Chapter 7 – The blister of doom

The tickling of the sunlight on his nose woke him up. Will yawned extensively, stretched arms and legs and then decided to enjoy the snugness under the warming blanket just a little longer. To his own surprise, the few hours of deep sleep had worked wonder. For the first time in a long time he felt profoundly refreshed and ready for the day that lay ahead of him. A look at his watch confirmed his suspicion. The digital display showed 10.30 a.m. He didn't remember the last time he woke up that late.

He looked around and quickly noticed he was the only one in the room. The others must have gotten up already and they obviously had been considerate enough to let him rest. The smell of coffee, scrambled eggs and bacon reached his nose and reminded his stomach of being considerably empty. Through the closed door, Will could hear people talk. The voices of his friends were easy to identify. But there was another voice he didn't recognize at once even though it sounded familiar to him.

Finally, Will sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbed his eyes and rose to his feet. Normally he was very vain as far as his appearance was concerned and never would have searched the company of others before making sure that his hair looked neat. But now, he was just hungry. And curious to see who the voice belonged to.
He put on some short trousers and stepped through the door into the main room of the cabin.

And there he was.

Sitting at the dinner table with all the others, drinking coffee.
A man Will knew to be on their side. A man nonetheless with whom he didn't associate many good memories. A man who, two years ago, couldn't help him to get rid of the Mindflayer.

Dr. Sam Owens greeted him with a nod and a sincere smile. "Hey sleepyhead", he said and took a sip out of his mug. "Almost thought you wouldn't get up at all. Would have been quite disappointing after the long journey." He winked humorously. The purple ring around his right eye was barely visible anymore.

When Will didn't show any sign to move, Joyce signaled him to come closer. "Honey, won't you sit with us? I made you some waffles." She almost looked at him pleading. Hesitatingly, Will took a few steps forward. Owens, who of course noticed his reaction, pointed at his plate. "You know, if the waffles won't convince you, maybe those exceptionally delicious eggs made by master chef Henderson here will", he bowed his head in Dustin's direction. "Never too late in the day for breakfast, that's what I say."
Dustin laughed while the others smiled at Will invitingly. Mike just pushed back the empty chair next to him.

Will didn't know why his reaction to Owens' presence was that intense. He had known that the doctor would come sooner or later. He had known that they had to interact. And not to forget: He had already seen him in the void.
But obviously, now that he was here - live and in colour - some triggers were pulled in the back of his mind that made the situation deeply uncomfortable for him. Seeing the doctor brought the memories back to live. Memories of the time He was in him. Of the monster consuming his insides. Of the darkness. The coldness. The hate. Memories, he thought to have left behind, at least partially. But obviously, he hadn't.

His mum knew what was going through his mind. "Will, please…", she almost whispered. "Everything's okay, honey. You don't have to be afraid."

"It's alright, Ms. Byers", Owens said sympathetic. Then he sighed. "I haven't earned the best reputation back then, I'm afraid. And Will is completely right to be skeptical about me. I would be too if I was him." He turned to Will and winked again. "Can't blame you, pal." He raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "And even though I'm not making anything better by saying that you can trust me, because in the movies only bad guys use phrases like that, I…" He laughed and shook his head, "…I have to say it anyway: You can trust me."

It was El who jumped to his aid. "He's right, Will. Dr. Owens helped me regain my powers." She hesitated for a second. "And, unlike Papa, he really… cares."

Owens made a surprised face. "Thanks, kiddo. That was unexpected."

Finally, Will overcame his hesitation and sat down at the table next to Mike who, chewing on his piece of bacon, gave him an approving nudge to the side.

Will took a bite of his waffle, the familiar taste helped him to calm down a little. Only now he fully realized that the group wasn't complete. "Where are the others?", he asked.

"Robin and Steve drove Lucas and Max to Ms. Mayfield's house to give the woman the surprise of her life", Hopper explained.

And Mike added: "Nancy and Jonathan went to our house to get some more supplies since this cozy place here seems to be our new headquarter", he grinned at Will. "Almost like the basement, don't you think? Just without D&D." He held up his nose and inhaled deeply. "And without the smell."

