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“The doctors said you shouldn't be alone right now.” Mike swallows hard, watching as Vanessa tugs on an oversized sweatshirt of his he'd given her. All her other clothes were back at home, and she couldn't exactly wear her bloodstained sweater out of here.
“That's not what they said.” Vanessa grumbles. She winches in pain as she shuffles down the bed, inching closer to her shoes. She bends over, biting her lip to keep from audibly groaning. Mike quickly steps over and kneels down to help her into her boots.
“They said you're going to need help getting around, and someone should help you change your bandages.” He places her socked foot into her boot.
Vanessa bats his hand away, tugging her foot away from him. “I can handle myself.” She places her foot on the bed and begins to lace up the boot herself.
Mike stares at her, biting his lip to hide his growing annoyance at her refusal. “I know you can, but you shouldn't have to. What if you tear your stitches open? You might need someone to drive you to the hospital.” He points out softly. “Do you have anyone else who could drive you?”
Vanessa's hands pause on her laces, before she shakes her head and puts her foot back on the ground. “I can drive myself. My hands and feet still work.” She reaches a shaky hand to the ground for her remaining boot.
Mike frowns. “You're trembling-”
“I'm out of practice." She snaps back. She closes her eyes, instantly regretting her tone. “Sorry, I'm just tired.”
Mike wordless slips her foot into the remaining boot and begins lacing it up. “I know you are. That's one of the reasons I don't think you should be alone right now.”
She gives him a tiny smile as she stares down at him. “I appreciate the concern, Mike. But I'll be okay.”
He looks up at her. “What about just for tonight?”
“What?”
“You can just relax, I'll make you dinner, and you can have my bed. Tomorrow you can be independent and back on your feet but you deserve one day of rest outside of this hospital." His eyes are wide and pleading.
“I wouldn't want to intrude...” She trails off.
“You wouldn't be. It's not like I have much going on these days, plus Abby would love to have you.” He slowly rises to his feet. “I also want to talk with you about Freddy's...” He scratches the back of his head.
Vanessa looks down at her hands. They'd spoken a bit about what happened following her stabbing. It had all been a blur to her, the shock of waking up in a hospital bed with Mike by her side only matched by him telling her that her father was dead and Freddy's had caved in on itself. He'd been brief, but that'd been enough for her at the time. He'd kept his lips sealed, but she knew he had questions about Freddy's, about Garrett, about her role in all of this. He deserved some answers, painful as they might be.
She looks up at him and gives a small shrug. “I guess one night won't hurt.”
Mike smiles at her. “Great, let me pull my car around.”
“You don't need to do that.” She stands up, and immediately her legs wobble. Mike rushes for her, letting her brace herself against him. Her face is inches from his, she can feel his breath on her cheek. She lets him help her sit back down on the bed as her face flushes.
“I'll be right back, just sit tight.” He gives her a lopsided smile.
Vanessa only nods as he leaves, letting out a sigh as the door closes. She stares at the packet of information the doctor had provided her with on the bedside table. She reaches for it, hissing in pain as her stitches are tugged. She manages to grab it, setting the packet in her lap. She thumbs through it, information about changing her bandages, wound care, the prescriptions he assigned her... it's all so much. She hugs the packet to her chest and closes her eyes. She longs to be back in her bed at home, listening to the grandfather clock in the hallway tick. She misses the unnatural stillness of the Afton family home, as odd as it sounds. The hospital is too bright and busy, and while she'd only been in Mike's doorway, his home looked like a disaster. She scolds herself at the thought. It was a disaster because he lived alone with a ten year old little girl who he let be a ten year old. She longed to have experienced that.
“Sorry I took so long.” Mike's voice snaps her out of thoughts. “I stopped for this.”
Vanessa turns her head to see a wheelchair in front of him. She opens her mouth to protest, but Mike gently shuts her down. “Just to the car, it's not going to my house.”
She says nothing, letting him wheel it beside her. “I won't even push you if you don't want me too.”
Vanessa stares at the empty chair in front of her. “You can.” She says softly. He holds out a hand, helping her to her feet and into the chair. It's uncomfortable, but her stay in it will be brief.
“Do you need to do anything else before we head out?” He asks.
She shakes her head. “I think I have all the information I need here,” She pats the packet of papers in her lap. “Can you stop at the pharmacy on the way back? It's some pain medication, I can wait till tomorrow if needed-”
“It's not a problem, we'll get that right away.” He maneuvers the wheelchair towards the door, grabbing her bag of belongings and passing it to her. It's just the clothes she'd been wearing that night. Everything she's currently wearing outside of her boots was either Mike's or given to her by the hospital.
He stops in front of the door, leaning over the chair to look at her. “Good to go?”
