Fang felt Max go limp in his arms and his heart rate, already so fast because of the amount of blood he knew she was loosing, sped up to an almost dangerous point. He hadn't shown concern because he didn't want her worried about herself, but his clothes were damp with her blood. She needed help. Now. Possibly in a hospital.
"Guys," He had to force his voice to be calm, "We need to pour on the speed. Max needs some serious help. Get back to Anne's. Nudge, fly ahead of us and get the Ghosts here. Quickly!"
Nudge took off, like a dark bullet against the blue sky, and Fang willed her to make sure the Ghosts got here soon. They would know where to find help. A hospital was the last resort, but he'd take it.
"Guys, land here!"
"But this is Anne's house…" Angel said doubtfully.
"I know." Fang sighed. "With luck, we won't be bothered.
The other three landed quickly, but Fang took his time, hovering for a few moments before gently dropping to the ground. It took a lot of effort, but he had to do everything he could to make sure Max didn't get hurt more than she already was.
"Fang…" there was an edge to The Gasman's voice. He was looking towards Anne's house.
Fang's head snapped in the direction of Gazzy's gaze. There in the doorway stood Anne, looking concerned. However, she stayed where she was, wilting a little under Fan's fierce stare.
"Okay guys. When the Ghosts get here we'll see what we can do to get Max some help."
"Do we have to take her to a hospital?" Angel said, biting her thumbnail.
"I hope not. If we have to, though, we will."
"What's going on with her?" Iggy asked.
"She's lost a lot of blood."
"A lot as in how much?"
"Her shirt's soaked through…MY shirt's soaked through…" Fang said, trying so hard to hide how scared he was. "She's lost…I dunno how much. She's been bleeding like crazy sense…before we left the cave…" His throat grew tight and he had to stop talking.
"What did he do?"
"Scratched her…when she went past him." The corners of his eyes began to burn and he swallowed hard.
Iggy gently ran his fingers over her side, his hands like butterflies.
"This is bad. Real bad. Almost as bad as you were that time...Maybe worse. This is possibly hospital bad…"
"Only as a last resort. Maybe the Ghosts know somewhere…" Gazzy said what was on Fang's mind. Fang nodded, scanning the horizon.
There was a sudden roar of two cars, a screech of brakes, gravel scattered, and doors slammed.
"Get her in the car!" Tonks yelled, opening the back door to the black car Keez was driving. Her face was white.
"Where can you take her? Is there somewhere she can get help?" Fang needed these answers! Now!
Keez was shaking his head, but Tonks had a grim smile on her face.
"The orphanage. Didn't I tell you to get her in the car?!"
Fang did as she said, and the flock piled into the second car.
"Keez. Drive." Tonks slammed her door shut. The car lurched forward, spitting rocks behind it. Fang had Max's head in his lap and was stroking her tangled, bloodied hair.
"Hope you guys can get the stains out of your seats…" He said as Max's blood continued to trickle.
"With the rumbles we've seen," Keez jerked the steering wheel, sending them down a side ally, "You know how to get the blood out."
Fang just nodded, his nose and eyes still burning.
"Tonks…where do I turn?"
"You forgot?!"
"Yes!"
Tonks smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.
"Left….here!"
Keez jerked the steering wheel right.
"Your other left!"
Keez righted the wheel with a screech of tires and kept driving.
"Do you ever listen to me?" Tonks was nearly laughing.
"No."
"Drive. Fang, is Max ever so stubborn?"
"Worse." The corners of his mouth twitched. "Stubborn as she is, it's made her a good leader. She seems to see things I don't, and when she's stubborn it usually turns out to be better for the flock."
He hadn't noticed that some tears had escaped, hard as he had tried to hold them back. Three of them splashed lightly, darkening small circles on Max's shirt. A fourth soon followed them.
Crying…it was something he almost never did. Something no one else had ever, ever seen him do. Not even Max. He had cried three times in his life before this. The first time of joy, a few tears, when he had flown. When he had escaped. The second had been when he was alone in his room in anger after Angel had been taken. After he had seen Max so broken by the event. The third time, he had scared himself. After Max had left with Ari...after the flock had split. He had told Iggy to watch the Gasman and flown onto a rooftop. He had sobbed so hard that he couldn't breath. He'd missed Max so much...He had been so lost. If Max didn't make it...
He wouldn't, either.
"Fang?...Fang!"
Fang's head snapped up. Tonks was looking at him intently.
"Almost there."
Fang nodded. Feeling foolish, he wiped his eyes. He looked at Max again. Her side was still bleeding, but weakly.
Keez slammed the brakes in front of a large, brick building. A sign was over the door, but Fang didn't bother reading it. Gently, very gently, he lifted Max out of the car. Tonks was holding the door open.
