Wednesday May 28, 1997 (10AM)
In the sewers where Winter laid in a fetal position on her side all throughout the night, she had lost all her energy and was suffering from neck stiffness, headaches, problems breathing, vomiting whatever would come out of her empty stomach and seizures as her fever got worse. She could barely make out the faces that would appear right in front of her all throughout the night and morning. At times she would see Lily or she would see the clown, but they all paid no attention as she laid on the ground as she coughed and dry-heaved for hours.
She could feel just how much tinier she had become in the few days she was stuck down there in the cold with no food or clean water. She had accepted her fate that it might have been her last hours on earth as the bacteria in her body that made her so sick was eventually going to kill her. She thought about how beautiful it was that she spent her last final months on earth with a guy who loved her. Her mind traveled to Henry a lot as she laid there. She wished she could just speak to him with her thoughts to give him some closure.
Above the sewers that cloudy morning, Bev, Eddie, Stan and Richie had not given up hope yet in finding one of their best friends. It was the third day in their search for her.
Bev had mended well into the group, but the guys didn't see her like how they saw Winter. Bev was like their sister. So yes, they did see Bev and Winter differently. Winter was the older woman that made them realize what hanging out with a woman was really like. Even though she was only a year to a year and a half older than them, she was still their Wonder Woman, their Zena Warrior Princess, and their Buffy. She was the one who had showed them what it looked like when a woman was pleased pleasurably, even if it was from a far distance as they watched Henry pleasure her on the picnic table. She was the kindest, sexiest, most compassionate, empathetic, and easiest woman to talk to. Although she looked at them sometimes as little kids, she still treated them equal to her. She was the ideal woman that they hoped to one day find in their future wives.
The group of teenagers walked through the other half of The Barrens where, just a few nights ago, Tiff (or who looked like Tiff), was leading Winter towards the danger and evil she was held captive to. They were walking up to the sewer building that had ate Winter alive.
"There's no way she would have come out this far, guys! Especially at night..." Stan said as he broke the silence.
There was too much silence within the group the past few days.
"Yeah, well, we checked everywhere else, okay?" Eddie kicked some strands of tall grass out of the way, "At least we can say we checked everywhere before we do it again."
"Check everywhere again?" Stan inquired.
Eddie looked at him surprised, "It's not like we're looking for fucking Debbie Ripsom, Stan. We're looking for Winter. So yeah, we'll keep looking until we find her. Or, if you guys want to go on back with your normal lives at school, then I'll look for her by myself."
"Calm down, Spaghettiman," Richie nudged him lightly in the shoulder as they kept walking.
"I don't see why she would come out here either... But hey, if it is a kidnapper on the loose, I guess it's possible," Bev shrugged.
Nobody answered her. The thought of a kidnapper taking Winter made them feel more on edge.
After a few minutes, Richie followed what Bev had said, "If a fucking kidnapper took her all the way to this side of The Barrens, it was probably to cut her up and bury the parts."
Eddie stopped in his tracks and looked at Richie in shock, "Really? You're going to fucking say that! You had to open your stupid Goddamn mouth and say that!" Eddie began to hyperventilated at the thought. He grabbed his puffer and inhaled deeply, "Don't say shit like that! Take it back, Richie!"
Richie noticed the look in Eddie's face as if he was seeing a new look for the first time. Actually, it wasn't a new look. Eddie's eyes went wide with concern and it showed some wrinkles in his forehead. It was a sad yet serious look. It was the same type of look he saw in Eddie's face when he looked at Winter as an adult from those couple of times with the magical turtle. That expression that Eddie showed Richie was born that day, and it was going to be a look he was going to give Winter in the future, and he didn't know why.
"I take it back. Sorry, Eddie. I mean it," Richie said sincerely. He didn't want to mess with this new side of Eddie.
As Eddie and Richie talked, Bev and Stan had went up to the Well Building and kicked around the fallen leaves on the steps and entrance.
Eddie and Richie caught up to the two of them and looked around as well outside of the abandoned creepy building.
