[b]Part Four [/b]
He shouldn't have come.
The thought continued to reverberate through his head as he watched nurses clad in blinding white scurry up and down the halls, their high heels click clacking impatiently on the linoleum. Across the way, a lone nurse sat indolently at a tidy reception desk, a nail file scratching loudly at her fingertips. A thin wisp of an echo wafted down the spotless hallway, "Paging Dr. Peterson, Dr. Peterson to the OR stat," the speaker's voice professional and flat. The lumpy cushion beneath him squeaked as he shifted on the moldy brown couch.
Max heard none of this. The only sound that he could distinguish was that of his heart, pounding dully in his ears.
His dark head snapped up suddenly, with such a force that his neck cracked. His eyes sought out the battered clock on the wall, although he inherently knew that only a few minutes had passed since he had last checked the time, and fewer minutes had ticked by before that.
How was it possible for five minutes to feel like five years?
Heaving a huge sigh, his head found refuge in his clammy hands. [I]Funny,[/I] he briefly thought. [I]My fingers are like ice, but the rest of my body is sweating out fire.[/I] Even as the thought flitted through his mind, a icy shiver coursed through his backside, blatantly contradicting his musings.
[I]She's going to be fine.[/I]
His gut twisted painfully, his body refusing to heed his mind's careful cajoling. He bent over, stretching his arms out, clasping them together between his knees. She [I]would[/I] be fine. She'd be more than fine. Liz Parker was nothing if not a fighter.
He shifted again, his back protesting against the harsh comfort of the second-hand couch. Briefly, he wished for a magazine or newspaper to flip through. Anything at all to break the suffocating silence. Anything to keep him from moving around like a cornered, skittish cat.
There was a magazine rack in the hallway, of that he was aware. Comfy looking couches, too. But it was unspoken mutual agreement that he wasn't allowed to be in that area, a place that had once been considered natural and homelike.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker were down there. And by the murderous look that Jeff had thrown his way when he had first noticed him, Max knew with a sinking heart that he didn't belong over there. The easygoing relationship he used to have with the Parkers was gone. Smashed to pieces like the car that had so unceremoniously forced Liz into a wheelchair, and, now, into risky surgery. He sighed deeply, his eyes still trained on the people down the hall, all of whom were taut with worry.
Maria caught him staring at them, her olive eyes demanding his attention. She was standing alongside Mrs. Parker, her hand gripping Michael's sleeve. Sending him a hard look, her mouth thinned into a firm line. Chills leaped off of her gaze, a furious question resonated inside. He had to look away.
[I]I shouldn't' have come.[/I]
And yet, what else was he supposed to do? Sit at home while the rest of Liz's friends and family danced with frightened anticipation in the waiting room? Prepare for his impending wedding? Go down to the office and get on with his life?
Ridiculous.
[I]But you've done it to her before,[/I] an insistent voice in his head reminded. [I]Left her when she needed you the most.[/I]
Anger gritted his teeth together with such a force he nearly saw stars. Willing himself not to think, not to remember, he snapped his eyes shut.
Not surprisingly, it was her face that greeted his closed lids. Her dark brown hair that swam into view. Her stubborn eyes flashing with determination as she refused to undergo surgery using the more reliable embryonic stem cells, and instead opting to take the less researched, although more moral, route by using adult stem cells to repair the damage in her lower spinal column.
[I]"I won't do it." Her voice rang strongly in his ears, and Max looked at her with incredulity. Hadn't she, not even three minutes ago said that she would do anything to regain the use of her legs?
If the doctor's tone was any indication, he was reeling from the same shock. "Ms. Parker, I realize that at the time of your accident, using embryonic stem cells in medicine was a constant political - and even moral - dispute, but I assure you. Today, it is perfectly legal in the state of New Mexico."
Her gaze never wavered, and he felt a surge of pride and fear, knowing what was coming next. "I don't care." She paused. "Isn't there another way?" The desperation was clear in her voice, her breath hitched.
Sighing, the doctor flicked some papers impatiently back from his clipboard, perusing the notes underneath. "Adult stem cells have been used in this type of surgery, albeit rarely, and with less chance at the preferred results. Embryonic stem cells on the other hand - "
Liz abruptly cut him off. "Adult stem cells it is then."
