Chapter 11

There is something tugging on wrist. Will pulls his wrist, hoping to remove it, but receives a sharp pinch instead causing his eyes to spring open. It is an IV cord. There is an IV cord on his wrist. On his wrist there is an IV cord? What the bloody hell happened?

Will takes note that he is no longer in his bed (the sheets were too scratchy, he would never buy such cheap fabric), let alone in his room. He hears a click at the door and quickly closes his eyes, while the memories of last night washed over him. Will remembers Maddi leaving; however, he also remembers holding her in his bed. It didn't make sense. He hears the door opening now.

"Willy-kins?" He opens his eyes to the familiar high pitched, nasally voice. There stands Ellie in a long green dress, her hands coming to the sides of her mouth, and her eyes going wide, "You are awake."

Ellie rushed to his side and takes his free hand into hers, as he watches the relief wash over her features. Will attempts to lift his head up, but fails, and instead, just turns it slightly towards her. She removes one of her hands from his and uses it to push some of the hair that had fallen in front of his face. The act was endearing, but his jaw still tightened. Ellie, then, places the other hand back on his and smiles, "God, Will, I didn't know you were this sick. I am so, so, so sorry. We should have got you to the hospital earlier. Will-Bear, we almost lost you."

Will opens his mouth to say something; however, his throat's to dry- he takes his hand from her grip and points to the sink. She looks at him confused for a second, before it clicks. She gets up, makes him a cup of water, and hands it to him. Will ignores every fiber in his muscle telling him to lie back down and pushes himself up to take the cup. After he drains it, he hands it back to her and lies back down. Ellie stays by his side, this time not taking his hand, "Better?"

"Mu…much," he croaks out in reply, "Wh...wha...what happ…?"

"Well I found you in your office …"

"A..af..fter?" Will asks, cutting her off.

"After?" Ellie replies back in confusion.

"H…ha…how?" Will breathes heavily, hoping it would release the words, "Haa-how he…here?"

"Well," at this she sits in the chair beside him, "I went to go wake you up for breakfast this morning and you didn't wake up. I thought you were being stubborn. Then it rolled around to lunch time and I tried again. But you still didn't wake up. Then Madison went to go try to wake you up. And you didn't. So we called for the ambulance. It's been almost two days."

Two days? He was out for two days? He opens his mouth again, but closes it quickly after, not sure what to say. Ellie, however, seems to answer his unsaid question, "You had the flu. The doctors said you made it worse with alcohol and stress. They didn't have much hope that you would wake."

Will no longer knew what of his memories from that night were real. They both felt so real. He could still feel her handprint from where she slapped him. On the other hand, he could still feel what her body had felt pressed up against his, when he had pulled her closer. He could still feel her hate. He could still her love. The door opens and his heart rate picks up. There stands the girl in question, dressed in jeans, an oversized shirt, and sneakers. Her eyes shined bright, but a frown was secured upon her lips. Foster stands beside her. Will smiles at them and they come in.

"You're alive," Foster says dramatically in his best Frankenstein impersonation, causing Will to laugh, and then cough. Foster makes his way to the other side of the bed, while Maddi stands close to the door. Will keeps his eyes on her, watching as her arms cross in front of her chest and her brows lower in what he believes to be anger.

"Mmm…Ma…Maddi?" Will ignores the loud beeping, hoping that she would come closer. She doesn't. Instead she turns around and leaves. Will finds it hard to breathe again and turns to Foster hoping for an explanation. Foster in reply, looks at Ellie, "Ellie, could you go get a nurse?"

Will doesn't need to look at her to know she is upset about being shooed out of the room. Nevertheless, she follows Foster's request and leaves. Foster walks over to the now empty chair and takes a seat, crossing one leg over the other. A frown finally appears on his mug, before he speaks, "She's pissed."

"Eh…Ell…"

"No, Maddi," Foster leans back against the chair, "She is so angry with you, Wonka. Everyone kept telling her you were dead. Even I did. There was no sign that you were going to wake up. And if you would have taken care of yourself, you wouldn't even be here."

"I…" Will doesn't know what to say.

"There is more to it, though," Foster continues, saving Will from the silence, "She was so lost without you. It terrified her. Not just you being gone, but how much she relied on you. I think something clicked in her."

A nurse comes in and gives Foster the cue that it was time to leave. They say their goodbyes and Will is left alone with intruder. The nurse comes over and checks his vitals, "Your fever went down, but it is still too high. We're going to keep you for the rest of the night Mr. Wonka."

Will nods his head and watches as she puts something in his IV. His world starts to turn black.

