Disclaimer: see chapter 1
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews!!! Keep'em comin';-)
And to somebody's angel: thanks for betaing and thanks for "Juna"!
*
Chapter 2
*
Max sat on the plastic chair, staring at her feet while she listened to her stomach. She had soon given up on the idea of scoring hospital food. It was in the middle of the day and this floor didn't seem to offer much solid food anyway. She grimaced when a nurse shoved a bed past her. There was an old man lying in it who was staring straight ahead, muttering slightly. From what Max could hear his mutterings didn't make any sense. She was starting to be able to relate to Logan's aversion of hospitals. If she would have to spend more than three days in one, she would probably freak out, too. And Logan had spent god knew how many weeks in here.
At least he had seemed genuinely relieved when she had offered to join him even though there wasn't much she could do.
If only he would be a little more open when it came to his feelings. She would love to be there when he needed someone – but she had never been one to press. So either he asked or she would keep her distance.
"Mackenzie, you stay right here, honey." Max looked up to see a red-haired woman towards her with a freckled, blonde little girl. The woman looked to be just a little bit older than Max herself. "I'm just gonna talk to the doctor and then we can go see Daddy, okay?"
"'k Mom." Mackenzie hopped on the chair at the other end of the row and watched her Mom greet an elderly man in a white gown, then her gaze wandered until she finally discovered Max looking at her.
"Hi," Max offered.
"Hi."
"I'm Max."
"Mackenzie."
"You're here with your Mom?"
"Yeah. Why are you here?"
"My friend's visiting someone."
"I'm here to visit my Dad. He's gonna have surg…surgery."
"What's the matter with him?"
"Something about his heart. But my Mommy said he is gonna be fine."
"For sure." Max smiled at the little curly haired blonde.
"And your friend?"
"He's not my friend, I actually don't even know him. But he needs a new liver."
Mackenzie hopped from her chair. "Do you want a lollipop?"
"Sure."
The little girl walked straight towards the nurse's room and seconds later reappeared, triumphantly holding up two blue lollipops. "They always have some in there," she explained expertly.
"Cool. Thanks."
"I hate hospitals," Mackenzie stated matter-of-factly while struggling to unwrap the lollipop, "they make me sad."
"Yeah, me too."
"Why?"
"Why do hospitals make me sad?" Max thought hard. Had she just said it without thinking, or was there really something disturbing about them? She had never been to one herself, the facilities at Manticore didn't really remind her of real hospitals. The only reason for her to hate hospitals was Logan, because of why he had been to one, because of why how he always made a face when somebody even mentioned the word. "Just bad memories, you know," she tried to explain.
"But my Mom says that it's good we have them, that they help people."
"You got a clever Mom," Max smiled, thinking about what Logan would say. He would probably raise his eyebrows and then change the subject.
"Yeah, I know." Mackenzie stuffed the lollipop into her mouth, it almost filled it completely.
*
"Hey ladies," Logan came towards them, looking tired and sad. He tried to hide it behind one of his brilliant smiles, but Max noticed that it never reached his eyes. She wondered when she had learnt to read him that well.
"Hi. Logan, this is my new friend Mackenzie. Mackenzie, this is Logan."
"Hello," the girl was a little shy, but eventually accepted Logan's outstretched hand.
"Nice meeting you, Mackenzie." He said.
"Her Dad's in here, too." Max explained, smiling inwardly at the scene in front of her. Logan looked so cute with a kid! Whoa, where was this coming from?
"I hope he is gonna be okay soon."
"Yeah." Mackenzie nodded convinced. "We wanna go camping this summer."
"Great." He turned his head up to look at Max. "Ahem, you ready?" He was eager to escape the facility.
"Sure. Was nice meeting you, Mackenzie. Maybe we'll see each other again? And thanks for this," Max waved her lollipop in the air.
"Bye, bye!" The girl waved after them until the elevator closed.
Max twirled her lollipop in her hand, putting it in her mouth every now and then Logan looked up at her, amused.
"Stretch out your tongue," he told her, grinning.
"What?"
"Come on." He chuckled when she did so. "You're all blue."
"The lollipop?" she asked confused.
"Manticore wasn't big on those, huh?"
