Chapter 5

David Madsen pulled into the garage at the end of the day feeling exhausted beyond belief. They'd had three new recruits transfer in to Blackwell's security team. Wells had placed David in charge of training them, saying he wanted them to 'learn from the best'. He was relieved to smell dinner being cooked as he stepped out the car.

"Hello, David." Joyce said as she stepped through the side door to the garage. "I hear you've had a fun day at work today." David had rung to let her know he'd be home late so she knew roughly what time to start dinner.

"They're a good bunch." David told her. "The trouble is that one of them can be a bit slow both physically and mentally. That's not the kind of thing you need in a school with that many pupils. But they're a brilliant lot in terms of character. I think the students could really put some trust in them."

"Well, I would say for the looking that there's been a case of treachery." Joyce said, pointing to the back of David's pickup truck.

"What the hell..." David muttered as he walked over and looked at the empty space where the back window was missing. "Where the hell did the window... I know exactly where it is!" Then he looked around the garage and realised Chloe's truck wasn't there.

"Chloe had an urgent call from Ian." Joyce told him. "Apparently Max had another attack of whatever it is and her heart stopped briefly. She and Rachel left about two hours ago to see her. Ian said he'd get them in even though it's after visiting hours."

"Ian's a good man." David said. "I remember him from our wedding. I wish the world had ten more like him. I'll give it another hour or two before I rip Chloe a new one about the window."

"David, it's not like you were using that truck anyway." Joyce reminded him.

"I actually need it for something tomorrow." David pointed out. "I also need the car seeing to since some asshole blindsided me and smashed the passenger door in. Joyce looked round to see the side panel of the passenger door caved in.

"It sounds to me like you need some hot food and a cold beer." Joyce led David inside and dished his supper up, dreading the conversation over the window.

Chloe and Rachel were sitting by Max's bed as they talked together. Max was still pretty weak, but she was still just about able to hold a conversation. Her last attack had scared the hell out of everyone. Now the moment had passed though, Chloe was lightening the mood.

"The best bit is that among all the crap in David's garage, I still found a piece of glass to go in my back window." Chloe told Max. "I tell you now; if I could take you out to the truck I'd show you. It looks just like it was meant to be there. It's uncanny!"

"Where did you get it from?" Max asked as Chloe's phone started ringing. Chloe wanted to groan as she noticed David's name on the caller ID bar.

"Would you excuse me for a second?" Chloe asked.

"Go on." Max gestured to the opposite corner of the room. Chloe walked over and answered her phone. Even from the bed, Max could hear David.

"Have you got my window?" he yelled.

"What?" Chloe clearly hadn't been expecting such directness.

"Did you take the back window off my truck and put it on yours?" David's angry voice drifted across the room. Max looked over at Rachel who only nodded.

"You weren't using that bit." Chloe replied. If Max could have found the energy she would have laughed at the response.

"Chloe Price, when you get home I'll kill you every day for the rest of your life!" David yelled. Chloe hung up immediately because she'd just realised she'd left it on loudspeaker.

"I'm not sure how much of that you could hear..." Chloe began tentatively.

"Oh, we heard all of it." Max said, trying to suppress the laughter for fear of hurting her head more.

"I'm going to be dead when I go home." Chloe muttered, flopping back into her thin plastic chair only for it to break from the sudden change in weight. Chloe swore loudly as she hit the ground hard.

"Chloe, try and keep it down." Rachel said as she helped her up. "That noise hurt Max's head and the room isn't soundproof. There are people trying to sleep in the next room over." Chloe looked over to find Max holding her head again.

"God, I'm so sorry, Max." Chloe said, gently easing Max back so she was lying down properly again.

"I'll tell you now, I hope this isn't contagious." Max said knowing full well it wasn't. "I don't care if I die from it, but if it isn't contagious then I want to go outside and take one last photo of the three of us together as a group."

"It would be the first photo." Chloe said, earning a smack in the arm from Rachel.

"That's the only thing that makes it painful." Max muttered.

"It's not going to be the only one, Max." Chloe said. "It may be the first one, but it won't be the only one. Uncle Ian won't let it get to that stage." Max wanted to find hope in Chloe's words, but she knew it was pointless. Jefferson had turned her own power against her. She couldn't rewind and she was literally being killed from the inside out.

"Thanks, Chloe. You always did do a good job of keeping me going." Max said, feeling bad about herself for effectively lying. Chloe's hope hadn't lifted her spirits at all.

"You were the one who kept me going, Max." Chloe said. Before you left, you did your level best to help me, and then Rachel came along soon after you left and I realised that you were right. There's always something to fight for. Just because you were gone, it didn't mean I should give up."

"You're right, Chloe." Max replied. "I won't give up. I'm going to beat whatever this is." At that moment, a sharp pain smacked into her. It wasn't much, but Max knew it was trying to remind her who controlled the situation. She knew beyond a doubt now, Jefferson was the one holding all the cards.

"Don't go giving up, girl." Chloe said firmly, gently rubbing Max's shoulder.

"You two might need to go." Max said. "I'm getting the scan results tomorrow, and I need my sleep to face it."

"Okay, Max. Get well soon." Rachel reached over and gently kissed Max on the forehead before leaving the room.

"Is everything okay with Rachel?" Max asked. "Even before I ended up here, she never seemed overly lively."

"Rachel can be sometimes, but she is usually quite reserved." Chloe told her. "Plus, it doesn't help that she's really worried about you." Max nodded shakily.

"Can you send her back in quickly?" Max asked. "I need to ask her something."

"Sure, I'll just go and get her." Chloe said as she kissed Max on the forehead as well and left the room. A few seconds later, Rachel walked back in.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Rachel asked.

"Okay Rachel, I'm going to keep this to the point." Max said. "I don't know you that well. We haven't really had much of a chance to get to know each other. Hopefully we'll get chance to do that at some point, but for now I just need you to listen. I have a pretty good idea what's going to happen to me. Something tells me you do too. When it happens, Chloe's going to be just like she was when we lost William only possibly worse since this'll be the second major tragedy in her life. I need you to be there for her. Do you understand me?" Rachel nodded shakily, tears streaming down her face.

"I promise I will, Max." Rachel replied; her voice little more than a whisper.

"You'd better be there." Max said sharply. "When I go, you hold that girl like both your lives depend on it and you don't ever let go. Don't ever let her go!" Rachel knew if she tried to talk she would just break down into tears. "What I've said doesn't reach Chloe until I'm gone. Otherwise, she'll know just how bad this truly is." Max said.

"I will... I'll look after her." Rachel gasped out, desperately trying not to break down. "I promise you, I'll take on that responsibility with everything I have in me."

"Rachel, you have to look after her." Max told her. "Joyce may be her mother, but you understand Chloe like no one else can."