Chapter 8: Goodbye and thanks for all the memories

The end came in February. Mike woke up feeling lethargic. Not really wanting to eat, or even wanting to move much. Karen and Holly were concerned by how little he wanted to walk. "Should we do something about Mikey?" Holly asked. Karen was unsure.

Ted cane to see what the fuss was about and saw Mike was barely moving. "We should get him to a hospital." Ted said. As Karen got the car ready, Nancy and Ted helped het Mike out of the basement just as Hopper and El came by.

"Is he ok?" Hopper asked. Ted made sure El was checking on Mike before he shook his head. "He started getting worse around mid-January. Karen doesn't show it but she has been mentally preparing for his." Ted said. Hopper grimly nodded. "I'll escort you guys. No red lights for you guys." Hopper said.

The ride to the hospital was quick but slow at once. El was nervous as Hopper didn't meet her eyes. El remembered her older sister's death. It was the main reason for her parents divorce and her mother's eventual continued mental deterioration. El was now thinking about the last days that Sara had, when she started becoming lethargic and mostly unresponsive. Tears began forming in her eyes as her parents tried to protect her from the realities of Sara's sickness.

They made it to the hospital and Hopper helped Ted get Mike inside. Nancy stood by El and put an arm around her. Holly was sobbing quietly to her mother who also had tears in her eyes.

They all sat around the waiting room, except for Hopper who left for the station. El deciding to stay with the Wheelers. Ted tried to maintain strength while also holding his wife's hand. El noticed both their knuckles were white from gripping hard. Holly just had no idea what was going on so El sat next to her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. Holly merely shrugged. "Is Mikey going to be okay?" She asked. El grimaced, not knowing how to respond. "I don't know. God I'm getting flashbacks." El said. Holly looked at her curiously.

"I had an older sister. She was three years older than me. Her name was Sara. When she was seven, she also got sick. I was very young, probably younger than you. Dad told me she had brain cancer. It was very hard to treat and my parents tried to take care of her while keeping me in the dark as much as possible. The few times I saw her were not ideal circumstances. I wasn't really prepared for the day she died." El said, tears in her eyes once again. Holly began looking sullen and sad.

El pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry to have tot ell you this, but I am scared this is his last day." El said. Holly nodded and cried harder as El held the small girl close. El also wasn't keeping herself together and began crying as well.

A doctor came out of a door and motioned for the Wheeler parents. "He is in surgery, his heart stopped." Was all he said before he ran back into the door he came in at. "What the fuck?" Was all Ted got out before the door shut.

Max and Billy showed up, with El giving her a questioning look. "Lucas called, he saw you guys loading Mike in the car. We came to see if he was all right." Max said. Billy merely nodded as he went to see Karen and Ted.

"They said his heart stopped." El whispered to Max, earning a shocked look on her face. "I mean…they can fix that…just zap it back right?" Max asked. El shook her head. "You saw how bad he was getting." El said. Max nodded. His body was getting frailer and frailer as the month went on. "Look, I'm here for you ok? I don't want you to be alone for this." Max said. El nodded as the pair sat down in the lobby.

The same doctor came back, a grim look on his face. "Mr and Mrs. Wheeler?" He asked. The parents looked up. He indicated for them to talk in private but Nancy was not having that. "No, you can tell us all now!" She snarled. The doctor merely sighed as he nodded. "While we were checking Mike, his heart stopped. We rushed him to surgery and were able to get his heart to start again. Sadly after that his brain shut down. He passed away five minutes ago." He said sadly.

El was in shock, despite being prepared for this she was still hit by a ton of bricks. She didn't get to say good bye. She sank to the floor as she felt despair crawl into her. Billy rushed to her and picked her up from the floor. "It's okay El, it's okay." He said as he held onto her. Nancy was holding onto Holly while barely keeping her own composure. Holly began crying again. "NO! NO! NO! IT'S NOT FAIR!" She cried.

Hopper was at his desk when the phone rang. It was the personal desk phone only three people in Hawkins knew. One was the Mayor, the other was the Fire Chief, and the last was El. Hopper quickly picked up the receiver and barely had it to his ear before he could hear El's labored breathing. "Honey, is everything all right?" Hopper asked. "He's gone." Was all she said.

Will, Dustin and Lucas were in their science class. Lucas informed them about Mike being taken to the hospital with a police escort and they made plans to head to the hospital after school to visit him. It was just before lunch break when the intercom came on.

"Hello Hawkins High. It is with a heavy heart I need to inform you that one of our own, Mike Wheeler, lost his battle with cancer today." Principal Garcia said over the speaker. More was probably being said but the three friends barely registered it as shock came over them. Dustin had been standing up and he found himself on the floor. Lucas looked around, lots of students were shocked by the news. Will put his head down and began quietly sobbing.

Troy was in gym class when the announcement was made. He was expecting this announcement but not so soon. His musing was interrupted by a dodgeball hitting his head. He looked over and saw Eric Kline laughing. "Frog face finally died. I bet he went out like a bitch." He said, laughing. The other students were not laughing. They barely tolerated his presence and this was not the best day for his bullshit.

Troy was marching towards him when he was stopped by the coach. "I know what you want to do son. Believe me I do to. But things like this tend to handle themselves." He said pointing to Kline's former teammates whispering to each other while glaring at the young man.

Joyce was at work when Hopper walked in. He had a lost look in his eyes. "Jim, everything all right?" She asked. Hopper shook his head and she understood. Mr. Melvald saw and chose not to inform her about the store, seeing her comforting the giant Chief of Police.

