Val Meets Dreams
I don't own Girl Meets World!
TRIGGER WARNING
This chapter deals with Val getting sick again, she is in the hospital and they discuss putting her on a ventilator. I don't get too into the medical cause I don't know shit about it, but if any of this upsets you don't read this chapter.
Val had a fever. She was huddled in her bed under a mountain of blankets but still shivering as her mother checked her temperature.
"Cory, get the car ready." Topanga's voice didn't shake as she started issuing instructions "Riley, help me get your sister downstairs."
Riley chewed anxiously on her lip. Val hadn't been sick like this in so long, she couldn't stop thinking about the worst case scenario. Was this how Val felt all the time? Imagining everything going wrong?
"What's her temp?" Their father asked "Topanga, what's her temperature?"
"Almost 102. Go start the car."
Val couldn't die. Riley hadn't made things right between them yet. She hadn't earned her sister's forgiveness, there was so much she wanted to say to her.
"Riley, help me." Topanga was all business as she started struggling to get her eldest daughter out of bed.
"Mmmph...nooo." Val mumbled nonsensically.
"Yes, honey, come on." Topanga coaxed "We need to get you to the ER. Riley, let's go!"
Auggie was watching from the doorway, he hadn't been around the first time his big sister had gotten sick and he couldn't remember her ever being this bad before. Riley had finally moved and was helping Val into a sweater while her mother slipped shoes on her feet. The oldest Matthew's child's lungs were rattling with every breath and she shook like a leaf as her mother and sister half carried her down the stairs.
Cory helped his wife bundle Val into the car before he turned back to his younger two "Riley, can you watch Auggie for a few hours?"
"I wanna go with Vallie!"
"No, buddy, you can't." Cory shook his head "You need to stay here. Riley, can you watch him or should I call a babysitter?"
"I don't need a babysitter." Riley huffed "I can watch him."
"I'll call you as soon as we have news." Quickly, their father caught them in a hug "Auggie, why don't you put together a bag for Val? Mom or I can come pick it up later, you can put in all her favorite things."
Auggie sniffed "Is Vallie gonna be okay? She's gonna be okay, right, Daddy?"
"I hope so, kiddo. I really hope so."
The world was fuzzy, Val was uncomfortably warm, and her parents sounded panicked as they drove towards the hospital.
"We should have called an ambulance."
"We're ten minutes from the nearest ER, it's fine."
"An ambulance could have gotten her there in five."
"It was just a cold, Cory. How did this happen? How did we not notice how sick she was before?"
"You couldn't have known, she hasn't been taken down by a cold like this in years. There was no way you could know."
"I'm her mother."
The argument faded out as Val let her eyes drift shut, leaning her hot forehead against the window. Normally she might try to interrupt, insist that she was fine and her parents shouldn't worry about her. But she was just...so tired.
Val's eyes fluttered open "Where am I?"
She was in what appeared to be an old farm house, laying on a small bed staring up at the slanted ceiling. Stranger still was her appearance, she spotted a mirror in the corner and curled her lip at the pigtail braids and blue gingham dress.
"And what am I wearing?"
"Arf!" Val frowned at the small dog staring at her from the little hand basket by the bed.
"Oh no."
"Arf!"
"I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (1)
Val crept out of the little shack and was greeted with a very strange little town, full of tiny houses and the streets covered in yellow brick. How did she end up here? She certainly didn't remember a tornado picking her up and taking her for a joyride.
Before she could investigate further, she was swarmed by dozens of tiny, singing people.
"Ding dong the witch is dead! Which old witch? Why the Wicked Witch! Ding dong the wicked witch is dead!"
"No, no, no, no, no!" Val rubbed her temples "I'm usually all for the singing and the dancing and the musical references but this is too much."
The munchkins, Val was certain they were munchkins, didn't listen to her pleas, instead parading around the pair of legs sticking out from under the house and dancing. Was this how other people felt when she burst out in song? It was confusing.
"Look! It's Glinda!" (2)
A bright pink, sparkly bubble floated down from the sky "It's Glinda Arduenna of the Uplands!" (3 sung to the tune of "It's Ava Morgenstern Matthews!")
"Ava?"
Auggie's girlfriend popped the bubble and rolled her eyes "It's Glinda, get it right. And you, Dorothy have killed the Wicked Witch of the East by dropping your house on her."
