Max's POV

The flock and I were sitting in the waiting room. Fang was standing in a corner, being Mr. Positive, of course. Gazzy and Angel were sitting next to each other, probably talking through thoughts. Angel looks scared, but like she was trying not to show it. It was silent. Nudge hasn't said a word. Not one word since, well since Iggy collapsed. She was going on and on, and then I think she noticed Iggy wasn't there to tell her to shut up..

I didn't know what to do. I always knew what to do, but not this time. I felt like I should be doing something, or fighting someone. There was nothing I could do.

I stood up and went outside to pace. I walked back and forth trying to figure out a plan. What had happened. I replayed the entire morning over and over in my head. Nothing seemed different with Iggy. He was acting fine. He was happy and okay. I was a wreck.

Fang. No, my god. Fang is what I'm thinking about when Iggy might.. die. I forced myself to think about. To think of life without Iggy. The Flock would probably starve. I would be a basket case. I need Iggy. He's the only one who can get Nudge to shut up. What would we do without him?

That's just it though. We wouldn't do anything. Without Iggy, we wouldn't make it.

I gasped and stopped walking. I gripped the mirror to a car in the parking lot so hard it tore off. No alarm went off so I just dropped it helplessly. Tears were in my eyes, I kept blinking to hold them back. I needed to be inside. I needed to be taking care of everyone. That was me. The dependable Max. There was always something that needed to be done. Get the Flock fed. Stop Gazzy and Iggy from blowing up the world. Save Angel. Save Fang. Save Ari. Lose Ari... Worry about Brigid. Worry about Mr. Chu. I didn't want this. I didn't want this life.

I wanted my family safe. Once and for all. No Itex, no global warming. Nothing, just a normal life with my Flock. Was that really too much to want. I was pacing again. I don't know when that had started. I had found my way so a patch of dead grass off the side.

I heard footsteps. I wasn't alone anymore. I took a deep breath, getting myself together for whoever it was. I whirled around to see Fang staring at me; expressionless. Shocker.

"Hey," He said. I stared at him incredulously. Hey? Really? That's what he had to say, hey?!

I was furious, and it was burying my sadness and desperation about Iggy.

"What do you want?" I said, trying to make my face expressionless as his.

"I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm horrible, thanks for asking." Then walked by him, back towards the building.

"Max," he paused, then continued, "I'm worried too." I stopped and turned my head back to look at him. Fang looked desperate. I couldn't stand it. I looked down, trying to figure out what I should do. I wanted to hug him, but that might be weird. I didn't know what to think. Ever since our date, we just, I don't know.

I gave in. I stepped back toward him and through my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest. I hated how much taller he was then me. His arms came around my waist, and his hands pressed flat and firmly against my back. I could feel his head bending down, hiding his face in my hair. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, giving in and enjoying Fang holding me.

"Fang, I.." I didn't know what I was trying to say. So I just told him what I'd been thinking for awhile, "I miss you."

"I'm right here." He said, though I knew he knew what I had meant.

"I missed how we were. Like back before the flyboy attack.." I swallowed, hoping he understood I was talking about our date. If he did, he ignored it.

He drew back from our embrace and looked down at me threw his bangs. "Max, you know how important you are to me, right?" I sighed and nodded. I desperately wanted to figure out what he was thinking. I studied every curve, and wrinkle on his face. Nothing. It was so frustrating and depressing I thought I might almost start crying.

I clenched my jaw and took a step back from him. With my hands gripping in fists at my sides, I stared at my feet. "Sorry to bother you." I mumbled, suddenly feeling foolish.

"I came out here, remember?" Fang stated simply.

"Yea, but you don't want to have to think about me. We should be with the Flock. We should be with Iggy." That got some sadness to show in his eyes. I would have been smug about it, if it weren't so heartbreaking.

"You're right. I shouldn't be thinking about you." And with that he put his arms around me once more, gripping me so fast and tight, I barely had time to react. But I put my arms under his this time. This was a good moment. I felt horrible about it happening now, during the middle of all of this. Iggy being sick, and the entire flock not knowing what to do with themselves. And here I am, feeling happy about this stupid hug, that Fang or I would probably throw back up in someone's face somewhere down the line. I'm disgusting. But I love him, I love everyone in the flock. But I needed Fang more than I needed anyone else.

