PLAIDY IS BACK! I don't really have any excuse other than school and who I am as a person. BUT! I will dust off my keyboard and hopefully FINALLY finish that chapter of My Boys that I have been having troubles with... And I'm hoping Season 2 will give me a whole new set of headcanons for our favorite Byers family to work with for new chapters.

Anyway, this is something I've been wanting to work on for a while. And things are gonna get sad, so hold on to your hats. This chapter isn't quite as eventful as I'm planning later chapters to be, especially since it's more of an overview than any specific events. This is because I'm taking Eleven's childhood starting from birth and going from there in chronological order, and there isn't as many specific events I can write about with her as a baby. Nonetheless, this is something I definitely wanted to cover.

Enjoy! ~PlaidDino

Experiment 011 was separated from her birth mother after a mere six months. And she was the lucky one.

It was prior knowledge that physical contact is a crucial part in the development of an infant. However, scientists speculated about how a telekinetic child's abilities might be strengthened or weakened by the lack of touch.

Experiment 008 was kept in an isolation tank, and was fed through an IV tube as they monitored her brain activity. It is safe to say that she never saw a glimpse of light other than her very earliest hours after birth. She only knew her mother's touch for less than an hour.

She died at the age of two weeks.

Experiment 009 was kept in a single room, and was touched and spoken to as minimally as possible. He was only handled when fed. The only thing he knew was the nurse who fed him and the wires hooked up to his head, reading his brain activities, which he often tried desperately to rip off.

His brain development was significantly better than his predecessor, but it still suffered greatly compared to the healthy amount of development for a child, and he soon fell ill and died at the age of four months.

It was clear that the experiments needed to be handled if they wanted to survive, let alone grow stronger. Experiment 010 and 011 were kept with their mothers, and the difference was astonishing. They grew faster, their immune systems were stronger, and the neurons in their brains were firing like mad, just like a normal infant. 010 showed no more development than that of a normal child, and once she reached the age of eighteen months with no unique properties, both mother and child were deemed useless.

011's started to develop very unusual brain activities very quickly. She was the one. By six months, she could rattle the bed stand when she was upset. They knew that Terry would very likely become more and more attached to her, so she was taken, and Terry was promptly removed from the staff. The fluorescent lights of the nursery shattered with the infant's screams when she was taken away.

Experiment 011 was since then raised and cared for by various nurses, and the head scientist, Dr. Brenner himself. Dr. Brenner knew the importance of establishing an emotional bond, but he only trusted himself to maintain the balance of caring for the child but remaining sufficiently detached. He would be the one to hold her on his lap as she was fed, and he was the first and last face she would see, morning and night. He touched her just enough to keep her development healthy, but would often provide no more than necessary.

Early on after 011's separation from her mother, she would cry and no one could comfort her. Soon enough, however, she would cry for Brenner, the only comfort she knew. He was very gentle with her. So much so, that sometimes the other scientists would worry that he was becoming attached. But then he would leave the room and then speak about her as though she was merely an animal at their disposal. They quickly learned that they had nothing to worry about.

In 011's very early childhood, when she was old enough to walk, she was allowed to play while they studied her behavior and brain activity in various situations and settings. She was a wild child, very chatty, and loved to run around. She loved puzzle toys. But she would ignore them in an instant if the one person who she could touch was there. All she would want was him.

Her playroom had a wall that could be seen through only on one side-the side where the scientists looked in. When Brenner would come into the room, all they would hear was the excited cries of "PapaPapaPapaPapaPapaPapaPapaPapa!"

As she grew to the age of two, Brenner's generous amounts of physical contact with Experiment 011 began to make even more sense. Any tantrum or misbehavior was met by Brenner refusing to touch her. Crying was met with no physical contact until she would stop, and she while at first this produced more crying, his system of returning to hold her after she stopped made his lesson clear. She learned very quickly.

When she started to learn more and more new words, Brenner quickly made it a point to withhold physical contact for a day if she chatted excessively, regardless of how quick she corrected herself. She would then be reminded that good girls must only speak when necessary, and answer all questions with a "yes" or a "no", and nothing more. The days of the sounds of her babbling were over after four incidences of excessive talking, with her shunning periods each lasting a day longer than the previous one. After four days of punishment, she didn't say it, but she wanted to say she would be a good girl. She wanted to say it and then be held, like only good girls were. But she didn't say anything. Because she was a good girl.

When he came into her room to wish her a good morning after the fourth day of her punishment, he smiled at her again. And he held her again. Good girl, good girl, good girl. Good girls don't talk.

She didn't want to be left ever again. Good girls don't talk. Good girl.