"Can I still be charged with murder if I'm pretty sure this is a hallucination?"
"Very funny." Ava/Glinda deadpanned "She was a terrible ruler who kept the people of Munchkinland imprisoned for many years, blah blah blah. Don't feel too bad about it, you did them a favor."
"There! Up in the sky!"
Val didn't want to look up, she was pretty sure she knew who was coming. Sure enough, the green-skinned lady on a flying broomstick landed in front of her. It was a bird, it was a plane, it was-
"Missy Bradford?"
"You dropped your house on my sister!" The alternate version of her most hated classmate screeched.
"You don't have a sister!"
"Glinda, aren't you going to do something about this? She can't just go around dropping houses on people!"
"What do you want me to do? I just work here." Ava shrugged, seeming to enjoy antagonize Missy "Are you still riding around on the ratty old broom? That is so 2003." (4)
"Well we can't all come and go by BUBBLE!" (5)
The two dissolved into angry bickering, pointing the broomstick in Missy's case, and the sparkly wand in Ava's, at each other as they shouted.
Val looked between the two "You are arguing with a literal child. I'm not doing this."
"Then take the stinking shoes and follow the yellow sidewalk outta here!" (6)
Val could have gotten more involved. She thought about it. Then she decided Ava (Glinda? Gliva?) had a point, snagging the shoes she slipped them on and headed down the yellow brick road. She knew this story well enough to know what was going to happen. More or less.
Boy was she wrong.
Farkle was a scarecrow. FARKLE was a scarecrow. The brainiest of the bunch had no brain. Zay was made of tin, apparently he'd been turned into metal after a girl broke his heart, his heart shrank, and then he rusted in the rain. Lucas was a cowardly lion. LUCAS was a cowardly lion.
Val couldn't even. She wasn't even sure if she was in The Wizard of Oz or Wicked! It was some strange mismatched world she was stuck in.
They finally reached the Emerald City and she couldn't stop herself from humming. The streets were various shades of mint, lime, and shamrock. Making their way to the Wizard's palace and being granted immediate entry was not a surprise, but Val couldn't help but feel nervous.
"I AM OZ, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE!"
"Dad?"
"Oh, hi sweetie!"
"Absolutely not. I'm clicking my heels and I'm getting out of here." Val looked down at the sparkly heels "You had better work. There's no place like...uh anywhere but here. There's no place like anywhere but here. There's no place like anywhere but here."
"Be...Our...Guest!" (7)
Val opened her eyes to find herself at the head of a long table. A talking candlestick that looked remarkably like Zay in front of her, grinning. Clearly a whole production had just finished, champagne was spilling and the forks were in a kick line.
"Okay, so I'm clearly gonna be here a while." Val sighed and swiped a bit of cream off the plate flung in front of her "Ooh, delicious!"
"See, just like I said!" Zay whooped, his French accent was atrocious "The grey stuff is the best!" (8)
"I thought we were going to keep this dinner low-key!" A clock with Farkle's face wobbled forward "The Master simply cannot know she's left her room."
"Ah, Cogsworth, it's been years since we've had a visitor, loosen up those hands of yours and join us!" Zay swept the feather duster off her...feathers? "We could all use a little celebration!"
"Oui!"
"Annie!"
"Non, ma cherie!" The duster with her best friend's voice giggled "Je m'appelle Babette!" (Disclaimer, I don't speak French, I'm just doing my best)
"At least tell me Beast is Lucas and not someone like Brad, I'm begging you here."
"COGSWORTH!" That was definitely Lucas's voice.
Was this going to be a problem, she had to wonder. Lucas had some anger issues in real life, was a beastly curse going to make that worse? Nah, it'd be fine...Probably.
Hey! If the story went the right way, she'd end up with a beautiful library and her boyfriend back in his human form. Maybe she'd get lucky and Brad would be Gaston and she could push him off the roof of the castle. (9)
The household items were arguing when Val tuned back into the conversation.
"We should sneak her up the servants stairs, get her back to her room before the Master notices." Cogsworth/Farkle demanded.
Lumière crossed his candles "She is our best chance at breaking the curse, let the Master notice. Emotions run high, no one knows what may happen next!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Uh, ew." Val was so not ready for that.
It was time to escape from this conversation, so she slipped from her chair and out the grand door. There were two staircases in the hall, one looked significantly worse than the other, that was probably the way to the West Wing. That was probably where she was supposed to go next.
