All along the western front
People line up to receive
She got the power in her hand
To shock you like you won't believe
Max was getting worried as the time ticked by and Chloe hadn't returned when Sebastian walked back into the room. The parents were still milling around, Ryan and David talking in the corner while Vanessa and Joyce sat on either side of Max.
"I need to speak to Max now, if you all could give us the room, please? You can wait in the family room down the hall and I'll meet you there when I'm done here." Sebastian gave the parents a dismissive, though not unkind, smile. Max was impressed how they all complied without so much as one question about what had happened with Chloe's interview. David had looked like he was going to say something for a moment there but Joyce had elbowed him in the side, effectively shutting him up.
"How are you feeling, Max? I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Chloe. You need to be completely honest with me, alight? I'm going to record our conversation for notes and to refer to later." Sebastian wasn't as concerned about Max withholding information as he had been with Chloe. Max's part in this whole situation was pretty small as to the how, unfortunately, she was the one bearing the brunt of the what. His briefcase was on the table next to Max's bed, he was busy pulling out a notepad that was already covered with pages of notes and then a digital recorder.
"Ok, I'm as fine as I can be, I'm sick of being in the hospital, it's so boring." Max didn't mean to sound like a grumpy teenager but it was hard not to, after a week of nonstop action, being laid up in a hospital was a whole new level of boredom.
"You're really lucky, all things considered." A blue folder was in Sebastian's hands, it took Max a minute to realize it was her hospital chart from the cubby next to her door. He flipped through it while he continued to read through the pages, "It looks like the bullet missed all your major arteries and organs. You're extremely lucky when you take into account the trajectory. Though it does look like you're going to have some permanent damage to your right shoulder, a lot of ligament and nerve damage there. You're in for a hard road with physical therapy. You've already had one surgery for the damage the bullet made on entrance, a few centimeters from your aorta and pulmonary artery. They're already planning another surgery for your right shoulder in a few weeks."
Max wasn't sure if he was talking to her or making notes to himself. Her doctor had already been through all of this with her. She watched him reading her medical file, he wasn't like any attorney she'd ever seen, not that she'd seen many but nothing like the ones on TV. He reminded her of Henry Rollins in a suit, the same sharp look and charisma.
"Are you experiencing any other effects?" He inquired, giving her a knowing look that made it clear he already knew the answer.
"Ah, I've had a couple panic attacks." Max admitted, though she was right, he had already known by the complete lack of surprise on his face.
"Have you told anyone else about these or has anyone else been around when they happened?"
"The nurse, um, Nurse Rachel was here for the first one, that was the worst one. She talked me through it. What does this have to do with what happened?" Max asked unable to help herself. She was fully prepared to talk about what happened, maybe try to throw in a couple of fake rumors to get him on the trail of Jefferson and his connection to Nathan without drawing any suspicion on how she knew these things.
Instead of being annoyed that a teenager was questioning him, Sebastian gave a small chuckle. He liked these girls, they had spunk. "I ask because you are in for a long road and a mountain of medical bills, Max. I already know you had no clue what was going on in the bathroom. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, we'll get to that but we need to talk about something else first. And that would be filing a civil suit against Nathan Prescott, the Prescott family and quite possibly, Blackwell as well."
"Wha...what?" Again, Max was thrown off balance, she didn't want to sue anyone, she already had what she wanted which was Chloe alive and Arcadia Bay still standing. The idea of getting money made her incredibly uncomfortable, it didn't feel right.
"With your injuries and the ongoing medical care they're going to require, along with the panic attacks, Max, you need to think about the future. These are all injuries and situations you wouldn't have had to deal with if Nathan hadn't brought a gun to school and hurt you. If it was up to your parents, they would file the civil suit against the Prescotts tomorrow but it's not up to them, it's up to you, you're a legal adult." It was rare that Sebastian came across someone who wasn't trying to find a way to make money off their injuries, looking for a way to make someone else financially pay for what had happened to them. "Insurance will only cover so much for so long and it all adds up quickly. I want to make sure you and your parents are financially taken care of to handle your needs, the immediate ones, along with future ones that we aren't even aware of yet."
"But I don't want their money!" Thoughts were finally forming in Max's head. The mention of ongoing mountains of medical bills had thrown her back to the alternate Chloe, where her father was still alive. The amount of medical bills Chloe's parents had were crushing them. She didn't want that for her parents, she was nowhere near as bad as Chloe had been but still, medical care was expensive. The thought of taking anything from the Prescott's made her stomach churn though.
"Trust me, they wouldn't be giving it to you willingly. I know it can be a distasteful thought, taking money from people who you don't like, who have harmed you. Think of it as a way to help you get through this easier without worrying about the bills, without your parents worrying about the medical bills, all you need to do is concentrate on getting better, alright?"
Max looked down at her hand, she still had no feeling in her right arm. Simple everyday things she took for granted now were impossible. It was distasteful and unsettling to think about taking any money from the Prescott's but Max couldn't argue his logic. Why should her parents have to worry about the bills? She was well aware they were already spending a lot on their attorney it wasn't fair to make them worry about her medical bills as well. "Yeah, ok, what would we need to do?"
"Don't worry about that, my partner at the firm will handle that part, he's a litigation attorney. We'll talk more about this as things go forward with the criminal case against Nathan. Now, let's get to that. Can you tell me what you remember from the bathroom when Nathan hurt you?"
Max had been practicing what to say since yesterday, she didn't want to get any details mixed up from any of the other times she'd been in that same situation. She looked down and played with a thread from the sheet. "I went in there after class, I wasn't feeling the greatest, so I wanted to splash some water on my face. No one else was in there when I walked in. I was by the sinks and noticed in the mirror that that there was a blue butterfly on the bucket in the corner. It was strange, to see a butterfly in the bathroom, especially in October. I'd never seen one quite that color before, it was like electric blue." Max shook her head, realizing she was getting off topic. "I had my camera with me, so I walked over there, careful not to scare it. I had to move back further into the corner to line the shot up. I use an instant camera so it's kind of loud when it takes pictures. When I took the shot, the butterfly flew away. I put my camera in my bag and waved the photo a bit to help it develop, to see if I had gotten a good image. That's when I heard Nathan come in, he seemed all hyped up. Talking like he was stressed out, trying to calm himself down or hype himself up, maybe? I stayed where I was because I was a bit shocked, like what was he doing in the girls bathroom acting all weird. He was saying how he ruled the school, he could blow it up if he wanted to. I stayed where I was hoping he'd realize he was in the wrong bathroom and leave, maybe he made a mistake? I didn't want to deal with him, he scared me, the way he was talking, I could hear him pacing around."