Gazing formidably from behind his glasses, the doctor regarded her warily. "Ms. Parker, I must tell you, the risk of it is much greate - "
Her soft yet firm tone hushed the room. Max felt his chest tighten as she refused to meet his gaze. "Life is always a risk, Dr. Sanchez. Taking the route less traveled by may not seem like the smartest way to go, but in the end more often than not you find that it was worth it." [/I]
God. How could someone be so brave, so profound at a time like this? He remembered that moment as if it had happened merely seconds ago, when in all actuality, a good five or so days had passed since he had had his first, and last, look at Liz since she'd woken up.
He didn't deserve her. Of that he had been aware of even in high school. But to not be here, to not know how the surgery turned out .well, that was something he just could not do. He was weak where she was strong. The minute he had found out about her surgery, he'd instantly resolved that he would be there.
Even if she didn't want him here.
Suddenly, the cell phone in his coat pocket jolted him out of his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the stationed nurse had stopped filing her nails mid-stroke to throw him a nasty look as the ring sliced through the silence with alarming precision.
Feeling like an ass, not daring to look to see what kinds of looks the Parkers or Maria and Michael were throwing his way, Max smoothly ascended from his chair and wound his way around the corner into a deserted corridor. Glancing at the caller id, he groaned as a four-lettered word blinked up at him.
Tess.
Guilt seeped through his arteries and into his veins as he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Max. It's me." Her voice was cheery, as always, yet somewhere there was an underlying hint of strain. Sadness maybe?
"Hi!" He tried to put as much normalcy into his voice inflection, knowing he failed even before he opened his mouth.
"Where are you?" She asked casually.
He bit back a groan. How was he supposed to tell her where he was? The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone. To hurt Tess. Especially after he had so greatly inflicted pain on Liz. On everyone that cared for her. He [I]hated[/I] it. Hated the feeling of knowing that he was the cause of distress and turmoil for another person, especially those he loved.
He hated himself. With a quiet, white-hot churning anger that was making his hands shake.
Her quiet, resigned voice answered the question for him. "You're at the hospital, aren't you?"
He swallowed, knowing there really was no point in lying. "Yes."
A heavy silence buzzed through the line, echoing in his brain. God, this sucked! Despair and helplessness pinched his facial features together, and he pinched the bridge of his nose together, trying to lessen the pressure. This wasn't fair to Tess, not at all. After all the time she had spent, carefully waiting for him, never pressuring him for anything he didn't want, of the months she had spent, offering him a comforting hand .after all of that, and here he was spinning around in the opposite direction again. He was horrible.
"Max, I feel like I'm loosing you," Tess suddenly spoke, her voice oddly flat. Emotionless even. "I mean, we've barely spoken since you found out about ." she paused, letting the sentence hang.
His eyes fluttered shut. "I know. I'm sorry. I just ..." [I]can't help it.[/I]
"Max," she started, her voice sounding strange. Almost .regretful? Like she was about to tell him something huge? His spine straightened.
"What is it?" He asked kindly.
"Nothing." Her tone was back to its professional, brisk tendency. "How about I come over tonight? We can catch up and .make it up to each other." On the last word, her voice dropped a decibel suggestively. He could almost see her blonde eyebrows wagging.
"Sure, that sounds ." [I]Wrong.[/I] ".great."
"I'll see you tonight honey." He flinched at the endearment, feeling lower than pond scum for doing so.
He stood rooted to the spot for another moment, staring at the linoleum. It was a while before he realized he had been biting his lip, hard. So viciously that an abrasion began to ebb away the skin on his mouth. Hot, metallic blood seeped insipidly onto his tongue.
Time suddenly claimed his thoughts again, his head twisting quickly in a fruitless effort to locate a clock. A shocking jolt from his inner timepiece reminded him that he had been gone longer than intended. He scurried back towards the waiting area, his eyes rounding with alarm at the sight that greeted him there.
Empty. The hallway before him now was completely void of any person, including the nail filing fiend. His heart leaped into his throat, his breast tightening with its absence. His head swam with the possibilities.
[I]LIZ![/I] His mind screamed frantically. Oh God. Something happened to her. Something happened, and he wasn't here to find out, or help. She was dead. Something went wrong with the surgery, so the Parkers, Maria, and Michael had rushed to say their goodbyes. They had moved her to another room, so to prevent him from finding her, they had .
Hysteria swelled in the back of his throat, fighting to escape him in the form of a strangled cry. [I]Stop it,[/I] he berated his mind for its insane speculations. He didn't know anything yet. [I]She's fine.[/I] She'd be all right. All he needed to do right now was find the Parkers, find Michael, find anyone remotely [I]familiar[/I] and find answers.
His heart leaped in his chest when he saw Alex scampering after his sister, clearly with a destination in mind.