Creeping through the ransacked halls was scary. Curtains were torn to shreds, paintings ripped, furniture had been destroyed, nothing was whole. To think that Lucas, her Lucas, had been the one to cause all this wreckage was...disturbing.
No, it wasn't her Lucas. She was in some kind of fantasy or dream or hallucination, this wasn't real. Val had to remember that. Her friends were not clocks or candlesticks or feather dusters. And Lucas was not a monster.
Cory held his wife's hand as they waited for the nurse to bring Val back from her scans. The doctor had confirmed she had pneumonia again. It wasn't as bad as it had been the first time...or the second, but the third time...it was coming close. Cory felt exactly like he had back when Val was five years old and barely able to breathe.
He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, Shawn was calling.
"I'll be right back, Topanga." Cory kissed her cheek "I'm going to update everyone."
Topanga didn't respond, she didn't even move, she just stared at the empty space where the bed should be.
Cory stepped out into the hall "Hey, Shawn."
"Cory, how is she?" Shawn was Val's godfather, every time she'd gotten sick when she was little Shawn dropped everything to be there with her and her parents "I got a flight to New York, I'll be there by tomorrow night."
"It's...She's..." Cory stumbled for words "The pneumonia's back. I think, I think she was sick for a while and didn't tell us."
Shawn swore colorfully "What're they doing for it?"
"Antibiotics, oxygen therapy, the usual." Cory took a deep breath "If she doesn't improve, they want to put her on a ventilator."
"Again?"
"Yeah."
"Jeez, Cor." Shawn swallowed loudly "How are you and Topanga holding up? What about Riley and Auggie?"
"They don't know."
"You have to tell them." Shawn stressed "If something happens, they need to know. They need to be able to say goodbye if it comes to that."
Cory shook his head "Last time Val was this sick, it destroyed her and Riley's relationship, I can't let that happen again."
"It's not like their relationship could get much worse." Annie was storming up the hallway, looking ready for a fight.
"I'll have to call you back, Shawn." Cory hung up on his best friend "What are you doing here?"
"My best friend is in the hospital. What are you doing here?"
"...Okay, proceed."
Annie cracked a small smile at that "I may not like Riley, I may even hate her, but even I think she has a right to know what's going on. She was mad last time because she was little and didn't understand what was happening, she's older now, she understands more. And, God I can't believe I'm about to say this, she has been acting better lately."
"You think she'll keep behaving if we tell her that her sister can't breathe on her own?"
"You raised that, teach her better." Annie snipped "Not to mention, Auggie will NEVER forgive you if you don't tell him."
"He's the one who told you we were here, wasn't he?"
"Came banging on my door five minutes after you left."
"Where was Riley? She was supposed to be watching him." Cory ran a hand through his hair "I never should have-"
"She was calling your parents, Maya, and Lucas." Annie crossed her arms "Remarkably, she was being responsible and letting them know what was going on. I find myself begrudgingly impressed."
"Oh."
"Speaking of, Lucas is on his way."
"It's supposed to be family only." Cory frowned "How did you get in here?"
"Stole my parent's credit card."
"Are you admitting to bribery?"
"Is your wife a kickass lawyer?"
Cory...didn't want to deal with that "Okay then. How's Lucas going to get in?"
"He's strong as a horse and Val needs him." Annie rolled her eyes "He's not gonna have a problem."
A loud crash echoed from downstairs.
"This hospital on the other hand, might need some help." Annie winced "I'll be right back."
Cory couldn't help himself, he laughed.
Okay, maybe this fantasy world wasn't so bad. Val felt like a literal Disney princess, decked out in a golden gown with her hair swept up and decorated with little drops of sparkling diamonds. Sure, Lucas covered in fur, sporting fangs, and a worse temper than she'd ever seen was a lot to get used to. But she loved that boy, in any world.
Seeing him descend the staircase to meet her, a blue suit tailored to fit his hulking frame, she didn't even notice the more "beastly" features.
"Would you, uh, care to dance?"
"I'd love to." Val took his paw as the music started to play.
"Tale as old as time..." (10)
Yeah, her Mom as Mrs. Potts was weird. Could have been worse though.