"Not really," Max frowned, trying to see her tongue in the reflection of the silver elevator door.
"Anyway, are you still hungry or was the lollipop enough?"
"You kidding me? I'm starving!"
"Wanna go to the cafeteria? I could use a coffee."
"Sure."
**
"Mommy! Mommy! There's Max!"
Logan looked up at the voice and could see the little girl from earlier drag a tall, red-haired young woman their way.
"Mackenzie! Easy there, honey! – Hi, I'm Juna. Sorry about her, but you two really seem to have impressed her."
Max smiled up at the woman, but Logan immediately saw that something was wrong. For a short moment, too short for anybody else to see, Max's expression had been one of shock and confusion. And Max sure wasn't easily caught off guard or intimidated.
"Yeah, she was nice enough to give me a lollipop," Max stuck out her tongue, laughing. "She just didn't warn me about this."
"You just took them again. Haven't we talked about that?"
"Mom!"
"I can't believe this."
"Sorry, Mom."
Okay. And now say goodbye to your friends. We don't wanna bother them."
"But Mom!"
"Mackenzie!"
"No, it's okay. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of coffee? You actually look like you might need one." Logan grinned. "No offence."
"None taken. You are right, I guess. I really could use one. You sure?"
"Absolutely!" Max agreed, still looking at the woman in a weird way.
Logan frowned again. That wasn't Max's usual behaviour where strangers were concerned. "Mackenzie, why don't you come with me? We'll get your Mom a coffee and a hot chocolate for you. You could help me carry."
"Okay." The girl questioningly looked up at her Mom to see if she approved of it. At the nod she quickly let her mother's hand go.
"Thanks." Juna offered shyly.
Logan unlocked his brakes and backed up. "You're welcome."
He saw the look of surprise, or shock, cross Juna's face when she realized he used a wheelchair. He sighed inwardly. It was always the same. As long as people didn't know, he was treated like a normal guy, and the moment his condition was revealed, people got nervous around him, not sure how to behave towards him. He wondered if he would ever get used to that, if anybody ever got used to that.
He looked up at Juna again, wanting to smile at her in order to help her, but to his surprise she seemed to have accepted his 'condition' already. Now that was new! He followed Mackenzie, still surprised.
**
Max knew that Logan had seen the look on her face and had probably even read it correctly. She guessed that that was why he had left with the child. He was amazing! No-one had ever been able to read her the way he could.
She shrugged the thoughts of Logan off. He hadn't bought her the time for her to spend it considering him.
Instead she cut right to the chase, she had never been for avoiding things – well, unless Logan was concerned. Not again, girl! Focus!
"Where do you come from?"
"Pardon?"
"Sorry, you just seemed somehow familiar to me."
"I don't think so," Juna chuckled nervously. But there was something harsh in Juna's voice while her face didn't show any emotions at all. Like she was trained to hide. Like she had hidden her shock at seeing Logan in the chair.
But it was all Max had needed. Now she knew. "Its okay, forget it." She took a sip of coffee. "Mackenzie said her dad was in hospital? I hope he is gonna be okay."
"So do I." Juna had obviously accepted Max's retreat.
"Mom! I got cake!"
Juna turned in her chair, smiling lovingly at her daughter who was coming towards them, her eyes trained on the two mugs she was carrying, concentrating hard on not spilling anything. "Great." She looked at Logan who followed suit, a plate with the cake on his knees. "But you didn't have to…"
"No problem," Logan laughed and put the plate on the table and began manoeuvring the chair around to situate himself at it.
"Logan, I hate to do this. But we have to get going. I totally forgot I have to be at work in half an hour." Max spoke in a casual tone, but Logan could tell that she was lying.
"But you said…"
"I'm sorry, I just forgot." She stood up, grabbing her jacket.
Logan sighed. "Well, I guess we'll be off then. Maybe we'll see you around. And all the best for your husband!"
"Thank you. Bye."
"Bye, Logan! Bye, Max!" Mackenzie was already busy eating her cake.
Logan didn't understand Max's sudden urgency and when she grabbed the back of his chair to get him to move faster, he almost lost it. "I hope you have a damn good reason," he muttered, jerking her hand away.
