Chapter Text
"Hey Dad?" said Max, his eyes wide with curiosity.
David felt a pang in his chest every time Max called him that, especially when he wore a sweet and innocent look. It was so out of place, so wrong. He almost hated it. Almost.
There was a small part of him that was proud that Max related him to a father. It meant that Max at least appreciated him in one way or another and was the slightest bit happy around him. He couldn't deny that Max's eyes would light up every time David entered the room. That mischievous, little spark was replaced with something he could only pinpoint as admiration.
David could never have said the situation felt wrong, but it didn't feel right either. He was faced with newfound respect that was based off of a lie.
Deep down he knew that he was only taking the place of Max's dad because his parents were never around. It was only a process of grabbing any adult he saw often and made him feel good about himself. Chances were, Max barely had any good memories of his parents since they weren't around. It was probably the root of his cynical views on life, the views that disappeared as soon as he woke up in the hospital bed.
A few memories of Parents Day were apparently more meaningful than the memories in his own him.
He didn't know what to do.
David could have told Max the truth to prevent him from being let down later, but how could he look an amnesic ten-year-old in the eyes and tell him that his parents didn't care enough to visit him at camp? How would a small child take the news that his real parents didn't leave any contact information in his camp registration? David couldn't bear to see the look on Max's face when he finally realized he had more pleasant memories with a that a camp counselor he had known for a little under two months than the people who brought him into the world.
He also knew he couldn't keep the act up forever. Max was eventually going to find out by himself, little by little, and when he did he wouldn't take it so well. David didn't know whether he would go on a rage-filled tangent or burst into tears. Could Max even handle it? Could David handle the breakdown?
The lie was so sweet though. He would have given anything to keep it forever and prevent Max's little heart from being torn to pieces. He loved it when the boy looked up to him like he was a hero, his hero. No one had ever looked at him like that before, even his little siblings.
David didn't know whether it was even kind to keep lying to him. Was he giving Max a taste of what he could have that would satisfy him or was he taunting him with something he would never have? The smile on Max's face told him that he wasn't being cruel.
The only route of kindness was to lie for Max's sake, making Max the happiest David had ever seen him.
"Yeah kiddo," replied David in his normal, chipper tone.
"Nikki, Neil and I are the troublemakers, right?" He asked brightly.
"Yeah!" Exclaimed David excitedly. "You remember Nikki and Neil?"
"Mm-hm! We hung out a lot didn't we?"
Every time Max told him about a new memory he recovered, David couldn't help but feel proud of his camper. Max would instantly brighten up the room when he told David about his new memories.
He had made such great progress since a day ago when he woke up. Little parts of his personality were coming back, even some parts of his cynical attitude. For the most part, he was still gentle and was even a bit gullible at times. Max even got confused with the "got your nose" trick.
There was a small part of David that was scared every time he recovered something because that meant he was one memory away from the truth. He was moments away from Max rejecting him again or curling up into a ball and crying.
David chuckled. "Yeah, you guys were pretty, uh, rambunctious. How'd you find that out?"
"Well, I just remembered trying to sneak out of camp with them, a lot," the boy laughed.
It took a second for Max's face to fall and for his eyes to go wide with realization. David felt his heart speed up when Max fiddled with his hospital blankets, avoiding eye contact.
Shit.
"I always called it a hell hole, didn't I?" Max whimpered.
"Y-you mean camp?" David asked, confused.
There was an element of relief of knowing Max had not found out just yet.
"Uh, yeah. I think so," said Max as he stared off into the distance. "The camp may not've been that good budget-wise but everyone made it really fun, especially you."
David fought the urge to scoop Max off the bed and hug him tightly, instead opting to ruffle his hair affectionately. Obviously Max hadn't remembered how annoying his camp counselor could be or even how he should be threatening to ruin his life for even being in the same room as his. Maybe it was the different temperament that set his current state apart from the camp counselor everyone knew.
"You have... nice memories of camp?" David stuttered. "You remember liking having me around?"
The second part wasn't meant to come out but Max just tilted his head in confusion.
