The irony of it all was that Rocky was sat at the same place him and Max first connected, the first time they genuinely saw each other rather then just as Wills older brother and Wills redhead friend.

There were empty chairs, but he stayed on the wall. Apart of him convinced himself he could feel her shoulder pressed into his still, like it had that night in the past summer. But, that was just a delusion. Max wasn't there, not in spirt, not in anything but his head. And, of course, in a hospital bed just down the hallway where Lucas and Erica kept her company.

Rocky knew it was shitty, but he didn't like to stay in the room too long. Looking at her like that, it just made him feel guilty. He always knew that plan was insane, he could have fought harder to charge her mind or figure something else out. Not to mention, the pure heartache that went along with it. If it wasn't guilt, it was sadness. He missed the happiness, because once upon a time, the thought of Max did make him happy.

He didn't know much aside the fact that she was alive, her heart beat was still there and after hours of surgery, her limbs were back in place. That was good, at least. But, Rocky worried for what he didn't know. He tried not to dwell on it, but he feared for her brain. If and when she woke up, would she still remember him? Would she even know who he was, everything they'd gone through. They had such little time as a couple, if that's even what they were. He feared that when she woke up, they wouldn't even get to continue that story.

He looked down at the photo of his biological mom, the only one he had. For some reason, she was his greatest comfort right now. He'd never even met her, Lonnie never told him anything about her, all Rocky had was how he imagined Isabel Dominguez to be in his head. But, that's all he needed in some little way. Her tan skin, light brown eyes, dark hair that was lightened from how much sun she had been in. He also knew she spoke Spanish, because Lonnie had gotten mad at Jonathan when he needed to take it for school because he said it reminded him of her. Rocky never knew why he loved her so much, she wasn't really his Mom, just the person that gave birth to him and suffered because of it.

If anything, he should hate the idea of her. He did, for a while, anyways. He'd never told anyone but El this, not even Max because he knew she struggled when it came to comforting other. But Rocky hated his birthday because it was the day she died. The day he had killed her. He never wanted to celebrate, because it wasn't anything to be happy about. Joyce and Jonathan never understood it, no one did, because he hadn't told anyone except the little bald girl he found in the woods when searching for his brother.

He wanted to tell Max. Now more then ever. Even if she didn't know what to say and it was weird because she couldn't relate, he wanted to just be able to talk to her. To say anything, whatever he wanted, and have her just listen. It just a course of two days, he missed her more now then what he had in the many months they were forced to stay apart.

"Rocky." the voice made him look up, down the hallway.

El's bald head brought him comfort, just like his dead mother had.

He got to his feet, she hurried his way and hugged him tightly. He didn't know it, but she'd been there through it all with Max, she'd brought her back. El wouldn't tell Rocky, but she wanted more then anything to be there for him in those horrible moments. He was there for her to cry on, but she wasn't actually for him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." he pulled back and held her face. "Your hair is gone."

"Yes." El nodded. "Weird, right?"

"No." he shook his head, pulling her into a hug again. "I'm glad you're okay."

At least, she was.

"Hey." Jonathan walked closer, Rocky didn't even see them behind El. He'd let her go, falling into the arms of Will and Jonathan at once. His brother, his family. They held him tightly, for as long as he needed. Even Mike had given him a hug, despite the both of them never being too fond of hugs.

"You guys wanna see Max?" he inhaled, looking to El as she nodded. Will wrapped his arms around Rocky's waist to show his support as they walked into the hospital room. Rocky felt even worse when Lucas stopped reading to Max, knowing he had to deal and be there for her the most because Rocky simply couldn't.

He took once glance at her horrible state, then looked down as if his feet were more important. Will didn't say anything, but Rockys hands were still covered in Max's blood. He could have washed it off, but he didn't. He stood infront of the running sink and everything, yet couldn't bring himself to wash them or take off the flannel the blood from her eyes stained.

Lucas stood up and hugged El, Rocky looked back at Max as he held his breath. When he saw her, it took away some feeling when he made himself stop breathing. His blood stained hands, that had dried too bad by now to smear anywhere, touched her pale arm for just half a second. She didn't feel the same, he knew it the most.

"We've been calling you guys like crazy." Lucas hugged Mike and Will as one.

"I know." Mike held him. "We came as soon as we heard."

"I'm sorry." El apologized as Lucas hugged her again, hidden under her jacket hood. She slowly pulled away from Lucas, leaving him to take Rocky's hand. He looked over, nodding to Lucas as he held his hand tighter. El sat on the edge of Max's bed, pulling her hood off. Mike wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

"Do they know...when she will wake?" El turned her head to Rocky and Lucas.

"No." Rocky said back quickly, it was easier to say fast rather then linger on the topic.

"They say she might not." Lucas added with a frown in his tone.

"She died, for real." Rocky explained, despite El knowing. "Her heart beat, it stopped for a few minutes. Almost two, i'm pretty sure. Then she just-she just came back. Well, not her, but her heartbeat stared again."

"The doctors don't know how." Lucas took over when she saw Rocky shift around uncomfortably, not wanting to talk about it. "They say it's a miracle."

El touched Max's fingers that were sticking out of her cast. "I'm here, Max."

The door opened up, and Rocky lost it. He kept it together around everyone else, but seeing his Mom did it for him. Joyce held him tightly in her arms, because it's what he needed. She'd done it so many times, no matter how old or how big he'd get, he'd lay on her shoulder as she held him. In the mix of it all, everyone managed to leave. Rocky didn't know when, or how long he was laying on Joyce, but the red from the sunset was staring to come in when he genuinely caught track of time.

"I need to go to Hoppers cabin, sweetie. Why don't you come with me?" Joyce placed a hand on his face. "Hops there, he'd be so happy to see you."

Rocky looked at Max. "Tomorrow?"

"I'll stay." she shook her head. "I should stay."

"No, no." he shook his head. "You should go, be with Hopper and the boys and El. Get done what you need and then come back. I could use a second alone...with her."

Her.

Joyce kissed his forehead, mumbled a few more words for the next fifteen minutes, before finally leaving. Rocky looked at Max, they sat so far apart in the bed and the couch. He narrowed his eyes slightly, the sunset making her glow. He had to laugh. "Red like your stupid, devil hair."

He stood up, blocking the sun from her face and sat next to her. He did what El had done, wrapping his hand around the fingers that were sticking out of the cast, using his other hand to move a strand of red hair out of her face. He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'm not gonna leave you, okay? No going home, no insane D&D characters that need the shit kicked out of them, nothing."

Maybe she could hear him, maybe she couldn't. Rocky rubbed his thumb over her index finger. "I'm not going anywhere, California. Not until you wake up so I can make fun of your stupid hair again, okay?"

A second passed, then another, and finally, Rocky felt her fingers tighten around his for just a second. Okay, California. Don't go anywhere.

•

kylie speaks

what an amazing time i've
had with all of you once again.
i know we ended on a rather sad
note, and i'm sorry for that, but
i'm not one to change a storyline, especially when i know max being in her coma is gonna be a huge part of season five. but, on a happier note, i'm so very happy i got to share this story with all of you and meet so many new friends through broken boy. rocky was made when it was at a rather pissed off stage in my life and being able to portray that anger was so refreshing and i'm so glad i did, because it's such a joy seeing how many of you enjoy him and this book so much. i never imagined it would do as good as it did and i'm forever greatful.
FEAR NOT there will be a prolgue book for rocky in season one and season two. i need to get my other books finished first but once i do, it'll be on a roll and i'll come back to remind you guys so we can have a little more time with our boy! until next time, my little loves, know you are always welcomed back here with open arms from me and rocky both.