"You heard Nathan say he could blow up the school?" Sebastian clarified.
"Yeah, he talking to himself, saying he was in control, like giving himself a pep talk. It was creepy."
"Alright so you're in the corner, where Nathan couldn't see you. Did you know it was Nathan?"
"Not at first but he was talking about himself in the third person, the first thing he said was 'It's cool, Nathan.' That's when I peeked around the corner and saw it was him. Then like a minute later Chloe came into the bathroom."
"Did you know it was Chloe at the time?"
"No, I heard them argue a bit then she sounded panicked and asked him what he was doing with the gun. She sounded so scared and he was getting more and more hysterical. I don't know what came over me, maybe subconsciously I knew it was her by her voice. But I came out from the corner where I was hiding and that's when it gets a bit hazy, I yelled something then I felt this white hot pain and then Chloe's face... that's all I remember until i woke up here a few days ago." Max had practiced that part countless times, hoping it sounded believable, not like anyone else would think it wasn't, that she had played that scene out over and over with different results each time until she finally got it right. So many failed attempts to save Chloe, so many times she had to watch Chloe get shot over and over. She knew that Chloe was alive, that Chloe was physically fine but it was still hard to see.
"Great, just a couple follow up questions." Sebastian looked over his notes, then flipped back to his interview with Chloe.
"Now, both you and Chloe have stated that you hadn't talked for 5 years, why is that?"
"My family moved to Seattle five years ago. I, ah, I don't know why I didn't keep in touch with her. I felt so guilty about leaving her, it was hard and then as time went on, I felt so stupid, like she was probably so mad at me she wouldn't want to hear from me. I wanted to let her know I was back in Arcadia bay but I wasn't sure, so much time had passed. I felt like the biggest loser, she was my best friend and I had just left her behind, never talked to her again. I wasn't sure how to make things right, how to talk to her." Max felt her throat tighten up and her eyes were starting to blur with unshed tears. She was so ashamed of herself, that she didn't let Chloe know she was back in town.
"I didn't go to the moon, I went much further for time is the longest distance between two places." Sebastian recited, giving Max an understanding look.
"Yeah, exactly, Tennessee Williams was right." It made Max think of another quote from the same play. 'Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.' Pretty much sums up my entire life right now.
"What kind of reputation does Nathan have at school? " The attorney didn't want to lead Max by asking about the drugs outright.
It was the opportunity Max had been waiting for, she was given the chance to point someone in Jefferson and Nathan's direction without it seeming out of left field. She blinked a few times, wiped her eyes from the tears that still lingered. "Um, I've heard he sells drugs to other kids at school. A couple people mentioned that he might know what happened to Rachel Amber, that he had a thing for her." Than an idea hit Max, so horrible but perfect that it might work, it would be her word against Nathan's which at this point wasn't worth much. "Wait, I just remembered, in the bathroom, when he was talking before Chloe came in, he said something like, 'Jefferson won't be happy, I can't let him down.'
Sebastian stopped writing, giving Max a quizzical look. "Do you know who he was talking about?"
Max took a deep breath, slowing her breathing down to hide her excitement, it seemed she'd gotten her attorney's attention with that. "Yeah, I assume he was talking about our Photography teacher, Mr. Mark Jefferson. I don't know what he has to do with Nathan but I heard other kids saying that supposedly Mr. Jefferson and Rachel Amber had something going on, um, beyond a normal student teacher relationship… " Max didn't want to overplay her hand, she'd already picked up on how sharp Sebastian was, she was sure he'd do something with the information.
Sebastian went through his notes again, flipping back and forth between the pages. "Both you and Chloe have mentioned Rachel Amber, did you know her, too?"
By this point, Max felt as if she did but she knew she couldn't tell him that. This was proving to be harder than she thought, trying to keep back everything she knew that she shouldn't. "No, she disappeared before I got to Blackwell but everyone still talks about her and her missing posters are everywhere."
"Alright, that should be enough for now, Max. I'm going to go speak to your parents and Chloe's. Thank you for you time."
"Um, Mr, Sendal?" Max called out to get his attention as he started packing up all his files and notes.
"Sebastian, please. Did you have some questions?"
"Yeah, um, can they really arrest Chloe? Are they going to?" To go through all of this to only have Chloe arrested and in jail was not an appealing idea to Max. She'd tell everyone about Jefferson, Nathan, Rachel, the dark room and be looked at like a freak for the rest of her life before she let that happen. Maybe she could claim to be psychic?
"I can't guarantee anything, Max, but in my professional opinion, they would be opening themselves up to a lot more legal problems and even more charges if they tried to pursue anything against Chloe but that's only based on what I know right now. I'll do everything I can to prevent that from happening though, alright?" The attorney wasn't into making false promises or giving false hope but unless they had something on Chloe he didn't know about, he didn't think they'd be reckless enough to try and pursue the self defense route.
The confidence in his answer put Max at ease. The night before and most of today had been spent worrying about what kind of trouble Chloe could get in. It was no secret, at least not to her, and probably their attorney now, that Chloe had tried to blackmail Nathan. As weak as it was, she still had but Max knew if they did that then they would have to address what Chloe was trying to blackmail him about. She was sure the Prescotts wouldn't want that to get out. Which was worse? That their kid had a mental breakdown and shot someone or that he was an attempted rapist, would more girls come forward if that came out, change the attempted to actual?
"I know it's hard but try not to worry, Max, I told Chloe the same thing. I'm not going to let the Prescott's put either of you girls through anything else. You two just look out for each other, you're both going through a lot and have a long road ahead of you. The best thing for you both is to stick together and take care of each other right now." Picking up his briefcase, he ruffled Max's hair much like he had to Chloe, "Don't let those 5 years hold you back, it seems you have another chance now to regain your friendship."