"Well, you were always happy, oh, and you tried to make sure everyone had fun. Um, from what I can remember, you always encouraged me and believed in me. Not many other adults did."
The boy's face fell as he glanced down.
Max chuckled bitterly. "I always called you 'annoying' didn't I?"
David didn't know how to respond. He always knew that Max never hated him as much as he said deep dawn. They were just comments. He of all people knew that Max was acting out for attention and that he secretly loved Camp Campbell. Who couldn't love that place?
"I would always put you down, disrespect you, call you by your first name," the boy croaked. "I'm sorry... Dad."
Max sniffed, his eyes glassy with tears. David could feel his own throat tightening and a familiar burning sensation in his eyes. He saw Max wiping his eyes with the blanket through his own blurred vision.
His body was on autopilot when he took Max's hand and gave him a gentle smile.
"Hey, I know you didn't mean it, buddy. Sometimes kids say stuff they don't mean. It's okay," cooed David.
Max slowly nodded as a few stray tears fell down his cheeks. The boy then buried his face him David's chest and wrapped his arms around him. He was so vulnerable, so small, so adorable. Gwen needed to see it or she would never believe him.
"What was home like?" Max muffled into David's shirt. "I can only remember..."
He trailed off as soon as they heard a knock at the door. Nikki, Neil, and Spacekid were staring in with concerned smiles. The Quartermaster was also waiting at the door, mumbling something under his breath. It made more sense to him and Gwen if they brought him because there was no way of knowing what he would do with the kids if they were all left alone with him. Max gave them a small wave before they stepped inside.
As the four of them chatted amongst themselves, David could see the usual snarkiness of the boy coming back. Slight bits of cheekiness were slipping in as well as maybe a minor swear word. David would have never thought he would ever be proud of Max telling Spacekid to suck a dick.
There was a positive demeanor about him. He wasn't complaining about anything like what he usually would have done and he kept addressing David as "Dad", which the man wasn't entirely comfortable with.
Something about it was very offputting though. No one deserved to have their memories knocked out of them, especially a unique boy like Max. They talked about some small things at camp but nothing major.
A part of him felt like he was standing in the way of getting the old Max back. He could be hiding the final piece of the puzzle that would result in Max's full personality and memories. Maybe David was stopping Max's charm from shining through. There was a possibility that he was turning his favorite camper into a shell of what he used to be.
This was all David's fault. The accident, the lies and the shell of a boy he once admired. He should have been a better camp counselor to the trio and should have known they were in the woods. He should've at least made that cave safer so nothing like that could ever happen to a camper, yet alone his favorite one. David wasn't the type to pick favorites but when the word "favorite" came to his head, he would automatically think of Max.
Max was a young sparrow with intelligence and feistiness that couldn't be matched. He was so entertaining and gradually made his way into David's heart. He couldn't help but think of him as his actual son. If he were to have a son, he hoped it would be like Max or at least like Jasper.
Of course there were some things about his behavior he would like to work on but his personality was a gift, a gift that got shattered by a cliff.
"David?" Asked Neil with concern.
His eyes parted from the floor to see everyone staring at him, their faces laced with worry. Max's eyes were wide and his head was tilted to the side like a confused dog.
It was then David noticed the warm water streaming down his face, dripping from his chin. He touched the tears with his hand and gave a small chuckle. He was acting so stupid.
"I'm sorry guys. I just..." He had to get out of there.
David managed to do the one thing he wasn't supposed to do, be weak in front of Max. He was supposed to stay strong for his so- camper. No, his son. He was his son at the time, truth or not.
"... I-I need to go," David stammered, "uh, get some water. I'll be back."
The man stood up and walked out of the room, wiping the tears off of his right cheek. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and decided to call the one person he could confide in. He held the phone to his ear and waited in anticipation. The phone's purring gave him some comfort that he was going to get answers or at least some sort of guidance.
David made his way to the waiting room of the hospital, pacing nervously.
"Hey David," said Gwen over the phone. "Is Max okay? Is something wrong?!"
"No, nothing wrong," replied David. "I just.. want your opinion on some, uh, heavy stuff.."
He heard a sigh. "Oh uh, what sort of heavy stuff?"
