Life is Strange: Overcoming the Trial
Chapter 5 of my Life is Strange story, enjoy.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange or its characters.
Chapter 5
Joyce sighed sadly as she sat outside the ward in which Max lay. It was a terrible time for all of them; she was doing her best to remain strong, as was David who was currently trying to help the police who were still interrogating Nathan Prescott and find out more about the death of Rachel Amber.
'That poor girl; Chloe was so, devastated...Such a terrible thing, to happen to such a nice person.' She thought sadly. 'Rachel is dead and Max, we still don't know what's going to happen to her, doctors have done everything they can but.'
She turned and looked into the room. Max lay on the bed, still completely unconscious, still in a coma. Clad in a green hospital nightgown, the bandages that covered her wound were hidden from view. She lay on the bed, an oxygen mask secured in place and the sound of her breathing was one of the only two signs she was still alive.
The other being the beeping of the heart monitor.
Chloe had left some time ago, Joyce had told her to go home and at least try to get some sleep; she had reluctantly agreed. Warren on the other hand couldn't be so easily convinced, he was still seated by Max's side; watching over her, worry etched into every feature of his face.
It was then she heard footsteps approaching and looked up. She stood and did her best to give the new arrivals as much reassurance as possible; for Max's parents had finally arrived.
"Ryan, Vanessa..." She began softly.
Vanessa was already in tears and practically threw herself into Joyce's arms. Ryan was trying, but having great difficulty controlling himself.
"Joyce..." Vanessa choked out.
Joyce did her best to comfort the stricken woman; she could only imagine the terror and other turbulent emotions the two would be feeling, their daughter's life hanging in the balance.
Finally Ryan managed to speak. "What, what happened, all we heard was Max had been shot?"
Joyce sighed sadly. "I don't know the details, but what I do know is that Max tried to intervene on an...incident that was getting out of hand. She was shot trying to save Chloe."
The two gasped in shock, Vanessa even stepped back, out of Joyce's grasp.
Finally Vanessa managed to choke out more words. "Chloe, God, is she…?"
"Chloe's fine, Max managed to intervene in time to save her, but, she." Joyce said sadly.
They both nodded and Ryan let out a slow, careful breath. "How is Max, now?"
Joyce shook her head. "They managed to save her life, the bleeding stopped, they got the bullet out, but, but she's in a coma and they don't know if she's going to wake up."
Vanessa burst into tears again and Ryan hugged her. "Who, who is that boy with Max?"
"Warren Graham; he's a friend of Max's from school." Joyce explained before going into detail.
It was then doctor arrived and, seeing Ryan and Vanessa, he immediately began talking to them, giving them a full update on Max's condition.
Inside the ward, Warren sat, watching carefully for any signs of life in Max that wasn't breathing from the oxygen mask or beeping from the heart monitor.
'I still can't believe this is really happening, it's like a bad nightmare.' He thought forlornly. 'Max, she, she doesn't deserve this, nobody does but Max...How could this have happened. If it wasn't for the fact that it was an accident, I'd probably lose it and go after Nathan.'
The strength of anger he felt shocked him and he quickly tried to push it down.
He shook his head. 'God, I, I shouldn't...Oh Max...'
He sighed; he couldn't deny it any more. He tried to get around it through jokes, or hints. But in the end, he couldn't help it. That wasn't going to be enough, he usual nervousness ended up causing him to make the jokes, but now, now he had to tell the truth.
"Max, I...I wish I had the courage to tell you this, face to face." He said at last. "Maybe, when you wake up, I will. But...Max, I love you. I know I joke and all that, but it's true, I love you, more than anything."
He sighed sadly; just saying the words, simple though they sounded, were harder than he thought. But then, suddenly he saw something which started him.
He could have sworn, for a moment there, after he admitted the truth, that Max's hand twitched. Before he could wonder if it was real, if she actually might have heard him, he heard people approaching and turned. Two people entered the rooms, he could guess who they were and now he wondered if they had heard him. It was Max's parents.
Meanwhile, Max continued to lie; while in a coma, she still felt some form of awareness. As if her mind was simply elsewhere and acting. While she couldn't react, while her body wouldn't move, she could hear and the things she heard.
'Rachel, they found her, Nathan admitted the truth.' She mused. 'Oh Chloe, Warren, Kate...everyone, what they're going through. But I; I can't just. Warren he, he loves me, I knew he did but, to hear him admit it.'
She drew strength from that, from the sounds of her parents voices; she focused on them, let them anchor her. She would find the strength she needed, she would keep fighting, for them.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.