Michelle: I think Maria is on the right track this time...she's a little older and hopefully a little wiser as for Liz, she'll become more clear soon.
Eve: So...you painted, hmmm. Sounds like me when my youngest finally left. I hate to admit this Eve, but you're going to miss him but eventually you'll be glad to see him when he comes home and just as glad when he leaves. Honest. As long as you know they're okay the cleanliness says a lot.
Lizza:Here's some more for you. Hope your mom is doing well.
*~*
Chapter: 11
Max was just leaving Michael’s room on his way to the nurse’s station to get a cup of coffee for both he and Michael, neither had been able to fall asleep and they had just finished watching the evening news as Liz made her way off the elevator.
“Hi Max, what’s up?”
“Well, it seems Michael and I are having a little trouble falling asleep tonight for some reason. I think Michael kind of likes Maria by his side.” And he winked at Liz while wearing a silly grin on his face. Both young adults knew why Maria needed last night and now it was nice to be able to joke about it.
“Hmmm, I see…well is there anything we can do to make him more comfortable? Is he in pain…his monitor shows a pretty steady heart rhythm,” Liz paused and checked to be sure, “but we can give him something if he needs it.”
“Nah, he’s just excited about the tests today and everything else that’s going on. He’ll be fine.”
“Do you think he’d know the difference between decaf and the hard stuff?”
“I doubt it. Why don’t we both go for the decaf, maybe I’ll be able to catch a few winks before I have to leave and head on home for a quick shower. We’re doing our first shoot today so I should look at least a little human, I have to be there by five. Maybe I can get some sleep too now that I know he’s going to be okay, then I have a lunch meeting with some execs that I can’t miss.”
“You start shooting at five, as in five in the morning?”
“Not really, I have to be there at five for script run throughs. We probably won’t shoot until much later in the day. It depends on the scene really, time of day, indoors or outdoors, things like that, I’m used to it.”
“Well, some day, when you have some time you should think about a career change. This has to be an elevator career path you’ve chosen here Max. Don’t you want something more stable? I mean, is this really a stable business? As I understand it, it can be pretty brutal.”
“Yeah, I guess it can be but look at what it’s done for Michael and me. He’s been able to go to school, get his law degree and I live a pretty normal life regardless of what the tabloids say. Most of the stuff printed is made up garbage, the premiers, the parties, all of that is staged. You’ve never seen a story on me that includes any of the speculations for more than one night and I don’t mean one night stands either. There have been one or two who were pretty nice girls but that is the crux of it Liz…they’re girls. I’m really not looking for a girl.”
Liz smiled and nodded at Max as she handed him his two decaf coffees and then said…
“Well, I have to get busy if I’m going to be ready to turn these patients over at three Max. I’ll talk to you again.”
Max nodded, took his coffees and headed back to Michael’s room, and then he turned…
“Liz, how did Maria get home?”
“Oh, I gave her my car; I’ll catch a ride with Jenny.”
“Hey, if you wake me up at 3:00 I’ll give you a lift. I have to leave then anyway.”
Liz thought about it for a minute and then smiled…
“Okay Max…I’ll come in and wake you at 3:00, it’ll give you a minute to catch your bearings while I catch the dayshift up on things. G’night.”
Max smiled, raised a hand holding coffee and nodded and continued on his way, ‘maybe the damned nightmares will stop now!’ He thought to himself.
*
Maria just made it into her and Liz’s apartment when she felt her cell phone vibrating, looking over toward the kitchen she noticed their answering machine was blinking like a flashing emergency vehicle and she laughed as she read the caller ID and answered…
“Hi mom.”
“Maria honey, are you all right I’ve been calling you all night; where have you been?” Amy asked.
“I’ve been at the hospital mom, is something wrong?”
“No! No baby, I’ve been concerned about you, you haven’t called back since the accident and I was wondering how you are doing?”
“I’m doing fine mom. Liz tells me you and the Parkers are coming to see us next week, couldn’t this conversation have waited a couple of more days?”
“Well, I guess it could have but I needed to hear your voice.”
“Oh, well, I’ve still got one mom…I really don’t understand why you are so concerned, nothing is wrong with me,”
“I know nothing happened to you physically Maria, but I know you. I know you haven’t taken this incident lightly…are you sleeping?”
“Like a baby mom. As a matter of fact, never better.” And that was the absolute truth.
“Are you sure Maria? You aren’t lying to me are you?”
“No mom, I’m not lying to you. How are you?”
“Oh honey, I’ll be better when I see you. I need to see you Maria; I need to see for myself.”
“Mom, if anything was wrong with me don’t you think Liz would be on this phone with you instead of me?”
“Yeah, I guess. Well, if you’re sure you’re sleeping okay I’ll see you next week.”
“Great mom, you need to get to bed and get some sleep too, it’s almost midnight here, God, why aren’t you sleeping?”
“Well, when you didn’t answer I thought something was wrong.”
“Mom, quit manufacturing trouble, if anything was wrong one of us would call…good night mom.”
“Good night Maria.”
Maria shook her head as she made her way to her bedroom to get undressed…she was going to fix herself some herbal tea tonight, that’s for sure, God, why was her mom like this anyway?
*
At 2:45 Liz checked all of the charts to make sure everything had been filed and placed in their proper order at the nurses’ station before making her final rounds to check on all of her charges…IV drips, blankets, TV’s and anything else that might need taken care of. She left Michael’s room for last and when she went in she smiled at the sight. Michael had his arm wrapped around his pillow with his head in a most awkward position, sleeping with his mouth open and Max was curled up on the couch in a fetal position hanging onto his pillow just as tightly as Michael and it looked like he was having a very fitful sleep.
She approached him slowly and then laid her hand on his back and rubbed soothing strokes up and down until he settled down and then he opened his eyes and looked around before raising his head to see Liz standing over him.
She gave him a friendly smile and said…
“Rise and shine poster boy it’s 3:00 a.m.”
Max slowly pulled himself into an upright position and returned her smile before saying…
“Hey Liz. I’ll be right with you.”
“Take your time Max, I’ll be a couple of minutes.”
Max smiled and said…”Thanks.” And then he made his way to Michael’s bathroom to take care of some urgent needs before leaving.
When Max and Liz finally made it to the parking lot Max opened the door to his
Mercedes and Liz raised an eyebrow as she got in and he just grinned…”far cry from an old jeep Max.” Liz said and Max laughed out loud now, it was indeed.
*