"This place is a bacteria trap," Eddie said.
"What if Winter is in there, guys?" Stan asked, wondering if it was possible.
"I really don't think she would go in there willingly, especially during the night..." Bev added, although she wondered as well.
"Oh my, God! Guys!" Richie exclaimed.
They all looked at Richie as he bent down to pick up something off the ground. He held the chain that was a necklace in his hand.
It was the necklace Henry gave Winter for Christmas before the concert. The necklace with the silver 'W'.
"That's Winters!" Eddie exclaimed. "Oh my God, guys! She's in the fucking sewers."
As if the building had heard Eddie, the doors to the entrance swung open with a loud thunk that was followed by what sounded like an evil groan that echoed throughout the building inside.
The four teenagers stared inside of the building from the steps, but it was still too dark to see as they stared in from the outside. They stood still, frozen at whatever opened the doors and made that sound.
"We got to go in and find her," Bev spoke up as she looked from the darkness on the inside to the guys.
"As much as I want to go in and find her..." Eddie began.
"Please! You want to go in and save the damsel in distress. You want to be Batman who sweeps Lois Lane off of her feet!" Richie said.
Eddie looked at him angrily, "First of all! It's Superman that is connected to Lois Lane, not fucking Batman! And second of all, what I was saying before you interrupted me was that I would like to go in and find her, but we are four people... Lets go tell Officer Hopper that she is obviously in the sewer so he could get a whole team of, like, fifty police officers to find her. The four of us going in there is like trying to find something in a maze."
"Yeah, I agree. Let's go get Officer Hopper," Stan added, shivering at the sight of the inside of the Well Building, wanting to leave.
Richie put the necklace in his pocket and the four of them left to run to the police station.
Meanwhile, in the police station, Officer Hopper had brought a coffee to help Henry wake up from a hangover.
The night before, Officer Hopper found his seventeen year old nephew on the middle of the streets, screaming in anger. It had caused a disruption to the neighbourhood as they tried to sleep and they ended up calling the cops. Thankfully, for Henry, it was his uncle who got the call and not a police officer that would put him in a cell for the night and charge him for drinking underage. He let Henry sleep in his office at the station overnight
"Just how you like it..." Jim Hopper handed Henry the cup of hot coffee, which Henry took as he sat wrapped in a blanket. "Henry, I know you're mad and scared, but you can't make stupid decisions like what you did last night. If it wasn't me who found you, you'd be in a real shitty situation right now."
Henry took a sip from the coffee and took an aspirin for his headache.
"You're lucky I didn't tell your mom and dad. I just told them I found you searching for Winter through the night and let you stay with me. They said you haven't been home since Monday morning," Jim Hopper looked at him seriously, "What have you been thinking, Henry? They were worried sick and your mom was in tears."
Henry looked at him angrily, "I've been out searching for my girlfriend! I don't see any cops out there doing it!"
"We have been! But remember there are other missing people we are searching for too. On top of that, Winter's parents have been on me nonstop since they came back to town yesterday!" Jim looked stressed.
Henry furrowed his brows, "Winter's been missing since Monday morning and they only just stepped into the picture now?" He was disgusted that he was out searching since Monday morning and yet her own parents just dropped by yesterday.
"At least your friends are out there looking for her too," Jim sighed.
Henry looked up at him with those angry eyes, "Winter's my only friend. That group is her friends."
The door to the office opened and Robert walked in. He looked over at Henry and then over at Jim. He looked concerned and it was obvious in his eyes that him and the Bower's were going through their own turmoil at the house.
Robert looked at Henry and sat beside him on the sofa, "Any luck?"
"I found your brother drunk last night looking for Winter. Don't tell your parents though. I'll get into a lot of shit protecting his ass."
"Our parents, huh?" Henry laughed annoyed. It still didn't feel right to him that Robert was apart of his family after he was gone for so many years.
Robert let the comment roll off of him since he knew Henry was going through more pain than any kid his age should go through.
"Nothing yet, I take it?" Robert said as he looked down into his hands laying on his lap.
