╔═════ ∘◦ ☽ ﾐ ◦∘ ══════╗
𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷:
"𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝚘𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝙶𝚘𝚍."
╚═════ ∘◦ ミ ☾ ◦∘ ══════╝
TWO DAYS.
A lot could happen in two days, as Mackenzie had come to learn.
Max's heart had stopped for over a full minute. She had been dead for over a minute, but suddenly, by some sort of miracle, it had restarted, and Max was placed in a coma. Megan and Erica had returned not long after that with paramedics for that. After all the murders in town, the paramedics were shocked to see that the girl with broken limbs and bleeding eyes was actually alive.
Mackenzie and Lucas hadn't been allowed to go with Max in the ambulance. She didn't even have the strength to argue with them. Mackenzie had watched, tears silently falling down her cheeks and her voice raspy from screaming, as Max's body got pulled out of the Creel house on a stretcher. Megan was gripping her hand tightly, but Mackenzie could barely feel it. All she felt was numb.
She also had bruises, in the shapes of fingerprints, around her neck from Jason choking her. They hurt only when she tried to talk. It reminded her of last summer when she had gotten bruises on her shoulders from Billy gripping her back at the sauna. That seemed like a million years ago.
As much as she didn't want to leave Max alone, Mackenzie knew that she was getting help from the hospital. Therefore, she had ultimately decided to go to Eddie's trailer to meet up with the group that had gone into the Upside Down while Lucas and Erica would go with Max to the hospital.
Mackenzie and Megan had gotten a ride back home from one of the cops who had shown up at the scene. They ignored the shouts of her mother of where the two of them had been and got on their bikes. The sisters pedaled the many miles back to Eddie's trailer, where only Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Dustin remained. Mackenzie had a horrible feeling as to where Eddie was.
They all looked okay, besides Dustin, who had a injured leg. He was also crying. Hearing Dustin sob so violently to the point that he couldn't breathe, choking out that Eddie had sacrificed himself, before he ultimately collapsed into Steve's arms, was an image Mackenzie was quite sure would never leave her head.
Nancy told her what had happened in the Upside Down Creel house. Vecna had been wounded severely. However, he had gotten away before they could officially kill him. That made Mackenzie's heart sink. He was still alive, and he was still going to reign terror over the town of Hawkins.
Mackenzie was tired. So tired. She didn't understand why this was a thing that was happening. Couldn't the monsters just leave them alone?
People were leaving Hawkins by the dozens. The Gate had quite literally torn the town apart. Everyone was convinced that it was just an earthquake, but those in or close to the Party knew better. Twenty-two people were confirmed to be dead, but so many more were missing and in the hospital. Hawkins High School had even been converted into a shelter to help everyone.
Mackenzie's family was a part of the people leaving. She never imagined living a life outside of Hawkins before she finished high school, yet here she was. Boxes of all their things were littered around her house. It was pretty much all packed up, and the sight of her empty room made Mackenzie feel a little sick.
She was also helping the Wheelers move out. Currently, Mackenzie was helping put boxes in Steve's car. There were boxes of donations from the entire Wheeler family that would help the town of Hawkins, and she was more than willing to help organize Steve's car. Anything to get out of her empty house. All it did was make her sad.
Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Dustin were also there. Mackenzie had her head stuck in the back seat, trying to position boxes in a way that made sense. The rest were gathered by the trunk, except for Nancy, who was apparently getting another box of stuffed animals from her mother.
"Someone order a pizza?" Karen asked, but it sounded faint to Mackenzie.
"Pizza?" Dustin repeated.
There was a loud honking noise. However, Mackenzie didn't pay much attention to it. Her entire focus right now was stacking boxes so that they could fit more things in Steve's car. She could vaguely hear doors opening and footsteps, but to be honest, she didn't really care. Mackenzie was a master at Tetris at the arcade and just wanted everything to fit nicely.
"Uh, Kenzie, you might want to see this," Dustin told her, interrupting her focus.
Mackenzie maneuvered another box in the car so it would fit better. "What, Dustin? I'm busy."
Dustin sighed. "Mackenzie, just look."
Mackenzie let go of the box and picked her head out from inside the car. She looked up, slightly annoyed, to see what it was, but the sight made her completely freeze. Her heart started to race and her hands started to slightly shake. Mackenzie's eyes widened and shock shadowed across her face.
