Hopper wanted a cigarette. He wanted to sit on a porch, bring in the warm ash, and watch as the day passed with ease. He looked over to Steve in the passenger seat, the kid clutching his nail bat as if it would help him in this situation. They drove to the quarry, to take in the damage, and figure out how badly they really needed his girl to come and save their asses again. He watched as the sky got dark, the clouds illuminating with red and yellow lightning. He let himself panic for a split second, feeling his stomach drop, his heart speeding in pace. He was reaching heart attack age; he couldn't deal with this shit anymore.
"I think we can both agree that maybe driving towards this thing is a bad idea," Steve said through a strained voice. "We should turn around, figure out where they took her; El." Hopper agreed with him, but curiosity was getting the best of him. He needed to know what was coming for them; he needed to know who was in the real danger. He wanted to know what would happen if he got to close. "Chief I'm serious," Steve turned in his seat, grabbing the wheel of the car gently. "Turn around; we can help the town before it gets to them." Hopper slowed the car down, still looking to the clouds. They rose in the air like a nasty storm. The rumble reminded him of the tornado that swept through the town in 65'. As the clouds grew they flew down the high, away from them.
"They're not going to the town," Hopper said, taking a closer look at the movement. "It's moving away from us." Steve took his hand from the steering wheel, looking out the front window of the car. Hopper felt something, something cold move through him; a bad feeling. His thoughts went to El, to the fact that they shot her up with something that took her powers away.
"It's going to them," Steve said. "Maybe it's looking for Will." Hopper looked around himself at the trees, the abandoned high way, and then at Steve. He stomped his foot down on the gas pedal, speeding to the clouds with no fear. Steve flew back in his seat, cursing at the sudden speed as they went down the high way; Steve's car not going as fast as his police truck.
…
"What's happening," Kali yelled as they sped away from the new lab. El looked back out of the car window, watching the dark hospital building get further away. She felt something stick in her chest as she thought of who she was leaving behind. "Hey!" kali yelled. "I would like to know what I'm driving into before we get there." EL turned back around in her seat as Kali sped around a corner onto the small high way, the storm lying in front of them. The clouds rose past the sky, the color of black and red playing on her face.
"I don't know what it is," EL said. "I don't know anything; I just know I did this." Kali looked over to her slightly, trying to keep her eyes on the road.
"It felt weird," Kali said, looking back to the road after a moment of silence. "Waking up without being able to use it; my power." Kali lifted her hand from the wheel, looking at it as if she would be able to see something. "I was able to use it just then, but I feel it going away; that buzz in my brain." El closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her brain; that's what gave her this power. She thought about the morning she woke up from closing the gate, how Mike told her what a brain was. She felt slightly stupid, for not having the simple knowledge that he did.
She looked up the high way, the road ahead of them blocked by a black fog. She thought about the quarry. They must be close, because it was there, in front of them, moving.
Kali slowed her driving down, not sure if she wanted to drive into the darkness. El looked over to her sister, then out of her window. She watched as things moved through the trees, something was out there but it was becoming too dark to see what they were. She pictured the demon dogs she had seen just about a month ago. She pictured the monster that stood over her with no face, and how Will stood with it in the void.
"Keep going," EL said.
"What?" Kali said. "I'm not driving into that." El looked around the car, looking to Kali with a dark stare. She glared down to the gas pedal, trying to find something inside of her to press down to make the car move. She had it back at the lab. She was able to get into the void; she was able to get out. She got slammed into the back of her seat at the gas pedal pressed down, Kali let out a gasp of surprise, grabbing the wheel and turning it one way as the car went the other. They skid down the road, balancing out; driving straight into the storm.
…
"Look again," Mike said loudly. He could feel something inside of him boil as his friends stood in between him and the girl. "They didn't give up on you right?"
"Mike," Mike felt Joyce's hand on his shoulder, the sting making him wince once before pushing through his friends.
"I don't think you understand what's going on out there," Kali's crew drew in front of him; standing around the girl as she sat on the couch in the living room. Mike let out a huff of breath. He wanted to calm down, he didn't want to be the rash one, but for some reason he couldn't stop himself.
"Mike," he heard Dustin say behind him. "Maybe we should go into the kitchen, do what we do best, and formulate a plan."
"Yeah man," Lucas said, "yelling isn't going to get anywhere right now."
"Shut up," Mike yelled turning to his friends. "You don't get it do you?" Mike walked to the window, lifting the shade to show the clouds growing dark. "It's coming; the Mind Flayer. You know as well as I do," He looked to his friends; Joyce having tears run from her eyes. He looked to his sister, who looked outside with him. "The only way this thing stops is if we have El." He turned back to the girl, giving her a glare. "You are going to find her, and you are going to tell her what is happening. She will have no choice but to come; that's who she is."
