Thanks for the awesome reviews; they really are quite an ego boost to say the least...
Sorry it took so long, but I'm in the middle of my final exams, so you've gotta understand why I might be a little slow in posting chapters. But lets look at it this way: better late than never.
Decision made, he opened the door to the waiting room and headed in the direction of the canteen. Upon arrival, he made a beeline for the coffee machine. Taking a sip from the lukewarm cup he grimaced. At least it aint stone cold. Turning around, he checked for the sandwich bar, but quickly decided against them upon closer inspection. Man... if you weren't already ill, those things will definitely put you in hospital! Gulping the remains of his coffee, Bling looked up to the entrance of the canteen to spot the lovely nurse making her way towards him.
"So we meet again, Mr. Jackson."
"Jay... I'm beginning to think you're following me." Bling replied with an amused smile on his face.
"Wouldn't you wish! Just came off from seeing a patient, and decided to grab a bite before boss snows me under with work." Noting Bling's grimace and glance towards the sandwiches when she mentioned the cafeteria food she smiled, "Don't worry, they taste better than they look, and, contrary to popular belief, they WILL NOT kill you."
"Sorry, but I've never thought of myself as one to tempt fate."
"Your loss." She said reaching for a sandwich.
Intercepting her path, "You know, I saw a Café across the road. Why don't we head over there for a bite? I'll pay." He said the latter with a winning smile and a slight tilt of his head.
Hesitantly, "I...I don't think that's such a good idea. See, I have to be back on duty in a couple of minutes."
"Don't worry, we'll eat quick. Besides, you're much too pretty to defile yourself with such filth." Again with the charming smile.
Smiling, "Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Jackson."
"Does that mean you'll come?"
"Yeah...Not like saying no would make you quit."
"What can I say, I'm persistent." Holding out a hand gesturing for her to proceed before him, Bling stepped in line behind her and together, they left the hospital in search of better food.
"Yeah, yeah whatever."
20 minutes later
Sitting at a cosy spot at in the back of the small traditional café, Bling and Jay had ordered real coffee and sandwiches, and where in a heated discussion over which pre-pulse basketball team was better: Lakers or 76'ers.
"I'm telling you girl its gotta be the Lakers. They had Shaq and Kobe. Together, those two owned the court. I remember when I used to watch those games..."
"Without a doubt, Shaq and Kobe were good, but 76'ers had Iverson. I mean c'mon, that brother could put it down." At the mention of Iverson, Bling burst out laughing.
"Iverson...? Sure the brother was good, but really, do ya think he could step to Shaq?"
"Shaq didn't really have that much talent ya know. I've never seen a man bum so many free throws in a season."
"Well if you were tall enough to dunk without jumping, you were hardly in need of free throw talent."
"Gotta admit, you got me there."
Bling was about to reply with some smart-ass comment when Jay's pager beeped.
"Damn...reality calls." Sighing she downed the rest of her coffee and stood up.
Dropping some notes and standing up as well, "I guess you have to go?"
"Yeah, boss flashed me a 911. Knowing him, he probably just wants coffee or something stupid." Sighing more heavily this time, "The joys of having a boss I guess."
"Yeah, they can be a pain in the butt sometimes." He grinned thinking about Logan, but in relation to his stubbornness to admit what was between him and Max, as opposed to Logan riding him for a fool.
She smiled back at him. "We...er...should better get going."
"Sure." Like before, he held his hand in front of her for her to proceed before him.
"Aren't we the gentleman." She murmured moving towards the door.
"Can't say my momma didn't raise me right."
At the entrance to the hospital, Jay's beeper rang again.
"I'm gonna kill that man when I get my hands on him. What's the deal with blowing up my pager on my lunch break?!" She fumed. Looking to Bling, "I guess I've really gotta go."
"Will I see you around?" he asked, a little self-conscious.
"You know where I work." She pointed out to him smiling.
"Yeah... er... can I have your number?" seeing her raise one nicely shaped eyebrow, "you know...to make sure you didn't kill your boss and to give you a hand with the cleaning crew if you did..." he finished of with a grin.
Chuckling at him, she removed a pen from her pocket and picked up is arm. Rolling his sleeve up a little, she wrote down her number and signed it with just 'J'.
She was about to give him a hug when a male nurse ran out the hospital, "Jay, where the hell have you been? Boss-man is ready and steady to throw a tantrum if he don't see you soon."
"Yeah, yeah...keep your pants on, Mark. I'll be up in a minute. Y'all seem to forget that I'm entitled to this thing called a 'Lunch Break'." She said stressing the 'Break'.
Seeing the idiot wasn't about to leave anytime soon without her, she turned quickly to Bling who watched the exchange with mild amusement. Homegirl sure does have attitude... I like...
"Sorry about that, but I really gotta go."
