A/N: For those of you saying you wish you could see Maya being coached through the birth, that unfortunately won't happen in this story because she had an emergency C-section, buuuuuut I do have more than one "pregnancy" story out… just saying ;3
Sorry this chapter took so long... It was... difficult...
Aaand! Happy (Belated?) Birthday Guest! :) Thanks for letting me know! I hope you're having (had?) an excellent birthday turning up! xDD
I really appreciate the reviews everyone! I thank you for always being so supportive even with all of this horrifying drama. That being said: I'm sorry :/
Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.
Maya felt cold.
She felt sticky and cold, but it was like she was floating on air.
And then she was falling hard and fast, as if she was being sucked down, and her heart started beating wildly in her chest.
Letting out a short pant of breath in alarm, her eyes shot open, and she frantically gulped in air, jolting and trying to shake out the blurriness in her gaze.
It was a terrifying feeling.
Maya blinked, slowly coming to realize she was in a hospital room from the steady beeping of the monitor beside her bed. To her confusion, there were different cords and tubes connected to her arms.
Maya felt stiff and awkward and weak, her body not really moving the way she wanted it to. She slowly slid her gaze towards the slightly opened window, where the curtains were lightly blowing from the gentle breeze. It was dark outside, as if night had just fallen. There were flowers by the table in her room. Several flowers and cards and a whole set of stuffed animals. She stared blankly at the stuff, her mind unable to register anything or process what was going on. She blinked slowly, trying to figure out why she felt like jello.
There was a tingling sensation in her stomach, and Maya looked down.
And was alarmed to notice her abdomen was flat.
Though honestly, she couldn't figure out why that was so alarming.
Her brows furrowed with difficulty as she tried to come to terms with what was going on. Everything was scrambled and disoriented. Hadn't it been the afternoon when she had gotten to the hospital?
No. Something happened after.
What was it?
Her memory was a little foggy, but strangely, she could feel the weird fog and pressure in her head clearing. She brought her fingers to her throbbing head, surprised to feel bandages and gauze wrapped around it.
"Maya… Maya… Don't die…"
Maya's gaze turned towards the voice in bewilderment.
Riley was sleeping in a chair beside her bed, her head in her folded arms beside Maya's hand as she muttered in her sleep. There was drool coming out of her mouth and a track of dried tears running down her cheek.
"Maya…Wake up… Maya…Don't leave me… Maya…"
Maya tested her mouth, slowly trying to open it and work her jaw out of its tightness. It took a little bit, but she was finally able to open and shut it without the muscle fighting its movement.
Why was she so stiff?
"Ri…" Maya rubbed her throat when her voice cracked, completely hoarse. She was parched, her throat constricted and feeling scratchy. Maya tried again, clearing her throat roughly, though it was still dry. "Riley…"
It did the trick.
Riley's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly lifted her head, wiping her mouth as she gazed at Maya with wide, cocoa brown, doe eyes. She blinked a few times, staring at Maya as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.
"Hey…" Maya said, smiling as best as she could, though her face felt weak and it hurt to stretch the muscles.
Riley exhaled shakily, sitting up completely, her eyes going even wider as they brimmed with tears.
"M-Maya…" Riley's face contorted, soft sobs escaping her lips as a trembling hand went to her mouth. "Maya!"
She pounced on Maya, wrapping her arms around her neck and sobbing into her shoulder. Maya chuckled softly, struggling slightly to lift her stiff right arm, but she settled it on Riley's back comfortingly, rubbing it as gently as she could though she felt awkward in her movements.
"Maya! Maya!" Riley blubbered, her entire body shaking from her sobs, "Maya! Maya! Maya! Maya!"
"Don't wear it out…" Maya drawled in amusement.
"You're alive. You're awake. You're okay." Riley wailed, her tears wetting Maya's hospital gown. "I kept dreaming that you… Nevermind… You're okay."
