"What! Sweetie are you serious?" Maria questioned. Liz Just stared at Maria
with a serious expression, confirming that it was the truth.
"I wouldn't joke about this Maria." Maria nodded her head in understanding and struggled to think of what to do next when a thought occurred to her.
"Have you told Max?" Liz shook her head vigorously as if the idea were absurd. Maria became confused at her best friend's actions and scooted forward on Liz's bed and reached out and held her friend's hand.
"Why not Liz?" Maria asked gently, wondering why Liz looked so nervous at the sound of his name.
"Well I'm sorry Maria but telling Max so he can continue in his quest to find home wasn't first on my agenda when I saw him. I'm more concerned with myself right now, I don't care whether this is connected to him, or any of the others." Liz snapped tuning her head to look out of the window. Maria recoiled out the harsh sound of her friend's voice; it was so un- Liz like. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected.
"I'm sorry Maria, everything's just thrown up in the air right now and I just want you to comfort me and tell me everything's gonna be okay." Liz apologised turning back to face Maria whose face reflected concern. Maria grabbed hold of Liz and hugged her tightly and Liz gripped back for dear life gripping the back of Maria's t- shirt crying. Maria rubbed her friend's back and smoothed down her hair.
"Everything WILL be fine Liz. It will, I promise." Maria whispered into Liz's ear. Michael walked in at that time interrupting the moment.
"I'm sorry." He said alerting their attention to him. Liz sprung out of Maria's hand and held onto her blanket instead and tried to get behind Maria. Maria regarded her friend's behaviour oddly and turned to Michael.
"No, what is it?"
"Alex just got here with Isabel, he's not sure weather it's okay for him to come in." Michael announced then whispered to Maria." I said I'd check, since Isabel is too scared to come in, and Max isn't allowed. I tried to knock but no- one answered." He explained apologetically looking on edge and purely uncomfortable with the situation. Maria looked at Liz who shook her nodded in confirmation.
"But can you give me five first please." Liz asked meekly.
"Of course sweetie, whatever you want." Maria insisted as Michael left. Maria went to get up but Liz's caught her arm and stopped her.
"Thanks Maria."
"It's fine." Maria reassured placing her hand on top of Liz's.
"Could you get me a brush and a band at the hospital store whilst your gone please." Liz pleaded and Maria nodded leaving Liz alone to collect her thoughts. As Maria entered the waiting room she took in the sights of her friends. Max was pacing the small room wringing his hands. Alex and Isabel were sat on the couch gripping hands, Alex staring into the distance and Isabel looking at him concerned, and Michael was leaning against the wall drinking coffee from a polystyrene cup watching Max wear a hole in the carpet. Maria stepped through the doorway into the room alerting everyone's attention to her. Max rushed over shooting off loads of questions, which Maria couldn't focus on, and Alex came over hugging her in a death grip and Isabel and Michael stood behind Max just watching the exchange.
"Can I go in, Michael said she wanted some time." Alex asked eagerly.
"Yeah, in a minute, she just wants five to collect herself. I've gotta go get her some stuff from the shop So . . ." Maria explained letting the sentence hang.
"Yeah, I'll come with you. Let's go." Alex offered taking Maria by the elbow, but as they were about to leave Max blocked their path.
"Maria answer my question1" Max demanded.
"What one?" Maria replied tiredly.
"What's going on? What happened, why won't she see me?"
"I said one Max, not three, but I'll try and answer them all. I don't know, she was attacked and again I don't know. It's probably cos you're a guy, she freaked when Michael walked in too she's probably just nervous and scared around guys right now, she's unsure. Just give her time." Maria reassured leaving then with Alex. When they were out of ear shot Alex began to question her.
"Okay, now there out of the way tell me what's happening. I now theirs something else, something even deeper. I can tell with you Ria. Now what's the real answers to Max's questions." Maria sighed knowing it was better not to argue so she searched the hallways and pulled Alex into an empty room.
"It was a Czech who dunnit to her Alex. And he attacked her yeah that was true, but theirs more I know it. It goes deeper. I think he warned about something. She's definitely scared of being around the others. You should have seen the way she reacted when Michael came in, it was like a child meeting a stranger and hiding behind their mom. And what I told max about her wanting to avoid males, that's not it. I mean she's seeing you, and she was fine with the prospect of that. She has a male doctor and all. I don't think its males that bother her. It's Czechoslovakians Alex. Something bigger happened than what's she letting on, and I'm kinda scared to find out what it is." Maria admitted as she was enveloped in another hug by Alex who supported her, as he knew she was trying to be strong for Liz and so needed someone to be strong for her, and he was going to be that person. When he pulled away he addressed her with a question that was playing on his mind.
"Are we gonna tell them?"
"No, not yet. I think we need to find out what it all is first or they'll just go barging in there and demanding she tell them everything. No, we just tell them the human version. Something tells me Liz doesn't want them to know anything quite yet, and I don't wanna upset her anymore than she already is." Alex nodded in agreement and they decided that the best thing to do was keep the others in the dark for a while and concentrate on Liz, a she was their main priority.
"Yeah, your right, she needs us right now, the last thing she needs is the breaking of her trust of her best friends. We need to help Liz, first and foremost." Alex chipped in thinking of his best friend and from what his other best friend had described it sounded as if pressure from the Czechs was the last thing that she needed.
