In and Out of Love-Chapter 5

By MyNameIsCAL

"Was George on the news last night?" Max questioned.

I closed my eyes. Now I was glad that Max was driving. My head hurt still. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the road. There were a thousand things going through my head too.

"Yeah, he was," Iggy answered.

Max sighed. I wish I knew why she had any sympathy for him. It bothered me. I was ready to bash the guy's head in and she let him go. But I had let her, so whose fault was it really? Well I guess it was probably both of us. I should have stopped Max, but I didn't.

Maybe once she moved on from George, I would have my chance. I needed Max because if she went off with someone else again, I don't think I could last like this anymore. She was slowly picking away at me and I think if she went to someone else, I would have chiseled away into dust, blowing away in the wind.

Sleep claimed me a half hour into the ride. Iggy and Max were talking quietly about Mom and seeing Angel and Gazzy. The conversation had drifted to Ella when I had dozed off.

When I woke up, we're passing the news station where George works. Max glanced at it as we stopped at the intersection. We're both looking for George's car. I can see it, parked in its usual spot. But Max can't see it and I don't point it out to her. Max started to turn and now the parking lot was out of view. I closed my eyes.

The next moment seemed unreal. We had the right of way because the traffic light had a green arrow. I was sure of it, pointing the direction we were turning. And that's when this car came out of nowhere and slammed into us. We swerved out of control and into the parking lot of the news station. If we had been normal people, we would probably be screaming, but we all held on tight. It was instinct not to scream.

We slammed into another car in the parking lot. The blaring from the alarms began. As soon as we stopped spinning, I tried to open the door. There was no way I could open it though. The entire side of the car was crushed.

"Iggy!" I heard Max shout. "Ig!"

Iggy muttered. "Damnit, what happened?!"

He coughed. That didn't sound good. I looked over at Max.

"Oh, God, Fang."

I looked down. I'm drenched in my own blood. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't feel a thing. This couldn't be good. Once I could comprehend what all that blood meant, I passed out, Max screaming my name.

I came to at the hospital. Max sat on my left side, holding my hand.

"Fang…" My name slipped from her lips almost painfully. She squeezed my hand and I opened my mouth to speak, except she shook her head.

"Don't talk," she whispered.

I blinked a few times and squeezed her hand back. There was an oxygen mask over my face, now that I adjusted to my surroundings. My whole right side ached.

"They have you on morphine," Max explained as she placed her chin on the railing of my bed. "You cracked a bunch of ribs and your leg was pretty much crushed with your shoulder. The fact that you're conscious will probably amaze them. But it doesn't surprise me."

My eyes met hers.

"Iggy?" Max asked as if she was reading my mind. "Oh, he'll be fine. He's got a few stitches here and there. As far as I'm concerned, you got the worst."

I closed my eyes.

"This isn't going to be fun for you. We might recover fast but this…This is major, Fang. I hope you understand that." Max sounded like she was going to cry and I couldn't do anything to comfort her. "Don't push yourself too hard."

I squeezed her hand and she smiled weakly, saying, "You wanna hear the best part?"

Raising an eyebrow, I willed her to speak.

She let out a sigh. "George was there. He looks like a hero now, but I'm pretty sure this was all a set up. I bet that guy who hit us was paid off by George. In fact, I'm pretty sure because I recognized him as one of George's buddies."

My eyes closed again, this time in pain.

"We'll get him though," Max told me. "Now get some rest."

George was all smiles on the news. He was a celebrity. A hero. He had pulled Max and Iggy out of the car, of course leaving me because I couldn't be moved until the paramedics showed up. Max was disgusted. She didn't leave the hospital until late at night when the reporters had left. They were following her. She'd go home, shower, change, eat some food, and come back for me and Iggy who was staying a few nights to be monitored, even though we all knew that Iggy would be fine.

"Ella, Mom, and the flock are coming to visit tomorrow. But I can tell them to stay out of here if you want," Max said as she settled into the chair next to my bed.

I shook my head in response. They could visit. I didn't mind.

"Hopefully the cops can keep the reporters away. George keeps trying to visit too," she went on.

I felt her hand slip into mine. "I'm glad you're ok, Fang."

I squeezed her hand. Me too.