Hey peeps! Sorry for the 100th time about the wait, life hectic at the moment.
Enjoy!
*Warning- Violence and abuse will be in this chapter, also I have made a certain part more suggestive then having it graphic.
Chapter 9
“Max, are you sleeping?”
Max pulled the covers off his face to have his vision filled with Alex’s face. This happened at least every second night since Max got out of ICU and was thrown back into his two-man cell with Alex.
It had been a rough recovery, Max had to build up his muscle and physical strength to get where he was now. Alex had referred to him as a skeleton on crack for the past two months. After the shooting Max had seen himself in a full length mirror for the first time in years, the mirror was in the ICU for some reason, most likely it was one of those one way observation mirrors that are rumored to be planted all over the asylum.
A haunting, decaying creature had stared back at Max in the mirror; he was merely a shadow of his former self. He barely shaved, hadn’t cut his hair in four years, and didn’t have an ounce of body fat on his slim form. Where was that lean, muscled basketball player he used to be in High School?
For the first time Max saw himself as a sick, pained man. Which was something that scared him beyond all compare. It somehow stunted his hopes by looking so shabby and weak. He couldn’t get out of here looking like a prisoner of war solider and feeling like it too. Max had taken action in getting himself back to health for his big escape that Alex had been planning eagerly.
Nurse Pitchman had kindly agreed to help Max and clean him up. She trimmed his hair since it had grown just past his shoulder but now was cut below his ears, which she referred to as ‘rock star chic’. Nurse Pitchman gave Max small exercises that he could perform daily to recuperate his shoulder and arm strength. Both of which had been affected by the gunshot and also shaved off his beard that had grown wildly when he was in the ICU.
Max felt a little better about his health, but he always knew he was in danger staying in this place. Things had gone from bad to worse since Valenti’s death. Riots broke out regularly since no one was really in control of the asylum; the guards were stepping past limits with patients. They physically, emotionally and sexually abused whom ever they pleased. It was a bloodcurdling place to be, he and Alex were getting beaten up by two particular guards every now and then. Max was always ready to defend his best friend but his lack of health made it hard protect Alex. To ready themselves Max and Alex would mutter ‘Goon up’ when a guard was about to attack. Alex had read many books and in one called ‘Hart’s War’ he told Max it was a word POW soldier’s in WWII would use when Nazi soldiers were coming for surprise inspections.
Alex still had a cut lip and bruised eye from the last beating he took. Max felt guiltily for not being able to help but Alex always gave a smile and said never to worry about it. But Max did worry.
Alex now stared down at a sleepy Max with his cut up face, “Dude, hey are you awake?”
“With your fucking face in full view, who could sleep?” Max answered dryly, sitting up a little, ready to listen to whatever was cooking in Alex’s brain tonight.
“Man, I thought up another plan, since plans A through D haven’t been working out so great.”
“Uh huh.” Max murmured “So what’s plan E?”
“So since the new head of the asylum hasn’t arrived I thought with a little help from our naughty Nurse Pitchman we could disguise you as the new head of the asylum!” Alex threw his arms in the air in triumphant over his master plan.
Max paused for a good moment giving Alex a ‘Stop fucking with me’ glare
“What?” Max spoke unconvinced
“It’s perfect!”
“It’s insane.”
“Hello, nuthouse!” Alex pointed out sarcastically pulling Max’s covers off when he went to roll over.
“Hear me out, we just doll you up in a business suit, comb back that rocker style hair do you got going, present yourself to the board of whack job owner. Bob can be your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt and you’re outta here seeking revenge on that cocksucker who got you here in the first place.” Alex stared proudly at Max waiting for him to say something, but he just stared in the darkness.
Alex’s face dropped suddenly after reading the expression on Max’s face, “I know. It can’t work.”
Max let his head drop back to his pillow as Alex’s mind began ticking once more. Since Alex had promised a full proof plan to help Max get out of here he had turned himself into an insomniac. He’d pace around the room with his mind working in overdrive. Max had suggested sneaking into the medical supply and taking some Valium but Alex insisted he worked best on no sleep.
Max didn’t protest to his lack of sleep since he did come up with some awesome ideas but they always got thrown aside when we saw a dead end in the plan. Like the security system being upgraded recently because of all the riots and the doubled amount of guards and wardens in the asylum. Something always got in the way.
“Hey, Max?” Alex was met with a long groan of annoyance smothered in a pillow, followed by a sharp, “What?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I’ll get you out of here, man. If it’s the last thing I do. I know what it’s like to hate someone so much for putting you in a place and situation like this but sometimes revenge is never enough.” Alex had a strange look in his eyes as he said this; it grabbed Max’s attention straight away.
“Love is what you should be escaping for, not revenge.” Max suddenly saw a slight difference in Alex, a wounded and haunted gazed over his eyes.
“So when I come up with a solid plan, promise you won’t let vengeance blindside you, Kay?”
“I’ll try.” Alex nodded with a forced smile, his past was far darker than Max’s. Max always wanted to ask more about his past, but when the tortured haze clouded his eyes he knew not too.
