And then, silence. The rain still fell and made pitter-patter noises on the concrete and asphalt all around. The thunder still rolled and boomed in the sky, the lightning still cracked with an intensity that displayed immense power, but as Max crawled out from under the first of the gang that Zarfa had killed, it seemed to him as a symphony of silence.
By the time Max freed himself from the corpse and stood, Zarfa was at his side.
“
I thought you were a
well-respected
doctor and an asset to your community. What
’
s this all about, doc?
”
Zarfa asked, raising an eyebrow.
“
Greed, I suppose. I don
’
t know these men at all.
”
“
It
’
s a good thing I needed to see you. I get the feeling you usually aren
’
t around this part of town this late or else you
’
d be smart and carry protection. I couldn
’
t help but notice on my way over this area is riddled with killers, junkies, and prostitutes, either of their own volition or their pimp
’
s.
”
“
Yeah, this
‘
fine
’
area is home to a lot of
‘
winners
’
… It has real heroes here, too, though. People working minimum wage to keep their families fed. People who show love and natural affection to their own and even strangers in a world that is severely lacking. That
’
s why I opened my clinic. I see you
’
ve been wounded….again.
”
Max
’
s last statement was referring to Zarfa
’
s new wound, as well as his already healed battle scar.
One of Max
’
s eyes was swelling from the beating he
’
d taken, he was in severe pain, and though his mind was still racing about his meeting with Crimson tonight, he couldn
’
t help but give attention to Zarfa
’
s condition. Max was, first and foremost, a doctor. He cared about people, even when he didn
’
t want to.
“
This? Old woman with a bad aim tried to take me out for grocery money,
”
Zarfa said with the slightest note of sarcasm. He was trying to joke.
“
Oh
,
really? Must have been one of those heroes I told you about. I
’
ll bet her family is starving.
”
“
Must be.
”
“
Let
’
s get you back to the clinic. It
’
s only a block and a half. You look like hell and it
’
s the least I can do,
”
Max said, offering his shoulder as a crutch.
Zarfa may have
recently
killed five more men and made it look easy; he may be a ferocious wounded animal with no regard for lives other than his and the ones he was seeking to protect, but he was still human. He saw Max
’
s kindness and put his right arm around his neck, resting his hand on Max
’
s right shoulder.
“
Thanks, doc,
”
he said solemnly.
“
Don
’
t worry about it. I
’
ll bill you for personal assistance,
”
Max said, smiling.
Zarfa sucked up the pain and didn
’
t so much as limp or gasp on his way back to the clinic. He couldn
’
t help but notice the lacerations on Max
’
s hand as they walked back. The rain had washed off all of the blood and it looked like gaping chasms of skin leading to his tendons.
Max unlocked the large, black steel door that led into the clinic and made Zarfa stand on his own as he pushed it. As the door creaked open, Zarfa saw the glass scattered on the floor and the blood trailing to the door. It looked as if someone had robbed the place, but he knew no one had. They both stepped in and Max turned on the lights.
“
Looks like they tried to jump you in here, doc.
”
Max paused.
“
Nah, I was struggling with myself. Something I thought I had conquered… Guess not.
”
“
Yeah, I
’
ll bet there is a story that goes with it. I
’
m probably unworthy,
”
Zarfa said in all seriousness. In a short time, he had come to respect Max.
“
Nah, you aren
’
t unworthy.
But it
really isn
’
t worth your time
,
it’s
pathetic and not worth anyone
’
s time
. Now, let
’
s get some medifoam on that injury of yours.
”
Max had already gotten a can out and began to shake it. Zarfa began to tense up. He had been through a lot of pain in his lifetime, but he still hated the sting of medifoam.
“
Not to sound gay or anything,
”
Max said sarcastically,
“
but I really need you to take off your shirt for me.
”
Zarfa smiled slightly; he respected Max and even tried to banter with his humor earlier. He felt as if he failed. He didn
’
t know Max well enough to know if he truly saw it or appreciated it. As he peeled off his shirt, he let out a sigh and his mind wandered.
This has been a bizarre day. I hated this guy and his fake sincerity earlier today, but I think it is real now. Damn idiot would be dead, though, if it wasn
’
t for me. Maybe he will give me the next four treatments free. I don
’
t know, what
’
s the harm in asking?
Zarfa threw his shirt into the trail of broken glass on the floor; he didn
’
t care. It had a hole in it and was covered in more than his own blood. He would leave it. He raised his left arm and got ready for the medifoam. He drew a long, deep breath and held it.
“
Fire away, doc,
”
he said.
