The Best Candidate

Chapter 10

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Max's POV

I slowly became aware of voices beside my bed. Wait, is this my bed? This doesn't feel like my bed.

"I applied a local anesthetic to his wound before I stitched it up," I heard someone saying. "When he regains consciousness, let him take these prescription pain pills to ward off any pain that I anticipate he will be feeling from the wound and the stitches."

Shit, I was right. This was not my bed. This was a hospital bed.

Little by little I started to recall the events that happened before I landed on this bed.

I could not stop myself from finishing up all the nine remaining cans of beer while Mook and I were watching the comedy sit com on my TV. It was my desperate effort to drown the hurt I was feeling in my chest. Which was crazy because there was no reason for me to feel jealous of the fact that Tul and Ella were spending the day and evening and maybe even the night at the beach. What Tul did in his personal time was not my business. And yet ... god fucking dammit, it hurt so bad ... and the alcohol was somehow helping to ease the pain ...

Even before the TV show ended, I could already feel that I was totally buzzed.

"That was such a hilarious show," Mook had remarked as she stood up from the couch.

I stood up as well but had to wait for a brief second to steady myself because I felt my head spinning.

"Let me bring you to your car," I had gallantly offered Mook. I did not want her walking alone into the street, even though I lived in a safe and quiet neighborhood.

"I don't think you would be able to make it safely to my car, let alone make it back to your door," Mook had smirked at me as she spoke.

We were already out my front door and I was about to get down from the mini porch and into my driveway.

"Watch me," I challenged her before I lost my footing and landed hard on my cemented driveway.

Next thing I knew, I heard Mook shrieking and saying 'oh god, oh god, oh god' over and over as she assisted me to her car. I was half walking, half stumbling and was thankful when I finally settled into her front passenger seat.

I was only vaguely aware of what happened after that. I must have totally passed out because after that I found myself on this hospital bed.

"Yes, doctor," I heard Mook saying as the doctor gave her aftercare instructions for my head wound.

"You are awake!" Mook said, approaching my bed when she saw me moving my hand to touch the bandage that covered the side of my head.

"The nurse is printing out his aftercare instructions," I heard the doctor saying to Mook. "He is okay to be discharged after the nurse gives you the paperwork and takes his vital signs."

"Thank you, doctor," Mook said and then, "Ella! Thank god you're here!"

Ella? Ella is here at the hospital??? Wasn't she supposed to be at the beach with Tul?

I tried to sit up and promptly fell back onto the hospital pillow. Not only did I feel intense dizziness but I felt a throbbing pain where my head wound was as well.

"How did you get here?" I heard Mook ask Ella.

I could not even open my eyes because doing so only triggered more dizziness.

"Tul brought me here," I heard Ella's response.

"Where is he now?" Mook asked her.

"He's on his way back home," Ella replied.

Another wave of pain hit my chest.

I was sure that Ella had mentioned to Tul why Mook had asked her to come to the hospital and yet he did not even give me the courtesy of looking in on me while I was here.

"So he only dropped you off," I heard Mook saying. I could somehow feel the slightest hint of disappointment in her voice, but I was more than disappointed. I was hurt. The hurt was more intense than the pain I was feeling in my head wound.

"The patient's bed is over here," I heard the nurse saying to someone as she ushered them into my bed space.