Back with another chapter.
I wanted to describe why Veronica was trained and tested on differently so i added this idea in here, but i talked myself out of using it several times before i just said screw it. So that being said, i hope it didnt mess with the story or your interest in it.
This chapter marks the conclusion for the most part of season 2 of Stranger Things. The next chapter will start with the winter ball and then i will add some filler chapters between Roni and Steve before jumping into Chapter 3 which i am super excited about.
Anyway, as always all errors are mine.
I wasn't sure how I ended up driving Billy's following direction of two kids sitting next to me. After we got Steve fixed up Dustin and Mike helped me get him in the car still passed out, I argued with Max for the keys. She was adamant that she could drive, that she'd done it before and I was bleeding and shouldn't be driving. To her point, I was starting to feel lightheaded and tired but I was not about to let a twelve year-old drive in the dark.
I could hear Steve stirring from the back seat from his place on Dustin's shoulder. He groaned and through the rear - view mirror, I watched him lift his hand up to his face grimacing as his fingers touched his injured forehead.
"No, don't touch it." Dustin said softly, "Hey buddy… It's okay, you put up a good fight… He kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight. You're okay."
"Okay, you're gonna keep straight for half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai." Lucas explained from the passenger seat holding the map. He and Max were awkwardly squished in the seat, but the only other option was for one of them to squish into the backseat with Dustin, Mike and Steve.
"What's going on?" Steve slurred. "Roni?"
"Calm down Steve," I sighed blinking through the headache I had forming.
"They were gonna leave you behind," Dustin said holding an ice bag to Steve's head. "But I promised that you'd that you'd be cool okay."
"We have to hurry." Mike said annoyed with Steve's freaking out beside him. Rolling my eyes, I hit the gas and squeeze the wheel as the car sped forward.
"Stop the car." Steve was shouting.
"I told you he'd freak out." Mike said to Dustin. Steve continued to moan and shout from the back seat, while Dustin and Mike argued over him, and Max and Lucas argued over the directions.
"Everyone needs to shut up!" I yelled frustrated "before I make every one of you walk."
"Wait that's Mount Sinai." Lucas suddenly said and I looked over at him. "Make a left."
"What?"
"I told you it was coming up." Max argued.
"Make a left!" Lucas stated loudly and with my good arm, I turned the wheel hard, forcing the car to make a sharp turn. Everyone in the car yelled as they all shifted in their seats, and I could hear Steve complaining about getting sick. As fast as the car sped up the hillside, I slammed on the brakes just before the large pit that had been dug out.
"Alright let's go." Mike called and I slowly got out holding my side putting the seat forward for him to get out. The others got out of the car and immediately went to the trunk pulling out the supplies they had collected from the Byers house. I moved to the other side of the car as Steve struggled to get out falling on his back before rolling over.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Steve called to the kids as he stood up using the car for support.
"Roni I thought we were on the same page." He looked at me and I shrugged. "This is a bad idea, you know that."
"They were going to go with or without us." I sighed, "They stand a better chance with us, so I made the decision."
"We are not going down there right now." Steve looked from me to the kids as they put goggles and face masks on before taking all canisters and ropes to the edge of the giant hole. "I made myself clear. Hey, there is no chance we're going in that hole, all right. This ends right now!"
"Steve!" Dustin exclaimed coming around the back of the car. "You're upset, I get it, but the bottom line is a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance. Now I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe, so… keep us safe." He held out a set of masks and goggles to him. Reluctantly Steve took the materials and turned to me defeated.
"This is a terrible idea." He murmured and I chuckled taking a set of swimming goggles and bandana from the pile.
"Don't need to tell me." I agreed putting the goggles on the top of my head before attempting to tie the bandana around my neck. The moment I lifted my arms up I sucked in a harsh breath and closed my eyes leaning on the car waiting for the sting and throbbing to stop.
"Here." Steve offered coming up in front of me and took the bandana from my hand and reached around tying it behind my neck. As he pulled his hands back his fingers skimmed over the tender and bruised skin around it, and even in the dark I knew he could see the darken skin from where Billy's hands had been. "Shit. Veronica I am so sorry."
