As Logan went to work, Max laid down on the couch. Once she lied down, a sharp pain gripped her abdomen causing an inaudible gasp from Max's mouth. She felt like tiny knives were trying to escape from inside her belly. And then as quickly as it started, it stopped, leaving only a dull ache.

She wondered, What the hell is wrong with me?

Max didn't understand it. First she was throwing up like there was no tomorrow and now she felt like someone had squeezed her lower muscles with a vice and twisted it. She would need to see Sam sooner than she thought. She slowly stood up with a grunt, thinking that maybe moving around would make her feel better. She walked away from the couch, planning to go into Logan's office, and then bolted past it to the bathroom.

"Max, are you okay?" Logan asked, hearing her speedy footsteps.

"Yeah!" she shouted from the bathroom. After cleaning up and getting herself together, Max went to his office.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked when she came into the room.

"Not really," she revealed.

"What's the matter?" he questioned, getting a little closer to her.

"I don't know. I think I'm coming down with something, but I don't know what. But I can't be out of it with Brin around," Max stated.

"What's Brin have to do with you being sick?"

"A solider must not show any weakness."

"Oh. Sibling Rivalry."

"It's not that trivial. Brin may be out of the cage, but her mind is still trapped at Manticore. She came to me for help. If I show any weakness, I'm no longer alpha."

"I thought you and your siblings didn't really have ranks, except Zach, of course."

"We don't. But I refuse to treat Brin as my sister and I don't think she'd let me even if I wanted to."

"She was brain-washed, Max."

"She wanted to go back and then turned against us. They used her against me when I was at Manticore. She was present when they tortured me and did nothing. If that's not worthy of being disowned, I don't know what is."

"Do you think she might be looking for forgiveness?" Logan proposed.

"I'm not that high-minded, and neither is she," Max stated coldly, clearly ended the discussion on that topic.

"I need to find out what's up with me," she concluded.

Logan let out a breath, "I'll go call Sam."

"Thanks," Max said as Logan grabbed the telephone.

Logan drove Max to Dr. Sam Carr's clinic. The clinic was not in the best part of town, but then again, there were very few good parts left. Despite its outside appearance, it was very clean and sanitary although somehow it managed not to have that sickly hospital smell. Max was grateful for that because that smell brought up too many bad memories.

"Logan. Max," Sam greeted them when they walked in.

"Nice to see you, Sam," Logan returned.

"Hi," Max said, "Thanks for taking a look at me."

"My pleasure," Sam replied.

Sam gestured to the end of the hallway, "Shall we?"

Max looked around, "Doctor, where are your other patients. I don't want them to suffer because of me."

Sam smiled, "It's okay. This is actually my hour lunch break. I'm always closed at this time of the day."

Max nodded and followed Sam to one of the exam rooms. Logan began to come along until Sam stopped him.

"Sorry. No one, but the patient."

Logan looked at him funny, "Since when did the rules apply me?"

"Since you brought be a female patient. Logan, I'm going to have to ask Max some questions, more than likely she will be more willing to answer them openly without you around."

Logan was taken back by this.

"What's wrong? I don't understand."

"From the symptoms that you described, there are several possibilities about what is the matter, most of which women don't like to be discussed. Logan, just wait and I promise that she will be out soon."

Logan didn't like being dismissed, but he figured it was for the best. So being the guy he was, he simply nodded and sat in the waiting room.

"So how long has this been going on?" Sam asked once he was in the room with Max. She sat on the doctor's table.

"About a day or so."

He walked closer to her, holding a clipboard, "Have you had any strange food since than? Anything you didn't recognize?"

"No, just the usual," she replied, and then commented with a smile, "Though I doubt it would still be in my system."
"What?" Sam asked, looking from his clipboard.

"Nothing. What's next on the questionnaire, doc?"
"Um, have you inhaled any fumes lately, including hallucinogens?"

"Nah, unless motor oil counts."

Sam reached up and felt her forehead, "Well, you're not too hot, but I'd say your immune system is definitely doing some work."

"So what's up?"

"I'm not sure. One last question Max."

Max shrugged her shoulders, "Shoot."

"Have you engaged in any sexual activity within the last few weeks?"

Max was taken back by this, "Excuse me?"

"Have you…"

"I heard the question, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"If I'm going to treat you, I have to look out for all possibilities, including STD's," he explained.

