Milo and Maisie

Chapter The Vanishing Prairie: Out and Equal - Summit 2023

Mr. and Mrs. Fedora, Maisie, and Maisie's parents met at the hospital the next afternoon to support Feya during her discharge. Milo was a little tired, so Maisie left him behind to rest; however, she ensured everything was double-locked so he wouldn't escape again.

Now, there she was. Maisie pushed a still beat-up Feya to her car, her parents and Maisie's following close behind, and opened the front passenger door. Dr. Alexander fit her for a new prosthetic before discharging her, but until he got it to her, Feya was stuck. She also had to wear the head bandage for another day, but at least her breathing was back to normal.

Maisie helped Feya into the car and folded the wheelchair, slipping it and her crutches into the back.

Feya buckled and pressed her ice pack against her bruised temple. The poor girl looked like someone punched her in the head in a wrestling ring. She was lucky the fall wasn't higher.

"Feya, are you sure you don't want to go to the hotel with us?" Mrs. Fedora asked, grasping Mr. Fedora's hand.

"I want to go to Flamingo with Maisie," she responded, lowering her ice pack. "She'll take care of me, Mom and Dad."

They cringed but understood.

"Very well." Mrs. Fedora released Mr. Fedora and approached Feya, kissing her. "We'll stop by later. Until then, don't throw any wild parties."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Mrs. Fedora," Maisie stated. "Feya's likely going to sleep."

Feya lifted an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Instinct," Maisie answered, almost flirtingly. She wrapped a strand of hair around her finger and looked at her parents. "Mom, Dad, are you coming?"

"In a little while." Mrs. Foster pecked Mr. Foster's cheek. "Your dad and I need to do something really quickly, May. You focus on getting Feya settled."

Maisie wondered what her parents had up their sleeves but decided to ask later. She hugged them quickly and shuffled to the driver's side, ducking inside.

As expected, Feya fell asleep on the way back to Flamingo Crossings.

Because of that, Maisie passed through the drive-thru window of Flamingo's Walgreens to pick up her medicine. She kept it out of Daisy's reach and quietly drove down Hartzog Rd. to the turn-in for East's parking lot.

Maisie stole Feya's Flamingo card and scanned her and herself in. She waved at the Security Guard and found a parking space behind Building 13. It was close enough to 17 and had a ramp for wheelchairs.

"Feya." Maisie lightly shook her shoulder. "Wake up. We're home."

***

Milo was the first thing Maisie saw when she and Feya reached the apartment.

He carried his blue blanket in his mouth and stood on his hind legs, placing his paws on Feya's right leg.

She wasn't comfortable showing her stump to the CPs, so Maisie had dug a spare blanket out from her car's trunk and draped it over her lap. She gently booted Daisy off and removed it, wrapping the blanket around Feya's shoulders. "Do you want your bed or the couch?"

"The couch, so I can be near you."

Did Maisie's heart flip? Feya wanted to be near her? That was the sweetest thing ever.