Will chuckled, grateful for the attempt of his best friend to loosen the mood. It was a pretty obvious attempt, but of course it worked. After all, it was Mike's effort.
They hadn't talked a lot since their intense conversation in the garden, a conversation Mike thought to be the gamechanger for their friendship after finally telling Will how important he was for him. And yes, Will thought, in a way Mike was right. Never before had his best friend spoken to him that emotionally, never before had he said so many beautiful things about their relationship. The words had burned into Will's memory. In a perfect world, things between them would have been settled once and for all after that. But Will's world wasn't perfect. It was complicated. Merciless. Unfair. A world in which even the most loving declaration of friendship wasn't enough to make him happy.
Mike, however, had gone back to his normal mode after the conversation. Which meant that there wasn't always the need to exchange many words. Since they had become best friends there was this silent understanding between them, a way to communicate by just a glance. A smile. A nudge to the side. Will knew what Mike thought. And Mike knew what Will thought. Well, except about that one particular feeling that changed everything.

For a short time, they ate in silence, before Dr. Owens addressed Will again.

"You've grown quite a bit", he said, nodding impressed. "Last time I saw you, there was this skinny little… you know." He put the fingertips of his hands together. "Well, let's just acknowledge what a handsome young man you've become." He smiled. "And a bit more than that, if I was informed correctly."

"Yeah…", Will just replied sheepishly, knowing that Owens was referring to what had happened in the hospital.

"So, if all I was told is true – and I see no reason to doubt it – it seems that your abilities are worth a closer look." The doctor's mouth twitched. "Abilities, which I have to admit are far from everything we know."

"What do you mean?", Will asked.

Owens raised an eyebrow. "Well, kid, we are used to things like telekinesis, telepathy and stuff like that. Seeing a child lifting a chair with only his or her mind isn't something to blow me away anymore. But having someone around with the ability to heal broken bones gives me the chills, to be honest." He took another sip of his coffee. "Because I really would like to have that someone in my team when it comes to the endgame. And that's why we have to find out how you can control these powers, Will."

"Do you have any idea where they come from?", Dustin asked.

Owens shook his head. "No, and quite frankly, right now, I don't really care."

Mike's eyes widened. "You don't care? How can you say something like that?" His voice was quickly filled with anger. "Didn't it occur to you that it might be dangerous for Will if we don't identify the source of his abilities? It could consume him or whatever…"

"Easy, kid", Owens said and showed a disarming smile. Will put his hand on Mike's arm to calm him down (and, by the way, to enjoy the touch of his skin). "You're right, of course. I would be a poor scientist if I wasn't interested. And under normal circumstances I would take all the time in the world to examine him and to find out as much as possible. But-", he held his index finger up, "I'm afraid circumstances are far from being normal, Mike."

Mike just looked at him furiously.

"Unfortunately, we don't have that time. Because One can start his attack on Hawkins every minute. So, we're a little under pressure here. Which means, I'm forced to sort out my priorities. And to have faith."

"Sounds strange out of the mouth of a scientist…", Dustin mumbled.

Owens smiled again. "Absolutely." Then he leaned back in his chair. "You know, when I was a young man in my twenties, I had a good friend named John. We got along pretty well, considering that he was a man of faith while for me science was the only thing that mattered. We loved to hang out, drink beer and argue about religion or philosophy. We had so many fights", he laughed, "we yelled at each other, we slammed our fists on the table – but there was this strong bond between us, a bond made of mutual respect, appreciation and affection." For a moment he went silent, his eyes staring into the distance as if they were seeing something in the past.

Dustin cleared his throat. "And?"

And Dr. Owens came back into reality. "Well, I always thought to have the better reasoning, to be right, you know? Until that one day when he said that one sentence to me I will never forget in my life. A sentence that changed my view on science forever. And made me less radical, if you will."

Will looked at him curiously: "What was it?"

Owens crossed his hands behind his head. "Well, I don't remember the specific reason for our heated discussion anymore but, as always, it was him talking about having faith, about accepting things you don't understand." Owens laughed again. "God, how I hated him talk like that. And I remember very well telling him that I won't be satisfied that easily. That I want answers. And then he looked at me and said: Sam, have you ever realized that every single answer just leads to another question?" He sighed. "And that's when I understood."

Dustin frowned. "Understood what?"