"Thanks" Max replied, looking down to hide the blush creeping over her face, she had no intention of ever letting Chloe out of her life again.
"Damn, that was hella intense." Chloe said as way of greeting. She walked into the room with her normal swagger, eating from a bag of Flamin Hot Cheetos, there was a joke in there somewhere but Max was too glad to see her to come up with one. Her fingertips were bright red, the Cheeto dust coating them. By the way she was acting you would never have guessed she'd spent the better part of the morning avoiding Max.
"Yeah, you can say that again." Max didn't care, whatever was bothering the older girl earlier didn't appear to be bothering her anymore.
"Damn, that was heeeeellllllaaa intense." Chloe laughed, shoving a couple more Cheetos in her mouth.
"Ok, that was lame." Max laughed, reaching out with her good arm in a gimme gesture. Chloe passed her the bag with a smirk. There were only bright red crumbs left in the very bottom. "And you're lame, I can't believe you didn't save me any."
"Hey, I had the mega munchies, I saved you the crumbs." Chloe sat down in the chair next to Max, where Vanessa normally sat. She grabbed the remote that was attached to the bed, flipping through the channels.
"Geez, how kind of you." Max crumbled up the bag as best as she could with one hand and threw it at the girl next to her. "Oh, come on, Chloe, not Maury, it's so fucking depressing. Oh, wait, are they showing the same one from the other day?"
"No, it's the same chick, oh my God, this is like her sixth time on there! Geez, homegirl got around a lot that week, I guess." Chloe chuckled at the girl on tv's clear distress. She wasn't a cruel person but really, if someone was going to be bringing a plethora of guys on a national tv show to take a paternity test, then she was going to laugh at the absurdity of it.
"You'd be surprised at how much can happen in a week."
"Yeah, I guess so but, damn." Chloe pulled another small bag of chips out of her jacket pocket, tossing them on Max's stomach. "She has to be just grabbing random guys at this point to bring on, this guy says he's just her mailman!"
Max squealed in delight at the chips, Cool Ranch, her favorite. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to figure out how to open them one handed. She was about to use her teeth before Chloe reached over, grabbing them and opening them before handing them back to Max, her eyes never leaving the drama on the small tv in front of them. Her long legs were splayed out in front of her as she sat hunched down in the chair, her ever present beanie hanging at a quirky angle.
"Don't use your teeth, you don't want to ruin that smile, Warren might get upset." Chloe teased, at least she was pretty sure she was teasing Max, all in good fun, right?
With a mighty roll of her eyes, Max laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, not really concerned. He just doesn't take a hint well and I don't want to lose him as a friend."
"I could tell him for you next time he stops by, Yo, Blackwell bro, Max isn't interested in studying biology with you."
"Um, thanks but I'll handle it." Max said eagerly shoving chips in her mouth. Besides Joyce's chocolate cake a couple days ago, she's been living on hospital food. Admittedly, it was a step up from most of the cafeteria food but nothing you'd want to eat long term, like would it kill them to use a bit of salt?
"If you change your mind, let me know." Chloe continued to stare at the TV as if she was fascinated in the quest to find the father of the adorable toddler pictured in the background.
They were both avoiding talking about their respective meetings with Sebastian. It was the uninvited guest, sitting between them, not taking the multiple hints that it was time to go. As much as she told herself to stop, Max's eyes kept drifting over to Chloe, like a compass needle that was always drawn to north. She really wished she had her camera, Chloe was laughing as the girl was yet again informed that the poor slob she'd dragged to the show was not the father. Her hair looked like she'd been running her fingers through it for hours, it was pointing in all different directions from under her beanie which was askew on her head, there was red flamin hot dust on her upper lip and her shirt was wrinkled, a splattered stain by her stomach, light brown, more than likely coffee, she was a mess but she was a beautiful mess as far as Max was concerned.
"Oh, my God, Max, did you see tha…..What?" The laughter died as she noticed how intensely Max was looking at her. She self consciously tugged a few pieces of hair back in place under the beanie.
"Um, you have Cheeto dust all around your mouth." Max quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring so intently at the blue haired girl.
"Oh, you still hungry? Want some?" Chloe joked though feeling a bit uneasy because it had looked like maybe Max really did want to eat her face for a moment there, the way she was staring at her. She wasn't entirely sure if the way her stomach flipped at thinking about Max eating her face was a good thing or a bad one. Chloe wiped the dust off her top lip then made a move as if she was going shove her finger in Max's mouth.
"Eww, you're so gross." Max laughed, pushing Chloe's hand away.
"What ever, if you're that hungry, Max, I could go grab you some more chips or something from the vending machine. No need to steal my Cheeto powder." Chloe shrugged, sucking the red dust off her finger.
"No, it's ok, I'm dying for a burger and some fries, oh and a chocolate shake. Don't suppose you have those in your pocket do you?"
Chloe started patting herself down, making a show of checking her pockets. "Um, nope but I do have this stick of gum." Chloe held up the bent stick of gum. She had an adorably, exaggerated, remorseful look as she went to hand it to Max.
"Thanks anyway but I guess it's hospital food for lunch again." Max said, waving the gum away.
"Suit yourself, I've got mad cheeto breath anyways, I probably need it more." Chloe unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth, almost immediately snapping it out of habit.
"So, um, how did things go with Mr. Sendal?" Max cautiously asked, not sure if she should bring it up.
"Ah, you know, he asked questions, I told him what happened, it was hard going back over a few things but I survived." Chloe didn't want to rehash everything, not yet, maybe later but it was still too fresh. "How did things go for you?"
"I don't know if I was much help, I don't remember much. But he did say he was pretty confident that they wouldn't pursue any charges against either of us." Max hesitated, wondering if she should tell Chloe how their attorney thought she should sue the Prescotts and possibly Blackwell for everything. Deciding in the end it would probably be best if she heard it from Max instead of someone else. "He did mention though that he wants me to sue the Prescotts, you know to help cover the medical bills and everything."