“And the only way I think I’ll ever get out of here is if I’m dead.” Max scoffed in tiredness and solicitude, he was then unprepared for Alex’s hands to clamp down on his shoulders.
“What did you say?!” Alex gripped harder with every pasting second, drilling his piercing eyes into Max.
“Ahh…the only way I’ll get out of here is if I’m dead?” Max’s eye’s widened when Alex threw his arms up once again in triumph and let out a loud ‘HA!’
“Wow, you really shouldn’t have had the extra coffee today.”
“I’ve got it! It’s genius! You’re genius!” Alex then proceeded to clap his hands then spin around seeming so overwhelmed with what was going on inside his head at that moment.
“What?” Max swung his legs out of bed trying not to get too excited over Alex’s behavior.
“We can do it tonight…slip the guards…or maybe spring a fire alarm to distract…”
“Whoa! Alex, time out! Remember the only way this thing can work in your head is if you fill me in. Slowly.” Alex gave out another chuckle of joy before turning to Max.
“It’s full proof, Max! This one will work!”
“Yeah, and that’ll achieved because…?” Max stood up gesturing for him to fill in the blanks.
“We’re gonna kill you!”
“WHAT! Dude, I knew you were insane man, but c’mon!”
“No, I mean just stage your death. Since the whole asylum is out of order the dumping of body has become frequent and careless. They didn’t even check for vitals on the guy down the hall who thinks he is God.”
“Okay, so how would we go about this?” Max started to see some light to the situation.
“Simple, we can fake an overdose or whatever. The guards have been doing sweeps on people who look close to deaths door. They’re actually hauling a lot of them into their own sections to die in the south wing.”
Max still couldn’t understand the inhumanity that went down in this hellhole. Max noticed Alex pacing in thought once more and tuned back to the plan and not the horrific injustice that happened here.
“The wardens and guards are still fucking dumbasses so we’ve got a chance of fooling them into taking you in the morgue downtown, since the one here is full. But we got to do it tonight!”
“Tonight? I don’t know, you only just thought the plan now, Alex. The guards are bound to notice that I’m not dead.”
“Max, lately the guards have been throwing injured patients down the cliff heads on the north side of the asylum, dead or alive. You’ve just got to look close to deaths door and you’re outta here!”
“Well, what if they throw me over the cliff like the other poor bastards who are close to deaths door?”
“Have faith my friend, I can make sure you don’t get thrown overboard.” Alex grinned
“How?” Max crossed his arms waiting for a good answer and slightly praying this may just work.
“Patients they throw over the cliff’s are the patients they’ve personally beaten up. Patients who are injuring themselves or just die, they send to the morgue, so they aren’t caught.” Alex rubbed his hands together like he was cold.
“This is gonna work, man. I can feel it.”
An hour later Alex had delivered his plan of action that seemed full proof. Since Max only had to appear like he was close to dying all that had to be done was to sedate Max with some light sedatives that Alex had kept continually stealing for himself ever since he had been there.
Alex assured Max that with a light dose of VC-4 (a experimental drug cooked up by the Asylum to keep some patients consistently sedated but still alert with effects short lived if not injected on a regular basis), it would give the impression of someone half dead. The guard would come in, note his appearance and ship him off to the south wing where there was lesser security.
“But what if I do run into a guard? How long does this stuff take to wear off? What if…?”
“Okay, one,” Alex slapped Max across the face for both comical value and to shut Max up. Max gave a blank expression before muttering ‘Ow’ and watching Alex continue like nothing happen.
“Two, you’ve been working out in rehab like a military solider since Valenti shot you! You’re buffer then you’ve ever been and you’ve been doing Martial Arts with that freak black belt inmate who still thinks he’s in ‘Nam. And three, the only side effect of VC-4
is that it’s short lived!”
Max stood in acceptance, nodding and backing away, Alex had an answer for everything and Max couldn’t argue with him when it was true. Alex jumped over his bed to retrieve the VC-4’s he kept in a secret compartment in his nightstand while Max shuffled back sighing deeply. Would he actually get out of here? Could fate deal him at least one easy hand? Was fate ever on his side?
Max was waiting for the downfall. He never got his hopes up much because it always ended up the same, disappointing and disheartening. Fate was never kind.
Alex stepped over his bed again and sat next to Max holding a silver chain in front of him with a pendent no bigger then a nickel draggling at the end, “Here,” Alex waited patiently for Max to take it.
“It was my Grandfathers. It some saint that supposed to keep you safe. He wore it during World War II and said it kept him alive. He gave it to me for Good Luck before he died, but it kind of didn’t work for me.”
Alex looked around the room in emphasizing the less then charm lifestyle he led. Max watched his eyes cloud over with that darkness again, he took the pendent from his limp fingers which brought him back into the room.
“You’ll need it more then I will,” Alex said dolefully.
“Thank you, Alex,” Max said simply. “For everything.”
“Eh, what are brothers for?!” Alex waved his hand dismissing Max’s remarks, making a meaningful moment a light one.
Alex got up again and sorted through his bedside table getting the red pills that were the VC-4 ones. Max clasped the chain around his neck then looked at the pendent closely, running the pads of his fingers over the Saint embedded in the metal. He smirked quietly at the irony of Alex giving him something for protection, when it was always the other way around.