"Why?" I asked confused. "You didn't do this."
"I should have been able to stop him."
"You did," I comforted taking his hand away from the injured area looking into his distressed eyes. "You got a fat lip and black eye as a result."
"Are you guys coming or not?" Dustin called to us and I let Steve's hand go and walked over to the hole. Taking the rope I watched as Steve tied it to the front of the car before tossing it down into the pit. My side was throbbing and my head was swimming as I watched the kids start dropping items into the tunnel.
"Hey." Steve said quietly his hand on my shoulder. Opening my tired eyes I turned to him and all I saw was concern. "You should stay up here, no one will think any less of you. You're still bleeding and are in a lot of pain…"
"Steve, I'm not letting you go down alone." I gave him a reassuring smile but it didn't seem to convince him as he tired to convince me to stay behind. "I'll be fine."
"I'll go down first." I nodded and watched as Steve placed the goggles over his eyes and the mask over his mouth before slowly sliding down the rope. As soon as I heard his feet his the ground I moved to carefully climb over the mounds of dirt and turned myself to climb down. I felt Steve's hands on my hips, being careful to avoid the bandage on my left side, as he helped get my feet to the ground and steady. Pulling away, I looked in front of me at the tunnel as it extended into the dark and I whistled.
"Holy shit." I said to myself. Steve came up beside me holding up a flashlight looking through the tunnel. "This is insane."
"Uh, yeah. I'm pretty sure it's this way." Mike was looking down at the map he had made and then started moving forward.
"You're pretty sure?" Dustin questioned, "Or are you certain."
"I'm one hundred percent sure. Just follow me." Mike said annoyed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Steve grabbed Mikes shoulder and pulled him back, "I don't think so. Any of you shit's die down here I'm getting the blame got it. Dipshits? From here on out I'm leading the way." He said taking the map from Mike.
"I'll stay in back make sure no one veers off." I offered and Steve nodded.
"Come on lets go." He said starting to move through the tunnel and I pushed Dustin forward to follow. "Lets go, a little hustle."
We made our way through the tunnels slowly, being mindful of the vines that layer the walls and the ground. The vines almost seemed alive, breathing, and moving as we passed them. As we came to another intersection Max let out a breath of surprise.
"What is this place?" she questioned aloud to no one in particular. I couldn't blame her. If you had asked me two days ago, this was definitely not, where I thought I would be. To Max's point, she just got pulled into this whole mess, and was taking it better than I expected. My thoughts drifted to Jim and El. I kept thinking about the lab and how far they had gotten, if they were alive. Dustin was walking in front of me, enamored by everything, even though the snorkel goggles and mask he wore I could see the awe struck look on his face.
I followed his gaze up at the ceiling of the tunnel where the vines seemed to attach to a pod that pulsated above us. Dustin stopped as the pod grew before it opened spewing its contents into Dustin's face. He screamed and fell to the ground.
"Shit! Shit! Help, Help, Help." He called out and I quickly dropped the backpack I had been holding and knelt beside him pulling his makeshift mask and looking over him as he yelled.
"Dustin!" Mike called running up to him on the other side of him. He was thrashing around and yelling spiting out whatever had just dropped on him.
"Shit!" Dustin screamed.
"Dustin!" Max and Lucas ran up behind Mike shining their lights on us.
"What happened? What happened?" Steve asked panicked.
"The ceiling opened and spit on him." I stated before grabbing Dustin's face and forcing him to look at me. "Calm down."
"It got in my mouth. Some got in my mouth!" he cried coughing and spitting on the ground pulling from my hands and moving to his hands and knees as he continued hacking whatever was in his lungs. After a few seconds, he took a few deep breaths and looked at each of us. "I'm okay."
"Are you serious?" Max scoffed turning away.
"You have got to be kidding me." I groaned slapping Dustin lightly on the arm grabbing my backpack again.
"Very funny man." Steve shook his head disappointed holding his hand out to help me up. "Nice very nice." I graciously accepted the hand and he kept a hold of it as I sucked in a breath grabbing my injured side as the movement pulled on the torn skin. Looking up at Steve I nodded pursing my lips together and releasing his hand.