"Fuck yeah, nail those bastards to the wall and take them for every fucking penny, Max, they've been doing that shit to everyone in Arcadia Bay for years. Fuck them pricks."
Max stared out at the familiar drama on the screen, another DNA test another Not the Father. "Yeah, I just feel weird about it, like it's wrong somehow. Like to get paid for this…"
"Max, Sebastian seems hella smart, I'd follow along with whatever he suggests. Plus, he has a point about medical bills and shit. Seriously, why shouldn't you get paid for what that fucker did to you? You didn't ask for any of this." Chloe was up and pacing again, unable to understand why Max had a problem with suing the Prescott's. It didn't escape Chloe, the irony in how she had tried to get Nathan to pay for what he did to her. Now though she was looking at possibly getting arrested while Max was hurt in Chloe's attempt to get money from Nathan. See, the Universe was really just fucking with her by this point.
"I get it, I do but it's fucking weird, it feels so wrong." Max looked down at the plain white hospital blanket covering her.
Sitting softly on the side of Max's bed, Chloe picked up the younger girl's hand, lightly squeezing it between her own before lacing their fingers together. "Max, what's wrong is that you should be able to use the bathroom at your own school without worrying about getting shot by some fucked up dickhead. What's wrong is that entire family feels so self important, so above it all, that they think they shouldn't be held accountable for the shit they do. And what's tragically wrong, on a cosmic scale, is that you're stuck here, lying in a hospital bed, partially paralyzed while your college fund gets sucked dry from medical bills and attorney fees because of what that son of a bitch did to you. What he did to both of us."
Slowly, Max brought her head up, amazed at the gentle, almost tender, definitely protective, tone Chloe had used.
"You're right…" Max replied just above a whisper, there was a heavy feeling of expectation between them, like they were both waiting for the other to do...something… their faces were inches apart, Max could smell Chloe's spearmint gum each time the older girl exhaled.
"Well, that was faster than expected." Sebastian said, closing the door a little harder than planned as it slammed.
Chloe jumped back, dropping Max's hand as if it was on fire. It took Max a few moments to realize what had happened.
"Wha...What?" Chloe stammered out, clearly flustered and then annoyed because she didn't know why she was feeling flustered. It was just a pep talk, a way to get Max to not feel bad about suing those Prescott assholes. So why did it feel like her cheeks were burning up?
"Your parents had surprisingly a lot less questions than I anticipated, well, except for David, he's is a suspicious one." If Sebastian suspected he had interrupted anything, he wasn't letting on. "Though, he might be able to help a lot more I realized. His position as the head of security means he probably has a lot of information we can use."
David? Useful? There was a thought Chloe had never entertained in her life before and probably never would again.
"I've got a lot of information to go through but for right now, we're going to hold off on your statement to the police for the time being, Max. At least until you're out of the hospital. Until than, I do not want either of you talking to anyone else about anything we talked about today, not even your parents." Sebastian looked at each girl until they both nodded. "Great, now as far as charges against either of you. I don't think we have anything to worry about in regards to you, Max. It's a bit more complicated with you, Chloe. I'm not saying they will try to arrest you. I still believe they would be crazy if all they have to go on are those texts messages but at the same time, these attorney's they've hired, they're pretty morally bankrupt so we need to be ready in case they do plan on pressing the extortion angle."
"Wait, I thought you said that they didn't have a case?" Max was shaking, unsure if she was more pissed or more scared.
"I don't think they have a case but that doesn't mean that they might not find some other evidence or decide to try and press the issue because if they could get you arrested on a felony charge of extortion or blackmail, it only helps their case. I don't say this to scare you because if they do try to arrest you, Chloe, that leaves the door open to go into the circumstances that lead up to your actions." Sebastian was doing everything to reassure the scared girls in front of him but at the same time, he needed them to be aware of what could happen so they didn't feel betrayed or lied to if the worst case scenario happened. He needed them prepared, not upset or scared.
Chloe was dreading telling Max about the events leading up to the bathroom but knew she had to. Like it or not, she'd dragged Max into all of this, so it was only fair that she knew everything as well. Plus, Chloe didn't want the younger girl to think she went around trying to threaten people for money for no reason. Chloe did a lot of questionable things but she wasn't some wannabe thug.
"When will we know?" If it was going to happen, Chloe just wanted it over and done with so they could deal with it.
"I expect if they are going to make a move then it would most likely be before his arraignment hearing in two weeks, when they enter his formal plea and to see if he's eligible for bail. Me educated guess would be if they are going to make a move to file charges, it would be between now and then."
Chloe felt sick again but part of her thought she deserved to locked up like Nathan, it was her fault, she set everything in motion. Maybe Max would be safe as far away from her as possible, maybe everyone would be better off.
"Look, I don't want either of you to panic, if and that's a big if, they do arrest you, Chloe, the only words out of your mouth, no matter what is, I want want to speak to my attorney. Do you understand? Those are the only words you say. And if you're with her, Max, you do not say a word, no matter how upset you are, no matter what they do, you do not say a word, you call me immediately." Sebastian handed each girl one of his business cards. "Do not lose these cards, they have my personal cellphone number on them. You call me immediately. If the police show up here to talk to you, Max, you say you want to speak to your attorney, do not let them goad either of you into saying anything, understand?"
Shit just got real, real fast. This is more than telling someone what happened, this is fucking real, homeboy just gave us his personal cell number. He has to suspect they're going to arrest me more than he's letting on. Chloe blew out a breath, staring up at the ceiling. A warm hand clasped hers, intertwining their fingers. She felt the slight tremble in the grip, Max was as freaked out as her.
"Ok, there's only a few more things I need to go over with you all. I know it's been a long hard day but you both are doing great." Sebastian stuck his head out the door, calling their parents back into the room.
Vanessa went to sit in the chair she'd occupied since Max was brought into this room after surgery but found Chloe not looking like she was going anywhere. Her and Max were holding hands as if the connection was the only thing keeping them afloat. Vanessa instead went and stood with her husband at the foot of Max's bed, next to Joyce while David lean against the wall, slightly apart from everyone else.