Vanessa nods, smiling slightly at his silly position. He opens the door and pushes her out of the room she's called home for the past three weeks.
...
Vanessa sits at Mike's kitchen table, listening to the muffled sounds of the vacuum coming from his bedroom. He'd insisted on cleaning his room up for her, and it seemed just a change of sheets wasn't going to cut it. Her eyes roam around the home, the place is chaotic but cleaner than the first time she’d seen it. There's crumbs on the floor, and some markers splayed out in front of the T.V. It feels lived in, something very different from her home.
The vacuum shuts off and Mike emerges from his bedroom, rolling the vacuum in front of him. “Sorry about the noise.” He gives her a small smile. “I should have done that yesterday but Abby distracted me.” He puts the vacuum back in the closet haphazardly, shutting it with a slam before it can fall over. “Do you want something to eat?”
She shakes her head. “I'm alright, just some water to take my pills.”
“Didn't the doctor say you shouldn't take them on an empty stomach?” He calls out from the kitchen.
He's right.
She doesn't say anything, listening as he shuffles around the kitchen. He returns a minute later, a glass of water in one hand, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in the other. “Abby and I made these last night.” He sets them down in front of her and takes a seat next to her.
Vanessa takes a cookie and bites into it, giving a nod of approval. “Thank you.” She says between chews. She finishes her cookie and turns to the pill bottle. She twists the cap, tapping the bottle in her palm until a large capsule comes out.
“They gave you some heavy duty stuff.” Mike jokes at the sight of it.
Vanessa swallows the pill, quickly chasing it with water. She coughs, feeling the capsule slide down her throat. She's not used to taking pills, her father always told her to swallow the pain, it'd make her stronger. She takes another sip of water. She's glad he's not here to chastise her.
“When did they say you should change your bandages?” Mike gestures to the bandages they'd picked up at the pharmacy along with her pills.
“In the mornings or after I shower.” She sets the glass down on the table and takes a deep breath. “So, you said you had questions for me about Freddy's.”
Mike is taken aback for a brief moment before he nods. “Yeah, I have a few. We don't have to talk about them now if you don't want to.”
“You said you leave to pick up Abby at two, right?” Her eyes shift to the clock on the wall. It's a little past one. “Probably easier if we talk now then when she's here.”
Mike nods, she has a point. He scoots his chair an inch closer to her and sets his hands on the table. “If something is too much you don't have to answer. I know you're still on edge and in pain.”
Vanessa clenches her hands into fists as they rest on her knee. He's right, she is on edge and she is in pain. But she isn't going to shut down over his questions. She won't allow herself too. She inhales sharply through her nose, “I can handle it.”
Mike stares back at her, letting out a small exhale. “I guess I'll start with the question that's been on my mind the longest. Did you help your father...” He trails off, his eyes drifting away from her face.
“Kill the children?” She finishes for him. A beat of silence hangs between them. “No. He did that on his own. He lured them away. I was there when it happened but I didn't see it. I only found out later when I was forced to help him clean the animatronics up a bit, make it less obvious that-” Her voice cracks. She grabs her water and downs the rest of it as she tries to steady herself.
Mike slowly nods. “I'm sorry, Vanessa.” He wishes he could offer up more words of comfort, but he's never been good at this kind of thing. And even if he was, what words could he possibly say that could make her feel better?
“As for the security guards that came before you, I would help him clean up, make sure any investigation into their disappearances never led back to Freddy's or my father.” She stares at the ground. “I never wanted to be a cop.”
Mike reaches a hand out and awkwardly places it over her own curled up fist. She unclenches her fingers, letting his fingers wrap around her own. “What did you want to be?” He asks gently.
She pauses, no one had ever asked her that before. She thinks for a moment before answering. “An EMT. Or just something in the medical field.”
“If my heart ever goes out, you're the one I call.” He smiles, referencing their first conversation.
Vanessa smiles and nods. “I try my best to help people in my current line of work. And sometimes I do, but it's mostly covering up for my father or giving out speeding tickets.”
“Maybe you can get a new job, go to medical school.” He suggests.
She nods. “I'll think about it.”
Mike looks down at the ground before asking a follow up question. “With... with Garrett, did you...”
Did you see his body?
Vanessa shakes her head. “I never saw him. I don't know where he is. I'm sorry.”
Somehow Mike already knew the answer. He slowly nods and looks down at the ground.
“I’m sorry.” She repeats softly, tears forming in her eyes.
He shakes his head and sniffs. “It’s not your fault. You were a kid.”
The two sit in silence, soft sniffles being the only sound between them. Mike stands up, grabbing her empty glass and bringing it to the sink to refill it. He brings the now full glass back to her, his hand softly shaking as he sets it down.
