Thunder: Back Through the Pouring Rain-Chapter 5
By MyNameIsCAL
---Iggy's POV---
It was late, like always. The younger ones were asleep already and Fang had crashed right after dinner. Mom had morphine for him, but I got the feeling that morphine wasn't going to help him. This time there would be more bad days than good.
I found myself with Max on her bed. She was rolled up in a ball against me, her head resting against my chest. Max was like a sister to me. This was awkward in many ways, but she needed comfort and I was going to be that brother to her in return. If only I knew better.
"How is he?" Max questioned quietly.
"The pain is eating away at him," I answered. I wasn't going to hide anything from her.
"Hm…" Max hesitated. "Never mind."
I didn't feel like pressing the matter. Max fell asleep a few minutes later.
Tonight, I didn't feel like sleeping. In fact these past few days, sleeping hasn't come easily because I've had so many things to think about, like Ella. Then there was always that pressing matter of Fang and Max. Those two idiots didn't get that they were meant for each other. There are times where I'd really like to smack them on the backside of the head and hope that they actually realized after that.
Fang was snoring softly. I could hear him through the wall. At least he was getting some sleep. I'm sure the pain wore him out. By the end of the week he would have to return to the hospital to let the doctor examine him. I'm sure he's going to do his best so the shrink doesn't check him back in. They didn't know Mom was dosing him with morphine, so maybe he would be ok.
Around midnight I slipped a pillow under Max's head and snuck out of the room. I sat in the kitchen and pulled out leftovers to eat. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't eaten half of what I should have over the past few days. Fang and Max were always asking me for something. My own personal needs slipped away.
I sat eating, alone, for the next half hour. Mostly because I didn't want to go back to Max's room. Well, there was a part of me that did because if I was gone in the morning, she would get mad too. Not that I was as comfortable as that pillow.
"Couldn't sleep, huh?"
I sat up straight. It was Fang.
"No," I replied as I pulled a chair away from the table so Fang could wheel next to me.
"Can I have some of that?"
"Sure."
---Fang's POV---
Iggy seemed preoccupied. And I knew he was probably thinking about Max and me. We're probably stressing him out. I'm surprised he hasn't walked away mad at us yet. Or maybe he thought things would turn around soon. Maybe they would. Even I hoped so.
"I'm going back to sleep," Iggy muttered. "Do you need anything else?"
"No, thanks," I told him.
He trudged off through the doorway and down the hall.
---Iggy's POV---
I slipped into bed next to Max. She was still leaning on the pillow. After feeling around for the end of it, I slid it out and let her head rest on my chest again. Her warmth drew me closer and fell asleep next to her, my head resting on top of hers.
---Fang's POV---
I'm waiting at the hospital with Iggy for the doctor. He's going on and on about Ella and how they're going out some place. Iggy was really trying to make me think about Max. I knew what he was doing, and it worked to some extent. Max would have loved something like that. Hell, I wouldn't have minded being dragged to a place like that.
"That's cool," I heard myself say to Iggy.
He smiled. "I can't wait."
I wondered if that mean I can't wait to get away from you and Max.
---Iggy's POV---
Mom somehow convinced the doctor to tell me everything about Fang's examination since she couldn't be around. We sat in the doctor's office, Fang looking reluctant now. The hospital was even making me anxious now.
"You can't be bitter about the recovery process," the doctor said. "It is a process that you must look to the future, and not to the past."
Recovery wasn't in Fang's vocabulary. He and I knew that he was going to be stuck in pain forever unless we got another cure. Being here was a waste of time.
"And on the bright side, you're on your way to a fast recovery too. I'm sure you'll still have some pain, but the x-rays we have show that the bone is healing quickly," the doctor went on. "Of course you are different from a human. I don't totally understand your body."
Fang interjected. "Look, I'm really tired and I'd like to go home and sleep so is there anything else?"
The doctor hesitated. "Maybe you should talk to a psychologist or something. Maybe rehabilitation."
"How many more times do I need to come back?" Fang asked.
The doctor sighed. "I'm guess two more."
Fang nodded and I stood, listening to the wheelchair squeak to guide my way outside where we waited for Mom in silence.