Owens looked at him almost blankly. "That John was right, of course. That a man of science will never be truly satisfied in his life because the truth he seeks will always be an unattainable goal. Like a horse chasing a carrot that's attached to a bracket directly in front of his mouth. The horse would run and run and run, but it would never be able to reach the carrot. And we will never get all the answers because we always find new questions."

Dustin looked at the doctor almost in shock. "You just held a very impressive monologue against science in total…"

Owens shook his head, holding up his hands in defense again. "No, no, no. You get me wrong, kid. My point is that even as a scientist you sometimes reach a point when it's better to accept the given answers and not ask more questions."

Mike shifted in his seat. "So, what you want to tell us that right now you just accept the fact that we don't know the source of Will's powers. That you just take the risk…"

Owens nodded. "Exactly. And I can assure you I don't take things lightly."

When the doctor saw Mike still being furious, he leaned forward to the boy. "Mike, I understand everything you worry about and I'm sure your friend Will here appreciates how much you care…" Will gave Mike a warm smile. He really appreciated it, even though he found his protectiveness was a little exaggerated. "…but please be honest to yourself and ask yourself one question. When you first learned about Eleven's powers, how important was it to you to find out why she possessed them? Was it your highest priority to get answers to that question back then? Or were you just happy to have someone around able to use these powers?"

Mike lowered his eyes. "…I'm just scared, you know…" El took his hand and caressed it comfortingly. Seeing him that fragile, that worried – worried about him – made Will melt away on the spot. All he wanted to do right now was to hold Mike, to stroke his dark brown hair, to kiss him – just to make him feel better. But he knew that it was impossible.

"So am I, Mike", he said instead, squeezing his friend's arm gently. "But I'm also ready to take the risk. I really want to."

Mike looked him in the eyes but before he could say something Dr. Owens clapped his hands encouragingly. "Well that's a word then!" He turned halfway around in his chair, reached down and pulled a large suitcase closer to the table. "Well, I'm afraid my opportunities to do research have diminished quite a bit, but even without the lab and everything, I'm far from being helpless." When he saw Will's face, he pointed at the suitcase, smiling. "Don't worry, kid. They're only some measuring instruments to get at least a hint of what's going on with you. It won't hurt at all. And we won't need them right now."

"Why not?", Will asked confused.

"Because before I start my research, I want you to use your abilities."

Will's eyes widened in disbelief. "You want what?"

Owens looked at him like he just had asked the dumbest question in history. He turned around his hands, so his palms pointed upwards, and pursed his lips. "Well, to see if you can control it, of course."

Will just stared at the doctor, mouth slightly open. His request was far from being blunt, far from being absurd. On the contrary, it perfectly made sense. But nonetheless, Will was shocked. And ashamed. The thought of using his powers in front of everyone made him uncomfortable. Yes, he had done it before but helping Max had been a spontaneous reaction of him, not a planned act. He had no clue how to "activate" his abilities. The possibility of failing, of failing when everyone was watching and expecting something great to happen, frightened him. And most of all, the thought of disappointing Mike…

"But I have no idea what to do…"

Owens put on another one of those encouraging smiles. "That's no problem, kid. Just try not to think too much about it and do what you did last time."

Will looked over to his mother, silently asking her for help.

"Well, honey, I think Dr. Owens is right. You should try." She nodded to him. "I know you can do it, I have faith in you."

Will shrunk in his chair. But then he realized the biggest problem of all.

"None of us is hurt. I mean, if I should… heal someone… there must be an injury."

For a second, Will thought he had found his way out of the situation, but then Owens made a fanfare-like sound and made a presenting gesture in Dustin's direction.

"Mr. Henderson, we talked about it earlier. The stage is yours!"

And in a fluid motion, Dustin swung his right leg onto the table, pulled of his sock and exposed his bare foot. And with it, on his big toe, one of the most impressive blisters, Will had ever seen in his life.
Almost synchronically, he, Mike and El gagged loudly.

"What the?!", Mike yelled, disgust written in his face.

Dustin looked offended. "Hey, don't be silly! It's for science!" He made a waving motion with his foot. "Who knows, in the end maybe this blister is the key to defeat Vecna…"

When Will showed no signs of doing anything, Dustin looked at him invitingly. "And by the way, it hurts like hell, so would you be so kind, Will, and make it disappear? And before you ask: Yes, I have taken a shower."

