#oooooooooooooof

“Madeline,” her mother gasps, moving over toward her before Buck puts a hand up to caution her.

This was a bad idea from the start, and he knew it. They never should’ve gone back to Hershey, even if it WAS for their dad suddenly winding up in the hospital. Especially not when Maddie and Chimney had just gotten in a blow out fight over her “light core” stalking some woman named Tara. Clearly, the trauma is still too fresh for her to be back here.

He had begged her to invite Chimney, saying that he’s sure that no matter how angry Chimney could possibly be at her for whatever “creepy stalker plan” she’s hatched up her sleeve, he would NEVER make her go without him if she’d asked him, too.

He had only found out five minutes prior that Maddie didn’t even MENTION their father having a heart attack to Chimney. His older friend had found out through Bobby explaining his absence from the 118 to him.

Other things Maddie hadn’t expressed out loud? That she left Doug to her parents and... everything else that happened after that. Hence the picture of her and Doug resting on the mantle of the fireplace.

The picture that Maddie is now screaming at, as if it were Doug brought back to life and not a simple, harmless photograph.

“He beat her, mom. He abducted her. He almost killed her and her new boyfriend.”

“W-what?” is all their mother can choke out, and though he’s really not that big of a fan of her, he really can’t fault her for not knowing what to say in this situation.

“This stupid scar on my stupid leg!” Maddie screams, clutching at her head as if it will shatter into pieces if she doesn’t hold it together, “it’s all because of you! Everything is because of you! And there’s so many scars that you can’t even see! I’ve turned into a fucking crazy stalker woman because of you!”