The flock needed Iggy, so I did too, not that that was the only reason. But Fang, I alone needed him more than anyone else, I think.

I placed the bottom of my chin on his chest, with my head looking straight up to see his face, and I think I caught the glimpse of a tear in his eye. Which of course made tears start to form in mine too.

"Now, now.. Don't get all sappy on me.." Fang's snide remark showed the true return of my best friend. He wiped a tear that had fallen on my cheek as he stepped out of our hug. "Do you want to go back inside?"

"No..I'm- I'm afraid if I go back inside, they'll tell me he's dead." I sighed again. It was scary for me to admit that to myself, so saying it out loud to Fang was like jumping off a cliff without wings.

I stepped over to stand next to him, looking back at my mom's office, and sat down. Fang followed and I began pulling the dead grass in front of my crossed legs out of the dirt and tearing it to shreds. It was rather therapeutic. Fang and I sat there in silence for awhile. Looking at my mom's office, looking at each other. Anything to avoid going back inside. I'm sure my mom was still with Iggy, if she had come out at all, someone from the Flock would have come and got us.

"What are we gunna do if.. if he doesn't come out of this okay?" I said.

"We're not going to have to find out." Fang replied. He sounded pretty confident about that, so confident I almost believed him, without a doubt. Almost.

- | -

After a little bit longer of humoring me and sitting outside, Fang stood up and offered me his hand. Something about the look on his face and the way he stood though, I knew it wasn't an option of going back inside. He was going to make me no matter what I did.

So with a sigh and a slight glare towards Fang we were up and back in the waiting room. Thankfully, my mom seemed to be having a slow day. She had sent her receptionist home and no one else was in the waiting room. Just the Flock and I. Just Iggy and my mom. It helped us relax a little more I think, but this was still really hard on everyone; that much was obvious.

Fang and I were sitting next to each other in the living room now. No one seemed to have really noticed we'd been gone. It was another hour or so when my mom finally came out of wherever Iggy was in the back. "Max and Fang, can you come back here please?" My mom said leaning out of the doorway.

The semi-hospital smell was stronger back there. Fang and I both tensed, but tried not to show it. Iggy was lying on a table, that my mom had put a sheet over, but still looked very uncomfortable. It was the best that she could do though, and I knew she would do whatever she could to make it better.

"Max, I don't know what to say. I've run every test and nothing seems to be physically wrong with him except for his climbing fever. I gave him some medication but it's continuing to climb. If it doesn't settle back down, it could be fatal."

Fatal? As in dead? I stood there. I didn't say anything. I didn't move. I didn't breathe. I didn't know what I could do. But I had to do something. Think, Max. What will make this okay, what will make this better. "Oh.." Oh? Oh that's brilliant Max. My face probably looked like I was self loathing myself and the world. Which I was, I was angry, depressed, confused, and exhausted.

My face was wet. I was crying. I was sobbing I couldn't help it. Fang stood there for a moment, looking, not shocked, but wondering. I think on how to comfort me.

He settled for yet another hug. If I was going to keep up being this needy Fang was probably going to run for the hills. But I didn't care at that moment. I fell into him, I didn't know what to do. I thought that I might pass out. It was never this bad before. There was always a problem that we could fix, that we could fight to stop. This time there was nothing. Iggy was just dying and there was nothing, I, or anyone else, could do about it.

- | -

Author's Note: Sorry I've been so bad about updating every other day. But from now on I will be, as long as I get a decent amount of reviews. I was on vacation, and still am, but now I'm with family, so they don't really care what I do, and I try to avoid them as much as possible. AND. The next few chapters will be a little longer I'm hoping.

This story had a definite place where it was going when it started, but the more I wrote it, the more I hated it. So I deleted everything from chapter 3 and on. And I'm rewriting. And trust me, that's for the best.

Iggy is not going to die! Let me make that clear. Let me know if you think there should be some Iggy/Nudge a few chapters down the line.

READ AND REVIEW! Please?