I do not own Maximum Ride! :D

A Lifetime by the Bedside
Chapter 2: Max – Dreaming, in a sense

I groggily opened my eyes. The sun had long sunk into its cavern, but a blazing light seared through my lids, devastating my corneas. I groaned at the throbbing pain in my left leg more. What had happened? Pushing myself steadily up on my elbows, I spat my hair out of my mouth. I was caked in ash and the trees around me were burning. Coughing violently on the thick suffocating smoke I felt a wet residue on my hand. Blood. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it but just ended up disorientating myself even more and I began to see spots.

'Fang?' I called out.

If they were here they were in trouble. Pushing the pain to the back of my mind I tried to stand, but ended up crumpling to the floor in agony, no stronger than a paper bag.

'Aah!' I cursed, 'crap.'

Looking down I gasped in disgust and gritted my teeth.

'God,' I muttered as I saw the white bone of my left leg jerking out from the skin. It was gruesome with blood pouring from it, but it looked more black than red, like tar. Taking in a shaky breath I probed the area, wincing. There's no time for this, I thought. We had to get out.

'Guys? U and A, like now!' I shouted out, 'I'll find you!'

I didn't even know if they were here. Would they leave me? I hoped so. Ok, deep breaths Max, been through much worse than this. Just a scratch, just a scratch. Setting my hands delicately on either side of my leg I started the countdown, 'three, two...' I yelped out at the torment as I reset the bone and a stray tear trickled down my cheek. No tears Max, I thought. They kept coming unrelentingly.

'Stop it!' I screamed, frustrated.

Although I hated to admit it, I was scared, terrified even. I couldn't even remember how I had gotten here and I worried for the flock. Hearing the destruction around me, the collapse of the forestry, the sizzling and crackling of the flames, like a barbeque, I scolded myself. 'Get over it,' I muttered furiously. 'I am sure as hell not gonna be a burger.' Limping to my feet, I choked further on the fumes. Ducking low, I strained my eyes, searching for what I did not know. I flapped my wings lightly, attempting to clear the air, but they were stiff and even the smallest of movements caused me discomfort. It appeared to be a fruitless idea nevertheless; it was like smearing dirt over glass. Surveying the bleary scene around me I saw two legs, standing perfectly still and composed.

'What are you doing?' I screeched whilst dragging my leg behind me as I drew closer in a one legged run, still keeping my head low. Part of me was touched that someone had waited for me, but another, more dominant, part of me was furious at their stupidity. Reaching out for them I caught a shoulder and partially collapsed.

'Max!' he beamed at me.

I stopped breathing. What? No, it couldn't be, that was impossible. He was dead. My brother was dead. Ari was gone, yet he was right there. Tears flooded my vision once more and I sobbed, 'I don't understand.'

The boy standing before me was no longer ragged and beastly, a cruel creation of science, an experiment. He was a normal, human boy - no wings attached. His dirty brown hair flopped over his eyes and I weakly lifted my hand to sweep it away. He was real. The soft touch of his skin, smooth and flawless, the little smile he wore, heart-breaking.

'Long time no see,' he said. I could sense his awkwardness at my emotional reaction. High on adrenaline and pain I suddenly felt drained and slumped further into Ari's arms, my eyes starting to shut. 'Easy now,' I heard him caution. The creaking of the roots straining sounded loudly in my ears. The fall of a grand tree, surrendering to gravity, crashing towards us was the last thing I saw. I should have been up and ready for action, to avert the disaster literally falling upon us, but there was a force stopping me. No longer feeling frightened, I allowed myself to just disappear.

I woke up, bobbing up and down on Ari's back. My teeth knocked together and I bit my tongue, hard. I cursed myself and used an inappropriate word which Ari tutted at.

'You're awake,' he smiled, setting me down on my feet tentatively.

We were out of the flames now, instead, walking up a country road. The stark contrast in scenery was so distinct that I had to pause and do a full 360. The air was still and it seemed as if there was no human life, no life whatsoever in fact.

'Wh-where are we?' I asked, still trying to gather what was going on.

Ari shrugged.

'Is that all I get? I'm sorry if you're all blasé about this Ari, but I am kind of freakin' out!' I yelled, pulling at my hair which had the same texture as a bird's nest.

'It's your head,' Ari chortled.

Gathering my clueless expression, Ari knocked on my forehead lightly with his fist.

'Where is the rest of the flock?' I digressed, looking to the sky in the hope of finding them floating there, laughing, as if this was all some kind of sick joke.

