Rhiannon // Max Mayfield

-the aftermath-

But then she might have a case similar to that of Phineas Gage, who was impaled with a rod, straight through the head, but miraculously survived. But when he woke up from his coma, he was different, liked other things and had a whole personality switch.

Steve hoped for none of it to happen and for the girl to just wake up like normal, and they could pretend nothing happened, by the doctors said that it was barely a fraction of a percent possible that would happen, because the oxygen was cut off to her brain for ten minutes, she should've died and it definitely messed with something in there.

~~

Max wasn't even sure what to think, what to do. She was overcome with feelings of guilt, fright and just this empty nothingness. Max couldn't help but wish it was her in that hospital bed, and that Alex had just listened when Steve told her not to be a hero for once. But they all knew that Alex, although tried to act like she didn't care about any of them, would instantly jump in front of a bullet, if it means someone else gets to live.

Max had spent the past two days by Alex's bedside, gripping the girl's hand, just hoping that she would squeeze back, or make a stupid sarcastic comment about Max being clingy. But the only sound was the constant beeping of the heart monitor in the back.

But Steve had essentially forced her out of the room to get freshened up, to take care of herself for once. So she did, going back to her trailer, which was half-destroyed from the gates opening, but luckily her room was skipped. Mac just shoved a bunch of clothes in a duffel, not wanting to come back to her house, it was destroyed, and her Mom had skipped out on town as soon as she could've.

So Max is essentially homeless, but Steve did say that the girl could stay with him and Alex, their parents emailed Steve, saying the house is all his now, they don't want to come back to Hawkins, even to visit their daughter who was on death row.

~~

Steve continued talking to Alex's limp body, just hoping that she would show any signs of being alive in there. Obviously she is alive, but it's like her body's here but nothing else about her is.

Max leant in the doorway, Nancy's arm wrapped around her shoulder as they looked at the siblings, both of their hearts breaking at the sight.

Nancy walked over to Steve, wrapping her arms around him as he broke down, "It's my fault Nance, If I just made sure she was safe and... and if we got through our part quicker, then...then she would be okay, so would Eddie." He cried into Nancy's shoulder as she rubbed circles into his back. "Me and Eddie, we were becoming good friends, I really think we had something going, but I ruined it all and now... now he's dead and my little sister is in a coma and it's all my fault." He continued, not even realising half the stuff he was admitting to the girl.

Nancy put her hand on Steve's chin, making him look her in the eyes. "None of this is your fault, Eddie - he was trying to protect Alex and Dustin." She said, then looked to the unconscious girl on the hospital bed. "And Alex, we both know she would do anything to keep Max safe, to keep any of her friends safe." She continued, forcing Steve to face the truth. "Steve, if anything, Alex is a hero, like those stupid comic books her and my brother are always reading."

Steve huffed a laugh at that. Yeah, he couldn't have done anything, Alex thinks irrationally all the time, has to play the hero to feel validation.

Alex Summers is a fucking good superhero.

But she isn't like those comics, because she relys on her heart and her head. Sure, she has the flashy powers and the big ego to back it up, but she's compassionate and spontaneous and a hopeless romantic who would sacrifice herself for the girl she loves.