"David?" Max's voice was hesitant and quiet.

"Yes, Max?"

The young boy looked towards his camp counselor; David had his eyes on the road. Max turned and stared back out of the car window. The scenery that whipped by outside was dark and grew more and more familiar as they made their way out of the forest and into the city. Max began to recognise shops.

"I...um... I just wanted to-" Max huffed and leant his forehead against the cold window of David's car. "Thanks for taking me home."

"No problem at all, Max!" David said cheerily. "It sure is a shame that summer is over, but I'll bet you'll be glad to be home again..." he trailed off, glancing at Max.

"Yeah. Fucking buzzing, me."

David frowned, but let the swear pass.

"Anyway, I'll probably see you next year?"

Max shrugged.

"Dunno. I'm starting high school next year. Maybe my folks won't let me come."

"Aw, well your absence will be missed."

"Humh."

They drove on in silence for another couple of minutes, then David spoke again.

"Listen, Max, I need to talk to you."

Max looked up at him.

"Shoot," he said.

David's face was set as he abruptly pulled over onto the side of the road.
They were around ten minutes away from Max's house, which was on the outskirts of the city.

Max stared at David, wondering what on earth this could be about. The man turned to look him full in the face.

"Max," he said slowly. "This is very... unorthodox. I'm not sure if I should be doing this at all, but gosh darn it, heaven knows I won't let anything happen to you, so-" he pulled a pair of walkie talkies out of his bag. "Here," he said shortly, passing one to Max.

Max looked at the small plastic box with its pull up antenna and felt his heart clench.

"What's this for?" He asked.

David ran a hand through his hair and looked out of the window, holding his own walkie talkie close to his chest.

"Max, I don't want you to use this. This is only for absolute emergencies, do you understand? I want you to use this to contact me if..." he look a deep breath. "Max, I know your family life isn't exactly easy. I've known that since Parent's Day. But when neither your mother or father showed up to collect you today... well, it didn't surprise me, but I knew I couldn't let it go ignored."

"That was no big deal, they were busy-" Max faltered, blushing.

"No, Max. You don't have to pretend for me- or for anyone for that matter. So... if anything happens, if things get tough, you can contact me. But don't tell your parents about this. I just... I don't like the idea of you being stuck at home, struggling, without any means of communicating with someone who can help."

Max stared at the walkie talkie for a good two minutes before finally saying, in barely more than a whisper,

"Okay."

"Good," David said. He hesitated, then clapped Max on the shoulder. Max jumped at the contact but quickly relaxed and managed a small smile. "Now let's get you home. Would you like to put on some music?"

Max riffled through the CD collection in David's car as David pulled out back into the road. He didn't much that interested him, but finally chose an old battered CD by Pink Floyd.

David glanced at Max again once they were nearing his neighborhood. The boy had his forehead and nose pressed against the window and he was staring out into the darkness which had settled surprisingly fast. His hands were clenched in his lap, and at a second look, David noticed that they were shaking, and Max was biting his lip so hard that beads of blood appeared there.

As the ending chords of 'Wish You Were Here' faded out they pulled up outside Max's house.