Home ||~~Elax/Elmax~~||

Tests, tests, and more tests

Hopper watched as Emily lead Max away to the secure room. She looked drained.

As the door closed, he and Leo just sat in silence, neither knowing what to say about what they'd just heard. The quiet was eventually broken when Hopper stood up and threw his chair across the room in frustration, "FUCK!" he shouted.

Pacing the room attempting to dissipate the furious energy coursing through him, he missed Leo's concerned "Hopper?" It was only when he heard his name being yelled from the usually quiet, reserved doctor that he stopped.

"Jim, what the fuck is this? This Brenner..." he spat the name, disgusted a so-called doctor would even condone this let alone orchestrate it, "I mean...torture? God, even if I suspended all my morals and my Hippocratic Oath I still couldn't even contemplate...this, it's abhorrent...repellent, but this...this takes sick to a whole new level...what's wrong with this guy? And where does he find the rest of the sickos who work under him!?"

Hopper just looked at him, unable to answer any of his questions.

"And this guy, Billy, Max's brother...I don't get how he fits into all this?"

At this comment, Hopper interjected "whatever you heard about him, do not, I repeat, do not tell another soul. You and I are the only people other than Max who know of his involvement and that he helped them escape...if anyone there found out, his life would be in serious danger, ok?"

Leo nodded 'yes' with a serious expression then sighed loudly. "Fuck...I don't even know how I'm going to start helping them" he admitted.

"Slow and steady, Leo" Hopper said, patting him on the shoulder, "that's all we can do."

They both heard a knock on the door and Emily came in a second later, "they're both sleeping now" she informed them, "Max took a sedative too, she was...nervous about going to sleep, she didn't say as much but I'm assuming bad dreams."

"Ok, thanks Em" replied Leo before turning to Hopper, "you may as well go, I'd advise you get some rest, that's what I'm planning."

"Yeah, I'll do that, as soon as I'm finished speaking with Karen and Susan" he replied, "they're bound to be pissed that they weren't here to listen to Max explain it all."

"Good luck with that" Leo said with a smile.

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Karen and Joyce just sat next to each other horrified at what they'd just heard and holding each other's hand for comfort. They knew Brenner was evil yet neither could have imagined anything even remotely close to this.

Susan, however, was sat in complete disbelief at what she'd just heard. Yes, she knew some of El's background, everyone in town did, and had been told a few extra details over the past couple of years that most folks didn't know, but the notion that it was really real and still very much a threat stunned her. Even worse, she knew that Billy, her step-son, had been working there, that much wasn't a secret. To think, she and Neil had been glad he had finally gotten a decent job and was actually starting to grow up and take some responsibility.

"They kidnapped my daughter...they fucking kidnapped her and made it look like she ran away..." she said out loud as if trying to make herself believe it was true. "My god...Max..." She put her head in her hands and started crying.

"Susan..." Karen started before she was cut off.

"No...no, don't" Susan said harshly, "don't speak to me."

Karen looked at Joyce and Hopper as if asking for help.

"It's not her fault" Hopper said gruffly.

Susan looked at him venomously, "if she hadn't been at the Wheeler's she never would have been taken" she declared. Karen just lowered her head into her hands feeling nothing but guilt in that moment, convincing herself that they never should have gone away that weekend.

"Bullshit" Joyce interjected before Hopper could reply, making everyone look at her in surprise. "If it wasn't at Karen's house it would have been at your place or in the woods or on the street. It doesn't matter, they'd have found a way to get them at any cost, they'd stop at nothing to get what they want." She let that sink in for a moment before continuing, "are you really going to do this now, Susan, is it really worth spending the time blaming us or helping your daughter?"

Susan frowned and looked down at the speckled hospital floor before closing her eyes tight and rubbing them with her hands. "I...I'm sorry" she finally said, "it's just..." she trailed off.

"We know" Joyce said, "we all know...we've just had longer to come to terms with it."

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The next few days were filled with tests and evaluations. Max was deemed well enough to go home the next day, much to her dismay. She didn't want to leave El alone but knew she had to adhere to hospital policies, instead staying as long as visitor hours and an understanding Dr Roberts would allow. They followed the same routine every day; Max arrived at 8, she ate breakfast with El who would then have more tests, blood work, psychological evaluations, brain scans, the list was endless. Lunch would have been bland hospital food, but Karen brought in a homemade dish every time hoping that El's favorite dishes would spark some recognition from her. Max realized very quickly that El seemed very 'out of it' most of the time, everything around her, everything that had happened was totally overwhelming her and she was mentally and physically exhausted. And every evening when Max had to leave it was like torture; just as the doctors and nurses would leave them alone for a couple of hours and El would start to relax in her company, she would have to leave. The hug goodbye was awful, Max never wanted to let go and she was convinced El felt it too despite her inability to remember.

The rest of the gang had all heard about what had happened, sadly none were able to make it for a few days at least. Bar Lucas, they'd all had time off from the start of their studies and couldn't just up and leave at a moment's notice. Dr Roberts wasn't concerned, he said that clearly Max elicited the most powerful response from El and that she trusted her more than anyone so Max was the important one to be around.

Hopper was there daily too, Leo gave him a daily report on her progress, or lack thereof, and they discussed ideas and strategies that they could try. He also ensured that El was guarded 24/7, he wasn't taking any more chances with her safety until he could find a way to guarantee it.

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