"No problem... I'll call you." Leaning over, he gave her a brief hug and pulled back slightly looking into her eyes, but as he was about to lean over again to give her a peck, his cell rang.
Snapping out of it, Jay untangled herself from his embrace. "See you around Bling," and with that she walked into the hospital, Idiot nurse in tow, leaving Bling to answer his cell while she wondered what the hell her boss wanted from her this time.
Looking at the caller ID, Bling groaned inwardly. It was Logan; he had totally forgotten that that was why he was in the hospital in the first place. Picking it up he looked around for Jay, just in time to see her walk into the hospital.
"Where the hell are you man? I called you like three hours ago." Logan fumed.
"Chill man, I came in ages ago, but they wouldn't let me in. Said you were still sleeping. I even tried to tell them I was your physio and all, but they wouldn't here it. These days, you can only have one guest at a time. And with you and Max all snuggled up and fast asleep, I didn't have the heart to wake you up." There was a slightly teasing tone in his voice while he said the latter part of the sentence.
His comment was met with silence for a moment and then Logan said, "Whatever, just get up here."
"On my way, Logan." Someone gets a little pissy when his girlfriend's ill!
Logan's Room
Disconnecting the call with Bling, Logan looked at Max again. Her features where not as pale as before, which was probably a good thing, but now he was worried again; This time it was because of how much she had been sleeping. For as long as he had known Max, she only slept a couple of hours at a time and that was usually subsequent to a seizure. Gently he traced the outline of her face, running a gentle finger over her cheekbones, tracing her eyes, nose and lips. When he reached her neck, he stopped and cupped her face in his hands; all the while, he made sure to avoid touching the nasty cut on her forehead.
Even in sleep she still looked beautiful, possibly more so. The look in his eyes as he stroked her cheek was one of pure adoration, "Why did you do that? You could have killed yourself trying to save me."
"She would do anything if it meant keeping you safe; even if neither of you would admit it, you're in love." Came Bling's voice from the doorway, startling Logan. He had come in just as Logan had asked that question. He could see the love in his eyes as he looked at Max, and hear it in his voice as well.
Bling's comment was met by silence from Logan. What was he meant to say in reply to Bling's comment? Sure he had deep feelings for Max, and he knew that she cared about him, but was it really love?
Bling seemed to notice that he was not get a rise out of Logan, so decided to change the topic.
"Hey man, the Docs said you were pretty smashed up when you came in. you were barely conscious, but now you look like you just rolled out of bed."
"I don't know, I feel fine. I mean, I'm a little sore in some places, but other than that...no worries."
"Take off your shirt, lemme take a look."
"Hmmm Bling, should I be worried that you always seem to want to see me without my shirt on?" Logan smirked, complying.
"Shut boy, the only reason you even have a stomach and chest worth showing off is 'cos of my training. Without me, you'll be a useless pack of jello."
"Some people like jello ya know." Logan replied as he finished unbuttoning his shirt and removed it.
"Humph, not Max though. I've seen the way she looks at you when she walks in during training. She definitely loves the six-pack."
A small blush crept up Logan's face, accompanied with a light wave of pleasure. Max likes my stomach...! Snapping out of it, he returned his attention back to Bling who was examining the cuts and stitches behind the dressings. "So, what's the damage?"
"The cut on your stomach looks like it's 2 weeks old, and the gunshot wound about 10 days."
"But how's that possible, I mean, I only got shot a couple of hours ago." Confusion was etched on his handsome features.
Bling chuckled, "Sometimes you can be so dense man." That comment just seemed to further confuse Logan, so Bling decided that he might as well cut to the chase. "It's Max. Her blood must have been what caused you to heal quickly. It's only natural that Manticore would want their little toy soldiers to heal quickly after battle. So when she transfused you, she kinda passed on that little trait."
"Then we can't stay here. People are bound to ask questions, and that could mean exposure." Logan had begun to panic at the possibility that Max could be in any more danger. "C'mon, give me a hand with the rest of my stuff, and let's go." He made a move to pick up Max but Bling made a move to stop him.
"As much as I know you would like to carry Max, I don't think it would be such a good idea. Normally you'll be weak out of your knees after an ordeal like before. You prancing about the place carrying Max is just gonna raise undue suspicion."
Logan couldn't argue with Bling's Logic; he would kick himself if he were the reason Max was exposed. "Well what do you propose we do, I'm gonna have to discharge myself."
Thinking for a second, Bling let the room and soon returned with a hospital issue wheelchair. He grinned slightly at Logan's reaction to the chair. You'd think that after so many years he would've gotten over his adversity to the damn things... "Ok, look... you're gonna have to move around in the chair, you know, play up the whole tired thing while you discharge yourself. Tell them that you're gonna be looked after at home. I'll vouch for you."