The girl let out a breath, slamming her back into the couch and putting her hand to her hurt shoulder.
"I don't think you get it," the girl said quietly looking to Mike. "I've been in the situation she's in. I used to live outside of the lab, I had a life. You don't think I wanted to get out of there." Mike glared at her, his breath catching in his chest. "They took it from her, her freedom, and once you don't feel that power inside of you, you give up." Mike could see red; he could feel a fire deep inside of him.
"Maybe you're mixing your feelings up," Mike said in a harsh tone. "Because El doesn't give up, and she doesn't give up on us."
"Hello?" a distant voice came through. It was hushed, but familiar. "Hey shitheads," Mikes backpack rested against the living room wall, his walkie talkie inside. Dustin ran for his bag, grabbing the device out and lifting the antenna.
"We're here, over," Dustin yelled into the speaker.
"This thing is moving away from the town," Steve yelled. "It's moving the other way." Mike looked back out the window from where he stood in confusion. He looked at the clouds, dark but nothing different from that. He moved to the kitchen, his sister following on his heals as he opened the back door and walked onto the back steps.
The air was cold; bring a chill into him, extinguishing the fire. He could see again, the red leaving his vision as he looked to the sky. Mike and Nancy watched as the black towering clouds danced in the sky, moving away from them.
"Where could they be going," Nancy said, "maybe it's the jet stream taking it away." Mike squinted at the clouds as the red lightning spread like spider webs in the cloud. Where would another dimensional creature go when it come into a new world? The thought caught him slightly off guard, only because it sounded so ridicules. Where would I go? He thought, looking down at the ground to think.
"Will," He said, looking up at his sister. "Maybe it's looking for its host, maybe it's looking for Will."
…
It was like being in fog, and everything around them seemed to stay the same. El let the gas pedal fall as they entered the dark cloud, letting Kali take full control of the car. El looked at her surroundings as they slowly made their way forward. Kali struggled; looking for the head lights to see through the dark. El could feel her heart picking up with fast beats, trying to figure out what would happen next.
"Okay," Kali said, sitting up a little in her seat. "We drive slow," EL nodded her head. She couldn't see the trees, and she could barely see the other side of the road. She could feel a chill build over her body, her spine giving in to a shiver. She felt like something was watching her, like something was following them.
She clipped her seat belt from its latch; sitting up a little more in her seat. Her small body was barely able to look through the mirrors fully. She watched as the mist moved past them, making the space behind them stay the same. As the car pushed forward it almost looked like they weren't moving. She could feel a stitch in the side of her lung as she let in air fast. She grabbed her side, messaging the muscle.
"Put your seat belt back on," Kali instructed. She looked over to El, El looking at her with her hand still at her side. "I don't know what's out here, and if I hit something I don't need you flying out of the window." They stared at one another for a moment as El felt a cold breeze play in her short hair; something in her side vision moving. Her and Kali quickly looked back at the road as a large black figure flew in front of their car. Kali pressed the breaks on the slow moving car, El flying forward; placing her hand on the dash board as a Demogorgon smashed into their window.
…
"We either got too far from the house, or this thing is affecting the signal," Steve said hitting Wills walkie talkie. Hopper slowly made his way through the clouds, frowning at the red light flashing above him. They had been driving at 40 for at least ten minutes, his low beams on as they made their way through the dark mist. Steve hit the radio in his hand one more time before putting it back on the car floor. Hopper looked through the rearview mirror, then out of his side window. He couldn't see the trees on either side of the road, and he could barely see anything in front of him.
"I wonder how long this goes on," Hopper said mostly to himself. He could feel it, like a magnet on his body as they drew deeper into the darkness. There was something watching them, and he felt like they were being followed. "Do you see anything," Hopper asked Steve as he slowed the car down a little bit more. Steve looked out his window squinting. He let his hand rest on the handle of his bat, the nail head sitting on the floor by his feet.
"I don't see anything," Steve said. "Something doesn't feel right though. Like it would anyway, we are traveling through at dark mist from another dimensional world."
"I would much rather keep that for another time. I don't want to know what we're traveling through right now." Hopper gripped his steering wheel, leaning forward in his seat and squinting his eyes as they made their way forward. He just wanted to get to the end of it, he wanted to open up to a clearing where he could see, and his heart would stop beating so fast.
"Wait," Steve said sternly, putting his arm out in front of Hopper to stop him. "Did you see that?" Hopper looked from Steve to the road in front of him, slowing the car to a stop. They sat in the car, the air getting colder; listening. Hopper looked out his side window, looking for anything moving within the smoky mist. Steve gripped his bat with both hands, not able to extend it over his head because of how low the car ceiling was. "A shadow," Steve said, squinting his eye in front of him. "I saw a tall shadow."
