Hello, I couldn't stop myself from writing another chapter. Enjoy!

Like I said before, I really appreciate any reviews, feedback, suggestions, concerns etc

Now..into our story! Enjoy!

Hawkins, Indiana 1982 (Present day)

In the town of Hawkins at the end of Old Cherry road, there was a modest beige one-story house. This was the residence of the young, but brilliant Doctor Michael Wheeler.

The young man was laying soundly in his warm bed when he was suddenly awoken by his alarm going off signaling it was 5:00 AM. This was a routine for Mike: Wake up early, shower, go to the hospital for a twelve-hour shift, and depending on whether or not it was his turn to be on call, he would sleep in the hospital.

He never had a problem with waking up early, having been in medical school for four years truly did give him the skills necessary to work on very little sleep. Getting up, he walked off to the bathroom door- which was on the immediate left of his side of the bed. Sliding off his clothes, he slid open the see-through glass shower door and turned on the hot water.

Mike could spend hours in the shower- especially in the morning. This was his time to meditate, think, to process. It was a ritual of his to spend exactly 35 minutes in the shower with his eyes closed and contemplating whatever image came to mind. His water bill suffered for it, but he didn't mind.

His mind brought him to one place: The past, one year back specifically. He was thinking of how he ended up back in Hawkins, how his friends had ended up back in Hawkins.

Mike had moved back to Hawkins after finishing medical school, considering his grades were more than impressive he was quickly offered to take his internship at the Hawkins memorial hospital, and of course with an impressive internship also came the offer of his surgical residency.

It was more than unusual for a man not only with his impressive credentials and education, having graduated from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons with top marks to land back in a town like Hawkins. It was not only his grades that were impressive, Mike was especially young for a surgical resident. He took an accelerated program to university; which meant he was in Medical School two years before most.

The truth was he only came back for the sake of his sister; seeing his parents were miserable and in the last few years he really did notice the damage being done to Holly's childhood. It was an added bonus that all of his close friends had returned to their hometown of Hawkins, which had in the last 8 years since he left for school- grown drastically in population.

The journey back to Hawkins was certainly a strange one, and not just for Mike, but also for his friends. Max and Lucas had been dating off and on throughout High School, and when they went off to University- Lucas for civil engineering and Max for design they tried a long-distance relationship, which quickly failed. Deciding it was best for both of them to focus on their studies and then consider things once they were more mature in their lives.

Lucas quickly moved back to Hawkins when he was hired under contract to survey the town of Hawkins over a period of 10 years; alongside Dustin who also graduated with an engineering degree. They were hired under a new civil engineering organization contracted by the town to supervise and plan the expansion of Hawkins. The need for an engineering office came with the drastic rise in population. The small town of Hawkins had turned from being only thirty thousand residents to almost fifty thousand.

Will had returned from New York University to the town with an arts degree. He was more than intrigued by the idea of living in his hometown, where now all his friends lived once again. With the little money he had, Will bought a small arts studio in town. It was a while before he began to start seeing any profits, but after his name, as an artist became well known in New York when he took a desperate two week trip to an art gallery to show off some projects he had been working on, things really started to boom.

It wasn't long before Max got wind of her old childhood friends all congregating in Hawkins again before she too decided to move back. Max never did like Hawkins, it was small and simple-minded, but she hated being alone even more. Considering that Hawkins was quickly expanding, that she had roots there, friends, and even her mother; she decided to move back.

His thoughts were interrupted by the alarm he set on his wristwatch to notify him that he had reached his allotted time in the shower. Standing up straight as opposed to the previous leaning position he had assumed during his walk down memory lane, he begrudgingly turned off the water emitting from his shower.

Opening the sliding door, he walked out and grabbed the large towel waiting for him on his bathroom counter. Mike was a very tall man, he always had been even as a kid. His friends repeatedly called him a giraffe. He was lean, not overly muscular but he had a natural-toned body that developed throughout his later high school and university years.

Drying his body, he applied his deodorant and put on some regular clothes, knowing he would just have to change into his surgical scrubs once at the hospital. Walking out of the bedroom, it was about 15 steps down his narrow hallway until he reached his wide-open kitchen.

His home was simple, large for one person, but simple. Considering he was only a first-year resident still new to the medical world, he did not make large sums of money. He was however well off for a 27-year-old, established in his career, a first-time homeowner.

Opening the first cupboard he grabbed a small fry pan before he opened his fridge door to find the eggs and butter. Mike was by no means a professional cook, but he did know how to handle himself in the kitchen. It was a skill he soon found was useful in university.