Without the least bit of hesitation, Max stuck the nozzle into the wound, touching one of the broken ribs. He pulled the trigger and the stinging bite of the medifoam struck Zarfa with an intensity that he wasn
’
t prepared for. It wasn
’
t a high level of pain;
but
it
reminded him of the way the sting felt from the giant wasp that had nearly killed him by eviscerati
on
. The pain he felt that nearly crippled him and stole his breath was emotional trauma and no matter how many times he tried to prepare for it, he was never ready.
“
Done, and done,
”
Max said as he pointed to a bed on the far side of the room near the waiting area.
“
Lay over there, get some rest. There is a mini
-
fridge under the desk. Help yourself to whatever is in it, get lots of water. Thank you for all that you
’
ve done and I really hope I don
’
t seem ungrateful, but I need to run. It
’
s ten-forty-five
,
and I was suppose
d
to meet someone at eleven. I am so late and I hope she is there. Really! Thanks! I mean it, and I know I am in an awful condition, but you will be better in the morning. I will tend to mine then; it will all work out. I have to meet Crimson.
”
“
You have a dying patient and you abandon him for a date?
”
“
You aren
’
t dying. I diagnosed your wound and it was pretty peripheral. You will be healed by the morning with the foam.
”
“
She must be special.
”
“
It isn
’
t like that.
”
“
No?
”
“
No. She is beautiful, but she promised to answer questions that you wouldn
’
t, so I am off to discover.
”
“
And what if I rip you off and steal everything while you are away?
”
“
You saved my life; you earned it.
”
“
Take this. You need it more than I do,
”
Zarfa said, handing Max the gauss pistol.
“
It isn
’
t even loaded. There are no bullets in this thing.
”
“
Just wave it around. Trust me, it makes a lot of folks jumpy enough they won
’
t try anything.
”
With that, Max was on his way out the door. As the black door slammed shut behind him, Zarfa could barely see him sprinting
with all of his might
off into the darkness and the rai
n
.
* * * *
Max lived three miles from his clinic. No matter how fast he would run, he wouldn
’
t be there in time.
Max arrived at his apartment half an hour later. It was roughly eleven-fifteen and
he
hoped Crimson was at his door. He hoped she wasn
’
t a stickler for time. He hoped Zarfa didn
’
t really rip him off and take everything out of the clinic.
As he rode on the elevator, noticing he could only see out of one eye, his mind raced. His day had been crazy, so much excitement, so much near death… Then it hit him, anxiety and craving. The same as before. He was anxious and he craved a boost. He could tell his mind would
continue
racing.
You
’
ve been clean almost three years before today,
come on,
think! Relax. Breathe. You don
’
t need a boost, Max, you don
’
t. Your cells are telling you that because they are weak. Just…
b
reathe.
Max took a deep breath and determined to calm down, held it until he heard the elevator ding. Sixteenth floor, it was his stop. He stepped out and looked down the hallway toward his apartment,
203
. The hallway was well lit and he saw nobody. He let out his breath and came to grips with the fact Crimson had left.
He walked sullenly down the hallway to his door.
It wasn
’
t his fault he was attacked by a gang of lowlifes. She didn
’
t know that, though. Maybe she didn
’
t even know where he lived in the first place! Maybe it was all a joke! Maybe she was at some other random Max Hall
’
s apartment waiting for him.
He had reached his apartment door
,
but his thoughts continued like before, racing and contradicting. He was tired and defeated. He was going to go in and sleep. He felt sick to his stomach and the sweating and tremors had started again. He cursed the day he ever took his first boost.
He swung the door open and, dripping wet from the rain still, stepped into his apartment. He fondled the wall, searching for a light
switch as he closed the door behind himself. There was a brief moment where the light from the hallway was extinguished behind the closed door and it was utter blackness before he had flipped the switch. As it flashed on with a flick, he was blinded again from his eyes adjusting from utter darkness to bright white radiance.
“
Hey there,
”
she said, lying on the couch with a totally bored look on her face.
“
You
’
re late!
”
Max panicked and out of reflex, threw himself backward against his door, catching a doorknob to his
left
kidney. He writhed in pain and flopped himself face first onto the floor, battering his already agitated bruises. He rolled around for a second then crawled to his knees and looked up toward Crimson lying on his grey suede couch.
“
Oh, so you
’
ve been doing antics like that all the way here? No wonder you
’
re late, and no wonder it looks like a crowd walked on your face. I would have thought you had been attacked, but after that showy display, I think you just walked into every blasted sign on the way over!
”