Hopper let out a big breath, grabbing his gun at the side of his hip. He looked at the large gun sitting in the back seat, grabbing the handle slowly so he didn't drop it in his shaking hands. He let his eye look up at the back window, gripping the large gun in one hand and his small gun in the other. His breath stuck in his lungs, his heart blasting in his ears as his eyes landed on a large body on the outside of the car.
"Uh Steve," Hopper said not moving from staring out of the back window. Steve slowly turned his back, looking over to Hopper, than following his gaze to the back window.
"Shit," Steve wheezed. Both Steve and Hopper lurched back, Hopper dropping the big gun to the back seat floor. Hopper let out a small yell, turning his body to the front seat to see what hit them. A Demo-dog stood on the hood of the car, its flower like face half open; saliva dripping from it layers of teeth. "Shit," Steve said with a little more force. "Drive!"
Hopper took that que, slamming his foot onto the gas pedal. The demon dog slid on the hood of the car, letting out a cry as Hopper turned the wheel slightly. The car flew to the side, and as he tried to straighten them out the dog flew from the hood, smacking onto the top of the car; leaving a dip in the ceiling. Hopper looked into his review mirror, the dog landing on the road behind them, the large body of the Demogorgon gone.
"We need to get out of here," Steve yelled as Hopper looked at their speedometer. They were reaching sixty miles an hour, the wind pounded on their windows, and the red lighting playing in the darkened sky as Hopper squinted to see through the black mist.
"No shit," Hopper yelled back. He didn't ease up the gas as they flew down the high way. He placed his hand gun into the cup holder in the middle of their two seats; staring back at the road, not caring if anything ran out into front of them.
"If this is going for Will," Steve began to say, reaching for the walkie talkie that sat on the car floor. "That means where ever he is it will be crawling with those things." Hopper tried not to think about it. He didn't want to think about El, Or Will, hopelessly trying to stay alive in a place filled with killer creatures. Hopper listened to the static as Steve fiddled with the channels on the walkie talkie. "Is anyone there, over?"
"We're too far," Hopper said to him. "The only way they would be able to hear us is if we had some major radio system." Steve looked down at the device, tapping the antenna on his forehead; thinking.
"We shouldn't have come this way," Steve turned in his seat to look at him. "How are we going to fight off an army of whatever those things are?" Steve looked out his window, searching through the dark fog. "I mean, we are a badass team and all, but my looks, and your bronze will only get us so far." Hopper rolled his eyes. The black mist let up slightly in front of him, the view of trees coming into his vision from their side of the high way. A dark shadow showed up slowly on the other side of the high way, a figure walking out into their side of the road.
Hopper slammed his breaks, the screeching stinging their ears. Steve let out a small yell, bracing his hands on the dash board as the car came to a hard stop. They both let out rushed breathes, as the body moved forwards fast towards the car. Hopper grabbed his gun; while Steve slightly raised his bat.
"Shit!" Hopper yelled, throwing his door open as Kali walked forward. She was barefoot, her head shaved, shaking slightly in her hospital gown. He had never seen the girl look scared before. Her and her crew where always straight faced when it came to situations, but as Hopper looked the girl over as she ran to him he could see the fear in her eyes.
"She won't wake up," Kali said. Hopper moved forward, Steve falling out of his car and following Hopper's lead. Hopper ran past Kali, the car they had been traveling in stopped a little ways away. The window broken, the front of the car dented. Blood sat in a pool on the road. Hopper staggered to the passenger seat, El slumped in the seat. Her eyes, nose, and ears bleeding, but there something else wrong with her. She had a gash on her bold head.
"This thing just ran out in front of us," Kali said. "We weren't going that fast, but I couldn't stop fast enough. She flew through the car window, but the thing was still alive." Kali pointed to the side of the road. Hopper followed her finger to the grass, and Demogorgon lay motionless. "She killed it, but it's been hard for us to gain enough energy." Hopper looked back to El, than looked throughout the car. He felt his stomach drop when he didn't see Will.
Hopper looked over to Steve then down the road. He didn't know what to do. They had to get them out of there, but they also had to find Will. If he came home to Joyce without him he knew she would go ballistic.
"We can come back," Steve said reading his thoughts. "We need to get her medical attention, we need to regroup." Hopper looked back down the road, then over to Kali.
"The hospital is a little ways down this road," she said to him. "I think it used to be some kind of psych ward." Hopper let out a breath; he knew exactly where that was. He let a soft curse leave his lips as he gave into the erg to run. He felt around El ribs, making sure nothing was broken around her chest and abdomen before picking her up. All three of the quickly moved to the working car; the lights shinning into Hoppers eyes. Steve opened the back doors, Kali stepped in first, sliding down the seats; opening her arms for El and Hopper laid her across the back seat.
The slamming of the door echoed in the dark silence. Hopper looked into the review mirror at kali, who looked down at El with guilt in her eyes.
