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El ran through the hospital, bursting open every door with force. Her thundering footsteps echoed through the hallways. Only one thing was on her mind.
Vecna was after Max.
Max was in danger.
She had crossed paths with a shaking nurse, hidden behind the reception desk. Desperately, Eleven yelled a question at the woman.
"Where's Max Mayfield? Or Lucas Sinclair?"
A trembling voice replied. Not from the nurse, but from the uninjured receptionist beside her. "Lucas. The uh.. The intercom told Lucas to.. Go to the b-basement."
El took off barely a second after the woman finished her sentence.
Running into an open lift, she hit the button to close the doors, not waiting for the people behind her. Max needed her. They could get the next one.
The doors closed painfully slowly. She had to resist the urge to use her powers to force them shut in fear of the lift breaking.
The wait for the lift to descend was so much worse. Jane's laboured breathing was the only sound that filled the suffocating air. Her palms were sweaty at the lack of control.
The doors had barely opened as she squeezed herself through the gap, immediately picking up speed again. She hastily checked each room and corner she came across, but was soon drawn towards the sound of laboured breathing.
Eleven sprinted towards it, paying no mind to the charred flesh of demodogs as she jumped over them in a hurry.
She saw Robin from behind, and quickly makes her way to her. Her question of Max's whereabouts dies on her lips.
Sitting atop a table, supported by Lucas, is Max.
An alive, safe, and awake Max.
Max is awake.
Eleven feels her heart stop. Her breath catches in her throat, and it feels like her feet are cemented to the ground.
Max is awake.
And suddenly, as she's trying to remember how to breathe, she feels herself moving forward once more.
"You're here... you're really here."
She was out of breath. Not because of running, or stress, but because she truly, wholeheartedly, could not believe what she was seeing.
"I'm here."
Max's voice was croaky, broken and raspy, but it was the most beautiful noise Jane had ever heard. Her throat began to close up, and a stinging pressure built up behind her eyes faster than she could recognise. She moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lucas, and collapsed into the hug. Gentle sniffling from all three filled the air.
Jane's hand gravitated to the back of Max's head, and moved it down to the small of her neck in a practised fashion. She repeated the motion over and over, sobbing into the ginger's shoulder.
"You're here..." was all the girl could mutter. "You're here..."
A weak, very shaky hand held her arm in response.
"I'm not.. go-ing anywhere..."
Pulling away from the two of them, Eleven brought her hand to the girl's tear-stained cheek and swiped her thumb under her eye. Her gorgeous baby blue eyes that Jane had missed oh so dearly. They looked towards her but not directly at her. Sensing the confusion, Max tried to speak up.
"I can't... really.. see you, clearly. But I still... s-see you. But may-be.. you j-ust love... my eyes."
Eleven huffed out a laugh.
It was obvious how much effort it took Max to talk or move, but before Eleven could tell her to rest, Lucas beat her to it.
"Take it easy, you need to rest. Reserve your energy." His tone was so gentle, quiet as if it were a secret between the three of them. He turned to El while still gripping Max as if she were the only thing keeping him together.
"She'll be able to see and move soon, with time, and rest. If she gives herself it," Lucas squeezed Max's shoulder, and the girls softly giggled while Lucas smiled at them like they were the only ones in Hawkins. If they were honest, right now it felt like they were. But it felt perfect that way.
Eleven pulled Max towards her and rested their foreheads together as she just stared at the girl. The slight acne she had gained inside the hospital, her paler than usual skin from lack of sunlight, the freckles that littered every inch of her face, her unfocused eyes that held so much love in them. Every inch of the girl was breathtakingly beautiful.
Jane moved her hand back to stroking Max's hair. It was soft but slightly matted on the back from the pillow. The braids were slightly undone, and she hoped she would be able to be the one to redo them, to show how she had improved since the four years ago when Max first taught her how. Perhaps she would tell her that she practiced every night as soon as her own hair was long enough again. How she never liked how braids looked on herself, but she practiced every night because it reminded her of when the two girls sat on the floor of Hopper's cabin giggling and gasping each time El pulled the wrong strand of hair. How gentle hands guided her own in practiced motions, making her feel like one of the girls she'd see on TV.
All Eleven wanted to do was drink up every detail of the girl in front of her, but the space between them drove her mad. She quickly nuzzled her head into Max's shoulder as she felt her tears dampen the thin hospital gown. Max leaned her head against hers, and Lucas brought one of his arms around El as well.
"Welcome home, Kiddo"
Hopper's voice came from behind them, pulling the three of them out of their trance. Eleven never even noticed him enter the room, and truthfully she didn't care. She just held Max tighter. She was all she cared about in that moment. Max was alive, warm, and breathing.
A small whisper came from the girl, quiet enough that only the trio could hear it.
"When.. didn't h-he..?"
"We thought he did." Lucas whispered back.
"He came back," Eleven added. "From Russia."
The absurdity of what they were saying made Max laugh. It was breathy and strained, but it was genuine. The two pulled her impossibly closer. They had missed that sound, and they'll do anything to protect it from now on.
They finally had her back.