Authors Note- Okay, So I might not have an update tomorrow but, the will for sure be one up during the weekend. If not sooner. This chapter is another one to set the pace a little between some of the other characters in the story. The plot starts up next chapter. As you will notice this one ends with a cliff hanger. Enjoy! And, Please comment!
Chapter 3: Oh, What A Night
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Wait, that's not right."
"Sam, a joke is only funny if you actually tell it. So, get movin'." Maxie Jones encouraged her best friend rolling her eyes and snapping her petite fingers. It was a Monday. It had been a couple of days since the funeral and exactly one week since Georgie died. Strangely enough, Maxie had never been one of those people who hated Mondays. Before. But now, she hated them. Oh, she hated them more than she could even begin to say. Maxie hated Mondays, and she hated Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and each and every other day that Georgie was gone.
"Okay, okay. I really have one this time. Ready? So, there were these three little old ladies sitting in there rocking chairs. You know, drinking some lemonade, knitting..." She went on.
"Is there a punch line?"
"I'm painting the scene here. Jeeze. Be patient. Anyway, one of the ladies says 'Oh my, old age is really setting in. The other day I went to go bake a cake and I couldn't for the life of me remember where I put the flour.' Then the second old lady says 'Oh, me too. I went to get the mail just yesterday and I forgot to put shoes on. It was pouring out too!' Finally the last lady looks at them both and says 'Well, I don't have that problem yet. Knock on wood.' So she knocked on the table next to her." Sam demonstrated using her coffee table as Maxie laughed lightly. "And she goes 'Who's at the door!' Get it!" Sam finished laughing at her own joke. Her blonde friend shook her head and laughed along. It wasn't so much the joke that made the remaining Jones girl smile. It was the fact that someone cared enough to tell such a stupid joke. And with such enthusiasm no less.
"What drugs are you on and why aren't you sharing." Maxie smirked still laughing at Sam's antics.
"Don't even bring up drugs missy." Sam teased pointing a finger. Friends could tease about past mistakes. Enemies... not so much. Maxie opened her mouth in mock disbelief before smiling at the brunette.
"Yeah, I know. I've been on enough lately for the both of us." She said refering to her time in the hospital as her smile faded a bit. Sam, who had been trying to keep things light and cheer Maxie up, took this as and opening to talk.
"About that, ah, how have you been? I mean that night at Kelly's you were pretty out of it." She commented.
"Was I?" Maxie asked looking down slightly.
"You scared me there for a while. You scared all of us." Sam responded as she thought back to the hospital waiting room and the way they all shared the same worry for the lovable bad girl. It had been quite the night.
One Week Ago. There is a certain type of silence that follows a crisis. One that is reserved for just that. Trailing behind the chaotic uproar is that tension filled, thick, quiet. Layered with questions and emotions just jumping to get out. It's as if anyone at any moment could snap and just flip out, like Helena on a good day. So, no one says a thing. There's only silence. And that silence, is exactly what followed the squeaking of Maxie Jones being wheeled away.
"She's okay, I mean she's gonna' be okay, right?" Logan asked, speaking to no one specifically. After Sam and Lucky had arrived, Logan followed them to the hospital in his own car. He needed to know how this would turn out. He'd always secretly been the kind of kid who looked at the end of a book before starting it.
"The bleeding slowed down." Was all that Lucky offered. The fact of the matter was, Maxie would never be 'okay' again and that had absolutely nothing to do with her hand and the numerous cuts adorning it. Logan thought about leaving, knowing that he couldn't do anything to help and Maxie may not even want him there. But, he needed to know how this story would end. He needed to stay. Though, as he watched Maxie's eyes lose their way farther and farther from reality, he feared that there was no end in site. Or maybe his fear was that the end was all too close and he wouldn't like it one bit. Wishing he'd never started this story, or at least this chapter, Logan sighed in frustration and kicked the near by nurses desk.
"Hey." Sam warned quietly in an effort to both comfort him and stop him.
"Excuse me!" A loud voice interrupted. Looking to his left Logan spotted Epiphany glaring at him with her hands glued to her hips. Damn, he was in for it. "What do you think this is? Some kind of garbage dump? You can't just go around kicking' things as you please." She scolded.
"Look, we're all a little on edge." Lucky started to explain. He wasn't Logan's biggest fan but, he could give credit where credit was due. Logan had been there for Maxie in a big way that night. Something that Lucky would admit to respecting.
"This is a hospital. Everyone is on edge. You don't see them going around kicking things." She continued.
"It's not like he's gonna' do it again. Just, give him a break. People deal with things differently. Who the hell are you to tell him how to express whatever it is he's feeling." Sam spoke up surprising everyone around her. Logan was shocked that one person, let alone two people had stuck up for him that night. Then again, it seamed as though Sam was only doing it because she had a major problem with Epiphany.
"Oh, I'll tell you who I am honey. I'm the nurse that's about to kick all of you out of here." The take-charge medical personal spat. Sam rolled her eyes and fought the urge to laugh.
"You're little power trips have become far to frequent Nurse Johnson. Maybe people would respond better to a little understanding and patients." Sam said pointing at her condescendingly. Before the fight could escalate further, Bobbie walked over to them with an update about Maxie. The basic information was that Maxie would be fine physically and that they had scheduled her to start seeing the physiatrist.