"Well, uh, Max may or may not think I'm his dad," he muttered into the phone.
"He thinks you're his dad? Wha- David! What the fuck! How? Does he think I'm his mom or-"
"I don't know Gwen. He remembers how we were with him on Parents Day and how we took him out to get pizza. I just... I feel guilty. I don't wanna tell him that his parents didn't care enough to come."
Just voicing his problem to his best friend was enough to feel better, even though there was no guarantee that it would be solved. Hearing her soothing voice rationalize what he was feeling only reminded him of their friendship. David just knew that whatever she said would be helpful.
"But you can't keep lying to him. Ah, jeez David."
"I know, I know. It just... it feels so nice to be thought of in that way, y'know? And I don't want to disapoint him."
David couldn't describe how much pride he felt when Max called him Dad. Max looking up to him like he was a superhero was better than what he thought he could get out of Camp Campbell. He felt like Max was finally appreciating him, for once. He gave so much to camp and made his life that little bit happier and for once David could give something to him.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have to tell him the truth. The ends will justify the means and the doctor would probably agree."
He felt his eyes well up with tears for a second time. He couldn't explain why but he felt like he was losing something very important to him even though he never truly had anything in the first place. He could only imagine the loss Max would feel and how the news could shatter the boy's soul. He deserved so much better.
"I know," he sighed.
Then, a light bulb lit up in his mind. An instant consideration changed his whole demeanor in a matter of seconds. "On an unrelated note, do you think it would be a good idea to foster a child again?"
How had he not thought of that before?
"Didn't Todd light your car on fire last time?" Laughed Gwen. "But I'm sure if you want Max that much, you'd be perfect for him."
By the end of camp, Max would be his son! He would stop at nothing to make that happen, with Max's permission. Nothing would get in his way and he was going to give Max the life he deserved.
Max was going to be held when he felt scared. He was going to be taken care of when he was sick or hurt. He was going to become happier and love life. They were going to watch movies together and at popcorn. David was going to support him with whatever he did, and let his son know that he was proud. Max was going to be looked after. That was his vow to Max.
Positivity coarsed through his blood, spreading to the smile on his face. Although there was a part of him that felt sorry for Max, he felt better. He still had to tell Max about everything, about Parents Day, Although it would be sad, it would give Max a view of the family he could have.
He hoped Max wouldn't take it that hard or get too upset. Maybe, just maybe, it could be the key to unlocking his other memories. Maybe his vibrant personality could come back and David could hear another creative insult. What would he have given for Max to say he hated him again?
"Thanks, Gwen," he said brightly.
"That's okay David," she sighed.
David hung up the phone and began to stroll back to Max's ward with a slight grin. The sound of obnoxious swearing and laughter made its way into the hallway, most of which were being made by his son.
"Did Dolph actually get Nurf to attack you?! Holy shit dude!" Max giggled.
"Yeah! I guess I would've done the same thing if he touched my chemistry set. Gwen says she'll get him new art supplies," said Neil.
"Like shit she will."
David chose not to think about the implications of specifically Dolph getting Nurf to attack specifically Neil.
"Hey Dad, can I have some water?" Asked Max, batting his eyes innocently.
"Of course," replied David instinctively. He turned to walk out of the room, questioning the overly-innocent disposition of the boy.
"Wait," said Max.
When David turned around, Max conceived the biggest grin he could muster. It definitely looked fake.
"Can I have a hug?" The boy asked cheekily.
David was hesitant at first. Max wouldn't just ask for a hug, even when he had amnesia. He decided to play along and wrapped his arms around his fake son since there was nothing to lose.
He concealed a tiny gasp when he felt the weight of his phone in his pocket become lighter. A tiny arm was moving behind his back. David rolled his eyes and ruffled his camper's hair.
"You could've just asked for my phone," he murmured. "Do you still need that water?"
The two parted before Max laughed to himself. The boy shook his head as he started typing in the password. He got the password right on the first go.
His favorite camper was coming back, being as cheeky as ever but not as smart. Hopefully, it would be a while before he found out about David. It would be better if the news came from David so the shock would be less damaging.