Turning on a low flame he placed a small spoon full of butter into the pan and stirred it around as it covered the surface of the pan. Cracking three eggs on the faux-marble counter side he quickly and carefully placed them into the pan. He watched the yolk get enveloped in the egg white as he fried the eggs.

Turning off the flame, he used a lifter and placed the eggs onto his plate. Grabbing a glass and opening the fridge once more, he took out a few pieces of toast and the pitcher of orange juice. Filling up the cup, and placing the sliced bread into the toaster; he walked over to his seat and waited the exact 45 seconds before the toaster popped out the warm pieces of bread.

He ate his breakfast in silence until he heard the dull whirring sound of his neighbour, Mr. Mills cutting his front lawn. Mike grabbed his keys that were sitting in their dish beside the front door, before slipping on his comfortable running shoes that supported his feet during his 12-hour shift.

Opening his front door he walked out towards his parked admiral blue 1969 Mustang Grande. Mike was never a huge car guy, but when Lucas's uncle was selling his old Mustang he knew he wanted it. Since it was Lucas who he bought it through, Lucas's uncle gave him a great deal.

Mike waved to Mr. Mills who was still mowing the lawn, Mike knew he would be out there for a while considering his old age. Mike repeatedly offered to cut Mr. Mills lawn, but the old man would always just brush him off saying "He enjoyed the exercise" and that Mike "Has enough responsibilities as a Doctor, let alone worrying about an old man"

Opening the door to his car, he sat inside, inserted the key, and twisted it to turn on the engine. Mike's ears were immediately assaulted by the J. Geils Band and the lyrics to "Centerfold".

Quickly reaching for the radio he turned the volume down a few dial notches and put the car into reverse.

Quickly reversing into the main road, he pushed down on the pedal and the engine responded with a loud roar and he was off going down old cherry road towards the main road. He was driving thoughtlessly, almost by muscle memory to the hospital.

As he was driving down the road, a forest on either side of him filled with trees, he smiled almost laughing. He thought to himself that he had everything any young man might want, a fucking amazing job, reliable and loyal friends, a house, a beautiful car he had everything..but still nothing.

Mike wasn't ever interested in pursuing romance through High School, opting to focus on friends and his studies. This trend followed him to university where he never hooked up with a girl, not for a lack of opportunity, but for a lack of want. Mike wanted someone who would change his world. He wanted someone who would be his anchor. He wasn't necessarily unhappy with his life, but he didn't feel complete. His friends had always teased him for not getting out there, especially Dustin and Max.

In what felt like a matter of seconds, Mike was pulling into the hospital parking lot. He pulled up into the staff parking and turned off his car. His thoughts of love were interrupted when someone tapped on his window. Mike jumped up into the air, banging his head on the car roof out of shock.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Mike!" He recognized the muffled voice, even through the window, it was Kayla, a nurse at the hospital and somewhat of a friend of his.

He grabbed his head in dull pain, "It's...it's alright, don't worry about it.." Mike grumbled. Opening the door, he stepped out into the warm spring air.

"I didn't know I would have startled you like that, are you okay?" Kayla nervously stated.

Mike gently touched her shoulder, making her blush, "It's okay Kayla like I said I'm all good. Let's get inside shall we?"

Kayla smiled and nodded, the two walked up to the front door of the Hospital. Mike greeted a few of the other Doctors who were either entering the building refreshed or leaving looking like a zombie. He smiled and said good morning to the ones that appeared to be in a good mood, and simply nodded to the others.

He walked through the double glass doors of the hospital and turned in the direction of the resident lockers. Walking down the long tiled hallway, he stopped once he reached the wooden door labeled 'Resident Lockers'.

Gently pushing through the doors he greeted the other residents who were changing. Hawkins Memorial Hospital was uncommonly large by Indiana standards, even before the town grew in population. It was the only well-established hospital in the county, and after the town's population skyrocketed- and the economy with it, the hospital became a first-class facility. This was part of the reason Mike was so willing to move back to Hawkins, as it wouldn't have interfered with his medical career by going to a small hospital.

Mike walked to the locker clearly labeled as his, M. Wheeler was posted on a small interchangeable slider- easy to change if someone left the hospital. Opening the locker he slipped out of his regular clothes, and into his surgical scrubs before sliding on his white Doctor's coat with his name etched into it, "Michael Wheeler, MD"

Closing his locker, he turned around, sighed before walking out the resident room door.