Max sobbed starring lovingly up at Zack, more respectfully then anything else and then violently pulled her hand away from his, anger etched in her features. She shook her head and her words came out bitterly.
"They finally got us back." A sick sarcastic smile played on her face. "Home sweet home."
Zack frowned still unsure of what to say and decided to go with the last thing he knew that Max remembered. "How are you feeling X5-452?"
"Don't call me that." Max hissed.
Zack allowed himself to smile, maybe she was on her way back. "Max," his voice softened, "how do you feel?"
"Like a truck ran me over." She scoffed and swallowed back another sob. "How do I look to you?"
"Perfect." The word slipped out of Zack's mouth before he had even thought of it.
"Like the perfect little soldier?" Max snapped.
"No, just perfect." Zack shook his head.
Max shook her head back. "Have I ever told you that you look like shit in camouflage?"
Zack bristled but still managed to smile. "No."
"Well good, remember it." Max gasped and lay back against her pillow out of breath. "Your re-conditioning doesn't seem to be going to well X5-599."
"What?" Zack got off of the bed and started to pace the room.
Max sighed and hung her head. "They're trying to turn you and you're conflicted."
"You don't seem to be doing so well yourself." Zack shot back at her without thinking. He had never been one to take being put down lightly, no mater what the circumstances.
"Whatever at least they are not torturing you yet." Max covered up a sob with a forced laugh. "At least I know I can still suck it up."
"No Max it's not-" Zack was cut off as the door to the guest room opened.
"How's our patient doing?" Hannah sounded falsely up beat as she entered the room.
Max stiffened and sat up with perfect posture in the bed. "Fine Ma'am." Under her breath too low for Hannah to hear, he lips barely moving, she hurled another insult at Zack. "I can't believe you of all people are letting this happen."
Zack shook his head and answered her in the same tone so that Hannah didn't hear. "I'm not."
"Oh, she's awake!" Hannah sounded surprised and went to check the printouts from some of the machines focusing on the EKG and EEC's. "Hey guy's she's awake." Hannah called out to the main room.
"Next thing you know they'll try and turn us into breeding partners. Lydecker always said we were the best of the best." Max continued so that only Zack could hear her.
Hannah's remark brought Bling and Logan hurrying into the room. Zack had little time to think about breeding partners or wonder if Max really had been starting a heat cycle earlier. The moment Bling entered the room Max gasped and froze. Her eyes went wide and her heart rate started to race.
This simply wasn't right. Max stared at the four people in the room in utter confusion. Zack and Hannah she knew should have been there but not Logan or Bling. Something in her mind reeled. Maybe Manticore had found out that Logan was Eyes Only. The man standing next to Logan must not have been Bling but her brother Braden instead.
"Max." Logan said his voice full of concern and adoration. "Good to see you awake again."
"Max." The man standing next to Logan smiled. "Glad to have you back."
That left no doubt in Max's mind the man was not Bling Logan's trusted friend, bodyguard and physical therapist, but her brother Braden. His stance and identical dress to Zack gave it all away. Maybe Logan really was her prince and all the memories she had of him were a dream and an illusion. It could have been a new technique that Psy. Ops. Was using, dream manifestation with the help of enlisted civilians. It could all be another ploy to try and break her so that they could recondition her. Max wasn't going to play their little game though.
"Logan." Max looked slightly relieved and relaxed, smiling as she spoke his name and reclined against the pillow behind her.
She nodded a greeting to Braden/Bling and focused all of her attention on him. "Hey… Braden… Bling?" She spoke to him in a tone that only Zack and the true Braden could have possibly heard. "It's good to see you too." She spoke the last part at a normal volume.
Logan broke into a wide grin thinking her wishes were directed solely at him.
Zack knew different as Bling caught Max's nod and returned it with a nod of his own. Zack longed to bring Max back so badly. He too turned his attention to Bling. "Bling can you go and get Max a drink?"
Bling nodded softly. "She's been through a lot. Would you like a glass of milk Max?"
Max stiffened another small gasp escaped her and her heart rate jumped, speeding up again. "Yes. Thank you… Bling."
Her hesitation was caught by all in the room. The moment that Bling left the room Max collapsed back against the pillow, her breathing ragged from holding a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. The exertion of simply identifying the man and maintaining her composure on the outside seemed almost too much for Max.
Hannah picked up on it with the aid of her instruments, it was something that Zack could discern from the tension in her posture and the sound of her heartbeat, Logan could tell from the look of fear and confusion in her eyes. The second Bling came back and set the glass on the night stand Max's anxiety returned.
