LXIV- just us

                                    

                                          










day 61


                          
Max groaned as he woke, his sleeping patterns had become completely messed up over the past few days.
                          
His clothes had become soaked through with sweat and if he weren't too weak to stand for extended periods of times he'd be in the shower upwards of seven times a day.
                          
The pain in his stomach had subsided but his head was still pounding and the other flu-like symptoms lingered.
                          
It was only now that Max had started to accept the food he was given. It wasn't made with much quality or effort but he hadn't really eaten since getting sick because he knew he'd just sick it up.
                          
He often wondered how (Y/n) was doing, anytime he asked he was told that she was being taken care of but Max struggled to believe she was quite as well as they were making her out to be.
                          
"How are you feeling?" Owen asked him without much care.
                          
Max weakly raised his head to answer. "Not as bad as I was but still shit."
                          
Owen nodded, the only reason he was asking was so he could have some idea of the direction (Y/n)'s illness would go in and it seemed like Max was beginning to recover so with any luck she would hopefully follow.
                          
Owen glanced at the plate that had been dropped off that morning and saw it was empty, (Y/n) had slowly been starting to open up to food again but was still only eating small amounts.
                          
"Do you need anything?"
                          
Max frowned, he hadn't been asked this as of yet. "Can I ask you something?"
                          
"Can't guarantee I can answer but go ahead." The ginger folded his arms.
                          
"What... Do you know what's going to happen to me?" 
                          
Owen cringed and turned away. "You'll probably die, hard to say when exactly."
                          
Max should have expected that answer, part of him saw it coming but it still hurt. "You said probably... How can I stop it?"
                          
Owen shrugged. "It doesn't come down to what you do but how we feel and what (Y/n) does."
                          
Max felt guilty that his life would definitely be used as some sort of leverage against (Y/n), if it came down to the choice between them taking his life and making her let one or more of them do something terrible to her... Max wasn't sure what he'd want her to choose in that situation. "Please, if you keep me alive I promise I won't go near her again." That was the problem, they wanted her for themselves. So if Max stayed away from (Y/n), as hard as it would be, then surely they could let him live.
                          
"This isn't a definitive thing..." Owen replied vaguely. 
                          
Max sighed. If he didn't feel so weak he probably would've had a far more visceral reaction to having the choice between life and death taken from him so cruelly. "Can I at least see her?"
                          
"No."
                          
"Come on! We're both drugged up, it's not like we can do anything!" Max cried out, he forced himself to sit up and fought through the severe headrush.
                          
Owen narrowed his brown eyes at Max.
                          
"Please... If I'm really going to.." Max gulped, unable to say the word 'die'. "If I'm really going to... You know... Then surely I can see her again before I do."
                          
Owen opened his mouth but then quickly shut it. It may be healthy for (Y/n) to get some closure with Max before his death, whether that death came days or years from now.

















                          
(Y/n) gasped when she saw who had entered, she scrambled away from Hana who was holding her. When Max entered her field of vision her legs seemed to forget that they had barely been used in days.
                          
Max was being pushed into (Y/n)'s room by Owen, stumbling inside. He felt (Y/n) arms throw themselves around his neck and he was quick to grab her too as the two friends clutched each other for dear life.
                          
This hug only lasted for so long as Max's collar was tugged by Owen and (Y/n) was carefully coaxed back to bed by Hana.
                          
"You must be more careful with yourself." The quiet woman said sternly as she lay (Y/n) back down. "You're still not better." Hana then turned her attention to Owen and Max. "What is he doing here?"
                          
"You have half an hour." Owen ignored Hana and pushed Max forward again. "If I find out you've touched her then I'll make sure you regret it." He warned.
                          
Hana's facial expression barely changed but she was still filled with confusion at the realisation. "You're just going to leave them together?" She wasn't exactly opposed to it, honestly she was the least opposed to Max out of everyone. The only reason she questioned it was becuase it was Owen. What could he possibly gain from pushing them together?
                          
"They'll be fine." Owen dismissed Hana and gestured to the door. "Come on."
                          
Hana looked back at (Y/n) and placed a hand to (Y/n)'s warm cheek. "What if she's sick again or needs something? Max can't help her."
                          
"I've moved the chair, I'll wait right outside so if she needs anything then all she has to do is open the door." Owen answered.
                          
Hana and Owen left shortly after and Max limped towards (Y/n)'s bed before flopping onto it, being cautious not to make any contact for fear of Owen's wrath. 
                          
"Oh my god, Max..." (Y/n) uttered as he crawled to lie down next to her and face her. "Are you okay?" She winced, recognising his shivering, paling and sweating all too well.
                          
"I'm coping." He plastered a smile over his face, Max could recognise that further worrying (Y/n) by telling her about his struggles wasn't going to help her. "What about you? They haven't hurt you, right?"
                          
"I'm okay.." She murmured. "It's just tough, all of this is so... It's scary."
                          
Max nodded slowly. "I want you to know that if they...um... Get rid of me, then you have to carry on."
                          
(Y/n) grimaced and turned to look at the ceiling isntwad of Max. "Don't say stuff like that, I won't let them kill you."
                          
"You have to understand that you might not be able to stop them, and if you can't then it's not your fault, okay?" That was the main thing Max wanted (Y/n) to know, whatever happened him wasn't the result of any of her actions. The last thing he wanted was for (Y/n) to blame herself for what they did to him.
                          
(Y/n) drew in a deep breath. "You're not going to die. I refuse to let that happen."
                          
Max smiled sadly. "It'll be easier if you accept this now."
                          
(Y/n) squeezed her eyes shut, a wave of coldness overwhelmed her and she pulled a blanket to cover her body. It was strange the way the tables had turned, Max used to be so averse to accepting the circumstances while (Y/n) took it in her stride but now their positions had switched.
                          
In a way Max pitied her more than he pitied himself, after he died (Y/n) would be alone with them and who knows what would happen to her.
                          
"This can't-" (Y/n) cut herself off with a sniff. "This can't be the last time I see you."
                          
"It won't be." Max promised. "I may not die today or tomorrow... Maybe not even this year but I need you to know that when my time comes that you're not to blame." His hand hovered upwards, Max wanted to intertwine their fingers together but that wasn't allowed. 
                          
Max's hand fell again.