CHAPTER 11
Hopper, Eleven and Mike sat in Dr. Epstein's office, waiting in silence for him to arrive. The hospital had called early in the morning - El's test results had finally come in, and they wanted Hopper and El to come to the hospital to discuss them in person. Hopper begged the administrative assistant over the phone to tell him if it was good news or bad news, but she'd adamantly refused to tell him, explaining that she wasn't allowed to divulge any information before getting the doctor's approval. It had left all three of them feeling uneasy and anxious.
"Jim, Jane, Michael," said Dr. Epstein as he walked into his office, papers in hand. He closed the door behind him and immediately went to sit at his desk. Mike tried to read his face for any indication of whether he was about to ruin his life or make it, but the doctor's facial expression remained neutral. Mike figured he probably had a lot of practice with his poker face in regards to his patients.
All three of them remained quiet, staring at Dr. Epstein in suspended animation as he flipped through the pages in his folder.
''I'm just double-checking… okay… yes, all is good,'' he mused quietly.
Mike thought he was going to lose it. It was taking every inch of self-control for him to remain silent and patient. He realized he'd been tapping his foot over and over again, and made himself stop. It drove El crazy when he did that. But she didn't seem to notice this time - she was too focused on Dr. Epstein.
The doctor put El's file down, and crossed his hands over his desk, glancing over at the three of them.
''Jane… you don't have cancer.''
Mike thought he was going to throw up right then and there, feeling like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off his chest.
''What?'' said El faintly, the smallest of smiles creeping upon her lips.
Dr. Epstein beamed at her in return. ''You don't have cancer. The tumour is benign. You'll be fine. More than fine, actually - you're 100% healthy. There is no other trace of cancer in your body, not in your brain or anywhere else. It's a bloody miracle, though, if you ask me. It seems like your body has a superior healing capacity.''
Baffled, El turned to look at her dad, then at Mike. ''I'm… I'm going to live?'' she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Dr. Epstein nodded slowly, offering her a warm smile. ''Yes.''
Hopper laughed, wiping the tears from his face. Mike was crying, too. He squeezed El's hand, and turned to face her, overcome with happiness. She glanced back at him, and they shared a look of pure bliss. Mike leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back, placing a hand on his tear-streaked cheek. Then she turned to her dad and he embraced her, pulling her into a giant bear hug as he continued to sob into her hair.
Mike had never taken drugs, and wondered if this is what it felt like to be high on something. He didn't have a care in the world, and his whole body tingled with excitement. He felt invincible, like nothing could make him come down from his cloud.
''Oh my god, Doctor Epstein,'' said Hopper, once he'd gotten a hold of himself. ''I love you so, so much right now.''
''Me too,'' added Mike, wiping the residual wetness from his face. ''Don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of want to kiss you right now.''
Dr. Epstein laughed. ''Please don't, although I am glad to be the bearer of good news. Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen like this for everyone, though I wish it did.'' A look of sadness flashed across his face. ''However, I'm happy that's not the case for you, Jane. Truly, I am.''
El smiled at him, holding both her dad and Mike's hand on each side. ''We have good news for you as well. We retrieved my medical file from the Lab.'' She released her dad's hand and produced her papers from her dad's file holder, placing them on Dr. Epstein's desk.
Dr. Epstein looked at Hopper, wide-eyed. ''How did you…?''
''Let's just say we have our ways,'' replied Hopper, grinning at El.
''Well, I won't ask questions,'' said Dr. Epstein with a sly smile. ''But I'm very glad you could get your hands on it. Now, we can properly analyze the device and remove it, as well as your tumour. Preferably within the next five days. I'll have my assistant call you to set a time and date. I'll make a copy of her file, so we can keep it in our system, and give it right back to you once we're done with it.''
Hopper nodded. ''Sounds good to me. So, we're done here for now?''
''Absolutely,'' said Dr. Epstein. ''As I said, we'll call you with the details. In the meantime, Jane, you get plenty of rest to get ready for your operation, and make sure you eat healthy foods that will boost your immune system. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit… also green vegetables, almonds. Drink plenty of water.''
El wrinkled her face in disapproval, but nodded nevertheless. ''Okay.''
''Any chance that eggos and ice cream are on your list?'' joked Mike.
Hopper and El laughed, and Dr. Epstein looked at the three of them with raised eyebrows, not understanding the inside joke.
''Not a chance,'' he replied.
''You sure you want to do this?'' Mike asked Eleven.
El sat cross-legged in the middle of her living room, with Mike at her side and Hopper and Joyce seated together on the couch. All three of them wore a look of concern on their faces as they stared at her with uncertainty.
''Well, I don't want to, but I think we have to, don't we? I mean, how else are we going to reach Kali? It's not like I have her number. We haven't spoken in years. I don't even know if she's alive,'' explained El. ''This is the fastest way. No - it's the only way.''
''But honey, we don't need Kali to build our lawsuit,'' said Joyce, reaching for her hand. ''We have enough evidence from you and your mother's files.''
''I don't want you going back to that place,'' added Hopper. ''You promised you'd never do it again.''
''Unless I absolutely had to,'' corrected El. ''Which I think I do. I think it would really, really help our cause if she could be there in court as a witness. Don't you?'' she demanded, looking at her parents.
Hopper and Joyce exchanged glances, a look of defeat etched on their faces.
''Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt…'' admitted Joyce.
''Look, I won't be gone long, you guys,'' said El, turning to all three of them. ''I'll be in and out. If I don't find her within 5 minutes, I'll leave. I promise.''
