Maggie
Voices swam around her head, sounding both very far away but also uncomfortably close at the same time. The pounding at her temple made her feel sick to her stomach. Maggie fought the urge to throw up while trying to decipher what was being said around her. She was finally able to make out one of the voices as belonging to Faith, while the other she did not recognize. She didn't hear any signs of John being nearby, hoping desperately that he was okay. A vague memory floated to the surface, of strong arms and warm hands cradling her, reassuring her that John was fine.
"She's not dead, is she? Jane?" Faith's words broke through the haze, but Maggie still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes against the splitting sensation in her head. She suddenly remembered Faith mentioning her personal trainer- that would be Jane, then. They must have been working out before the riot started.
There was a pause while Jane apparently contemplated Maggie's appearance. "No, she's breathing. But lord, she doesn't look good. So pale."
Faith scoffed a bit at this. "Oh, she always looks like that. God, where is mom? Why didn't she just call 911 instead of running next door for Doctor Donaldson?" Maggie could hear the sound of Faith's footsteps pacing the room. Thank god she didn't call an ambulance, she thought, knowing the expense and drama that would have incurred.
"Your mom said it would be faster, not having to wait for the ambulance to make it through the crowded streets." Jane didn't sound so sure of the validity of this reasoning, herself. When Faith didn't respond, she continued, dropping her voice, "Did you see, Faith, what she was doing?"
The pacing stopped suddenly, Faith's curiosity raised enough to overcome her anxiety. "What do you mean?"
Maggie had to strain to hear the conspiratorial whisper of Jane's words. "The Hale girl and Mr. Thornton. The way she threw herself at him. It looked like she wanted to ravish him then and there!"
"You're kidding!" Faith sounded almost gleeful with this turn of events. "Did everyone else see it? Mom was right, she does have her sights set on John!"
That was enough for Maggie. She pulled her eyes open against the blinding light and struggled to sit up. "Oh! Jane, get her some water," Faith said, rushing over to Maggie's side and crouching awkwardly next to her. "Hold tight, Maggie. Mom's gone to get our neighbor, he's a doctor. She'll be back soon!" Her voice was uncomfortably close and loud near Maggie's sore head.
"I don't need to see a doctor," Maggie said, sitting up fully now. "I need to go home."
Faith looked a little frantic at this, worried what her mother would think if she returned and Maggie was gone. Thankfully, Mrs. Thornton came in at that moment. "Thank goodness you're back. Maggie…" she gestured helplessly at the girl on the couch.
"Did something else happen?" Mrs. Thornton came quickly to Maggie's side, the neighborly doctor trailing behind her.
The motion of shaking her head quickly made the room spin, but Maggie powered through it. "No. No, I'm fine. I just want to go home."
She tried to be patient while the doctor examined the cut on her head before shining a light in her eyes. It stung, but Dr. Donaldson seemed satisfied with what he saw. "It probably looks worse than it is, though I'd still recommend a trip to the ER, just to get checked out. There's always a possibility of concussion with head injuries."
"No- my mom, she's very sick. I don't want to worry her. She can't handle this kind of excitement right now. Really, I feel much better already. I just want to go home and rest."
Everyone in the room looked skeptical of this. "Surely you should listen to the doctor's recommendation, Maggie," Mrs. Thornton said, looking to Dr. Donaldson for confirmation.
The doctor shrugged. "I can't make her go if she doesn't want to. Did you drive yourself here?" He asked, turning towards Maggie.
"No, I rode my dad's bike."
He seemed to decide on another way to dispense of his professional duties. "Well, let's load it into my truck and I'll drive you home. You shouldn't ride home alone, especially not now."
Accepting this compromise, Maggie stood up weakly and said goodbye to the women. Mrs. Thornton still didn't look pleased but decided there was nothing further she could do. She just hoped John would be as understanding when he returned home.
John
"What do you mean, she went home?" John's anger was focused squarely on his mother, something she wasn't used to. All the terror and anxiety of the day's events were simmering under the surface, stirred by the absence of the one person he was most concerned about. If only he could see that she was safe and sound, then he could be calm.
Mrs. Thornton was instantly agitated at his tone and demeanor. "Honestly, John, she was fine," she said, pushing off her own unease with the situation.
Distress was written on John's face, washing over him in waves that he tried to push down. "She was hurt! How could you let her just go?"
"Doctor Donaldson from next door examined her. I went and got him myself. We did everything we could to get her to go to the emergency room, or at least stay and rest for a while." Mrs. Thornton was beginning to wish she had just called 911 instead of going for the doctor. But she knew Maggie's family was already swamped with medical bills. A sudden memory of the young man with the nail gun injury, the terror in his face, had made up her mind in the moment. She doubted the paramedics would have been able to better convince Maggie, anyway.
