Eventually exhaustion took over and Logan fell into a light sleep.
"Max?" Alec peeked through th slightl yopen door. "Can I come in?"
"Just be quiet, he finally feel asleep."
The young man put a plate with sandwiches on a free chair, then sat down on another.
"Is he OK?"
"He gave up everythig fo me."
"So he is going to lose his ability to walk?"
"Yeah. And the exo barely survived th last fight. I'm not sure we can fix it. Besides, it doen't convey sensation, so..." Her voice failed her.
"I'm sorry." Alec laid a comforting hamd on Max's arm. "But you love each other, it's gonna be fine."
"I'm afraid he'd going to regret it one day and blame me."
"That's not gonna happen, he is a clever guy.he knows what he is doing."
"Yeah."
"Listen, I know this is probably bad timing. But when I explained to Joshua what's happening to Logan and how he might have to use a wheelchair to move around, I realized we don't have one. And even if we had, there are too many stairs and other obstacles around here."
"I haven't thought about that, but we'll find a way." She lookedat her sleeping lover. "Can you try to find a chair forhim and check out the exo. Maybe we'll get it to work."
""Sure thing. Say hi to him."
"See you."
Max laid back down and touched hislegs with her own, this time, Logan showed no reaction at all. "This is gonna be fine, I love you."
Max inhaled his scent, trying to foregt everything around her, concentrating on the joy of being close to the man she loved. In his arms she felt safe and relaxed and soon she drifted off herself.
***
She awoke from a hand caressing er cheek, smiling she opened her eyes.
"Sorry I woke you."
"Don't worry, this is the perfect way to wake up. I don't want it to be different for the rest of my life", Max answered.
Logan looked at her, losing himself in the depths of her brown eyes. "I love you. How could I live that long without this?"
He'd in fact never felt happier, and still he was confused and scared to death. He'd forgotten what it was like to be a paraplegic, and now the memories returned in full force and threatened to swallow him.
"Logan, how are you? And dn't dare to lie to me!" Max cuddled close sensing his need for comfort and solace.
"This is all I ever wanted, and I don't regret it. But it's still giving me the creeps. This is not gonna be easy, Max. Are you sure about it?"
Max snored. "Don't talk like that or I might kick your ass." She didn't have the effect on him she'd hoped for, there was no smile.
"Listen, Logan. Thisis not about me, you're the onewho's paying.And you can trust me that I'll be forever grateful. You are the most wonderful thing that ever happended to me. I don't care if you are in a wheelchair. Besides, we'll keep on fighting to get you back on your own two feet."
"Yeah." His answerw as half-heartedly, but she decided not to press, not right now.
"Are you hungry? Alec brought us something earlier."
"Yeah."
"Can you sit up?"
"Max, I'm not an invalid."
"Sorry, I just thought you were in pain perhaps."
"It's not too bad."
"Can you...I mean, do your legs..."
"I can still move them, but there are moments when I don't feel anythig." He touched his right leg as if to mae sure he could feel the weight of his hand on his thigh. "But I don't think I'lle able to walk." His voice trembled. "Damn it." He tried to smile at her, but failed miserably. "Pathetic, huh?"
"No. I admire you actually." She held out a hand after standing up, but Logan had been right, he could still move his legs over the edge of the bed on their own volition, but when he tried to stand up, his legs gave out. And f it hadn't been for Max to catch him immediatley, he'd have landed on his face again. He concentrated all of his energy on the task of moving one foot in front of the other, Max supporting most of his weight.
She could tell that he was frustrated and angry, but right now she couldn't think of anything to make him feel better. Just when she tried to come up with somethingencouraging there was a knock on the door, moments later, Dr. Shawn entered.
"How are you?" He stared at the couple. "Apparently we succeeded in curing the virus."
Max halped Logan sit down on one of the wooden chairs.
"Yeah, we did." Inevitably Logan touched his legs.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be, I rather live without my legs than without Max, I just gotta get used to it again."
The doc nodded. "Are you in pain?"
"It's not too bad."
"Well, then I guess 've done my job. This is not exactly a safe place for me to tay. I don't really wanna be caught here. Good luck, and I'll hope you will make each other happy. Take care."
He shook Logan's hand, and even Max held out hers. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Take car of him."
"I will."
