Accident Prone 135 Accident 04 Cont.

Some time ago, up on the hiking trail…

Mia heard Liz's scream and by the time she removed her binoculars and looked that way, she saw Max wrapping Liz in his arms protectively a split second before they disappeared in the dense foliage below them.

Mia looked at everyone present and saw that they all held their binoculars and glanced around in confusion while McKenzie was walking backward with pure horror on her face.

"Max! Liz!", Hunter shouted while looking at the greenery below the cliff. He paused and hoped to hear something back before calling again.

"s.h.i.+t!", Hunter exclaimed while shoving his hand in his hair repeatedly, just how Max does when he is not sure what to do. "We need to find a way to get down there."

Ashton looked around. "We will need ropes to go down and this does not look like a good place to attach one."

"Forget about attaching them. We can just hold onto it while one goes down. The problem is that we don't have ropes. Can we make a st.u.r.dy rope out of something available?", Derek asked while looking toward the jungle they came from.

"Going around will take a long time to reach them.", Mike commented.

"That is quite a big fall…", Jake mumbled while looking down. "You don't think that they are…?"

"Shut up!", Hunter interrupted Jake. They were going on a leisure hike, how did it end like this?

"Max! Liz!", Hunter bellowed again. Before anything, he needed to hear them call back. Something… anything… because he can't believe that they perished just like that. He refuses to believe it.

"Max! Liz!", Hunter continued shouting while looking down desperately.

Mia joined Hunter and they called in unison: "Max! Liz!"

"I'm fine! Max is unconscious! Call an ambulance!", Liz's voice drifted back from the foliage below making them all sigh in relief.

Hunter felt that a big knot in his chest eased up. Liz responded and she said that Max is unconscious, so he is not dead either.

Mia was startled when her phone vibrated. She saw the caller ID: "It's Liz! … How are you doing down there? … Slow down, you are breaking up …"

Mia listened to Liz and her eyes landed on McKenzie. For some reason, McKenzie looked panicked. Mia could not put her finger on it, but something was off.

Mia ended the call with Liz and shared with everyone what Liz said before telling Hunter: "Call an ambulance, they will need a helicopter. We will stay here on this clearing to wave them when they arrive, so they know that they are at the right place."

After calling 911 and confirming to what hospital Liz and Max will be taken, Hunter called Madeline and Nathan, informing them that there was an accident and that they can go straight to the hospital and wait for Liz and Max to arrive.

"We should go to the hospital also.", McKenzie said.

"No." Mia stood in front of McKenzie, blocking her path. "We should all stay here and wave the helicopter. It will be easier to spot us when there is more of us present."

"Is there a need for all nine of us?", McKenzie asked in panic. She didn't want to stay here. If it's up to her, she would be on a plane back to Seattle.

"Yes. Every person counts.", Mia said while eyeing McKenzie.

McKenzie huffed in frustration. "Fine. I will go few steps down in the shade. When the helicopter comes, I will step out."

Mia pointed up the trail. "The shade over there is better."

McKenzie narrowed her eyes at Mia, but she obeyed. If she makes a scene, she will only draw suspicion to herself.

McKenzie went up the trail and sat on a rock in the shade while her eyes didn't leave Mia. Why is Mia not letting her leave? There is no way that Mia saw her push Liz.

McKenzie balled her hands into fists. She didn't want Max to get hurt. She wanted to hurt only Liz, to make her feel the pain because of what McKenzie is going through for the last three days. And now it ended up that Liz is fine, and Max is unconscious. McKenzie reminded herself to stay cool. No one saw anything, and if they suspect something, it's their word against hers, and they are slandering her. Even if Liz says something, she has no proof.

Others found spots in the shade to sit with knowledge that it will be at least ten minutes until the helicopter arrives. No one knew what to talk about, so they mostly sat in silence and nibbled on their sandwiches. No matter what, this hike is over and once the helicopter arrives, they will all head back.

Hunter and Mia sat in front of the spot from where Max and Liz fell.

"You don't think that Zi has anything to do with this?", Hunter asked Mia in a low voice, only for her to hear. He noticed that Mia is borderline hostile toward McKenzie.

Mia looked at him and raised her eyebrows, silently answering his question.

Hunter's brows furrowed. "You don't know Zi. She might be stubborn, but she is kind. She would never hurt anyone. Especially not Max."

"You are right. I don't know her.", Mia agreed with Hunter before adding: "However, I know Liz. She might be silly at times, but she is the most cautious person I know. She would never step too close to the edge. And you should know Max. Is he the one who would act recklessly and put Liz in danger? I'm not saying that Zi did something, I just want to keep an eye on her. I don't expect your a.s.sistance."

Hunter put his arm around Mia's shoulders. "How can you say that? Even if it's just a hunch, I will support my fiancée. What are we doing?"