Nikki, Neil, and Spacekid crowded around Max as he opened the YouTube app. He gave the phone to Nikki so she could type something in.
"Trust me, this skate trick Ered showed me is really cool," she said enthusiastically.
"It better be," said Max. "David's phone is only on fifteen percent." He indignantly pointed to David. "Charge your phone asshole!"
Shit. He used his first name. Max was too engrossed in Nikki's video to notice David's sudden shakiness. A sick feeling brewed in his stomach, making him feel like he was going to throw up.
The four watched YoutTube together without a care in the world. David sat there, monitoring whether what they were watching was appropriate or not. Quartermaster stood in the corner, staring off into the distance. David knew better than to question what he was thinking about.
When everyone left, Max was peacefully reading a picture Gwen had bought him, slightly annoyed that he couldn't play on David's phone. The light from the phone apparently wasn't good for his head and he was limited less than an hour a day. Reading little words also wasn't good for a concussion.
Max dopily smiling at a picture of a ducking made David think it was a good time to tell him. Having received another dose of painkillers, Max was a lot calmer and David knew that a lot of his filter would have gone.
"Hey, uh, Max?" He said, unsure how to word things.
"Yeah David," the boy replied softly before letting out a small yawn.
"I have something to tell you."
Max place the book down on his lap and looked at David with half-lidded eyes. Maybe it wasn't the best time but there was no backing down.
"Okay," replied Max nonchalantly.
David's heart was racing as if he was being chased by a bear. It was the moment of truth, the moment he was feeling scared about. At least with the drugs, Max wouldn't go on a rampage but David wasn't prepared for handling the most heartbreaking thing someone could ever hear. Sweat beaded on his forehead guiltily.
"I'm not... I'm not your real dad. On Parents Day, your parents were a little too busy and didn't show up. You were pretty upset about it so Gwen and I took you out for pizza."
The boy didn't do anything besides smirk to himself and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I knew for about a day now," he said. "I think I have most of my memories back."
Wait, what?
"You knew?" David almost exclaimed.
All of that worrying was almost for nothing! Max already knew, meaning there was no need to pretend for the long. The poor thing had to find out by himself without anyone to comfort him. He handled it a lot better than David thought but it would have been better if he didn't have to handle anything at all. It was just horrible.
David couldn't help feeling he had let Max down in a way. He couldn't hide the terrible truth from Max or even make it better for him. Instead, he told a lie his camper didn't even believe. He was pretending for Max's sake but what if Max was pretending for his?
"Of course I did you fucking idiot! How could I forget my family? How could I forget my life before Camp Campbell? Also, I'm pretty sure you couldn't have a kid like me with that pasty-ass white skin. Seriously, was one of your parents a fucking vampire?" His voice gradually got quieter as the energy was leaving him.
He yawned and rubbed his eye. David wanted to let him rest but he needed to get to the bottom of why he kept pretending.
"Why did you keep up the act?" Asked David, a little betrayed.
"I wanted it to be true. I had someone who loved me and I felt appreciated. I wanted to live that, just for a second. It was nice... while it lasted."
"It was nice," David agreed. "And it can be nice again."
Max's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"I was thinking of fostering a kid when the summer's over. There's one kid I couldn't be happier taking in, even though he misbehaves a bit. He's really smart, resourceful and determined. I think you might know him."
"Shut up." Max smiled gingerly before yawning once again.
"I think someone needs a nap."
David tapped Max's nose with his finger before ruffling his hair. Max scrunched up his nose like a bunny.
"I'm not tired."
David pulled the covers of Max's bed up to his shoulders. The boy only had the energy to look at the man dumbly and force his closing eyes open.
Max smiled as David methodically stroked his curls. His blinks were slow and long as he struggled to even look at his camp counselor. It was one of the cutest things David had seen in a while and only made him want to foster Max more. It was so rewarding when he could make someone feel comfortable.
"Shh," he whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up."
A few seconds later there was a boy who let his eyes slip shut, softly snoring in a hospital bed. There was also a man excitedly texting his co-counselor about father-son, weekend camping trips he was planning.