Maya sighed, just patting Riley softly as she continued to cry.
A nurse walked into the room with a clipboard, letting out a soft gasp when she saw that Maya was awake. She pulled out a pager, bringing it to her lips as she approached Maya's bedside.
"Dr. Stevens, Maya Hart has woken up. She is responsive. Come to room 324 please." She put the pager back in her pocket, smiling at Maya. "How are you feeling, love?"
"I feel fine…" Maya muttered, brows furrowed in confusion. "A little stiff."
Why was everybody making such a big deal over her waking up?
"Riley… Why are you freaking out so bad? All I had was…" Maya paused, her brows lifting as she remembered. "I had a C-section."
But the question was why…
The nurse was looking at the heart monitor and observing something on the IV, writing it down on the clipboard.
Riley pulled away, sitting back in her chair and grasping Maya's hand in both of hers.
"Maya, you're in the ICU." Riley explained. "You were asleep for nine days. We thought you were gone when you didn't wake up after the C-section. The neurologist couldn't tell us if you would wake up again."
"Nine days?" Maya said in disbelief.
That explained why she felt so stiff and awkward.
"Earlier today you woke up and fell back asleep again a bunch of times, but you were completely unresponsive and staring blankly like you didn't know who any of us were. The neurologist said to give you time to properly wake up."
"Neurologist…?" A feeling like a loss of pressure cleared some fog in her mind, and Maya realized she remembered something like that too. "I remember… I was in a coma… Some doctor told you guys I was in a coma."
"You could hear us?" Riley asked in confusion.
"Yeah. It was strange… I heard you, Riley. I think I heard Lila too. And I heard your dad… I couldn't respond though. I tried to, but I couldn't do anything."
"Well did you feel anything? Do you remember waking up? What did you dream about?"
"No… I don't remember waking up…" Maya frowned, feeling exhausted, her head hurting slightly. "I… I can't remember any dreams. I think I was being attacked at some point… I know I was dreaming, but I can't remember…"
Riley chuckled, brushing some hair out of Maya's face and cradling her cheek as more tears tumbled down Riley's cheeks. "You punched the nurse during your coma when they were trying to move you to a different bed, Maya. They had to strap you down because you were freaking out and grabbing her hair and then ripped out your tubes."
"Yes, thank you for that." The nurse said dryly, raising an amused brow at Maya as she walked over with a cup of water. She helped Maya sit up slightly, cradling her neck gently as she brought the cup to Maya's lips. "Here. Drink up a little bit."
Maya took a few grateful sips, though she had some difficulties swallowing. When she had finished, the nurse laid her back down gently and tossed out the used paper cup. She leaned over Maya, gently checking on Maya's bandages on her head.
"Well I definitely don't remember punching you… But sorry about that." Maya said with a slight snort.
"Oh it's no problem, love."
"Where's my baby?" Maya asked offhandedly.
And with a start, Maya's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered why she'd had the C-Section. Why she had been startled by her flat stomach.
Jellybean!
Jellybean's heartbeat had been so weak. So dangerously low. Maya remembered blood. On her fingers. Missy was freaking out. And Jellybean. She had been in pain.
"Jellybean…" Maya's eyes filled with tears, and she turned her head to the side, gripping Riley's hands in fright. "Is she okay? Did she… did she…?"
Riley smiled, wiping the tears from Maya's cheek.
"She's in the NICU. She hasn't cried yet or opened her eyes." Riley said, rubbing soothing circles on Maya's cheeks. "But she's alive. And even though her lungs are pretty weak, her heartbeat is strong and steady. And she's hanging in there, Maya. She survived. She made it. Your baby survived her birth."
Maya broke down in shuddering sobs, the relief in her chest so strong that for a moment, she couldn't even move. Jellybean made it. Even though Maya had accidentally starved her, forced her out before she was ready, and even deprived her of oxygen, she'd survived. Her baby was alive. Maya was still granted the chance to be a mother. She was given another chance.
