Will could remember his last time in a hospital room very well.
The gown, so thin that the freezing, sterile air seeped into your bones. The blanket tucked around you to make it a little better. And the beeping. The relentless beeping while your head pounded and threatened to explode.
Max didn’t look like it bothered her much.
Lucas didn’t seem to mind either. In fact, he sort of regarded the constant reminder of Max’s pulse as a need. A constant reminder that she was at least breathing. That her organs were still awake, even if she wasn’t.
Will sat in the chair next to him, folding and unfolding a five dollar bill that had been in his pocket. It distracted him from the light that occasionally flickered in the corner. A purple and yellow butterfly nightlight that Erica had apparently brought from home on her first visit.
He stared back at it. Squinting as yellow spots dimmed softly before brightening back up.
“It might sound awful. But, I keep wondering if this is how Mike felt.” Will looked over at the rough voice, brow furrowed towards Lucas’ hunched shoulders. He breathed in, and Will heard the effort it took. The raggedness of grief.
“What’re you talking about?” It came out as a whisper.
Lucas glanced at him, eyes dark and somber. His mouth pulled down in a semi-permanent frown. Will felt useless.
“When you were gone—” Lucas didn’t look away, instead choosing to take Will’s hand. He held on tight, making sure Will didn’t run away.
He’d done that a lot lately. Ripping himself out of embraces and conversations. Being selfish because he was emotional. Scared. But, Lucas was scared too. Lucas needed to hold a hand that wasn’t cold and dry. One that could hold him in return.
Lucas also hadn’t spoken in three days. So, Will squeezed back and waited for the sound to escape his best friend’s mouth.
“—You were gone, and Mike was going crazy.” He paused. “We all kinda were, to be honest. But, Mike had this desperation in his eyes that I’ll never forget.” Will swallowed around a dry throat, teeth grinding against each other when he clenched his jaw. “But— It wasn’t like the movies. You know? When a character is all miscalculated and he’s yelling and screaming like it’s the end of the world?”
Will nodded, “Yeah,” he whispered.
Lucas took a breath, “He was so lost without you. Like his other half was missing.” He sighed, “This past time, I think El’s letters helped him a little. But, he wasn’t himself without you.” Will’s other hand clenched, making his untrimmed fingernails dig into the flesh of his palm. Lucas’ thumb ran across the freckles on the back of the other one. “But, he acted kinda like he is now. He’s making plans to protect you and El. He spends every waking second in the library with his sister for that very reason. But, even when he’s being smart, he’s still fighting with everyone because no plan is good enough unless you never have to see the Upside Down ever again.”
Will shook his head, “It’s not that simple.”
Lucas almost looked like he was going to smile.
“He knows that, but you make him crazy.” He looked back to Max, the same phantom smile playing along his lips. “Just like Max makes me crazy.” He was wistful, eyes just slightly hooded.
Will felt his heart thump. It replaced the beeping.
Will was cut off by Lucas’ jolting laugh. His jaw snapped shut at the unimpressed look shot his way.
“I’m not unaware of how I feel about her, you know.” Lucas gestured towards the bed in front of them. “Erica never fails to remind me how unnecessary it is for me to sit here and watch over her as much as I do. I know how I look at her. And—” he squeezed Will’s hand, shocking him, “—I know Mike does the same thing. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” At Will’s agape jaw, he snickered. “He always has, Will.” Lucas’ other hand reached out and held one of Max’s. “That kind of crazy doesn’t fade.”
Will stared. He said nothing and stared at the way the butterfly light flickered faster. He stared at the way Lucas’ breaths stuttered with a bob of his Adam’s apple, and the way his lips quivered every time he exhaled.
He felt a tear run down his cheek, and then his neck. Until it soaked into the collar of his neck.
Lucas noticed, not looking remotely surprised as more cascaded down Will’s face. He reached for a tissue box on the little table closest to him. But, it was empty.
Will saw his eyes widen, before turning back to look at Will, embarrassed.
“I must have used the last one,” he said, apologetically. And then they laughed. They hunched over together and snorted into one another’s shoulders. Up until Will pulled away once he remembered the snot on his face. Until Lucas stood up with a sniffle between his laughter. “I’ll get a new box.”
He made sure Will nodded before leaving the room.
Then, it was cold again. Or, perhaps it always had been. Either way, he was alone again. Save for Max’s expressionless body. Her bright orange hair streaked with strands of white. Her face pale like ivory, where her freckles were dimmer than he’d ever seen them. Her navy blue nails freshly painted by Erica the day before.
He stood on tired legs, shuffling over to her. Somehow feeling her own loneliness.
“I’m sorry I never got to know you before,” he glanced at the light wearily. Eyes widening at how fast it was turning on and off again. He continued speaking, distracted. “If Lucas likes you as much as he does, you’re probably amazing. He’s…never…really….” He dragged off his sentence, looking back at Max as the light went completely out.
He touched her wrist, concern driving his need to feel her pulse. He didn’t press in as hard as he did when checking his own, and his eyebrows furrowed as he made sure that the steady beat underneath his fingertips stayed consistent.
The nightlight flashed back on to a deep purple. Too normal.
Will froze. Hands and shoulders clamping up as he looked down without moving his head. Max looked eery as she offered his sharp gasp a weak smile, her opened eyes unfocused.
“You’re pretty cool too, Byers.”
can you tell these three are my favorite? …lol
