Rebirth Into My Second Chance

Max was in pain, yet there he was, leading me to stitch him up. By the third stitch, he let out a sharp hiss. It snapped me back to reality to see his face turn paler, drained of all color.

I had always known Max to be the cold, unapproachable type, yet undeniably skilled and not without warmth. His actions of taking a hit for Ronald spoke volumes of his loyalty. Seeing him weakened, I couldn't help but voice my concern, "Max, can you hang in there?"

He nodded slightly, eyes closing as he let go, entrusting the task entirely to me. I pushed aside all other emotions, concentrating solely on securing six more stitches with precision.

He leaned against Ronald. His breathing was erratic, sometimes heavy, sometimes barely there.

I said, "I must get you some antibiotics and a tetanus shot. I'll go sort it out."

Hospital protocols were strict, but Max seemed keen on keeping his injury under wraps. Why he insisted on secrecy puzzled me deeply.

After discarding my latex gloves and noticing how my blisters had burst open, I grimly set about cleaning the wound further, dousing it with almost half a bottle of disinfectant. Clutching my wrist in pain, I remained silent. Ronald seemed about to speak, but a shake of my head silenced him, not wanting to disturb Max.

With Max in such a fragile state, I managed to get the medication, running into a nurse who recognized me as an intern. "Dr. Floyd, what happened to you?"

a minor burn and touched some rust. Better safe with tetanus." I

hesitated, but I insisted I handle it alone, knowing the

the treatment room, Ronald and I sneaked him back to his office, which had

Ronald turned to me, gesturing at my bandaged hand. "Your injury wasn't

ant

know

was bearable, nothing compared to past experiences. And I also wanted to see how Gabrielle would react to my injury the

Collins, I was wondering about the man who attacked you, Scar Man. Do

the previous topic,

they didn't have a lead yet. "But I'm interested in this Serenity Bluff you mentioned. It sounds like a

alertness

into it right away. Take care of Max for me,"