Chapter Text
The dull silence of the room weighed down upon David, being interrupted every second with a beep of a heart monitor. He didn't think it was possible, but Max managed to appear even smaller as he laid in the hospital bed. His fragile body was covered in casts and bandages, especially his right side. David couldn't stop tears from pricking up in his eyes every time he looked at them. The bandages around his head were unbearable to look at.
He had spent hours by his camper's side, more lonely than ever. The body hadn't stirred in all that time but he wasn't sure if he was ready to know what he would be like when he woke up. The doctor had informed David that Max would have likely had brain damage when he woke up. This only increased his worry for the camper as he hoped the damage would only be minimal. The only sign of reassurance was the little hand resting on his own. He was alive and that was all that mattered.
From what Neil and Nikki told him on their first visit, he was trying to pull another prank at the camp. The notorious trio were apparently trying to set up another inconvenience to David or Gwen's day. The three went into the woods together for different reasons; Nikki wanted to see the wild animals, Neil wanted to look for possible ingredients for his experiments and Max wanted to look for pranking materials use one of Nikki's wild animals.
It was just one of the things the trio would usually do.
They had gone off the trail and got lost in the woods. When they finally got to the trail once again, Max was the first the spot it. He was in front of everyone as he ran towards it in a hurry.
David couldn't shake the image of Nikki and Neil's faces darkening with guilt. They told the man about how Max didn't see a cliff through the bushes and fell down. Unlike Jasper, Max didn't make it out unharmed and there were no bears to tear him into shreds.
The panicked faces of the children would always stain his mind when they lead him to what once was a bear cave. He wasn't as lucky as Jasper. He wasn't even saying a word.
His entire right side of coated in a dark red liquid that soaked through his clothes. Some limbs were twisted painfully which left a sickening feeling in David's stomach. His black hair was coated with blood that started to pull. He didn't even know if the boy was going to survive and had no idea what to tell the two bystanders, assuming they hadn't grasped the severity of the situation already.
Four days the boy was asleep. The doctor said that he would recover from his physical trauma but the brain damage wouldn't be as predictable. He didn't know the extent of how much his temporal lobe was damaged. Would he be able to function like he once did? Would he even be able to come back to camp? The thought of camp without Max would always make the counselor choke on the tears building up in his throat.
David was left waiting there, not knowing what would become of his camper. The bright spirit that livened up the camp was laying on a hospital bed, lifeless aside from his breathing. Gwen knew better than to convince him to go back to camp when he wouldn't be the same without Max. The campers came to him instead and made Max get well cards while expressing their concern for their friend. It was funny how much the campers cared for each other, despite their differences.
A soft knock at the door, that was too familiar to him, brought him back to reality. Even before he looked up from his chair, he could still hear the concerned murmurs of his campers. They were all crowded around the door with Gwen behind them as they each held something in their hands.
David turned to face the boy that was hooked up to all those machines. He wondered if Max could hear them come in or even know that they were there.
"Look Max," David choked, "you've got some visitors. We all miss you, buddy."
Gwen had always said he got too attached to his campers and she was right. David would always cry at the end of camp when he saw everyone go home. He got too invested in their problems and was desperate to make everyone happy. But somehow Max was different from everyone else. Never before had he met such a challenge and such a spirit. He even could have said he was like a son to him. Ironically he reminded him of his childhood best friend, Jasper.
There was something about Max that always intrigued David and, although they were polar opposites, the boy grew on him. Especially since Parent's Day, David couldn't help but feel a fatherly connection to him, even though he knew it would only break his heart when the boy had to go home. He knew it was wrong to pick favorites but who could blame him for taking a liking to the young sparrow?
He hoped with all his heart that Max would be okay. The boy was so young and had a bright future ahead of him where he would achieve great things. He would've also had the most unique experiences because of his personality. David even thought he had the power to change the world in his own particular way.
The campers gathered around the bed after putting their cards on the windowsill, decorating the bland white room with bright colors. One by one they told Max stories about their days. David and Gwen smiled at each other, both admiring the friendship that had formed between the campers. Each story would lead to some sort of argument that would quickly be resolved, either by the campers or with counselor intervention.
Gwen began her story about how the Wood Scouts tried to take over and failed. At least David hoped they failed. She was the last person with a story and the only person who could get through without interruption.