Immediately, his feet crashed forward, tripping in his haste to catch up to them. His oxfords made squeaky noises as he half-walked, half-sprinted after them, finally coming to rest once he saw Dr. Sanchez. Alex was speaking to the doctor in low tones, obviously upset by something the man was saying to him, but when Max caught up to them, Alex turned his scowl on Max.
Feeling like he had just been punched in the stomach, Max swallowed painfully; ignoring the accusatory daggers that Alex was shooting his way. The guilt brought tears unbidden to his eyes, but he blinked them back, forcing himself to unstuck his throat. [I]His fault. All of it, his fault.[/I]
"Are you a member of the family?" The doctor was asking Alex coolly, his gray eyes holding a flicker of remorse.
Alex snorted, outrage evident in his tone. "Why the hell does that matter, doc? I'm practically her brother anyways, so why can't I just see her!?" Isabel grabbed Alex's arm, but Max noticed she was glaring icily at the doctor as well.
"Its standard protocol," Dr. Sanchez replied evenly, staring at Alex. His brow suddenly wrinkled. "Wait. Are you, by any chance, Max?"
Alex looked perplexed. After a beat, he shook his head. "No. He is," he said, jerking his thumb towards Max.
His mouth felt dry. Had Liz specifically asked that he not be allowed to see her? Oh god. "Why?" He asked, concentrating on keeping his voice even.
The doctor perused him for a few minutes, precious minutes that ticked by leaving him still in the dark regarding Liz's condition. "It's very peculiar. She mumbled your name once during the operation, although with the sedatives we gave her, she should have been out for the count."
Max refused to look at Alex, couldn't face what he knew would be a miffed, furious expression. His gaze remained on the doctor, his features raised with a mixture of awe and hope. "How is she?"
Dr. Sanchez raised a bushy eyebrow. "Are you a member of the family?"
Max felt his throat close up, his nose burning strangely. "Ah, no, I just .please," he rasped out, blinking furiously. "I need to know whether or not she's all right."
The doctor studied him gravely for what felt like another millennium. Max repressed to urge to punch the stuffy old guy in the face. Honestly, was the jerk trained to do this? To let people dangle precariously on a sharp edge, waiting desperately for the worst? [I]WHAT?[/I] his mind screamed hopelessly. [I]What IS it?[/I] Immediately, images of the worst possible variation leaped into his mind unbidden. Liz, pale faced and still, lifeless. A flat line sounded in his ears, the sharp screeching sound cutting into his skull. Whether or not it was his imagination or coming from the room next door, he couldn't decipher.
Each second that ticked by in silence made his heart die a little more.
[I]NO.[/I]
"Is she .she's not ." he croaked, white hot pain blinding him. Oh god, if she was dea -
"Ms. Parker is in recovery right now. As far as I can determine, the surgery was a success. She's not out of the woods yet, but things are considerably looking up."
His eyes fluttered shut, squeezing against a fresh onslaught of temped tears. A warm fierce gust of air exited out his lungs with such a force, his body inched back and collapsed against the wall. His shoulders sagged with relief, the emotion making him weak in the knees - so weak that his entire form slid slowly down the wall behind him with a hiss, slowly inching down until his bottom rested on the floor.
And a brilliant, joyful smile broke out across his face.
She really [I]was[/I] all right.
For the first time in three years, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, what he [I]needed[/I] to do.
[I]"Life is always a risk."[/I]
It was time to stop denying what his heart knew to be true. The minute he was able to, he was going to march into Liz's room to tell her exactly how he felt, how the mere thought of loosing her [I]again[/I] was unbearable, torturous, and unacceptable. God, if she had died today, if she had never woken up, never known how he felt .how he now knew he would always feel -
It wouldn't happen again. He would have to tell Tess that he was sorry, but that in the end, there really just wasn't any other way. It was time everyone realized it.
He'd given his heart away a long time ago.
Consumed with his happy new revelation, Max failed to notice the pair of blue eyes that had remained on him for a good portion of the day, incessantly aware and narrowed with precision.
-------------------------------------
"How did you come to know so much about my planet?"
Tess pressed her palm against the cool windowpane, letting her skin smother the smooth glass. She didn't really expect him to answer. After all, she had asked him time and time again, never receiving a comprehensible answer. It was more out of habit than anything.
Predictably, he laughed softly, the sound giving her an unnatural chill. "Ava, you know I cannot answer you that. That particular parameter was set in the beginning of our deal."
