Maddening Max

Chapter 20: Family

"Husband and wife relationships are like the relationship of Tom and Jerry. Though they are teasing and fighting, but can't live without each other." – Unknown

Angel's POV

Black and white vision fighting in control over my heavy-lidded eyes, blaring sirens deafening my ears.

A scene flashed through my head before I let the darkness take me. I felt like being shoved off, and then my body fell. Instinctively, my heels dug into the concrete ground so I won't fall backward. Instead, my heel snapped, and my ankle twisted.

The burning pain that erupted didn't register in my system. Trepidation shot through me, blood pumping furiously in my veins, my ears ringing with all the chaotic noises.

MAX!!

It was an oncoming car screeching towards me mingled with the screams that blurred everything in my system.

Barely conscious, eyes shut, my whole system woozy, loud sirens echoed through the tense air.

"Please move quickly!" I could hear Max's panic-stricken voice as they rolled me somewhere. My head was heady, my eyes heavy, and I felt numb.

When I woke up the next day, I felt the burning sensations, like pins shooting from my ankle, radiating upwards when I moved.

Max looked like he had seen death, his angular jaws shadowed with stubbles.

"Hey!" I said in a hoarse tone as I pulled my upper back up.

I winced. Max quickly was at my side, and helped me up.

My throat tasted gravel, dry, and parched.

I felt my body aching everywhere. It felt like I'd been strike with a boulder. My head hurt bearably, and I wonder if my head hit the concrete.

Max quickly gave me the water bottle sitting on the hospital rolling table.

"Here," he rasped. He unscrewed the lid before giving it to me. I

I drank the cold water greedily and sighed when the cold refreshing liquid slithered down my dry throat. I dropped my body back on the soft bed. The hospital bed creaked softly, and Max quietly put the quarter-filled bottle back on the table.

"We are coming home today, and beginning tomorrow, we are both on leave," Max exclaimed, and even with his calm demeanor, I could tell his insides were in turmoil.

"Hey, it's okay," I smiled up at him, and he held my hands as he perched on the edge of the bed, then squeezed them.

I felt the intense fear radiating off of him.

"It's not okay," he murmured, trying to sound neutral. His strained smile gave away the fear, fury, regrets, and other emotions surging in his system. "We are lucky Theo was lightning-fast and caught you, with your head a matchstick away from the concrete floor, and you almost didn't miss the car.

Theo's got side-swiped, but he's stable now. The car stopped, but the corner of his bumper side-swiped Theo, causing him broken ribs but no internal bleeding. He had protected you with his body." Max explained, and I frowned.

"Who's Theo?" I asked.

"Remember when you told me someone was following us?"

My head bobbed.

"It was my securities. And Theo was one of them. Without him, I don't even want to think what could have happened to you," Max's strained voice broke, and he brought my hands close to his lips and kissed them.