"So Pikeman and Snake both set fire to the Mess Hall but Quartermaster quickly put it out. Don't ask me how, even I don't know. Then the Pikeman began-"
"Ughh," a small voice whined.
The whole camp had eyes bulging out of their sockets, some even gasping at the sudden message. The campers went closer to him out of curiosity, watching in anticipation.
"Max?" David asked after a moment of silence. "Are you there?"
The boy groaned once again. The poor thing must've been in pain but David was just happy to see him wake up.
"I'll go get a doctor," said Gwen, hurrying out of the room.
Everyone watched in silence as they waited for the boy to do something, anything. Max's rest wasn't as peaceful as it was before as his eyebrows kept furrowing then relaxing as if he were trying to wake up.
"Aww," whined Nikki, cutting through the silence," we should have brought Muack if we knew he was going to wake up. It's not the camp without a mascot."
"No Nikki," sighed Neil.
Max mumbled something that the gang couldn't hear as David felt the limp hand slightly tighten around him own.
"It's okay buddy," he cooed. "The doctor's coming and he'll be able to fix everything.
"Ughh... hurts," he groaned in a heartbreakingly small voice.
The boy cracked his eyes open and stared at the roof. David missed his bright emerald eyes and how they were always filled with mischief but when he tried to peak at them, he immediately noticed that they were dull and filled with confusion. Only a little spark was still there.
"Hey buddy," said David softly.
Max turned his head over to the man sitting next to him. His brows furrowed in confusion as he squinted in what David thought was confusion. He couldn't blame the boy for being a bit startled. Suddenly going from falling down a cliff to waking up in a hospital bed would have been a bit jarring. The boy gazed at the children around his bit, looking even more unsure with every second.
David wanted to laugh with relief that Max was okay. He knew Max would be okay all along, he was Max. Max was always going to be okay. There was nothing to worry about because there he was, awake and a little confused but that was normal. Even though that was the case, the concern couldn't help but bubble in the man's chest as if something were wrong.
"Hey Max," chimed Nikki, "want us to bring Muack next time?"
It was really cute how he kept blinking his eyes before the widened. How come it was unsettling? How come something was wrong?
"Huh? W-what's goin' on?" Max croaked, looking around.
"Well, remember how we went on that little escapade in the forest four days ago?" Asked Neil.
Max stared at his friend with a blank expression. David could see the wheels turning in his mind, trying to grasp what was happening. It would have been precious... if everything was okay.
At that moment, waves of paranoia crashed over the man.
He tried to give max the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he wasn't as sharp as it usually was, waking up from a coma and all, but that was just an excuse. Something was clearly wrong.
A horrible feeling stirred in his gut, making him feel sick. His heart started racing as if he was preparing for a wild animal attack. David tried to stop his mind from reeling in a panic but it already was too much. It was a struggle keeping up his soft smile from fading but every few seconds it would twitch.
"Well you fell down into a bear cave and hit your head and, um, other parts of your body," explained Neil, gesturing to the boy's cast-filled body.
David couldn't ignore Neil's worried smile, as if the same thoughts were whirling through their heads. He tried to distract himself by admiring how much Neil cared about his friend or how much Neil may have grown similar to his camp counselor. He always tried to see the positive in things but it was a stressful waiting game to see how different Max would be after he woke up.
Max eyed the casts blearily, taking his hand out of David's to feel them. David couldn't help but feel scared when the hand left his like a bird leaving a nest.
"O-oh," Max stuttered. "I did that?"
Neil and Nikki nodded slowly.
"Well that sounds stupid," he grumbled. The boy frowned, probably embarrassed that he ended up in the hospital from falling off a cliff.
Everyone else let out a sigh as a few mumbled filled the room. They must have concluded that the old Max was back. At least he could still talk and listen. He may have been a bit slow but who wouldn't be? It still didn't shake off David's suspicion that something else could have been wrong. What if he couldn't walk or eat? What would he have to tell his parents if they had to re-teach their son basic motor skills?
Max's eyes widened with childlike curiosity as his lips curled up into the most sincere smile David had seen him make.
"Are you gonna be an astronaut?" He murmured tiredly.
David couldn't blame Max for being so out of it since he was probably high off of the medication. Somehow, there was still that worry nagging in his head. He and Neil shared a nervous glance. The sweat beading on Neil's face mirrored the man's worry. They both opted to look at Max before too much anxiety could bounce between the two, even though they already knew something was wrong.