"Joyce will understand," Steve said, placing his bat down on the car floor, picking up the walkie talkie in its place. "We'll get him back; we now have people who have been there, she can help us lead the way." Hopper looked over to Steve, nodding his head once and placing his gun back in the cup holder. He slowly turned his car around, speeding up slowly as he kept his squinting eyes on the road.
…
"When we get Will back we do what we did last time," Dustin said standing at the head of the table. Mike could feel his eyes slightly water as Joyce lit another cigarette next to him. He could still feel something inside of him wanting to fight. He tried to bite his lip, not wanting to yell at anyone that got in his way.
"I feel like it's going to be a little harder than that," Lucas said to him. "If this thing, this Mind Flayer is out than what if we can't get him back." Max nudged his arm with an angry expression on her face. "Sorry Ms. Byers," Lucas said lowly. Ms. Byers let out a sigh of smoke, Jonathan grabbing her hand from across the table. Mike looked up at Nancy; she wrapped her arm around her boyfriend, resting her head on his shoulders.
"You don't know that for sure," Dustin said to him. "Let's think back to The Exorcist," Dustin said.
"How about we don't," Mike said with more attitude than her meant to. He felt Nancy's eyes train on him as he looked over to his friends. "Maybe we should all just shut up for a minute."
"What's wrong with you," Lucas spat at him. "Every time something happens to El you become this stupid brat." Mike and Lucas glared at one another; Mike let his fists rub together under the table. He grinded his teeth slightly, trying not to let any nasty words go past his lips.
"Let's go outside," Nancy said from across the table.
"I don't want to go outside," Mike said back through his teeth. Nancy looked past Mike into the living room. The punks sat around one another, the girl sitting on the couch with Ray, her head on his shoulder.
"Well maybe you should," Nancy said back, standing from her seat. Mike grumbled under his breath; letting his chair grind on the tile floor as he pushed away from the table. He followed his sister to the back door, slamming it behind him. The cold air ran through the fabric of his jacket, his messy black hair swaying in the wind. He let out a puff of air, his anger quickly disappearing.
"I think she's getting to you," Nancy said, stepping down the steps. She walked in the grass of the back yard, looking through the trees, then up at Mike. "I think she's making you mad." Mike looked to the back door, expecting to see the girl standing there.
"It's just," Mike began, following his sister down the steps. "I don't even know what to feel right now." Mike kicked a rock from the last step, watching as it flew into the grass. "She can't give up," mike said in a quiet voice.
"That girl doesn't know what's she's talking about," Nancy said pointing to the house. "
"El has always thought she was a monster." Mike said looking at Nancy. "She opened the gate again. That," Mike said pointing to the dark clouds in the sky. "That is here because that gate is open, Will is," Mike looked to his hands to find the right words. "Will's possessed because the gate is open, and I just know El thinks it's because she did it, but it was an accident." Nancy grabbed his hands and he looked up at his sister.
"We'll get her back," she said to him. "We will all get to tell her that it's not her fault." Mike brought in a breath of cold air as the back door burst open. Max flew down half the steps still holding onto the screen door.
"The radio," she said slightly out of breath. "Steve's back on the radio." Nancy ran past Mike and Max. They followed behind her back into the house. The air was stuffy and warm, making Mike feel slightly claustrophobic.
They're back," Mike could hear Steve yell through the radio. Everyone gathered around the table with Dustin holding Mikes walkie talkie." Don't-everywhere-dogs-and even the big ones," his voice came in and out.
"They must be still far away," Lucas said.
"If you-we have-she's not looking good-Owens-just make sure he shows up." Everyone looked at one another trying to understand what he was saying.
"Dr. Owens," Joyce said moving to her phone on the wall.
"She could be anyone," Dustin said.
"Maybe its Kali," the Mohawk punk said from the kitchen door way.
"Maybe it's a total stranger," Mike spat back. They glared at one another, Mike being the first one to look away. Cool it, he said to himself. Joyce hung up the phone, picking it back up and dialing another number. Mike looked over to his friends. Lucas and Dustin looked down at the radio; the static was the only thing to be heard.
"We should get ready for them to come back," Jonathan said. "Whoever their bringing is probably hurt." Nancy nodded her head. One moved to the living room, while the other went into the bathroom getting supplies.
"They can't be too far because we can hear them." Lucas said looking up at Dustin. Dustin slammed the antenna down, moving out of the kitchen.
"I'm waiting on the front porch," He said with Lucas on his tail.
"Maybe we should go with them," Max said to him. He looked over to her, the red head still standing next to him. She looked over to the girl moving into the living room; being kicked off of the couch by Jonathan." Getting some air will do us some good," Max said looking back at him. Mike nodded his head, looking down at the floor, trying not to breathe the same air that girl was. He could feel it, the invasion of emotions.
