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[ He takes a few deep breaths, trying to keep himself together. The truth is he hasn't really talked to anyone about any of this. Not his parents, not the others - he's reminded why by the pressure behind his eyes and the grief eating him from the inside out.]

I should've been here. [ Another sentence that's been repeating itself over and over again in his mind. Maybe there was nothing that he would've been able to do. Or maybe he could've talked one of them out of the plan. He just doesn't know, and that's the worst part of all of this.] Maybe it might have made a difference.

[ Max's response is one of shock and he watches as she squeezes her eyes shut, like it might keep it out. This probably isn't helping her blood pressure, all things considered, but he doesn't know what else to do. He's reminded of her crying over Billy's body - God, was that only last year? - and he knows without a doubt that she knows what this feels like, even if Eddie and Billy were nothing a like.]

I'm sorry we didn't know what you were going through. [ He wants to believe it would've made a difference. That they might have been able to keep her afloat so she wouldn't become a target. It might have been someone else lying here in her place.]

[She doesn't really know if Mike being there would have changed anything at all. Maybe it would have, maybe it wouldn't. It's not like they can time travel and do things all over again differently. She exhales slowly, trying to keep herself together. Her head hurts, and her body still feels too heavy and she can't seem to move much. Her legs and arms are kind of itchy in addition to feeling heavier than usual, and she hasn't figured out yet that they're in casts still.

She turns her head toward him when he apologizes though. The sincerity there is -- it's almost too much for her to cope with. Hearing it from Lucas had been difficult enough, but hearing it from Mike? Somehow that was harder. Maybe because the two of them weren't known for trading apologies. Mostly banter and insults and once in awhile something more serious.]

It's not your fault. It's not -- it's not anyone's fault. Except Vecna's.

[And her. She's the one who pushed them all away after El moved. After things fell apart at home with her mom and Neil. After they moved into the shitty trailer.]

Yeah. [ He swallows back the other words. Words that don't really matter in the long run. Too little, too late. But at least she's still here. At least he doesn't have to try to say goodbye again. He can still feel the anger just under the surface, but she gives him somewhere to channel it.]

We'll get him, Max. We'll make him pay. [ For everything he'd done to Will, to El, to Max, to Eddie, to all of them. It was going to end one way or another and now more than ever he's ready to make sure it ends with Vecna gone for good, not matter the cost. If he was more self-aware, he might recognize the irony, but self-awareness has never been one of his strong points.]

[ He pauses, realizing that he's pretty much just bulldozed through the last month. Probably not the best way to break the news to someone who just woke up blind.] Sorry, do you want me to call Lucas and El? I've got to call the others and let them know you're awake. Are you hungry? Thirsty? You must be starving.

Yeah.

[She keeps her eyes closed for a moment, still trying to process that Eddie's dead, in no small part due to her. Because it had been her plan. Maybe not the part that involved him directly, but -- at the end of the day the results were all the same, weren't they? Her chest felt tight and it hurt to breathe. It was a familiar feeling, one she'd felt so many nights after Billy's death.]

I'm sorry. About Eddie.

[Her voice was barely audible, fingers curling more tightly around his subconsciously.]

No, just -- let them rest. They've been here a lot, right? I don't -- I don't want anything.

[ He thinks maybe she's tired. He just laid a lot of heavy stuff on her after all. But then she says she's sorry about Eddie and he swallows thickly, shaking his head even though he knows she can't see him. He takes some comfort from the feel of her fingers squeezing his back.] I'm just glad we didn't lose both of you.

[ He smiles, hoping she can hear it in his voice.] How else am I going to learn how to skateboard? [ He's reminded of the last time Max had taught him something - Californian fashion - and how stupid he'd looked. He suspects this was by design, but he can't really bring himself to hold it against her now. Objectively, it had been funny.]

Max, if I don't call them, they'll literally string me up the moment they get here. I don't think Lucas has left for more than a few hours at a time since you got here. El's been here every day, too. [ He sighs. ] She was so scared when she couldn't reach you in the inbetween.

[She wonders, fleetingly, if he wishes it had gone the other way. That she had been the one to die, and Eddie the one who was waking up in the hospital for a month long coma. She wonders just as fleetingly if that would have been the better option for everyone. Eddie had been so full of life and she'd just been existing. Like a ghost. She let those thoughts go as quickly as she could because there was no point in wondering. She'd never know the truth of it anyway.

But -- skateboarding wasn't going to be something she could teach if she was blind and that seemed like it was going to be the case. It also meant she couldn't play video games or read comics or -

Another line of thought she shut down. She chews her lower lip for a moment, knowing she was right. Lucas would be furious with Mike and she didn't want to be the cause of a rift.]