"It's been a long day for all of us," Sebastian started, "there's only one more thing I want to go over with everyone for now. Due to the status of the Prescott's there has been a growing media interest surrounding this case. It's only getting more intense as the arraignment gets closer and more details are coming out. It is imperative that no one speaks to the media. I don't care what they say because you are going to hear all kinds of horrible things about yourselves, about your children, about each other. It doesn't matter. They are baiting you and now a days, cases are tried in the court of public opinion as much as in the courtroom." Hard green eyes looked at everyone, driving home how serious he was about this. "No matter what, you keep your cool at all times, you do not give them the satisfaction of getting a video or a picture of any of you losing your shit, am I crystal clear on this?" It was the closest Sebastian had gotten to lecturing any of them that day but he needed to make sure they understood how crucial this was.
Everyone nodded, with a few yes' and yeah's thrown in. Satisfied that they got it, Sebastian's stern father expression morphed into a big smile. "Good, if it gets too bad, if the media is too persistent, let me know, I'll handle it. Now, I'm going to my hotel room and start getting my notes in order. Ryan, I'll give you a call tomorrow, if I need anything else for the time being I'll let you know. Otherwise, I'll be in touch in the next few days."
After another round of handshakes and thank you's, Sebastian left. Everyone stood around, emotionally drained and not sure what they could talk about. There were a few awkward moments. Chloe still hadn't moved from what Vanessa considered her chair.
Max was a bit freaked out thinking about the media attention, she hadn't even thought about that. Being under media scrutiny sounded like one of Dante's nine circles of hell. As much as she wasn't looking forward to that, the thought that Chloe might not be as safe as she had thought, as much as she had believed was enough to make her want to scream with frustration. When Sebastian gave them instructions on what to do if Chloe was arrested, Max had felt her blood run cold. Her mind wa still racing, formulating a way to ensure Chloe was safe while Nathan and Jefferson were held accountable for what they had done.
"I have my shift at the diner in about an hour." Joyce announced looking at her watch. "Vanessa, Ryan, why don't you come down to the diner, grab an early dinner?"
Vanessa gave a hesitant look in Max's clearly torn over eating something besides hospital food and staying behind to make sure Max was alright. "I'm not sure…"
"Go, ahead, Mom, you can bring me back a cheeseburger and some fries." Max encouraged. She loved having her parents around but it had been a bit suffocating, they had both been there almost every moment since Max had woken up. And she really wanted a cheeseburger from Two Whales.
"Yeah, go on, I'll stay with Max." Chloe volunteered. She didn't have anything else to do. And there was the matter of telling Max what had happened with Nathan, better to get it out of the way there was no point in dragging it out.
"If you're sure…" Vanessa looked conflicted, the only time she left the hospital was to go back to hers and Ryan's hotel room at night, after the basically being kicked out for staying past visiting hours.
"Thank you, Joyce, that sounds perfect." Ryan said, gently taking his wife's arm to walk her out of Max's room. "The girls will be fine and I can't deprive Max of a cheeseburger, what kind of father would I be?"
"We won't be gone long, sweetie." Vanessa said over her shoulder as Ryan dragged her out.
"Grab Max a chocolate shake, too!" Chloe called out to her mom as they all finally left.
"Wowser, talk about flashbacks to being a kid. Mom acted the same way whenever they were going out for the night and left me with a babysitter." Max laughed. The only time Vanessa never had a problem leaving Max when she was little was with Chloe's family.
"Well, you're mommy's precious little Maxy-waxy." Chloe teased, using a cute sing songy voice.
"Oh, my Dog, I can't believe you remember that!" Max laughed even harder.
"How could I forget?" Chloe laughed so hard she snorted. When Vanessa would drop Max off at the Price household when she was a little kid, her mom would always pinch her cheeks while saying in a baby voice, 'You be a good girl, I lub you, you're Mommy's precious Maxy-Waxy.'
"Oh, man, it was fine when I was 5 but she didn't stop that until I was like 9." Max hung her head remembering the embarrassment.
"Aww, it's ok, Maxy-Waxy…" Chloe snorted out, holding her side she was laughing so hard. It wasn't that funny but after the emotionally draining day, it felt good to laugh together, to have a release.
"Oh, shut up, ChloBear." Max pouted playfully, it wasn't fair that Chloe didn't have an embarrassing nickname that Max could use against her, even her childhood nickname was cute. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, for once not worrying about the missed time or who was at fault for what.
Chloe started fidgeting in her chair, looking at Max then looking away. It was clear there was something she wanted to talk about but Max was afraid to call her out on it, not wanting to ruin the nice moment they were sharing. Finally, after for a few false starts Chloe turned nervously to face a very relaxed looking Max. She felt a bit bad that she was going to break the warm mood but she was determined to tell Max everything, like pulling a band aid off, get it done and out of the way.
"Nathan drugged me." Chloe spit out suddenly. Max raised her eyebrows, she already knew but Chloe didn't know she knew, it sucked, she didn't want the older girl to suffer unnecessarily through the story again.
"That's so fucked up!" Even having heard this all before and experiencing something very similar herself in the Dark Room, it still made Max's blood boil. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Max said remorsefully, taking Chloe's hand in her own.
"Yeah, he didn't, um, didn't touch me, like rape me..I woke up with all my clothes on still, he was taking pictures of me." Both girls were shaking, there were more ways to take advantage of someone, that made them vulnerable then sexually assaulting them. "But that was why I was trying to blackmail him, to keep quiet." Chloe finished bitterly, her blue eyes hard.
Chloe's admission inadvertently triggered Max's own memories of the Dark Room. Max gripped Chloe's hand harder, as she felt that now familiar feeling of her heart pounding hard, each breath a struggle. No, no not now, not when Chloe it opening up to me, get it together….
The blue haired girl looked at her with alarm, immediately knowing something was wrong. Panic flashed across Chloe's features as Max's eyes darted all over the room, struggling to breath. It felt like Max would break her hand with how hard she was squeezing it. "Max, Max, oh, God, should I get a doctor…"
"No.." Max squeaked out, fighting through the attack.