Somehow, John at least understood that much; he was grateful that his mom had been considerate in that aspect. "Thank you, mom. Though it probably wasn't safe for you…"
His mother couldn't resist voicing her opinion, now that John's anger had somewhat given way. "I don't think it's possible to make that girl do anything she doesn't want to do, regardless. Such a stubborn, reckless young woman." John looked sharply up at this, glancing over at Jane who was soaking in the conversation like a sponge.
"Jane, don't you have anywhere else to be?" He had never been a fan of his sister's friendship with her personal trainer, knowing that the woman was a shameless gossip.
She had the nerve to look contrite, motioning towards Faith, who had sprawled dramatically across the couch, waiting for someone to notice her. "I thought Faith needed some support since y'all were so preoccupied," she said, a challenging look in her eye, further cementing John's negative opinion of her character.
Sitting up at the mention of her name, Faith fanned herself with her hand. "It was so scary, John! I thought they were going to come in and kill us all!" She collapsed back, eyes closed in apparent distress.
Neither John nor his mother was in the mood for her antics. "Lord, Faith, stop being so ridiculous," Mrs. Thornton said shortly.
"You weren't in any danger. I had it under control." John sank heavily into a chair, holding his face in his hands for a moment. Faith hadn't been able to come up with a comeback to her family's remarks, instead settling on a dirty look directed at her brother. He ignored her, standing up again and moving to put on his jacket.
Alarmed, Mrs. Thornton put out a hand to stop him. "Where are you going?" She asked though she knew the answer already.
He paused but didn't look at his mother, worried that she might stop him. "I'm going to check on Maggie," he said, walking towards to door.
"She went home with Dr. Donaldson, John! We made sure she was alright." The desperation in her voice made him stop fully this time, turning to look at his mother. Her eyes held an emotion he hadn't seen in years, the same one that appeared whenever his father went out, shortly before he died. "Don't go, John." She wouldn't beg, but he could hear the unspoken plea in her voice.
Torn between his mother's distress and his own desperate need to see Maggie, John closed his eyes. "Okay," he said simply, before striding out the door. Mrs. Thornton stared after him, hoping against hope that her son meant he wouldn't go to the Hales. He had seemed to discern her meaning, as they usually understood each other. But if he wasn't going to see Maggie, where was he going? She couldn't do anything but sit and worry until he returned.
Maggie
The doctor still looked uncertain as he dropped Maggie off at her house, but there was nothing he could do to sway her decision to go home. He left her with his phone number and urged her to call if anything changed, or if she needed anything at all. She knew she wouldn't, even though she still felt nauseated and a bit light headed. The cut on her temple stung; thankfully, she'd been able to cover the spot with her hair, so it was almost unnoticeable.
"Maggie? Thank goodness you're home," her mother's voice called weakly from the living room.
Taking in her rough appearance in the entryway mirror, Maggie quickly said to her mother, "My bike ride was more intense than I expected; I'm going to take a shower real fast," before moving down the hall towards her bathroom. After showering she still felt woozy, but at least didn't look so scuffed up.
She was in the living room with her mom watching a game show when her father came home. He looked with relief at his wife and daughter, safely situated on the couch. "I heard on the radio that there was some sort of uproar at The Mill today," he said, sitting down heavily. "Hopefully everyone is alright." Maggie looked down at her hands, avoiding her father's questioning look.
The phone rang, startling everyone in the room. Dixie picked it up in the kitchen, her voice just a mumble through the walls. "Maggie, someone's on the phone for you. I can't understand what she's saying. She sounds upset," she said, coming into the living room. Maggie got up to see who it was, worry worming its way into her heart.
She recognized the sobbing voice on the line and told Becca she'd be there as soon as she could. Maggie stopped in the living before heading out the door. "I have to run to Becca's house, I'll be back in a little while," she told her parents. They looked concerned, but Maggie didn't give them time to argue as she ran to her car, mind full of possibilities of what could be wrong.
Becca was curled up on the couch when she got to their apartment. She looked the same as she had the last time Maggie saw her, no sign of bodily injury. No sign of Nick, either, which made Maggie's heart clench in fear. "Hey, Becca," Maggie said, sitting down next to her on the couch and smoothing her tear-damp hair out of her eyes. "What's going on? Where's Nick?"
"I don't know where he is," Becca said, sitting up a little and ignoring the first part of Maggie's question. "He left a while ago when he heard the news about the mob at the Thornton's house. He was supposed to go with me to the doctor today for my yearly checkup." At the mention of the doctor's appointment, tears started back down her cheeks, making Maggie's heart drop again.
Almost afraid to ask, Maggie put her arm around her friend and said, "What did the doctor say?" She had a feeling that she didn't want to know the answer, but obviously, Becca needed someone to be there for her since her brother was nowhere to be found. Fresh sobs bubbled up, wracking Becca's small frame while she just shook her head and leaned against Maggie. They stayed like that, not saying anything until Nick came home sometime later, stumbling a bit and smelling like alcohol. Then Maggie left the siblings alone, exhausted from the turmoil of the day and knowing they had a lot to discuss as a family.
