*Author's Note: I've reloaded this chapter, I had been having trouble (no
pun intended) uploading the chapter to Fanfiction.net and somewhere along
the way I lost half of this chapter. So here is the ENTIRE chapter. Maybe
now it will make more sense.
Logan watched the two interact, he swore he saw O.C. pale at Alec's last words. She just sat there, staring at the floor for a moment before getting up and heading back to Max's room. Entering as quietly as she could O.C. moved next to Max's bed and stared down at her friend. Never before had she seen her look so vulnerable, so fragile. Sitting on the bed facing Max O.C. brushed a strand of hair from Max's face. Tears began to fall again as she realizes that, even though Max was alive she still might lose her. Alec said there could be brain damage, that could mean anything from temporary memory loss to mild retardation. Max could wake up a total stranger. O.C. shook herself from the depressing line of thought she found herself on and tried to dry her face.
"You can beat this bitch Boo." O.C. whispered then she began to hum a song from her childhood. She didn't know the words but the melody had always brought a measure of comfort.
Max wrinkled her forehead; O.C. stopped humming and watched her. She looked confused, or in pain, O.C. couldn't tell which until Max started to moan.
"Max, it's okay. You safe here, your with friends." O.C. whispered while lightly rubbing Max's arm. Max jerked her arm away and started thrashing in her sleep, nearly knocking O.C. off the bed. "Max, come one sugga, wake up."
Alec burst through the door just in time to see Max knock O.C. on the floor. He looked from a stunned OC to Max who appeared to be fighting someone in her sleep. He moved to Max's side to try and wake her only to have her punch him.
"Arg!" Alec growled and jumped on the bed. Straddling Max and pinning her arms by her head he tried to hold her still and keep her from hurting anyone, including herself.
"Alec! Get your fool ass off her!" O.C. yelled.
"She's having a nightmare. If I don't hold her still she's going to hurt someone, and it's not going to be me."
"What can I do?" O.C. asked quietly, knowing he was right.
Before he could answer Max's eyes flew open to reveal a mixture of pain, anger, and fear. She had stopped moving for a second then in one swift move she threw Alec into Original Cindy causing them both to hit the floor. Jumping from the bed Max threw Alec off O.C. and stood in front of her in a protective manner.
"Max." O.C. stood and lightly touched Max's shoulder.
Max was startled and spun around so she could see both people, she was clearly confused.
"Max, sweetheart, you need to get back in bed." Alec stepped closer to Max only to have her drop into a fighting stance. "Ah, come on. We're friends."
Max made a low growling sound and narrowed her eyes, just waiting for him to move closer. As soon as he did Max attacked with a speed Alec had never seen, he actually had a difficult time keeping up with her.
O.C. watched as Max attacked Alec, from what she could tell Alec had taken a few hits but never once had he it her back. But Alec was only human, and when Max landed another hit he grunted in pain and shoved her back into O.C. who easily caught her. Holding her tightly in a hug, she was breathing hard and staring down Alec, who wisely stayed where he was. When O.C. felt Max relax in her arms she released her. O.C. moved around so she could see Max's face, what she saw surprised her. She was giving Alec a look of pure hate then without warning her eyes rolled back in her head as she passed out.
Alec blurred and scooped Max up before her knees had a chance to hit the floor. Placing her on the bed he swore under his breath, left the room and returned with a small white box.
"Alec," O.C.'s voice was a little shaky, "what just happened?"
"Nightmare." He answered plainly as he pulled some gauze and medical tape from the box.
"What are you doing?"
"She reopened her should wound, see, the blood has seeped through the bandaging." Alec removed the old bandage and dabbed away the blood. He was glad to see she hadn't busted any of her stitches. Picking up the new bandage he placed it on her shoulder and applied a bit of pressure causing her to whimper in her sleep. "Sorry Max."
Finishing he stood and covered her up before leaving the room followed closely by O.C. "How can you have a nightmare and be awake?"
