The Disbanded: Divided We Stand – Chapter 51
By MyNameIsCAL
*Right, I'm sure none of you would remember, but I sorta left out Chuck and Kerry, the gay couple (who are not to be confused with Mike and Eli who are brothers) in the past two chapters because as usual, I write my fanfiction 3 in the morning –sigh- but they're still there. Yeah, so don't get confused when I suddenly mention them being there again. They were there all along at the table with Ramirez, I just forgot to say so. Too many characters…that is the biggest flaw of this fanfiction, at least I think so. Anyway, thanks.
---Max's POV---
Fang sat quietly as I rinsed his arms with cool water. He was angry, but the angrier he got, his heart rate rose.
"Deep breaths," I said. "No one saw, I promise."
He gritted his teeth and then inhaled slowly.
There was a knock on the door.
"Don't let them in," Fang pleaded.
I checked to see who it was. "It's Ted. He has your crutch."
Fang sucked in another breath. "Alright, you can let him in."
Ted addressed Fang right away. "Are you okay?"
With a shrug, Fang looked down at his arms. They were bright red, the scars making it seem worse than it really was. He let Ted examine his arms.
"A few blisters might form, but you'll be ok," Ted assured him. "Just don't irritate the burned area."
It wasn't the burns that bothered Fang though.
"I'll bring your food back," Ted said as he headed to the door. "Give me a call if you need anything else."
"Alright, thanks," Fang said. He was so quiet I wondered if Ted had heard him.
---Gazzy's POV---
"Is he alright?" Ramirez questioned Ted.
Ted hesitated. "He'll be fine."
We had the waiter wrap Max and Fang's food into take out boxes. Ted picked them up and started to head back out of the restaurant.
"Something's off," Cal muttered, picking at her food.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll find out from Ted later," she answered, not looking at me.
Ramirez resumed his conversation with Mike and Eli. They were laughing and making jokes, reminiscing old times. Even Chuck and Kerry were immersed in their own conversation. I felt left out, like always. Everyone always had someone else. I wondered if Cal could sense my loneliness because she muttered under her breath, "That bastard acts like nothing happened."
"You have such a colorful vocabulary," Iggy muttered quietly, a grin growing.
The tension seemed to easy up.
---Nudge's POV---
"Angel." I poked her. "Angel!"
She muttered something.
"Angel, wake up!" I shook her.
She opened her eyes.
"Angel, they brought us food," I whispered. "And water."
She didn't say anything, but her voice invaded my mind. I'm tired, Nudge.
For days, Angel had refused to eat. I was getting tired of talking through our thoughts. She was giving up.
"No, Angel, you will talk to me!" I was almost screaming now. "You will eat and you will not give up!"
There was no response.
"ANGEL!!!"
I held a cup of water up to her lips and poured it in. She swallowed some of it and then pushed me away.
"Angel, why?" I whimpered, holding out a piece of bread.
She turned to face me and said, "They're going to kill us, Nudge."
---Fang's POV---
I sat on the bed now, Max pacing the room as we waited for Ted to come back with our food. The pain the burns had caused turned to numbness. I stared at my arms, thinking to myself that they needed to be kept hidden. To me, they showed weakness, like they were actually going to hold me back from something.
"Can you get my other long sleeved shirt?" I asked Max.
She shook her head. "You'll irritate the burns."
I let out a sigh, my attention turning back to my arms.
"Relax." She sat on the bed next to me. "Don't think about them."
"Why don't they bother you?" I pressed. "Most people…It makes them uncomfortable or scares them."
Max shrugged. "Because I love you, Fang. They're part of who you are and what you've been through. You can't change that."
I guess she was right.
---Max's POV---
Fang had been asleep long ago. He was still angry at himself and Ramirez. In the end, it would turn into resentment for Ramirez. Maybe it was better that way. At least Fang wouldn't wear himself out by beating himself up.
I sat in Ted and Cal's room now, talking quietly over a late dinner. Fang hadn't eaten much of his food for lunch and insisted he just finish it for dinner. Not that he really touched it. But it wasn't the time to push him.
"Gazzy saw," Cal told me. "I told him not to say anything to Fang."
"Oh, alright, thanks." Fang wasn't going to be happy about that.
"Have you seen Ramirez since lunch?" Ted asked.
I shook my head.
"He's too occupied with Mike and Eli," Cal rolled her eyes. "This is like some kinda family reunion for them."
Ted sighed. "Ramirez is like their father almost. You know, he watches over them, ever since their father was killed."
Cal shook her head. "He didn't really seem to give a damn about what happened to Fang at lunch."
"He doesn't know what Fang is going through," Ted replied. "He doesn't understand."
Cal fell silent. Neither one wanting to admit that the other was right.
Woo chapter 51 and still going strong (sorta)! Thanks for reading!!! Updates soon!
