Aye!

So starting next week I have school.

Ugh, it sucks major time, but don't you worry. Between racing and school, I'll make time for my updates I promise you that.

So when do you guys start school?

Gazzy's POV-

I don't know what woke me up; maybe it was because it was too quiet. I slowly lifted my eyelids up and blinked a few times at the harsh lights above us. Something was pressing tightly against my shoulder and I looked down at a sleeping Cindy.

Smiling, I wrapped my arm around her waist, and tugged her form up a bit so that she wasn't slouching. Then, realization dawned on me as to why she was leaning on me.

Cindy lost her mother tonight.

I saw the way Max and Mei stiffened when they saw the body, and I somehow knew that Cindy was going to react the same way as them. Yeah, Cindy knew that her mother died, but she didn't see the body. She turned her head away as soon as they rolled it out.

"COOKIE!" Someone said.

I whirled around in the direction of the voice and saw Max. She was asleep and she was flailing her arms around like a mad man.

"COOKIE!" she repeated.

I smirked. That must be some dream.

I looked over the seat next to her to look at Mei, but she wasn't there.

"Must've gone to the bathroom," I thought.

I laid my head back down on Cindy's, trying to fall back asleep.

A while later, I woke up again, this time in need to use the bathroom. I lightly placed Cindy against the chair next to her and got up to stretch. I turned to walk towards the bathroom, when I noticed something.

Mei still hadn't returned.

Frowning, I went over to Max and shook her shoulder. She grumbled and pushed my hand away, but I just shook her harder. Her eyes flung open and her fist shot out in my direction. I ducked at the last second, and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't kick.

Anyway, she opened her eyes confusion settling in, before realization hit her. She opened her mouth and yawned while stretching out behind her.

"What do you want pet?" she asked.

Refusing to let her words get to me, I just crossed my arms over my chest.

"Where's Mei?" I asked.

She looked at the empty chair next to her and cocked her head in confusion.

"Must've gone to the bathroom," she said closing her eyes.

I thought that too the first time I woke up. Second time I wake up and she still wasn't there," I said.

She frowned and stood, wincing as her lower back popped.

"What time was the first time you woke up?" she asked.

"I think it was around 1." I said

I looked up at the clock to realize that it was now 2:30. Crap. Max nodded and looked over at Cindy. After thinking something over, she turned back to me.

"Watch over her. I'll be back," she said.

"Wait where are you going?" I asked grabbing her arm.

"Look around for a few, if I'm not back in half an hour I want you to take my car and head to my apartment got it?" she asked giving me the keys.

Three years ago, I would have laughed at her paranoia. Three years ago, I would have just shrugged off her unease. But then again, that was three years ago.

I understood Max's friendship came with accepting the darker parts of her past, but that didn't bother me. But I did know that when I hung with Max, I had to be on my toes. I nodded and went back to Cindy's side, totally forgetting that I had to use the bathroom.

I guess worry does that to a person.

Max's POV-

"I swear if this chick is pigging out in the café…" I let my threat hang in the air, and just walked out of the elevator.

The lobby was empty except for a few janitors. I walked through the lobby halls and made my way to the cafeteria.

I pushed the doors open and walked in the back where the food was kept, to find nothing. Not even the cook.

Scratching the back of my neck, I walked back out of the café and walked towards the bathrooms. She wasn't in there, so I searched the entire lobby for before moving up to the first level. First level was just reception and check in for a room, so she couldn't possibly be here.

2nd floor was the waiting room and the entrance to the ER, (where I just came from) so I went to the 3rd floor which is the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). The floor was deadly quiet, and no one was here. The lights were flicked off and the chairs were stacked neatly against each other.

Sighing, I went back into the elevator and rode up the 4th-6th floors, all coming up empty handed. I took the elevator back down to the lobby and took another elevator down to 3 parking lot levels.

Do not ever go walking alone in a hospital parking lot.

A lot of freaky things happen down here.

Example? Car sex between doctors and nurses, Hobos setting up camp, and overall, you just feel constantly watched.