John
Sometimes, when he wanted to be truly alone, he would pace the quiet paths of the cemetery. It made him feel closer to his father, somehow, though his body had been cremated and his ashes scattered in the Chattahoochee River. But the cemetery was a part of the city, and therefore a part of him. The cool solidity of the marble tombstones helped calm his racing mind. So much had happened in the last few hours, he didn't even know where to begin working it out.
Perhaps his mother had been right in telling him not to go see Maggie tonight, though for a very different reason. It was good to take a step back, try to figure out his own mind and heart before rushing in. If John went to the Hale's house tonight, it was more likely that he would say something he'd later regret. It was usually unwise to let emotions call the shots. Better to have time to think, to see what he was really planning to do about Maggie, to better understand his feelings.
Those feelings were incredibly strong, almost taking his breath away. Every time he thought of Maggie and what she did, putting herself at risk to save him, it sent a bolt of excitement through his chest. He hadn't thought he would ever have a chance with a girl like her, but for the first time, he was starting to question that conviction. Was it really possible that Maggie cared about him? The urge to indulge in that fantasy was too strong to resist, so he stopped under a tree in a quiet part of the cemetery to dwell on that fantasy.
A person coming down the path pulled him from his reverie, the couple walking barely sparing him a second glance. John had never been a romantic sort of person, but seeing the couple, wrapped up in their own little world, made him sad and maybe a little jealous. He'd never had something like that, a person to share everything with, someone to keep him from feeling so alone in the world. Honestly, he had never even wanted that. Until now.
Was it possible that Maggie had some similar feelings about him? He was tired of his mind going around in circles, asking the same things, and wished he hadn't promised his mother that he would stay away from the Hale's tonight. At least then he would have been able to get some answers. Sighing, he decided to head back home, not wanting to stay out too late and cause his mom even more concern. If he could just manage to get some sleep, then his mind could rest.
John wasn't surprised to find his mother still awake when he got home, though he had hoped she would have headed off to bed if only so he could avoid another conversation about Maggie. "You should get some sleep, I know you're exhausted," he said, taking note of the shadows under her eyes.
"I'm fine. You've been gone for a while, I was beginning to worry." John felt a little guilty at that, never intending to cause his mother concern. She was knitting something, pretending to be absorbed in her work.
He sat heavily on the couch before replying. "I was just walking around a bit."
Finally looking up at her son, Mrs. Thornton gave him a long look. "Where were you walking?" she asked sharply. He didn't like the accusation in her tone, as if she didn't trust him to keep his word.
"I told you I wouldn't go there tonight, and I didn't." His voice sounded strained to his own ears, the weights of the day pulling his nerves taut.
"But?" She asked, sensing that wasn't all he wanted to say.
Sighing, John leaned back and looked at the ceiling, bracing himself for what he needed to say. "But… if there is even the slightest chance, you know what I have to do."
Her frown deepened at this, suddenly realizing how strong her son's feelings had grown for this headstrong young woman. "I know. I wouldn't expect you to do otherwise now that she's shown everyone her feelings."
"What about her feelings?" Hope blossomed in his heart at the idea that he wasn't imagining the signs.
His mother set aside her knitting and came to sit next to him, patting his hand a little awkwardly. "Oh, John. She ran out into an angry mob and put herself in danger to protect you. The whole city is probably talking about it by now."
This wasn't a comfortable conversation for either of them, but John appreciated his mom's insight, knowing that she wouldn't lie to make him feel better. She wasn't the kind of sentimental woman to try and spare even her own son's feelings. "She did save me," he said quietly, "but it's almost too much to believe someone like Maggie could care about someone like me."
The self-deprecation in his words pricked at Mrs. Thornton's nerves. "Don't be ridiculous. She all but screamed it from the rooftops today with her reckless behavior." They were quiet for a moment before she sighed. "That's why I didn't want you to go tonight. I wanted just one more night to get used to the idea, for it to be the same before everything changes again." It was rare for her to speak so wistfully. She felt pinpricks of tears at the corner of her eyes, blinking quickly and hoping her son didn't notice.
John was too absorbed in his own thoughts to catch the weighty sadness in his mother's voice. "I know she doesn't feel the same," he said, trying his best to smother the hope that had set up camp in his chest. "But I can't let this chance pass by. I have to find out for sure."
"Don't be scared, John," his mom said, standing and walking back to her usual chair. "She's already shown her feelings to the world. I might even like her for it. It must have been hard to overcome her pride." He just gave his mom a small smile at that before telling her goodnight and heading off to bed, his stomach in knots as he thought about what he was going to say to Maggie.