'You're distracting yourself Max because you are starting to remember what's really going on, and you are more scared of accepting that than anything.'

My eyes widened and I hit the side of my head with the flat of my palm, 'what am I remembering?' I muttered to myself, irritated at my own idiocy. There was something there, I could tell, but it was staying concealed from me.

'Walk with me,' Ari requested, continuing to amble up the road, leaving me behind in my confusion. It was a steep hill and I dwelled on the pain my leg would have to endure in this trivial task.

Almost like reading my thoughts Ari shook his finger in the air, still having his back to me, 'it's all in your head Max.'

I still didn't know what this meant, but started to walk. One foot in front of the other was all I could focus on. I much preferred flying, but this would do - for now. Looking up at the white puffs of clouds, like cotton wool, I dreamed of resting on one and sleeping off this perplexity.

'Clear your head,' Ari advised, 'shouldn't be too hard for you.'

His cheek any other day would have made me smile but the thought that he knew more than me only made me angry. I had no control, none whatsoever. Jogging lightly to his side casually I realised that the pain was gone, but as soon as my thoughts returned to the idea of pain it coursed through my body once more, rapidly. The burning sensation, like a branding iron scarring my skin, on my leg made me cry out. My lower lip quivered and mucus drizzled out of my nose. Ari looked at me sympathetically, but did not appear distressed.

'Max,' he said simply, his tone almost superior, as if he pitied a mere child.

'How do I make it stop?' I asked, forcing my voice to sound calm and steady.

Sighing, Ari began nonchalantly, 'What did you have for lunch?'

'What? Quit with the small talk Ari and tell me what the hell is going on here!' I ordered, 'is this some wacky experiment at the School? Are the others ok? Did they get them too?'

The thought of their angelic faces behind bars made me want to cry harder. The sight of Fang looking on sorrowfully, his eyes a darker tint of dark with anguish, flooded my mind.

The pain had a new intensity then and I crouched to the ground, my hand on my chest.

'Answer the question,' Ari said patiently. It seemed like a game to him.

'Angel persuaded some sappy baker to give us a week's supply of croissants,' I blurted out, then laughed at the memory. My reaction was too much, but I continued to laugh hysterically.

Ari nodded with a smile.

'And what was the last thing you said to Iggy?'

It all seemed irrelevant, but it was as if the pain was dissolving away.

'I told him to stop being such a sexist pig and let Nudge handle some of the explosives. Crap, why did I do that?' I continued to laugh and had to wipe away tears forming in my eyes, but it was not from pain. Not from any pain at all.

'Now, do you think you can focus on that, just so we can get there?' Ari asked hopefully.

'Where's 'there'?' I asked, still giggling.

I had to stifle it with my hand and I bit down on it hard. I was numbed completely. It was as if the thoughts of the flock were the best anaesthetic ever. I was just about controlling the giddiness and started to walk.

'Never you mind,' Ari commented.

After a few moments of silent drudgery up the hill we approached a cliff that looked out over the sea, the waves crashing against the rocky base. Suddenly, startling me, a fierce wind whipped our hair around our faces. I tried to clear it from my vision, tucking strands behind my ears, but I was mainly unsuccessful. Ari looked out at the infinite body of water, his expression as hard as stone.

'Ari?' I asked with concern in my voice. I touched his arm lightly. A thought had occurred to me up the country road and it was not exactly a thought I was becoming fond of quickly. Turning to me slowly he gave me another small smile, but it was forced.

'A-Am I dead?'

Laughing darkly he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shook his head. Relief washed over me like the waves and I took a deep breath of sea air, closing my eyes.

'You're not safe yet though Max,' he uttered seriously.

Opening my eyes, I didn't look at him, just out at the sea. I had an urge to jump then, to dive into the depths and swim hard until I had nothing left to give. I could just float on the surface, allowing the current to take me wherever it pleased. Not certain exactly why I did this, but I did, I flicked the air. Like jelly, it wobbled back and forth before settling back into place. Ari kicked a rock off the ledge and into the water. Almost in slow motion, the water rippled outwards and I watched in fascination.

'Am I dreaming?' I asked quietly.

Ari shrugged again, 'in a sense. You were badly hurt Max.'

'How bad?' I dared ask.

Ari looked at me solemnly and just said one word to sum up the situation, 'bad.'

And then he was gone. Ari was just gone, disappeared into thin air. And I was alone, dreaming, in a sense, and trapped in this jelly like world.

A/N Hello readers :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) pretty please with a cherry on top review :D Any feedback means a lot ;)

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