Page 23 of Risk It All
Chapter Eight
Madeleine
Ilay on my cot that night, unable to sleep. I'm revved for the trek the next day, but that's not what's preventing me from sleeping. I'm still in awe of Max. Of how gently and genuinely he treated the children, especially Chisara. Chase probably wouldn't have entered the hospital, much less the children's ward. But Max walked in, his brilliant blue eyes observing, learning, calculating. I knew early on after meeting him that I'd misjudged him, but not until this evening, did I realized just how badly I underestimated him. He isn't just trying to make himself or his company look better. He feels deeply for these children and wants to make the world a better place for them.
I hear movement, and turning, I see Max rise from his cot. He glances briefly to look in my direction. I blink my eyes shut. After a moment, when I don't hear anything, I open them. He's gone.
At first, I think he's gone to the restroom, but a glance in that direction reveals the door is ajar. It's not likely he'd leave the door open while using the facility.
I decide he probably needs a walk to clear his head. He's seen and heard a lot of disturbing information today. It's difficult to sleep with all that rattling around in the brain. I turn over, willing sleep to come, but as it turns out, the day's events are making noise in my head too.
Curious as to where Max has gone, I rise from bed. Leaving the room, I head out toward the main entrance. The halls are lit with low lights that cast spooky shadows on the wall. I listen, but can't hear anything except the noise of hospital equipment and an occasional feral animal outside.
Following a hunch, I make my way to the children's ward. It's quiet and darker than the halls. But as I peek through the door, I see a ray of light at the end of the room.
“What's going on?” I whisper as I near Chisara's cot where Max sits with her looking at papers using a flash light.
“Uh-oh. You won't tell, will you, Ms. Madeleine?” Chisara whispers, her large dark eyes round with worry.
I look at Max, whose expression tells me he doesn’t care what I do. He isn't sorry for breaking rules.
“Do I look like the sort of person to tell?” I ask.
Chisara smiles. “Max is showing me pictures of the red bridge and the dinosaurs. And he said that if you take a boat in the ocean by California, you can see whales.”
“Wow.” I'm not surprised to find Max visiting Chisara. In fact, I'd be surprised if he wasn't. Not only because she's such a great kid, but also because that's who Max is.
“So, where did the pictures come from?” I know he didn't bring them with him. How would he have known?
He shoots me an annoyed look.
“He snuck into Dr. Knowles office,” Chisara says in a barely audible whisper. “You won't tell, will you?”
“You don't mind being an accessory to trespassing?” I ask Chisara. I'm joking of course, but Max still doesn't look amused.
“I don't think it's bad. Just a few pictures off the Internet. Dr. Knowles won't mind, I don't think.” Chisara reasons.
“I don't think so either,” I agree. “But he might mind if you stay up too late.”
“He will mind that.” Chisara reaches to a side table, and grabbing a pen and tacks, she hands them to Max. “Will you write what they are and put them on my map?”
“Absolutely.” Max takes the items from her.
“And when you get home, will you send me a picture of your boat? With you on it. You and Ms. Madeleine.”
“I'm not sure Madeleine has sea legs.” Max scrawls on the papers.
“My legs are great,” I retort.
Max's brows shoot up as he jerks to look at me. I give him a look that dares him to contradict me.
“Well, then just you,” Chisara says.
“It will be the first thing I do when I get back.” Max pins the papers to the map.
Chisara smiles. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“We're going out during the day, but should be back in the evening,” I say.
