All That I Wanted

Chapter 7: ICU

She didn't remember that. Not at all. Not even the slightest but, she kind of remembered her admittance to the hospital after. The lights and the flashing and voices. Not the bleeding out, shit almost dying. Nothing.

"They've been testing you like crazy but can't find anything. But uh. They are worried you have a brain...tumor...but their CT scan machine thing keeps crashing when they try and take pictures-"

Her heart stopped as Chloe started to shake.

"But I know, that it's bullshit. There's no way it's just your powers fucking with you-like always. Your um- your eye is-"

"A blood vessel ruptured but, and they don't know why but it's really bad and now it's-" She gripped the bridge of her nose, curling in on herself."I should've just fucking died."

"Chloe, seriously no. Don't do this-" She wanted to reach for her but no doubt, if she struggled to hard, alarms would bring in a flush of nurses and questions."-you know I can take it." She tried.

But could she?

"No that's not all, Max." She was suddenly in motion, digging her phone out of her pants pocket. She opened it, tapped something and then held it out to her face.

Her heart stopped cold, with all the skipping it finally stopped.

Calendar, the date. October-

"It's October Seventh Max. And I'm here, with you in the hospital and everyone from... Blackwell is blowing up your goddamn phone."

There's no fucking way.

As many times as she had tried to go back, a fucking stroke of horror is what it took? While she was unaware?

"I even, got to s-see my mom." She choked."Called her a few minutes ago. I think the nurses are setting me up a nice room in the psych ward."

Max felt her head start throbbing harder.

"Chloe there's no way." She said, trembling, strapped to a bed with wires in both her arms."What, what is everyone saying?"

"That you were walking in the hallway and you collapsed, and you started seizing but uh. I woke up right here, in this stupid room with you. Before that I remember you bleeding out and shit- I-" She took a breath."-I remember driving in Seattle. Seattle. This is Arcadia. What the fuck is going on Max?"

"I... I couldn't have. I've tried- it never worked you know that-" She felt tears well up."I don't believe it!"

The frustration and near relief of a restart, one without glowing borders and demons talking to her, was overwhelming as much as it was confusing. Her breath picked up, and she glanced off to the window, spilling morning sunlight into the room.

She could see the beach from here.

We're actually here. Home.

Chloe gave a bitter laugh, nodding and pointing towards the window." Yeah, same shitty bay. But it's whole, and all the Whales are still swimming in the deep."

"Chloe." She gasped, tears spilling with sniffles to accompany them. The homesickness she had dealt with had sunk into this new feeling of joy, and relief. A reality were things were still ok, for them and the town. Even if she was in a hospital bed, she would take it.

"Believe it Max. And guess what else changed." She held up her phone again, dissolving into sobs that sounded awfully painful, but with a giddy smile on her face."You did it."

Max couldn't believe it.

She just couldn't.

So the happy sob that they both shared sounded quite insane, but. She had to believe it. Chloe was the one showing her after all. Her Chloe. No different from the others but yet completely separate. She took a hold of her hand and kissed the knuckle and Max beckoned her closer.