Chapter Text
Mike was still having the symptoms.
He knew what they were now. No one else knew he was having them. No one else other than the redhead girl in a coma.
That’s how he knew Henry was still alive. Definitely weakened, as it was taking him quite a while to get to Mike, but alive.
There was nothing new about the symptoms. No visions of dead people or clocks. But the headaches were there. The nose bleeds and nightmares were still there.
He tried to stay, he really did. He could make it through these symptoms, he would be there when Max woke up. He would stay and not do anything stupid. Just like she asked him so long ago.
That lasted a year. Pretty good, if you asked Mike, which you can’t anymore.
Anyway.
He found Lucas in the hospital to no surprise. He spent most of his time there.
Rapping lightly on the door as warning, Mike popped his head in. Lucas gave him a tired smile that he returned.
“How is she?”
“The same.” Lucas winced.
Mike bit his lip. “At least it’s not worse?” He tried. Lucas nodded, but Mike could see the tightness in his face.
“Mike.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for coming by and, you know, visiting. It means a lot. I know you two weren’t the closest.”
Mike winced. They were close. So close. But no one knew that. How would he even say it? Actually, I was closer to her than you were for the majority of the year. Yeah, no.
So he let his friends believe that he and Max were still at odds. Maybe they were. It was…rough.
He missed her so much.
He realized he had been quiet a bit too long. He could feel Lucas watching him.
With a sigh, he came up with a digestible version of everything he wanted to say.
“We had our disagreements, but she was our zoomer. All of ours.” He reached out and grabbed her hand. “The party’s not the same without her.” He dropped her hand.
“Same time tomorrow?” He turned back to face Lucas as a slightly wounded sound came out of his mouth.
“Actually I can’t. My dad is having me help him clean out the garage all day. Said it’s to ‘help get my mind off things’. Or something, I don’t know–” he sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye. “But, um, yeah I won’t be able to visit tomorrow.”
Mike put his hand on Lucas’s shoulder with a sad smile. “I can drop by, keep her company if you’d like?” Lucas nodded. “Do you need, like, coffee or anything? Before I leave?”
Lucas didn’t answer, but his silence did.
WIth a pat on his shoulder, Mike got up and left Lucas and the room.
Outside he found his bike, chained to the rack. He got it off and climbed on, pressing on the pedals to start forwards.
It was at the point where he no longer needed a jacket. It was warm enough outside. Yet the wind bit at his skin in a growing, bitter cold as he biked. He pulled over on the side of the road. There was a sweatshirt in his backpack, he knew.
He grabbed a strap and slung it off his shoulders. A sound stopped him as he began to unzip it.
A broken clock chime.
No.
No. No. No. No.
Slowly, he looked up from the backpack. Sure enough, embedded in a tree was a grandfather clock. Spiders crawling from the cracked face.
He could see his breath coming out. A voice called out.
Mike…Mike…Mi–
“–ke?”
“Hm?” Mike turned around, Lucas was looking at him. Hadn’t he left the hospital already?
The clock.
“Are you okay?” Lucas asked, “Lost you there for a minute.” His face was laced with concern.
“Yeah, man, just–I don’t know, zoned out for a minute.” He didn’t look convinced, but could Mike blame him? WIth everything that had happened? Everything that was still happening? “I…I think I’m probably gonna head home.”
Lucas looked at him, tired and weary, “Okay. Still coming in tomorrow to keep her company?”
Oh, so at least that had been real.
“Yeah.” Mike smiled, getting up. “Need anything before I leave? Coffee?”
Lucas shook his head. “I’m good.”
Mike nodded, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and opening the door.
“Mike?”
He turned back. Lucas wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at Max.
“Yeah?”
“You know you can tell me anything, right?” He looked up to meet Mike’s eyes, “Anything.”
Mike blinked, looking down before quietly saying, “Yeah. I know.”
He left, the door closing behind him.
…
Dear Lucas,
I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you more. Or, at all really. You offered and I didn’t take you up on it. I’m not sure why I didn’t. You’ve only ever been kind to me.
But I was too afraid to talk. I’m not even sure exactly what I was afraid of. Still am afraid of, or I wouldn’t be writing this letter.
Watch after Max when she wakes up. She and I were always too similar for our own good, and you can see where that got both of us.
She’ll need you. She always needed you. She was just scared. Like me.
But I know you will make sure she never has to be scared again. Not like that.
Because you are so kind and gentle and attentive. You always have been. You’re strong and determined to fight for those you love. And you love them with all your heart. I have so much respect for you.
I’d tell you to take care of the party, but I know you don’t need me to tell you to. You will.
Because you’re you.
Goodbye,
Mike