"OK, ok, calm down, it's ok, Maximo, I'm right here with you, you're not alone, I'm right here." Chloe flew out of the chair to sit on Max's bed, awkwardly stroking the younger girls head, as she leaned down to whisper in Max's ear. Max still had her hand in a death grip, Chloe brought their clenched hands over her heart. "Come on, Max, breathe, It's alright, breathe with me."
Max tried to concentrate on Chloe's voice, it was like a life preserver thrown to her as she was drowning in her panic and flashbacks. The sound of the camera flash, his words 'The slightly unconscious model is often the most open and honest.' , the bright flash, these kept playing over and over in her head. She struggled to push that all aside, to only hear Chloe's voice, see her blue eyes, feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing.
Chloe stroked Max's cheek, brushing the tears away, catching the younger girl's eyes and staring deeply in them as she took exaggerated breaths. "Come on, Max, in and out, you're ok, Just look at me. I've got you, stay right here with me."
Slowly, what felt like a lifetime to Chloe, the younger girl's breathing started to calm down, no longer taking huge gulps of air. Chloe continued to murmur soothing words to Max, stroking her cheek, keeping her there in the room with her and out of the dark recesses of her mind that she had been lost in.
"Shit…" Max breathed out heavily, earning a small smile from Chloe, "I'm so sorry…"
Chloe shook her head, giving Max an understanding smile, hiding how freaked out the entire situation had made her. She was confused at what had set off Max's panic attack, did just talking about Nathan set it off? Was this a result of the shooting? Chloe wanted to punch herself in the face, it was bad enough the physical recovery Max had ahead of her but now she was having panic attacks, too. This is what happened to anyone around Hurricane Chloe "It's ok, though damn, for someone so tiny, you have a hella fierce grip on you."
"Oh, fuck..." Max quickly released Chloe's hand with an expression of regret, realizing how hard she'd been gripping it. "I'm sorry…"
Max was still feeling light headed and disoriented, she had felt as if she was right back in the Dark Room, she could faintly feel the tape on her wrists.
Flexing her hand to get feeling back in it, Chloe smiled at Max, filled with relief and a tinge of sadness. "You don't have anything to apologize for, seriously." No, that would be all me.
"I feel like such a baby, I'm so sorry, Chloe. I really didn't want to lose it in front of you." Max was mortified she'd had a panic attack in front of Chloe, that she wasn't acting like such a hero and more like a refugee from the Isle of Misfit Toys.
"Hey, if you can't lose your shit in front of me then who can you?" Chloe shrugged it off, wanting to downplay it if only to save Max from the embarrassment she could tell the other girl was feeling. "Was, um, was that the first panic attack you've had?"
Max looked down, Chloe was still sitting close to her, it was hard to think when she was that close, impossible to lie. "Um, no, the third, well the second real one, i almost had one the other day but was able to snap out of it before it was like full blown."
"Hey, don't be embarrassed, it's not like you asked for them. I use to get them, after my dad died and you... well. I haven't had one in a long time." Chloe admitted with a shrug, ignoring the urge in her to keep her weak spots safe and hidden. She leaned back, putting some space between her and Max, now that she knew the other girl was alright for the moment. Not because she was feeling incredibly vulnerable, that had nothing to do with it.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you." Max replied sadly, feeling inadequate and lame. The words didn't come close to expressing how sorry she was for missing those 5 years of Chloe's life; to explain how much her own life had been desperately lacking for those same years without Chloe in them.
"You're here now." Chloe glanced at Max with troubled eyes before looking at the ceiling, it was almost a question instead of a statement. As if Chloe was worried that Max was going to up and leave again at any moment.
"Chloe, I'm not going anywhere, again, ok?" Max reassured Chloe who looked as if she could bolt at any minute or make a smart ass remark to brush the moment they were having aside, to make it less than it was. Either option was as likely as the other when it came to the blue haired girl next to her. Which is why Chloe's response was so surprising.
"You can't promise that, Max, no one can." Chloe replied desolately, breaking Max's heart a little. She would have preferred Chloe running out the door to avoid the situation than the hopelessness she heard in her voice.
Max reached over, grabbing Chloe's hand again, tugging on it until she looked at her. "I can, I am. We just got the band back together, we can't break it up again."
Chloe gave Max a small smile then rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I think talking about everything that happened, bring it all up, it's got me fucked up in the head right now. I really need to smoke up."
Chloe stood, walking over to the window to look out over the parking lot. Her reflection in the window made her grimace, her hair was all over the place and her eyes looked haunted. Come on, get it together, girl, why are you falling apart? Toughen up, shake it off, put on your game face.
"Pretty sure that window doesn't open, even if it did I know they don't allow smoking of any type in the hospital" Max smirked, doing her best to lighten the dark, heavy mood in the room.
"Aren't you a buzz kill." Chloe turned giving Max a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Do you know in Israel they give people medical weed in the hospital? They've been studying the medical benefits of marijuana for years there. You know, when we get out of here, maybe you should try it, it helps with panic attacks."
Max laughed, of course Chloe would be trying to "corrupt" her before she was even out of the hospital. "What makes you think I haven't tried it already?"
Chloe snickered, walking over to the foot of Max's bed, crossing her arms, "Yeah right, because you're still Max Caulfield. The same Max who freaked out when we got into my mom's wine, who I had to spend over 2 hours convincing to even try a beer. The same Max who actually took the DARE program in school seriously."
"Hey, those DARE videos were terrifying, I mean the one where that guy took acid then jumped off a bridge and ended up with brain damage…"
Chloe laughed, a full, unfiltered laugh, holding her sides, "Max that was from an old Degrassi High episode!"
"Oh, yeah, that's right…" Max grinned, remembering watching the old Degrassi High reruns with Chloe when she was in junior high. She had felt so grown up than, watching those old shows that talked about sex, drugs and everything she imagined high school would be about. Who knew her own high school experience would be shaping up to be a lot more dramatic than Degrassi ever was, even in the next generation episodes with Drake.
"You're so hopeless, Caulfield." Chloe continued laughing but Max didn't mind, she'd let Chloe poke fun at her all day, every day, if it meant the other girl would laugh like she was right than.