Max acted like Alex’s personal bodyguard. He always had his back. Now Alex seemed to have his.
Suddenly Max heard the distinct thud of the heavy metal gates that lead into their section of the Asylum. Max held his breathe as his hearing zoomed in on the heavy walking of two sets of footsteps.
“Fuck.” Max breathed out while jumping from his bed and jetting to the only door of there room. He placed his ear to the cold metal and heard the heavy footsteps getting closer and closer, followed by a low raspy chuckle and a boyish giggle. It was them.
“Goon up.” Alex heard Max whisper harshly before two sets of foot steps could be heard outside their door.
Max darted back to his bed as did Alex but both were stopped by the low raspy, southern voice of Buck. “What the fuck are you two pussies doing out of bed?”
Max turned to see Buck slowly padding into the room with his equally fucked up sideman, Jerry standing behind him smiling. Both were broad, fat and sadistic bastards. These were the guards that bullied Alex and Max as much as possible and in the worst ways.
“Don’t you know it’s way past your bedtime?” Buck chuckled to himself as did Jerry. The fuckers came for one purpose and that was always to beat up and harass Alex and Max as much as they pleased. A blind eye was always turned to it when Valenti was around but at least it was somewhat under slight control. It used to just be Alex they fucked around with till Max step in.
“Gee, Buck, I don’t think these boys understand our house policies.” Jerry chimed in with, his voice sounded like he was a boy going through adolescence and close to breaking. Rumor has it that an inmate cut off one of his balls with a rusty slit-neck razor when he was getting a little too rough.
Max stood his ground preparing his mind and body for what it was about to endure. He looked over to Alex who was standing tall and vacant. But Max knew he feared these two most of all.
Buck and Jerry moved in on they prey, Max always saw it as shooting fish in a barrel. He watched as Jerry looked over Alex and stalked towards him with two giant steps. He was taller then Buck but not as smart.
“Why are you shaking pig fucker? You hiding something from me?” Alex kept a dead expression trying desperately to stand his ground. Jerry stood close towering over Alex while sliding a hand over his chest and face.
To Max’s horror he noted the clenched fist full of VC-4’s that he obviously hadn’t had time to hide. Buck and Jerry would find any excuse to start something and being caught with drugs that aren’t yours was gold.
“What you looking at, Boy?” Buck followed Max eye line before Max could turn away. It was all over now.
“Well lookie here!” Buck moved over to Alex pulling out his clenched hand and snapping his fingers back to let the pills drop to the floor. Alex wailed through gritted teeth. It wasn’t the first time.
“A thief and drug addict! You don’t cease to impress, Whitman!” Buck practically howled over in glory over Alex’s wailing pain. Jerry chuckled sadistically at Buck.
They were cornering him, Max had to think fast. Or they’d beat him to death in a manner of minutes.
“Such a antagonistic turn for little Alex Whitman.” Buck jabbed two fingers at Alex’s chest making him stumble slightly.
“Wow, such a big word, Buck. Better lie down before you hurt yourself.” Max mocked cruelly, which got the attention away from Alex for only a few second.
Buck turned on his heels giving Max a death stare before thundering over to him and clasping his neck with a bone-crashing grip. Max gripped at his tattoo forearm to try and stop his grip from tightening even more.
Buck pulled Max forward by the neck then pinned him again the wall next to the now closed door.
“Well I’ll be damned, it speaks!” Bucks smokers breathe harshly whispered. “First time I heard you talk, Boy. But I don’t much care for what you got to say though.”
Max struggled to breathe as his gripped tighten a little more. Max looked over to where Alex stood and was now being cornered as well, Jerry started pushing his head down while unbuttoning his fly. This made warning bells go off in Max’s head. Max promised Alex, Jerry would never touch him again and he was gonna keep that promise.
Max thrusted a steady open palm forward, effectively breaking Bucks nose and making him lose his grip. Max attacked the second Buck let go of his neck, placing his left hand at the nape of his large neck for control and forcing a knee into his groin before punch him with a right hook.
Jerry turned towards the cries of Buck before Max jumped forward with a spear tackle to his waist. Jerry hit the floor with a heavy thump as Max straddled his chest hit with forceful blows to his face. Max got in a few clean shots screaming with such fury making Jerry disorientated.
Max was so blurred by his own hatred of Jerry and then Valenti and Michael flashed before his eyes making him ignore the clenching pain of his wounded shoulder that had just healed over. Max was fighting blind fury that his mind only connected back to his body when he heard Alex scream
“Max! Behind you!” Suddenly a thick, blood soaked arm gripped around his neck again and dragged him away from Jerry.
“You fucking cunt, you broke my nose!!!” Buck bellowed to Max as he slammed a large fist into his stomach and face. “I’ll kill you!”
Max was slowly blanking out before he saw Alex’s face tackle into Buck making him rolling off of Max. Max took the opportunity to spit out the blood in his mouth and crawl away slightly to sit up.
“Where did you think you’re going pretty boy?!” Max heard Jerry rage as he pulled him up by the hair before hitting him with one bone shattering blow.