In front of a Surfer Boy Pizza van stood a boy with really long hair, Jonathan Byers, Mike Wheeler, Eleven, and Will Byers — the boy she was so hopelessly in love with and yearned for, especially recently.
And suddenly, just like that, a supernova exploded
Both Mackenzie and Will surged forwards towards each other at the exact same time. When they met in the middle, Mackenzie threw her arms around the boy's neck and he wrapped his around the girl's waist. He picked up her shorter frame so that her feet were off the ground — because holy shit, he got taller — and held her tight. Mackenzie let out a sigh of relief and content and buried her head into his shoulder.
"Will, oh my God," Mackenzie breathed out. Will lowered her back down to the ground slightly, but Mackenzie kept herself pressed up onto her toes, clutching him tight. "You — you're here—"
"Yeah, Mack, I'm here," Will replied, and Mackenzie almost sobbed at the sound of him saying the familiar nickname reserved only for him in person.
Mackenzie pulled away from him slightly and moved her hands from being around his neck so that they were situated on either side of his face. She stared up into his brown eyes, the ones she absolutely adored, just soaking in the moment. It was hard to believe he was actually there in front of her when she hadn't seen him since December.
She didn't know why, but just standing there with him, having him back near her, feeling his arms around her, was enough for her to want to break down. Mackenzie hadn't cried again since that night in the Creel house when Max had been taken away to the hospital. Maybe it was Will's comforting presence or the way she felt safe with him, but nevertheless, she felt tears prick at the back of her eyes and her lip start to quiver.
"Mack," Will voiced, noticing everything. He tugged her back in tighter, and Mackenzie buried her head back into his shoulder, her arms falling back down to wrap around him again. "Mackenzie . . ."
"Things have been so bad," she told him, her voice choked up. "They've been so bad, especially without you—"
"I know." Will sniffled a bit of his own. "I know."
"I've missed you. So much."
Will pulled her even closer if that was possible. "I've missed you too."
She sobbed against his shoulder, clutching him just the tiniest bit tighter. Will allowed her to hold onto him for just a little bit longer before she eventually let him go, although a bit reluctantly. Mackenzie looked up, her eyes sparkling with tears and the love that she had for him.
Mackenzie then turned to the girl waiting next to her. El looked different from the last time she had seen her, mostly because her head was shaved again instead of the long locks that she had grown out over the years. Mackenzie got a sudden flashback to how small they had been when El first showed up, also with a shaved head, back when Will had disappeared.
It was kind of sad that Mackenzie had started to view their battle with the Demogorgon and getting Will back from the Upside Down as simpler times.
Mackenzie said nothing and just held out her arms. El sunk into them, wrapping her own around Mackenzie tightly. Mackenzie hugged the girl who had grown to become her sister just as tight. She let out a deep breath, resting her chin on El's shoulder and placing a hand on the back of her head, just embracing the comfort that it brought.
"Hi, El," Mackenzie whispered.
"Hi," El responded, pulling back and looking down at her face. "You look . . . tired."
Mackenzie let out a small laugh, but it sounded sad. "It's because I am. It's been hectic."
"For us, too," Will revealed, making Mackenzie look over at him. "We have a story."
"Yeah. We do, too. We've been trying to call you—"
"I know. We weren't allowed to talk to anyone."
El's eyes then trailed down to her neck. "Kenzie, you're hurt."
"Hm?" Mackenzie hummed in response, distracted by staring at Will for a moment, but noticed where El's eyes were. "Oh, no, I'm fine. The captain of the basketball team just tried to strangle me before he died by the Gate cutting him open." Will and El just blinked at her. "Oh, I said too much again, didn't I?"
Dustin patted her shoulder. "Please stop talking."
"Noted."
"Where's Lucas?" Will questioned.
"He's at the hospital," Dustin answered.
"Is he hurt?" El inquired.
"No," Mackenzie said. "Well, yes, and no. But . . ." Her eyes then flickered between Will and El. "Oh. You don't know."
Ever since Max was admitted into the hospital under her coma, Lucas had practically lived there. He went early in the morning and left late at night. Lucas would read to her, trying to simulate her brain instead of just leaving her to lie there. Erica would go with him as well to keep him company. Mackenzie went the first day, but seeing Max's broken figure was enough to make her break. Her only hope was watching as her chest rose and fell as she breathed.
