The Disbanded: Divided We Stand-Chapter 41
By MyNameIsCAL
---Fang's POV---
Max was stressed out. A week didn't give her enough time to plan anything. We didn't even know where to go. Angel and Nudge could be halfway across the world now. They could be dead. She was probably running every single scenario in her head. It kept her up at night, awake for hours. Max was constantly getting out of bed, pacing the room, and lying down again.
"Max, stop worrying," I muttered.
"Why are you still up?" she asked.
"Because I never sleep."
She sat down on her side of the bed. "We can't drag all those people into our mess."
"How do you expect us to battle Itex?" I sat up. "I can barely walk. Gazzy is going to attack everything he sees that moves. None of us are cut out to take down a whole organization without help."
"There has to be a better way," Max said.
"We're still going to need help."
She stood up again. "I'm going to get water. Good night."
I got the feeling that she didn't want me to follow.
---Max's POV---
"Max!"
I sat up.
"Hey, Max," Fang hobbled into the room. "Stop worrying for once and get some food. Iggy's outside grilling."
"Oh, ok I'll be out in a minute," I yawned.
"You didn't sleep at all last night," Fang frowned.
I shook my head.
"Well, I'll be outside with the others." Fang leaned on his crutch. He wanted to say more.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
He shrugged. "Since you came to bed at nine in the morning. It's dinner time now."
I got out of bed and found clothes to change into. When I finally looked presentable, I made my way downstairs. Fang was sitting on a bench outside, talking to Iggy and Ella.
"Where's Ted and Cal?"
"They went to pick up Chuck and Kerry," Iggy answered.
They were coming already? It was too soon. As if Fang could tell what I was thinking, he took my hand and pulled me towards the bench. I sat down.
"Stop worrying." Fang sounded like a broken record. And then he added, "You're gonna end up stressing me out too."
He put his arm around me. I relaxed, just a little bit. Fang always had the ability to remain calm. It was the one thing I wished I was able to do. Even though he's softened up a little, there was still that calmness about him. Sometimes it frustrated me and other times, if you stopped to take a breath, his calmness would consume you.
"How long ago did Ted leave?" I questioned.
That wasn't how Fang wanted to respond, but he answered me anyway. "About half an hour ago."
---Gazzy's POV---
Max's friends are coming tonight. I wanted to start looking for Angel and Nudge again, but I knew I needed help for that. Part of me, deep down inside, always knew that I needed help. Maybe me losing track of Angel and Nudge was a blessing in disguise. Maybe, just maybe, I was supposed to go get help.
Iggy was grilling some food for us. Even though there were more pressing matters, there was nothing I could do about them. I'm sure Angel would have wanted me to enjoy the short time I had here at Dr. M's house. She would have. Angel would make the best out of even the worst situations.
I stepped outside, where everyone was now. Fang and Max sat on the bench. He told me that Max hadn't been sleeping much, yet Fang looked more tired. I always got the feeling Fang was hiding how much pain he really was in. If it weren't for Max, he would probably be in pieces. It wasn't my business though. Someday, maybe, I would ask, but not today.
"I'm hungry. When's the food gonna be ready?" I only asked the question to distract myself.
"It'll be ready when Ted gets back," Iggy replied. "But if you're really hungry, there's some chicken on the table."
Fang made his way to the table, slowly. How could he stand to be so slow? How could he stand being unable to fly? He didn't even seem like the same person anymore. But the way his eyes lit up when he was around Max. I couldn't remember if it had always been like that, but I wondered how downhill he had been before Max found him. Which made me think how did she find Fang?
I watched Fang put chicken onto a plate. He headed back to the bench, balancing the plate with food with his left hand. The food wasn't for him. It was for Max.
"You haven't eaten since yesterday," I heard his tell Max softly.
Max took the plate from him and began to eat. Fang's left wing came around Max, resting just on her shoulder.
"Wow they're so pretty," I heard Ella mutter.
Even in the moonlight, Fang's wings seemed to glint that purple sheen.
"It's a shame he can't fly anymore," Iggy shook his head.
Ella and I stared for another minute, mesmerized by the one thing that Fang probably felt bitter towards. Every time I looked at Fang, I felt like I had another reason to be guilty. Fang didn't deserve any of this. Now that he had Max, maybe he was better, but to know that we could all fly and he couldn't probably disheartened him.
"There has to be a way to fix the damage," I thought out loud.
"He couldn't afford it," Iggy almost whispered. "And the way we're built..."
Ella shook her head and we stood in silence, as if Fang's loss of flight had been our own loss too.
Happy 2010 everyone! Good luck with the new year. New Year's Resolution? Perhaps to write more fanfiction! jk jk. That would be an easy one though :D