[I]Ava.[/I] Why did he insist on calling her that? The name felt odd, unsuited for her. It hung on her like a pair of pants a size too large. Yet she should, she [I]must[/I] get used to it. It was, after all, her name. [I]Former name.[/I] A name for a girl she felt like she didn't even know. Hell, she KNEW she didn't know.
"I don't understand it, though. Why you won't tell me anything about it until after the wedding. It makes no sense." She dropped her hand, watching the oily streaks she'd left behind on the pane trickle away and disappear.
"You'll see in the end," he answered cryptically, leaning back in his office chair. "Now tell me. Why did you come to see me today?" His tone held a flicker of annoyance; he hated being disturbed during work, unannounced. It was part of the reason she decided to come directly after seeing what she had seen at the hospital, before she lost the nerve and will to tell him what she had to. Tess took a deep breath, fear making her stomach muscles clench for some odd reason. [I]He'll understand. It's not like he'll .kill me or anything.[/I]
Even in her head, that sounded doubtful. Hesitant. For the first time since she engaged in this deal, she was beginning to realize that she really knew absolutely nothing about the man in front of her. Her heart rate stepped up its pace.
"I can't marry him." The words tumbled forth.
Predictably, his peppered eyebrows shot skyward. "And why is that?" A chill crept into his tone.
"He loves her. He always will. I can't, I don't [I]want[/I] to come between that." She lowered her gaze, reflecting on all that she had seen, and more often than not, on what she [I]hadn't[/I]. On what hadn't been allowed to happen because of Tess, [I]herself.[/I]
He laughed mirthlessly. "Ava my sweet, you don't even know what love is." When her chin jutted out with protest, he added, "It most certainly is not what Max feels for that insipid girl. No. The real true bond, the earth- shattering explosion that you crave is what you and Zan had. What you could have again, if you continue to do as we have planned."
Her blue eyes narrowed, her voice a hiss of emotion. "If it was so [I]earth shattering[/I] and special, why don't I remember it? Why don't I [I]feel[/I] it?"
His face was hard, unforgiving. "Do you love him?"
She faltered. "I thought I did .I mean - " What [I]did[/I] she mean? Hell, he was right. She had no idea what love was. She cared for Max, that much she knew. But what part of it were actual, true feelings and what part of it stemmed from the long, deceptive plan that she found she couldn't escape?
"How about I put this plainer, Ava," he spat coldly, his eyes dangerous slits. "If you don't make this merger happen, if you don't marry Max, you will never know anything about your past, your planet, or why you're even here. [I]Never[/I]."
Her mouth gaped in astonishment as another fierce emotion took reign. Furious green, crackling energy sparked at her fingertips, longing to zap him square in the chest. Her breath came out in heavy, barely controlled fits. "You wouldn't [I]dare.[/I] You [I]promised[/I] me. You promised me that if I - "
His eyebrow arched in amusement. "I promised that I would reveal everything you wanted to know only if you made this happen for me. So do it. Marry him. Don't give a rat's ass about that girl, or if you want, kill her." He shrugged, off setting the seriousness of his implications.
The alien energy at her hands increased in fervor. "You're [I]horrible,[/I]" she whispered through clenched teeth, wishing she could blast his face in, the fact that she had a complete lack of control over her powers be damned.
"No, I'm realistic," he shot back, pausing before eyeing her hands. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Who would stop me?" She bit out. Not for the first time, she wondered if he himself was really an alien in disguise. It would make sense. How else would he have access to all the information about her planet? [I]Information he SAYS he has,[/I] her conscience nagged at her.
But no. He had the real deal. He had shown her the pod chamber, where she had been born as proof. He knew what he was talking about. It was the one thing she was sure of on Earth.
Besides. He couldn't be an alien. For one, why would an alien want a merger between her adoptive parent's law firm and his own? If he were an alien, he wouldn't need her. He'd do it himself, by whatever means necessary.
Right?
"If I die, everything you have ever wanted to know goes with me." Despite herself, her outstretched hand wavered, his words causing her chest to tighten. [I]Family. A chance to belong. My past.[/I] "Now don't tell me you're ready to give up all that, Tess." A tiny, cold smile inched along his mouth as she dropped her hand, feeling disgusted with him, but mostly herself. [I]Bastard.[/I] "That's it," he coaxed. "Now go out there and do what you have to do." His tone softened dangerously. "Or you will regret it."
She swallowed hard against the lump rising in her throat, her shoulders sagging with defeat. "All right," she whispered, refusing to look at him, and the man he revealed himself to be. "You win."
As she turned to leave, Tess failed to notice the twisted brilliant smile that broke out upon Phillip Evans' face.
