Crowds never sit well with Max. There are too many voices inside his head for him to be able to handle the others outside himself doubling up on him. He accepted Porthos's invitation for a barbeque to celebrate Veteran's Day largely because he was interested in seeing how his friend was settling into fatherhood. Max enjoyed spending time with Splendid and her boy, Valerian, though he was beginning to worry he took up too much of her time. She remembered him now.
What he'd done to her.
Skirting the people mingling in the lawn, Max made his way to where Porthos was working the grill. He stood silently at his friend's side, watching him flip burgers, roll hot dogs, season steaks and vegetable skewers. It was all seemingly effortless. Max remembered cooking over a fire on several occasions in the service. He'd simply been glad to have his meat cooked. Max wasn't the kind who could have done all Porthos was doing without falling behind on one area or another. His mind wouldn't allow him to multi-task the way most could; Max had never been much of a cook. The limits of his abilities were usually microwaving or throwing something in to reheat. The meals he prepared on his rig? They came from fueling station lobbies or coolers. The life Porthos lived seemed strange, almost alien to him in comparison. He was grateful for the invitation even if he was too damaged to be useful.