Highest Bidder

Chapter 18: The Pain That Shouldn't Be

Standing on the outside of Max's door, I start pounding on it and jiggling the handle. He just fell down a whole flight of stairs and managed to get into his fucking office and lock the door! He's seriously injured, but I don't think he cares at this point. Iggy is passing by when he sees me pounding and jiggling.

"Iggy! Call Max! He's locked in his office and he's terribly hurt. He needs to unlock the door and get help!" He doesn't hesitate to take out his phone and do as I say. Walking across the hall, I open the door and find the phone. I start calling his office.

"He's not answering!" Iggy calls to me. I call Bloom and tell her to come straight away with Casey. I tell them to try calling him. "I'll get Kapoor and Reynolds down here! Maybe they can figure out a way in."

I call Max's office phone again, but he still doesn't pick up.

"How bad is he?" Iggy asks and I peer out the door.

"Cracked his head open! Elbow is most likely broke and I assume his leg is too based on how he was avoiding putting pressure on it." I call out to him. He jiggles the handle a bit more and I try calling him again. Casey and Bloom arrive and Iggy fills them in. It isn't to long before Reynolds and Kapoor show up.

"What's going on?" Reynolds asks and I come out of the other room and go to Max's door.

"Missed a whole flight of stairs and nosed dived. Brain injury, multiple fractures most likely. He locked himself in his office though and Helen says it's bad." Bloom states and I pound on the door and jiggle the handle.

"Max! Baby! Open up! Max!! Max!! Please! Baby open up the door!" I call and my heart is beating so fast. I'm so worried right now. "If we don't get in there soon, he's going to bleed out and go into shock!"

"Hold on, I gotta idea- but don't tell Brantley it was me." Casey says and he takes off his scrub top and wraps it around his fist. "Back up, Sharpe."

I back up and he runs and puts his whole fist through the glass of the door's window. It breaks and he reaches in and unlocks the door.

"Where's he at?" Iggy calls.

"He's in here!" Reynolds races in to him and all we see is blood pooling on the floor. He's not clotting. This isn't good.

"Get me a gurney stat!" Lauren calls to Casey who takes off running. I make my way around them and grabs Max's hand.

"Max! Max! Stay with me!" I call to him and his eyes flutter a bit.

"His breathing's shallow!" Reynolds announces. Panic is setting in my body. He's so pale and his arm looks terrible.

"He's lost a lot of blood!" Kapoor adds as he looks at the gash.

"I need a suture kit and a sterilization kit!" Lauren calls out to Iggy, who takes off to fetch what she needs.

"Broken ulna!" Reynolds says.

"Dislocated knee!" Lauren adds.

"Max! I need you to stay with me! Please!" I squeeze his hand and can feel my heart breaking. I hurt him. I made him upset and he wasn't thinking clearly. I pushed him away, when I should have held him close. His eyes flutter once more.

"We need to work fast or he's gonna bleed out!" Kapoor is becoming more flustered and Casey and Iggy both arrive back with the items we need.

"Max, please, I love you...stay with me...." My tears are breaking down my face and I can barely breathe.  I hold onto his hand tightly and Kapoor and Lauren work together to stop his head from bleeding. Reynolds splints Max's forearm and secures it to his torso for transfer. Casey splits his knee and he is ready to be put on the gurney. The boys get him up and onto it and I am forced to let go of his hand. They start racing him out of his office and to the E.D where they have all the tools they need to fix him. I remain frozen in his office, staring at the blood on the tiled floor.