( This is my favorite chapter so far by a long shot. You can probably tell because it's all about Max hahaha. It was so fun to write I really hope you guys feel the same so please give me some more feedback! )
Alec woke up to the mornings first rays of sun filtering in through the windows of the apartment. He felt well rested now that Max was back but his feelings quickly changed when he looked over to the bed because she wasn't there. In a panic he searched the room..she could have never gotten far in the condition she was in and he was relieved to find her. Max must had rolled off the bed in the night and now she was lying in a heap on the hardwood floor.
The X5 quickly scooped her into his arms and held her there, trying to get an idea of how she was doing. Little beads of sweat were forming over her brow and her body trembled in his hands. Frowning, Alec put his cheek against her forehead and felt her burning up.
"Logan!" he called while racing Max into the shower and turning on the cool water. She wasn't looking so good again and he had to bring down her temperature quickly. Max's body quivered when the water hit her.
Logan got out of bed quickly and rushed into the bathroom..his angel was in trouble again. "Max?" He knelt down to her level but she wasn't conscious, her skin was ghostly white. "How long has she been like this?"
"Not long I don't think. I woke up and she was on the floor so I brought her in here to cool her down.." Alec said, eyes not leaving her.
"Well we need to find a doctor that can help her. Alec, didn't you say earlier there were a few in Terminal City that worked as medics for Manticore? Maybe they can help."
Alec nodded and looked at Logan, "I'll go now then. They might be hard to track, so I'll call you when I'm on my way back. Think you can handle her while I'm gone?"
"I've got some gloves I can wear to check her pulse. I'm hoping she is stable while you're gone cause I'm not sure what I can do to help her if I'm dead. Hurry back."
Logan felt his heart pounding in his ears as he slid on the latex gloves and turned off the water in the shower. With a deep breath he sat down next to her and bravely touched her neck—pulse was fast and weak but at least it was still there. He slapped her cheeks lightly to rouse her.
"Max?"
Her honey brown eyes opened and stared blankly through his. He didn't know if she was coherent or not but her looked into her vacant eyes and cupped her face gently.
"We're gonna get through this. Just hold on..." he gingerly moved the hair out of her face with a gloved finger, "Please Max, just hold on."
**
It took a good hour to get back into Terminal City and Alec found himself growing anxious again. The crowds were getting bigger and the protesters even more violent, so he didn't mind shoving a few out of his way. Once inside he quickly realized how erratic the place had become without him or Max around; everyone was constantly yelling, angry, nothing was picked up or cleaned up.. People here were scared and alone.. they were up against the world in their fight for freedom and survival.
Alec had no time for visiting his friends or making jokes. Hell, he didn't feel like himself at the moment. He nodded a quick greeting to Mole and proceeded to their make shift hospital.
"Hey Croyt, man. I know this is kinda last minute but we need you to help Max..I can answer all your questions later but right now she's in trouble and needs your help. Can you come with me?"
Croyt, a humanoid transgenic that was an adept intellect (specializing in medicine—he was a field medic at Manticore) but poor fighter, looked about as confused as he ever had been. Last time he had checked Max was long gone and Alec had abandoned Terminal City, it was weird seeing him again. Not being one of many words, the gangly young man nodded and followed Alec to the tunnels and back to his car.. it was better to go than not because he saw the determination on the X5's face and preferred to avoid a beating.
"So," Croyt said once they got in the car, "What's going on with Max?"
"Fever, shaking.. I pulled her out of some pseudo Manticore deal in Sector 4 and she was all hooked up and being pumped full of drugs. I have no idea what's going on with her but I know it's not good. I appreciate you coming on short notice like this.."
The Russian took note of her symptoms but couldn't help hear the worry in Alec's voice..he had changed a lot since they had last seen each other. The worry lines on his face scared him a bit because of the way he used to be. "Where is she at?"
"Logan's for now. I'm bringing her back to TC once we get her stable.."
They pulled into the drive and hopped out about as fast as they got in and headed up to apartment Eight "C". Logan quickly answered and they moved into the bathroom where Alec had left her. The shower was running again and her skin seemed blue in tone.
"Her fever spiked again so I tried getting it down." Logan said shutting it off and moving out of the way for Croyt to examine her.
He knelt down beside her and opened his kit while the others looked on. First her checked her pulse and respiratory rate, then her temperature. Moving on he grabbed his flashlight and checked her papillary response and her hydration. "Pupils are dilated and she's pretty dehydrated...could explain her rapid pulse. Her temperature is forty five degrees, which is getting a little high even for an X5—their metabolism and overall rate of kinesics is way higher than a normal human which puts their average temp to about forty one or two degrees.. it was good you had her under the cool water."
"Will she get better though?" Logan asked while removing his plastic gloves. There was enough help to make him feel useless again.
"In due time, Mr. Cale. Right now we need to treat the symptoms and get her body calmed down before we can reach a diagnoses. Would you mind bringing her into one of the bedrooms so we can get started?"
Logan watched jealously as Alec scooped her tiny frame into his arms and placed her onto the bed. Max's body trembled in seizing motions.
"I need one of you to restrain her," Croyt added, pulling out his supplies, "I'm going to run an IV line so I can give her some fluids and get her hydrated. By the look of her veins it looks like I'm going to have luck on my side tonight they're absolutely brutalized."
Alec held out her arm as the doctor placed the tourniquet and fought to keep her still. It was kind of a tense and awkward situation he found himself in...pretty much straddling Max while her petrified sob story boyfriend looks on. He laughed to himself and made a mental note to make a good joke of this when Max was better.
After the IV had been placed and the bag of saline had been hooked up, Croyt gave her a mild sedative that seem to quiet her down and rest more easily as well as an antipyretic to bring down her fever. They turned off the lights and left the room to talk.
"Based on the history you have given me and her symptoms I am guessing that her fever is likely due to an opioid withdrawal. Opioids are great for short term sedation but prolonged use leads to addiction and dangerous withdrawal symptoms—even for someone as enhanced as Max. I'm assuming thats why they chose that route because an uncrushable addiction would have anyone crawling back."
The news seemed a bit disturbing but the quiet doctor smiled and pulled out a tiny vial.
"Good thing we have an abandoned hospital in TC, or we wouldn't come across this." he explained, passing it to them to look at. "This my friends, is Naloxone. It is an effective reversal agent of any of the opioids and produces a calming effect which will help ease her tremors. I've given her the first dose. She will need another in 8 hours. Expect her to be in and out of consciousness, hallucinate and have some memory loss, otherwise she should be well in about 24 hours."
Alec placed a hand on his friends back in appreciation and Logan handed him a wad of cash and he thanked them kindly.
"In regards to her overall condition though I would say you have a long road ahead. I've taped her arm up for you but it is broken and she has several contusions on her body. We won't know the full damage until she is mentally alert, God knows what those bastards did to her body, not to mention her mind."
**
This time Logan took Croyt back to Terminal City while Alec watched over her. He needed a break from all the bad news that kept coming his way and he wanted some fresh air. After dropping him off and paying a quick visit to the crew, he climbed up to the old Space Needle where she used to sit.
He thought about jumping off, but what good would that do? He thought about the times he had with Max and he dreamed about how she felt when he touched her and reminded himself of the all the wonderful dinners they had, even when the virus was in effect.
The inevitable questions always seemed to come up when he was alone and brooding..
Was Max still in danger?
Did she love him back?
Would they ever find a cure?
Logan didn't know it, but his questions were about to be answered.