To be continued .
He shouldn't have come.
The thought continued to reverberate through his head as he watched nurses clad in blinding white scurry up and down the halls, their high heels click clacking impatiently on the linoleum. Across the way, a lone nurse sat indolently at a tidy reception desk, a nail file scratching loudly at her fingertips. A thin wisp of an echo wafted down the spotless hallway, "Paging Dr. Peterson, Dr. Peterson to the OR stat," the speaker's voice professional and flat. The lumpy cushion beneath him squeaked as he shifted on the moldy brown couch.
Max heard none of this. The only sound that he could distinguish was that of his heart, pounding dully in his ears.
His dark head snapped up suddenly, with such a force that his neck cracked. His eyes sought out the battered clock on the wall, although he inherently knew that only a few minutes had passed since he had last checked the time, and fewer minutes had ticked by before that.
How was it possible for five minutes to feel like five years?
Heaving a huge sigh, his head found refuge in his clammy hands. [I]Funny,[/I] he briefly thought. [I]My fingers are like ice, but the rest of my body is sweating out fire.[/I] Even as the thought flitted through his mind, a icy shiver coursed through his backside, blatantly contradicting his musings.
[I]She's going to be fine.[/I]
His gut twisted painfully, his body refusing to heed his mind's careful cajoling. He bent over, stretching his arms out, clasping them together between his knees. She [I]would[/I] be fine. She'd be more than fine. Liz Parker was nothing if not a fighter.
He shifted again, his back protesting against the harsh comfort of the second-hand couch. Briefly, he wished for a magazine or newspaper to flip through. Anything at all to break the suffocating silence. Anything to keep him from moving around like a cornered, skittish cat.
There was a magazine rack in the hallway, of that he was aware. Comfy looking couches, too. But it was unspoken mutual agreement that he wasn't allowed to be in that area, a place that had once been considered natural and homelike.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker were down there. And by the murderous look that Jeff had thrown his way when he had first noticed him, Max knew with a sinking heart that he didn't belong over there. The easygoing relationship he used to have with the Parkers was gone. Smashed to pieces like the car that had so unceremoniously forced Liz into a wheelchair, and, now, into risky surgery. He sighed deeply, his eyes still trained on the people down the hall, all of whom were taut with worry.
Maria caught him staring at them, her olive eyes demanding his attention. She was standing alongside Mrs. Parker, her hand gripping Michael's sleeve. Sending him a hard look, her mouth thinned into a firm line. Chills leaped off of her gaze, a furious question resonated inside. He had to look away.
[I]I shouldn't' have come.[/I]
And yet, what else was he supposed to do? Sit at home while the rest of Liz's friends and family danced with frightened anticipation in the waiting room? Prepare for his impending wedding? Go down to the office and get on with his life?
Ridiculous.
[I]But you've done it to her before,[/I] an insistent voice in his head reminded. [I]Left her when she needed you the most.[/I]
Anger gritted his teeth together with such a force he nearly saw stars. Willing himself not to think, not to remember, he snapped his eyes shut.
Not surprisingly, it was her face that greeted his closed lids. Her dark brown hair that swam into view. Her stubborn eyes flashing with determination as she refused to undergo surgery using the more reliable embryonic stem cells, and instead opting to take the less researched, although more moral, route by using adult stem cells to repair the damage in her lower spinal column.
[I]"I won't do it." Her voice rang strongly in his ears, and Max looked at her with incredulity. Hadn't she, not even three minutes ago said that she would do anything to regain the use of her legs?
If the doctor's tone was any indication, he was reeling from the same shock. "Ms. Parker, I realize that at the time of your accident, using embryonic stem cells in medicine was a constant political - and even moral - dispute, but I assure you. Today, it is perfectly legal in the state of New Mexico."
Her gaze never wavered, and he felt a surge of pride and fear, knowing what was coming next. "I don't care." She paused. "Isn't there another way?" The desperation was clear in her voice, her breath hitched.
Sighing, the doctor flicked some papers impatiently back from his clipboard, perusing the notes underneath. "Adult stem cells have been used in this type of surgery, albeit rarely, and with less chance at the preferred results. Embryonic stem cells on the other hand - "
Liz abruptly cut him off. "Adult stem cells it is then."
Gazing formidably from behind his glasses, the doctor regarded her warily. "Ms. Parker, I must tell you, the risk of it is much greate - "
Her soft yet firm tone hushed the room. Max felt his chest tighten as she refused to meet his gaze. "Life is always a risk, Dr. Sanchez. Taking the route less traveled by may not seem like the smartest way to go, but in the end more often than not you find that it was worth it." [/I]
God. How could someone be so brave, so profound at a time like this? He remembered that moment as if it had happened merely seconds ago, when in all actuality, a good five or so days had passed since he had had his first, and last, look at Liz since she'd woken up.