*
TBC…
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews!!! Keep'em comin';-)
And to somebody's angel: thanks for betaing and thanks for "Juna"!
*
Chapter 2
*
Max sat on the plastic chair, staring at her feet while she listened to her stomach. She had soon given up on the idea of scoring hospital food. It was in the middle of the day and this floor didn't seem to offer much solid food anyway. She grimaced when a nurse shoved a bed past her. There was an old man lying in it who was staring straight ahead, muttering slightly. From what Max could hear his mutterings didn't make any sense. She was starting to be able to relate to Logan's aversion of hospitals. If she would have to spend more than three days in one, she would probably freak out, too. And Logan had spent god knew how many weeks in here.
At least he had seemed genuinely relieved when she had offered to join him even though there wasn't much she could do.
If only he would be a little more open when it came to his feelings. She would love to be there when he needed someone – but she had never been one to press. So either he asked or she would keep her distance.
"Mackenzie, you stay right here, honey." Max looked up to see a red-haired woman towards her with a freckled, blonde little girl. The woman looked to be just a little bit older than Max herself. "I'm just gonna talk to the doctor and then we can go see Daddy, okay?"
"'k Mom." Mackenzie hopped on the chair at the other end of the row and watched her Mom greet an elderly man in a white gown, then her gaze wandered until she finally discovered Max looking at her.
"Hi," Max offered.
"Hi."
"I'm Max."
"Mackenzie."
"You're here with your Mom?"
"Yeah. Why are you here?"
"My friend's visiting someone."
"I'm here to visit my Dad. He's gonna have surg…surgery."
"What's the matter with him?"
"Something about his heart. But my Mommy said he is gonna be fine."
"For sure." Max smiled at the little curly haired blonde.
"And your friend?"
"He's not my friend, I actually don't even know him. But he needs a new liver."
Mackenzie hopped from her chair. "Do you want a lollipop?"
"Sure."
The little girl walked straight towards the nurse's room and seconds later reappeared, triumphantly holding up two blue lollipops. "They always have some in there," she explained expertly.
"Cool. Thanks."
"I hate hospitals," Mackenzie stated matter-of-factly while struggling to unwrap the lollipop, "they make me sad."
"Yeah, me too."
"Why?"
"Why do hospitals make me sad?" Max thought hard. Had she just said it without thinking, or was there really something disturbing about them? She had never been to one herself, the facilities at Manticore didn't really remind her of real hospitals. The only reason for her to hate hospitals was Logan, because of why he had been to one, because of why how he always made a face when somebody even mentioned the word. "Just bad memories, you know," she tried to explain.
"But my Mom says that it's good we have them, that they help people."
"You got a clever Mom," Max smiled, thinking about what Logan would say. He would probably raise his eyebrows and then change the subject.
"Yeah, I know." Mackenzie stuffed the lollipop into her mouth, it almost filled it completely.
*
"Hey ladies," Logan came towards them, looking tired and sad. He tried to hide it behind one of his brilliant smiles, but Max noticed that it never reached his eyes. She wondered when she had learnt to read him that well.
"Hi. Logan, this is my new friend Mackenzie. Mackenzie, this is Logan."
"Hello," the girl was a little shy, but eventually accepted Logan's outstretched hand.
"Nice meeting you, Mackenzie." He said.
"Her Dad's in here, too." Max explained, smiling inwardly at the scene in front of her. Logan looked so cute with a kid! Whoa, where was this coming from?
"I hope he is gonna be okay soon."
"Yeah." Mackenzie nodded convinced. "We wanna go camping this summer."
"Great." He turned his head up to look at Max. "Ahem, you ready?" He was eager to escape the facility.
"Sure. Was nice meeting you, Mackenzie. Maybe we'll see each other again? And thanks for this," Max waved her lollipop in the air.
"Bye, bye!" The girl waved after them until the elevator closed.
Max twirled her lollipop in her hand, putting it in her mouth every now and then Logan looked up at her, amused.
"Stretch out your tongue," he told her, grinning.
"What?"
"Come on." He chuckled when she did so. "You're all blue."
"The lollipop?" she asked confused.
"Manticore wasn't big on those, huh?"
