. he looked, well, bad. He was dressed well, as always, had obviously gone home to change clothes. But he looked sick. His face was pale, and he hadn't shaved. And he was wearing sunglasses. Inside.
"Take the glasses off" she told him, glaring.
"Max, we need a rule. Okay? You don't get to yell at me until I have at least two cups of coffee."
"Take them off, or I will"
Alec didn't move. Max shrugged, and reached up to remove the glasses herself. He closed his eyes as the more intense light hit him, then blinked several times trying to focus. Max stared at him. reaching up, she slid her hand behind his head, and pulled his head towards her, so that she could see his eyes clearly. The whites of his eyes almost red, and as she stared at him, he started to close them, to block out some of the sunlight.
OC coughed, warning of an approaching Normal. Max took another look at Alec, then handed the glasses back to him. he slipped them on, and turned to Normal.
"I expect you have a really good reason for leaving early yesterday?" Max's mind started to race, frantically trying to come up with a good excuse. "And you" Normal turned to Alec. "keep your social life to your off hours, and at least shave before you come to work"
Alec stared back at him, his mind not focussing too well. Illness, Death in the Family. none of them would account for Max and Cindy as well.
"Normal, I told you they were delayed at that checkpoint" Sketchy said loudly as he walked up quickly and leaned against a locker. "At Sector 5? There was like a three hour delay, someone snuck through without a pass, and they were holding everyone up."
Normal looked at him, blankly. "Why would I have more than two people in a sector at a time?"
Alec sighed. "Busted" he muttered, turning his head to look at Max, and smiling slightly. Normal caught the look, and stared. Was it possible? His golden boy. and her? Granted she was okay looking, but she was such a handful. And Alec? He had girls throwing themselves at him all the time. With a body like that, it was completely. He turned to look at OC
"Hey, don't be lookin' at Original Cindy like that. She don't even go there. Just tryin ta cover for her friends"
Normal looked at all three of them. "Skip work again, and I'll toss you all on your asses. Including you" he turned to glare at Sketchy. "And you're all on double shifts for the next week to make up for it." He turned away.
"Thanks, man" Alec turned to Sketchy, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "You came through for us, big-time"
"No prob" he replied.
"Thanks, Sketch" Max added, before turning to glare at Alec again.
Max heard the sound of broken glass, and jerked awake, moving off the couch to investigate. She saw the door to her room open, at the same time as she heard a groan from the kitchen. Max moved quickly in the direction of the sound. Alec lay sprawled on the ground, lying on his back, but trying to stand up. Max was beside him in an instant, pushing him back down.
"What happened?" she asked him. "Slipped" he muttered, his voice sounding low and rough. "I'm okay" he told her, trying to sit up.
Max pulled back, not sure why, but understanding that he needed to appear strong. He stood slowly, then grabbed the counter, lowering his head as he fought to stay on his feet. Max stood quickly, putting her hands on his hips to keep him steady. "Alec, sit down, okay?" she told him.
he should have pulled away, he should have told her he was fine, gone back to the room before this got any worse. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. but he couldn't move. He didn't think he could take even a step without falling over.
"Alec, come on" her arms moved tighter against him, helping him to turn around.
"I'm fine" he told her, leaning back against the counter again, running a hand through his hair.
Max shook her head. He did not look fine. His eyes were bright, and he was shaking, despite his efforts to control it.
"Alec."
"I'm alright" he told her, feeling his arm start to shake. No, he told himself. Not here. He forced himself to pull away from her, and walk towards the bedroom.
Max watched him go, and shook her head. She did want to help her friend, more than anything, but she understood. In Manticore, you were punished for appearing weak. How could she get him to understand that it was okay in the real world to admit that you were hurt, or in pain?