And with that the doctor left th room and their lives.
"Max?" Alec peeked through th slightl yopen door. "Can I come in?"
"Just be quiet, he finally feel asleep."
The young man put a plate with sandwiches on a free chair, then sat down on another.
"Is he OK?"
"He gave up everythig fo me."
"So he is going to lose his ability to walk?"
"Yeah. And the exo barely survived th last fight. I'm not sure we can fix it. Besides, it doen't convey sensation, so..." Her voice failed her.
"I'm sorry." Alec laid a comforting hamd on Max's arm. "But you love each other, it's gonna be fine."
"I'm afraid he'd going to regret it one day and blame me."
"That's not gonna happen, he is a clever guy.he knows what he is doing."
"Yeah."
"Listen, I know this is probably bad timing. But when I explained to Joshua what's happening to Logan and how he might have to use a wheelchair to move around, I realized we don't have one. And even if we had, there are too many stairs and other obstacles around here."
"I haven't thought about that, but we'll find a way." She lookedat her sleeping lover. "Can you try to find a chair forhim and check out the exo. Maybe we'll get it to work."
""Sure thing. Say hi to him."
"See you."
Max laid back down and touched hislegs with her own, this time, Logan showed no reaction at all. "This is gonna be fine, I love you."
Max inhaled his scent, trying to foregt everything around her, concentrating on the joy of being close to the man she loved. In his arms she felt safe and relaxed and soon she drifted off herself.
***
She awoke from a hand caressing er cheek, smiling she opened her eyes.
"Sorry I woke you."
"Don't worry, this is the perfect way to wake up. I don't want it to be different for the rest of my life", Max answered.
Logan looked at her, losing himself in the depths of her brown eyes. "I love you. How could I live that long without this?"
He'd in fact never felt happier, and still he was confused and scared to death. He'd forgotten what it was like to be a paraplegic, and now the memories returned in full force and threatened to swallow him.
"Logan, how are you? And dn't dare to lie to me!" Max cuddled close sensing his need for comfort and solace.
"This is all I ever wanted, and I don't regret it. But it's still giving me the creeps. This is not gonna be easy, Max. Are you sure about it?"
Max snored. "Don't talk like that or I might kick your ass." She didn't have the effect on him she'd hoped for, there was no smile.
"Listen, Logan. Thisis not about me, you're the onewho's paying.And you can trust me that I'll be forever grateful. You are the most wonderful thing that ever happended to me. I don't care if you are in a wheelchair. Besides, we'll keep on fighting to get you back on your own two feet."
"Yeah." His answerw as half-heartedly, but she decided not to press, not right now.
"Are you hungry? Alec brought us something earlier."
"Yeah."
"Can you sit up?"
"Max, I'm not an invalid."
"Sorry, I just thought you were in pain perhaps."
"It's not too bad."
"Can you...I mean, do your legs..."
"I can still move them, but there are moments when I don't feel anythig." He touched his right leg as if to mae sure he could feel the weight of his hand on his thigh. "But I don't think I'lle able to walk." His voice trembled. "Damn it." He tried to smile at her, but failed miserably. "Pathetic, huh?"
"No. I admire you actually." She held out a hand after standing up, but Logan had been right, he could still move his legs over the edge of the bed on their own volition, but when he tried to stand up, his legs gave out. And f it hadn't been for Max to catch him immediatley, he'd have landed on his face again. He concentrated all of his energy on the task of moving one foot in front of the other, Max supporting most of his weight.
She could tell that he was frustrated and angry, but right now she couldn't think of anything to make him feel better. Just when she tried to come up with somethingencouraging there was a knock on the door, moments later, Dr. Shawn entered.
"How are you?" He stared at the couple. "Apparently we succeeded in curing the virus."
Max halped Logan sit down on one of the wooden chairs.
"Yeah, we did." Inevitably Logan touched his legs.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be, I rather live without my legs than without Max, I just gotta get used to it again."
The doc nodded. "Are you in pain?"
"It's not too bad."
"Well, then I guess 've done my job. This is not exactly a safe place for me to tay. I don't really wanna be caught here. Good luck, and I'll hope you will make each other happy. Take care."
He shook Logan's hand, and even Max held out hers. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Take car of him."
"I will."
And with that the doctor left th room and their lives.