Mia smiled, grateful that Hunter is by her side and that he is directing his deep blue eyes full of love at her. "At this point, we don't let her leave. I want to talk to Liz and Max and hear from them what happened…"

…

In the hospital, they rushed Max to the radiology department to get X-ray and MRI and Liz went with him.

Max signed a consent that his medical information can be shared with Liz, so she took charge of talking to doctors while he was undergoing tests and scans.

By the time Max and Liz got in the VIP room and doctors dispersed, everyone else arrived at the hospital.

Family members got access first, while others were in the waiting area.

Madeline, Nathan, Hunter and Mia entered the room and found Max on the bed and Liz by his side.

"How are you doing?", Madeline asked from the door.

She can see Max lying in the bed, covered up and Liz is standing next to him with few bandages on her arms and one scratch on her face. And the two of them are holding hands.

"Max has a back injury.", Liz responded. "He needs to stay put for 48 hours and after that to take it easy. Luckily, his spine and head are fine and there are no broken bones. Other than the sprain, he is mostly bruised up with few scratches."

Madeline nodded in understanding before asking Liz: "And how are you?"

"I am fine. It was a big fall, but Max s.h.i.+elded me and took all the damage. On the way down we hit few branches which slowed us down." She pointed at the bandages on her arm. "These are just minor scratches."

"Are you sure that the both of you are fine?", Madeline continued probing.

Liz found Madeline's choice of words… strange. And why did she look at her belly? Liz glanced at Max before responding: "I am fine. Max's back is hurt."

Madeline nodded in understanding. Liz is fine, and they are still not ready to talk about her pregnancy. Well, as long as they are fine, that is all that matters.

"Where is Rina?", Hunter asked his parents. 

"She went with Jackson to a submarine tour. She said they will be here as soon as they come to the surface.", Madeline responded.

"How did this happen?", Nathan asked both Max and Liz before his sight moved to Max: "Another accident? What am I going to do with you? So far you only hurt yourself, but now you dragged a girl with you as well…"

Max looked at Liz. He does not know how it happened. He saw that Liz was about to fall and he wanted to pull her back, but when he realized that she is going down with or without him, he pulled her in his embrace and hoped for the best.

Liz had a complex expression. What should she say? That she felt someone pus.h.i.+ng her? Who was it? Even if she knows who it was, she has no proof. This was an a.s.sault. An attempted murder. How can she just say that someone pushed her?

"We were at the edge, watching bird nests through binoculars. And then we fell.", Max responded.

Nathan snorted. "How can you be so reckless?! What would I say to Liz's parents if she got seriously hurt?"

"Father.", Liz interrupted Nathan's upcoming ranting. "I have only a father. My mother pa.s.sed away."

"Oh…", Nathan said awkwardly. "I am sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine. As for this… I fell, and Max protected me. Please, don't call him reckless because he saved my life."

If Nathan was feeling awkward so far, this was double-awkward.

"Mom, dad… can you let us talk?", Hunter asked.

"Sure.", Madeline confirmed. "We will be in the waiting room. We need to figure out how this will impact our current plans."

"I will stay with Max until he is discharged.", Liz announced and looked at Max before adding: "It's the least I can do."

Madeline and Nathan thanked Liz. Madeline wanted to stay, but if Liz is staying then she will not because she does not want to be the third wheel. Before leaving, she will make sure that Liz is not lacking anything.

Hunter glanced at Mia before stopping his parents from leaving the room. "When our friends ask about their condition, tell them that Liz is fine, and that Max is hurt. Don't give them other details."

"You want us to lie? Why?", Nathan was suspicious.

"Not lie.", Mia answered. "Max is hurt, and he will be held here for 48 hours and after that they will decide on his treatment. That is the truth."

Nathan looked at Mia suspiciously before responding with a small nod and going out.

The door closed after Nathan and Madeline and Mia turned to Liz. "You fell? I know you for a long time and you are not a person who loses her balance."

Liz saw that Mia, Hunter and Max are looking at her expectantly.

Max can see that she has something unpleasant on her mind. He gently squeezed her hand. "It's OK. Tell us."

Liz told herself that there is no point in lying.

"Someone pushed me.", Liz said and quickly added: "But I didn't see who it was."

Mia gave a 'I-told-you-so' look to Hunter.

Max wanted to sit up and Liz swiftly held onto his shoulders to keep him in place. "Don't move. If your injuries get worse I will never forgive myself."

Max was about to hug Liz, but he can't do it like this. He snorted in frustration.

"Who would push you?", Max asked Liz. It's not that he does not believe her, but he has trouble wrapping his head around the idea that someone would do such a despicable thing. And it was someone from their group!

Max turned to Hunter and Mia: "It seems that the two of you have an idea."

"Just a hunch…", Mia responded before sharing her thoughts.

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