Chapter 19 — Max's Embrace
After Walter left, the clinic fell quiet again.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring at the dim ceiling light, feeling completely drained. One sip of coffee made his stomach churn.
Outside, the rain-washed dusk glowed faintly, streetlights flickering on one by one.
A wave of dizziness hit him. He rubbed his temples and let out a bitter laugh. It was his first time using Holy Word: Redemption. He remembered the spell costing a lot of "mana," but he hadn't expected this—that instant, hollowed-out sensation, like his soul had been yanked out and only an empty shell was left breathing on autopilot.
He pushed himself up with a sigh. Even though it wasn't closing time yet, he decided to shut early.
"Forget it," he muttered. "I'll go to Williamsburg. Kinda miss Max's cupcakes."
---
Williamsburg Diner was as lively as ever—oil sizzling, people laughing, and Oleg being… Oleg.
Caroline was rambling at Max. "Max, I was talking to the two smart guys at table two—
I know they're smart because they're the only ones who ordered Caramel Cappuccino and pronounced it correctly. Everyone else says something like 'Caramel Capa-nono.'"
"They want to meet the cupcake chef. I told them you'd come over."
"Not going!" Max wiped frosting off her hands, face locked in full anti-social mode. "They're not good people. They're fashion-wearing locusts here to pillage and destroy everything I care about."
Caroline nodded solemnly. "That's exactly how I felt when the Hilton sisters crashed my twenty-first birthday party."
Just then, someone at table two waved. "Did you make these cupcakes?"
Max planted her hands on her hips. "Yeah. Problem? Spit it out, I'm busy."
The man smiled. "We just wanted to say—they taste amazing."
"I don't know who you are or where you're from, but you've got serious talent."
Max switched faces instantly, flashing a sugary smile. "Oh my gosh, welcome to the neighborhood! I knew I'd like you guys."
Back in the kitchen, Caroline asked, "So what did the fashion locusts want?"
"Caroline, don't judge by appearance," Max shot back. "They may dress fancy, but they have taste. They said my cupcakes were 'top-tier.'"
Caroline rolled her eyes. "See? Other people love them too! You can finally believe your cupcakes are actually good."
"Not good," Max corrected smugly. "They said top-tier."
Oleg stuck his head out. "Order up, Max!"
"Oleg, please address me as the Duchess of Top-Tier Cupcakes."
He squinted. "Then you address me as the Baron of Endless Pants Joy."
"I think Bottomless Self-Love Butler fits you better," Max shot back.
---
When Ethan walked in, Max was zoning out in the kitchen while Caroline ran around like a caffeinated hurricane.
Caroline waved a hand in front of Max's face. "Max, stop daydreaming about men. Your big-shot doctor will show up eventually."
Max smirked. "From my experience, men only come early, never late. Ethan, though? He's not the early type."
"Oh please," Caroline shot back. "You literally said he wasn't that great in bed."
"'Not great' mostly means he's lazy."
Caroline made a face and went to deliver food. A moment later she spotted Ethan and rushed back to the kitchen.
"No more daydreaming—he's here. Outside."
Max walked out—and froze.
"Jesus, Doctor, did you crawl out of a grave, or did a room full of middle-aged women drain you dry at yoga class?"
Ethan gave a weak laugh. "It'd take at least four Maxes to drain me. One Warrior Max, one Mage Max, and preferably a Rogue Max and a Hunter Max for the last two."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She frowned, pushed him into a chair. "Don't move. I'm getting you food."
Caroline came over, said hi, chatted briefly, then hurried back to the kitchen and told Max seriously, "Take him back to your apartment."
"What? It's only seven. This is peak hour."
"It's fine," Caroline said firmly. "He's not okay. He looks mentally shocked or something. I'm not even sure he can walk out of here alone. I've got the diner."
Max brought him a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of frosted cupcakes.
"Eat sugar. It makes people happy and slightly less dead."
"Thanks, Max. You're the best. No party raid without you," Ethan muttered, staring blankly into the steam. "This isn't a red potion… not a blue one either… You gave me a whole bottle of… mega-black…"
"What happened to you? Vampire attack? Aliens?" she asked.
Ethan smiled faintly. "Picture a mage pulling aggro, stacked with debuffs, getting focus-fired. I kept him alive."
"…Right." She stopped asking and moved behind him, pressing her hands into his shoulders, kneading gently.
"Your shoulders are rock-hard. Why's a doctor this tense?"
He didn't answer—just closed his eyes.
The warmth and rhythm of her hands pulled him, briefly, out of that hollow, soul-drained feeling.
"Damn," Max muttered. "You really look like you might die in my diner."
"Don't worry," he said softly. "Priests turn into angels after death."
"Angel my ass. You're a doctor, not a priest. You're delirious." She smacked his arm lightly. "You're coming to my place. Sleep. You look illegal."
---
Max's apartment was far quieter than the diner.
Ethan lay on her surprisingly comfortable bed, a little more aware than before.
She had gone over to massage his shoulders again, but he shifted and ended up collapsing sideways against her, his forehead resting lightly against her chest.
The movement was small. She froze for a second—didn't push him away. Instead, her hand moved almost automatically, sliding through his hair.
She could feel his warm breath.
Ethan lay still, listening to her heartbeat.
"Don't know what happened to you," she said quietly. "But if you die, I'm turning your clinic into a bakery."
"Leave me a corner," he murmured. "Bury me where you stand most. I'll respawn."
Max let out a soft laugh and said nothing more.
Her hand kept stroking his hair, and slowly, Ethan drifted into sleep.
---
By the time he woke, daylight filled the room. Max was gone.
He stepped out into the apartment. Just him—and a few cupcakes on the table, left for breakfast.
He raised a hand. A faint glow flickered in his palm—then died instantly.
Feeling his condition, remembering last night at the diner, Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"Yeah… this Holy Light is definitely toxic."