𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐒

Joy

•Third Person• (Btw the whole chapter is in third person AND ALSO THIS ISN'T THE LAST CHAPTER THERES TOO MUCH TO WRITE SO YOURE GETTING MORE CHAPTERS YAYYYY!)
Max walked through the door, Mike and El sitting on the hospital bed with their new baby. They both turned their heads to look at her, El forcing a tired smile and Mike motioning Max to come over. She stepped in the room carefully, afraid she might wake the baby who seemed to be sleeping in El's arms. She looked down at the oddly small baby, then to the nurse who was standing in the corner, then back at the baby.

"Her name is Joy" Mike said, referring to the baby. Max smiled at him, still worried about Joy's size.

"Mike?" El said in a slightly worried tone, pulling at his sweater but not looking at him, her eyes glued onto Joy.

"S-she's not breathing." She whispered, her hands shaking slightly. Mike looked down at her, his face contorted into a horrified expression as he called the nurse over, who then took the baby away into another room quickly. El looked down at her wrapped up bloody hands, tears falling down her face.

"What did I do wrong?" She asked in between gasps, the crying continuing. Mike turned her face towards his, holding her head in his hands as he kissed her lightly. He leaned away, tears forming in his own eyes as he wiped away hers.

"N-nothing. You did great..." He trailed off, thinking about something. She sniffled, furrowing her eyebrows at his current look of confusion as he looked down.

"What is it?" She asked quietly, taking his hands from her face and interlocking their fingers carefully. He shook his head and looked back up at her, the look of confusion still present on his face.

"Did Landler do all this to you?"

El nodded tiredly, looking ashamed for letting it get this far. Mike leaned in once more, kissing her head before turning to Max, his expression cold. Max gave him a sympathetic frown before pulling him into a hug, feeling his tears soak through her shirt.

"Stay strong for El," she began in a whisper, patting him on the back lightly. Mike only sniffled, not looking up at her.

"She needs you right now, be there for her." Max finished, pulling out of the hug and grabbing Mike by the shoulders. He nodded, looking down at the floor as if he had something to say.

"What did he do to her?" He asked tentatively, not even sure if he wanted the answer to that question. Max sighed, bringing him over to a chair and sitting him down, taking a seat next to him. She squeezed his right hand, not looking him in the eye. When she did look up at him, her own eyes were beginning to fill with tears, the cluster of emotions built up from today all coming out right in this moment.

"From what I know," She began in a shaky voice, pausing to inhale briefly before taking a long breath out so she could continue.

"They induced her. At some point they..." She trailed off, breaking eye contact but not letting go of his hand. She turned her head towards El and squeezed her eyes shut, tears dripping onto her shirt. Make gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, encouraging her to continue.

"They used these big... bolts.. or nails. And they hammered them into her hands and feet to keep her on this metal table. W-when we got there, Dustin beat the crap out of Landler and Lucas kept her calm while I pulled them out." She paused, not completely done letting her thoughts out. Mike sensed it and nodded, wiping a tear that was about to fall.

"There was so much blood. I thought she was going to die, I know she thought that too. But she wouldn't leave, not without you." Max said a little quieter, Mike's eyes going wide.

Max opened her mouth to talk, but instead a sob escaped, cueing Mike to pull her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He turned his head over to El
who was asleep in the bed, still looking pained. He felt his heart pang at the sight of how she looked dead. Max pulled out of his arms and looked over at El too, feeling the same pang in her heart for the girl who had grown to be like a sister to her.

For about twenty minutes the two sat in silence, too exhausted to hold a conversation. They finally began talking again when the rest of the group came through the door.

Not sure exactly how many but there will probably be 1-3 more chapters you're welcome.
-Ava