When Maximus opened his eyes, he found himself in a hospital ward, surrounded by other patient beds separated by curtains.
A sharp, throbbing pain shot through his lower body. Looking down, he realized his right leg had been amputated up to the knee.
A doctor happened to be attending to the patient in the adjacent bed. Noticing that Maximus was awake, the doctor pulled back the curtain to check on him.
"Ah, you're finally awake," Doctor Drugger said, smiling softly. "I heard what happened. It's truly amazing—I'm just relieved you made it out alive from that madman."
"Oh, right. About your leg..." Dr. Drugger continued. "I'm waiting for the wound to heal a bit more. Give it about a week, and I'll fit you with a prosthetic leg that should be a 90% match for you."
...
Memories of the previous events came flooding back.
Maximus reached out, wanting to put on his arm gadget, but his wrists were bare.
"Doctor Drugger, where is my gadget?" Maximus asked, his voice strained.
"Oh, it's on the side table over there, along with a few other devices. I had to strip off your armor mechanism—it would've gotten in the way during surgery," Doctor Drugger replied.
Maximus glanced over at his armor resting on the table beside him.
"Ah... where's my gun?"
"Oh, about that. The police confiscated it. You know how it is—they were pretty confused seeing a minor equipped with adult-grade armor. I had to step in and explain that it was just your personal defense mechanism. I stretched the truth a bit and said it was a family heirloom. Luckily, they bought it," Doctor Drugger explained.
"What about Onyx? Is she okay?" Maximus asked hurriedly.
"That girl... She was here at the hospital yesterday while you were in surgery. I treated her injuries myself. We talked for a bit, and she actually left a message for you..."
---
*"Doctor Drugger...!"*
*"Please tell Maximus!"*
*"I'll come back."*
*"Tell him that I—"*
Onyx had spoken urgently, but her face had turned bright red before she could finish. Blushing, she cut herself off mid-sentence.
---
"Ah, young love," Doctor Drugger chuckled softly. "I could tell she was just too embarrassed to say how she really felt."
A faint blush crept onto Maximus's cheeks as he looked away.
"She's currently being held at a juvenile detention facility," Dr. Drugger added, his tone turning serious. "Word is, she got two years there, followed by a fourteen-year sentence in a maximum-security prison."
Maximus frowned. "Wait... for a case like this, isn't a juvenile only supposed to serve two years in detentions and ten years in prison?"
"Wow, you really know your law, huh?" Doctor Drugger remarked with a faint smile. "The thing is, written laws don't always hold up absolute once you're actually in court. Sentences can be reduced—or increased—depending on the trial."
Maximus fell silent, looking down as gloom washed over him. Seeing this, Doctor Drugger decided it was time to let him rest.
"If you don't mind, I need to get back to my rounds. She clearly means a lot to you. Just hang in there—I'm sure she'll be free soon, and you two will be reunited. Anyway, see you later. Let me know if you need anything," Doctor Drugger said before walking out.
Left alone, the brutal events Maximus had endured replayed in his mind—from watching his father be decapitated right before his eyes to the sheer amount of death he had witnessed.
His hands began to tremble violently. Even though it was over, the terror was still hauntingly real.
"Maximus!!"
The door burst open, and Alpha Trion rushed into the room, gasping for breath.
Without a word, Trion threw his arms around Maximus, tears streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry!... Once again, I wasn't there when you needed help!"
"I'm so useless!" Trion sobbed.
Maximus, however, gave no reaction. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Trion. He just sat there in silence, unmoving and wordless.
"...Doctor Drugger told me everything," Trion said quietly. "Why did you keep quiet? Why didn't you tell me anything?"
Maximus gently pushed Trion away from the hug.
"...I just didn't want to drag you into this, Trion. I..."
Maximus swallowed hard. "I just wanted you to live a peaceful life without having to worry about me."
...
"Max... do you really expect me to just forget about you?" Trion looked at him, hurt. "Max... even if we aren't blood-related, I've always seen you as my brother. We grew up together! I just wanted you to come live with me... It might not be the same as your real family, but you need to realize that you can have a family with me, too!"
"Stop carrying all this weight by yourself. I'm always worrying about you, Maximus!" Trion pleaded.
...
"...Don't say such stupid things, Trion!" Maximus snapped, tears finally spilling from his eyes as the buried pain surged back up. "You don't even know what I've been through!"
...
"...I know I don't, Max," Trion said softly. "I just want to see you smile again like you used to."
Trion looked down at his own hands. "Whenever I see other siblings out there, living peacefully, taking care of each other, caring for one another, and finding happiness despite their differences... I always thought... maybe we could be like them."
"I just want you to know—if you're ever in trouble, please don't just stay quiet like this. Never hesitate to tell me!"
...
"...Just shut up," Maximus muttered, wiping his tears with his sleeve.
Trion remained seated right beside him, staying close even though he knew Maximus wasn't in the mood to listen to anything else.
---
***
The next day, feeling a bit better, Maximus tried to leave to see Doctor Drugger.
"I don't think a single day is enough to recover from injuries like yours," Doctor Drugger said, catching him. "I need you to stay here for a week until your prosthetic leg is ready. I've already taken care of the medical bills. I know you want to go home, but... I am not letting you leave swinging around on crutches like a monkey hanging from a tree."
Doctor Drugger placed a reassuring hand on Maximus's slumping shoulder.
