LOGAN

All I can see is her face and all I feel is overwhelming pain. Those are the two things I cling onto as my eyes finally peel back open. My whole body hurts, like I've been slammed into a semi, and my entire right side is throbbing with a dull burn. As the room comes into focus around me, I'm not sure where I am, but I remember Maisy in my arms and then a gunshot, and it all comes rushing back. I blink, taking in the white walls and floor, the machines beeping next to me, and the grey haired nurse fussing above me. I'm in the hospital.

"How are you feeling?" she asks as soon as she notices I'm awake, but I can't make myself speak. My lips are so chapped they're almost sealed together. The nurse turns to the side and picks up a pitcher and that's when I see her, Maisy, behind a window, turning away from me and walking away. My heart pounds and the machines next to me come to life as I croak out her name and throw the sheets back from my body. I'm just attempting to swing my legs over the bed, ignoring the pain shooting through me, when the nurse tackles me. She grabs onto my shoulders and shakes her head.

"Oh no Mr. Stanfield! You need your rest." She's surprisingly strong for such a tiny thing, and in my condition she's easily able to keep me from getting off the bed. She guides me back onto the mattress with invisible strength and eases me back onto the pillows.

"The doctor will be in shortly," she says, trying to placate me by offering a plastic cup of water which I greedily take.

I chug the liquid down, letting it quench my dry mouth and bring me back to the living as my eyes scan the now empty window. The fogginess slowly lifts and I wonder if I really saw Maisy out there, or if it was all in my head. I try to piece together what happened. I remember holding her in my arms and then being shot from behind. I look down at my right arm and my bandaged shoulder. There were two more gunshots I think, and the last thing I remember is dropping to the floor and covering Maisy's body with my own.

"Maisy?" I ask the nurse, managing to croak out one single word. She stops writing, holds the chart in her hands up to her chest and stares down at me with confusion.

"The girl--"

"You're awake!"

I swing my head over to the door just as Will walks through it with his arms open and a wide smile. My body fills with instant relief at seeing him. I know he'll have answers for me.

"Jesus man!" He comes towards me, clasps my left hand and leans into my body, gently placing his hand my back. "Did you ever give us a scare. You can't be doing that shit Logan! You're getting too old to be taking on gang members." He chuckles good-naturedly and steps back to get a better look at me and his mouth sets into a grim line. "You're dad's on his way," he lets me know.

"Maisy? Is she okay? Where is she?" I shoot off questions without taking a breath as I try to get out of my bed again, but this time it's Will who stops me.

"Logan, you can't do this man. You need to stay put!"

We struggle for a moment but the IV is tethering me in. I'm stuck here whether I like it or not. I drop back down onto the bed in frustration and growl up at him, "Just tell me where she is!"

Will steps back and holds up his hands. "Okay, okay, just calm down." He runs a hand over his face and shakes his head like he doesn't want to have to do this. "Shit, Logan," he sighs. "What the hell were you thinking?"

He steps closer. "She's fine man. Maisy's fine."

The relief that flows through me is almost euphoric. I stare up at Will and ask if he's sure and he nods again. Tension I didn't know I was holding onto releases from my body and I collapse back against the pillows behind me. She's okay. It's like a ton of bricks have been removed from my chest and I can breath again, until the next question pops into my mind.

"Where is she?"

"Logan..."

I see it in his face then, and I know it I my heart, but I still need it confirmed. I need to hear him say it out loud. "Where is she Will?"

"They released her--" I'm up and out of bed again, and this time he doesn't stop me. I yank the IV from my arm and rip off my hospital gown, using it to stop the blood that's now trickling down my skin.

"Dude!" Will protests, looking down at my naked body with a questionable shrug, but I'm too frenzied to pay any attention to him.

"Where are my clothes?" I stagger on my barely functioning legs through the room, throwing open closets and drawers, and cursing like a madman.

"Logan, you've got to chill out. You have to talk to the doctors, that won't release you until they examine you, and Robby still needs to take your statement. You can't just go prancing out of here!"

"She needs me--"

"She left man! Robby spoke to her. It's not good Logan. The people she's messed up with--"

"I don't care!" I continue to search the room looking for something, anything, to wear.

"Logan, you've got to get back into bed. Talk to Robby. Let him explain things--"

"I'm not waiting! Where are my fucking clothes?" I shout, slamming an empty closet door and turning on him.

"You don't have anything. They cut your shit off you when they brought you in. That's why your dad's not here. He went to your place to pick up some stuff."

"Give me your shirt." I step right up to him and demand the clothes off my best friend's back. Will looks at me like I've lost my mind. He grabs his own shirt as if to protect it and shuffles away from me.

"What? No!" He slaps at my hands as I come at him. I'm about to tackle him to the ground and wrestle the damn thing off him when another voice breaks through the room.

"Logan! What the hell are you doing out of bed?"

I stop myself, swaying back and forth unsteadily on my legs and look up at my father. Shock is written all over his weathered face. I can only imagine what I look like, standing there, naked, in the middle of the room with my hospital gown wrapped around my arm, poised to attack my best friend for his clothes. My dad's eyes sweep over me and he shakes his head.

"Get back in bed," he orders, but I don't move. He steps into the room holding a bag that I'm sure contains my clothing and points to the bed. "That isn't a request son."

I hesitate. The idea of grabbing the bag from him and making a run for it briefly crosses my mind, but I know my dad. He wouldn't be above physically wrangling me back into that bed. I shuffle backwards as he walks towards me until the bed frame pushes up against the back of my knees and I have nowhere else to go.

"Logan..." I hear the underlying warning in his voice and slowly drop back down on the bed in defeat. My dad walks over and throws the covers on top of me. "What the hell has gotten into you? You scared the living shit outta me kid!"

Indignation bristles through me but the genuine worry is clear in my father's eyes and my guilt overtakes everything else. My dad pushes my hair out of my face like he used to when I was younger and he stares down at me. "I could kill you for what you did!"

"Dad, I need to find Maisy."

My father looks like he sympathizes, but doesn't seem happy about it. "Will told me she was back in town. Listen, Robby's just outside in the hall. You talk to him and I'll talk to the doctors and see what I can find out about Maisy and when they're gonna discharge you."

"Dad, I don't have time! She's going to leave--"

"Maybe that's for the best Logan." He lets out a tired sigh. "It seems like she's gotten herself into a lot of trouble."

"That's why I need to find her."

He takes my hand and looks at me with compassionate concern. "Logan, it's just last time--"

"Last time was different! Last time Maisy was in trouble and I didn't know; this time I do!"

He nods like he understand but I can feel the condescension behind it. "That's a job for the police Logan, not you. If Maisy wanted your help she would've asked for it, but she didn't. She left Logan. She doesn't want you to go after her."

His words pierce through me because a part of me knows he's right. Maisy's taken her secrets and runaway again. She couldn't be more clear. And even though everything inside me doesn't want to, I have to accept it. I can't spend my life continuing to chase after Maisy Jacobs, especially when she doesn't want to be caught.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Aw, my heart breaks for poor Logan in this chapter. Hopefully yours does too. It's not easy for him to accept that Maisy's left again, but he doesn't really have any other choice. The truth hurts and Logan just got it served cold. It's hard not to hate Maisy right about now...

I'll see you guys next week with a new chapter. Don't forget to show some love with a vote and comment ;)