He didn't deserve her. Of that he had been aware of even in high school. But to not be here, to not know how the surgery turned out .well, that was something he just could not do. He was weak where she was strong. The minute he had found out about her surgery, he'd instantly resolved that he would be there.
Even if she didn't want him here.
Suddenly, the cell phone in his coat pocket jolted him out of his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the stationed nurse had stopped filing her nails mid-stroke to throw him a nasty look as the ring sliced through the silence with alarming precision.
Feeling like an ass, not daring to look to see what kinds of looks the Parkers or Maria and Michael were throwing his way, Max smoothly ascended from his chair and wound his way around the corner into a deserted corridor. Glancing at the caller id, he groaned as a four-lettered word blinked up at him.
Tess.
Guilt seeped through his arteries and into his veins as he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Max. It's me." Her voice was cheery, as always, yet somewhere there was an underlying hint of strain. Sadness maybe?
"Hi!" He tried to put as much normalcy into his voice inflection, knowing he failed even before he opened his mouth.
"Where are you?" She asked casually.
He bit back a groan. How was he supposed to tell her where he was? The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone. To hurt Tess. Especially after he had so greatly inflicted pain on Liz. On everyone that cared for her. He [I]hated[/I] it. Hated the feeling of knowing that he was the cause of distress and turmoil for another person, especially those he loved.
He hated himself. With a quiet, white-hot churning anger that was making his hands shake.
Her quiet, resigned voice answered the question for him. "You're at the hospital, aren't you?"
He swallowed, knowing there really was no point in lying. "Yes."
A heavy silence buzzed through the line, echoing in his brain. God, this sucked! Despair and helplessness pinched his facial features together, and he pinched the bridge of his nose together, trying to lessen the pressure. This wasn't fair to Tess, not at all. After all the time she had spent, carefully waiting for him, never pressuring him for anything he didn't want, of the months she had spent, offering him a comforting hand .after all of that, and here he was spinning around in the opposite direction again. He was horrible.
"Max, I feel like I'm loosing you," Tess suddenly spoke, her voice oddly flat. Emotionless even. "I mean, we've barely spoken since you found out about ." she paused, letting the sentence hang.
His eyes fluttered shut. "I know. I'm sorry. I just ..." [I]can't help it.[/I]
"Max," she started, her voice sounding strange. Almost .regretful? Like she was about to tell him something huge? His spine straightened.
"What is it?" He asked kindly.
"Nothing." Her tone was back to its professional, brisk tendency. "How about I come over tonight? We can catch up and .make it up to each other." On the last word, her voice dropped a decibel suggestively. He could almost see her blonde eyebrows wagging.
"Sure, that sounds ." [I]Wrong.[/I] ".great."
"I'll see you tonight honey." He flinched at the endearment, feeling lower than pond scum for doing so.
He stood rooted to the spot for another moment, staring at the linoleum. It was a while before he realized he had been biting his lip, hard. So viciously that an abrasion began to ebb away the skin on his mouth. Hot, metallic blood seeped insipidly onto his tongue.
Time suddenly claimed his thoughts again, his head twisting quickly in a fruitless effort to locate a clock. A shocking jolt from his inner timepiece reminded him that he had been gone longer than intended. He scurried back towards the waiting area, his eyes rounding with alarm at the sight that greeted him there.
Empty. The hallway before him now was completely void of any person, including the nail filing fiend. His heart leaped into his throat, his breast tightening with its absence. His head swam with the possibilities.
[I]LIZ![/I] His mind screamed frantically. Oh God. Something happened to her. Something happened, and he wasn't here to find out, or help. She was dead. Something went wrong with the surgery, so the Parkers, Maria, and Michael had rushed to say their goodbyes. They had moved her to another room, so to prevent him from finding her, they had .
Hysteria swelled in the back of his throat, fighting to escape him in the form of a strangled cry. [I]Stop it,[/I] he berated his mind for its insane speculations. He didn't know anything yet. [I]She's fine.[/I] She'd be all right. All he needed to do right now was find the Parkers, find Michael, find anyone remotely [I]familiar[/I] and find answers.
His heart leaped in his chest when he saw Alex scampering after his sister, clearly with a destination in mind.