Yeah I just -- no, you're right. You should call them. [She doesn't know what to do with the information that El's been trying to reach her in that inbetween space. She remembers El fighting Vecna -- and she assumes that was real. But then everything was just...a big blank. Except.

Except she could remember hearing Eddie's voice. And she could remember hearing other voices around her that she just couldn't respond to. Where had she gone that made her unreachable to El?]

Sorry, my head's just -- [She shrugs.]

Yeah, it's okay. [ It's more than okay. She's awake. The more he thinks about how he's going to break the news, the more he realizes just how much they've all been trying to prepare themselves for the worst. This is a win in a long, long streak of painful losses. He grins and pats her hand before withdrawing his. ] You sure you don't want anything else?

[ He knows once word gets around, the whole party will be descending on her hospital room. There's barely enough room in here for three visitors, let alone a full party. ] You're only allowed to have a few visitors at a time, but if it's the party versus the nurses, my money's on us. [ He huffs out a small laugh.] But if you want me to run interference so it's not so crazy, I can do that.

Yeah, I'm okay.

[She's not hungry or thirsty or anything that can really be taken care of by anyone else. She's exhausted, which she thinks is stupid as hell considering she's been unconscious for an entire month. But she wants the others there, even if she can't see them.

My money's on the party, too, for the record. [Especially under the circumstances. She hopes maybe the circumstances will mean the nurses won't give them too much trouble.]

But no, it's fine. Let 'em all come. [She pauses now, for a minute.] I remember hearing all of you, I just -- felt like I was under water. I couldn't answer. I couldn't always understand what you were all saying, but I recognized you. [Max bites her lip.] But I don't remember hearing my mom?

You did? [ He's never personally been in a coma, but this information is more than a little interesting. It's also a little heartbreaking, thinking that Max could hear them but couldn't respond that whole time. His eyebrows knit together in consternation at her question. It's one he probably should've expected sooner than later, but he's still caught off guard by it.

He takes a breath, but finds it hard to actually form the words. He clears his throat.] I haven't seen her, but it's possible that she's coming by when I'm not here. Lucas or El would probably know more. [ He pauses.] Uh, I did hear Joyce say she survived the earthquake though.

[ He'd heard a lot more than that, but it's probably better if Joyce tells her.] I can try to call her first. If you want?

Yeah. [She goes quiet for a moment, considering. She'd heard Mike a lot, actually, unless some of that had just been her dreaming or hallucinating. But somehow she doesn't think that's the case. She doesn't really know what to do with that information. That Mike, and all her friends had been there so much, and she has no recollection of her mom having been there at all. Maybe it's a relationship that's just beyond repair at this point.]

I don't think that's been happening. With my mom. [She tries to smile but doesn't quite manage it.] But yeah, maybe call Joyce first. [So she can just get that bandaid ripped off as quickly as possible and move on with her life. Whatever that might look like in the next few weeks and months.]

[ Mike swallows, his mouth falling into a frown at her attempted smile. He doesn't know what kind of mother would leave her kid when she was in this kind of condition. He doesn't even think his dad is that cold, and he once forgot Mike at a rest stop on a family vacation. ] Things have been pretty nuts out there, maybe she's been trying to find a place for you two to live.

[ It's not much of an excuse, but it's the only thing he can think of. He knows if it were him in Max's place, Karen would have to be physically removed from the room. He reaches out and squeezes her hand again. ] But don't worry. We'll find her.

Yeah maybe. [She...doesn't think that's the case but she's too tired to try and argue the point, even with Mike. Maybe right now, especially with Mike.]

Is -- everyone in your family okay? Your parents and Holly?

[She remembers Nancy saying something about Vecna targeting his mom and Holly in her vision. She has to swallow hard when he squeezes her hand. She's so not used to this side of Mike being directed at her.]

Yeah, they're fine. [ He rolls his eyes. ] My dad's pissed the cable is out, but none of them are hurt. They still don't have any idea what's going on.

[ It's generally understood that they shouldn't drag anyone not already involved into this mess, but Mike still can't stop himself from asking. ]

Does your mom know? About all of this?

[She makes a face at that being the thing his dad's annoyed about. But...he doesn't know. And she gives her head a firm shake at that question.]

No way. We don't really talk. About anything. [She isn't sure if Mike is aware but...] She drinks. A lot.

[ He had figured as much from the small things Max and Lucas had dropped during the course of their relationship, but somehow hearing it directly from Max in these circumstances is much, much worse. He frowns. ] Okay. Don't worry, we won't tell her anything unless we don't have any other choice.

Okay. I mean, I don't think she's gonna be around anyway so it shouldn't be an issue.

{She shrugs.]

Well, we will be.

[ If it's said a little harshly it's because Mike's never been good at hiding his judgement. He can't imagine anyone that would leave their daughter behind to deal with all of this on their own, even if they didn't know or understand everything that was really going on. ]

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