"Logan, why don't you come with me. I'll get Robin to stitch up your hand." Bobbie suggested. With a quick 'Goodbye' to Sam and Lucky, Logan followed the red headed nurse. As they passed a few rooms on the way to Robin, the steel faced cowboy couldn't help but find himself searching for those blue eyes. The ones that lead him downstairs at Kelly's. The ones that lead him to the hospital. The ones that would lead him just about anywhere. Sighing at the subconscious admission, Logan entered a room and sat on the end of a paper covered bed . Yes, it had been quite a night indeed.
"Sorry about that." Maxie said bring Sam out of her thoughts. Shaking away the apology quickly, the TV star waved a hand.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for. You needed to unravel. We were there to catch the pieces. If that isn't what this whole friendship thing is about then I don't know what is." Sam assured her.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm not normally a very grateful person and all, so don't expect it to last long but, I really owe you guys a lot. Bobbie, Robin, you and Lucky...Logan." She finished
"He was pretty worried about you. To be honest I was a little surprised." She added, not needing to clarify who.
"You and me both. I kind of thought he would be first in line to buy tickets to the 'Maxie's Self Destruction' show. But, he's been really good ya, know? He talked to me after the funeral and Robin even said that he seamed worried when she was stitching him up." Maxie explained.
"Well, I guess what they say is true then. People's true colors do come out during a crisis." Sam offered before taking a sip of the drink sitting by her chair.
"That's what Robin said." She muttered thinking back to the story Robin told her and imagining it in her head. Monday certainly had been a busy night...
One Week Ago. Logan didn't flinch as Dr. Scorpio plunged the needle into his skin expertly. A part of him felt as though he had no right to express such trivial pain while Maxie was going though amounts of torture he was sure would send him to his knees. Just watching her, knowing she was feeling those unhinged, scream worthy emotions, was enough to make his breath slow and his heart forget to keep rhythm.
"Only a few more." Robin announced, speaking for the first time in a while. He was pretty sure that the brilliant doctor had better things to do. He's even stated as much to Bobbie on their way down. But, she had brushed aside his question and simply answered that he had 'been there for Maxie.' Logan supposed that was enough of an answer to suffice.
"It's not too bad." He mentioned peering at the gash spanning his palm at least 3 inches. Robin didn't comment. Whether it was because she agreed or disagreed, he didn't know. He smiled to himself thinking that, much like the scar of his shoulder, he would look at the one of his hand and think of Maxie Jones. It was just like her to leave her mark on him permanently. One for the way she could hurt him, and one for the way she heeled him. It would be a bit symbolic... if he were into that sort of thing.
"Mac doesn't know?" He spoke up, trying to get his mind off track. The direction it was heading towards could only lead to heartache and confusion. Like he needed any more of that in his life.
"He finally fell asleep in one of the rooms. He spent most of the night making calls and what not so, he's pretty exhausted. Worrying him over Maxie wouldn't help either one of them." She explained, finishing up her last stitch.
"Maxie wouldn't want him to know anyhow." He added.
"No, I guess she wouldn't." Robin agreed.
"She likes attention and all but, not like that." He explained even though Robin understood perfectly already. She knew her cousin almost as well as Georgie had. Past tenses sucked.
"Not when it's out of her control or when, when it lets too much of her be shown." Robin spoke up.
"Yeah." He quietly spoke.
"She's more private and easily hurt than anyone realizes. This whole mess tonight? Just a wall she's putting up." Logan cocked his head to the side in hopes that the young doctor would continue and he would understand better. "See, Maxie probably went to you because of you guys's history. I mean, there's some bad blood there. Am I right?" She questioned.
"I'd say so." He nodded
"You're this guy who Maxie has hurt. You didn't let her off the hook and you don't pretend to forgive her. I'm sure you've called her names... treated her pretty crummy." Robin continued, stopping in case Logan wanted to protest. He didn't.
"So, she went to you tonight hoping, maybe even praying for you to turn her down. She wanted you to call her names, push her around a bit even. She wasn't looking for comfort. She was looking for punishment." Robin's final word triggered something in Logan's head and suddenly it all made sense.
"Maxie wanted someone to hurt her because...she's alive and Georgie is... gone." He ventured. Robin nodded to assure him that he did indeed get the million dollar question correct.
"Tough one to figure out. But, that's Maxie."
"Right." He responded, suddenly overcome with the emotion of the nights events. "Look, if we're done here I should probably go. Mike might need some help cleaning up or whatever." He explained, excusing himself.
"Alright. You're all set." She said scribbling a few things down on her paper. Before he made his way completely out the door, Logan stopped. He paused to figure out exactly what he wanted to say.
"If she asks, I'll tell her you were here. If not, I won't mention it." She supplied not even looking up from her paper.
"Thanks." Was all he said before leaving the room and heading back to Kelly's. As he exited the hospital he noticed it was starting to get light out. A brand new day. It was too bad that no amount of sun or passing time could erase the night he'd just endured. It would always be there, in his memory, his heart even. A sunrise couldn't change that.
"I should get going." Maxie said snapping back to reality. One minute she was fine. The next she wanted to curl up and die. This was her life now.
"Okay. I'll call you later or something. And, don't you dare try and tell me it isn't necessary. Because Lucky and I have a date tonight and your input on my shoes is completely necessary." Sam confirmed. Smiling, Maxie hugged her friend and bid her fair well. It was still pretty early but, Mac wanted her home way, way before dark. She would comply to that given the circumstances. But, first she had one last stop to make. 10 minutes and some odd steps later Maxie found herself face to face with the one guy she never expected to be so confused about.
"Cooper." She uttered flatly. Those blue eyes filled up yet again. This time with hate.
End
Authors Note- There you go. I'm really loving the comments guys! Keep them up. Suggestions are welcome as well!