Jim blew out a loud sigh into his hands as he sat back in his chair. After a moment, he looked back at his hungover nephew and the nephew that just re-emerged into his life after being missing for years.
"What's up with this town? Kids go missing all the time and then there's a period when people go missing everyday for months." Jim sighed again, "Just glad you came back, Robert. It gives hope that Winter will be okay."
After a few moments of silence, Jim looked at Robert. Robert had told him the same thing he told Winter that day in the gym when he was found by the criminal after he had been abducted from the Bowers backyard. Then he thought about George Denbrough's arm at the sewer drain on Jackson Street.
"Remind me, Robert..." he pulled himself forward and put his arms on his desk, "You said you were found at one of the big sewer drains at The Barrens?"
Robert looked at Jim and nodded, "I was at the one that is closest to the street. The round one that takes you straight into the tunnel underground. It was where I found Henry's turtle when I came back to Derry a few months ago. It was the same turtle that stayed with me when I was left there as a baby."
Jim looked to the left and started to think about the connection, "And they found George Denbrough's arm at a sewer drain on the street..." he thought out loud.
Henry looked up at Jim, hoping he was putting the same pieces together as his uncle was, "The missing kids connect to the sewers!"
Jim looked at his nephew and he had connected the same dots that he was.
The machine that Jim had on his desk that allowed him to speak to the front desk from his office started to speak, "Officer Hopper, there is a group of kids here to see you... They say it's urgent."
Jim pressed the button on the machine and spoke into it, "Bring them in, Suzy."
After a few seconds, Eddie, Richie, Stan and Bev walked into the office in a hurry. They quickly looked at Officer Hopper then to Henry and Robert sitting on the sofa.
"Officer Hopper, we found Winter's necklace! Show him, Richie!" Eddie said in a hurry and out of breath.
Richie pulling out the Christmas gift that Henry bought her.
Henry got up to his feet and went over to Richie who was holding the necklace, "I got that for Winter for Christmas!" He grabbed the necklace and looked at it.
"Where did you find it?" Officer Hopper urged them to go on.
"It was on the staircase at the sewage building in the Barrens. The one that leads to all the tunnels," Eddie said.
Henry shot his gaze at Jim and he returned the same look. The look of realization.
Officer Hopper grabbed his walkie talkie as he got up from his desk, "Calling all units: There is a lead in the disappearance of Winter Callaghan. I want units covering the sewage building in the Barrens and the drain pipe tunnel in the Barrens as well on the east side. Prepare to go into the sewers!"
Officer Hopper looked at the group of teenagers; "Henry and Robert, you two ride with me. The four of you, I will have an officer transport you to where we will be in the Barrens."
Officer Hopper, Henry, and Robert got to their feet and headed for the door.
Jim opened the door to the hallway and directed the first cop he saw; "Officer Clarke, take these four with you on your way to the Barrens. Meet me by the drain tunnel on the east side. We'll cover there."
The officer did as he was told and escorted Bev, Eddie, Richie and Stan back to the Barrens.
11:48AM
The units that Jim directed to go to the east side of the Barrens arrived sooner than he did with Henry and Robert. Officer Clarke with the rest of the teenagers arrived soon after. There was already a large group of officers there waiting for direction from Officer Hopper.
All the officers put on rain gear as they knew it would be very wet in the sewers. Since the sewers cut into different tunnels, they figured it would be a long day of searching.
Officer Hopper spoke into his walkie talkie towards the group of officers that were at the sewage building; "Be prepared for lots of water holes when you get in there. Keep walkie talkies on you at all times and be careful."
"Ten-Four," said one of the officers back to Jim through the walkie talkie.
A news van arrived as well as the officers prepared to go into the tunnel. A lady came out of the van with a microphone and a cameraman followed close behind her. The word had traveled around Derry fast.
"This is Channel Eight News, and I'm Becky Sanchez. I am reporting to you at the sewage tunnel in the Barrens as a new lead in the case of the missing children has been reported. A necklace belonging to Winter Callaghan, who has been missing since the early hours of Monday morning was found at the sewage building just a few miles west in the Barrens."