Mackenzie looked over at Dustin. "I'll go with them, you can help Steve and Robin."
Dustin nodded. "Okay."
"Wait . . . what don't we know?" Mike suddenly asked from behind her.
Mackenzie sighed. "Lucas is at the hospital for Max. She's in a coma. Vecna got her, but she's still alive. At least, for now."
They decided to bring Jonathan with them as well too see Max, which also meant Nancy was coming along. Also, Mackenzie had been introduced to the long-haired guy. His name was Argyle, Jonathan's friend from California. He was extremely chill and very laid-back.
Mackenzie waited next to Will, her arms crossed across her chest. She suddenly looked up and saw Mike standing next to her.
"Hey," Mackenzie greeted.
"What?" Mike replied. "No loser after it?"
"I don't have it in me."
Mike paused for a second. "I'm guessing things were just as bad here, or even worse."
Mackenzie looked back ahead at the Surfer Boy Pizza van. "I watched Jason Carver's body get torn apart by the Gate that opened and Max Mayfield's bones snap."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
Nancy came back, and El put on the hoodie, slipping the hood over her head. They all climbed into the van. Mackenzie sat in the back, her head resting on Will's shoulder, staring out the window at the broken figure of Hawkins and how many people were packing their cars up. She couldn't help but notice that Will was being a little distant with her, especially after they hadn't seen each other for months and had just been through a lot, but Mackenzie brushed it off.
They then arrived at the hospital. Mackenzie, Will, Mike, El, Jonathan, and Nancy all went up to Max's hospital room. Mike opened the door and led them all inside. Mackenzie's eyes immediately went to Max's body first. She was the same — hospital gown, casts on her arms and legs to heal her broken bones, still breathing, yet her eyes were closed. She then looked up to see Lucas sitting on the chair by the bed and Erica sitting on the chair by the window.
"Oh my God," Lucas voiced, his good eye widening once it set on them. He dropped the book he was reading out loud to Mex on the bed and rushed up, instantly pulling Mike and Will into a hug. "We've been calling you guys like crazy."
"I know," Mike stated. "We came as soon as Kenzie told us."
Lucas then slowly looked up, noticing El's figure behind his two best friends. El instantly surged forwards and brought Lucas into a tight hug. Mackenzie watched, linking her arm through Will's for comfort. She noticed him take a tiny step away from her, but allowed her to hold onto him. Mackenzie glanced up at him for a moment, her eyebrows knit in confusion.
"I'm sorry," El said quietly.
El slowly let go of Lucas, her eyes set on Max's broken figure. They all turned to stare at the girl on the hospital bed. Slowly, each of them walked up, El pulling her hoodie down in the meantime. Something inside of Will must've snapped as he got closer to Max, because he took that tiny step back in closer to her. Mackenzie tightened her grip on her arm a little bit.
"Do they know . . . when she will wake?" El questioned.
Lucas shook his head. "No. They say she might not."
Mackenzie looked down at the floor, her mind spinning — she couldn't live without Max, she couldn't live without Max, she couldn't live without Max.
"Her heart stopped," Lucas continued, his voice blank. "For over a minute. She died. I — I mean, clinically, but . . . then she came back. The doctors don't know how. They say it's a miracle."
Will and Mike's eyes then focused on El. Mackenzie noted that, the pieces in her brain clicking together. El had saved Max. But . . . how? El's power's didn't include resurrecting someone.
El then stepped forwards and sat down on the hospital bed. She stared at Max for a moment before taking her limp figures in her hand.
"I'm here, Max," El told her.
Mackenzie watched as El closed her eyes and concentrated. El's eyes started to roll back and forth, just like when she would go into her trance-like state. Mackenzie's heart sped up just a little bit faster in hope. She was just waiting, waiting for something to happen.
But nothing happened. Max stayed the same, a broken figure in a coma, and El's eyes flew open.
Mackenzie should've known better. There was only room for one miracle, apparently, and it had already been used.
☾ ★ ☽
ONLY THE EPILOGUE IS NEXT OH GOD I'M GONNA BE SICK
but HEYYYYY it's the coming out scene I'm so ready