Mike followed Max to the front door, walking onto the porch with the rest of his friends. He looked over to the tree that had fallen.
"Maybe we should try to move that," He said pointing at the tree.
"With what muscle," Max said with a slight smile. Lucas gave a small giggle as they all walked down the steps, moving towards the tree. Roots sprouted at the ends of it, all four of them grabbing a hold of one. They all pulled the tree, the trunk not moving an inch.
"Wow," Dustin said, slightly out of breath. "We suck."
"Speak for yourself," Max said. "I think this tree's too big for anyone to move." Mike sighed looking up at the sky, the dark clouds dancing, and the red lights moving from cloud to cloud. He felt a chill run through him as he gazed, unable to move his eyes away from the cloud. It felt like it could see them, like something stood within the clouds; looming.
"I hear a car," Lucas said, moving away from the trees. Everyone moved quickly to the porch, watching for the car to makes its way down the long dirt drive way. Steve's car came into view. Hopper moved around the tree, and Mike stained his neck to see who was in the car with him. He could see Steve in the front seat, and Kali in the back, her head shaved; slightly shivering. She was looking down at something, muttering. Dustin was the first to move from the steps cursing under his breath as he got closer to the car. Mike followed him, watching as Steve got out of the car and motioning for both of them to move back.
Hopper opened Kali's door, helping her get out of her seat, while trying to move something else. He watched as Hopper lifted someone into his arm, his jaw dropping when he realized who it was. Her hair was like it had been, the night they had found her; blood moving down the side of her face.
"What happened? "Mike asked, moving around Steve.
"Just let me get her inside kid," Hopper said, rushing past him. Mike stayed on his heels, looking at her head and then over to Kali. She stayed on Mikes heals, following Hopper over to couch, a vision of guilt lying over her eyes. Everyone stood in silence as Nancy and Jonathan moved over to Hopper as he proper her head with a few pillows. They pulled out cotton balls and rubbing alcohol. Joyce moved into the living room with a gasp.
"Everyone in the kitchen," She said motioning to the door way. "Give them some room." Everyone moved except for Mike, Dustin putting his hand on Mike's good arm, dragging him behind the group. Nancy walked behind him, making Dustin stop.
"Maybe you should help," she said to Dustin. "You've helped before, and I think you're the one here with the most knowledge on this kind of thing."
"What?" Dustin whispered. "Just because I read medical books at the library out of boredom doesn't mean anything."
"Just help him," Nancy whispered through her teeth. Dustin let go of Mikes arm, walking past him with a grumble. He looked up at his sister, who slowly pushed him forward without look in front of them; making Mike stumble into someone.
"Watch it," Kali sneered at him without looking up. Mike glared at her as she moved out of the way, slipping on some pajama pants under her hospital gown that someone had handed her.
"What happened," Ray said standing next to her. Kali tied the string around her pants, standing next to the girl who sat at the table. Mike looked at them with curiosity, not really feeling an over power of anger like he had since the day had started.
"We drove through a dark mist," she said in a whisper. "This thing jumped in front of the car-"
"Their back," Steve interrupted loudly. He leaned his butt against the kitchen counter, looking at everyone. Mike looked over to Lucas, who sighed and put it head in his hands. "Hops and I saw it before we found you. The freakin' dog jumped on my car." He motioned his hand to the front door with anger.
"She needs to wake up," Lucas said lifting his head and looking to Mike.
"And do what," Mike said back. "I don't know if you noticed but she has a big gash in her head." There was a pause in the room and Mike voice echoed in everyone's ears. "And when she does wake up I'm pretty sure she won't have the energy to even do anything."
"She had better control than I do," Kali said looking to him. "I still can't feel it; my power doesn't seem to want to come back." Her and Mike shared a glance. "She was able to get out and into the car with her power, so was I, but by the time we were long gone from the place I could feel it being drained again. She still used hers, but it was hard on her I could tell." Mike looked back to Lucas, recalling what they talked about in Will's room.
"She was scared," Mike said. "Or at least, she knew she had to fight. That's why it came back."
"Maybe with a little bit of rest she can do it, we can get her to the quarry and she can close it again." Lucas said back to him.
"Even if we do get her there, and she can close it we still have to think about Will," Mike walked closer to his friend, trying to think of a plan. "We know where he is now; they know what the mist is like. We can be prepared." Mike looked around the room. "Somehow Will found out where he was, that's the only reason why the Mind Flayer can find its way to its host." Mike took a seat at the kitchen table, his eyes glazing over in thought. "Get me a paper and a pen; we need to make a list on pros and cons. We need to strategize." Lucas moved to the living room grabbing paper from Will's art supplies. They had a long night ahead of them.
…
Hopper and Joyce work in a quiet pace. He watched as she gently applied more rubbing alcohol to the cotton swab. Dustin opened one of her eye lids, taking a look at the pupils, and looking over to Hopper.