Alec shut the door, and made it to the bed before he collapsed, his whole body starting to shake. It had never been like this. The seizures he had had in the past had been one-off affairs. This was so much worse. he bit down on his lip as the seizures increased, grabbing the bedpost to try to steady himself. He started breathing harder, pressing his face into the pillow to keep himself from crying out. Finally, he felt it easing.
two hours later, Alec forced himself out of bed. he staggered into the bathroom and turned the shower on full. Stripping off his clothes, he moved under the spray, letting the freezing water pound against his skin. His body started to go numb from the cold, a relief from the aching in his joints that he had been feeling. He turned the shower off, and grabbed a towel, rubbing his hair briefly before wrapping it around his waist. He dressed quickly, wanting to get out of there before Max and Cindy woke up. Not that he wasn't grateful, but he just wasn't good with females in the morning. Small talk and all that, counting the seconds before he could leave. Not his style. He opened the door and moved silently into the living room. Max was asleep on the couch. Good. He bit his lip nervously, and moved to kneel beside her, his breath catching in his throat. "Thanks" he whispered, almost soundlessly, as he reached over and pulled a blanket over her. He would never be able to tell her that in person, but maybe she would understand anyway.
And maybe she would understand why he was about to take her bike. He smiled vaguely as he grabbed her keys off the table.
"he's dead. He is so dead." Max repeated for about the twentieth time as she slammed her locker shut. Cindy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he had a really good reason to take your bike" she told her
"There is no reason good enough for taking my bike. That bike is my life." Max explained to her slowly. "If he has harmed it in the slightest, and I'm talking one paint chip here, he is so going to pay."
"Well, here comes the corpse now" Cindy nodded towards the door. Max turned to glare in the direction of the door.
Alec walked in slowly. The first thing Max noticed was the way he was walking. Stiffly, like he had been hurt in a fight and was trying to hide it. He nodded briefly to Normal, otherwise ignoring his boss, who was about to say something to him.
"Hey, Boo" Cindy greeted him. "OC" he spoke softly, his voice deeper than usual. He leant over and hugged her lightly.
"Hey" Max interrupted, anger clear in her voice. Alec turned. "What the hell reason could you." she started to berate him, then stopped, getting a good look at him. he looked, well, bad. He was dressed well, as always, had obviously gone home to change clothes. But he looked sick. His face was pale, and he hadn't shaved. And he was wearing sunglasses. Inside.
"Take the glasses off" she told him, glaring.
"Max, we need a rule. Okay? You don't get to yell at me until I have at least two cups of coffee."
"Take them off, or I will"
Alec didn't move. Max shrugged, and reached up to remove the glasses herself. He closed his eyes as the more intense light hit him, then blinked several times trying to focus. Max stared at him. reaching up, she slid her hand behind his head, and pulled his head towards her, so that she could see his eyes clearly. The whites of his eyes almost red, and as she stared at him, he started to close them, to block out some of the sunlight.
OC coughed, warning of an approaching Normal. Max took another look at Alec, then handed the glasses back to him. he slipped them on, and turned to Normal.
"I expect you have a really good reason for leaving early yesterday?" Max's mind started to race, frantically trying to come up with a good excuse. "And you" Normal turned to Alec. "keep your social life to your off hours, and at least shave before you come to work"
Alec stared back at him, his mind not focussing too well. Illness, Death in the Family. none of them would account for Max and Cindy as well.
"Normal, I told you they were delayed at that checkpoint" Sketchy said loudly as he walked up quickly and leaned against a locker. "At Sector 5? There was like a three hour delay, someone snuck through without a pass, and they were holding everyone up."
Normal looked at him, blankly. "Why would I have more than two people in a sector at a time?"
Alec sighed. "Busted" he muttered, turning his head to look at Max, and smiling slightly. Normal caught the look, and stared. Was it possible? His golden boy. and her? Granted she was okay looking, but she was such a handful. And Alec? He had girls throwing themselves at him all the time. With a body like that, it was completely. He turned to look at OC
"Hey, don't be lookin' at Original Cindy like that. She don't even go there. Just tryin ta cover for her friends"
Normal looked at all three of them. "Skip work again, and I'll toss you all on your asses. Including you" he turned to glare at Sketchy. "And you're all on double shifts for the next week to make up for it." He turned away.
"Thanks, man" Alec turned to Sketchy, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "You came through for us, big-time"
"No prob" he replied.
"Thanks, Sketch" Max added, before turning to glare at Alec again.