"Hang on," Dustin called as they started heading down the tunnel. I stood a few feet away waiting for the kid to get to his feet.
"Let's go drama queen." I stated and he quickly got up pulling his mask back up.
"Wait, Wait!" he continued as he rushed forward to catch up to his friends. I followed behind, looking over my shoulder at the pod again uneasy as we went further into the unknown tunnel. We only walked for a few more minutes before we came to a large opening where several tunnels opened up.
"All right Wheeler, I think we found your hub." Steve said looking down at the map in his hands and back into the large room. Mike stepped forward into the large opening looking around.
"Lets drench it." He said. We each took a side of the hub. Lucas held a squirt gun full of gasoline and sprayed it over the walls. Carefully I dumped a canister of gas over the ground leading a trail back to the tunnel we had just come from.
One by one, each kid and Steve finished off their containers and came back to the tunnel.
"Alright are you guys ready?" Steve asked looking over his shoulder at us before crouching lower to the ground.
"Ready." We all stated nodding anxiously waiting.
"Light'er up." Dustin said patting Steve on the back. Steve reached into his pocket pulling out his lighter. Flicking it open, I could see his hesitation as he looked at all of us and then back into the hub.
"I am in such deep shit." I heard him say under his breath before he threw the lit lighter into the opening. The moment the flame from the lighter touched the soaked tunnel floor it went up in flames. The flames quickly engulfed the rest of the hub and inched closer to us.
"Go, go, go!" Steve called and I grabbed Lucas and Max and pushed them in front of me followed by Steve pushing Mike and Dustin next. Steve placed his hand on my lower back and pushed me forward so he could take up the rear. "Lets go. Let go!"
"Oh my God, Oh my god!" Dustin freaked out as he jumped over vines following his friends. Steve quickly passed the kids and moved to the front of the pack leading them back to the rope.
"This way!" he called. Mike was right in front of me when a vine wrapped around his leg and pulled him to the ground.
"Help, help, help, help!" Mike yelled. Dustin was at Mikes arms pulling at him in an instant while Lucas tried to rip the vine off his friends leg.
"Move!" I yelled and lifted my hand out. The vine withered under the telepathic assault as it released Mike. Unfortunately, another vine came out from the wall behind me and wrapped around my outstretched arm. As soon as I felt the vine tightened around my warm spiraling from my wrist to my arm it pulled me backwards until my back was against the tunnel walls.
"Roni!" Dustin yelled. The vine continued tightening on my arm and another slowly slithering along the base of the wall towards my leg. Ignoring the white-hot pain in my left arm and side, I tried to tear the vine from my arm.
"Hold on!" Steve called and I saw him running up towards me. "Everyone back, everyone back!" he yelled and swung his bat at the vine a few inches away from my hand. I turned away and down at my feet stomping my foot on a vine that was trying to wrap around it. After a few hits, the vine released my arm and Steve pulled me away from the wall and towards the group.
"Holy shit." Dustin said and I swallowed breathing hard.
"You good?" Lucas asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, we gotta go." I said pointing behind them only to freeze. A growling caused everyone to turn towards the tunnel we needed to go down. Standing directly in our way was a Demo-Dog snarling at us. Steve and I quickly pushed the kids behind us but Dustin slowly pushed his way in front pulling his mouth covering off.
"Dart?" he whispered slowly walking forward.
"Dustin get back." Max hissed and I tried to reach out and grab him but he had just stepped out of reach.
"Trust me… please." He said over his shoulder to us before directing his attention to Dart again. "Hey, it's me, it's just me. It's just your friend, its Dustin." Dart snarled at him and I watched Dustin flinch back pulling his goggles off his head. "Its Dustin alright, you remember me… Will you let us pass?" The monsters mouth opens as it growls loudly in his face and Steve and I both stepped back startled. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. I know that was a pretty douchey thing to do… You hungry?"
"He's insane," Lucas whispered behind me.
"Shut up." Max said and I turned putting my finger to my lips to keep them quiet.
"I've got our favorite. See? Nougat." Dustin said pulling out a candy bar from his jacket and after he unwrapped it put it down on the ground in front of Dart. "Look at that. Yummy. Here, all right? Eat up buddy." Dustin started motioning to us to pass while he kept his eye on his former pet. "Come on, come on."