"I can't be sure," He said sitting back on the arm rest. "I think she might have a concussion, so we need to wake her up." Hopper let out a sigh, standing from his knees and rubbing them. He was getting too old, and he was sure there would be bruises there the next day if he checked.
"Easier said than done," Hopper said, moving Joyce out of the way. He put his hands on the small girls' shoulders. "El," he said loudly, "El, you need to wake up." Dustin stood from his spot, looking down at her with concern in his eyes.
"I'll go get her some water," he said with a white face, leaving the room with haste.
"Honey," Joyce said rubbing El's leg. She and Hopper took turns, trying to coax the girl out of sleep. Hopper could feel the dropping of his stomach each moment she didn't wake up. What if she was in a comma? What if she hit her head harder than they thought?
Dustin came back into the room with a cup of water, watching them gently shake El. Hopper felt the need to be more aggressive, to shake her harder so she would wake up. He was feeling a fear he hadn't felt in a while. His mind went back to the time Sara wouldn't wake up, being placed in a mini coma to help pass with a little less pain.
Dustin stood over her head with the cup of water, looking down at the girl with a thought in his mind. Hopper put his hand on El's check while Joyce said her name with a motherly tone. Hopper jumped in surprise when he felt cold water splash onto his hand and arm, Dustin poring the glass down her face. He was half way through pouring the entire thing on her, Hopper jumping back from the cold water when El shot up fast, coughing and gasping from the cold water.
"Water to the face," Dustin said with a shrug as Hopper glared up at him. "What?" Hopper placed his hand on El's back rubbing it as El looked around with panicked eyes.
"What happened," Mike said from the door way, walking into the room. El raised her hand to her head, gently touching the now slightly swollen cut on her head. She looked up at Hopper who looked at her with wide eyes.
…
El couldn't remember much; she saw mostly black, and not the kind of black that lingered in the void. It was like she was sleeping, but there were no dreams and familiar voices echoed through her ears. It wasn't until she felt the urge to take in a breath that she realized she was awake. She could see the bright likes of Joyce's living room, and feel Hoppers told body sitting next to her. The warmth of his hands rubbing circles on her back gave her a comfort that almost make her cry out
"What happened," She could hear Mike's voice among the others. The cold water dripped down her chin and onto her hospital cloths. She could feel her head pounding, the air cold on her scalp. She looked to Hopper, his eyes growing large with concern. She could see Joyce just behind him as she bent over the couch to get a good look at her.
The last thing she could remember was the pain of being awake. She couldn't think of why she was on Joyce's couch, or really how she got there; all she could think of was the tank Brenner put her in and the panic a sirens as she was taken back to her room. She opened her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say. She could taste something metal at the back of her mouth and could feel the dryness of her tongue teasing her.
"You hit your head," Hopper said, moving her hand down from her head. She didn't even realize she had been touching the small bump on the left side of her scalp. She watched as Dustin came around the couch, crouching down to look up at her.
"What do you remember," He said, handing her a half full glass of water. El took it slowly from his hands, looking into the glass and then down at her wet clothes.
"Papa," she said looking back up to Hopper. "Brenner," She tried to think of other things. She tried to think of what happened after her room.
"Kali and you got into a car," Hopper said gently. El looked around the room, Mike slowly walked out of the door way. They locked eyes for a moment before El saw her; Kali driving a blue car.
"It was coming for them," She said looking back at Hopper. "Everyone was running, and hiding; I made her drive into the clouds." Hopper nodded his head, standing from his spot on the couch. He looked over to Mike before rubbing his face in his hands.
"We are trying to think of a plan," Mike said to him. "Kali knows a way into the building, she only knows a few hallways but at least it's not nothing." Hopper looked to Mike, then to El with a frown.
"We have to wait," His said looking to Joyce. "I know you want to go now, but nothing can be done if we are all too tired to fight, and be smart about our decisions." El looked back down at her cup, her eyes were feeling heavy, and there was a ringing in her ears. She had never felt this kind of pain in her head before, and if she turned her head to fast she saw black dots in her vision.
"It's getting dark," Joyce said through a raspy voice. "I think I might lay down, or sit down, or something." Her voice came out dry, making El feel a twist in her gut. She could have found him; there had been time. She could have gone a looked for him, but all she could think of was his hands around her neck. She knew that finding him would have been easy, it was getting him home that would have been the hard part.
Joyce walked out of the living room, Hoppers gaze following her. El moved slowly, draping her legs over the side of the couch and putting her feet on the floor. She looked up at Dustin, who stood next to her watching Hopper. She nudged the half full glass of water on his arm; he turned to look at her.
"You should drink that," he said to her softly.