Henry, Robert, Bev, Eddie, Richie and Stan watched as the officers talked about the plan once they were to go inside.
Henry paced in front of Robert and bit at his thumb, "What if she's dead, man? She's in the fucking sewers! Why the fuck is she in the sewers?"
Robert grabbed a hold of his shoulders, "I was found here alive, Henry. We don't know anything yet."
Eddie looked at his group of friends as Henry was having his anxiety attack. All their eyes went wide while they listened to Henry. They wondered if she actually could be dead. Being stuck in the sewers for days didn't make sense - only dead people are found underground.
"Guys! GUYS!" yelled Officer Hopper as he put his arms up to get everyones attention, "Stop talking! I see something!"
Everyone went silent as the officers stared into the tunnel.
"It's Winter!" Officer Hopper yelled as he ran into the sewer with a few other officers following behind him.
Henry looked at Robert and then back at the sewers as his heart raced in his chest and he felt the anxiety boiling in his stomach.
Richie said to his group of friends, "Holy shit, guys! Holy shit!"
The group of friends had knots in their stomach as they waited for Winter to walk out of the tunnel with the officers.
Officer Hopper and the rest of the team came out of the tunnel. Winter was wrapped in a blanket in Jim's arms. She looked really skinny, weak, and out of it as her head lolled around in his arms to look at the group of people. Her lips were blue, her skin paler then ever before, her clothes and skin were full of blood and she looked like she could have passed out at any moment.
"WINTER!" Richie, Bev, Eddie and Stan yelled as they walked towards Officer Hopper carrying their friend. "WINTER!"
She wasn't able to process what was happening. She heard her name but the noise in her head from everything that happened in the sewers and her fever had made her have mental confusion. She looked at her group of friends but she couldn't mentally process what was happening.
Jim continued to carry her towards an ambulance that had appeared at the sight within moments of the officers finding her. "Her lips are blue and her hair has ice in it. Her clothes are wet and ripped open from weird claw marks, and she looks like she has a high fever," Jim Hopper said worriedly. "Shit! She's shaking like crazy too."
"Is she going to be okay?" Richie asked Officer Hopper as he carried her towards the ambulance.
"Winter! Winter, it's your friend, Edz!" Eddie said his name the way only Winter says it.
Weakly, she mumbled very quietly that only Eddie heard her, "Edz..."
"You're going to be okay!" he said to her, although she didn't look like she understood him.
Henry and Robert got trapped behind the group of officers in front. As much as they tried to get to her before she was put into the ambulance, they couldn't force themselves through.
"WINTER!" Henry yelled. He was mad that everyone was passing by, even her friends were there, but they wouldn't let him pass.
Winter heard Henry's voice in the distance, and she weakly called his name, but no one heard her.
Jim placed her on the stretcher that the paramedics rolled out of the ambulance. As he laid her down, she began to shake more, and they strapped her in as they feared she might have a seizure in the ambulance.
"She's got a deadly fever!" said a paramedic. "Put her on life support! Lets get her to the hospital!"
"MOVE IT!" another paramedic yelled to the news reporters that were in front of the ambulance. "THERE'S A REALLY SICK GIRL HERE!"
They closed the back doors of the ambulance as they hooked Winter up to oxygen and began taking her vitals.
Henry ran up to the backdoors after they closed them, "LET ME IN! I'M HER BOYFRIEND! LET ME SEE HER!"
Eddie, Richie, Stan and Bev backed away from Henry as he exploded with frustration at the ambulance.
Jim pulled his nephew away from the back doors as it began to drive away with the sirens on, "Henry, calm down! I'm going to drive you to the hospital, okay?"
Before Henry walked away to his uncles police cruiser, he shot Eddie, Stan, Richie and Bev an angry look. He was angry that they got to walk with her in their group to the ambulance and he was trapped behind all the police officers.
The group looked at him back and saw the anger and jealousy in his eyes.