Jellybean. I'm so glad you're safe.
And then Maya remembered that she was no longer carrying Jellybean. But she wanted to see her. She wanted to talk to her.
"Can you take me to her?" Maya asked, her gaze turning to the door where a short woman with wavy brown locks in a white lab coat had just walked in. "I want to see my baby."
"Maya Hart? I'm Dr. Esperanza Stevens. I have been monitoring your recovery. It's good to see you fully conscious and responding to people." She smiled as she walked over to Maya's bedside. "As for your question, we can let you see her after your physical and after we make sure you're okay. You're not really in any state to be moving. Especially after your small hairline fracture and the small bit of internal bleeding you suffered. We still need to run some more scans and tests to make sure there are no severe residual effects to that knock on your head. Thankfully, the damage we did already find wasn't extensive or life threatening. But your baby is fine. She'll be fine if you wait another few hours as well, okay sweetheart?"
"Okay…" Maya nodded as Dr. Stevens approached her bedside.
"Good. I'm just going to run a quick few physical tests to see if your condition has changed completely." She removed a pen like object from a pocket of her lab coat. "Look at the light for me, sweetie?"
Maya stared at the doctor as she held a light to her eyes, shining it carefully in them. She looked familiar.
"Have we met before?" Maya asked in confusion.
"No, but you have met my younger sister, Melanie Torres. She monitored your pregnancy." Dr. Stevens smiled in amusement as the nurse slowly helped Maya sit up straight in bed. Maya felt stiff and awkward doing so, her limbs not properly listening to her. Dr. Stevens loosely held Maya, placing the cold metal of the stethoscope against her back. "Take a deep breath for me."
"Okay." Maya replied, taking a deep breath as instructed. She let it go and continued the process, every time the doctor moved it around.
"Maya, I'm so glad you're okay." Riley said, sniffling. "I was so scared. We all were so scared."
"I'm sorry…" Maya murmured, "Where is everyone else though? I could hear you all talking to me at various points."
"Yeah. We've all been keeping watch over you each day, all day." Riley said, helping the nurse rearrange Maya's pillows so she could sit up, but lean against her pillows. "But we've all been instructed not to crowd you with so many faces so you wouldn't get easily exhausted and overwhelmed or disoriented when you finally woke up for good. They're downstairs in the cafeteria eating dinner. But I refused to leave your side."
"You forfeited your perfect attendance record for me? Why would you do that?"
"Maya, what kind of stupid question is that? Of course I did. No questions asked. No one has left the hospital since your accident." Riley chastised. "And we won't until we know for sure you're okay."
Maya smiled, her heart warming from the thought. They still cared about her. Even though she'd done nothing but cause them problems and give them pain.
"Is…"
Is Lucas here? Did he show up?
But she stopped herself from asking the question.
"Yes, Maya?"
She wouldn't expect him to be. Not after what she'd done to him. He probably still wanted nothing to do with her.
"Nothing… I'm just happy to see your face, Riles." Maya said, squeezing Riley's hand for comfort.
"Maya, what's the last thing you remember?" Dr. Stevens asked after she had finished drawing the blood sample and sent it with the nurse to be analyzed in the lab.
Maya frowned, wracking her scrambled mind for anything. Things were foggy from when she got to the hospital. She remembered Missy leaving at some point. And then…
"My mom…? She helped me give birth…? It was weird. But after that, everything is fuzzy." Maya's brows furrowed as she cleared her throat again, her voice coming out a bit gravelly. "Is my mom with everyone else? Can you bring her here, Riley? I need to talk to her. I need to make amends."
Riley didn't respond for several long seconds, and Maya turned away from Dr. Stevens, facing Riley and wondering why she hadn't answered. Riley was staring at their conjoined hands, her eyes downcast and a stiffness to her shoulders that set Maya's pulse racing. Alarms rang in her head.
"Where's my mom, Riley?"
