Chapter 2 - It's all right now

Max was sitting by Logan's bed and Logan was staring up at her. Max reached over to caress his face with her gloved hand and Logan grabbed it and kissed the top of her glove. He was so relieved that everything was fine, and he was so happy just to be with Max. He wished that things would always be this way, no Manticore, no cults running after Max. At the thought of the cults Logan's eyes wondered to the runes that were tattooed across Max's body. He still had no idea what they meant but he had a hunch that they would be finding out very soon. Max stared down at Logan fondly remembering the time when they first met; thinking how strange life was that two people so different could end up together.

"Nearly loosing Asha made you look like you've aged five years," Max joked with him tears in her eyes as she looked down at his face that stared up at her with so much love and affection. Logan looked like time had ravaged him in just a few short hours since Asha had arrived.

"Imagine how I would have been if it had been you and not Asha," Logan said softly his voice proud with honesty and Max stared at him for the longest time. She had never found the right time to tell him how much she truly loved him. Perhaps this was the time, the perfect moment she had been waiting for.

"Logan I wanted to tell you a long time ago." Max began, her voice turning husky, but she didn't get any further.

"Guys come quick, something's wrong with Asha," Alec said bursting into Logan's room and Logan and Max shared a desperate glance before following Alec back to Asha's room.
Meanwhile Joshua had been sitting patiently beside Asha's bed trying not to disturb her. Asha however had heard his breathing but hadn't spoken, wondering if perhaps it was just her imagination.

"Who else is here?" she asked tentatively feeling a little silly and Joshua looked around seeing no one else was in the room but him and he realised she was speaking to him.

"Joshua," he spoke gruffly and Asha turned her head in the direction of the voice.

"You're a transgenic?" Asha asked curiously and Joshua stood up.

"Yes, Joshua," he introduced himself again and Asha looked in what she hoped was Joshua's direction and smiled.

"Hello Joshua, I'm Asha," Asha said pleasantly and Joshua took a deep breath.

"Pretty Ash," he said smiling and Asha blushed a little. No one had ever called her pretty before, but then again it wasn't like she tried to get men's attention. She figured that life would be less complicated without having a boyfriend involved. What guy would want a blind woman for their girlfriend anyway? She thought feeling sorry for herself. She was scared now. Scared that she wouldn't be able to see for the rest of her life. She wouldn't be able to see Logan's kind smile. Or Alec's handsome face as he smiled at her. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed as his own jokes.

"Joshua, can I hold your hand?" Asha asked weakly her voice choked with sorrow and unhappiness. She didn't know who Joshua was but she needed someone to comfort her, she needed a friend. Someone who didn't know her, someone who wouldn't judge her. Joshua was about to take her outstretched hand when he retracted his hand quickly and stared at his hand.

"People fear what they do not understand," he recited remembering what Max had told him and Asha shook her head.

"It's all right Joshua, I understand," Asha said still holding her hands out and Joshua slowly reached out and took her small delicate hand in his. Suddenly Asha felt something strange about his hand. It felt like she was holding a paw. It was larger than she expected with long hard nails and a furry palm.

"What are you Joshua?" Asha breathed in amazement and Joshua looked upset as he stared at the ground embarrassed. He knew she wouldn't understand about him, he had wanted so much for her to be his friend and now he had ruined everything.

"Dog.man.freak," he said trying to pull his hand away but Asha held onto it tightly feeling connected with her faceless protector. They were the same.in a way.

"No, you're a friend," Asha said decidedly with a knowing smile and Joshua smiled back at her.

"Friend?" he repeated and Asha nodded her head still smiling brightly.

"Yes, my friend," Asha told him and Joshua was so happy that he felt like flying.
"So this blindness is only temporary?" Logan asked for the fifth time and Dr. Carr laughed condescendingly from the other end of the phone. Logan was beside himself with worry but Dr. Carr didn't sound worried at all.

"Some people go into shock when a terrible event has happened," Dr. Carr explained to him again and Logan began tapping the table with his fingers. Max and Alec were watching him impatiently and they shared a glance.

"So she'll be fine?" Logan asked needing Dr. Carr to repeat the news again.

"It could take a few weeks, a few years, its hard to tell, but I'm sure it won't be permanent," Dr. Carr repeated what he had told Logan only a few moments before and Logan sighed with relief.

"Thank you Dr. Carr," he breathed into the phone. And Max smiled comfortingly at Logan who returned her smile. Alec felt a rush of relief run through him as he realised that Asha would be fine. Why am I so worried about her? He thought to himself wondering why his heart had been beating so fast when he thought something was horribly wrong with Asha. She's just another girl, he told himself nearly laughing at as his stupidity before he thought of another question that shocked him to the very core of his being, was Asha just another girl or was she something more?

"No problem, the tests should be back in a week, so I'll get back to you then," Dr. Carr assured him and Logan transferred the phone to his other hand.

"All right then, bye," Logan said into the phone as he hung it up then turned to Max and Alec who had basically put together what had happened by eavesdropping. Max locked eyes with Logan and he ran forward to hug her when Alec stepped in front of him, separating Logan from Max, Alec's eyes looking deep into Logan's warningly. Alec didn't have to say a word as Logan remembered that Alec wasn't the only thing keeping him and Max apart. There was the problem of the virus. Max seemed to realise the same thing as she turned on her heel and left the room, tears shining in the corner of her eyes.