Four Days Later...
"Are you sure you're fine? I could see if I could take some more time off work, stay here with you? We could stay at the motel." Vanessa fussed over her daughter as they walked into the Price household.
They had finally released Max from the hospital and were moving her into Chloe's house until she could take care of herself enough to go back to her dorm. Two days before she had started feeling a tingling in her fingertips. Max wasn't one to easily cry but feeling anything in her right hand had brought her to a few grateful tears. After close to a week awake and feeling nothing, she had convinced herself she'd never have any use of her right arm and hand again, that is was some cosmic payback for cheating the storm. Dr. Patel had been pleased with Max's progress and finally released her. She still had to go back the next week for a follow up and to get started with physical therapy but at least she was finally out of the hospital.
"Mom, I'll be fine, you don't have to miss more work for me. Besides you have that project you're starting in a couple weeks, I know you still have a ton of prep work to do." Max replied for what felt like the hundredth time. It was sweet that her mom wanted to stay but Max was ready for a little bit of space from her well intentioned mom.
"Vanessa, sweetie, Max will be fine with Joyce and Chloe both mother henning over her. And she has a point, you worked hard on getting them to approve your program, you need to be there to help set it all up." Ryan placed a supportive arm around his wife's shoulders, giving her a side hug. Vanessa was the Literature and Humanities Program Manager for the Seattle Public Library System. She had been working with the board for almost a year to get a new literacy outreach program started that went to local shelters to train and support the employees there with starting a literacy program for their residents.
"I know, but I feel like I'm putting my responsibility onto Joyce and Chloe." Vanessa confessed with a sigh, looking between her husband and daughter. Vanessa had been struggling with the guilt of leaving her daughter when she was only starting her recovery, she didn't want Max to feel as if she was being abandoned.
"Oh, hush, Vanessa, we want to do this for Max, it's the least we can do, right Chloe?" Joyce waved her hand, as if the mere idea of Max staying with them was any kind of a problem was absurd.
Chloe walked past loaded down carrying a box full of Max's stuff from her dorm room and a guitar slung over her back. "Yeah, it'll be like when we were kids, it's going to be great."
Chloe carried Max's stuff upstairs while Joyce went to start some coffee for the adults. The house looked same as it had when Max was there in the other timeline. The same wine strain on the carpet, the same photos on the fridge. It was an odd sensation of familiarity instead of deja vu. Chloe loudly clomped down the stairs and out the door, returning moments later with Max's duffle bag of clothes.
"Yo, Maxium, come on up." Chloe called as she went bounding up the stairs again.
Max followed her up, much slower, she was paranoid about her balance. She was a bit on the klutzy side before when she had the use of both arms, she couldn't imagine she'd be better with only one. Stepping into Chloe's room was a surprise, it was a lot cleaner than it had been in the other timeline. A lot of the clutter she had come to associate with the older girl's room was nowhere to be found. Chloe had set Max's things down by the desk, an excited grin on her face.
"My room looks a bit different than the last time you saw it." Chloe lightly laughed, almost embarrassed. "No more Yellowcard or Something Corporate Posters."
"Yeah, your taste in wall art has definitely, um, evolved." Max snickered looking at the more adult, definitely not PG posters and graffiti on the walls. Inwardly laughing, Max was shocked she hadn't picked up on how clearly not straight Chloe was the first time she'd been in her room. The posters of the half naked women should have been a big tip off.
"You like?" Chloe laughed but there was a nervous edge to it. She shift from foot to foot a nervous habit she'd had since she was a child.
"It's very...Chloe 2.0" Max replied with a smirk. It was terribly cute how Chloe seemed anxious to see of Max liked her room. It was more than the room, Max knew, it felt as if Chloe was waiting to see if Max liked who Chloe grew up to be, even if Chloe didn't like herself, it was painfully obvious she wanted some type of approval from the other girl. "It suits you."
Max looked around, she had spent dozens of hours in this room in the week that never was but at the time most of her attention had been focused on Chloe. She was noticing things she missed before or maybe they were new since Chloe actually cleaned her room. Like there was a picture of them on the wall at Max's tenth birthday party. Chloe was smashing cake into a laughing Max's face. There were considerably less flyers of Rachel Amber all over, they were now neatly stacked on the desk. The corner where the suitcase of empty beer bottles was now replaced with a short white pressboard bookshelf. A small loveseat had be arranged in front of the TV and bookcase.
"I cleared out a couple drawers and some room in my closet for your clothes so you don't have to live out of your duffle bag." Chloe opened the empty top dresser drawer.
"Thanks, that was cool of you." It wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, a few empty drawers and closet space, but that Chloe would think about it, that she wanted to ensure Max was comfortable sharing a room touched Max. She gave Chloe a sincere smile. She knew that the girl Chloe had become after their week together in the other timeline was still there.
"Yeah, no biggie." Chloe downplayed the gesture, looking down to hide her creeping embarrassment.
Without asking Chloe started unpacking Max's clothes for her. Max felt self conscious letting Chloe put her clothes away, wondering if Chloe was finding her taste in fashion, or lack there of, lame. She really couldn't do it herself though, her arm was tucked against her chest in the sling the doctor had given her with an immobilizer around her should to keep from moving it while it healed. Though she didn't need two hands to put her underwear and socks in the drawer. She started grabbing them out of the bag and putting them in the drawer one at a time while Chloe hung up her shirts and pants. She silently cringed when Chloe pulled out her Hello Punk Kitty T-shirt and snickered.
Ugh, why do I have such lame taste in clothes? I need to find a style beyond graphic tees and jeans. My clothes basically say 'Nothing to see here, move along.' It didn't make a statement like Chloe with her punk aesthetic or Rachel's rock style had. It had always suited Max before, she preferred to be in the background rather than grabbing attention but now she was feeling like maybe she didn't want to be background noise anymore or at least as much.
"Well looks like Super Max has some super underwear!" Chloe grabbed the last pair of Max's underwear out of the duffle bag waving them around, a huge smirk on her face, "But really, Supergirl? I would have pegged you as a Wonder Woman kinda girl myself."
