“After the Battle”

by Jo and Stacey

Zack signed the hospital release forms and handed them back to the nurse. Just as soon as the doctor signed off on them he'd be able to leave - something he couldn't wait to do. He hated hospitals, hated being in them. No matter how much time had passed, they always seemed to bring back bad memories for him... memories he'd just as soon forget.

Luckily, he only had suffered 3 broken ribs and a concussion - nothing as major as what Maximus had endured. Though the doctor had wanted to keep him there over night, Zack had insisted he be released, was quite verbal, in fact, on the matter and in the end the doctor had agreed - on the condition that he took it easy and got some rest.

Rest. Yeah, he could use about a week of that, or more. Unfortunately, his mind wouldn't let him. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had just happened... the shootout with Campbell, the car chase and accident, and most of all... when he was forced to shoot and kill the driver, Campbell's accomplice.

Zack stood up, ran his hands through his hair. He wondered how Maximus was doing... and all the others. He'd heard both Maximus and Ross had survived, barely, and the others were a bit banged up like him, but were okay for the most part. Abby... Abby was another matter. She'd been in shock when they'd brought her into the hospital, and he found out she was still there, too.

Once the nurse came back with his signed release forms, he found out where Maximus had been moved to and went to check up on him. He saw Robin and Julie sitting with Cort in the waiting area and slowly approached them.

"How's he doing?" Zack asked them, quietly.

"He'll make it," Robin said, looking like he had a pretty bad headache himself. "It was close, though."

Cort noticed the way Zack was walking, leaning a bit forward, just as he walked. "Ribs?" he asked, his palm curving over his own side.

Zack nodded, "Seems we're a matched pair." He couldn't help but notice the bandage on Robin's head, pointed to it and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Steering wheel," Julie volunteered. "Following the ambulances turned out to be more perilous than it looked."

"What about you, Zack?" Cort asked. "You were driving Joimus' station wagon, I understand. Heard it took a pretty bad roll into the field."

"I'm fine," he replied, "Got a bump on the noggin, hadda have a couple stitches. Broke a few ribs, too. How 'bout Joimus? Alistair and Ahnna? They weren't too badly injured I hope?"

"Joimus landed on her face in the field," Robin said grimly. "Cheekbone's fractured and she's all swollen. I think Ahnna hurt her back. I don't know how Alistair fared in the car crash, but he was pretty hurt when Dwayne hit him with the vase. I'm hoping we get some news soon." He leaned his head against the wall behind him, letting his eyes close.

Julie reached over and took his hand. "It's been a long evening," she sighed, looking at Zack. "I imagine both Maximus and Alistair have
been admitted. What about you, Zack? Are you going back to the Glen?"

Zack sat down in a chair across from her, clasped his hands together in front of him, "Yeah, in a while. My girlfriend, Destiny, is on her way here to pick me up. Just wanted to check on all of you. One hell of a night it was, that's for sure."

"Glad you've got a ride," Robin said, looking at him through only half-raised lids. "I was going to offer you one, but I'm here for the
duration...until I've got the all clear on both Maximus and Alistair." He opened his lids a bit more, gazing deeply at Zack. "I hear you
acquitted yourself most honorably in battle tonight. Good man!"

"Battle? Um... yeah, I guess it was a bit like a battle," Zack told him, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his temples. His head was throbbing again, damn pain pills were wearing off. "Thanks to you two, we were all able to survive. If you hadn't of shown up when you did... I hate to even think about what might have happened to us all."

"We were just on our way into Coffs to have dinner," Julie explained, "then it began to rain so hard we almost turned back."

"Almost," Robin repeated. "Very close, in fact."

"Now we know Maximus would have died if we hadn't arrived when we did."  A little shudder went through Julie.

"If there's ever anything I can do for either of you... and you, Cort," Zack told them, "I'm in your debt."

He pulled out his cell phone as it began to vibrate in his pocket, read the text message. "If you will all excuse me now, my girlfriend's waitin' outside in her car. Please let Joimus and Maximus know I was here and that they're in my thoughts."