"Not really," Max frowned, trying to see her tongue in the reflection of the silver elevator door.
"Anyway, are you still hungry or was the lollipop enough?"
"You kidding me? I'm starving!"
"Wanna go to the cafeteria? I could use a coffee."
"Sure."
**
"Mommy! Mommy! There's Max!"
Logan looked up at the voice and could see the little girl from earlier drag a tall, red-haired young woman their way.
"Mackenzie! Easy there, honey! – Hi, I'm Juna. Sorry about her, but you two really seem to have impressed her."
Max smiled up at the woman, but Logan immediately saw that something was wrong. For a short moment, too short for anybody else to see, Max's expression had been one of shock and confusion. And Max sure wasn't easily caught off guard or intimidated.
"Yeah, she was nice enough to give me a lollipop," Max stuck out her tongue, laughing. "She just didn't warn me about this."
"You just took them again. Haven't we talked about that?"
"Mom!"
"I can't believe this."
"Sorry, Mom."
Okay. And now say goodbye to your friends. We don't wanna bother them."
"But Mom!"
"Mackenzie!"
"No, it's okay. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of coffee? You actually look like you might need one." Logan grinned. "No offence."
"None taken. You are right, I guess. I really could use one. You sure?"
"Absolutely!" Max agreed, still looking at the woman in a weird way.
Logan frowned again. That wasn't Max's usual behaviour where strangers were concerned. "Mackenzie, why don't you come with me? We'll get your Mom a coffee and a hot chocolate for you. You could help me carry."
"Okay." The girl questioningly looked up at her Mom to see if she approved of it. At the nod she quickly let her mother's hand go.
"Thanks." Juna offered shyly.
Logan unlocked his brakes and backed up. "You're welcome."
He saw the look of surprise, or shock, cross Juna's face when she realized he used a wheelchair. He sighed inwardly. It was always the same. As long as people didn't know, he was treated like a normal guy, and the moment his condition was revealed, people got nervous around him, not sure how to behave towards him. He wondered if he would ever get used to that, if anybody ever got used to that.
He looked up at Juna again, wanting to smile at her in order to help her, but to his surprise she seemed to have accepted his 'condition' already. Now that was new! He followed Mackenzie, still surprised.
**
Max knew that Logan had seen the look on her face and had probably even read it correctly. She guessed that that was why he had left with the child. He was amazing! No-one had ever been able to read her the way he could.
She shrugged the thoughts of Logan off. He hadn't bought her the time for her to spend it considering him.
Instead she cut right to the chase, she had never been for avoiding things – well, unless Logan was concerned. Not again, girl! Focus!
"Where do you come from?"
"Pardon?"
"Sorry, you just seemed somehow familiar to me."
"I don't think so," Juna chuckled nervously. But there was something harsh in Juna's voice while her face didn't show any emotions at all. Like she was trained to hide. Like she had hidden her shock at seeing Logan in the chair.
But it was all Max had needed. Now she knew. "Its okay, forget it." She took a sip of coffee. "Mackenzie said her dad was in hospital? I hope he is gonna be okay."
"So do I." Juna had obviously accepted Max's retreat.
"Mom! I got cake!"
Juna turned in her chair, smiling lovingly at her daughter who was coming towards them, her eyes trained on the two mugs she was carrying, concentrating hard on not spilling anything. "Great." She looked at Logan who followed suit, a plate with the cake on his knees. "But you didn't have to…"
"No problem," Logan laughed and put the plate on the table and began manoeuvring the chair around to situate himself at it.
"Logan, I hate to do this. But we have to get going. I totally forgot I have to be at work in half an hour." Max spoke in a casual tone, but Logan could tell that she was lying.
"But you said…"
"I'm sorry, I just forgot." She stood up, grabbing her jacket.
Logan sighed. "Well, I guess we'll be off then. Maybe we'll see you around. And all the best for your husband!"
"Thank you. Bye."
"Bye, Logan! Bye, Max!" Mackenzie was already busy eating her cake.
Logan didn't understand Max's sudden urgency and when she grabbed the back of his chair to get him to move faster, he almost lost it. "I hope you have a damn good reason," he muttered, jerking her hand away.
*
TBC…