No, Max was okay. Max was always okay. He was a tough kid who survived hardships and saved the camp countless times. Of course, he was going to be okay. David wanted to slap himself for even doubting the boy for a second.
Spacekid grinned brightly and cheered, "Yes I am!"
When the campers started looking at each other the way he and Neil did he wanted to tell everyone that everything would be okay. But the words wouldn't come out. Their faces were all laced with worry as he guessed suspicion must have festered in them too. Whatever they were thinking, it was wrong. Nothing as bad a memory loss could happen to a camper of his.
Max gave a youthful chuckle that sounded so unnatural David questioned whether it was even real. It seemed like he was coming out of his daze. Spacekid joined in a few seconds later, blissfully unaware of the concerned mutters around him. The room was full of air so thick it would have taken Quartermaster's chainsaw to cut through it.
When his chuckles died down, only the heart monitor could be heard. Max's eyes wandered around the room full of machines and familiar faces. He scanned everyone's faces with innocent eyes. In that moment he was a docile lamb that no one could have suspected to have a hint of hatred and fury.
The look suddenly morphed into unease as his gaze darted around the room, not being able to stay in one spot. His hand gripped the hospital blankets tightly as the heart monitor began to speed up.
"You're really quiet," said Spacekid casually. David almost envied his lack of social awareness.
Max shot a frightened look towards Spacekid.
"W-why are there so many people here?" he whimpered. "What's going on?"
For a moment, David was stuck in a standstill. Max's breathing quickened as the rest of the camp tried desperately to hide their tears. He had a responsibility to not let any of his campers see what was unfolding but he couldn't take his eyes off of the boy since he was only grasping the situation himself. All denial had left him as his mind focused on what was in front of him. Even with all the pieces of the puzzle laid out in front of him, he was still reluctant to solve it.
There was no use trying to deny it. Max had no idea what was going on. It probably wasn't a stretch to assume he didn't remember who anyone in the room was. His camper everyone had come to respect was cowering in fear of his own friends. He was reduced to a teary-eyed boy, sniveling like a toddler.
Before he even realized it, David's instincts took over. He softly stroked his camper's arms, quietly hushing him like a baby. He tried to ignore the sniffles of the other campers around him but only found himself holding back his own tears.
"Hey, it's okay," David cooed reassuringly. "Just lie down, Max. Okay?"
Max nodded, resting his head against the pillow. "What's going on?"
"You're okay," David continued, purposely trying to avoid the question. It would only stress the child even further. "I'll tell you in a moment, Max."
He was never used to saying his favorite camper's name that much but he knew it would help to camp him down. David just hoped that Max still remembered his own name enough to be calmed by it. The pain he felt seeing his camper is such distress was how he imagined it would feel like to have his heart torn to pieces.
Max was only ten. He didn't deserve any of what was happening. He deserved to be like a normal ten-year-old, playing outside with his friends until they were all tuckered out, joke around, even sneak candy when no one was looking. He didn't deserve to be ignored so much his own parents wouldn't show up for Parents Day or even give him an activity.
David could only imagine how he was ignored at home, every nightmare swept under the rug, every injury untended to, never being comforted when he shed a tear. Worst of all, they didn't even leave a number to call if something happened to their son, something like falling off a cliff and bein hospitalized.
The heart monitor was slowing down slightly but was still more active than it was second ago. The tears in his eyes were slowly fading as he sniffed pathetically.
He didn't know whether it was intuition or luck but he had a perfect idea. David quickly gestured for Spacekid to come over with his other hand. Spacekid carefully walked over, frowning empathetically.
"Hey, do you know Spacekid?"
"S-Spacekid?" he repeated. "Is he the astronaut?"
"Yeah, the astronaut," David soothed. "You like astronauts right?"
"Mm-hm."
"Wanna know what my favorite planet is?" Spacekid queried.
Max sniffed again. "What?"
"Uranus?" Nurf snickered.
"No, Saturn," Spacekid replied before David had the chance to scold Nurf.
It was best that he sent everyone out of the room but they needed supervision and Gwen was still getting a doctor. He and the kids just needed to hold out a little longer before the doctor could tell them all what would be best for their camper.
He tried to ignore Neil's jealous stares at the two as they bantered. Poor kid.
"Because it has rings around it?" Max asked.