Max greedily gulped the milk as if she'd just tracked through the desert to an oasis. Inside her head her mind was torn between Bling and Braden. Inside her chest her heart was torn between Logan and Zack. She still wasn't even sure exactly where she was. Her hands shook slightly and she yawned despite her bravado.
"I think our patient needs her rest." Hannah spoke up.
"Don't leave me?" Max spoke up softly and all four people in the room froze.
"Never." Zack spoke up clearing his throat.
"Of course not!" Logan smiled down at her.
Bling just nodded and grinned warmly not moving from his place at her bedside.
Both Zack and Logan reached for one of Max's hands. Max violently pulled away from both of them.
"Hannah, please." Max yawned again her eyes watering.
Hannah nodded. "Everyone out for now."
Max relaxed as the three men filled out of the room and within moments was sound asleep again.
Zack passed the living room while Bling headed into the kitchen. Logan was about to follow his friend but stopped in front of Zack blocking his path.
"Zack I-"
"Look Logan, don't." Zack snapped cutting Logan off as he flopped down on the couch completely exhausted. Logan's words caught in his throat at the harshness of the boys words.
Bling spoke up from the kitchen. "I think Hannah has things under control for now. I'm going to duck out and head home for a while. I'd like to get out of these urban fatigues and take a shower."
Shook from his momentary fatigue and anger Zack rose to meet Bling in the kitchen. "Listen Bling I appreciate everything you've done-"
"Don't mention it Zack. I'd do anything for a friend. I'll see you both a little later." Bling was definitely still shaken by his swift Manticore makeover.
"Yes Bling, thank you. You'll be back for dinner?" Logan asked from the hallway.
"Of course. See you all later." Bling nodded at Zack and then let himself out of the apartment.
Logan turned back to Zack who pushed past him and made his way back into the living room. "Zack."
"Logan." Zack curtly cut him off again and yawned. "I'm beat. I'm going to go crash on your couch."
"Feel free." Logan nodded taken aback by Zack's sudden and drastic change in demeanor. Logan also knew that this was the closest the boy had ever come to admitting a weakness that didn't directly concern Max. Logan reasoned that he had some work to do anyway. Sebastian would want to see the probe to conclude whether or not being inside an X5 host had changed it at all. After all the probe did originally belong to Sebastian. Logan also knew that Hannah would want to get back in contact with Lucas and Jace, so he gave up on having a talk with Zack at the moment. For now he would let the boy catch up on his rest.
Logan contacted Sebastian and told him that he wanted him to examine the probe. Sebastian nearly jumped at the chance to compare the data he had from the probe he had before Max had stolen it, with the one extracted from Max's head. But since Bling had left, Zack was sleeping and Logan didn't want to leave Max, he had no way of delivering the probe to Sebastian. A light bulb went off in Logan's mind and he leaned over and picked up the phone.
"Jam Pony Express." Logan recognized Normal's distinct voice.
"This is Logan Cale, I need to schedule a pick up and delivery of a package." Logan gave Max's boss the details. "Would it be too much to ask to have Cynthia McEachin um, Original Cindy take the run?"
"I can't guarantee it Mr. Cale." Normal started to answer but from her spot by the lockers with Sketchy and Herbal Original Cindy heard him.
"Hey Normal, Max's Boo Logan needs something delivered?" Original Cindy asked making her way to the counter.
Amazed that he actually had one of his slacker employee's full attention Normal nodded from behind his dispatch desk. "Mr. Cale says it's a priority rush package."
""Well then Original Cindy's got herself a hot run." Original Cindy leaned up against the counter. "Draw up the paper work Normal. Original Cindy knows where the pick up is at."
"Mr. Cale it's all set up. How is Max doing?" Normal asked lowering his voice.
"Are you asking when you can expect her back at work?" Logan tried not to snap at the man on the other side of the phone.
"No Mr. Cale I'm asking how Max is doing."
Logan sighed. "There really hasn't been much of a change."
"That's a shame." Normal clicked his tongue. "Tell her we miss her here. Cynthia will be by to pick up the package soon. Have a good night Mr. Cale and thank you for choosing Jam Pony."
Logan shook his head and hung up the phone.
"Normal." Original Cindy sighed tapping her foot. "Bip, bip bip." Original Cindy made a face like she had sucked on a lemon, concern had her quoting her boss. "Priority rush means hustle with that paper work."
Normal simply shook his head and handed Original Cindy the run sheet which she basically tore from his hand once he'd signed it and she hauled ass out of the building.