Her Titans by Genevieve Jasper
Atlas
31
By the time we’ve gone through the logistics of our plan and Causus has left, I’ve got full mobility again. Max and Quinn brought me some spare clothes so I shower haphazardly with my bruised hands, watching the red water run down the drain. We’re all staying here tonight. Madelaine should be out of surgery imminently, but I’m not sure how long it’ll be before she can be in our room. Washed and changed, I rejoin the guys. We aren’t putting anything into motion until tomorrow and this place is swarming with our guys, so we’re pretty safe here tonight. We were all relieved that it didn’t look like we had a rat after all.
The doctor swings by to let us know Madelaine’s surgery went well and we’ll be able to see her as soon as she’s conscious. We all sit around silently, lost in our own minds for the next hour.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Quinn says out of nowhere.
I look up at him, dragging my thoughts back to now. “Yeah,” I say, very unconvincingly.
“That could’ve been any of us,” he adds.
I know logically he’s right, but that doesn’t mean much at the moment. I went on about how she could never sacrifice herself for someone else and then let her be in a position to do it for me.
“We know what you’re thinking, because we’d be thinking the same,” Max says.
They probably would. We’re so similar with things like this. Probably why our trust for each other is so high. Over the years we’ve proved we’d do whatever it takes to save each other.
“This time it was us on the other side, but we all know you’ve been the one saving before and will be again. It’s why we work so well.”
He was right, they both were. You couldn’t do everything alone and you couldn’t be successful every time, it’s one reason we need each other.
My self-pity stops when the doctor calls back in to tell us we can see Madelaine now. We all shoot up and follow him closely until he points out a room at the end of the hall. We rush through the door and there’s Madelaine, our girl. She has a nurse checking wires and screens, who jumps at our sudden entrance.
“Ahh, here they are,” she says to Madelaine. “You’re all set, I’ll be back for your walk-around in half an hour.”
“Thank you!” Madelaine replies with a genuine smile to the lady.
She squeezes past us and leaves us alone. We all hurry over to Madelaine’s bedside.
“Hey,” she says, looking thrilled despite being in a hospital bed hooked up to a million wires on her left side.
“Hey baby,” I say, cupping her cheek gently.
“You look like shit,” Quinn jokes with a half smile, but his eyes are pinched.
She laughs gently. “Gee, thanks Quincy.”
“I don’t even know what to do with you,” I admit. “Spank your ass raw for being so stupid or kiss you until you can’t breathe.”
“How about both?”
Her flippant reply, dismissive of the sacrifice she made, makes my chest ache.
“Thank you,” I say seriously, bending down to peck her on the lips. “I need you to know that we’ll get you out of any situation. Whenever you need us, we’ll make it. Even if I’m not good enough for you alone, that’s why you have all three of us. You deserve all three of us.”
“Atlas, you are more than good enough for me,” she says with a pained expression on her face.
“Do you need anything?” Max offers, breaking the moment.
“Actually, I’d love a Slurpee. I can already feel the sugar rush.”
“I’ll check with the nurse on what you can have,” Max offers. She frowns slightly at him leaving, with that being the only thing he’s said so far.
“Don’t mind him, this sort of thing is a lot for him.”
Quinn strokes the other side of her face with his knuckles, distracting her. “I can’t believe you did that for him,” he says, gesturing to me with a nod.
“I know, it aches like a bitch but I guess he is really pretty.”
We both smirk at her, so glad to have her back.
“A girl gets shot and can’t even get a kiss around here?”
Quinn leans in and kisses her softly. “We missed you.”
Max comes back in from his intel mission with water and crackers. “The doctor said you can eat and drink, but simple things, to make sure you don’t vomit.”
Madelaine pulls a face. “So, no Slurpees and Taco Bell? That’s the worst thing to happen to me today.”
Max’s face shuts down at her joke. She registers the look on his face and holds her hand out to him. He steps forward to take it and she shuffles her legs over so he can sit on the edge.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he insists, remaining standing.
“My legs are absolutely fine. I’m going to have a walk around in a minute, anyway.” She pats the spot she’s left and Max reluctantly sits and takes her hand in his again.
“Maxton, I’m fine, I swear.”
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“Okay, it’s clearly a group decision to never save Atlas again. This is a democracy. Sorry, Atlas!”
“It’s not a joke, belle.”
“Why not? It’s over, we’re both fine. Why do we need to be all serious about it?”
“Stop saying you’re fine, you’re not fine! You’re laid up in hospital with a hole in your shoulder.”
“Yeah, and the alternative was Atlas laid in a grave with a hole in his head, so I don’t regret it for a second,” she rants, getting agitated. “I’m serious, seeing as that’s apparently what you would rather have happened.”
“Okay, let’s calm it all down,” Quinn tries.
“No, this wasn’t some superfluous decision that I came to. He was firing his gun at Atlas’s skull, and my other option was to watch him die and be taken from all of you. Even with time to think, I would do it again.”
“But-”
“Ready for your walk?” the nurse asks as she comes into the room. “Do you need a minute?” she asks, sensing the strain.
“No, I’m ready.”
“Belle-”
“If you keep everything down and walk around okay, you’ll be alright to eat and drink other things when you fancy,” the nurse offers as she helps Madelaine stand.
“Great, thank you.”
They leave, and Quinn immediately turns on Max.
“What the fuck, dude? She’s supposed to be recovering, not getting stressed justifying her actions to you.”
“I know,” Max says, wiping his hand down his face. “But she’s not fine! How does she not realise what a huge thing it was for her to do?”
“Okay, judging her decisions is normally my repertoire,” I joke. “You know this isn’t the same as your mum, right?”
He whips his head up to stare into my eyes with a heartbreakingly vulnerable look on his face.
“Max, that was completely different.”
“I know, I just hate feeling so out of control when it comes to someone I love.”
“But Madelaine is over the worst now, it’s only recovery from here.”
He releases a sigh, slumping back onto the bed.
“You’re right. I should apologise.”
“To me, I hope?” Madelaine asks as she walks back through the door with the nurse right behind her.
Max sits upright again, helping her back into her bed.
“They’ll come and move you to another room in a little while, try to get some rest.” The nurse finishes reattaching Madelaine’s tubes, and leaves with a smile.
“Yes, to you,” Max picks up the conversation again. “I went a bit over the top, I’m sorry. What you did was ridiculously brave and I am so grateful you’re the reason my brother is still alive.”
“Great apology.” She grins, but it turns into a yawn halfway through.
“Get some rest and we’ll eat properly when you’re awake.”
She nods as she lays back and closes her eyes. We all grab seats around her bed. I’m sure Max’s eyes don’t move from the steady rise and fall of her chest. She looks so peaceful, you’d never guess the day she’s had.
“Someone you love?” Quinn asks Max when Madelaine’s breathing gets heavier.
“Someone I love,” he replies, not taking his eyes off our girl.