Frowning slightly Logan nodded his head. "Yeah, but what about Max, these hospital wheelchairs don't leave enough room for self-manoeuvring, and I wont be able to carry Max at the same time."
Bling grinned at Logan's comment. "It doesn't matter, 'cos you're not gonna be carrying her... I am."
"W-what! Why?"
"'Cos just like you said, you wont be able to in that chair." Bling chuckled at Logan's behaviour. We're not like that my ass. Then why are you getting jealous?
"C'mon then, let's get this shit over with. I never really liked hospitals." Plus the sooner you stop touching Max, the happier I'll be.
Logan knew his jealousy was unfounded, especially considering that he wasn't really in a position to be jealous. I mean, 'they were not like that'. Plus he knew in the deep recesses of his brain that Bling was only trying to help, and wasn't trying to cop a feel out of Max. But he couldn't help himself... it was Max.
About twenty minutes later
After a lot of lying from Logan and Bling, and boredom from the nurse at the desk, Logan was finally discharged.
"Just sign here and here," The nurse said pointing to the points on a long form of paper. "And give the name of your house doctor, and the name of his practice."
Logan complied, putting in Bling as his doctor. As he made his way towards the door, Bling, with a still-asleep Max in his arms turned to the nurse and said, "I'll bring back the wheel chair in a moment."
Logan waited impatiently at the door to the hospital. People came in and out, and some held it open for him to pass, but he just shook his head. "I'm waiting for someone." He said.
As Bling came closer to him, Max started to mumble. As she continued, the words became louder, "Logan...Logan..."
"Man, your girl's calling for you."
Logan shot him an unreadable expression and looked at Max. She looked distressed, and her voice was getting louder with each time she called his name. Picking up her hand gently, Logan stroked it. "I'm right here Max, don't worry...I'm right here."
"Don't leave me..."
"I'm not going anywhere."
His voice seemed to soothe her, because she settled back to sleep not long after that. Relief washed over him. That was the first sign of life he had gotten out of her since he woke up to see her attached to him.
Bling looked at both of them and just shook his head. These two have so much drama between them. Life would be so much easier if they would just admit what's between them is real.
Leaving the building was a bit tricky. Because the had to take the ramp, and Logan could only use one hand to manoeuvre because the second he tried to let go of Max's hand, her grip tightened over his. When she said 'don't let go', she meant it.
At the car, Logan got up, and took Max off of Bling so he could open the car door for them. Settling into the car, he positioned himself so that Max head was on his lap and he was still holding her hand while she lay across the seat. Bling left them to their own devices as he took the wheelchair back to the hospital. In hospital, he spotted Jay as she was receiving a verbal lashing from some bald guy in a Lab coat. Must be her boss. Since the guy's back was to him, he waved to catch her attention. When he did, he put his thumb and little finger to his ear and mouth in a 'call me gesture', only this time he made it out to say that he'd call her. When she nodded, he grinned and waved goodbye.
Her boss didn't seem too pleased to find out that she really wasn't paying any attention to him in the first place, and his anger rose up a notch as he continued to yell at her for whatever reason it was. But Jay didn't seem to care anymore; she just smiled dreamily.
The trip back to Logan's place was uneventful. It mainly consisted of Logan stroking Max's forehead and whispering, "It's ok, I'm here..." everytime she mumble, and Bling spending the entire trip driving and thinking about Jay.
At Logan's apartment, he said his goodbyes after making sure that they got up alright. Max still hadn't released her death grip on Logan's hand. When both of them had got settled, he waved goodbye and left.
Logan was sitting with Max on the couch but decided that he really needed to have a shower. He felt grimy from the events of the day, and needed to wash it all off. Picking Max up, he proceeded to his room and placed her on his bed. Her grip seemed to ease when she hit the silky sheets, and Logan took the opportunity to ease his fingers out of her grip. Flexing his fingers to encourage blood flow, he covered her with the duvet, and proceeded to the bathroom for a quick shower, stopping at his wardrobe to pick out some clothes.
Shower rushed and bandages refreshed, Logan stood in front of the sink brushing his teeth. As he finished, he studied the reflection in the mirror and decided that his beard had grown too long. Making quick work of the shave, he donned a pair of beige cargo shorts over his boxers and was in the process of putting on his navy-blue T-shirt when he heard Max scream his name like a wounded animal in pain.
Grabbing his gun from under the sink, he ran out of the bathroom...
Hey, sorry it took so long. What do ya think about it? Please review. I'm halfway through the 3rd chapter for I'll be your rock, but inspiration came to me to write this chapter for this one. I also kind of know where chapter 4 might go.Posting wont be regular until my exams finish. But till then... make my week and review!!
I'm still new at this, so constructive criticism will be very helpful.