"Easy," Alec said grabbing a can of soda from Logan's fridge, "it's sorta like her body woke up but her mind was still in the nightmare."
"Oh. That makes sense, like sleep walking, just more violent." O.C. didn't sound convincing. "You sure it has nothing to do with her hitting her head?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Alec took a sip of the soda. "I won't know anything for sure until she wakes up and talks to me."
The two fell silent as Alec made himself a sandwich. He was about halfway through it when O.C. broke the silence.
"Do you think it was about Manticore?"
"Hard to tell. I heard they were close to each other when they were little. She could have thought you were on of her sisters." Alec's eyes grew darn and distant as he stared at some spot on the wall.
"What are you thinking?" O.C. asked hesitantly.
"Just some rumors I've heard. Dark stuff, I don't think you. . ."
"Please." O.C. placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him. "I want to know."
"You don't." Alec started but stopped when he looked down at her. She only wanted to help Max and she thought knowing would help. "The guards used to talk. I didn't understand at first but I remember when it happened. Shortly after Max and the gang escaped the majority of the guards were replaced. We thought it was because they didn't stop the escape but we kept hearing the word pedophile come up when the new guards would talk about the old ones. We never thought about what it meant, I mean it's not like we had access to dictionaries or anything back there. After a while they stopped talking. I never really thought about until just now. When I was sitting on her, holding her down. The pain, anger.fear in her eyes when she looked up at me."
Alec's voice just faded away when O.C. realized what he was getting at. Her own voice came out barely more then a questioning whisper "You could be wrong?"
"What? Oh," Alec draped his arm around O.C.'s shoulder and gave her a squeeze, "God I hope your right."
With that he left her standing in the kitchen, his sandwich untouched. As he went to sit with Max, his mind wondered 'I bet that why she hated me when we first met. And it sure as hell would explain why she tried to kill me tonight, if she thought I was one of those guards. NO. Original Cindy is right, it might not be that, it could have been any number of Manticore demons. Or even something that happened after she escaped.'
Alec's mind played over a million different scenarios before he fell asleep in the chair, clutching Max's hand.
Logan watched the two interact, he swore he saw O.C. pale at Alec's last words. She just sat there, staring at the floor for a moment before getting up and heading back to Max's room. Entering as quietly as she could O.C. moved next to Max's bed and stared down at her friend. Never before had she seen her look so vulnerable, so fragile. Sitting on the bed facing Max O.C. brushed a strand of hair from Max's face. Tears began to fall again as she realizes that, even though Max was alive she still might lose her. Alec said there could be brain damage, that could mean anything from temporary memory loss to mild retardation. Max could wake up a total stranger. O.C. shook herself from the depressing line of thought she found herself on and tried to dry her face.
"You can beat this bitch Boo." O.C. whispered then she began to hum a song from her childhood. She didn't know the words but the melody had always brought a measure of comfort.
Max wrinkled her forehead; O.C. stopped humming and watched her. She looked confused, or in pain, O.C. couldn't tell which until Max started to moan.
"Max, it's okay. You safe here, your with friends." O.C. whispered while lightly rubbing Max's arm. Max jerked her arm away and started thrashing in her sleep, nearly knocking O.C. off the bed. "Max, come one sugga, wake up."
Alec burst through the door just in time to see Max knock O.C. on the floor. He looked from a stunned OC to Max who appeared to be fighting someone in her sleep. He moved to Max's side to try and wake her only to have her punch him.
"Arg!" Alec growled and jumped on the bed. Straddling Max and pinning her arms by her head he tried to hold her still and keep her from hurting anyone, including herself.
"Alec! Get your fool ass off her!" O.C. yelled.
"She's having a nightmare. If I don't hold her still she's going to hurt someone, and it's not going to be me."
"What can I do?" O.C. asked quietly, knowing he was right.