The next day, everyone gathered at Mike's house. Will and Joyce were running late but they were all in somber moods together. El was in black, sitting with Dustin. "Just, god you ever feel like this is a practical joke?" Dustin asked. El nodded, this was still too surreal. "I keep expecting him to come from his room and tell us he is fully healed." Lucas said taking a seat next to the pair.

Jonathan did not leave the Wheeler's house and had been staying with Nancy. He didn't want to be away from her. "So, Mom is handling the…funeral…..arrangements. Dad is getting other stuff ready." Nancy said. "I just need to do something." She said. Jonathan grabbed her knee. "You did enough Nance. You made his last days comfortable." He said. Nancy nodded as fresh tears fell and she leaned into Jonathan.

Hopper stood with Mayor Kline, who was there to pay respects to the boy. "Feels like just yesterday he was doing those science fairs." Larry said. Hopper nodded. "I had to present quite a few of those first prizes to him and his friends. We lost a brilliant young man yesterday." He said. "How's your boy doing?" Hopper asked. Larry straitened himself out. "The injuries were superficial but hopefully he got the point across. I don't like condoning violence, especially against my son but damnit he needs to learn." Larry said.

Troy was standing with Max, the pair chatting. "I never had much friends. Just James. Last two years though, Mike became my best friend." Troy said. Max nodded as she squeezed his arm.

Joyce and Will arrived, with Joyce holding a small box under her arm. "Ted and Karen back yet?" She asked. Hopper shook his head. "Oh well, we should wait then," She said.

"What's in the box?" Dustin asked Will. Will shrugged his shoulders. "Something we had to look for but she didn't tell me what." Will said.

A half hour later, Ted and Karen came inside. Mayor Kline left after speaking with Ted for a moment. Joyce then came to the center of the room. "So, in late December, Mike came by and asked me for a favor. He wanted to record something for everyone and so I helped him record this." She said pulling out a video tape. "I think now is a good time to watch it." She said and the group moved to the living room, cramming together.

Joyce and Jonathan hooked up the VCR, with help from Dustin. After much hassling over how to start the tape, Joyce inserted the tape into the VCR and pushed play.

El gasped as she saw Mike on the screen. He looked as healthy as could be. He was looking behind the camera. "You rolling?" Mike asked. Joyce confirmed and then a moment later the door opened and closed. "Hey everyone. If you are seeing this then, I'm dead." Mike began. El choked back tears. Mike sat on the bed in Joyce Byer's room, as he took a deep breath.

"I didn't want to burden anyone with long goodbyes. Especially since I had no idea when it would happen. Imagine having an hours long goodbye to everyone and living another month." Mike said with a smile. The group smirked at his joke. "I asked Mrs. Byers to show this after I'm gone. So I can just say my goodbyes. I also wrote you all letters. To the people I felt I should give a personal goodbye to. It sucks we all didn't get to graduate, go to college, change the world. But you all get to do that instead. I love you all. My last year was not so bad, my dad and I mended our relationship. I got the woman I love back in my life, got to goof off with my friends, can't ask for anything better. Except maybe this." Mike said as he pulled out a guitar.

He began strumming a tune and soon he began to sing.

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.

When Mike was finished he smiled at the camera and walked over and turned it off.

Joyce handed out the letters to each of them. El's was seemingly a envelope. She put it in her purse to read later. Knowing she wanted to be alone to read it.

It was late in the evening when the Hoppers came back to the cabin. Hopper felt drained and plopped on the couch. El just headed for her room. "El." Hopper called. She turned to face him. "The worst part is over. The hard part though, grief, that never stops." Hopper said. El nodded. He took Sara's death the hardest and he seemed to be getting flashbacks of that.

El went into her room and pulled out the letter. She sat down on her bed, her back against the wall. She grabbed the old hoodie she kept of his and wrapped herself in it before she opened the envelope.

It was one page, and it was all he needed.

My Dearest El

I hated writing this letter, because if your reading this, I have left to the next adventure. It's how a councilor once told me on how to accept my death. Our time back together was short but I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I know you will declare you won't love anyone again, but you should. Grieve for me, then when it's right, live your life. Do everything you wanted to do. I'll always be there watching out for you. Take care of Holly for me. I can't be her overprotective big brother anymore so you and the others get the job. She needs people to show her she isn't alone.

I know I messed up and apologized a lot for it, but I am sorry about the lost time. I love you with all of my heart.

Mike

Hopper was at the door when he saw El crying. He moved towards her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It was going to be a long and difficult journey. But it was going to be all right.

The End

A short final chapter. Yea, I wanted it to be longer and have more character interactions. Hell I even had an epilogue but I thought I should end it here. I hope you all enjoyed this story and it helped out as much as it could for those who grieve and dealt with losing a loved one.

Anywho, this chapter comes as Season 4's release date was announced and I must say, I am annoyed with them splitting the season. So I won't watch until July when the whole thing is out. I hate splitting seasons. Might as well release it weekly (which is a better idea,)

With a new season on the horizon, I remember when season three came out and several fics just stopped because the new season changed things. Such is the peril of writing fanfiction for an ongoing series. Take it from an old Star Wars fan, its best when you keep doing your own thing. And for those who get discouraged when the new season comes out and your story isn't within "cannon", and you want to give up. I want to read it. I don't care if the season changed things for you, I want to read your story and see where you would take it. Because you are doing a good job and I want to read it. Tell yourself someone wants to read your story, no matter how sad or if you write crackfics (please write more crackfics). I want you all to know, I want to read it.

I won't write Stranger Things fics for a while, maybe after season 4, or hell maybe after the final season. But I'll be around.

So long and thanks for all the fish.