Max tried to grabbed her red and blue Supergirl Boyshorts from Chloe, who kept them high above Max's head just out of reach. "Please, Wonder Woman is so obvious."
"Well, that's because she's the shit, Max, she could totally kick Supergirl's ass in a fight." Chloe teased with mock seriousness, still waving the underwear around.
"Cereal? Supergirl would kick that Amazon's butt from here to Metropolis and back!" Max stopped in her tracks, offended more by Chloe's comment than the theft of her personal items. "Supergirl has super strength and breath that could freeze Wonder Woman."
"Wonder Woman has a lot more experience than Supergirl and hello, her Lasso! She would break right out of any icy breath crap, lasso Supergirl and that's it, game over. While evenly matched in a lot of areas, experience makes all the difference, Max." Chloe smirked at Max, hitting her over the head with the Supergirl boyshorts. Max huffed, pretending to be a lot more annoyed than she really was, grabbed them and put them away in the drawer.
"Experience isn't everything…" Max playfully grumbled, sitting down at Chloe's desk while the other girl flopped on the bed. She stared at the various flyers, papers and clutter, smiling to herself at some of the more colorful statements Chloe had written on the desktop.
"Well, I guess that depends on what you're talking about..." Chloe wiggled her eyebrows at Max causing the other girl to blush. It wasn't that Max was completely inexperienced but she knew the blue haired girl had a lot more experience in certain departments.
Max cursed the redness she felt creeping up her face, Chloe was a lot better at this game than she was but that didn't mean she wouldn't try to play.
"STDs?" Max blurted out, almost involuntarily, unable to hold a straight face at the dumbfounded look on Chloe's. She'd finally been able to make the older girl speechless. Score one for me. "I'd imagine that having a lot of experience in them wouldn't be a good thing."
"Why Maxine Caulfield, what would a sweet, innocent, little girl like you know about STDs?" Chloe teased putting a hand over her heart like she was offended while imitating her mom's southern drawl.
"Only what I've learned in health class and seen on TV." Max admitted, meeting Chloe's eyes with a sly grin, "And maybe I'm not as sweet and innocent as you think."
Chloe lightly kicked her foot out from the bed, tapping Max on the leg. "Yeah, right, look at you, Max, I even say the word sex and you turn bright red."
Max rolled her eyes, desperately ignoring her face getting redder. The strap on her sling was annoying her, she adjusted it so it wasn't digging into her shoulder so much, stalling maybe a tiny bit. "You'd be surprised."
The older girl got up from the bed, moving to stand in front of Max, a dangerous smirk on her face with a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. "Oh yeah? Ok, Max, surprise me. I dare you to kiss me. I double dare you."
Max's heart sped up, as unsure this time as she was in the last timeline, was Chloe using this as a way to figure out her own feelings or was she just messing with Max? Was this the older girl's way of making a move without making one? A way to give herself an out if Max rejected her, that she was only joking around? They had been spending a lot of time together while Max was in the hospital, reconnecting and trying to get back what they'd lost five years ago. Chloe had been there almost as much as Max's parents. The awkwardness and subtle digs had subsided in the last couple days and grew into a comfortable, easy going friendship once more. It wasn't all puppy dogs and rainbows but it was significantly better than when Max had first woken up.
Chloe was still standing in front of Max with a cocky grin, her arms crossed as if she was sure she'd won this round but her eyes weren't nearly as playful as her body language would suggest. Max took a deep breath, unconsciously licked her lips, grabbed Chloe's shirt with her good hand and pulled the taller girl down until their lips met. It was brief, barely a kiss but it was enough to send small electrical jolts through Max's entire body, she could swear she felt her right arm and shoulder electrified with the rest of her body. She could taste cigarettes and spearmint gum on Chloe's lips. She grinned triumphantly as Chloe jumped back, as if the electricity running through Max's body when their lips connected extended to Chloe, shocking her, too.
"Um, consider me surprised." Chloe stammered, looking slightly dazed before giving a small shake of her head. She sat down on the bed, eyeing Max with shock, confusion and disbelief. "Wow, ok maybe you're not as innocent as you look. Damn, Max."
Max smirked at Chloe even though her head was spinning, analyzing every move, every look and word Chloe made. Was it too soon? Was she freaked out? Did she like it? Was she grossed out? Chloe hadn't run out of the room or even to the other side off the room, she was sitting across from Max, staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. She was fidgeting with her beanie, tucking her hair in it, under it.
Ok calm down, she's not grossed out, you didn't ruin this. Just play it off, don't make it too big of a deal. Be cool, no big deal, don't rush it, give her time to think about it. Max had learned in the other timeline and even in this one, Chloe was still very much focused on Rachel and a bit slow when it came to allowing herself to acknowledge new feelings, new possibilities. It was frustrating at times because things seemed to be going so slow, the rebuilding process, gaining Chloe's trust again. In the other timeline it happened so fast, in just a week but this time Max didn't have her powers to share with Chloe, which helped solidify Chloe's trust in her last time.
"See, told you, you'd be surprised." Max taunted, acting much more confident than she felt.
"Yeah, you certainly did." Chloe replied looking contemplatively, she leaned back, her eyes locked on the ceiling, "You're full of surprises, Maximum."
"Let's go grab some dinner, I'm so ready for real food." Max jumped up from the chair, needing to distract Chloe before she got lost in her head. Food was usually a pretty good distraction when it came to the blue haired girl.
"Yeah, I'm sure Joyce is cooking up a storm with all the Caulfields here." Chloe agreed, slowly getting up herself before her eyes went wide with excitement, "I think she was even making another double chocolate cake!"
Max laughed as Chloe almost tripped over herself trying to get down the stairs, crisis averted for now she hoped.
Quick Note: I'm going on vacation and won't be back until Sept. 1st, so hopefully this was long enough to hold you over until I get back. I really enjoy all the reviews, thank you. This chapter is completely unBETA'd, barely reread, as I wanted to get something up for you before I left tonight. Thanks for reading, I'm pretty amazed at the response this has gotten, so thanks.