"STD's? You're joking, right? Didn't that go out small pox?" Max countered.

"Of which there was a small outbreak of in 2012. You're right, all STD's besides HIV when almost extinct before the pulse, but people couldn't get access to medical care and… you know how it is."

Max nodded, "Yeah, I do. But no worries, doc. Me and my partner are clean."

"You sure about that? Did you ask? Did you use a condom?"

Max froze. One of the benefits of being genetically enhanced is having a great memory, but apparently her mind hadn't working well enough at the time to get Logan to strap one on.

"By your silence, I'm assuming that's a no."

"I was kind of in the moment, you know."

"Yes, well," He said putting his hands on the sides of her throat, "You should bring this person in to have them tested just in case."

Max took a breath, "Just go outside."

Sam gave Max a questioning look for a moment.

"Logan?"

"Yeah."

"But I thought you two couldn't touch?" he inquired.

"We can't. Not now anyway. Long story short. I found a temporary cure and we took advantage of it."

"I won't ask how you got, but we better get him in here," Sam said and walked out the room.

"Hey. Can't we do this…" she started and then Logan walked in the room, "one at a time."

"What's going on Sam?" Logan asked once he was inside, "I thought you didn't want me here?"

"Max has told me that you two had intercourse recently."

Logan stole a look at Max as she stared down at the floor. Max was never easily embarrassed, but this was definitely one of those times she wished the earth would shallow her for a moment. Logan looked back at Sam.

"That's correct, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It's possible that a certain strain of STD's could be the reason for her sickness. I know this ma be difficult, but I need to know how many partners you two have had within the last year."

"Two," Max answered almost immediately.

Logan looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering who she was taking about. She moved her head toward him.

"Our anniversary, remember," she explained, remorse lacing her voice.

He nodded.

"Logan," Sam coaxed.

"Don't worry," Max commented suddenly, looked back at Logan, "It's not like I expected you to remain celibate for 7 months."

Logan wasn't sure whether or not to be offended by Max's assumption.

"Sam, could you excuse us for a minute."

"Sure," he responded and left the room.

"What was that about?" he asked Max.

"What you so bent about?" she questioned, "I was just sayin' that whatever you did, it's okay."

"Why are you assuming I did anything?"

"Well, did you?" she countered, standing up to face him.

"That's not what this is about."

"Oh really. And all this time, I thought this was me hacking my guts out and feeling like some squeezed my stomach with a vice."

"It's about you trusting me, Max."

"Oh yeah. So why are you avoiding the question? Who was it, huh? Asha. Some chick, I've never met? Who?"

"Does it matter? You probably wouldn't believe a word I said," he replied turning away from her

"Logan, Shut up! Shallow your pride and tell me the damn truth. I'm sick. And unless you tell me what's up, it could get worse. What the hell happened?"

Logan hung his head, "Asha. Almost."

"Almost?"

He turned back around.

"It was late. We got pretty far, but I couldn't go through with it. She wasn't you," he admitted. Logan wanted to touch her so much at this moment. He wanted to reassure her with something more than words.

"Oh. Anyone else?" she said in a monotone.

"No," he replied.

"Let's get Sam back in here."

After answering all of Sam's questions, he took a blood sample, urine sample, and swabs of saliva from both of them. He told them that he would have the results for them soon. The drive back to Fogle Towers was quiet. Max was digesting the information that Logan revealed to her. She really couldn't blame him, but that did change that fact that it hurt. It could really be called cheating on her because they never really said that they were together at all or even that they were exclusive. And just when something was about to start, she died for three months and when she came back… It just was a hard situation all around.

Not having sex for so long was actually kind of easy for Max. To her, sex was just something that she had to do to get rid of her heat or something to do to get her boyfriends off of her back. She never really did it for pleasure or affection, it was just a necessary evil. Being with Logan was the first time she had done something with someone that she cared about. It was the first time that sex wasn't the basis of a relationship, but instead the expression of one.

"Are you ok?" Logan asked once they were back at his building.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Max, I'm sorry."

Max held her hand up, silencing him, "Don't worry about it. Just need to think."

"Where are you about to go?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Time for a little family reunion. I'll see ya," she said and walked to her bike.

"Yeah," he replied, pretty much to himself. He came to his door and heard her Ninja revving up and driving off. He sighed, and walked into his building, questioning their future.