"Maya… there's something you need to know."
Riley lifted her gaze, and Maya saw the fear in them. Fear and remorse and Maya's heart was gripped in fright.
"There was an accident. Your mom wouldn't pick up her phone when Missy called her. She was working multiple, consecutive shifts. When she finally found out about your condition a few days ago, she tried to get to the hospital to come to you. She was hit by a speeding driver after she ran into incoming traffic."
Maya's heart almost stopped, her eyes widening.
"Her coworkers were saying she wasn't getting much sleep for the past few months. That she was getting thinner. Losing a lot of weight. She just didn't have any energy."
"Riley…" Maya's lip trembled. "I-is my mother alive?"
"She's alive, but the doctors…" Riley looked away, her eyes welling with tears. "She keeps slipping in and out. They're doing everything they can, but they don't know."
"Let me see her…" Maya whispered in a small voice.
Dr. Stevens' brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, Maya. We can't let you leave your—"
"Let me see her." She repeated, glaring at Dr. Stevens.
"Maya. I'm afraid I cannot do—"
"Let. Me. See. Her." Maya said through grit teeth, grunting in slight pain as she shakily tried to force herself out of bed. "Or I'm going to get out of this bed, crawl over to you and kick your ass. Either way, I'm getting out of this bed, so let me see my goddamn mother!"
"Maya!" Riley said, alarmed that she was trying to get up. "Maya, stop—"
"LET ME SEE MY FUCKING MOM! PLEASE!
Her scream echoed around the room and down the hall for a second and an abrupt silence followed, loud and arresting as Maya trembled. Dr. Stevens stared at Maya for a few moments, shocked by her outburst, but she finally relented with a sigh, closing her eyes momentarily and rubbing her temple.
"Fine. It's ill advised, but clearly you are going to try regardless of the cautions we're giving you." She gave Maya a stern look. "But stay put okay? I'm going to get you a wheelchair, but I don't want you moving until then."
Dr. Stevens rushed out of the room, and Maya chewed on her lip, trying to keep her quivering at bay. She was terrified. And her mind was in partial shock, unable to comprehend how this could have happened. It was surreal. And not in a good way.
A strange scent filled her nose, though Maya couldn't figure out what it was, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. As it passed, Dr. Stevens entered the room with a few other nurses, pushing a wheelchair. Riley let go of her hand, and they carefully flanked her, lifting her slowly from the bed, supporting her as they gently placed her in the chair. Once they made sure she was properly situated and her IVs were still properly attached, they left her room, nurses tugging along her IVs.
As she was wheeled down the corridor of the ICU, Maya couldn't deny the deep trepidation that was permeating her mind, her breathing a little abnormal as she thought about what she would see. Riley slipped her hand into hers, giving her a consoling squeeze for support.
They took her down the hall to another wing on the same floor. When they pushed her inside the room, there were a couple nurses standing in there, watching over the person lying in the bed. They glanced at Maya's entourage curiously.
And when Maya was brought to the side of her mother's bed, she inhaled sharply, her eyes going wide in shock.
Katy was laying on the bed, severe burns down her arm and one entire side of her face and her head was wrapped in bandages. She had tubes connected to her nose, supplying her oxygen. One arm was in a sling, her leg completely bandaged, elevated, and held together by a brace.
She was so incredibly pale. So thin and frail. So small.
Maya was appalled.
This was not the woman she grew up watching. Maya could barely recognize her mother, this shell of a once strong and unaffected woman despite all the difficulties in her life. Katy looked defeated and weakened substantially and her body looked absolutely wrecked.
Maya's heart seized in her chest.
"Mom…" Maya whimpered, her vision blurring with tears as she took in a shuddering breath. "No… Why did this happen to you?"
The nurse's brows rose in understanding, and she gently rubbed Katy's shoulder. "Ms. Hart? Your daughter is here to see you."
