Chapter Text
“Max,” asked Vickie, stopping by the phone and halting the pushing of Max’s wheelchair, “do you want me to call your mom? I’m sure she’ll want to know that you’re back,”
Oh, right. She swallowed. “You can try? I don’t know if she’ll pick up though. From what I’ve been told, the only reason they kept me alive in the hospital was the whole…military shutdown thing,” She hoped the way her voice wavered and shook wasn’t too detectable, and even if it was, they should cut her some slack! She only woke up from a “coma” barely two days ago, and been plunged straight into a fight to the death with all her close friends and family all whilst being basically paralysed.
At least Holly was okay. Even though she’d be a little too embarrassed to admit to anyone that wasn’t Lucas (and honestly to scared of Nancy and Karen to tell them) but she’d grown to see her as some sort of little sister during the short time they’d been trapped together in “Camazots” as Holly had insisted on calling it. And for a moment she was terrified the poor girl wouldn’t make it.
“She didn’t answer, but I’m sure she’s just at work or out the house,” Vickie comforted, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We can still take you home, though. And by we I mean me, Robin and Steve- I still can’t drive and I lo-“ she faltered, but caught herself in time. But Max wasn’t stupid, she noticed. “I trust Robin with my life, but we don’t exactly need to be pulled over for illegal driving,”
“Okay,” a sinking feeling lodged itself in her gut. “Home it is,” The last time she’d talked to her mother was over a year ago, and she honestly wasn’t sure what part of it was just a Vecna induced hallucination. The time before that, she was passed out drunk on the couch.
“Robin! Steve!” She pushed Max back over to the group, calling out for the two, tapping on Steve’s shoulder when he didn’t look up. “Can you drive Max home with me?”
She frowned a little. A year ago, Steve was a little slow at responding to people but could never not hear them. She’d seen a lot of things like that recently. Hopper- who was alive!- had a limp and Dustin used a cane to walk sometimes , although it seemed like steve had to practically force him to use it. The last years had taken a big toll on everyone, not just her.
“Yeah, okay,” Steve nodded and walked outside of the WSQK building, the three others in tow. It was…strange being pushed around. Max was still getting used to it. Lucas was quite gentle, if not overly so, Vickie seemed to be well practiced, which was expected. She didn’t really enjoy anyone doing it though. It wasn’t just the lack of control, it made her feel like an added burden, almost.
The car ride was short. This didn’t stop her from grimacing at the volume Steve was blaring his music now, her senses still slightly out of tune, unused for so long. Luckily, Robin noticed her expression and tapped his arm, to which he shot her an apologetic expression and turned it down.
“Sorry, I don’t know if you’ve been told work everything but my ears don’t work as good anymore,” there was nothing mean in his tone, just an apologetic one, which made her feel worse.
“Don’t be like that,” she mumbled, looking out the window.
“Huh? Don’t be like what?” He replied, leaning back in his seat.
“Apologetic. It’s like everyone’s tripping over their own feet to say sorry to me for nothing. I hate that,” she raised her voice a bit, conscious of how unclear her speech was. It felt like her mouth couldn’t quite make the right sounds to match her voice anymore.
“I didn’t mean too,” he smiled at her, “I’m just happy you’re back with us,”
“Me too!” She laughed, reaching out and turning the music back up.
That happiness soon faded when the group found her home empty. Deserted. Watching as the group searched the small space, she felt tears well up in her eyes again which she quickly blinked away. She couldn’t cry. Not now.
Despite this, she felt a squeeze on her shoulder and looked up to see Steve, a knowing expression on his face. She shook her head, a silent refusal to talk about it.
Not yet.
Not here.
Not infront of everyone.
“I can still stay here, I mean, I can cope alone, I’ve done it before…” she trailed off, realising how stupid she was being. She couldn’t feel her limbs, how would it work?
“Absolutely not.”
“Jesus Mayfield! No,”
“No!
Came three immediate responses.
“You could stay with me?” Vickie offered, a gentle but stern smile on her face. “I have a spare room, my parents won’t mind, and I have medical training so I can help if anything happens. Because no way in hell are you living alone!”
“That would be nice,” She conceded after a few minutes. “Can I uh, can I get my stuff though?”
“I’ll take you,” Steve immediately jumped in, the two girls understanding their cue to exit.
“Steve,” her voice wavered as he pushed her into her room. “Steve,”
“I know,” he let go of the chair and leaned down, embracing her tightly.
“Steve,” she bit her lip, eyes filled with tears. “Steve she left. She left me,”
“I know,” he tightened his hug, holding her.
“I want my mom, Steve,” She sobbed, burying her head into his shoulder and ignoring the short ache it gave her. “I want my mom,”
He was the closest to family she had left. He was like a brother, protecting her from Billy, taking care of her. And he understood. His parents were always gone too, or unavailable, or just not paying attention to him. He understood.
He rubbed circles on her back, supporting her as she kept crying. “I hate Vecna, Steve, I hate him,”
“Me too,”
The expression was hard to read, but she assumed he was talking about Dustin. She hadn’t had too much time to talk to the boy, but something had changed about his demeanour. There were bruises and cuts on his face, a limp- hence the cane- and he just seemed… well, depressed.
Even though she couldn’t do much, Max wasn’t stupid. She knew Eddie was dead, and she knew how Dustin saw him. She also knew how he saw Steve.
