"Hey...did you catch up with her?" He kindly asks. It's as if he's a completely different person than before. His hat is on better and he seems less pale.
"I did."
"And?" I look around and notice some people flooding in from various directions. Though public conversations typically deter people from creating a scene- I'm afraid with Max, it may not matter.
"Can we go speak in either one of our offices? My lower back is killing me and I'd to sit or lay down if possible." He looks at me cautiously and places his hand on the small of my back and nods. We walk off towards his office and allow the silence to fill the air between us.
"What'd you do to your back?" He asks after a few moments.
"I think I slept on it wrong." Nothing's wrong with me other than trying to tiptoe around this situation. Maybe if he's concerned about me, telling him my conversation with Georgia and my suggestion of lowering his dose- may keep him in this nicer weather. Here's hoping.
"Oh...want me to rub it when we get to my office?" His voice is sweet and kind: which is so bizarre after seeing and hearing his tantrums and aggression.
"I think I need to just lay down for a bit." I state and we get into his office. Leading me to the couch, he helps me lay down and props a throw pillow under my head before going back to close the door.
"Better?"
"For the most part. Thank you." Bending down, he presses his lips to mine and sits on the edge of his coffee table.
"So?" Here we go.
"So....? What?"
"You talked to Georgia?" He states again.
"Yes...Max...remember Christmas Eve? When you were really upset and couldn't really control your feelings?" He furrows his brows and looks at me oddly.
"Yeah.... what does that have to do with anything?"
"I think your Chemo dose- is too high." He shakes his head and rolls his eyes before standing. He walks to the other side of the room.
Is he distancing himself because he doesn't want to hear it?
Or.
Because he's knows he's going to need space before he flips out?
"What does that have to do with anything? With Georgia?" He lowly growls and I briefly close my eyes and count myself in.
5
4
3
2
1
"Max, at high levels- the highest safest dose we as oncologists can legally give you: chemotherapy takes over the brain and several other functions. It's not uncommon for patients to experience forgetfulness and hostility, irritability, depression, mood swings- even at a lower more controlled dose. You've been receiving the highest dose possible- which, though it kills the cancer faster, it also attributes greater issues with personality and the emotional state of people." Glaring at me, his hands grip the edge of his bureau, and I can tell he's clenching his teeth shut. "You've been moody lately and depressed and that's understandable, Darling...but baby- you are forgetting things and your mood swings are less so erratic and more so becoming a constant and is more or less aggressive in nature. You're breaking things and throwing objects that could potentially hurt someone or yourself. You're yelling at people and are becoming easily frustrated."
"What does any of this have to do with Georgia moving?" He snaps slightly. I slowly sit up and watch him watching me.
"Do you remember what happened on the 21st of December?"
YOU ARE READING
Coffee
Fanfiction***A/U Where Max Stays Seperated from Georgia**** What started out as a joke between friends, quickly leads to Helen Sharpe figuring out what Tinder is and how it works. When coffee leads to more- what will Helen lose first? Her mind? Or her dignity...