Immediately, his feet crashed forward, tripping in his haste to catch up to them. His oxfords made squeaky noises as he half-walked, half-sprinted after them, finally coming to rest once he saw Dr. Sanchez. Alex was speaking to the doctor in low tones, obviously upset by something the man was saying to him, but when Max caught up to them, Alex turned his scowl on Max.
Feeling like he had just been punched in the stomach, Max swallowed painfully; ignoring the accusatory daggers that Alex was shooting his way. The guilt brought tears unbidden to his eyes, but he blinked them back, forcing himself to unstuck his throat. [I]His fault. All of it, his fault.[/I]
"Are you a member of the family?" The doctor was asking Alex coolly, his gray eyes holding a flicker of remorse.
Alex snorted, outrage evident in his tone. "Why the hell does that matter, doc? I'm practically her brother anyways, so why can't I just see her!?" Isabel grabbed Alex's arm, but Max noticed she was glaring icily at the doctor as well.
"Its standard protocol," Dr. Sanchez replied evenly, staring at Alex. His brow suddenly wrinkled. "Wait. Are you, by any chance, Max?"
Alex looked perplexed. After a beat, he shook his head. "No. He is," he said, jerking his thumb towards Max.
His mouth felt dry. Had Liz specifically asked that he not be allowed to see her? Oh god. "Why?" He asked, concentrating on keeping his voice even.
The doctor perused him for a few minutes, precious minutes that ticked by leaving him still in the dark regarding Liz's condition. "It's very peculiar. She mumbled your name once during the operation, although with the sedatives we gave her, she should have been out for the count."
Max refused to look at Alex, couldn't face what he knew would be a miffed, furious expression. His gaze remained on the doctor, his features raised with a mixture of awe and hope. "How is she?"
Dr. Sanchez raised a bushy eyebrow. "Are you a member of the family?"
Max felt his throat close up, his nose burning strangely. "Ah, no, I just .please," he rasped out, blinking furiously. "I need to know whether or not she's all right."
The doctor studied him gravely for what felt like another millennium. Max repressed to urge to punch the stuffy old guy in the face. Honestly, was the jerk trained to do this? To let people dangle precariously on a sharp edge, waiting desperately for the worst? [I]WHAT?[/I] his mind screamed hopelessly. [I]What IS it?[/I] Immediately, images of the worst possible variation leaped into his mind unbidden. Liz, pale faced and still, lifeless. A flat line sounded in his ears, the sharp screeching sound cutting into his skull. Whether or not it was his imagination or coming from the room next door, he couldn't decipher.
Each second that ticked by in silence made his heart die a little more.
[I]NO.[/I]
"Is she .she's not ." he croaked, white hot pain blinding him. Oh god, if she was dea -
"Ms. Parker is in recovery right now. As far as I can determine, the surgery was a success. She's not out of the woods yet, but things are considerably looking up."
His eyes fluttered shut, squeezing against a fresh onslaught of temped tears. A warm fierce gust of air exited out his lungs with such a force, his body inched back and collapsed against the wall. His shoulders sagged with relief, the emotion making him weak in the knees - so weak that his entire form slid slowly down the wall behind him with a hiss, slowly inching down until his bottom rested on the floor.
And a brilliant, joyful smile broke out across his face.
She really [I]was[/I] all right.
For the first time in three years, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, what he [I]needed[/I] to do.
[I]"Life is always a risk."[/I]
It was time to stop denying what his heart knew to be true. The minute he was able to, he was going to march into Liz's room to tell her exactly how he felt, how the mere thought of loosing her [I]again[/I] was unbearable, torturous, and unacceptable. God, if she had died today, if she had never woken up, never known how he felt .how he now knew he would always feel -
It wouldn't happen again. He would have to tell Tess that he was sorry, but that in the end, there really just wasn't any other way. It was time everyone realized it.
He'd given his heart away a long time ago.
Consumed with his happy new revelation, Max failed to notice the pair of blue eyes that had remained on him for a good portion of the day, incessantly aware and narrowed with precision.
-------------------------------------
"How did you come to know so much about my planet?"
Tess pressed her palm against the cool windowpane, letting her skin smother the smooth glass. She didn't really expect him to answer. After all, she had asked him time and time again, never receiving a comprehensible answer. It was more out of habit than anything.
Predictably, he laughed softly, the sound giving her an unnatural chill. "Ava, you know I cannot answer you that. That particular parameter was set in the beginning of our deal."