It doesn’t take a genius.
“Let’s start getting your stuff, okay? We don’t need everything, I’ll drive you back as much as you need,” He stood up and picked her backpack up off the floor.
Still with her school books in it.
“Okay,” she sniffed, wishing she could wipe her face. “I need clothes- yes, those are good- my hairbrush,” she listed off what she needed, staring around at her dust covered room. “Can you get that?” She nodded her head at a teddy bear sat on her beed, embarrassed. “Don’t make fun of me. Lucas won it for me at a fair,”
“Such a romantic!” He zipped up the bag, “alright- next destination: Vickie’s house,”
“You still have tapes Nancy made you. Don’t talk about me being a romantic,”
—
“I really appreciate this,” Max thanked, again. Steve was pushing her into Vickie’s spare bedroom, helping her put down her stuff.
“It’s no problem!” Vickie replied, following them into the room. Robin was close behind. They were always within five feet of each other. Hm.
It was a nice room. A big enough space to store the wheelchair next to the bed, and get it through the door. A big wardrobe by ome wall, window the other. The walls had a floral wallpaper that reminded mad of the outfits Robin and Nancy had worn to go the asylum, making her smile at the memory. It was also close to the bathroom, which was good.
Attempting to stifle a yawn but failing miserably due to the lack of movement in her hands, Steve’s attention snapped back to her.
“You should sleep,”
“I’m not five,” if she could, she would’ve crossed her arms.
“Steve’s right,” Robin interjected. “You’ve been up for like,” she counted on her hands, “over a day. And you woke up from a coma. And had like five major developments dropped on you in a few hours. And your eyes are drooping, which is a common sign of tiredness, or being drugged actually, which isn’t fun, so I don’t recommend that but that’s not what’s happening right now so-“
“Robin,” He gave her a look.
“Right, sorry. Anyway, you should sleep!” She smiled, seeming somewhat happy with herself.
“Okay,”
Steve and Robin were right. She was tired. Exhausted, even. “Can you guys like, get out? Or do you want to watch me get changed.”
Once everyone had awkwardly shuffled out, she reached for the wardrobe to change out of the uncomfortable hospital gown she was still stuck in.
“Right,” She mumbled, staring down at her unmoving limbs. “Right…Vickie?” She called out, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
“Yeah?” She called back, poking her head back into the room.
“How am I meant to get changed? Like this?” Max asked, dreading the answer she knew was coming.
“Well… usually someone would have to help you. I can get Steve?” She offered, sympathetically tilting her head.
“No I… he’d just get stupid and emotional about it. Because I’m useless now.” She shook her head. “Can you…help me? Because you do it at the hospital right? I just- not Steve,”
“Yeah, I can help. I do it for patients all the time,” Vickie nodded, reaching into the wardrobe and pointing at some clothes. “These ones?”
“Yeah,” Max mumbled, for about the twentieth time today. She kept talking as Vickie helped her change her shirt, then her trousers. “I- how long? Until I can do stuff again?”
“Well,” she sounded thoughtful. “It takes everyone different times, but I’d say a month or two for walking, maybe earlier for your arms,”
“A month? No, no, no, that can’t be right. I can’t be stuck like this! I’m already a burden to them, I can’t- I can’t even get dressed by myself, like a child! I’m scared of the dark! The dark! I can’t walk, I can’t even move my arms much, I’m already taking up a room in your house I-“ she stopped, choking out a sob, refusing to look Vickie in the eye, “I left Holly in there! I could’ve helped her more I could’ve helped her get out! But I left and now she’s stuck in the hospital and- she has like a concussion or something! And who knows what else that monster did to her!” She laid violent emphasis on the word monster, tears now coming quick and heavy. “She’s just a kid, Vickie . And I failed her,” The words tumbled out quicker than she could stop, suddenly admitting everything to her, in short, hyperventilating breaths. But now the words had stopped and she couldn’t get anything out, just shaking and crying, the emotional and physical exhaustion of the last forty eight hours crashing down like a meteor.
“Okay, okay, deep breaths,” Vickie, sat on the bed, next to Max who was still in the wheelchair. “I need a nod, or a shake okay?”
Max nodded.
“Do you want me to get anyone?”
Max shook her head.
“Can I hug you?”
Max nodded.
She was embraced for the second time that day, soothing words whispered into her ears and she hugged her tightly, comforting her gently. “I know this is scary, okay? But I took care of you in the hospital, I know you’ll be okay. I also watched everyone who came to visit you, and they all love you. Especially Lucas, Steve, and Jane. You need to rest, alright?”
Max nodded.
“Can I help you into bed?”
Max nodded. She could feel her eyes drooping, her body leaning into Vickie’s arms. She would be embarrassed about this tomorrow, but she was so exhausted.
“Can you leave the light on? The dark reminds me of wjen my eyes… never-mind, it’s stupid,”
“I can leave the light on,”
-
She closed her eyes, letting the lull of sleep wash over her, listening to Vickie instruct Steve to stop Lucas from calling again, because if that godamn phone rings again, she’ll shove it so far up his- because Max needs sleep. Robin was asking if she should stay over incase Max has a nightmare, she knows how horrible they can get-
How does it still smell like him? Was her last thought before she drifted off, head on Lucas’s bear.