A work in progress

Chapter 18

When Max awoke, she awoke with a sudden jerk.

"Chloe! Rachel!" The names tore through her throat, making her cough with pain soon after. She looked around, her vision blurring and her stomach twisting. Heat coursed through her body and she felt bile rise in her throat, "C-Chloe..." she rasped again before she leaned over and puked.

She vaguely heard the door open and a woman go, "Oh!" Before there was a swarm of people around her as she vomited.

The liquid was sickly green and reeked something awful. Max fell limp against the bed and took in the people around her and realized she was in the hospital.

"I'm sorry." She murmured to the nearest nurse, who smiled at her sweetly.

"No worries, we're just glad you're alive." Her eyes darkened slightly before she looked away, "We'll clean this."

Max didn't have the energy to talk anymore so she simply laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts buzzed like bees in her head, memories of the darkroom led the swarm, making Max tremble slightly.

She jumped as something brushed her arm and she turned to see the nurse holding out some ice water, which Max drank greedily.

Sighing as the dryness was eliminated, Max looked around again. "Where's Rachel? And Chloe?" She asked, her heart quickening as she worried. Had it been too late? Did Jefferson-

"They're in the lobby, they'll be up shortly." The nurse assured her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The police will be with them," she said softly, her eyes uncertain, "they said they had questions."

Max nodded, "What happened to me?"

The nurse drew in a sharp breath, "You were drugged, a borderline overdose of Gammahydroxybutrate, or what is essentially liquid ecstasy. In small doses, it acts just like that of the pill, euphoria, sensual, uninhabited, or sleepy. In larger doses, it makes people pass out." The nurse hesitated before adding softly, "It's been linked to many rape cases."

Max blinked in a daze, "I remember everything." She murmured.

The nurse had a pained look on her face. "Save it for the police." She suggested softly before she stood.

The door opened and Max grinned slightly as she saw Chloe and Rachel.

"Chlo! Rach!" She tried to move but the nurse quickly stopped her, shaking her head worriedly.

The two punks blinked at her. Chloe was eyeing her, her eyes glowing with tears as she rushed forward and hugged Max.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried, her tears landing on Max's neck, "I'm so sorry!"

Max shook her head, pushing Chloe away so she could wipe her tears. "Don't be, dummy," she murmured, her heart light with love. Chloe grinned then shuffled to the side of the bed.

Her eyes traveled towards Rachel and she frowned as she saw the look in the normally bright hazel eyes. They were sunken in and dull, dark bags underneath them. Yet she still smiled, that same dazzling smile that Max fell in love with every time she saw it.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Rachel moved forward and hugged her, Max returning the hug and nuzzling her neck.

"I'm glad you are," Max whispered in her ear and she could have sworn she felt Rachel tremble, but the model was up and sitting on the end of the bed before she could be sure.

Max looked up at the sound of more footsteps and she smiled as she saw Joyce rush in, David on her heels grumbling at how fast an 'old woman' could move. "Max!" Her southern voice boomed, "What the hell did you get yourself dragged into?" She demanded, her eyes hard as she stared at Max before they softened and she wrapped the girl into a hug. "Thank God you're okay. I thought the worst.."