Before he could answer Max's eyes flew open to reveal a mixture of pain, anger, and fear. She had stopped moving for a second then in one swift move she threw Alec into Original Cindy causing them both to hit the floor. Jumping from the bed Max threw Alec off O.C. and stood in front of her in a protective manner.
"Max." O.C. stood and lightly touched Max's shoulder.
Max was startled and spun around so she could see both people, she was clearly confused.
"Max, sweetheart, you need to get back in bed." Alec stepped closer to Max only to have her drop into a fighting stance. "Ah, come on. We're friends."
Max made a low growling sound and narrowed her eyes, just waiting for him to move closer. As soon as he did Max attacked with a speed Alec had never seen, he actually had a difficult time keeping up with her.
O.C. watched as Max attacked Alec, from what she could tell Alec had taken a few hits but never once had he it her back. But Alec was only human, and when Max landed another hit he grunted in pain and shoved her back into O.C. who easily caught her. Holding her tightly in a hug, she was breathing hard and staring down Alec, who wisely stayed where he was. When O.C. felt Max relax in her arms she released her. O.C. moved around so she could see Max's face, what she saw surprised her. She was giving Alec a look of pure hate then without warning her eyes rolled back in her head as she passed out.
Alec blurred and scooped Max up before her knees had a chance to hit the floor. Placing her on the bed he swore under his breath, left the room and returned with a small white box.
"Alec," O.C.'s voice was a little shaky, "what just happened?"
"Nightmare." He answered plainly as he pulled some gauze and medical tape from the box.
"What are you doing?"
"She reopened her should wound, see, the blood has seeped through the bandaging." Alec removed the old bandage and dabbed away the blood. He was glad to see she hadn't busted any of her stitches. Picking up the new bandage he placed it on her shoulder and applied a bit of pressure causing her to whimper in her sleep. "Sorry Max."
Finishing he stood and covered her up before leaving the room followed closely by O.C. "How can you have a nightmare and be awake?"
"Easy," Alec said grabbing a can of soda from Logan's fridge, "it's sorta like her body woke up but her mind was still in the nightmare."
"Oh. That makes sense, like sleep walking, just more violent." O.C. didn't sound convincing. "You sure it has nothing to do with her hitting her head?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Alec took a sip of the soda. "I won't know anything for sure until she wakes up and talks to me."
The two fell silent as Alec made himself a sandwich. He was about halfway through it when O.C. broke the silence.
"Do you think it was about Manticore?"
"Hard to tell. I heard they were close to each other when they were little. She could have thought you were on of her sisters." Alec's eyes grew darn and distant as he stared at some spot on the wall.
"What are you thinking?" O.C. asked hesitantly.
"Just some rumors I've heard. Dark stuff, I don't think you. . ."
"Please." O.C. placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him. "I want to know."
"You don't." Alec started but stopped when he looked down at her. She only wanted to help Max and she thought knowing would help. "The guards used to talk. I didn't understand at first but I remember when it happened. Shortly after Max and the gang escaped the majority of the guards were replaced. We thought it was because they didn't stop the escape but we kept hearing the word pedophile come up when the new guards would talk about the old ones. We never thought about what it meant, I mean it's not like we had access to dictionaries or anything back there. After a while they stopped talking. I never really thought about until just now. When I was sitting on her, holding her down. The pain, anger.fear in her eyes when she looked up at me."
Alec's voice just faded away when O.C. realized what he was getting at. Her own voice came out barely more then a questioning whisper "You could be wrong?"
"What? Oh," Alec draped his arm around O.C.'s shoulder and gave her a squeeze, "God I hope your right."
With that he left her standing in the kitchen, his sandwich untouched. As he went to sit with Max, his mind wondered 'I bet that why she hated me when we first met. And it sure as hell would explain why she tried to kill me tonight, if she thought I was one of those guards. NO. Original Cindy is right, it might not be that, it could have been any number of Manticore demons. Or even something that happened after she escaped.'
Alec's mind played over a million different scenarios before he fell asleep in the chair, clutching Max's hand.