"Why did it have to be Max?" Isabel asked, her voice cracking.

"I don't know." Liz answered honestly, trying desperately to keep her voice from cracking like Isabel's. The last thing either one of them needed right now was for Liz to lose it. Rational Liz losing it was not a good thing. Liz never got upset. She had only been this upset once in her life: when her Grandma Claudia died. Now it looked like she'd be losing another person she loved. The doctor came in and looked at Max, then at Isabel and Liz, still clutching hands, then back at Max again. "Are you immediate family?" He inquired.

"I...we...he's..." Liz couldn't find the right words to say.

"Yes. I'm his sister, and this is our cousin." Isabel told he doctor.

"Nice to meet you." He took a deep breath and then continued. "When they brought him in, they told me that he and another young man-"

"Michael." Isabel interrupted.

"Yes. Michael Guerin. Anyway, he-Max-lost control of the car, spinning it out of control over the cliff. Now, Michael is fine, a few cuts and bruises, a slight concussion, but Max...we don't know if he'll make it. Right now the odds aren't very good. I'm sorry, ladies." He walked out of the room.

Isabel started to cry again, the tears coming faster and faster until they were uncontrollable sobs. Liz put her arms around her, comforting her, trying to keep her own tears in. They both looked up when they heard a sound coming from the area where Max was lying. Liz gasped.

"Isabel!"

Isabel looked up to find Max's brown eyes staring at them. He looked confused for a minute, then his eyes lit up when he realized who it was.

"Izzy. Liz." His mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Oh my gosh!" Isabel's tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy when she realized that Max was talking. "You're going to be okay!"

"Don't be so sure." Max's word, although scratchy, were clear this time.

"Why? What's wrong?" Isabel demanded, tightening her death grip on Liz's hand.

"Did they draw any blood?" Max's words were slow and deliberate.

"How should I know?" Isabel looked like she knew what was going on, but didn't want to say it.

"If they drew blood, they found out what I really am."

"Oh my gosh." Liz's throat was suddenly dry, and she swallowed several times to re-wet it before going on. "What do you think they found?"

"We don't know for sure if they drew blood. Everyone just calm down. I didn't mean to get you guys so upset." Max looked sincere, and Liz felt her heart break with compassion.

"Too late." Isabel muttered. Max's eyes filled with tears and Liz removed her hand from Isabel's and grabbed Isabel by the shoulders, pulling her into a hug. The two girls just stood there for a minute, clinging to each other. When they finally let go, Liz saw Max smiling at them.

"What?" she demanded.

"You two are getting along." His deep brown eyes sparkled with happiness and his whole face lit up, bringing color back into it.

"I guess we are." Liz smiled at Isabel, who returned it with a shaky smile of her own.

"Yeah. I guess one good thing cam out of this whole thing. But hear me now, Max Evans, if you ever do this to me again, I'll kill you." She spoke the words vehemently, but she was smiling. Max's own face turned serious.

"I'll never do that to you again. I swear." Liz could hear the aching in his voice, causing her eyes to once again fill with tears. The doctor entered, a look of amazement on his face. Liz heard Isabel take in a sharp breath.

"Mr. Evans, we took a blood sample from you-"

Liz looked over at Max, who was looking at the doctor with a look of panic on his face.

"There was something weird in the sample. I want to take another one to make sure there isn't something wrong."

"Sure."

"Okay, let's schedule it for tomorrow." The doctor left the room, writing something in his notebook.

"What are we going to do?" Max's words were intermixed with tears. Liz reached over and wiped away his tears, but ended up pressing her face against his. Her tears mixed with his, and when she removed her cheek from his, her face felt hot and sticky. She choked back a sob. Max studied her intensely, sending a message with is eyes, asking is she was okay. She nodded at him, then her attention was turned to the door, where Michael and Maria had just walked in. They didn't say anything. Liz held out her hand, and Maria walked over a took it, squeezing it tight. Michael walked over to Isabel, pulling her tight against him. Max just lay there, watching, his tears coming faster and faster as he thought about what would happen to Michael and Isabel if they found out what he really was. He couldn't hold it back anymore, and the words came spilling out.

"You guys need to get out of here. All of you. Leave town. Leave the state. Do whatever you need to do. If they discover me, at least they won't discover you." Liz looked at him in shock, and Isabel pulled away from Michael.

"What?" Liz couldn't utter any other word.

"You heard me. Get out of town."