Mike sighed, taking her hand in his. ''5 minutes,'' he repeated, looking intently into her eyes.
El offered him a comforting smile, placing her other hand on top of his. ''I'll be fine, Mike.''
''Okay then,'' said Hopper as grabbed the T.V. remote and flipped the channels until he landed upon a staticy, gray station, and turned up the volume. Mike handed her a scarf and El secured it over her eyes.
El closed her eyes under the blindfold and focused on the steady background noise of the T.V., concentrating on reaching the Upside Down. She hadn't done it in years, but it wasn't the sort of thing you forgot how to do. Suddenly the noise faded, and was replaced by an eerie, echoey silence. El didn't need her sight to know she'd succeeded, but removed the scarf nonetheless, finding herself sitting in pitch darkness. The ground had a mirror-like effect to it, almost like she was floating on very shallow water.
El rose from her spot on the ground, trying to keep her cool. She hated being alone in the Upside Down. It reminded her of the first few times the Demogorgon had appeared to her as a child. She closed her eyes again and thought of Kali, desperately trying to sense her.
''Kali,'' she called out, concentrating very hard on the memories she had of her.
''Kali, it's Jane,'' she said. ''I need your help.''
Silence. Suddenly, a female voice echoed in the empty space.
''Jane?''
El opened her eyes in a flash. ''Kali? Can you hear me?''
A bright, rainbow-colored butterfly fluttered in the distance, and floated right into the palm of Eleven's hand. She smiled at it, and her smile grew even wider when she spotted a female figure emerging from the darkness.
''Jane!'' exclaimed Kali, running towards El. El started jogging towards her as well. Shortly after, they were crashing into each other in a tight embrace.
''Oh my God!'' cried Kali, grabbing her by the shoulders. ''You are so grown-up! Look at you!'' she practically screamed, sizing her up from top to bottom.
El laughed. ''You look so different too! What happened to the punk look?''
Kali shrugged. ''Grew out of it. I have a real job now and everything.'' She rolled her eyes. ''Boring as all hell, honestly.'' This gave El great relief. Kali's life of crime was essentially what had driven a wedge between them. She was very happy to hear that Kali had chosen a different path, and was staying out of trouble.
''I'm glad you're safe,'' said El. ''I'm proud of you. Are you still living in Chicago?''
''Yes, with my boyfriend,'' replied Kali. ''Are you still in Hawkins?''
''Yes,'' said El. ''And I need your help. Bad.''
''What is it, boy trouble? Want me to break his face in? We can do it together,'' pressed Kali, squinting her eyes and jokingly slapping her closed fist into the palm of her hand.
''No! Nothing like that! Things are perfect with Mike. He's perfect, we're perfect, everything is great,'' said El. ''It's the Lab. Look, I don't have all the time in the world to explain it to you - my family is waiting for me back home. Long story short, the Lab inserted these radioactive devices inside our heads as children. I'm not 100% what's in it, but it's what gave us powers. It's what also almost gave me cancer,'' she explained.
Kali eyes grew wide. ''What?'' she asked, a grave expression on her face.
''Yeah. It's fine. The tumour is benign, they're removing it soon. But it was scary as hell, and it could have been a lot worse,'' said El. ''That thing is pure poison. You should have yours removed, too. I don't want you getting sick.''
Kali considered this information, baffled. ''We weren't born with our powers…?''
El shook her head. ''No, sadly. It's just another one of their tricks.''
Kali scoffed. ''Sure it was. Let's weaponize children, who cares if they get sick and die in the process?'' she spat bitterly, renewed burning hatred in her eyes.
El offered her a weak smile. ''My parents and I are going after the lab, if that'll make you feel any better. I'm talking a full-on lawsuit. I retrieved my medical file from the lab, and yours too. My doctor at Hawkins General needed it to remove the device.''
Kali's expression softened. ''You have my file?''
El nodded. ''Like I said, I don't want you getting sick. I think you should come to Hawkins, and we should have it removed together. We could go through the whole healing process together afterwards, you know? You can stay at my place. My parents wouldn't mind. And you could finally meet Mike.''
Kali's bit her lip, and El noticed that her eyes were begging to tear up. ''I'd love that, Jane.''
''And maybe… you know, if you don't mind… maybe you could serve as a witness. When and if this whole thing goes to trial,'' added El nervously.
Kali touched her arm. ''Of course, Jane. Whatever you need.''
El sighed, relieved. ''Okay. Great.'' She slapped a hand over her forehead. ''Shoot. I don't have a pen for you to write down my address and phone number.''
Kali smiled coyly at her. ''Are you sure about that?'' Almost instantly, El felt something in the back pocket of her jeans. She dug inside it, and pulled out a pen.
''Nice work, Kal,'' beamed El, and jotted the information on the back of Kali's hand.
''Might as well use our powers while we still can,'' said Kali. ''It's going to be so weird being normal.''
''Right,'' said El, feeling a pang of disappointment in the pit of her stomach. She'd been so preoccupied with her cancer scare that she hadn't really given it much thought.
''El?'' It was Mike's voice, resonating in the Upside Down. ''El, please come back.''
''Is that your boyfriend?'' asked Kali.
Eleven nodded. ''Yeah. He's probably worried about me.''
Kali made a face. ''So cute. I like him already.''
El laughed. ''I have to go, but call me, okay?''
Kali took both of El's hands in hers. ''The minute we get out of here, I promise.''
El gave her one last hug. ''Thank you so much, Kali.''
''Don't worry about it,'' she replied. ''That's what sisters are for, right?''
El smiled. ''Right.''