voyager // max mayfield

THIRTY TWO: VOYAGER

Erica Sinclair never managed to call for an ambulance.

After the earth rumbled, and the gates grew, she made her way back to Lucas and Max, terrified, only to see Max crying into the chest of a limp Eve Harrington.

Erica had never dealt with death before. She had no idea what to do other than stand and stare, heart heavy as she stared at Max and Lucas.

It was weird - it genuinely felt as if Eve was no longer in the room. Her body was there, but she was not.

No medic could get there in time to save Eve Harrington.

She was dead upon the ambulance's arrival, her time of death written down and her body carefully taken into the ambulance by the response unit.

Max hadn't spoken a word, unable to get the words out as tears continuously fell, grief and regret eating away at her heart - it should've been her... it should've been her.

Lucas was the one to explain what had happened, saying it had something to do with the earthquake, the doctors asking no further questions knowing all response units were out helping those who had been injured by the event. It was difficult to lie about how your friend had died, to bury the truth that she had done it for what she hoped was the greater good - she was a hero, and nobody knew other than him and their group of friends.

The hardest person to tell was none other than Steve Harrington, who came barrelling into to hospital after the realisation that the group was not at the Creel House - it was hard enough to find out Eddie had died, Steve being the one to find Dustin crying over the boy's dead body. He hadn't known Eddie for long, but he cared for the boy, and to see him gone was heartbreaking.

He didn't know what he was walking into when he got to the hospital, running to the front desk and asking for the room of Max Mayfield, assuming she was the one who had lost her life - after all she was the bait.

"There is no Max Mayfield in our system," The lady had told him with a sad tired smile - the number of people appearing injured from the earthquake, Steve was just one in a long line of people asking for friends and family members.

"No Max? It could be under Maxine," Steve stressed to her, Nancy, Robin and Dustin close behind him, Dustin still in tears from Eddie.

"As I said, there is no Max-" The woman tried to reiterate, but Steve was not having it.

"Please, just check!"

"Steve..."

Steve's head snapped to the side, seeing a teary-eyed Max Mayfield standing with Lucas and Erica Sinclair.

Steve felt his heart sink through his chest, knowing the one person who wasn't standing with them was the one he cared the most for. His mouth opened and closed, unable to speak as he looked at their faces, all of them had teary eyes, all of them seemed exhausted - all of them looked filled with grief.

"No," Steve shook his head suddenly, "No..." He felt himself stepping back, an unknown hand going to his shoulder as his vision went blurry, any oxygen in his lungs completely trapped as he was rendered breathless.

"Steve," Nancy sighed out, her heart breaking for the Harrington boy. Steve was still in shock, he hadn't even heard the news, and he just knew. He knew she was gone.