Chapter The Vanishing Prairie: Out and Equal – Summit 2023

 Mr. and Mrs. Fedora, Maisie, and Maisie's parents met at the hospital the next afternoon to support Feya during her discharge. Milo was a little tired, so Maisie left him behind to rest; however, she ensured everything was double-locked so he wouldn't escape again.

 Now, there she was. Maisie pushed a still beat-up Feya to her car, her parents and Maisie's following close behind, and opened the front passenger door. Dr. Alexander fit her for a new prosthetic before discharging her, but until he got it to her, Feya was stuck. She also had to wear the head bandage for another day, but at least her breathing was back to normal.

 Maisie helped Feya into the car and folded the wheelchair, slipping it and her crutches into the back.

 Feya buckled and pressed her ice pack against her bruised temple. The poor girl looked like someone punched her in the head in a wrestling ring. She was lucky the fall wasn't higher.

 "Feya, are you sure you don't want to go to the hotel with us?" Mrs. Fedora asked, grasping Mr. Fedora's hand.

 "I want to go to Flamingo with Maisie," she responded, lowering her ice pack. "She'll take care of me, Mom and Dad."

 They cringed but understood.

 "Very well." Mrs. Fedora released Mr. Fedora and approached Feya, kissing her. "We'll stop by later. Until then, don't throw any wild parties."

 "I don't think you have to worry about that, Mrs. Fedora," Maisie stated. "Feya's likely going to sleep."

 Feya lifted an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

 "Instinct," Maisie answered, almost flirtingly. She wrapped a strand of hair around her finger and looked at her parents. "Mom, Dad, are you coming?"

 "In a little while." Mrs. Foster pecked Mr. Foster's cheek. "Your dad and I need to do something really quickly, May. You focus on getting Feya settled."

 Maisie wondered what her parents had up their sleeves but decided to ask later. She hugged them quickly and shuffled to the driver's side, ducking inside.

 As expected, Feya fell asleep on the way back to Flamingo Crossings.

 Because of that, Maisie passed through the drive-thru window of Flamingo's Walgreens to pick up her medicine. She kept it out of Daisy's reach and quietly drove down Hartzog Rd. to the turn-in for East's parking lot.

 Maisie stole Feya's Flamingo card and scanned her and herself in. She waved at the Security Guard and found a parking space behind Building 13. It was close enough to 17 and had a ramp for wheelchairs.

 "Feya." Maisie lightly shook her shoulder. "Wake up. We're home."

***

 Milo was the first thing Maisie saw when she and Feya reached the apartment.

 He carried his blue blanket in his mouth and stood on his hind legs, placing his paws on Feya's right leg.

 She wasn't comfortable showing her stump to the CPs, so Maisie had dug a spare blanket out from her car's trunk and draped it over her lap. She gently booted Daisy off and removed it, wrapping the blanket around Feya's shoulders. "Do you want your bed or the couch?"

 "The couch, so I can be near you."

 Did Maisie's heart flip? Feya wanted to be near her? That was the sweetest thing ever.

 She attempted to hide her blush and rolled her to the couch, helping her to it from the wheelchair. Maisie fluffed the pillow behind Feya's head and covered her with the blanket. Before she fell asleep again, she wet a towel and cleaned her wound.

 Maisie dabbed the distinct, purplish-blue bruise around Feya's eye and said, "You look like you got in a bar fight, girl."

 "It's that bad, huh?" Feya petted Daisy, who snuggled close and shut her eyes.

 "You're super lucky. You know that, right?" Maisie wrapped a clean bandage around Feya's head and sat on the couch with her. "That could've been a lot worse."

 "I don't know, Maisie. I think breaking my prosthetic was pretty bad."

 "At least you're not dead!" Maisie snapped.

 Feya flinched.

 "Sorry," Maisie apologized, "but you scared me yesterday. I never want to get another call saying you're in the ICU." She saw Feya's eyes divert to Milo before landing back on her. "The last thing I want is to lose someone I care about again."

 "Care about?" Feya whispered. "I thought you didn't want friends, Maisie."

 "Well, I've changed my mind. Without me, I don't think you'll suffice."

 Feya chuckled. It was the most beautiful thing Maisie had heard in twenty-four hours. She almost had Feya back.

 There was silence, and then Maisie said, "Get some rest. Milo and I will stay here with you. Won't we, Milo?"

 Nodding, Milo offered Feya his blanket.

 Daisy shot him a jealous look but soon relaxed. Maisie hoped she understood Milo was trying to help.

 Feya pushed the blanket back to him. "I don't want to take your blanket, boy."

 "Oh, just accept it, girl," Maisie mused. "Make him feel better. He worried about you all night."

 "He did? Oh, Milo." Feya scratched him under the chin with one hand and accepted the blanket with her other. "It wasn't your fault. It was an accident. We didn't know that bridge was rotten."

 Milo gave her hand a few love bites.

 Another round of silence passed while Feya comforted him. The next time she spoke, Maisie heard nervousness in her voice. "Ma-Maisie, can I ask you something?"

 "Sure." Maisie lifted Milo into her lap. "I asked you something yesterday, so now it's your turn."

 "I guess so. I just"—Feya inhaled—"Ma-Maisie, when did you realize you were queer?"

 She froze but nodded. "Senior year of high school, the year Matthew died. You?"

 "With Victoriya. We discussed taking it to the next level when she died." Feya gloomily lowered her head. "She helped me come clean to my parents. They were reluctant at first but eventually accepted it."

 "Matthew helped me," Maisie explained. "I told him before I told Mom and Dad."

 Feya met her eyes. "He sounds like a great brother."

 Maisie flicked a tear away. "He wanted a sister. Mom and Dad only planned one kid, but Matthew practically begged them. I told him more secrets than our parents, but he always listened."

 "I'm an only child." Feya dragged Maisie's blanket to her chin and lay down. "That's why I got so close to Victoriya. I miss her, Maisie."

 "Trust me—I know how that feels." Maisie tucked her and Daisy in. "I don't regret the day I met you, Feya."

 "Nor do I. I saw you and knew you were special."

 "Special". A pair of hands tugged Maisie's heart, but she fought the pain. "You're special, too, Feya. You survived that bomb for a reason. Give it time, and I'm sure you'll find it."

 "Thank you, Maisie."

 Maisie patted her shoulder. "Now, rest. Our parents will be here later, and we can go from there. Does that sound good?"

 Feya yawned. "It does. Thank you again." With that, she turned onto her side and drifted into sleep.