Perfect Preparation

Chapter 98: Withdrawal

"She's good to go." The doctor told Mallix and Zander as the nurse helped walk Nina in, now on crutches, back into their room.

After thanking the doctor and nurse, Mallix and Zander helped Nina as much as they could to ease some of the pain from off of her foot. "You need to rest, N." Zander told her after they got settled into the car. "You guys are welcome to stay at my place til everything gets sorted through. I'm glad Alex is able to drive out here by tomorrow. After all he said we wouldn't be able to do much until he arrived."

"Thanks Z. I'm just hoping that Alex can come up with some kind of plan by the time he gets here. At least we won't be starting from ground zero." Mallix said.

The three of the old friends talked the rest of the ride home. Zander lived around half an hour from the hospital, long enough for Nina and Mallix to listen to what's been going on with Zander.

"So, I've got a dog now, his names Zeebee." Zander smiled widely looking at a picture of his pooch on the dashboard of his truck.

"Zeebee? Z, your kidding? You didn't?" Nina was almost surprised by the name, but at the same time she also figured this was bound to happen.

"Of course, you know I loved my old Zeebee, after he passed I just had to bring back the old memories of him. And low and behold now I have my new Zeebee."

"Passed? Come on Z, aren't you being too over dramatic. I swear your stuffed monkey going missing doesn't count as passing." Mallix laughed at his buddy behind the wheel.

"It does too, M! You know how much Zeebee meant to me, he was my mini me. He followed me everywhere and did everything with me! Then when he went missing I was never the same!" Zander dramatically threw his hands in the air.

"You really have not changed one bit, Z." Nina said as she and Mallix broke out into the loudest laughing fit possible. But it wasn't long before the seriousness of the situation dawned back down on Mallix. As much as he enjoyed catching up with an old face, he was certainly awaiting for the return of his two favorites. Nothing could take his thoughts away from his girls for too long.

Before he knew it, they were pulling up to Zander's house. A small cabin style home in a remote area of town, that had an overlook of a nearby lake. "Welcome to my humble abode." He put the car in park and jumped to help Nina.

Mallix stayed seated while Zander assisted and settled Nina inside. He was too absorbed into his thoughts to even notice the car had stopped. It wasn't until he was brought out by Zander knocking gingerly on the tinted window. He opened the door seeing Mallix seated, still as ever. "Come on in, its cold out here man."

Zander lowered his head at the sight in front of him before walking away and entering his home. The cold chilly breeze flew in through the now open passenger door hitting Mallix's tan skin. The hairs on his arm were standing as he soon got chicken skin. For another ten minutes the man sat in place, contemplating all the horrors his wife and little girl could be going through. A stray tear fell from his eye as he punched the dashboard in front of him.

"Why!" He screamed aloud disrupting all the nature around him. 'Why did it have to be them! Why couldn't they have taken me! I shouldn't have jumped out of the van! I should have let them take me with them! At least I would know what's happening to them! They must be so scared! How come I get to be out here, untouched, while there who knows where having who knows what done to them!'

Another hour passed, Zander walked over to his kitchen window that had a clear view of his truck parked out front. From the open door, he could see Mallix with his head down on the dashboard shaking. The cold clearly getting to him. "He's still out there?" Nina asked from behind slowly making her way around with the crutches.

Nodding his head Zander turned around. "I don't know what to do. He's never been this way before. He's not the same tough guy I knew back in high school. He's soft now. It's strange."

"Just give him some space. He lost the two people he cared about the most a few hours ago, once Alex can give us more details on things he'll be back to his old self.  And knowing him he'll do anything to get them back." Nina stepped forwards saying as she peaked out the window seeing the distraught state he was in. Backing away from the window the two friends walked away giving Mallix his well deserved space.

Outside the cold night time sky was closing in, and Mallix ached feeling the rumbling from his stomach. His tear works had only gotten worst from earlier. Red steaks crossed his face, almost having formed icicles from the frozen salt water.

"M, come on. Let's get you inside." Nina eased her hand onto his shoulder feeling a shiver sent down her spine. He was cold to the touch, and his skin had grown ten shades paler. If the moonlight wasn't hitting him, Mallix would've looked like a corpse. She balanced her weight on one crutch, and the other on his shoulder, but to say it was easy would be a lie.

She was struggling to stay upright. Learning to use and manage life on crutches was proving to take some time. But nonetheless, Nina did her best. That was until a strong gust of wind blew their direction. Rather than sending another gust of cold air against Mallix's ghostly pale skin, Nina's body stood as a barrier. Well, a weak barrier. The wind was strong enough to push her off her balance, her arm holding onto her crutch threatened to fall to the hard concrete pavement.

She tightened her grip on Mallix's shoulder, trying to regain her stability, but when another gush of wind came hurdling her way it pushed her off completely. She was given direct orders from the doctor not to let her ankle touch the ground to make a fast recovery, but when she felt herself slipping sideways she nearly slammed her foot onto the floor to stop herself. That was until Mallix grabbed hold of her arms tightly, helping her keep her balance.

"Thanks M," she said before looking him eye to eye. Where his blue orbs used to resides now had foggy crystals surrounded by the redness from his tears. "You should come inside now."

He didn't speak nor mumble a sound, he simply stood up from his seat. Nearly falling to the floor himself seeing as his legs had fallen asleep hours ago. Back inside, Zander helped the two of them situate themselves. He set Mallix down with some warm soup and a blanket, while Nina was relaxing in the living room listening to his radio.

"Please have some ideas for us Alex." Zander whispered to himself before shutting the front door to his home. Tomorrow there was going to be plenty of work that needed to be done, as soon as Mallix finished his meal. Nina and Zander went to bed early for it, but Mallix laid awake staring out his window most of the night.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off