Ok. I want to let everyone know that I probably won't update on the weekends. When I go home on the weekends, I don't get on the computer much. So yea…I'll add, like, 3 or so chapters tonight to make up for it. ^_^

Enjoy!

=D

CHAPTER 17

Fang POV

We decided to call Dr. Martinez before taking off for her place.

"Hello?" she answered her phone.

"Dr. Martinez, it's Fang," I said calmly.

"Oh. Hello, Fang," she relied. "How is everything? Did you all finally make it to San Francisco, seeing as no one called me."

"No time to talk," I stated, getting right to the point. "Max is hurt. She…"

"What happened? Can I talk to her? Where is she?"

"She's unconscious," I sighed. "Iggy did all he could to bandage her up, but she needs medical attention."

Dr. Martinez sounded on the verge of tears. "Oh no. Can't you get her to a hospital? Oh, never mind. They'd make matters worse. How long will it take you to get here? Should I meet you somewhere?"

"We can be there in the early morning. Maybe 1 or 2," I said, almost as a question.

"I'll be waiting for you at my office."

"Thanks!"

"Please be careful!" she demanded.

"Yea," I replied. "See you soon."

After hanging up, I carefully picked Max up, keeping the bandages in place as best as I could.

"Let's go, guys!" I called out and snapped my wings open.

(3 hours later…1 hour to go)

Only one more hour, Max. Hold on for one more hour

"Fang," Angel thought to me. "Will Max make it?"

"Yea, Angel," I thought, forcing a smile. "She'll be fine. Don't worry."

"I'm scared," she sobbed in my thoughts.

"Everything will be fine," I thought reassuringly. "I promise!"

She sniffled, fighting tears, and nodded to me.

"That's it, Ang," I smiled again. "Stay strong. For Max."

(Another hour later)

We finally arrived at Dr. Martinez's office, landing right behind the building. Nudge ran forward, hammering her fists on the door.

My arms were tired, but I wasn't going to let Max go until I absolutely had to. Dr. Martinez swung the door open, and we all raced inside.

"The door on the right, Fang. Everything is ready to go," she instructed.

The Gasman opened the door for me, and I walked forward, already feeling sick from the atmosphere. I gently laid Max onto the table on her stomach. Ella was in the room and crying her eyes out. Iggy went to her side and put an arm around her. She wrapped both arms around him and cried into his chest. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel stood with them, waiting and fighting fear.

Taking one of Max's hands in mine, I looked at Dr. Martinez and said, "She's still breathing, but she's been out for a little more than 4 hours."

Dr. Martinez went right to work. She carefully stripped the temporary bandage from Max's back and her face fell. "How did this happen?"

"Flyboys got her," I said quietly. I still felt awful that I wasn't able to stop the stupid thing from hurting Max. "Flying right after the attack didn't help it."

"I see that," she frowned. "All I can do now is stitch the wound and let her rest. The rest is up to her."

I gently squeezed Max's hand, hoping to get some kind of reaction. No such luck.

With a sigh, I asked, "How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure," Dr. Martinez said regretfully. "You all heal so quickly, so her back should heal within the next few days, maybe sooner."

She was scared, worried, upset…every kind of sorrow from a mother that could be thrown together.

I nodded and looked back down to Max. She looked so helpless and vulnerable; two things Max has never been!

"Ella, why don't you, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel go set up some beds in the lobby," Dr. Martinez said to the others. "The office is closed tomorrow, so you can all stay here tonight."

The kids put on their best happy/excited faces, given the standing circumstances, and walked out to the lobby area. Iggy walked to the other side of Max's bed and examined her injuries again. Dr. Martinez attached the little heart monitor suction cups to Max in various places and the machine whirred to life.

"Iggy, I'm going to start stitching Max up in a moment," Dr. Martinez stated. "Could you please ask the younger kids to wait out there? You can come back in when you're done, but I don't want them to see this."

Iggy nodded and slipped out the door. My eyes stayed locked on Max.

"It was very brave of you to bring Max all the way here in her condition," Dr. Martinez said quietly with a small smile.

I nodded very slightly, but I knew she caught it.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Iggy came back in and said, "They're setting up beds, now."

"Thank you, Iggy," Dr. Martinez replied. "I'm just about to start. I'll need the two of you to hold her wings out."

Iggy walked to Max's other side and we gently held her wings out of the way. Dr. Martinez, very carefully, began stitching the gash. I couldn't watch that happen to Max, so I closed my eyes and focuses my attention on the sound of the heart monitor. It was a little slow for us bird kids, but there was still a steady rhythm to it.

What seemed like hours later, but was only about twenty minutes, Dr. Martinez said, "Alright. That should do it. She shouldn't fly for a little while, but she should be okay once it is healed."

Although her façade displayed relief, I felt her fear hidden fear.

"I'll go tell the others," Iggy announced.

"Iggy, Fang," Dr. Martinez whispered with a pained expression. "There is something you should know."

I raised an eyebrow, and Iggy stopped to listen.

"Max could…" she stammered. "She could…slip into a coma."