"Here, let me do the talking." She said, jogging up the steps.
"You sure? You've been gone for five years..."
"They'll remember me."
Tonks knocked on the door three times and waited. Seconds, precious seconds ticked by until the door was opened by a tall, skinny boy of about 17 with shoulder length, black hair.
"So anyway, this chick left about five years ago," He was saying to two younger boys behind him. "Called herself Tonks. Weird name, but she was weird to her core. All the same, she hit hard. I just can't-"
"Believe you let a girl whup your butt? Now, how about you stop talking and let us in?" Tonks said.
The boy paled, looking her up and down.
"Yeah, Snape, it's me. Could you please get Nurse Louise? Or Minerva? Someone? Now, preferably!"
Snape looked behind her, saw Max in Fang's arms, got paler, and ran.
"Nurse! Minerva!! Someone?!"
The two boys looked, too, and then ran away looking scared.
"What the? Oh..." Tonks turned and looked.
Max's wings were hanging limply, the tip of one dragging on the ground. A small trail of blood that had been on it went from the car to the steps.
"What in the world are you going on about?" A soft voice was saying. "Covered in blood...Wings...That young Eleanor back. Such nonsense, honestly-" She reached the door and stopped. "Eleanor? What on Earth?"
"Please, Lily, where's Nurse Mary?"
"Well, poor young Theodore accidentally had a mishap with a dart...But why are you back?"
"I have a friend who needs some help. I think Nurse Mary might be able to help her."
Lily looked Fang and Max up and down, her eyes widening at the sight of Max's wings and the blood.
"Well, come in. I think Theo can wait a bit."
"Thank you."
The woman nodded, and beckoned with her hand. Up a flight of steps, down a hall, and to the last door on the right where there was a makeshift infirmary. Curious eyes, small faces, and small gasps followed them as children caught sight of Max. The flock was gathered tight and all of them were very twitchy.
"Now, Theo, next time watch where you're going!" A woman with her hair drawn back in a tight bun was saying as the placed a band-aid on a small, curly haired boy's forehead. The boy, who was sitting on a small bed, nodded and hopped down. Catching sight of the flock he stopped. His small mouth fell open and he dived behind the bed, letting out a startled 'squee'.
"Now, Theo, what in the world?" Said the woman as she turned. Her mouth set in a grim line as she saw Max. "What in the name of Mary and Joseph happened to her?!"
"Long story, Mary, sorry I can't explain just now. You'll have to ask Fang later." Said Tonks as she stepped forward. "That's Fang." She pointed him out.
"Right. Well, get her on the bed before I ask you too many questions. I'm glad to see you again dear." She then became very serious. "Lily, do we still have that kit of stitches we had to buy after John tried to glue the glass vase back together?"
"Yes, let me find it." Lily rushed off.
"Well, set her down!"
Fang carefully set Max on the bed, every sense on hyper alert.
"Elen-...Tonks, dear could you find me the hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, gauze, and scissors out of that cabinet?" She pointed to it. "On second thought, bring me the medical tape and some of that flexi-wrap, too."
"What are you going to do?" Fang asked. He wasn't leaving until he found out.
"Stitch her up and get some bandages on her. How much blood has she lost?"
"A lot. This is her blood on my clothes."
"Then she needs a transfusion. Tonks, in to the right of you there are some blood bags and IV needles and tubes. Get those, too, please. Does she need anything...special?"
"I can donate the blood." Fang said.
"Aside from her side, where else is she hurt?"
"Her...wing."
"Mmm-hmm." Tonks handed her a cotton ball, some alcohol, and one of the bag. "Hold out your arm, doesn't matter which one." She rubbed his arm with some alcohol and readied the needle. Fang resisted the impulse to flinch away as memories of the School came flooding back to him. He watched the bag fill slowly with blood and hoped it would be enough.
"Here. I finally found them!" Lily came in and began taking things out of the kit. Needles, more scissors, what looked like different types of threads, and antibacterial creams.
"Good, good." Mary was washing Max's side as best she could through her shirt. "You," she looked at Fang, "Along with the others need to leave the room."
"What? No." Fang impulsively grabbed Max's hand. "I can't leave her."
"You'll only be in the way, and I need to remove her shirt." Mary said sternly.
"But-"
"Fang! For Max's sake listen!" Tonks said, pulling on some latex gloves she'd found. She handed two more pairs to Mary and Lily.
The needle was removed from Fang's arm and put into Max's. Fang motioned for the flock to come with him and turned to go out the door. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mary snipping away Max's shirt. Lily shut the door behind them.
As Fang heard the 'thunk' of wood on wood he wondered if he would be able to leave here with Max.
Because if he couldn't leave with her, then he wouldn't leave at all. They would have to bury him with her.