Remember Me

Wake Up?

Half a year. The time that has passed from the last fight of the gang with Vecna and The Upside Down. The time that has passed from Max's "death". The time she's been in a coma.
Almost everyone in Hawkins had forgotten about everything that happened. The earthquake, the smoke, all the gates that opened. Suddenly, everything was gone. Maybe Vecna was dead? Or maybe he just wanted them to think like that? Whatever it was, only the gang knew that it hadn't passed yet. The danger. The terror. Not yet. Will could still sense him. And he was never wrong.
A war was coming to Hawkins. Deadlier than all the fights they've had till now.
But from half a year Max was in the hospital. No signs of chance for waking up. She was only breathing. And nothing more. Her mom, her friends - they weren't next to her anymore. Even Lucas gave up on visiting her. But one person never did. Eleven. She had to hope for the best. She couldn't leave her there like that. She just couldn't. Not after everything that happened. She felt guilty. She couldn't just pretend everything was okay, when one of her closest friends was in danger of not waking up ever again.
El visited her every single day. From half a year. Every day, after school, she would go to the hospital, sit next to her and talk to her for hours. Sometimes she would even try to enter in her mind. But she would never find her.
One day, as usually, El was sitting on a chair near Max's bed and reading a comic to her. Wonder Woman. It had a special place in El's heart.
Suddenly, a doctor entered:
- Mrs. Hopper. Come with me.
Eleven followed the man out of the room:
- Dr. Owens, is everything okay? - she asked. She was worried. He would never call her without a reason.
- Your friend, Maxine, as you know, she's been in a coma for half a year now. It's been too long... Me and the others... Well, we think that... She will not make it out. I'm sorry.
- What!?
- This is what medicine says. We can not change it, even if we want to. Sometimes, life is awful. Believe me, I know what you've passed through, and I know that this is too much, but we are helpless. No one can save her. I'm sorry.
Eleven sat on the bench in front of her best friend's door. No. This couldn't just be it. Not after all. Max was leaving her? No. This was not possible. El couldn't even imagine a life without her. A tear ran down El's cheek and after that, she started crying.
She was sitting there for hours, just quietly crying and thinking. About Max.