“Can I ask another question?”
Vanessa takes the glass and downs half of it before nodding.
“Was it just you and your dad?”
She lowers the glass, but her grip on it remains tight. “Yeah.” She clears her throat. “My mom died when I was little.”
“I’m sorry.” His hand finds hers again, but this time she pulls her fingers away, tucking her hand over her stomach. He doesn’t say anything, pulling his hand back and tucking it into his sweatshirt pocket.
“Are you sure he’s dead?” She blurts out.
Mike blinks at the suddenness before quickly nodding. “Yeah, his springlocks went off, I don't think anyone could survive that.”
“I just worry…” She shakes her head. “It’s stupid, I believe you, I swear.”
“It’s not stupid. But I’m positive he’s dead, Vanessa. You’re safe now.” He reassures her.
“It’s just hard to believe it. I haven’t been safe since the day I was born-” She cuts herself off, shaking her head.
Mike opens his mouth to try and reassure her further, but his eyes are drawn to the clock on the wall. “Shoot, I have to leave to get Abby.” He rises to his feet. “Do you want to come?”
Vanessa shakes her head again. “I’d love to, but you’re already running late. It’d take me longer than I’d like to get to your car.”
He nods in agreement. “Good point. Rest here, I’ll make sure Abby doesn’t pounce on you the moment she gets home.”
Vanessa laughs. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Mike snorts as he stands up. “Well your doctor might when you have to explain that your stitches got torn because of a very excited ten year old.”
“He’d understand.” She jokes.
Mike slips on his coat, Vanessa giving him an awkward wave goodbye which he returns, before heading out the door to get Abby.
…
Abby didn't pounce on Vanessa the moment she stepped through the door, but it was clear she wanted to. She buzzed around her like a hummingbird, talking a mile a minute about her day at school as Mike softly reminded her to give Vanessa some space. But Vanessa didn't mind, listening to Abby talk was a welcome distraction from her own thoughts and the dull pain in her abdomen.
Mike made them spaghetti for dinner, Vanessa eating nearly three entire bowls of it. Anything was better than hospital food, at least this had flavor. After dinner, she and Abby had watched some T.V. together while Mike cleaned up the kitchen. She'd offered to help, but he'd quickly shut her down. She was his guest, she didn't need to clean anything, just relax.
And now here she lay in Mike's bed, staring at his bedroom ceiling in the darkness. The house was silent except for the occasional creak of the house settling. She feels out of place, like his bed is swallowing her whole. She shivers, pulling his comforter up to her chin. It smells like him, and for some strange reason it provides her a tiny bit of comfort. She blushes at the thought of his smell of all things providing her any comfort. She's known him for less than a month and he already brings her comfort. Her lips twitch into a smile as she gently turns onto her side, her eyes staring at his bedside table. A digital clock stares back at her, telling her it's almost midnight. She'd been trying to sleep for nearly three hours.
She groans, slowly rolling over and forcing herself upright. She climbs out of bed, her bare legs shivering from the sudden temperature change. She's in nothing but Mike's shirt and her underwear. The shirt looks like a dress on her, which is odd, considering her and Mike are nearly the same size. But it seems he prefers baggy clothes over clothes that actually fit.
She opens the bedroom door with an uncomfortably loud creek, holding her breath at the sound. She doesn't want to wake Abby, who has school in the morning, or Mike, who has work. She's hopeful that he's a heavy sleeper, even without the pills.
She tiptoes down the hallway, cringing at every floorboard that creeks under her weight. She enters the living room, seeing Mike's sleeping form on the couch. His mouth is slightly open and he's drooling a bit. The sight causes her to bite her cheek to keep from giggling. She continues walking, making her way to the kitchen table where her medication sits. She's hopeful another pill will help dull the pain and make it easier to sleep. She twists the cap off, when the sound of the couch creaking catches her attention. She freezes, hoping Mike is simply moving in his sleep. It's quiet for a moment before she lets out a silent sigh of relief. She carefully steps into the kitchen, grabbing a clean glass from the dishrack, and slowly making her way back to the hallway to use the bathroom sink.
“'Nessa?”
Mike's voice causes her to freeze, as if he somehow won't see her if she stays completely still. The couch creaks as Mike sits up. He yawns, rubbing his eyes.
“What are you doing?” His voice is laced with sleep as he yawns again.
“Getting my medication, I'm sorry to wake you.” She apologizes, hoping he'll lie back down.
But instead he rises to his feet, rubbing his neck as he stretches. “Can't sleep?” She nods, looking at the floor as he walks towards her. “Is it my bed?” He asks, covering another yawn with his hand.
She shakes his head. “Your bed is fine, thank you for letting me use it.”
