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it was a gloomy tuesday afternoon. el and will had just gotten out of school with tons of homework, but she had other things on her mind. after the recent events, el and hopper decided to stay with the byers’. hopper had sworn it was to protect the town, but el knew why he really wanted to stay. joyce, will, and jonathan had moved back to hawkins, just so will could “be with friends again.” el also knew joyce’s motives. the two weren’t very secretive.
when she got home, el put her homework on her desk and approached jonathan, who was lying on the couch. feeling someone’s presence, he looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“oh, hey el. what’s up?”
“can you drive me to the hospital?”
jonathan’s eyes widened. he sat up. “there’s nothing wrong, right? are you okay?”
el shook her head. “i’m okay, i promise. the trip isn’t for me.”
something clicked in his brain. jonathan never knew max very well, but he did know how much she meant to el. when the cali group finally made it back to hawkins, el in tow, she had greeted everyone before asking about lucas. “what happened? where is he?” dustin’s eyes widened, looking between her and will. “oh. you…you don’t know.” el did know, partially, but she didn’t know what became of max. after some explanation, the cali group visited the hospital for the first time. afterwards, everyone, even mike, tried to visit at least twice a week, but el had refrained from doing so. jonathan didn’t blame her. he barely knew max, but it hurt him to see another kid will’s age, a friend of will, a friend of el, in such a condition. plus, he had noticed el’s less than stellar mood recently, and anyone, even someone as high as him, could see that something was wrong.
so he nodded. “oh. alright,” he said, “i’ll take you.”
the two drove in general silence. el and jonathan weren’t very close, but they still saw each other as siblings. because of this, jonathan knew when not to talk to el, and el knew when jonathan wanted to concentrate. however, el hated long silences, so she decided to put on some music. she turned the knob on the dashboard, and a woman sang about running up a hill and making a deal with god.
el had heard this song before.
back in the summer, when the mall was still open, she and max had listened to one of her tapes while max was over. she told her it was a woman named kate bush. el liked the song. max said she had been listening to it a lot more recently, and how it may be her new favorite soon. el had smiled, and max replayed the tape.
subconsciously, el had begun to hum the song, and jonathan noticed. he stayed silent.
once they made it to the hospital, el exited the car and walked through the front doors. she got a visitor’s pass and scanned the walls for a certain number. 201, 202, 203…204. el closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned the handle.
el didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing max in this condition.
her limbs had to be painstakingly snapped back into place, each one covered in a stark, white cast. machines and wires hooked to her torso softly beeped, monitoring her heartbeat. worst was her face, covered in an oxygen mask, her eyelids perpetually closed as she barely clung to life.
el bit her lip, holding back tears. she looked over to see lucas, ever by max’s side. he had a book in his hands, and was reading it to her. he glanced upwards.
“el?”
she nodded, looking around to avoid his gaze. she noticed something nearby.
“can i sit there?” she asked, pointing to a chair next to lucas.
“sure.”
she sat down.
“what brings you here?”
el looked down. “i don’t know. i feel like i should visit more often, but it hurts seeing her this way.” she sighed. “i miss max, lucas. i miss her so much.”
he nodded. “i know how you feel.”
el suddenly filled with guilt. yes, she was there when max was dying, but lucas was really there. he watched as she floated for the second time. he had to fight jason. she died in his arms. el and max were friends, sure, but lucas and max were more than friends, even more than partners. they were together.
but…
“hey, lucas? can i tell you something?”
lucas looked concerned. he closed his book, placing it on the side table. “is everything okay?”
el took a deep breath. “everything’s fine. you know when you were at the creel house? you and max. and erica.”
lucas nodded. “i’m following.”
“well, me and mike and will and jonathan and argyle, you don’t know him, we we were at a surfer boys pizza. long story.”
“i’m still following…i think.”
“they had a giant dough freezer, and we filled it with water and salt, and i floated in it. i was doing that void looking thing, the one i need to be blindfolded to do. we were looking for someone, someone i knew was in danger.”
lucas’s eyes widened. “max. but…how did you…never mind. what happened?
“i found her. in your arms. i was watching…i was there when she…” el trailed off, tears filling her eyes. “when she…i’m sorry, this is dumb, you were actually there-“
el cut herself off as lucas embraced her in a hug. she started crying.
“i’m sorry, el. i had no idea. you can talk to me about it, i promise.”
el nodded sadly. “you’re too nice, lucas.” after taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she pulled away and stood up. el cautiously walked over to max’s bed.
“max was stuck mentally at the snow ball, about to be taken by vecna, but i got there and fended him off. but vecna, he got me and started choking me with vines, but i got inspired to keep fighting from seeing her pain, and i did, but…it wasn’t enough. i was there, next to you in this endless void, hoping she’d be okay…
“it was…horrible. watching her helplessly, unable to do anything. when she…died…i was sobbing. i couldn’t stop. i was there with you, i held her hand, hoping that somehow she could feel it, feel me. i wish she knew i was there, in her mind. i wish i actually was there.”
el sighed, grabbing her own wrist. lucas stood up, making his way over to her side.
“i know it might feel like she’s unreachable, but…i think i know how you can tell her you’re here. right now.”
after some instruction, el nodded, and lucas left the room. el nervously turned back to max’s bed.
“uh…hi, max. how are you? I’ve been…okay.”
this was weird.
“school’s been…different. everyone’s been on edge lately. ever since jason and patrick died, the basketball team hasn’t really been the same. eddie disappeared - i’m not sure who that is, but i know you knew him - and dustin’s been…off. i’ve tried to ask him what’s wrong, but he’s been awfully quiet about the whole thing. i hope he’s alright.”
el stood silently for a while, trying to think of something to say. she gently took max’s hand, beginning to rub circles into the back of it.
“hey, i heard there’s a new movie at the theater in a couple months. it’s called labyrinth (she pronounced it luh-bye-rinth). it’s got david bowie in it. i think you like him. when you…wake up…we can see it together? if you want?”
there was no response. el didn’t know what she had been expecting.
“yeah…well, i’m here in hawkins again. we moved back. i wish we did sooner. i’m sorry, max. i wish i could’ve saved you. all of these wishes, huh? it’s like that song you like, right? ‘i’d make a deal with god to swap our places?’” el closed her eyes and quietly hummed a snippet of the song. she smiled before reopening her eyes and turning back to max. “um. well, nice talking to you. i’d better get going, i think lucas had a book he needs to finish. see you soon.”
el dropped max’s hand, then exited the room.
————
somewhere, somehow, max felt something. it was a presence, but not the usual one. it didn’t read, or ask about her life. it touched her hand. it spoke softly.
and it hummed.
it hummed in that light, airy tone that max knew was familiar. the tone she heard all throughout the summer, during phone calls, in the mall, and even in her own head when she wasn’t there.
she smiled.