Val pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she let Lucas twirl her around the ballroom. The chandelier glowed warmly above them and the murals on the ceiling seemed to smile down on them. Val could have sworn she saw a little blue alien crawling around up there. (11)
They danced together, swaying softly as the song came to an end. Lucas grinned down at Val, she was so focused on his face she didn't notice the world around her start to shift until Lucas was smoke in her arms.
Her dress changed from yellow to blue, covered in frost like crystals, the walls of the castle turned to ice, and snow coated the world outside. Val looked around and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the sheet of ice. Her hair, no longer brown, was white, braided over her shoulder.
"Elsa?"
Val knew that voice. She grew up with that voice. But it wasn't the voice she wanted to hear right now.
"Riley." She breathed.
"Elsa, look at me." Val didn't turn around, if she was Elsa, Riley was Anna "You didn't mean to freeze everything, you can fix it. We can fix it. I'll help you."
"I'm just trying to protect you." Val whispered, still refusing to look at her sister.
"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid!"
"What do you want, Ri-Anna?" Val had to stop herself from saying her real sister's name, finally meeting her eyes.
"This." Riley stepped forward "I can't lose you, not again. I can't lose you like then. If you could see yourself the way I do, then you'd see why I can't lose you." (12)
"I know you're trying, but I can't believe this." Val shook her head "All these years, it's been nothing but pain but I couldn't do anything about it because you had it worse. Conceal, don't feel. Whatever you wanted you got. I gave you everything I had, everything I was, I gave it to you. And every time, every time you threw it away like it was nothing, like I was nothing."
"I'm sorry, Val."
"Please don't remind me to feel, believe me the danger is real." (13)
"I love you, Val."
"As much as I wish I could open that door." (14)
"If you loved yourself the way I do, then you'd see why I can't lose you." (15)
Val's eyes fluttered open, she was laying in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm. Riley was next to her while her parents, Uncle Shawn, and Auggie sat on the couch. Lucas and Annie were by the window, Farkle, Zay and Maya hovered in the doorway.
"Please, Val, I love you. I'm so sorry." Riley whispered, her hair hung in curtains, hiding her face, but Val could feel the tears dripping from her eyes "Please don't leave me. Please wake up."
Val's throat was scratchy "I'm here."
Everyone's heads snapped up.
"Vallie!" Auggie flung himself on his older sister, burying his face in her shoulder and starting to cry.
"You're awake." Lucas was beside her in a second "How do you feel?"
"Pretty rough." Val didn't lie "What happened?"
"You've been pretty out of it." Topanga brushed her daughter's hair out of her face "You've been in the hospital for three days now."
"Oh."
Farkle came in with a nurse who started taking Val's vitals "I'm glad you're okay, Val."
"Me too. I'm sorry I scared you guys."
"Don't be sorry, sweetheart." Cory kissed the top of her head "You're going to be just fine. That's what's important."
"You, you're really awake?" Riley finally managed to get a word in.
"Did you think you'd be getting rid of me that easily?"
Riley appeared to struggle with herself for a moment, before she leaned forward and hugged her sister "You're awake."
"I am." Val accepted the hug "I'm awake."
The sweet moment was interrupted by Auggie wriggling between them "Uh, you're squishing me!"
The silence of the hospital was broken by the peals of laughter from Valencia Matthews.
References:
The Wizard of Oz
2- Wicked, Good News
3- Glinda Ardenna of the Uplands is Glinda's full name in Wicked
4- Wicked's first performance was on October 8th, 2003
5- Wicked, Act 2
6- Phineas and Ferb, Wizard of Odd Season 2 episode 26
7 and 8- Beauty and the Beast, Be Our Guest
9- Gaston's death in the Disney animated film 1991
10- Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast
11- Lilo and Stitch promotional video
watch?v=0EPdOPhwpUA
12, 13, 14, 15- Frozen the Musical, I Can't Lose You
watch?v=zzS4B8no374
Word count: 3272 words
So June was a hot freaking mess, I spent 2 weeks in the hospital and had 3 surprise surgeries. I've been planning this chapter for a while, I started Riley's redemption arc because of the song "I Can't Lose You" from Broadway's Frozen. Her redemption arc is NOT finished, but it's kicking off.
This chapter might be kind of cliche or cringy or whatever but I think it's sweet and fits Val's character. She'd definitely hallucinate herself in different musicals when she's sick.
Hope you liked the chapter! Please don't forget to comment, vote, and add to your reading lists! #FreePalestine🍉🍉🍉
Love,
The Author