"You should lie back down," Mike said getting a little closer. El didn't look up at him, suddenly feeling slightly shy by her appearance. She put her hand to the right side, rubbing her hand on the small hairs. She could feel a slight buzz in her brain if she thought about it, and felt like her nose was about to poor with blood, but never did.
"Bathroom," She said trying to stand. She felt her stomach go sideways, the taste of acid in the back of her mouth. She stumbled slightly, Dustin and Mike reaching for her. Her vision turned black, the light fading from the outer reaches of her vision before consuming her eye site. Things were being said, someone picked her up, but she was lost in the feeling of sickness. Her stomach was churning in a way she wasn't used to, but the cold of the bathroom tile made her feel good.
The darkness let up, and she could see the white toilet in the Byers bathroom sit in front of her. She lurched forward, throwing up acid into the bowl. She could feel herself breath again; feeling better instantly. She slowly lifted her head, Hoppers hand coming into view and flushing the toilet. She could feel him rubbing her back again as she slowly looked to the door; it was closed. She let out a breath of relief that no one was able to watch her.
"Let's get some other clothes on you," Hopper said. "Maybe a warm hat for this head too." Hopper put his hands under her arm pits, slowly taking her off of the bathroom floor and putting her on her feet. Her didn't let her go at first, testing out her balance before leading the way out of the bathroom. He opened the door, with Mike sitting on the other side; his eyes slightly darkened with anxiety.
El felt a blush play on her cheeks as she looked at the boy; she ducked her eyes from his vision. She couldn't explain why she felt so embarrassed. She knew some of it had to do with the expressions, by looks he had given her she knew she wasn't beautiful anymore. She watched enough "Soaps" to know that woman with long hair had beauty.
"How about you stay her for a minute," Hopper said turning to El, "I'll find some clothes for you." El gave one slow nod to him, letting her back rest onto the hallway wall. Her and Mike watched as Hopper disappeared into Joyce's room, leaving them alone in the hallway, the rest of the group talking over one another in the kitchen. Mike walked in front of El as she diverted her eyes the other way.
"We were supposed to stick together," he said softly grabbing her left hand with his. She didn't know what to say to that, thinking back to just days before when they had talked at his aunt's house. She could feel the water building in her eyes, and she wanted it to stop. Mike moved his other hand slowly to her head. El twitched out of the way slightly, grabbing his wrist with a quick flash. They locked eyes, his in surprise, hers in a mixture of pain and anger. "Still beautiful," he said to her. She felt tears fall from her eyes. She could feel her arm drop slowly as she let go of his wrist. They stood in silence for a moment while she silently cried.
"Wheeler," Hoppers voice whispered. Mikes head snapped to the side. "Get Johnathan will you," EL looked over to the man, half of his body hidden in the door way. He held clothes in one hand holding them up to her. Her and Mike both broke apart, she wiped her eyes walking for the cloths. She looked up to Hopper as he handed them to her; he put his hand to her check to wipe a tear away. "We're going to be okay kid," he said to her, before turning back into the room. She snuck a peek before he closed the bedroom door; Joyce sat on her bed, her back to the door.
She went back into the bathroom; unraveling the clothes in her hands to see what she had gotten. Black pajama pants, a green sweater, and a loose white beanie. She looked down at the hat, moving to the front of the mirror to see herself. She hadn't seen her reflection in so long; she was starting to think she wasn't really there anymore. She still had deep bruises around her neck; the pain the sat there wasn't as bad as her head. When she turned her head to the side to get a look, it made her jaw drop. The cut was long, but not as deep as she thought it would be; maybe the hat was a good idea after all.
El had found herself back in the living room, watching as the room filled with people trying to find their spots. Kali sat with Tory across from her, their back to the front widow. El and Tory made eye contact, and El could feel darkness in her eyes that she didn't understand.
"I don't really like her," Mike whispered into her ear. She looked over to him as he sat next to her on the couch. He hugged his arms, his shoes were off, and his eyes starting to show the exhaustion that hid behind them. "I think she was trying to make me mad earlier," El looked over to Tory; Kali and Mick talking in on either side of her as she looked at El. "She said that when she saw you in the void you had given up, but I knew that wasn't true." El let the thought play in her head as she turned back to Mike. Had she given up, or was it just the fact that she didn't know what to do.
El thought about the moment they tied her down to the chair, shaving her head as she cried. She had wanted to fight, she felt a rage to kill, but she couldn't. Was that giving up? Letting them do what they wanted to her? Maybe she could have fought harder, maybe she could have gotten out of there sooner.
"I didn't want you to think," Mike had said slowly, bring her out of her thoughts. She looked around him, at his friends moving about the room to make small beds, and then back at her. "I didn't want you to think that this was all because of you; that you blamed yourself. I felt hopeless because I couldn't let you know that it was okay. "El closed her eyes to his words, because unlike him, she hadn't really thought about Mike. She thought about Brenner, she thought about her past, and she thought of the word monster that had been dancing in her mind. It was weird because she always thought about Mike, but now it felt like all she could think about was herself.