Mike nods, suddenly noticing her bare legs. In the darkness, she wonders if he can see her goosebumps. “You're freezing.” He mumbles, turning back to the couch and grabbing his blanket and shuffling towards his bedroom.
She silently follows after, watching as he lays the blanket on his bed, before going to the closet to grab another blanket. She thinks it's for him, but instead he lays that on the bed as well. “I can turn the heat up, if that'll help.”
“I'm alright, thank you.” She expects him to leave and go back to bed, but he doesn't. Instead, he takes the empty glass from her hand and hobbles to the bathroom sink, returning a moment later with the glass now full. He passes it to her, and rubs the last of the sleep from his eyes. He watches as she downs the pill, before she sets the glass aside. She stares at him, an awkward silence filling the room. She fiddles with the bottom of her shirt, pulling on a loose thread. She glances over at the clock, it's now past midnight.
“Do you need anything?” He asks, shoving his hands into his sweatshirt pockets.
His tone isn't one of annoyance, or even concern. To her, it sounds like he's pleading, just a bit. As if he wants her to say yes, that she does need something. Or maybe she's overthinking things.
“I don't think so, thank you for the water and blankets.” She gives him a small smile. She's said 'thank you' too many times, hasn't she? “I hope you're able to fall back asleep.”
Mike nods, yawning again. “Shouldn't be a problem for me. I hope you can too.” He heads for the doorway but stops. He grips the doorframe, before turning back to face her. “Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?”
Vanessa's eyes go wide, and Mike immediately regrets being born. “Why did I say that?.” He mutters to himself. Somehow in the darkness Vanessa can see his cheeks turning red. “I-I didn't mean it in a weird way, I meant it in a comforting way.” He stammers out. “Like in the hospital, when I stayed with you the day you woke up until you fell asleep-”
“Mike.” She interrupts, stopping his ramble. “I... I wouldn't mind if you stayed.” She won't meet his gaze. “Just for a little while, I want you to get some sleep too.” She feels her cheeks burn, as if she's a teenager again.
“Yeah, yeah I can do that.” He gives her a crooked smile. “Let me grab a chair.” He leaves and quickly returns with one of the dining room chairs, setting it up by the end of the bed. “Is this alright?”
Vanessa nods, slowly climbing back into bed as Mike takes a seat. He gives her a reassuring smile, watching as she settles into bed.
The room is nearly silent, Vanessa listening intently to Mike's soft, steady breathing. It's comforting in the same way the smell of his comforter is. She closes her eyes, waiting for sleep to finally claim her. Her breathing starts to even out, when she hears the chair creak. Her eyes snap open, and she watches as he slowly stands up, and begins making his way towards the door.
“Don't go.” She whispers. Her voice is so quiet, she doubts he hears her. But he does, his footsteps freezing. He doesn't say anything as he silently turns and walks back to his chair. She swallows hard, slowly lifting her head up. She doesn't know what's come over her as she speaks again. “Can you come closer?”
Mike is still silent as he slowly drags the chair closer to the middle of the bed. “Is this good?” He asks softly.
She bites her lip, ignoring the voices in her head telling her to keep her mouth shut, to simply just nod at him. “Can you get closer?” She asks.
Mike scoots the chair closer so he's seated by her head. “Is this good?” He repeats.
It should be, it should be more than enough for her. But her mouth opens again. “Can you get in bed with me?” She can hear alarm bells ringing in her head, the voices screaming at her, calling her reckless, an idiot. What the hell is she thinking?
“Yeah.” His voice trembles a bit. He slowly pulls back the comforter but not the sheets, keeping a thin sheet of fabric firmly between them.
Vanessa wonders if he's doing it for her sake or his own.
He keeps his arms firmly across his chest as if he was a corpse. Under different circumstances, Vanessa would have laughed. “You don't have to do that.” She whispers.
“I don't want to make you uncomfortable.” He whispers back.
“You're not, your presence is doing the opposite for me.” She tells him, biting back a hiss of pain as she turns to face him.
“Really?” He asks, a small bit of excitement peaking through.
She smiles, giving him a nod. She longs to turn on a light to see his expression, barely making out his smile in the darkness. He reaches a hand to her face, gently moving some stray hairs out of her eyes. His fingers brush against her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. His fingers linger by her face, before he pulls his hand back.
“Can I hold you?” He asks softly.
She nods, letting him gently wrap an arm around her. His hold is soft and warm and makes her feel safe. A month ago, they'd been strangers, and now she’s found something that feels like a home in his arms. She buries her face in the crook of his neck, letting him pull her in closer. She can hear the steady beat of his heart mixed with his breathing. She smiles into his sweatshirt, letting his breathing lull her to sleep.