Hop didn't get time to react. The second after Sarah shared her name, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. Hop rushed to catch her, but was too late. Her head hit the floor with a loud smack.

"Flo!" Hop yelled, "I'm taking this girl to the hospital!"

Flo just nodded, "Mmhmm."

` Hop scooped Sarah into his arms and ran out the door, dropping her omto the backseat of his truck he rushed her to the hospital. Busting the door open he yelled for doctor. Soon a swarm of doctors took the girl from his arms, rushing her to a room they were connecting her to an IV line and started filling her up with fluids. A rush of deja vu filled Hop. Hearing the doctor termanology, the beeping of her heart monitor, the alcoholic hospital smell. Hop reached for chair suddenly feeling dizzy. Memories of his daughter filled his head. He remembered the day in the park when she started breathing weird, her hair-loss due to the chemo, they day she died. Died...she's dead, Sarah's dead, he watched her die. His baby girl is dead, they had a funeral, she's buried in the ground...but no she's here. Why is she here? How is she her? Hop's head split, a piercing headache took over, he rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of everything that had happened, all before his lunch break.

"Excuse me?" A doctor interrupted his thought, "Sir? Excuse me."

Hop looked up at the doctor, the bright hospital lights made him into a silhouette, like and angel. "What?"

"The girl you brought in, is she your daughter?" the doctor asked.

Hop squinted, "What? Oh, no, yes, I don't know."

"You don't...know?"

"She said she was my daughter then passed out, ok doc? I don't know if she really is or just a confused girl. I haven't seen my daughter in nine years."

The doctor nodded, "We can run a DNA test to make sure, and will you assume guardianship until we find her parents?"

Hop barely heard the doctor, "Yeah, sure. Um, I need to make a call and get a coffee."

The receptionist will let you use the phone and we have a coffee maker in the waiting room."

"Thanks." Hop grunted.

Joyce stood over the pot of grey soup. Something went wrong, yet she didn't know what. She thought she had done everything the recipe said, apparently not.

¨Jonathan! We're having pizza again, make sure Will comes home on time!¨

¨Ok!¨ Jonathan called back from his room.

Joyce grabbed her keys right as the phone rang, sighing she put her keys down. ¨What is it now?" she picked up the phone to hear the shaky voice of Hop, "Hop? Is something wrong?"

"Joyce, I need you to come to the hospital right now."

Joyce's eyes widened, "What happened?"

"Its...I don't know, just get down here."

The phone hung up.

"Jonathan! I'm going to the hospital, get Will from Mike's house."

Jonathan ran into the kitchen, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine, but Hopper wants me to come down. I don't know why, he seems upset. I don't know what time I'll be home." Joyce grabbed her keys and left the house.

Jonathan runs out of his house, his mother took the car, but he needs to get to Will. Mike's house is on the other side of the town, but it's a small town. If he sprints the whole way Jonathan could probably get there in fifteen minutes. That's what he intends to do.

Reaching the house Jonathan pounded on the door a little bit too hard, but it didn't matter. Mrs. Wheeler answered while he was still trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, hi Jonathan! Do you need Nancy? I could-"

"No," gasp, "I need Will."

"Oh, well he's just downstairs."

Gasp, "Thank you."

Jonathan rushed downstairs, there he found Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Eleven and Max. The boys and Max were playing their Dungeons and Dragons game while Eleven held Mike's hand and silently observed.

"Will." Jonathan said interrupting the game, "We need to go."

Will checked the clock on the wall, "Mom said I could stay until one thirty."

"I know, but mom left for the hospital," Jonathan lifted his hand to stop Will, "Don't worry mom's fine. It's Hop."

Eleven's eyes widened, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know, my mom wouldn't say."

"Well let's go!" Will said standing up, the rest of his friends joining.

"Whoa, what are the rest of you doing?" Jonathan asked.

"Coming with you to the hospital." Mike said.

"No, no, Will and I are going home."

"I've got a car, let's go." Nancy walked downstairs.

"Nancy…" Jonathan complained.

"Jonathan, something is wrong with Hop, we're not staying here. Done, let's go." Nancy threw Jonathan the keys and lead the kids out the door. "Mom Jonathan and I are taking the kids out to visit Hop at the hospital!"

"What'd she say Ted!" Mrs. Wheeler yelled.

"She's going out with Jonathan." Mr. Wheeler said dryly.

Nancy rolled her eyes, "Let's just go."

The children piled in a car to small to fit them all, but no one cared. Jonathan hopped into the driver's seat and speed the group over to the hospital. How he got swamped babysitting six kids with his girlfriend, he had no idea. Then again, he didn't have an explanation for most things that happened in Hawkins.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot and hopped out. Rushing into the hospital all eight of them crowded the receptionists desk.

"We need to see Jim Hopper." Nancy said.

"Kids?"

The kids turned around to find Hopper standing behind them with Joyce, completely fine and healthy.

"Hop?" Jonathan exclaimed, "What-I thought...mom?"

"Jonathan what are you doing here?" Joyce asked slightly angry.

"We heard that Hop was in the hospital,"Will explained, "We wanted to come check on him."

Hop sighed, "I'm fine. A girl came to the station earlier today and I admitted her to the hospital."

"Who is it?" Dustin asked.

"No one you'd know," Joyce said, "She's…" Joyce looked up at Hop.

Hop stared at the ground, "She claims she's my daughter."