"Are you okay," he said to her as she let her eyes glaze over.
"Yes," she lied. "Tired."
"Well," Mike licked his lips a little bit before looking behind him, and then down at his watch. "We have to wake you up every thirty minutes." He pressed a few buttons on his watch, the soft beep sounding a few times as he concentrated on the wrist clock. Satisfied with what he had done he took the watch from his wrist and wrapped it around hers. "When thirty minutes go by, this watch should beep, hopefully waking you up." El looked down at the clock and then back up at Mike.
"Why?"
"Because you hit your head," he said putting his hand to the right side of her hat. She could feel the pressure of his hand on her head, he let it fall to her cheek, and then down to her hand. "We need to make sure you don't go into a comma, or have a seizure or something. You wake up every thirty minutes to make sure you're okay." El didn't know what a seizure was, but by the way Mike said the word she assumed it was bad. She could feel a little bit of panic build inside of her. "Don't worry," he said sensing her fear, "I'll be next to you the entire time.
"Let's have Nancy at the door for the first two hours," Hopper said coming into the room. Nancy followed him along with Steve. She held her usual gun, Steve his bat. "You take the next shift," Hopper said pointing to Steve. "All I need is a few hours of sleep," they both nodded at him. He stepped out of their way as Nancy grabbed a chair from the dining room and putting it by the front door. Hopper stepped around the blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags getting closer to El and Mike.
"You're with me kid," Hopper said pointing to her. She let her head fall slightly; looking to Mike but he didn't take his eyes off of Hopper.
"Let me stay with you," Mike said to him. El looked over to their friends, they stopped their motions to watch what fight would come from Mike and Hopper. Hopper let out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine," he said dryly, moving out of the way of the couch. Their friends all raised their eyebrow at one another as Mike helped her up from the couch. She gave him a little smile, her knees giving a snap as she stood. She looked over to Kali and Tory as they watched her walk through the living room. She watched as Kali whispered something in the girl's ear, her stomach dropping at the secrecy.
"We have a small plan lined up," Mike said to her as they moved into the hall way. "We can go over it later; Kali said she would help." El moved her head slowly to look up at him, her eye brows rising in surprise. He had dirt on his face, his freckles hidden behind days' worth of fighting and adventure. She looked to his arm, which was placed across his abdomen as they walked. He seemed to hunch over differently than he had before, and walked with a little less bounce than he usually did.
"What happened?" she said pointing to his arm. They stopped in the middle of the hall way; Mike looking down at his arm.
"It was nothing," he said, cradling him arm lightly. "It's just a little hurt." El squinted her eyes at him, trying to think of what happened. She thought of everything that happened in the past few days, the amount of danger they had been in but she never saw him got hurt. She felt a little tingle in her chest, where Brenner had shot her with the needle. She had seen blood on his hand.
"You had blood," she said. She felt bad because she wasn't there for him. He had been bleeding, he had been hurt, and she couldn't help him.
"It's okay El," he said to her, slowly leading her down the hall again. "You're here now, and even if I was hurt, you couldn't do anything about it." She stopped him in his track, not liking the idea.
"No," she said in a stern voice. "You don't get hurt," she said point her finger in his face. "You stay safe," She moved down to Will's room where Hopper had disappeared; opening the door to see him making two beds on the floor. He looked up at her with a small smile on his face, she frowned down at him. She shouldn't have come back, because if anyone was to come looking for her, her friends would be in the way again.
"You get the bed," Hopper said to her. She felt Mike come up behind her in the door way. She looked back at him and down at his hurt arm.
"It's okay El," Mike said softly. "I slept on the floor last night so I'll be fine." She turned her head back around, looking at the small bed. She walked up to the mattress, touching the small blanket, realizing it wasn't like the one she had been using at the new lab. She wouldn't be cold tonight, and she wouldn't be itchy. Just one night, she thought to herself. She took at seat, the fabric from her hat getting stuck on the patch that sat ontop of her gashed head. She moved the loose hat around her head, as she watched Mike and Hopper debate on who got what bed.
"I can wake her up for the first few hours," Mike said. "I'll take the closer bed, so I don't have to step over you." Hopper rolled his eyes, sitting down on the floor by the furthest pillow, taking his hat from his head and laying back on the floor. Mike gave a small triumphant grin, looking back to El with a nod; waiting for her to lie down.
She wasn't going to get much sleep, but she knew if she could rest a little bit she would be able to get it done. If she just got a little rest, she would be able to get to the quarry and stop it. She would have to find a moment to back out, to make sure no one saw her leave; just in case it wasn't safe for them. She had done it before; she knew she could do it again.