"...I get what you're going through, Maximus. That's why I'm doing all of this for you—to help you feel better."
Dr. Drugger paused, then pulled Maximus back toward the bed. "Sit down. Maybe... there's something I should tell you."
The doctor sat down beside him. "...You know, Moona and I used to date back in the day."
Maximus blinked in surprise, staring at Doctor Drugger as curiosity sparked in his eyes.
Dr. Drugger chuckled softly, reminiscing. "We were still in high school back then. Moona had eyes as blue as the ocean. She always saw me as this awkward guy who talked way too much and rambled in circles."
"I guess the relationship wasn't anything groundbreaking. We broke up around the time I started university. But at the very least, Moona taught me how not to get nervous when talking to people."
"I have to admit, your mother was exceptionally beautiful, Max. As for what happened to her eyes, I'm sure she told you bits of it. It was about ten years ago, I think—she came to this hospital with Atlas Prime. I was already working here back then, though I didn't have a major role yet, even if I was skilled in quite a few fields. Moona had been exposed to some kind of radiation. All the doctors were gagged from speaking about the specific type of radiation, but... I'll tell you."
"It was an accident, but it was UV—Ultraviolet radiation—emitted so intensely that it blinded her permanently. I dug around behind the scenes back then and found out that Moona was actually visiting a tech development lab. They were working on holograms, and an accident occurred during testing. Moona's eyes were exposed, causing her to lose her sight."
"Damaged eyes are extremely difficult to repair," Dr. Drugger continued, his expression darkening slightly. "Technically, her blindness could have been cured, but the chances were minuscule. Finding a matching donor or a compatible synthetic eye is insanely difficult. If the match isn't perfect, the risks are severe—even if you regain sight, your body will constantly reject it, causing unbearable pain and severe infections. In the end, her attending physician decided it was best not to touch her eyes, only prescribing medication to dull the pain."
"After all, our internal organs are organic. Even now, technology hasn't advanced enough to fully repair organ damage," Doctor Drugger sighed.
"I see..." Maximus murmured quietly.
Doctor Drugger ruffled Maximus's hair gently. "Promise me you won't end up like your father. Moona placed huge hopes on you—whatever happens, don't let those hopes go to waste. I promised myself I'd protect people like you."
Stepping back, the doctor cleared his throat. "Oh, I'm going to order some food since I'm on break. I'll eat here with you and bring you a meal too. Stay put and don't go wandering off, alright?"
"Hey Max! Hello, Doctor Drugger!" Alpha Trion suddenly popped his head in from behind the door.
"Woah, you're here early," Dr. Drugger said in surprise. "Don't you have school today?"
"...I took a few days off. I'm staying here to keep Maximus company!" Trion announced proudly.
Maximus immediately pulled an annoyed face.
"Aright!! Who wants the delicious food I brought today?!" Trion asked enthusiastically, holding up a container.
Trion unsealed the lid, releasing an incredible aroma that instantly caught Doctor Drugger's attention.
"OMG, isn't that..."
"Yup, you guessed it! My mom cooked it! It's super-tender Wagyu beef—piping hot, meltingly soft, perfectly juicy, and sweet, and—"
Doctor Drugger was practically drooling at the sight. But suddenly, he snapped back to reality. "Wait a minute! Maximus is still in recovery, he shouldn't be eating heavy red meat... Which means... JUST GIVE IT ALL TO ME!"
"Hey, no way! My mom cooked this specifically for Maximus. How can he not eat it?" Trion protested, quickly shielding the container.
"Just give it to me!" Dr. Drugger urged.
"No!" Trion snapped back.
"Come on!"
"I said no!"
"It's going to go to waste!" Doctor Drugger reasoned.
"It'll get cold and lose its flavor!" the doctor added desperately.
"U-uh... Max, tell him you're going to eat it! Come on!" Trion pleaded, turning to Maximus.
...
Maximus gave them a deadpan stare.
"Please?" Trion hit him with his best puppy-dog eyes.
"...UGHH..." Maximus groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine... I'll eat the meat, but only a little bit. Give the rest to Doctor Drugger!"
"Aww, look at you being so generous to me, Maximus!" Doctor Drugger cheered, reaching out to pat his head again.
"Stop it," Maximus grumbled, forcing an annoyed yet childishly cute expression.
...
"Bon appétit!" the three of them said together.
They dug into the food Trion had brought. As expected, since Maximus wasn't completely well, he was only allowed a small portion of the meat.
Unfortunately, even trying to pick up a single bite-sized piece proved difficult. His hands felt stiff, shaking as he tried to grip the utensils.
"Uhhh..." Maximus grunted in frustration.
"Wait, can you still not move your hands properly?" Trion asked, noticing his struggle.
"That's why I kept telling him he's not allowed to leave yet!" Doctor Drugger chimed in between mouthfuls of food.
...
"Here, let me feed you!" Trion offered, his face beaming bright with enthusiasm.
"No thanks," Maximus said immediately.
...
"Open wide, say AAAAA!" Trion coaxed, hovering a piece of meat in front of him.
"This is embarrassing!" Maximus complained.
*CHOMP!*
"Ouch! Hey—don't bite my fingers, you idiot!" Trion yelped as Maximus ended up snapping at his fingers instead.
Watching
the two of them banter, Doctor Drugger smiled warmly. Trion and Maximus truly acted just like brothers. It was a comforting sight to see them together, balancing each other out so effortlessly.
---
To be continued...