Everyone's jaws dropped and eyes widened.

"Daughter?" Eleven asked, "Sarah?"

Hop nodded.

"I thought you said his daughter died…" Max said to Lucas.

"I did."

"We don't know if she is," Joyce said, "The doctors are running a DNA test and the girl is still out. She's severely malnourished and well...she's not doing to good."

"How long has she been out?" Mike asked.

"Two hours, maybe three?" Hop was pale, he looked like he would faint himself.

Nancy walked up and rubbed his back, "Hop I know this must be scary, and if it is Sarah, wouldn't that be...good?"

"It would be wonderful, but you had to have seen her. She's so thin and dirty, she was wearing a hospital gown and her hair came passed her ankles, and she was covered in that...that goo." Hop stared at the floor.

"Goo?"

"Upside down." Eleven said, "Upside down goo."

Hop nodded.

Will's eyes widened, "You don't think…"

"I don't know what to think." It was all Hop said.

"Mr. Hopper?" A doctor came up to Hop.

Hop nearly jumped out of his seat, "Yes? Is she-can I-"

The doctor raised a hand to stop Hop from talking, "Yes, she woke up, but she's groggy and out of it. You and Joyce can go in, but the rest will have to wait outside."

"Thank you." Hop said, "Um, do you know…?"

"Tests are still being ran."

Hopper nodded, then he and Joyce heading into the girls waiting room.

Sarah 's eyes lingered open, her vision blurred. Where was she? This isn't the station, it was somewhere new. The walls, the lights, the sounds, it was all familiar. Her heart monitor, it brought back memories, bad memories. Her father was reading her a book, she was holding her tiger, she was fine. Not fine, but ok. She had cancer, her head was completely rid of hair, she was always tired and achey, but she was alive. Then one day something happened. She got knew doctors, they were mean doctors. They kicked her parents out of the room, telling them that she was in trouble, they were going to try and save her. But they didn't, they put her to sleep, she tried to fight it, she tried to yell to stop them, to get her parents, it didn't work. Just before she passed out she heard something awful, something completely horrible and blood curdling. Her heart monitor flatlined. Even as a four year old she knew what that meant, death. Did she die? She couldn't tell, she didn't have time to tell.

A door opened, Sarah turned her head, it hurt too much, she was too weak.

"Hello," The doctor said in a soft sing-song voice, "Someone's here to see you."

Hop stepped to the side of Sarah's bed, he was pale, was he sick too? No, he was scared, she was dead, now she's not.

"Hey kid." He said in a soft voice, "How are you holding up?"

Sarah's throat felt like sandpaper, "Alive." there was no emotion in her voice, she sounded like she didn't care, she didn't mean to, but…

Hopper looked at the ground, "Would you like me to leave?"

Sarah shook her head, "No, I'm sorry I just don't...It's complicated." she was apathetic again.

Hopper nodded, "Who are you kid?"

"I told you I'm Sarah Hopper, I'm your daughter."

"My daughter died when she was four years old."

Sarah shook her head, "Friends don't lie? Right? That applies to daughters as well."

"How do you know about that?"

"I've seen you, all of you. I've been watching."

"From where?"

Sarah didn't reply, he was asking her a lot and she was tired and weak, really weak.

"I'm tired."

Hopper nodded, "Can I ask one last thing?"

Sarah nodded.

"Why do you talk like you don't care? Like you don't feel a thing."

Sarah hesitated and pursed her lips, "I don't feel anymore. I don't remember when, but that place ruined me. All I feel is empty and cold. I'm sorry, I know what I'm supposed to feel and I don't feel it."

Hop looked at the doctor, Dr. Johnson nodded, "We can run some tests on that too."

Joyce stepped forward, she reached for Sarah's hand, Sarah recoiled at the touch. It was warm, her skin was soft, it was strange. She hadn't felt that in so long. Sarah reached her hand back, letting Joyce grab it. "Hello dear," She had a soft sweet voice, just like she had heard from the upside down.

"Joyce." Sarah said, "Will's mom."

Joyce's eyes widened, but she nodded, "Yes, how did you know?"

"I watched you."

"From where you were hiding?"

Sarah nodded.

Joyce smiled, stroking Sarah's dirty hair out of the way, "You're a very strong girl. I'm so proud of you, you've been through so much."

Sarah nodded again, "I saw Will, I helped him."

Joyce's brow furrowed, "Helped him?"

Before Sarah could say more she was wracked with coughs. Joyce grabbed her a glass of water and handed it to her, helping her drink. "Rest dear, we'll talk later."

A door opened, "Mr. Hopper?" It was a new doctor, "Can speak with you for a moment? Your results have come in."

"Yes of course. Watch her, Joyce?"

Joyce bobbed her head, "She's not going anywhere."

Hopper left the room with the doctor leaving Sarah and Joyce alone.

"Does he really not believe me?" Sarah asked.

Joyce frowned, "You've been gone for a long time dear. Hop has a had a hard time getting over your death. It's a big shock."

"Do you believe me?"

Joyce rubbed her thumb over Sarah's forehead, "I think you should get some rest."

The door opened again, Hop walked back inside, pale as snow. Joyce took a deep breath and squeezed Sarah's hand. "What's the answer?"

Hop walked over to Sarah, her eyes were closed, she was still awake, but she was tired. He reached over and rubbed her free hand, "She's my girl."