Chapter Text
By the time that the early November morning sun slowly rose over the horizon, painting the sky in beautiful colors, Laurie found herself in the hospital lobby room for news about Annie (and about her newborn nephew Samuel). Alone in the waiting room, the full weight over what she had done---luring someone into an explosion, as much as they deserved it, and the deaths she had witnessed---hit her like a bunch of bricks. Before she could even stop herself, she found herself sobbing in the lobby room over everything that had happened.
Just how fast the night changed.
Nothing would be the same anymore, even if she and her family were here and whole....a town's faith and trust in a psychiatric facility, even one many miles away, had been shaken beyond repair. Because of their severe mishandling over the years, people.....people were dead, traumatized, or---in the case of the Brackett family---they didn't have a home anymore.
She didn't even know what to say to Sheriff Brackett, her and Judith's brother burnt his home down. A place he and his family lived in for as long as she could remember.
...I'm so sorry, Mr. Brackett...
"Laurie?" Came the familiar, warm voice of her father, looking exhausted but determined. He was coming from down the hallway, rubbing his eyes tiredly "So....I just had a discussion with Mr. Brackett."
Those very words made her leap up, even with how exhausted she herself was with everything that had happened. Morgan Strode ran a hand through his own disheveled hair "So far, she's in critical but stable condition." He recounted, not wanting to stress his daughter with how bad Annie's injuries were.
His face softened when he saw just how exhausted she was. Knowing there was a secret exit to avoid certain things like news crews and the like, Morgan gently rubbed her shoulder "Laurie, how about I take you home?"
Tears leaked down her face as she shakily nodded, leaning into her father's warm embrace as her limbs trembled under the weight. Leaning closer to her ear, making sure no one was listening, her father's voice whispered once more "And Samuel....his vitals are alright, according to what I've heard." Relief almost flooded her system at those words. Despite the horrors and the chronic stress leading up to his birth, her newborn nephew was going to be alright "You'll be able to hold him, I promise, honey...."
"Mama?" The petulant, insistent voice of her oldest child made her slowly turn around from the nurses bustling around Samuel, inwardly bracing for what was to come. Even before this night, Dean looked way too much like how.....Michael once was, especially with his light blonde hair (that was likely to darken) and innocent features. Now, those features were filled with wanting answers, a maturity far too old for someone his age "Who was....the masked man? Why was he after us?"
The question made Judith share a look with her husband as he tended to their daughter. Britti also looked up, her bright doe-brown eyes teary and confused as she struggled to make sense of what had happened "Daddy, why was the masked man after us like we did something wrong? We don't even know him!" She innocently insisted, clutching her father's hand in support.
Closing her eyes, trying to stop her own tears, Judith felt her own heart shatter at the questions---questions she never thought she'd have to answer. All it did was bring her back to a painful time, a time where both her and Laurie's parents changed and she had to deal with the health problems and trauma that came with the attack. If anything, this was even harder than when Judith and Danny had to answer Dean's questions regarding her own scars when he accidentally saw them.
"When Mommy was younger, she got hurt very badly. Someone she loved very much hurt her because they were ill. After that, she lived with her grandma---your great-grandma."
But things were different, their children had gone through something traumatic no child should ever have to go through. This would be something she and Danny would have to go through on their own. Taking a deep, shaky breath to steady herself, Judith took Dean's small hand into her own and moved him into the bathroom for some privacy.
The two women inside by the sink immediately seemed to realize what was happening and left, giving her sympathetic looks in return. Wiping her own tears, Judith tried to stand tall and strong like she always had, even with her own heart pounding.
"Mama?" The confusion and anger in Dean's voice was gone, replaced with concern as he stepped forward. One of his small hands wiped her tears away "I'm not mad, Mama....I'm just confused."
"It's okay, baby," Her voice managed to choke out, unable to understand how she and Danny had such a wonderful boy as a son. Even in his confusion and anger, there was still worry sparkling in his eyes---worry for her "This......I really should've told you a long time ago, but...." she trailed off, more tears slipping down her cheeks "I just wanted to protect you and Britti..."
More painful memories of what happened in the aftermath of 1963 flooded her mind, as much as she tried to resist. Memories she tried so hard to bury deep within her own mind.
"I don't believe you...." In her trembling hand, she held up the half-drank bottle of alcohol and glared at the people she once considered her parents. In the background, Cynthia (Laurie) was wailing at the top of her lungs as Danny tried to comfort her "What did you do to her?"
Don Myers wiped his mouth, a visible look of regret on his face.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO CYNTHIA?!"
The cries of her little sister echoed in her mind as she felt a small hand tugging at her sleeve, causing her to look down to see Dean's confused face. Wiping the tears once more, Judith tried to put on a comforting face for her son's sake "Sorry baby...." she whispered weakly before clearing her throat and making her voice stronger "As you know, when I was younger, someone I loved very much hurt me because I was ill." Her hands shook uncontrollably as her heart pounded against her chest.
...You can do this, you should've done this...