For a brief moment, Will was entirely convinced that it all had to be a big prank on him. He thought about El who threw cars through the air by using her mind, who let helicopters crash with a single motion of her hands. And here he was, Will Byers a.k.a Will the Wise, trying to heal a ... blister…

"Are you…", he looked at Owens questioningly, "…serious?"

The doctor just nodded.

And finally, Will's defense crumbled. Shit, he thought, I've already fixed broken bones. With a loud sigh he stood up, leaned over the table and held out his hand to touch the foot of his longtime friend Dustin Henderson.

It was the moment when the front door opened and Lucas, Max, Robin and Steve came back.

"Hey, we ar-", Lucas went silent as his eyes widened just like those of the other three.

Steve looked from Dr. Owens to Will to Dustin, then to his foot and to the hand that was about to touch it. "Well, I've seen some pretty crazy shit during the last years but this one definitely is Top 3." He made a face. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"Will's practicing his new powers", Dustin explained while the cheeks of the mentioned turned deep red in embarrassment.

"By making the smell of your feet go away?", Steve asked blankly.

"It's a BLISTER, Steve!", Dustin yelled and pointed at his toe.

Steve showed a fake impressed look on his face. "A blister, you say? Well, then just forget my strange reaction. Stupid me. If it's a blister…" He looked at Robin and shrugged his shoulders. "That explains everything."

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and watch, ok?" Then he turned to Will. "Can we please just go on?"

Will, who was sure to have reached the highest point on the scale of absurdity, just objected. After a scenario like that there was no sense in resisting anymore.

So, he reached out again, laid his hand on Dustin's foot and closed his eyes.

One.

Two.

Three.

Ten seconds passed. Seconds in which nothing happened.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

He heard someone shifting in his seat. He heard someone swallow. He heard a bird chirping somewhere outside.

Nothing.

He increased the pressure of his grip a little. But still his hand on Dustin's foot just felt like a hand on Dustin's foot. Nothing more. There was no tingling in his fingertips. Not the slightest sign of anything extraordinary.

When a minute of uneventfulness had passed, Dustin cleared his throat. "Dude, I'm afraid it's not working."

"It's a fucking blister", Steve sneered. "What did you expect?"

"Hmm", was all that came from Owens.

Will felt the touch of a warm hand on his shoulder. "Honey, is everything alright?", his mum asked, her voice sounding slightly concerned.

He nodded, eyes still closed tightly. Will didn't want to open them. He wasn't eager to see the faces of the others. He could imagine well enough how they were looking at him right now. He could see the pitiful looks. The disappointment. The compassion.

Poor boy. Almost a superhero. Stopped by a blister.

He was still holding Dustin's foot when he heard Mike shoving back his chair energetically. "It's just not a real injury", his best friend said, the tone of his voice sounding alarming. Then Will heard the sharp clink of metal on porcelain, followed by a sickening slashing sound, a collective cry of horror and Mike saying: "Oh, shit…"

Will finally opened his eyes – and almost fainted. There stood his friend, knife in one hand, the other one clenched in a fist, blood dripping out of it onto the wooden floor.

"Oh my god, Mike, what did you do?", Will yelled in panic. Mike just stood there, deathly pale, looking down at the mess.

"I…, it was just an idea…"

While El carefully draped the boy on a chair, Hopper rushed over to a dresser in search of a first aid kit, mumbling "This isn't true" over and over again. The others just stood there in shock.

"Bad idea, kid", Owens said.

Instinctively, Will took Mike's hand in his own. "Let me see…" With gentle force he opened Mike's fist. And gasped. The cut was deep and ugly. And all Will wanted was to look away. But he didn't. Instead, he pressed his hand into the bloodied palm of his best friend.

And started to concentrate.

It was a strangely intimate moment between them. The warmth and slipperiness of their touch, Mike's loud breathing, Will's hammering heartbeat. They were close. Pretty close.

But the wound didn't disappear.

It felt like before. No tingling. Nothing.

"I can't…", Will whispered.

As a response, he felt Mike grab his hand more tightly.

More seconds passed. And there was more nothing.

Only this well known burning in the back of Will's eyes again…

"Mike, I do not feel…"

"Perhaps if you just…"

"I CAN'T!" Will roared.

He let go of his hand, turned around and stormed out of the cabin.

And he wished that the blood on him wasn't that of his best friend but his very own.

Blood of a failure.