Slowly, Katy's eyes flickered open weakly, and she glanced at Maya through a dazed eye. She stared at her for a second, taking a few long breaths through her mouth before tears came to her eye. Her hand twitched weakly, as if longing to reach out and Maya curled her hand into her mother's, her lip quivering uncontrollably.
"My… My baby girl…" Katy croaked, her voice hoarse, "You're safe. Thank goodness you're safe. Thank goodness…"
"Mom." Maya cried, clasping Katy's hand and squeezing lightly, "Mom… Why did you…"
"M-Maya…" Katy swallowed thickly, slightly turning her head so she could see Maya more clearly. "Maya, I'm so sorry…"
"No, I'm sorry!" Maya wailed, "I'm so sorry about everything!"
"No… You have nothing to be sorry for… Maya. I deserted you…" Katy slowly shook her head, taking in weak breaths. "I deserted you and… and then I almost lost you… None of this would have happened if it weren't for me…"
"Mom, it's okay. It doesn't matter anymore."
"Yes… yes it does…" Katy whimpered, her eye welling with tears again as she weakly squeezed Maya's hand in return. "I was a terrible mother to you… I've always been… a terrible mother… to you…"
"No you weren't! You did the best you could! I'm the one who let you down!"
"Maya… This is my just desserts… I didn't take care of you like I should have…" Katy inhaled shakily, closing her eyes momentarily as her face contorted in pain. "I didn't treat you like I should have… It's only right that I'm… in this hospital bed…"
"Mom stop… You don't deserve this."
Katy cleared her throat, tightly closing her eyes again and concentrating, squeezing Maya's hand though Maya could feel how badly her mother's hand was shaking, violently protesting the effort. She took a deep breath.
"Maya, listen to me. I had a choice to make at your age too. My parents kept pushing for me to give you up, kept wanting me to finish school, but the thought of giving away the little girl made with love killed me inside. And so I kept you… And even though life has always been hard for me, the moment I held my little bundle of joy in my arms, I was lost in happiness." Katy took a deep breath, opening her eye and looking directly at Maya, tears trailing down her face. "I've never regretted having you in my teens. Not for a second. I'm sorry for how I treated you, baby girl. I love you. And I want you to have a great life, but not if it means sacrificing your happiness. I can never make up for abandoning you when you needed me most… But I promise to help you raise your daughter if you let me. No matter what it takes… No matter how long it takes you to forgive me."
Maya sobbed, her shoulders shaking so badly that Riley stroked her hunched back gently.
"Mia." Maya whispered through a sob.
"…Mia?" Katy looked confused.
"Your granddaughter's name is Mia Rebecca Hart." Maya smiled, though her heart felt like it was being shattered in her chest. "And yes, Mom. I forgive you. I already forgave you a long time ago."
Katy began to cry harder, weeping bitterly, her wails breaking Maya's heart even more. Maya watched her mother, feeling so much agony it was hard for her to stay upright. Why were their lives so difficult? Why did this have to happen to them? Why did they have to have had that stupid fight? Their lives had already been hard enough as it was and now this… Maya had just been reunited with her mother, and it had to be in these circumstances.
"Listen Maya…" Katy coughed weakly, taking in a shaky breath once her crying had subsided a bit. "I heard the doctors talking… It doesn't look good. If I don't make it…"
"Don't say that." Maya said sharply. "You'll make it."
"Listen, baby girl. If I don't make it, I want you to know that even though there were days when I wondered how life would have been if I gave you up, I never regretted raising you. Never at all. Even if I was distant. Even if I wasn't the greatest mother…"
"Mom, stop!"
"I love you, baby girl… I always have. And I always will…" She said, her voice growing weak and words a little slurred as tears tumbled down her cheek. "I love you so much Maya. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry…"
"I love you too… You're the reason I'm even where I am today, Mom. You've done so much for me…"
Katy rasped for breath, a tiny, feeble smile gracing her lips. "I wish I could've done better for you though… Grow up strong, Maya. Grow up strong and be a better mother to Mia than I ever was to you."
