I really thought I lost you.

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My knuckles were bruised like violets, sucker punching walls.

The Sinclair Residence
November 1986

The loud voices coming from downstairs startled Max awake, she groaned as she rolled over in the bed. After checking the time on Lucas's alarm clock Max noticed that it was already 2pm, she rolled out of the bed and walked over to the drawer Lucas saved for her in his dresser. She pulled out a black spaghetti strap tank top and jeans.

Once she was dressed she put on her necklace that Lucas bought her once when she was pretending to be mad at him, smiling at the memory she left the room and walked down the stairs. When she entered the living room, Dustin and Mike were wrestling over a bag of m&m's while Will cheered on Dustin and El cheered on Mike. Dustin was clearly winning, They all knew that. But they let them fight anyway.

Max leaned gently against the door frame, crossing her arms and biting her lip slightly to hide her smile. Dustin emerged victorious, flipping the bird at mike as he poured all of the m&m's into his mouth at once. She watched as a disgusted Mike stood up and wiped himself off. El smirked at him, she was secretly on Dustin's side but she could never tell him that.

"Hey, you." Dustin smiled, his voiced slightly muffled from the m&m's. Max smiled him in return, her eyes half closed. El approached her, arms wide inviting her in for a hug. Max returned the gesture and soon El pulled away.
"You look pretty today," she beamed, normally Max would have made a snide comment like 'what? So I don't look pretty everyday?' But she knew that El struggled with understanding and recognising sarcasm. So she opted to just smile at her friend.
"Thanks, El." She replied. In all honesty she did think she looked better today, healthier. She was a little less pale, some colour had come back to her skin. Her rosy cheeks and nose were back after almost 8 months in the coma.

She had woken up in late October, surrounded by her friends and their family. And Lucas. She wasn't sure why she categorised Lucas differently from the rest of her friends. That's what they are. Friends. They had broken up. Well. She had broken up with him.

As if she had summoned him, Lucas entered from the front door behind her. He was carrying several bags of groceries, "Morning." He grumbled in her direction, turning into the kitchen and beginning to unpack the bags into the cupboards and fridge.

Things had been awkward for a while, Lucas opted to let Max sleep in his bed while she recovered from the coma. Her trailer had been destroyed during the 'earthquake' and her mom had fled back to California after Max woke up, allowing Max to stay with her friends under the condition that she stay permanently with Lucas's parents. But what Susan had failed to realise was how awkward it would be for Max and Lucas considering they were now exes.

Max leaned over to help him, picking up a box of cereal and reaching up to put it in the cupboard above her. In doing so she exposed the bandage on her stomach. She had to have several procedures carried out throughout the time she spent in the coma, they used the same entrance point each time which resulted in a large incision that still hadn't healed much after a month.

"Hey! No, no don't do that! I- I'll get it," Lucas said, panicked. The sudden burst of noise frightened Max, who dropped the box of cereal on the floor.
"Lucas! What the hell!" She yelled back at him, leaning over to pick it up. Before she could even reach it, Lucas was grabbing the box and putting it on the shelf in the cupboard. She stared at him intently. "What the hell was that for?!" She yelled, shoving him slightly to move past him toward the sink.

She poured herself a glass of water, in between sips she took deep breaths to keep herself calm. "I...I'm sorry, Max." Lucas started, "It's just- I'm scared. I don't want you to hurt anymore and I don't like watching you like this." He said, motioning toward the stitches. She sighed lightly at the confession,
"I know you're concerned, Lucas, and I understand. I really do." She said, sincerely. She placed the glass down on the kitchen counter, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She turned her head to the left and leant it against his chest.

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