"I can't take this anymore," Max, cried out in anger, feeling angry at herself, at Logan, at Alec, at everyone in the whole entire world.
Max kept running until she couldn't see where she was going because her tears clouded her vision. It was hopeless. She hated not being able to touch him; she hated herself for being so unlucky. Max didn't know where she had run to, and she just sank to the ground pulling her legs to her chest and crying into her knees. She had never cried in front of anyone, not Logan, not Alec, and all the frustration and anger that she had been keeping bottled inside her over the years poured out like a waterfall in her tears. She heard footsteps behind her then Max felt warm arms surround her in a motherly way and Max brought her head to her saviour's shoulder and cried until she felt she couldn't cry anymore while her saviour rocked her gently.

"Boo, what's wrong?" Original Cindy asked stroking her best friends hair and Max tried to hold back her sobs.

"Cindy, I hate it, I hate being me, I hate having the virus, I hate not being able to touch him, sometimes I think it would be better if I were dead," Max sobbed into Original Cindy's arms and Cindy shook her head.

"Oh boo, you know that wouldn't be right," Cindy told her condescendingly and Max pulled away from her angrily.

"But there is no point to living if we can't be together," Max pointed out stubbornly and Cindy pulled Max to her again.

"Did you ever think that you weren't the only one who felt this way? Logan would be feeling exactly the same way, he needs you to be strong for him so he can be strong for you," Cindy tried to reason with Max who ground her eyes with her fist to wipe away her tears.

"Its so hard Cindy," Max whispered feeling so alone and vulnerable and Cindy let out a small laugh.

"Who said it was going to be easy?" Cindy asked her and Max pursed her lips as she thought.

"I don't know, I just wanted to be normal, have a normal boyfriend, have a normal life, it's easy for everyone else, why can't it be easy for me?" Max asked softly and Cindy turned Max so that they were staring straight at each other and Max had to stare Cindy straight in the eyes.

"Because you are special boo, I know it and Logan knows it, I also know that with all this Asha business, Logan is gonna need you beside him more than ever," Cindy reminded Max who looked down at the ground knowing what Cindy said was true. Max couldn't believe she was going to bail on Logan when he needed her the most. But she had just been so confused lately, she hadn't been thinking straight, thank goodness she had Original Cindy.

"I guess your right," Max admitted bashfully and Cindy winked at Max.

"I am right boo, Original Cindy is always right, now go to him," Cindy commanded like a queen waving her hands around grandly and Max gave her a small smile.

"All right," Max agreed standing up walking back the way she came but she stopped when Original Cindy called her.

"Boo, wipe your face first, don't want him seeing you looking like that," Cindy hinted and Max caught the apron Cindy threw at her and wiped her face dry of tears.

"Thanks Cindy," she said then she threw the apron back then began running back to Asha' room.
When Max ran from the room Logan took a few steps after her.

"Max!" he called out to her getting ready to follow her when Alec put a hand in Logan's chest.

"Let her go Logan," Alec advised wisely and Logan's eyes flashed angrily at Alec.

"But she needs me," he said trying to push past Alec but Alec moved in his way holding his hands up to Logan's chest stopping him from going anywhere.

"She needs time alone too, she needs to sort things out," Alec said and Logan narrowed his eyes at Alec suspiciously.

"Like her feelings for you maybe?" Logan hissed at him, his voice full of venom and Alec shook his head sadly.

"Why are you so obsessed with me and Max? Max is my sister, sure she's hotter than most but she's still my sister, I'm her brother, that's the way it has been and that's the way it will always be," Alec assured Logan wondering how such an intelligent guy could be so thick when it came to females. Sure Alec had troubles keeping a relationship with a girl but Max's feelings were like a book, so easy to read, all you had to do was look into her eyes to see who she truly loved.

"What's wrong with her then?" Logan demanded giving up on trying to get past Alec knowing Alec was far too strong for him to push out of the way.

"It hasn't been hard only on you, think about Max for a moment, paranoid with fear that the next time she touches you, you could die, don't you know how its tearing her apart? She's scared Logan, scared of loosing you," Alec pointed out bluntly and Logan was silent for a few moments shocked at what Alec had said.

"I never thought about that," he confessed looked down at his hands as he rubbed them together.

"You gotta help her through it, be there for her, without smothering her," Alec encouraged Logan patting Logan on the back and Logan looked up at Alec thankfully while Alec was almost laughing at himself. You're one to talk about being there for her, you let Rachel down, you cost Rachel her life, he told himself harshly before trying to shake those thoughts from his head. He didn't know why all these memories were coming back to him; he thought that he had hidden them away in the deep recesses of his mind. He didn't want to think about her, not now, not ever, it was just too hard. Logan stared hard at Alec, for once feeling a small connection to the transgenic.

"When did you get so wise?" Logan asked Alec sarcastically and the two men laughed together both for the first time feeling a closeness between them they had never felt before. They had both lost women who were very special to them, the only difference was Logan could still get Max back if only they could find the antidote to the virus. For Alec.was there hope that he would love again? Alec didn't want to find out, he didn't want to have to face the pain of loving again, after all that he'd been through, he didn't want to risk another chance of heartbreak.