You saved me Maddie

Life as it should be.

I woke up that following morning. I guess I must've fallen asleep after all. I made my bed and walked out to the living room. Maddie was in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Morning" her tone was chirpy.
I yawned.
"Moooorning"
Maddie smiled.
"Slept well?"
I nodded even though I hadn't.
"Made you breakfast" Maddie said and put a plate of eggs on toast on the counter.
"You okay" Maddie looked at me with concern.
"Yeah"
She walked towards me.
"You are awfully pale" she said.
"I'm fine Maddie I-" but Maddie just shook her head and put the back of her hand against my forehead.
"You are not fine you have a fever" she said with a stern look.
"It's fine" I said pushing her hand away from my face.
"Go back to bed" Maddie pointed towards my open room door.
"Fine" I turned around and walked back to my room.
"I'm coming in with breakfast and a cup of tea in a minute" I could hear Maddie yelling.
"You don't have to I'm fine"
"Lay down" I just heard.
I sat down in bed, refusing to admit defeat. My dad and stepmom never let me be sick so this was a first. Maddie came in a few minutes later, holding a tray with a mug and the breakfast she had recently prepared. She put the tray on my bedside table and shoved something in my ear. I flew up and pushed my back against the wall.
"Oh I'm sorry" Maddie had a worried look on her face "it's just at thermometer"
"Sorry" I took a breath and let her put the thermometer back in my ear.
It beeped and Maddie took it out.
"Yep, definitely a fever"
"Is it okay if I eat breakfast later? I'm not really hungry" I dragged my knees up to my chest.
"Of course" Maddie gave me a warm smile.
I laid down and slid under the duvet.
"How about you get some sleep?" Maddie dragged the duvet up above my shoulders.
I nodded with a yawn. Maddie planted a kiss on my forehead and walked out of my room. But before she walked out she stopped and turned around to me and said;
"Do you want the door open or closed?"
"Are you going to be home?" I asked.
"Yup, the whole day"
"Okay then" I nodded "you can leave it open".
I drifted in and out of sleep for maybe two or three hours. My head was killing me, well not literally but it hurt like hell. Maddie came in after a few hours which woke me from my slumber.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you" she said.
"You didn't it's okay" I answered her.
"Well here" she changed the breakfast tray to a tray with a glass of water and a pill on "take this"
"What is it?" I asked her.
"It will help to put your fever down"
"Oh" I grabbed the glass and the pill and shoved it down with a big chug.
"Good girl" Maddie smiled "you want anything?"
I shook my head.
"No thank you"
I didn't eat anything for the whole day, I just watched tv or read. I fell asleep again around eight o'clock and slept the entire night and woke up at 10. When I walked out to the kitchen Maddie was sitting there on a FaceTime call with someone. She turned around when she heard my footsteps against the wood floor.
"Morning sleepyhead" she grinned.
"Morning" I yawned.
"Slept well?" Maddie turned her head a bit.
"Mhm" I nodded.
"Good"
I noticed the FaceTime call on her laptop screen.
"And who are you talking to then?" I asked with a taunting smile even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
"Chimney" Maddie answered "Wanna say hi?"
She turned the laptop so that it faced me. I could we Chimney on the screen. I waved and smiled.
"Hi Ellie" he said, his voice a bit muffled by the FaceTime.
"Hi" I answered him.
"Chim listen, I've got to make breakfast for her, can we talk maybe tonight?" Maddie turned the laptop back to its original position.
"Can't you guys come to dinner in the firehouse instead?" He asked.
Maddie turned to me.
"You okay with that?"
I nodded.
"Yeah sure"
That day went by so slowly. Maddie did some work from home and I watched some more tv and one movie. Finally I got to use one of my new pairs of jeans and a hoodie so that other people could see. Maddie wore a green blouse with a pair of jeans. After Maddie had looked for her purse for a few minutes we left the apartment and drove to the 118 firehouse.
When we walked inside our footsteps echoed through the big hall. There was two ladder trucks and one ambulance that I could see. There was a loft at the back of the firehouse, from which I could hear voices and smell food. Maddie walked towards a flight of stairs and walked upstairs. Upstairs I could see a few people I recognised, Buck, Chimney and Hen. Maddie walked in front of me and waved as they noticed us. Suddenly I felt small so I almost walked entirely walked behind her. When Maddie noticed that she slowed down a bit and turned her head to look at me.
"What's wrong?" Her tone was soft and not forcing at all.
"It's so many people" I said.
Anxiety snaked it's way around my throat, slowly closing in. Maddie put her open hand behind her back and I grabbed it.
"They are nice" she whispered.
"I know"
We walked up to a table and a man in his 50s gestured for us to sit while Buck set the table. Hen sat down next to Chimney that sat down across from Maddie. When everyone was seated the man that gestured for us to sit presented himself as Bobby, captain of the 118 and another man that had brown short hair presented himself as Eddie. Maddie put a hand on my shoulder and said;
"This is Ellie, and she's my foster daughter."
Foster daughter. It felt good hearing that, like my stomach filled with something nice and warm. The food itself was amazing and the company was even better. They had so many funny stories, how they met, theirs weirdest call and stuff like that. When we left I felt full, both of food and good feelings. Maybe I could fit in this life after all?