Chapter Text
Darkness how long had she been in this darkness. Too long to tell. Too long to count the seconds and minutes. Too long to recognize anything at all. Why can't I move? the question echoed in the darkness. It was scary, it wasn't like the Upside Down where at least you knew where you were. Here was nothing but darkness. El echoed the name of her best friend in the darkness. But her best friend did not answer. Why not El could reach everyone. Why not her?
What was hiding in the darkness that prevented her from escaping?
Why was no one there, why was she alone?
She had to get out of the darkness and back into the saving light. She ran, she ran as fast as she could, she had to get out of here. Back to her friends back to her heart. Lucas.
She had to no she wanted to get back to Lucas. She wanted to go to the movies with him she wanted to see him again. She wanted to go on living. ,, I hope you could hear me," she suddenly heard his voice. ,, Lucas" she called, but it only echoed in the darkness. He did not seem to be able to hear her. She heard muffled noises as if someone was leaving. No, he should not go. Lucas couldn't leave, she was here. ,,See you tomorrow, Max," she heard his voice again, and the muffled sounds of running were heard again.
No, don't leave her alone. She could not stay alone. She wanted to go to him to Lucas.
,,Lu-Lucas" was the first thing she said. It seemed brittle, quiet and fearful. The muffled sound became clearer. He came back from the door and she felt the presence of her friend next to her. ,,Max?" she heard his voice clearly now. She wanted to reach out and touch him and make sure it was not a dream.
,,Lucas" she said again and could feel his hands on hers. And then, as if slowly taking in her body again, she opened her eyes. The hope of seeing her friend was extinguished. Darkness surrounded her. ,,Lucas, why is it so dark? You're here, aren't you?" she asked fearfully, weakly gripping Lucas' hand tighter. Silence lay between them and she heard his shaky breathing. ,,Lucas?" she hesitantly said his name. She flinched in surprise as she felt him embrace her and his cheek touch hers. ,,Yes Max, I am with you, I was with you all the time. We were afraid that...you wouldn't wake up," he confessed after a moment's hesitation.
The words hit deep, it seemed as if the ground had been pulled out from under her feet. ,, Wake up?" she asked and she noticed Lucas crying when she felt something wet on her cheek. Lucas was crying but she herself felt the veil of tears in front of her eyes. ,, You were in a coma," he said at last, and suddenly the events of their last fight broke in. Her hand gripped his tighter and she was infinitely grateful to her boyfriend for holding her. ,,I'm blind, aren't I Lucas?" she finally said and with a silent nod from her friend it was confirmed. She made a slightly confused expression when she felt his hand waving through her hair and the smile on his lips. ,,That's not funny," she grumbled at him, but fell silent as she slowly became aware that between all the pain she was with Lucas again.
They were closer than they had ever been. Max's cheeks flushed slightly and she hoped Lucas wouldn't notice. ,,That's why I don't laugh. I'm laughing and crying because I'm happy Max. We have you back" he confessed and even if she didn't want it, she couldn't prevent the minimal lifting of her mouth.
,,Are the others here too?" she dared to ask after realizing that even if she looked around she wouldn't be able to see them. ,, No, it is early morning. The others left in the evening. I've read you more from the Talisman," he answered the question and Max nodded silently this time. ,,Um, maybe we should tell a nurse or a doctor," her voice interrupted the silence and Lucas released himself from her embrace. She seemed alone again without Lucas, there was only darkness again. ,,Don't go," she said more hastily than she wanted to. Vulnerability and yet it was the only thing she wanted. Not to be alone in the darkness.
Her hand reached out into the void and her insides tightened. Fear crept up her nerves. Her heartbeat seemed almost like the beat of a clock. ,,Lucas!" her fearful voice rang out. ,,It's okay, I'm here Max, it's going to be okay!" his voice broke through her fear and she felt his hand around hers again. She was safe and everything would be fine.
The hours passed and after the doctors with the help of Lucas the redhead had explained everything and the examinations were done. Are you sure about the surprise?" Lucas asked again and Max was glad that he was sitting next to her on the bed, otherwise she would just look somewhere where he was not.
