What the Future as for Us

Chapter 50 - AWAKE

A.N

Hiii, how are you today ?

So the last chapter was exclusively Renee's POV for obvious reasons but today Max's POV is back !

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I liked writing it <3

Byee, M

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...NOVEMBER...

Maxine's POV

Black, it's all black then lights and dark again.

Where I am ? What happened ?

The world around me is a fragmented blur, a mix of sensations and sounds that I can't quite make sense of. My body feels weightless, detached from reality, like I'm floating in a void, trapped between dreams and consciousness. I try to move, but my limbs feel heavy, unresponsive.

I hear faint whispers, soft and distant, like echoes from another world. They drift through the darkness, pulling at the edges of my awareness. It's like I'm underwater, every sound muffled, distorted.

"Max... Maxine... Can you hear me?"

A flash of light sears through the darkness, and I catch glimpses of faces, blurred and indistinct.

"She's waking up... Maxine, can you hear us?"

I try to remember what happened, but nothing.

The light flashes again, brighter this time, and I catch a glimpse of the face next to me. Who are these people ?

I force my eyes open, blinking against the harsh, fluorescent light. The room swims into focus, sterile and white, with machines beeping softly at my bedside. I'm in a hospital.

A figure moves into my line of sight, a nurse with kind eyes and a gentle smile. She leans over me, her voice soft and soothing.

"Maxine, you're awake. Can you hear me?"

I nod, or at least I think I do. It's hard to tell where my body ends and the pain begins. "You've been in a car accident," she continues, her words slow and deliberate, as if speaking to a child. "You're in UCLA Medical Center. You're going to be okay"

LA ? What the fuck I am doing in Los Angeles ?

"Your family is here, can they come in"

I nod again. I can't talk. My throat feels raw, like I've swallowed shards of glass. The door opens, and I see my parents and siblings enter the room. Their faces are a mixture of relief and worry. My mom's hand trembles as she reaches out to touch mine, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

FR : "Maxine, ma chérie," "On est là. Tout va bien"

ENG : "Maxine, Honey," she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion. "We're here. You're going to be alright."

My dad stands beside her, his usual stern expression softened with concern. My siblings linger in the background, their faces pale and anxious. I must look really bad. They all talk slowly, taking turns to hold my hand. Their presence is reassuring though. They stay for a while, but I still can't talk. Eventually, they leave to eat and let me rest.

Time drifts by in a haze of light and shadow. When I thought they came back, the door opens again, and the nurse enters with three other people.

There are three women, one of them is in a wheelchair, her face etched with lines of pain and weariness. I don't recall anything about them, but they don't feel like strangers.