The Deep Stuff - Markle - GMW Fanfic

Chapter 6

I woke up in a hospital room. I sat up, confused and scared and trying to ignore the huge ache in my head. I looked around blurrily until my eyes focused on the people sitting next to me. Lucas and Riley were sitting right next to my bed, sharing a chair, with Riley on Lucas' lap, her head resting on his shoulder, asleep. Lucas was also asleep, and behind them was Farkle. He was standing, leaning against the wall eyes deep in thought. When I made the bed creak by attempting to get up, his head snapped to me and he rushed over.

"Maya... Thank God," he whispered, and gently taking my hand. "Stay in bed."

"What happened?" I asked feebly, reaching for the glass of water on the table by the bed. Farkle sighed and explained how I'd run away in a panic and slipped and gotten a mild concussion. They'd driven me straight here, and then Mr. Matthew's had come with RIley and Lucas after school. "What time is it?" I asked struggling to glance around for a clock, to check the time through the stinging headache.

He placed a hand on my shoulder as he checked his watch. "Uh, it's 6:20. You've been out for around 6 hours, but the doctors gave you something to keep you sleeping that was supposed to wear off around now, so it's ok. Speaking of which, I should probably tell the nurse that you woke up." He moved towards the door, but I grabbed his wrist as he did. He turned back and looked at me.

"Thanks, Farkle." I said with what I hoped was a meaningful look on my face. A small smile graced his lips and he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Your welcome," he said taking my hand again. "You might want to wake up those two while I go get the nurse. They were worried sick when they got here." I nodded and smiled a small but genuine smile as he left. I turned to the snoozing couple to my right and reached out to nudge Riley's knee. I tapped again, and she slowly woke up.

I watched her face as her mind recognized the situation, and as she nearly fell off of Lucas' lap, I began to apologize. "Riles, I'm so sorry I didn't-"

I was cut off by Riley hugging me tightly. I heard small sobs coming from her, and I let her cry into my shoulder. "Oh Maya, I can't believe I didn't see what was going on..."

My eyes widened as I realized that she thought any of this was her fault. I gently pushed her back, aided by Lucas, who had woken up and was now standing behind her with a worried expression. He pulled her up gently by the shoulders and pressed her close to him.

"Riles, no. None of this is your fault. It's all his, and mine I guess. I just sorry I didn't tell you about... any of it. You're my best friend, I should've..."

"Maya... I'm so sorry..." she said sorrowfully, raising her hands to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry too... but you can't feel guilty okay? You just can't. It was completely out of your control." I reached out to grab her hand and she gripped mine with all her strength.

"When my dad told us we had to come here, I didn't know what to think or what to do, and I was so scared maya, I was so scared..." She pressed her face into Lucas' chest. He reached up to stroke her hair and I felt tears pricking at my own eyes.

After a minute, Farkle came back in with the doctor. He did a few checks then went out to tell the Matthews' how I was doing. Farkle sat on the corner of my bed and Lucas and Riley had resumed their position in the chair next to me. The hospital room was quiet us my friends tried to process what I had been going through. The beeping machines filled it with the pristine tension that the hospital brought, and the four of us continued to sit there.

~~~

At the end of the day, the doctors had discharged me with the Matthews'. When we arrived back at their house, Mrs. Matthews' got the call they had found my stepfather and he was going to be locked up for a long time. They hadn't found my mother, but they were still looking. This call gave me peace of mind, and I was able to fall asleep somewhat peacefully. Farkle had asked to stay over, and I felt him snuggle into me on the pull-out couch. His comforting presence helped me doze off calmly, with no worries, something I hadn't done for sometime.