When Mei was nowhere to be found, I was irritated, worried, angry, frustrated and tired. Not a good combination of emotions if you ask me. Know why?

Because then I start acting on impulse. Act now; think later, that kind of thing.

Let's just hope no one gets jumpy while doing surgery….

Mei's POV-

I sighed and massaged my temples. Other doctors were bustling around, calling orders and working hard on their tubes at hand.

I looked down at one of my own tubes angrily and set it down roughly.

None of this is making sense!

Sensing my frustration, Dylan walked over and looked down at the bottle.

"Something wrong Professor Mei?" he asked.

I smiled at the name. I loved it when people called me 'professor' it made me feel wise and smart.

"Yeah, actually I can't seem to match any of the poison with this sample. Perhaps the chemical was made out of the country. Do you have a list of poisons roughly made around Asia?" I asked.

Dylan shook his head.

I sighed and threw up my hands.

"Then we're screwed. This chemical doesn't match any chemical in the U.S book. If it really is a food poisoning like you say, then this person must get around a lot to have an out of country poison made," I said through clenched teeth.

Who would want to kill Mrs. Heart in the first place? She just looked like a regular loving mother and supportive wife. Then again…Max and I looked like harmless school girls.

Yeah…whoever Mrs. Heart really was, I was gonna find out.

I walked out of the ER rooms and straight into Max.

Literally.

We slammed head first into each other, making us fall backwards.

"Oww," she moaned rubbing her head.

I was doing the same, and I slowly got to my feet at the same time.

"Where the hell were you? I looked all over the place-"

"I need to talk to you. It's important," I said.

She furrowed her brow and nodded as I pulled her aside away from the doors.

"They think Mrs. Heart died from some sort of poisoning," I said.

She folded her arms across her chest and her face scrunched up.

"But all that blood-"

"She threw it all up when her mind registered the poison," I said.

"Whoa! A brain can do that?" she asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes Max. A brain can detect anything that's going on in your body. Anyway, the poisonous chemical that was used wasn't from the U.S. It was out of the country," I said.

"Wait, how do you know all this?" she asked struggling to keep up.

"A doctor came out and told me the news since the Heart family had no one else to call. Cindy was still asleep, so he just told me about the poisoning. I mentioned that I was an organic chemistry teacher and he had me come and look at the samples they extracted," I said.

She nodded her head.

"Okay, so what does this mean again?" she asked.

"Someone tried to kill Mrs. Heart," I said.

"And?" she asked.

"We have to find out why, and who." I said in a 'duh' voice.

She arrogantly smirked and crossed her hands over her chest again.

"Whatever happened to 'Respecting families privacy'?" she asked smugly.

I glared at her and matched her stance.

"Whatever. You in?" I asked.

"I'm game. Cindy seems like a really nice girl," she said.

"Yeah…wait where are they?" I asked.

"Still sleeping when I left them," she said.

I leaned against the wall and Max sighed while running a hand through her hair.

"So where do we start?" she asked.

"Easy," I shrugged. "We track down the chemical first."

Gazzy's POV-

They really need to work on being quiet.

I could hear their plan forming all the way from down the hall and even Cindy woke up because she could hear it.

This means she knows now, that someone actually tried to kill her mother.

"Gazzy?" she whispered.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Do you think what they're saying is true?" she asked.

Yes.

"I'm not sure, I mean…Mei's made mistakes in the lab before," I said.

"No…I think she's right about this. Plus, mom was a high ranked woman in her company. It would make a lot of sense if someone tried to kill her," she said choking up.

I hated seeing her cry. Hell I hated seeing any girl cry.

"We don't have to talk about this," I said as gently as I could.

"No, I want to help them," she said sitting up.

"What? No Cindy you can't it's too dangerous," I said turning to face her.

"It doesn't matter. I want to find the person that did this." She said clenching her fist.

"Cindy…my friends are professionals, they know what they're doing," I tried.

"It doesn't matter. I'm gonna try. But I could use some help…" she trailed off.

Damn. I'm so freaking whipped.

"Sure. I'm in,"

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R&R!

-Shift