"The person who hurt me was named Michael," curiosity and many other emotions flickered in her son's eyes as Dean looked down at his sneakers, shifting from foot to foot "He's.....someone from my family who made dangerous choices and came back to Haddonfield even though he shouldn't have." One of her shaking hands carefully ruffled Dean's floppy hair, causing his eyes to meet hers as she continued "The police, including Sheriff Brackett, they took care of it....and Michael, he can't hurt anyone anymore."
Her son was silent for a long moment, like he normally was when processing information. After a few minutes of letting him process this information, Dean finally did speak "Mama, why would this.....Michael person wanna hurt you? You're the most kindest and bravest person out there!" He chirped earnestly, fiddling with his tiny hands "Even when people are weird around you, you don't treat them the same way!"
For a brief second, Judith felt the weight of fifteen years weigh down on her. She had wanted to know those answers for so long. But she still didn't----and she doubted she ever would.
"Baby, when Michael hurt me, he went to see a doctor who would help him," at her explanation, Dean's face scrunched up and Judith ruffled his hair once more. As she knew, for Dean, doctors meant needles and checkups "That's why we didn't see him."
"I hope we don't see him again," Dean declared stoutly, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at her with a child's defiance Judith remembered having at his young age. But there was also a deep love and concern for his younger sister "He scared me and Britti, Mama. He could've hurt us."
"He won't ever hurt you or your sister again, baby," Judith reassured gently, pulling him into a hug and couldn't help but smile as Dean hugged her back "Me and Daddy promise you that."
"Or baby Sammy?" Dean inquired, raising an eyebrow as he lifted his head from her shoulder. Judith nodded slowly, tightening her grip on her son "All of you will be protected, I promise."
"Morg?" The familiar voice of his wife made Morgan Strode almost sink in relief as he opened the door. His wife looked nearly as tired as him, her normally curled hair was disheveled and there were bags under her eyes. Pamela looked like she had aged ten years over the past twenty-four hours as she approached him, worry sparkling in her eyes "How is she?"
"Fell asleep pretty fast," Morgan responded as he shut and locked the door, running a hand through his hair. All while keeping an eye out for annoying paparazzi.
The sound of his wife's footsteps leaving the living room made him follow behind her, Pamela holding a finger up to her lips as they both stood in the open doorway of Laurie's darkened room.
Even in the darkness of her bedroom, they could both see Laurie cuddling with her old Raggedy Ann doll from her childhood, completely wiped out from the events of last night. Her window curtains were closed, per Laurie's request after she and Morgan came home. But she looked so completely content and at peace that Morgan and Pamela decided to let her sleep in as long she wanted to.
Stepping back down the hallway, into the kitchen, Pamela rubbed her own eyes tiredly as she looked up at her husband "Morgan....did we fail to protect her?" Her voice cracked under the weight of it.
"Honey---" Morgan started, sitting down beside her and rubbing her shoulder. Tears started to leak down Pamela's face as her shoulders trembled "We didn't---"
"We promised, Morgan!" Pamela's voice cracked as it raised ever so slightly, but it wasn't directed at her husband. But at everyone responsible for mishandling this situation----she wanted to rage at Smith's Grove, at the administration, at literally everyone who allowed Michael Myers to escape and to traumatize Haddonfield and her baby "We promised Judith, Morgan! Especially after the car crash back in January 1965, with Laurie still in the car!"
He couldn't help but wince, remembering just how dire everything was that cold January night as snow fell on the ground in blankets. Both Don and Edith Myers were all but unrecognizable, with two newly bought bottles in the back, and it was a miracle that Laurie had even survived the crash.
"You know why I went out with the police, Morg? To hunt him down?" Her question brought him back into reality, her voice was raspy and cracked. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to steady herself "I wanted to prevent a repeat of what happened to Judith---to be the mother Edith Myers couldn't....." Her voice wheeled out as fresh tears continued spilling out "And I still failed..."
"Oh, honey, you didn't fail," Morgan Strode held his wife as she sobbed, it was something common in the early years after Laurie's adoption and if they were doing a good job protecting Laurie from the press. The worries of the media even finding out about Laurie had come up time and time again. While both of them had known Don and Edith Myers before that Halloween and were disgusted with how far they had fallen after the events of 1963, Pamela often worried about replacing Edith Myers as a mother "There are some things in this world that we have no control over. You didn't fail, the ones who failed all of Haddonfield is Smith's Grove and the administration," He rationalized calmly, stroking his wife's back while trying to calm his own inner anger. Psychiatric facilities were trusted to keep patients in and help them get better---the amount of mishandling and lackluster security of Smith's Grove was ridiculous but also alarming "And given what's happened, those in charge will likely be shut down and have their licenses revoked for allowing this to happen."
And based off what Dr. Loomis and even what his ex-wife and their daughter had told them, Smith's Grove was in for many lawsuits---not just from the families of the victims but also families of those who had come face-to-face with the Shape. The administration had fifteen years to take in mind what Myers did to Judith----out of nowhere---and apply security concerns to Smith's Grove, to listen to his pyschiatrist's concerns when he kept reporting on how dangerous Myers was, even as a child.
But they never did.
...Karma's coming for you, Smith's Grove...and it's coming for you fast...