What We Trade Our Hearing For (a North and South Story)

13. The City Sleeps in Flames

"The empire will fall like they planned on

Can we even last through the night

We watch as the skyscrapers crumble

Under the burning blue sky,

That blinds our eyes!"

-Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Maggie

Insufferable man. Just when she thought they were making headway, doing better about understanding each other, he said something so disagreeable that she couldn't help but hate him a little bit. How could he talk about his friends like that? Did he really hold so much contempt for the Higgins, who had been by his side for so long? She didn't want to believe it, knowing how much this whole situation had hurt Nick and Becca. And his sister! Faith was in fine form that night, exceeding Maggie's expectations for pretentiousness. Maggie thought her not unlike Mr. Bell in that regard, always using someone else's discomfort for their own amusement or gain.

She felt slighted by John's pointed cut, sure no one else had failed to notice it, either. He had hardly glanced in her direction the rest of the evening, though Maggie's attention was often drawn towards him. He commanded attention, his charismatic speech and animated expressions often held court during the dinner. As she watched him, she was struck again with how handsome he looked. There was an indescribable quality that he held, a mixture of power and confidence in the way he carried himself. Yet, he was never fully at ease. That was obvious; any small disturbance in the room was instantly noticed, eyes ever roving over the group to assure everyone's comfort and enjoyment.

It was obvious that her father wasn't pleased with the tone of the dinner, though he didn't say anything directly. They were largely silent on the trip home, each lost in their own thoughts. Mr. Hale wandered off towards the music room as soon as they arrived, while Maggie stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water. She stumbled upon Dixie, hurriedly putting away pill bottles into a small lock box.

"What are those?" Maggie asked, grabbing one still on the counter in front of Dixie. She read the label, a medication she wasn't familiar with, but it was her mother's name on the bottle. "What are these for?"

Dixie looked suspicious and shrugged a little. "Oh, just some medicines." She grabbed the last bottle from Maggie and put it in the box, locking it and cradling it under her arm before turning to go.

Her retreat was blocked by Maggie, who wasn't at all satisfied with her vague answer. "What kind of medication? Why do you have them hidden away in a box?" She folded her arms, apparently determined for an answer.

"They're just her usual nighttime medicines, the ones the Emory doctor prescribed." Maggie hadn't known she had even seen an Emory doctor yet, much less been prescribed a box full of medication. Dixie could see the confusion and concern in the younger girl's eyes as the implication of this settled in. She resigned herself to tell Maggie the truth about her mother, though her old friend had asked her not to. It wasn't something that Maria would be able to talk to her daughter openly about. Neither Dixie nor Maria had wanted to worry the family needlessly, but she could see that the time for that was passed.

After the events of the night, Maggie was not prepared for the revelations that Dixie hoisted upon her. How could she have been so blind to her own mother's condition? She should have been more alert, more helpful. They shouldn't have endeavored to hide it from her in the first place. She thought to scold Dixie for this but was overcome with the desire to be near her mother, the realization that time in her presence was limited weighing heavily upon her.