Bruises in Miniature Form

Arriving at the hospital Rick turned off the engine and left the car, about to open Max’s door as I leaned to open mine.
I felt Max’s hand suddenly tighten and when I looked back I saw him looking at Rick plainly but clutching my hand behind his back in a calm reassurance.
Understanding this was how I could repay him I followed him out of the car still holding his hand and closed the door behind us, ignoring the look Rick sent out way when he saw our hands.
Max slowed as we entered up to the large electronic doors, his mind probably dissecting which was the best escape route before he was finally inside.
Squeezing his hand in reassurance I walked slowly by his side, closer than I had ever been to him before without him ripping my head off.
We took the seats at the little lobby and watched Rick move up to talk to the secretary and file out his forms.
I felt Max squeeze my hand even more as Rick neared us and crouched down before him, patting his leg lightly.

“Want me to go in with you?” Max shook his head and stared defiantly at the door.
Rick seemed alright with his answer and took the seat on the other side of him, rubbing his shoulder like a father would their son in one of these situations.
That guilt bubble unfortunately bubbled over as Max hunched forward in pain and clasped his free hand over his mouth.
Rick continued rubbing his shoulder and muttering reassurances that everything would be fine as I sat dumbly holding his hand.
The muscles in his fingers twitched every now and then and tightened around my own, no doubt cutting off my circulation.
When the doctor finally arrived after two hours of waiting that seemed a life time of Max in pain and nausea, he asked Max if he could follow him inside.
As Max went to follow after the doctor he suddenly jerked on my hand, pulling me up to his side and giving me the first look before his death threat one from before.
I understood immediately what he wanted and went after him, walking into the doctor’s office that was covered in postures of smoking, dead teeth and weird chickens in eight balls.
Max took a seat on the weird reclining chair with the wax paper and stretched back, head facing the ceiling as he continued to hold onto my hand.

“Well Max it has been awhile since you’ve been in” The doctor teased and I took notice of the angry bubbles form in my throat from his comment.
Max nodded and eyed the doctor as he moved around the room, “So what seems to be the problem here?”
“Food poisoning?” Max tried; now giving me a look.
“It wasn’t food poisoning,” I snapped before turning to the doctor, “He uhm... ended up taking some liquid X-lax mixed in with chilli”
The old greying doctor raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms, fingers tapping on the annoying little clip board, “how did he consume that?”
Surprisingly Max spoke up before I could, “We were playing a game of mixing things together and eating them, whoever chickened out lost ya know. I ended up eating this since it was my turn...”
Staring disbelievingly at Max I watched the doctor scribble something down on the board and pull out some gloves and a tongue processer, “Alright Max well say ‘Ah’, we’ll see what’s going on and check things out”
Max did as told probably trying to speed this visit up quickly.
“So this is your girlfriend?” The doctor teased as he finished checking Max’s throat and listening to his heartbeat.

Shaking his head Max simply replied with a ‘no’, he didn’t even snap about it or react quickly.
‘He must be sick’ I thought quietly and rubbed at his thumb earning a look from Max at this timid act.
After the doctor finished telling Max to go home and get rest, take some gravol to settle his stomach and just rest for a few days without doing much we were allowed to leave.
Max this time ran, or wobbled whatever way you would like to look at it and led me straight out to the car without stopping to speak with Rick.
I could hear Rick laughing behind us as Max tried wrenching the door open and having no success, suddenly pulling my hand like a little kid and giving me puppy eyes I had never seen before on his face.

“Please open the door, please!”
“I don’t have the keys?” I offered trying not to laugh at this boy’s weird mood swings.
Suddenly grumpy he swung my hand away from him and turned to Rick and bounced a little on his feet, “Hurry up, hurry up, I want out of here, hurry up, hurry up!”
Rick found this amusing and opened the door for him, “Seems you’re not too sick anymore huh Maxy?”
Hissing a quiet insult he climbed into the car and reached out for my hand again, pulling me in beside him as he buckled his seat belt and ushered me to do so quickly.
“Chill Max, we’re not in the hospital anymore”
“Doesn’t matter; just drive!” Max answered, his nerves being jumbled in a ball.
Buckling my seatbelt I leaned back and stared over at the blue eyed teenage, “I’ve never seen you act like this”
“Like what?” He suddenly snapped.
“Scared” I answered honestly.
“I’m not scared, I just fucking want out of there, now stop holding my hand!”
“What!?” I suddenly shouted jerking my hands away from him as I felt the guilt bubble pop and vanish away in the angry contents, “You were the one clinging to my hand and dragging me into the doctor’s office with you!”
Max shrugged indifferently, “You grabbed my hand first, I’m sick so I didn’t know what I was actually doing otherwise I would’ve called you on it before!”
“Bullshit!” I hissed.
“Max! Newton!! Stop! That’s enough; I don’t want to hear it. Max just be grateful Newton was there, she didn’t have to go with you in that room and Newton be grateful...”
“That Max is moving out soon?”
“Newton!” Rick suddenly shouted and for the first time I saw how much I was invading into Max’s life.