Unlikely Meetings

CHAPTER 25 - UNLIKELY BEGINNINGS

"So you've been just...lounging here since you recovered?" Max looked over at Ian towards the foot of his medical bed before focusing back on his new mechanical fingers. "You didn't want to go see your mom or dad? Or what about your younger brother?"

The wolf bit his cheek at the mention of his younger brother. Familial wounds still fresh from the recent altercation between them. "Mom and Dad visited. They swung by before they found out about Trevor's really dumb abduction move. They were furious about my state even more so than my younger brother getting his ass handed to him and Mom told me that if I wasn't at the table when yall met she was going to tear your throat out. Needless to say she changed her tune when she saw that the ones being assaulted were you and Eli."

An eyebrow raised on Max's face as he leveled his gaze at him. "That leaves out your brother. Are things still rough with him?"

Rubbing the back of his neck there were portions of his arms that were just growing back the lowest level of fur. The surgeries he had to go through seemed to be healing up nicely. "He's certainly not happy about what happened but I think you knocked enough sense into him that he won't be rushing you here."

Max flexed the new cybernetics that graced half of his arm, the entirety of his hand was lost and had to be replaced with a rugged and crude replacement since that was all the hospital could get on such short notice. "That's not what I asked."

"I," Ian took a moment to think before he grit his teeth in frustration. "Things are rough, yeah. He won't even look at me now."

"Damn clunky thing...He'll come around. Given enough time and therapy that is." Max whacked the cybernetic against the side of the bed trying to make it have some sway under his control. "At least he wasn't throwing things at you. Eli tried to give him a get well soon basket and he chucked a food tray at her." Ian's eyes flashed with anger as he heard that but softened as Max continued to speak. "She gave him a good slap and lecture for that one though. She said she didn't faint but I think she's lying."

Both men shared a somber laugh at the hognose snake's behalf before the rugged and outdated hand started acting up again. "Seems like that thing is well past its expiration date, you said a new one is coming in soon?"

Another few good whacks against the bed frame graced the scuffed and originally clinically white replacement with new dents and mars into its surface. "They said today but god damn I'd rather just have the stump at this point." Another moment where Max fiddled with the prosthetic before singing and falling back into the bed. "I just want to be better now. Thought that a week in bed with Eli doting on me would be enough to at least let me walk around."

"You know what the doc said, 'Miracle that you're even alive, more blood than should be possible, five resuscitations,' seriously for someone that was on death's doorstep you seem pretty eager to get yourself back there."

"That's not what I'm trying to do and you know it. I'm just getting restless laying here constantly. Plus only seeing with one eye is annoying." With his good hand he tugged at the bandages covering his left eye before Ian slapped it away.

"What did the doc say about that?"

"That I could lose all sight in the left eye if I keep messing with it. It's too damn itchy man." Looking over to the door some movement caught his one good eye. "Ah speak of the devil. What news do you have for me Doc?"

"Mostly good but some bad, your new hand is in by the way." A relatively plain box was in his right hand that was offered to Ian to hold onto. "Other good news is that most of your broken bones have set enough for you to move around again. Probably for the best that you take it easy with physical therapy." A smile graced the digital mask as he delivered the good news that Max took to rise to his feet with a grimace. "The bad news is that you won't be able to fly with that eye of yours, there's been too much damage and it simply won't be anywhere near to where it was before. I'm sorry."