"Mom! Stop talking like that. You'll make it!"
"I'm sorry…" She barely whispered, her voice so shaky and small.
The smile fell from her lips, her eyes sliding closed as her hand loosened from Maya's and slipped out. Maya's eyes widened immeasurably as the heart monitor sped up, beeping more and more frequently until it flatlined, the long, piercing beep ringing in Maya's ears and causing a cold chill of fright to race through her veins.
"No…" Maya shook her head as doctors and several nurses rushed around her to Katy's bedside.
"Code Blue, Dr. Reynolds!" A nurse said frantically.
"Start chest compressions immediately!"
"Get Maya out of here!"
And Maya felt them tugging her away, pulling her hand away from her mother's.
"N-no!" Maya cried out as she was pulled away and trying to grab onto the side of the bed. "Mom! No!"
She watched, horrified, as they frantically tried to resuscitate Katy, each second that passed where there was no change making the nightmare worse. Maya's shaking hand reached out toward her mother. She tried to stand up, run to her mother's bedside, anything.
"MOM!" Maya screamed.
"Maya! Stop, you're still recovering!"
Someone grabbed her shoulders and forced her down as she was wheeled out of the room.
"NO! MOM! MOM I NEED YOU! MIA NEEDS YOU! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME MOM! DON'T ABANDON ME!"
Maya was wheeled away, wailing, fighting against the hold of the nurses as they brought her back to her room. They lifted her up and set her back into her bed, but Maya shot up, trying to climb out again.
"Maya! Stop!" Dr. Stevens tried to hold her down.
"No! I need my mom! Bring me back to her!"
"Maya, it's okay!" Riley said beside her, trying to take her hand.
But Maya's breathing was coming out in short pants, her eyes widening as she started to feel herself spiral, her vision swarming. She ripped her hand out of Riley's, struggling against the hold of the doctors and trying to kick at them.
"Let me go! My mom needs me!"
"Maya! Calm down!"
"No! I need my mom! I need my mom!" Maya screamed out loud, fighting against their constraints, "I need my—!"
And she choked on her words.
Maya suddenly felt this breathless feeling like a door was opened and she was being sucked into the ground by a vacuum. Maya's entire body and muscles felt like they were tightening sharply, and she winced, stiffening and going still.
What the fuck was happening?
"Maya?"
Her head hurt; she felt like she was about to explode. Everything was dizzy. Maya took in a raspy breath, struggling to catch her breath, staring blankly past the doctors as this odd dread filled her body.
"It's a panic attack! She's hyperventilating!" Riley shouted, trying to grasp Maya's shoulders. "She only has those when something is really bad! Maya? Maya, can you hear me?!"
Maya felt cold again, the tingling in her stomach even worse.
And then she felt hot fire run through her body, and she was suddenly tired. So very tired.
This wasn't a panic attack.
Maya tried to grasp Riley, tell her that something was really wrong, but nothing came out of her mouth, and her hand was stiff and wouldn't move.
And then an involuntary, short, high pitched scream was forcibly ripped from her throat as the muscles in her throat suddenly constricted. She couldn't even lift or move her body. She felt heavy. Her mouth hung open, and she could feel saliva dripping from her mouth, but she couldn't close it. She couldn't do anything.
Riley was talking, shouting at her. Dr. Stevens was saying something. Maya could see their lips moving, but it sounded like gibberish. She couldn't understand what was being said or what was going on in front of her.
She couldn't process anything.
Maya fell back limply onto the pillows, her eyes rolling up in her head of their own accord. She felt like she was being jerked, her eyes painfully pushing to the right, pushing and pushing harder against the socket even though they couldn't move anymore. She could just barely see the blurred room out of the corner of her eye. Something was coming out of her mouth. She was convulsing.
Everything was convulsing.
And then the world went black.