The Disbanded: Divided We Stand – Chapter 50
By MyNameIsCAL
---Fang's POV---
I dropped our bags on the floor and locked the door. Max pulled the monitor which she had ripped off my wrist earlier today and handed it to me.
"I'm sorry, Max."
She suddenly pulled me into a hug, burying her face in my chest.
"Max…"
I couldn't tell if she was crying or not.
"I should have talked to you instead," I continued after she didn't respond. "But, I don't know, I just…"
"It's ok." She muttered.
I shook my head. "No, it's not ok."
No response.
"Hey, are you ok?" I wrapped my arms around her. "Max, why are you crying?"
"I don't know."
I leaned my crutch against the wall and led her over to the bed, sitting her down on the edge. "It's been a long day." I wiped the tears running down her cheeks. "Things are gonna be alright in the end."
She sniffled and lay back in the bed, pulling me down with her so that we lay side by side. And we stayed like that, in silence.
---Iggy's POV---
It had been so long since I had stayed in a hotel. The last time was probably years ago when the flock was on the run. I moved to the couch, sinking into it as soon as I lay down.
"What were you saying in the elevator?" Gazzy asked.
Gazzy took a seat on the bed. "Fang wanted to keep this quiet, but he suffers from depression."
"Really?" Gazzy seemed incredulous.
"Yeah," I replied. "Don't tell him or Max that I told you. But being in those vans, cramped for hours, tensions are gonna start running high and I don't want anyone to upset him."
"Has he like, tried to kill himself?"
I paused. "Not that I know of. I'm pretty sure I didn't get the whole story from him."
---Max's POV---
Ramirez insisted we have lunch together the next day. If it weren't for the snow, I would have declined quickly. Fang was in no condition to be around a lot of people. For the last ten minutes he had been standing in front of the mirror, staring at his bare arms, muscles toned from the years in his wheelchair. I held out a long sleeved shirt for him.
"What a stupid thing to do," he muttered, taking the shirt from me. "I'll forever be stuck hiding these damned scars because they bother people."
"They don't bother me," I told him.
He looked surprised, but only for a moment. After another moment, he pulled the shirt on, letting me button it up.
"If they don't bother you, then they shouldn't bother me," he sighed.
I took his hand. "Don't let it bother you."
---Gazzy's POV---
It was obvious that none of us, with the exception of Ramirez, Mike, and Eli, wanted to be eating with each other. We all had things on our minds. Guilt was creeping back to me as I thought about Fang. He had already fallen apart. Max would be the only one who would be able to piece him back together. The more and more I thought about it, the less and less I wanted to blame someone.
I stared at the menu, not really feeling hungry. Iggy was muttering how the food was going to be bad, no matter how expensive it was. The food was pricey, but Ramirez insisted he was going to pay for everything, and for the hell of it, I order a steak, one of the most expensive things on the menu.
Somehow Ramirez ended up sitting next to Fang. Max was on Fang's other side. Iggy was between Max and me, Ted and Cal to my right, followed by Mike and Eli who completed the circle around the table. I watched as Fang would anxiously glance at his heart rate monitor, like he was checking the time or something. Eventually, Max leaned over and told him to stop.
"It's great to finally meet all of you," Ramirez smiled. "Max, shall you introduce me to your friends?"
Max replied quickly. I wondered if Ramirez could even catch anything of what he said. Before more questions could come, the waiter brings our drinks and some bread. Everyone grabbed for the bread, something to busy themselves during the wait for the food.
And that was when Ramirez spilled his drink, all over Fang, freshly brewed coffee.
"Fuck," I heard Fang say under his breath.
Max scooted her chair backwards.
"I'm so sorry. Take off your shirt," Ramirez suggested. "You won't have the coffee pressing up against your skin. Jeez…Waiter! Can we have some help!?"
I watched as Max started to undo the buttons. And I will never forget the scars that marked Fang's arms, even though I only saw them for a few seconds. He threw the shirt at Ramirez and stormed out of the restaurant, Max hurrying after him.
"Did you see that?" I asked.
But Ramirez had been too occupied with getting the coffee cleaned up with Mike and Eli. Neither of them had seen what I had seen.
Cal tapped me on the shoulder. "It's not something Fang talks about. More of a sensitive subject. I wouldn't ask him about it if I were you."
Iggy shook his head. Ted had just explained things to him too. Needless to say, Fang and Max didn't return to finish lunch.
Thanks for reading!
