Fishing Trip//Max Joseph//Catfish: The TV Show//Catfish

*Chapter Twenty*

Guys! We made it to Chapter Twenty! Even though we have over 3k reads, I feel like this story is slowing down, and my votes and comments are going with it. Please! Take a sec and vote. It really helps me out, and gives me hope that this story isn't as lame as I feel like it is!

Please vote!

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     Ellie clicked upload and watched as her and Max's Q&A appeared in her "Recents" playlist. She had a few thousand views within seconds. She smiled at the couple hundred likes and closed her laptop. "Max! Is the WiFi working in there yet?! It works in here!"

     "Yeah, shit's starting to load now! Thanks, Elle!" he called from the living room. Ellie nodded to herself left her office, turning off the light on the way out. "All I had to do was reset it. And I uploaded our video, by the way." Max made a scared face. "I haven't been in a real video in forever."

     Ellie dismissed his concern with the wave of her hand. "You were great, Max. My fans are gonna love you." He shook his head and scratched his eyebrow.

     He sniffled and looked up at her. "So, you ready? For... you know..."

"No!" Ellie brought a hand to her forehead. "Oh my god, Max. I'm so nervous."

     He patted the seat next to him on the couch. Ellie made her way over and sat down next to him. "You're gonna do great, babe." Ellie had a look of surrender plastered on her face. She was tired. For the past month, she had done nothing but worry. "This stupid surgery," she thought aloud. Max heard her.

     "It'll be worth it in the end. I promise." Ellie wasn't convinced. She'd even made herself a "Countdown Of Hell" and hung it in her office. The empty spaces had all been filled in with red X's—all except one.

     It was just too much. First, she'd have to stay overnight, which sucked. Second, the money. Ellie couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that a metal object, as small as it was, could cost so much! And third, the freaking pain and recovery time. Sure, a few weeks wasn't that much. But it was a few weeks without a paycheck, and a few weeks without YouTube. And it supposedly hurt like hell afterwards.

     That's two sources of money, gone. Gone for fucking weeks. What the hell was Ellie going to do in the meantime? Knit scarves?

~~~

     "Okay, can you lean back for me? Yep, just like that. You're doing great." The surgeon adjusted her stupid hospital gown and moved the small cutout hole in the fabric so it matched up perfectly with the ink marks on her skin. Dots and lines were drawn a few inches below her clavicle.

     "Are you sure you don't want to be put under for this? Once we start, you can't change your mind," the surgeon warned. "Um... n-no. Just like, like, do the laughing gas s-stuff. Like, I get the laughing gas, right?" Ellie was nervous... beyond nervous. Her hands shook and her eyes were wide.

     Max sat beside her, and held her other hand, trying to calm her nerves. It wasn't working.

     "Yes," the surgeon—Dr. Reeves—said with a chuckle. "You get the laughing gas. And we numb it, so you don't feel a thing." Ellie nodded hesitantly.

     "Okay, do you see this?" Dr. Reeves motioned towards a small cup-like object that was sealed in a bag. He took it from the counter and opened the bag. His gloved finger pointed to the top.

     "We put this over your nose and you breathe through here." He motioned towards the other side. "The laughing gas comes through here. And it'll make you feel kinda funny, but it makes the procedure go by way simpler."

     Ellie bit her lip. The inside of her cheeks were red and swollen. She pushed on her cheek with her hand so she could bite the inside of her mouth. Max pulled it away from her face to stop her self-destructive coping method. He intertwined her fingers with his own, looking back to the doctor.

     The doctor smiled at Max and nodded. His gaze switched over to a scared and worried Ellie. "Ready?"

     Once Ellie was comfortable in the chair, and lights were positioned accordingly, the mask was strapped to her face. Max could hear the machine turn on. Air was pumped through a clear tube, and into Ellie's lungs.

     He traced patterns on the top of her hand with his thumb. He rubbed her arm and told her it would be okay. Eventually Ellie's facial expression changed from petrified and stressed, to amused and happy.

     "Mhmm. There she goes," Dr. Reeves commented. Ellie smiled and patted Max's hand affectionately. "I like this song," she slurred. There wasn't any music playing.

     Max jerked his head toward the surgeon. He stopped him before he could begin. "She's fine. Laughing gas does that," he reassured, motioning towards Ellie. She laughed and reached her hand out for Max.

     "My hand is heavy, Maxie. Why's it heavy? Is yours heavy, 'cause mine is." Max raise his eyebrows and nodded. "Sure is, Elle." She sat up further in the chair to reach for Max, and Dr. Reeves intervened.

     "No, Ellie. I need you to lie down. Be calm, relax." She made a face. "Max," she called, sliding back down in the chair. He looked to her expectantly. "Max, Max, Max," she repeated. "What, Ellie? I'm right here. Calm down."

     "Max," she continued. "I'm fucking hungry!" she complained. His eyes widened. "Shh! There are people in here!"

     "Alright," Dr. Reeves said to his nurse. "We can start now." The nurse nodded.

"Ready, Miss Stokes?"

"Hell yeah!"

~~~

Ellie winced and reached for her cup of water. It tasted like metal, and she made a face. It was only half an hour ago that she was granted access to water, because the nurse said she was "recovering well." Ellie gave up on that and glanced around the room.

Sporting a half-frown, Ellie noticed the lack of... well, everything. There was nothing: no pictures, portraits, or art. The walls were a tasteless beige color. The only color in the room was her own suitcase, covered with light blue polka-dots to match its dark blue background.

The only window in the room was in a corner. The dirty white window frame matched the dirty white tile floor, which went well with the dirty white table-tops. "Boring. So fucking boring," she thought to herself.

The door clicked, and Ellie ran her fingers through her hair in a failing attempt to make herself more presentable. "Knock, knock," Max greeted cheerily. "How's my girl?"

Ellie replied with a smile, the kind of smile that always made his heart skip a beat. "I'm alright. Can I... can I have water that doesn't taste like ass, though?" Max tipped his head back and let out a laugh.

He made his way over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "They're gonna take you to get something to eat soon. A nurse'll come or something." Ellie frowned. "Can't you take me?" He shook his head.

"No, they have to watch you. But," he said, pausing. "I'll be here when you get back. We can have a hospital date!" Ellie made a face and pretended to gag. "Ew. Never."

"What? The hospital, or me?"

"Both," Ellie replied, laughing.

It finally happened!! Comment some ideas below and don't forget to gimme a vote please! Love you guys!!