"I wouldn't joke about this Maria." Maria nodded her head in understanding and struggled to think of what to do next when a thought occurred to her.
"Have you told Max?" Liz shook her head vigorously as if the idea were absurd. Maria became confused at her best friend's actions and scooted forward on Liz's bed and reached out and held her friend's hand.
"Why not Liz?" Maria asked gently, wondering why Liz looked so nervous at the sound of his name.
"Well I'm sorry Maria but telling Max so he can continue in his quest to find home wasn't first on my agenda when I saw him. I'm more concerned with myself right now, I don't care whether this is connected to him, or any of the others." Liz snapped tuning her head to look out of the window. Maria recoiled out the harsh sound of her friend's voice; it was so un- Liz like. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected.
"I'm sorry Maria, everything's just thrown up in the air right now and I just want you to comfort me and tell me everything's gonna be okay." Liz apologised turning back to face Maria whose face reflected concern. Maria grabbed hold of Liz and hugged her tightly and Liz gripped back for dear life gripping the back of Maria's t- shirt crying. Maria rubbed her friend's back and smoothed down her hair.
"Everything WILL be fine Liz. It will, I promise." Maria whispered into Liz's ear. Michael walked in at that time interrupting the moment.
"I'm sorry." He said alerting their attention to him. Liz sprung out of Maria's hand and held onto her blanket instead and tried to get behind Maria. Maria regarded her friend's behaviour oddly and turned to Michael.
"No, what is it?"
"Alex just got here with Isabel, he's not sure weather it's okay for him to come in." Michael announced then whispered to Maria." I said I'd check, since Isabel is too scared to come in, and Max isn't allowed. I tried to knock but no- one answered." He explained apologetically looking on edge and purely uncomfortable with the situation. Maria looked at Liz who shook her nodded in confirmation.
"But can you give me five first please." Liz asked meekly.
"Of course sweetie, whatever you want." Maria insisted as Michael left. Maria went to get up but Liz's caught her arm and stopped her.
"Thanks Maria."
"It's fine." Maria reassured placing her hand on top of Liz's.
"Could you get me a brush and a band at the hospital store whilst your gone please." Liz pleaded and Maria nodded leaving Liz alone to collect her thoughts. As Maria entered the waiting room she took in the sights of her friends. Max was pacing the small room wringing his hands. Alex and Isabel were sat on the couch gripping hands, Alex staring into the distance and Isabel looking at him concerned, and Michael was leaning against the wall drinking coffee from a polystyrene cup watching Max wear a hole in the carpet. Maria stepped through the doorway into the room alerting everyone's attention to her. Max rushed over shooting off loads of questions, which Maria couldn't focus on, and Alex came over hugging her in a death grip and Isabel and Michael stood behind Max just watching the exchange.
"Can I go in, Michael said she wanted some time." Alex asked eagerly.
"Yeah, in a minute, she just wants five to collect herself. I've gotta go get her some stuff from the shop So . . ." Maria explained letting the sentence hang.
"Yeah, I'll come with you. Let's go." Alex offered taking Maria by the elbow, but as they were about to leave Max blocked their path.
"Maria answer my question1" Max demanded.
"What one?" Maria replied tiredly.
"What's going on? What happened, why won't she see me?"
"I said one Max, not three, but I'll try and answer them all. I don't know, she was attacked and again I don't know. It's probably cos you're a guy, she freaked when Michael walked in too she's probably just nervous and scared around guys right now, she's unsure. Just give her time." Maria reassured leaving then with Alex. When they were out of ear shot Alex began to question her.
"Okay, now there out of the way tell me what's happening. I now theirs something else, something even deeper. I can tell with you Ria. Now what's the real answers to Max's questions." Maria sighed knowing it was better not to argue so she searched the hallways and pulled Alex into an empty room.
"It was a Czech who dunnit to her Alex. And he attacked her yeah that was true, but theirs more I know it. It goes deeper. I think he warned about something. She's definitely scared of being around the others. You should have seen the way she reacted when Michael came in, it was like a child meeting a stranger and hiding behind their mom. And what I told max about her wanting to avoid males, that's not it. I mean she's seeing you, and she was fine with the prospect of that. She has a male doctor and all. I don't think its males that bother her. It's Czechoslovakians Alex. Something bigger happened than what's she letting on, and I'm kinda scared to find out what it is." Maria admitted as she was enveloped in another hug by Alex who supported her, as he knew she was trying to be strong for Liz and so needed someone to be strong for her, and he was going to be that person. When he pulled away he addressed her with a question that was playing on his mind.
"Are we gonna tell them?"
"No, not yet. I think we need to find out what it all is first or they'll just go barging in there and demanding she tell them everything. No, we just tell them the human version. Something tells me Liz doesn't want them to know anything quite yet, and I don't wanna upset her anymore than she already is." Alex nodded in agreement and they decided that the best thing to do was keep the others in the dark for a while and concentrate on Liz, a she was their main priority.
"Yeah, your right, she needs us right now, the last thing she needs is the breaking of her trust of her best friends. We need to help Liz, first and foremost." Alex chipped in thinking of his best friend and from what his other best friend had described it sounded as if pressure from the Czechs was the last thing that she needed.