[I]Ava.[/I] Why did he insist on calling her that? The name felt odd, unsuited for her. It hung on her like a pair of pants a size too large. Yet she should, she [I]must[/I] get used to it. It was, after all, her name. [I]Former name.[/I] A name for a girl she felt like she didn't even know. Hell, she KNEW she didn't know.
"I don't understand it, though. Why you won't tell me anything about it until after the wedding. It makes no sense." She dropped her hand, watching the oily streaks she'd left behind on the pane trickle away and disappear.
"You'll see in the end," he answered cryptically, leaning back in his office chair. "Now tell me. Why did you come to see me today?" His tone held a flicker of annoyance; he hated being disturbed during work, unannounced. It was part of the reason she decided to come directly after seeing what she had seen at the hospital, before she lost the nerve and will to tell him what she had to. Tess took a deep breath, fear making her stomach muscles clench for some odd reason. [I]He'll understand. It's not like he'll .kill me or anything.[/I]
Even in her head, that sounded doubtful. Hesitant. For the first time since she engaged in this deal, she was beginning to realize that she really knew absolutely nothing about the man in front of her. Her heart rate stepped up its pace.
"I can't marry him." The words tumbled forth.
Predictably, his peppered eyebrows shot skyward. "And why is that?" A chill crept into his tone.
"He loves her. He always will. I can't, I don't [I]want[/I] to come between that." She lowered her gaze, reflecting on all that she had seen, and more often than not, on what she [I]hadn't[/I]. On what hadn't been allowed to happen because of Tess, [I]herself.[/I]
He laughed mirthlessly. "Ava my sweet, you don't even know what love is." When her chin jutted out with protest, he added, "It most certainly is not what Max feels for that insipid girl. No. The real true bond, the earth- shattering explosion that you crave is what you and Zan had. What you could have again, if you continue to do as we have planned."
Her blue eyes narrowed, her voice a hiss of emotion. "If it was so [I]earth shattering[/I] and special, why don't I remember it? Why don't I [I]feel[/I] it?"
His face was hard, unforgiving. "Do you love him?"
She faltered. "I thought I did .I mean - " What [I]did[/I] she mean? Hell, he was right. She had no idea what love was. She cared for Max, that much she knew. But what part of it were actual, true feelings and what part of it stemmed from the long, deceptive plan that she found she couldn't escape?
"How about I put this plainer, Ava," he spat coldly, his eyes dangerous slits. "If you don't make this merger happen, if you don't marry Max, you will never know anything about your past, your planet, or why you're even here. [I]Never[/I]."
Her mouth gaped in astonishment as another fierce emotion took reign. Furious green, crackling energy sparked at her fingertips, longing to zap him square in the chest. Her breath came out in heavy, barely controlled fits. "You wouldn't [I]dare.[/I] You [I]promised[/I] me. You promised me that if I - "
His eyebrow arched in amusement. "I promised that I would reveal everything you wanted to know only if you made this happen for me. So do it. Marry him. Don't give a rat's ass about that girl, or if you want, kill her." He shrugged, off setting the seriousness of his implications.
The alien energy at her hands increased in fervor. "You're [I]horrible,[/I]" she whispered through clenched teeth, wishing she could blast his face in, the fact that she had a complete lack of control over her powers be damned.
"No, I'm realistic," he shot back, pausing before eyeing her hands. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Who would stop me?" She bit out. Not for the first time, she wondered if he himself was really an alien in disguise. It would make sense. How else would he have access to all the information about her planet? [I]Information he SAYS he has,[/I] her conscience nagged at her.
But no. He had the real deal. He had shown her the pod chamber, where she had been born as proof. He knew what he was talking about. It was the one thing she was sure of on Earth.
Besides. He couldn't be an alien. For one, why would an alien want a merger between her adoptive parent's law firm and his own? If he were an alien, he wouldn't need her. He'd do it himself, by whatever means necessary.
Right?
"If I die, everything you have ever wanted to know goes with me." Despite herself, her outstretched hand wavered, his words causing her chest to tighten. [I]Family. A chance to belong. My past.[/I] "Now don't tell me you're ready to give up all that, Tess." A tiny, cold smile inched along his mouth as she dropped her hand, feeling disgusted with him, but mostly herself. [I]Bastard.[/I] "That's it," he coaxed. "Now go out there and do what you have to do." His tone softened dangerously. "Or you will regret it."
She swallowed hard against the lump rising in her throat, her shoulders sagging with defeat. "All right," she whispered, refusing to look at him, and the man he revealed himself to be. "You win."
As she turned to leave, Tess failed to notice the twisted brilliant smile that broke out upon Phillip Evans' face.
To be continued .