"Yeah, and it's also huge! I think it's as wide as nine Earths! And it's also made out of gas!"
"Really?"
"And its days are, like, eleven hours!"
Max wore a wide beam that radiated the room. A few minutes passed where Max and Spacekid were happily bouncing questions off of each other. Spacekid would sometimes even sound smart as he was describing the traits of each planet. Some things he would say were obviously false but Max would keep listening anyway, only giving a slight frown at the false facts.
David breathed a sigh of relief when Gwen burst into the room, accompanied by two doctors that David had seen earlier. They hurriedly pushed next to David and Spacekid, wanting to see the boy for themselves. The children were rushed out of the room by Gwen while David and Spacekid stayed. Neil and Nikki's faces were filled with betrayal when they took a final look at Max and Spacekid.
One doctor was asking the Max question while another was telling David and Spacekid about the boy's condition. Spacekid nodded with a serious look on his face, telling David he couldn't understand a single thing that was happening around him.
Every few seconds, Max would look to David for support which only made the man's heart sink. He felt helpless when he knew he couldn't do anything to help at that moment. He could only watch through a blur of tears as the doctor tended to his camper. More than anything, David was wanted to go up to him and tell him that everything was going to be okay.
The man waited for what seemed like an eternity for the doctor to finish talking to Max while the other was telling him things that he already knew. Yeah, if course Max had brain damage. He already knew that he had temporary amnesia, he just experienced that. At least David was given permission to stay since they couldn't contact any of Max's family members.
"There's nothing to worry about, it'll go away in a few days or so," the doctor told them. "We just need to get a report from Doctor Cape on Max's condition. He'll quickly recover his memory but for the time being you should just be there for him. Maybe you shouldn't have so many people in a room with him until he's a little less disorientated. I would recommend no more than four people in a room with him."
David and Spacekid nodded.
When the doctor finally rose from his position of kneeling next to Max, David could feel his heart race. Max was entertaining himself with a children's book, slightly frowning. Even without his memory, Max didn't like being patronized like a child. Something about it warmed the camp counselor's heart.
"He doesn't have a lot of recent memories and only some about his home life," Doctor Cape explained. "He remembers his name, school, school friends and answered our pop culture questions." The man then lowered his voice. "Have you made any contact with his parents yet?"
David shook his head.
"Are you sure?" He asked. "His dad apparently works at Camp Campbell which is where I assumed you worked."
It took a second for David to process what he had just heard. Did they just say Max's dad worked at Camp Campbell? It didn't make sense...
until it dawned on him.
Oh God, he never wanted this. He never wanted Max to suffer as he did. Even worse, he didn't want Max to live a lie, even for a moment. He just wanted the kid to be happy! That was all a bright kid like him needed to be, happy.
David felt someone tug on the side of his shirt.
"Uh David," said Spacekid, "his dad doesn't work at camp. Does he think Gwen's his dad? Sometimes I think Gwen's like my mom."
The man swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he ran his fingers through his auburn hair.
"D-do you know anything about his dad?" David managed to wheeze out.
"Only that they ate pizza together away from his camp."
Max was done reading his book and staring at the four as they talked. His eyes were slightly droopy, probably from the pain medication.
"Can we talk about this outside?" David asked, knowing it wouldn't benefit his camper if he heard. "Spacekid, you keep Max company."
The three walked solemnly out of the room while Spacekid strolled over towards Max. It was unnatural how Max smiled when Spacekid approached him. A sick feeling was brewing in David's stomach as the doctor's words repeated on a loop in his mind.
What could he do? What was there to do?
Max's parents didn't care about him and didn't think to leave their numbers on his contact information. David was probably the closest to a father figure the boy had in the short time they had known each other. Yet again, it didn't seem like he had much to look up to in his home life. Heck, the only reason he might not have remembered his family was because they might not have been around at all.
It was shitty.
It was shitty how he was put in a position where he had to tell an amnesic ten-year-old that his parents didn't care about him enough to come to Parents Day so he and his co-counselor had to make him feel better by buying him a pizza. It was shitty how the small child would have to re-live his past trauma in a hospital, just because no one in his home cared enough.
It was shitty how David had to make a choice, of course with the doctors' recommendations. He could either pretend to be Max's father and make him happy, even if it was for a few hours, or he could tell him the truth.
Whatever he chose, the end goal was to make Max's life a little more bearable.