Something she wanted to avoid. ,,I know it might be a little bad of me but-" she paused and was glad when she felt Lucas softly stroking her hand. ,, -I feel ready to meet the others only now," she confessed, and the following hug from Lucas was reassuring. ,,Well, I've prepared a little surprise," he said in anticipation before Max heard the sound of the door. ,,Max, you're awake!" she heard Erica's loud cheerful call before she almost fell onto the bed as the younger girl hugged her stormily and happily.
Max hugged her back and even though she couldn't see the younger girl, she could imagine the smile. ,,You didn't tell her?" Erica looked at her brother indignantly. ,,Well, I kind of wanted to now," he stammered and Max had to smile. ,,What hasn't he told me yet?" she continued. ,,I thought it would be a good idea for Erica to braid your hair and for me to describe your wheelchair to you," he confessed, and this time it was up to the redhead to pull her boyfriend into an embrace.
And for the first time something seemed to light up in the darkness. Like two little glimmers. Lucas and Erica she saw her friends in the colored spots before her eyes. She was still Max Mayfield. She was Mad Max. She had survived Vecna, she could handle this. ,,Don't be frightened I'll start brushing your hair," she heard Erica say before the younger girl sat down behind her.
It was reassuring how careful Erica was and for the first time she let go of Luca's hand without fear of the darkness. ,,Well, it's a model provided by the hospital, but Erica and I have embellished it a bit," he explained, and she noticed him pushing the wheelchair in front of the bed. ,,We painted the handrims red and the quick release axles.
The small steering wheel in the front is also red and on the left side there are three stickers. There's a lightning bolt and a star and-" he stopped, gently took Max's hand and ran it over the word. She felt the individual letters under her fingers. ,,Skate, it says Skate," she said happily after reading the word. ,,Thanks a lot guys!" her smile seemed to infect the other two as well. ,,Do you think Mike has no talent for drawing?" Erica asked the redhead. ,,Drawing is really not his strong point, but why did he draw something new?" she asked, and as silence fell again, she guessed that Erica was staring at her brother.
,,Did you hide something from me again?" she said indignantly and although she couldn't see him, her symbolic slap landed on his shoulder. ,, No, I told you, but you were in a coma at the time," Lucas admitted. ,, Would you describe it to me again?" she asked him and was glad to feel his hand again as he ran it over her gibs. ,,So Nancy, El, me, Steve and Dustin, as well as Will and Mike signed it," as he ran Max over the different parts of the Gibs. ,,Will, on the other was drawing a sun and some flowers, which are cute," he added. ,, And what did you do?" she asked, deliberately leaning slightly closer to him. She could hear Erica giggling, so she guessed that Lucas had become nervous. ,,Just my name," he said hurriedly, ,,and?" she asked, ,,and...a heart," he added in a mumble, and Max squeezed his hand affectionately a little tighter.
The two shimmers were only the beginning. The colors gradually came back into her life. ,,Are you ready?" Lucas asked her as he stood next to her with Erica. ,, I've never been more ready," Max said firmly before ringing the doorbell of the Byers' house.
She saw the two glimmers in front of her and she felt she was ready. Ready to meet all her friends again.
The door opened and since no one said anything she couldn't make out who it was. ,,Hello?" came a rather questioning voice from the redhead before she almost fell backwards out of her wheelchair as she was embraced by seemingly everyone. ,,Max, you're here!" she heard El say before she heard ,,We're so glad" from Will. She was at home with her family. After they let her go, she ventured further into the house.
From time to time she bumped into a wall or furniture, but she managed on her own. When they all gathered in the living room, it was quiet again. ,,You didn't think getting rid of me would be that easy, did you? " she said, giving her friends a cheerful, hopeful smile. We just knew you could do it," she heard Steve say, and thought he had never sounded more like a relieved mother. She had her friends back. She had her hope and her smile back.
She had her colors back all at once. The glimmers that had been two seemed to light up one by one. The glimmer of her friends, her family, her love was what she saw now. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.