Part 19 - Issues of Trust

BIGGS

We pulled up at the Space Needle less than 10 minutes after I'd hung up with Max. I looked up at the structure and tried to imagine what had happened. Alec had been smouldering under the surface ever since he'd come to Olympia to meet me and Max. I knew that having Ben around was really hard for him and I could only imagine what had happened between them. It would have to have been something monumental to cause Alec to disappear, leaving Ben hurt and Max frantic for the both of them. Like my life wasn't already drama-packed. Shit.

Jake, Tanner, Steve and I made our way slowly up the stairs. It was a long way up. The Needle hadn't been in use for years and the elevator was a lost cause. Even if it had worked, I still would have taken the stairs. I don't like taking chances with my life. I enjoy it too much. For the most part.

We were almost there. I caught sight of Max rocking slightly, one hand under Ben's head, the other over his heart. He was pale and his breathing was erratic as was obvious from the uneven rise and fall of his chest beneath Max's hand.

"Jake, get the transfusion kit, fast. Tanner, Steve we need to find something to use as a makeshift stretcher. We can't carry him down like this. If there's internal bleeding..." I didn't need to finish the sentence. It was obvious what could happen.

I looked at my friends and a twinge of guilt stabbed at me. I hadn't told them about my conversation with Alec earlier and they had no idea he was gone. They thought that the man they were currently trying to save was Alec. I hadn't told them otherwise; I knew they would have happily left Ben for dead. Jake, Tanner and Steve were fiercely loyal to Alec and they weren't happy with Ben's attempt to capture him. But Alec had begged me to look out for Max. A week ago I would have done it just because he'd asked me to. But this was Max, and she was my friend. I didn't need a reason.

Tanner found some flat wood a couple floors up and hurried to bring it to us. Carefully lifting Ben onto the plank, we manoeuvred ourselves so that Max was at his side, the transfusion already in progress as we braved the stairs and began our descent.

Once at street level, we made room in the back of Alec's car and lowered Ben inside. The rest of us climbed in.

"Where are we taking him?" Jake started the engine and looked at me briefly.

"Back to Max's place." I said, checking Ben's vitals.

"Why not to his place?" Steve questioned. His face showed confusion.

Before I could reply, Max whipped her head up and she growled. "Where the hell would that be, Manticore? Just take us home."

Jake stopped the car short and I was thrown by the jolt and hit the back of his seat. He and Steve glared at me. Tanner glanced between us and then down at Ben and back at me again.

"That's Ben." he stated angrily.

Max looked up at Jake in confusion, oblivious to the tension in the car. "Jake, what the hell is going on? We need to get him home, fast!"

I looked at the others unwaveringly and spoke harshly. "Ben and Alec had a fight. Alec's gone and Ben's in trouble. We are going to help him. You can kill me later. Jake start the goddamn car and get a fucking move on!" I relaxed slightly when the car was once more moving through the quiet streets.

Max leaned back in her seat, her breath coming fast. I reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. She returned the squeeze and flashed a quick smile of thanks.

I had to know what went down. "Max?" I spoke in a low voice only she could hear. "What happened up there?"

She shook her head and mouthed 'Not now.' I nodded back. This probably wasn't the best place to discuss the events of the night. But I couldn't stop worrying about Alec. "Where are you, bro?" Max flinched and removed her hand from mine, her sad face guilt-ridden, and it occurred to me that I had spoken out loud. I pulled her close and she turned her face into my shirt and cried.

Max pulled away suddenly. I looked at her in surprise but as I followed her gaze I nearly choked. Ben was seizing again. His body was shaking and he was coughing up blood.

"Bad. This is bad. Really bad." Steve mumbled to himself over and over as he turned Ben's head to clear his airway. I grabbed Max and pulled her back. "Steve needs room to work, Max. There's nothing you can do." Turning to Jake I said quickly, "Terminal City, now! We need to get him to Medical!"

Jake pursed his lips, obviously unhappy with the order. "Great. Now I'm playing chauffer to a madman." He muttered angrily.

I leaned forward, dug my fingers hard into his shoulder and pressed close to his ear. "Alec would hurt you for that. Don't think that I won't do it in his place."

Jake practically spit venom at me. "You're as whipped as he is. That bitch has you wrapped around her finger."

Lucky for Jake he was driving. I held myself in check and managed to bite back, "Max is my friend, as well as yours. You'd do good to remember that."

I glanced at Steve and his eyes met mine. He shook his head slightly. I closed my eyes. This did not bode well for the badly wounded Ben. Steve's eyes conveyed without words the seriousness of the situation. Without proper medical care he wouldn't last the night. I knew it, and he knew it.

I held Max close and kept her eyes on mine. "Max, he's gonna be alright. Shhh, he's gonna be fine." I stroked her hair, wishing Alec were here. He'd know what to do. Dealing with girls wasn't something I was good at. Not when they were like this at least.


We turned into a back entrance of Terminal City and Jake wove in and out between scattered debris and piles of brick and metal scraps. We pulled up in front of our makeshift Medical building and I helped Steve and Tanner pull Ben from the car.

Max was standing off to the side, body shuddering and tears falling freely from her eyes. I motioned to Tanner. "Get Joshua. I don't want her left alone."

Tanner stared at me. "She needs Alec." His eyes challenged me to tell him what was going on, but I couldn't give him information I didn't have.

"I know." was all I said as I went to join the others.


When I entered Medical, I saw Kat and Mel already hard at work. There was no choice but to open up and get a look at Ben from the inside. In his present state, weak pulse, dilated pupils and shallow breathing, it was a big risk.

"Is Ben gonna be ok?" I asked quietly.

Without missing a beat, Kat replied, hands deep inside Ben's chest cavity. "He's got a collapsed lung, what do you think? And I'd appreciate it if you would all leave. This is a delicate procedure. We can't afford any mistakes."

As I turned to leave Mel pulled me to the side. "Ben? That's not Alec?"

I shook my head. She muttered under her breath. "Thank god." Then she laughed lightly. "Damn. There's two of them?"

I smiled ruefully and shrugged. "Double trouble."

Silently we filed outside. I leaned against the door, Kat and Mel's voices drifting through and sending shivers down my spine.

"Mel, we've got Traumatic Pneumothorax with complications. Dammit! We don't need this right now!"

Mel's voice shook. "Hemothorax?"

"Get me 30mg of -"

"Got it!"

"Shit, I've never seen so much blood before, Kat!"

"Suction!"

Noise, clattering. I wanted to know what was happening but I didn't dare enter the room.

"Scalpel...Okay, clamp. How're we doing?"

"He's stabilising."

"Thank g-"

"Not so fast. his pressure's dropping! Kat -!"

There was a flurry of movement and the voice pitch dropped so I couldn't hear anything else. I looked at Steve and Jake who were still by my side, and had the decency to look somewhat ashamed of themselves.

"That's Alec's twin in there, Max's family. No matter how you feel about him, remember this: Alec wouldn't want him dead or he'd have killed him already. I want you guys to let me know the minute Kat and Mel are done." They nodded mutely and I turned on my heel and went in search of Max.

TBC

Part Twenty

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