Chapter 1
Chapter 1
He had nearly bled out in the upside down, his body becoming cold then numb. He had vague memories of being dragged and being thrown over someone's shoulder. A warm body, heavy breathing, a groan as he was hoisted up, his body dangling and lifeless. The sudden inability to breathe, and choking. Then a bright light taking over his vision.
He was okay with this being the end. His life had ended up meaning something that it likely wouldn't have otherwise had the chance to. Afterall, he couldn't even manage to pass his senior year. What was he ever going to add up to? A community college drop out? Maybe if he had gotten really lucky his band would have gotten signed and he would have been a rockstar, getting all the chicks and being stuck in a drug fueled haze till he OD'ed at 46.
No, it was better this way. He may have died, but he died for his friends, the kind of people worth dying for.
Eddie could feel his mind slipping into nothingness, and embraced the sweet silence.
Eddie's eyes slowly fluttered open and he breathed deep.
Steve and Dustin were asleep in chairs in a blindingly white room. Steve was covered in bandages and had some stitches visible on the cuts on his face. His hair was a messy tussle and his head was at an awkward angle. He was wearing Eddie's vest over a black t-shirt. Dustin had a small bruise under his eye and some scratches here and there. His leg was propped up on a box. His head was thrown back over the back of the chair, and he was snoring softly.
Eddie's brain was foggy and he couldn't figure out what kind of cruel joke this afterlife must be.
He tried to speak, but there was something in his throat so all that came out was a small pathetic groan. His lungs spasmed and he began hacking. After a few coughs his vision started to fade at the edges as a frantic movement struck up in the remnants of the light. Eddie fell back into darkness.
Eddie woke up in a panic, jolting out of his bed, clutching his chest. He groaned as his stitches pulled and he collapsed back down with a thunk.
Steve was awake immediately, shooting out of his chair and placing his hand on Eddie's shoulder, steadying him."Whoa there man. It's okay. You're safe now. We're at the hospital." Steve said in a soothing voice, looking into Eddie's panicked eyes.
Eddie looked around, taking in the bright room. It was definitely a hospital, he recognized that smell anywhere, sterilized equipment and death. Constant beeping and distant voices of staff muffled by the door of his room. "We made it out?" Eddie asked, his voice crackling from the lack of use. He slowly fell back against the back of his hospital bed, coming back to reality.
"Yeah dude. We made it. You saved all our asses." Steve answered, holding his own side in discomfort, obviously having wounds of his own to worry about. He gave a relieved smile.
"So everyone's okay?" Eddie's voice came out as a dry cracking hiss. He was parched and could really use a big glass of water. His lips felt chapped as hell, and his stomach felt like a black whole, ready to devour the planet.
"Yeah we had some close calls and some scrapes, but were all okay. You should get some rest." Steve said smiling, absentmindedly stroking his side. "Oh and you should probably get some food." he turned away and wheeled over a small cart with some jello and water on it. "Tastes like shit, but I imagine you're starving so better than nothing." Steven let out a pathetic little laugh as he tried to lighten the mood.
Eddie shifted up uncomfortably and reached for the water, chugging down a good portion of it before reaching for the sad little cup of green jello and ripping off the plastic seal with too much force and scooping the jello out, shoveling it into his mouth.
Steve stepped back and gave another soft chuckle at the site of Eddie's ferocity towards the jello before sitting back down. "Crazy what five days will do to a guy," he posited as his eyes became unfocused, getting lost in thought.
Eddie stopped eating mid spoonful and locked eyes with Steve. "It's been five days?"
Steve blinked and his eyes refocused. "Yeah we weren't sure you were gonna wake up" Steve said, his eyes full of grief. Was he on the verge of crying?
"Whoa there big boy, I'm cool. We're good." Emotional outburst made Eddie uncomfortable. He never knew what to do. He felt like a limp noodle, completely useless. Not to mention the thought of Steve crying over him was something he really couldn't handle right now.
"Yeah. No, I knew you would. I'm Just glad you're awake. Now I can finally get a good night's sleep." Steve said sniffing and quickly blinking the tears away and giving a weak smile.
Eddie gave a feeble chuckle in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Have you even gone home?"
Steve's smile faltered " Yeah I went to grab some clothes. My parents ditched after everything what happened. It feels weird sleeping in that big ol house alone. Too much empty space you know?" He gave a small half smile, but it was clear on his face that it was just one amongst many betrayals he'd suffered.
Eddie's brows knit together. " They ditched? Where the hell did they go?"
"I'm not sure honestly. They left some money and said they just needed to get out of town for a bit. No idea when they'll be back." Steve shrugged ,wincing slightly at the movement.
"Shit dude. That's cold." Eddie took another small spoonful of jello. It felt like a pit had opened in Eddie, whether it was from the emptiness of his stomach or his absolute disgust for Steve's parents he wasn't sure.
"It's pretty typical for them really." Steve said, shrugging one shoulder slightly. "Honestly, it kinda makes it easier to be here without them. I can't exactly tell them what I've been through, and even if I did they'd just assume I went crazy and send me off to a mental institution or something." Steve leaned back against his chair, hand lazily tucked around his waist, holding his side. "Not to mention they have more important things than me to worry about. I'm always the last thing they have time to care about." Steve raised his brow in defeat and pursed his lips. It wasn't like it was abnormal. His parents were rich and as long as he stayed out of trouble they didn't much care what he did. That's why he'd gotten a job after all, it gave him a reason to leave the house and have some of his own independence from a family that likely wouldn't even notice if he was missing.
Eddie studied Steve's face for a moment before putting down his empty jello cup. "Well you've got me to talk to, and we all know I'm the last person in the world to be calling people crazy." He gave a small laugh at his joke and leaned back against the hospital bed. "Your parents sound like real trash Harrington." He noted, trying to distract from the pain in his side.
Steve's face flashed somber for a second before he plastered a wide grin over it. "I'm glad to have you back, Munson." He made to get up but Eddie's arm flashed out to grab his wrist in a panic. The boys made eye contact for a split second, and Eddie loosened his grip horrified at his impulse. The blood drained from his face and he let his hand slowly fall away, grazing past Steve's fingers.
"Sorry." He murmured apologetically, worrying his bottom lip. "I just hate hospitals. It always smells like death and cleaning products." breaking eye contact with the other boy, he looked down at the floor.
Steve looked down at Eddie's hand just a moment longer than necessary before bringing his eyes back up to meet Eddie's face. "It's cool." He replied, gently touching his wrist where the other boy's hand had just been and seeming to be distant.
Snapping back to reality as quickly as he had left it he cleared his throat and spoke. "I can stay longer. I was just gonna go grab a nurse to let them know you're awake. They said once you were they just needed to do a quick once over and you could probably be cleared. You've been healing up in record time." Steve made to get up again, slower this time. His wrist ached slightly from Eddie's grip. He was surprisingly strong for having been half dead five days ago. They hadn't been lying when they said he seemed to be making a surprisingly quick recovery.
"Oh yeah. I'd love to get the hell out of here." Eddie nearly whispered, bringing his hand to his chest, rubbing the palm with the thumb of his other hand and staring into nothing, lost in his thoughts.
Steve looked at the other boy, biting his bottom lip in concern and left to track down a nurse.