The beeping heart monitor breaks its way through the nothingness .Will's eyes squint open. His lights were turned off and so he opens his eyes wider. To his right he hears soft breathing. He turns his head and he hears the beeping quicken. There Maddi was, still in the same outfit, resting on the chair, with her legs up and her head resting against a fist, which is supported on the armrests. Will watches her eyes flitter open. A smile appears on her face for a second, before it is quickly crushed down.

"Go back to sleep, Will," She whispers, her eyes becoming half lidded. Her hair was more wild than usual and his hands itched. In response to her, he shook his head no. At that, her legs drop, she puts her hands on her knees, and leans forward, "You need to rest."

"Ne…Nno," He stutters, as he reaches out for a stand of her hair.

"Please," She replies taking his hand into hers, causing his heart rate to pick up one more.

"I ca-an't," Will bring her hand closer and holds it at his chest, "I-if I do you will be gg-gu-gone again. T-talk to mm-mu-me."

She sighs and leans forward some more, "What should I talk about?"

Anything and everything, Will thinks to himself, before he finally answers, "Wu-wha-what happened?"

"What do you mean? You got yourself sick and now you're here. That's what happened," He could hear the disdain dripping from her words. In response, he begins to rub circles with his thumb around her palm. And she doesn't pull her hand away. Will grins, before croaking out more word, "Ya-you're a-angry. What ha-appened at night to n...now? What's in your he-ad?"

"Will, please go back to sleep," Maddi whispers, taking her hand away from him now, "We can talk when you're better."

"N-no."

"Please."

"Will," he can see the frustration bubbling inside of her as she pulls herself back into a ball, "You need to sleep. Please."

"M...Maddi," Will's eyes never leave hers.

"Okay," She replies, not moving from her defensive position, "Fine, mon amour. You're not going to remember anything I say in the morning…not like you remember much anyways, nowadays. I found out in the Candyland room a few nights ago. I think you were having a fever dream. I got you into bed and after you fell asleep I left. I should have stayed. Ellie went to wake you up for breakfast. She said you were being stubborn. I found that unlikely, so I volunteered to try. She wouldn't let me. Around lunch time, the same thing happened. So, I ignored her and…No matter what I did, you wouldn't wake. I called for an ambulance. The press followed after them.

'As the doctors tried to wake you up, there were police men around every corner of the building, keeping people out. It was a circus. Around two the next morning, people started to leave and the doctors started to give up. They started asking me if you had a will. This was the second time in my life, doctors were frantically asking me that question. This, however, was so much more different than when mon pere died, but it was still the same.

'That night everyone was telling me you were dead. Everyone. At that moment I realized, I didn't know if I could live. My life has been filled with you for so long; I didn't even know how to continue. Will, I was so scared. I couldn't live like that. I can't live like that. I didn't realize how much of my life I had given up. How much I was missing. You were right. I can't spend my life at the factory. It's like I go blind when you are near me. I decided, that night, that I needed to learn to be my own person.

'You have your own life, Will, but I don't have mine. I know I am rambling, but you almost dying, made me realize that you were my life. I just…I shouldn't be angry with you, but I am. No, I should be angry with you. It took you, almost killing yourself, to make me realize, that this isn't the life I want.

'I was accepted into this fashion school in Paris. In a few weeks, I will be leaving for the summer semester," Maddi's face for once was unreadable. Will didn't know how to respond. So they sat there in silence, until words began to form for him once more, "Ya-your dad would be pr-proud."

At that, tears that were hidden finally fell from his love's face. She quickly wiped them away with a smile, "He would. He always said I would do something creative."

Will doesn't say anything after that and lets his eyes travel to the ceiling. He begins to count each tile, before Maddi speaks up again, "He never wanted you to replace him."

His head turns sharply to look at her once more, "I…"

"He knew I had a crush on you, you know," She cuts him off and he allows it. It was time she talked about her dad. It had always been a topic they had avoided, only being brought up once in a blue moon. Will, nevertheless, never forgot the instructions the old French man had left. Will was never her guardian. Maddi continues, "He knew I was comfortable with you and that you would protect me. Everyone in France wanted my money. All of the friends I made, all of their parents…I couldn't be left with anyone but you. Or an orphanage. I never really thanked you. I know you say I didn't destroy your life, but I did take away a huge aspect. You had a teenager to look out for, during this time period that you should have been starting your own family with…"

Will attempts to speak up, but she sticks out her finger and continues, "I know you want to have your own family, Will. I know you want to be a husband and a father. I know that this life now is not the one you want either. My leaving will be good for us. We will both get what we have always wanted."

"O-our wants can change," Will whispers, "but you're right. This will be good for you."

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