"Let's go." Steve whispered and I ushered the kids in front of me and around Dustin and Dart. I paused at the opening of the tunnel and watched as Dustin pulled out another candy for Dart.
"There's plenty. I got more." He said quietly before standing up and replacing his goggles over his eyes again. "Goodbye buddy."
"Dustin." I whispered and despite my mouth being covered by the bandana, I gave him a sympathetic smile hoping he could see it in my eyes. Once he reached me, we all started rushing down the tunnel again right up until the tunnel began shaking and we could hear a collective roar that echoed through the area.
"What was that?" Max asked nervously.
"They're coming!" Mike yelled looking down the tunnel in the direction of the noise. It continued to get louder, and I looked at Steve just as Mike yelled "Run!"
"Lets Go!" Lets Go!" Steve called running through the tunnel.
"Come on Mike," Dustin called to Mike as I grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of me.
"Move!" Steve yelled.
"There, There." Lucas pointed out the rope hanging through the hole. I looked over my shoulder listening as the Demo-Dogs got closer.
"Come on!" Steve yelled once he got to the rope. Max jumped up on the rope and Steve lifted her further pushing her feet to help her reach the top. Lucas followed next and then Mike. As the noise got closer I caught Steve's eyes and we both new there was no way everyone was going to make it up before they got here.
"Dustin go!" I said pointing to the rope. Dustin moved to it but then stopped.
"Lets go!" Steve said kneeling down and putting his hands together for Dustin to step in.
"But what about…"
"Now!" Steve and I yelled at the same time. He quickly put his foot in Steve's hands and I watched as he went up the rope to his friends waiting hands to pull him up. Once he was up the growling and shaking in the tunnel got louder, and I stepped back and ran into Steve's chest as he lifted the bat. Monsters rounded the corner running towards us at full speed. The kids yelled loudly above us reaching out. Steve's arms wrapped around me and I turned into his chest cringing in anticipation, but it never came. I could feel the air rushing around us. When I pulled my head from Steve's chest, the creatures were running around us, into the tunnel behind us.
Steve kept his hands around me pulling me with him as he avoided the monsters as they passed. Looking up I met Mike's eyes as we both came to the same conclusion. "Eleven."
I struggled getting out of the hole. Getting in was easy, I just had to hold the rope and drop… getting out required the use of both arms, one of which was not working properly, and muscles that at this point were worn out. Finally making it out I waited for Steve and helped him up the rest of the way. Standing the lights on Billy's car began growing brighter.
"She's doing it." I said quietly as we all watched as the lights grew brighter and brighter, until they became too bright to look at and we were forced to shield our eyes. The lights grew so bright and then suddenly went off leaving us in silence. The noise and growling from the tunnel silencing at the same time. There was a sense of relief that fell over the group. I laughed with the group with the realization that it was over.
The carefree feeling didn't last long as my vision blurred and the sounds around me became muffled. I stumbled back into Steve, who was quick to put his arm out to catch me as my knees buckled. The throbbing in my head increased and the intense pain at my side seemed to take over. All the adrenaline I had now left my body and all the energy I had been using to stay upright was gone.
"Roni?" Steve called out but I couldn't speak, it was too much. Taking a shaking hand, I put it to my side and pulled it back covered in dark red. "Veronica?"
"I think…I need…" I struggled to say as I suddenly became exhausted.
"Yeah, we aren't waiting anymore." Steve said, moving around me and lifting me into his arms. He was yelling instructions to the kids, but my brain was so fuzzy I couldn't connect the words. I recognized the sound of a door opening and being set gently in the passenger seat of the car. Everything that happened after, happened in a blur. The streetlights, other cars, the bright lights of Hawkins and then the sudden stop and being pulled from the car again, being placed on a bed and rolled through brightly lit hallways before I finally let the darkness the crept at the edge of my vision take over.
Coming back to consciousness happened in stages. The first time I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than five minutes, but I was awake long enough to recognize the oxygen in my nose and IVs connected to my top o my right hand. The second time Jim was beside the bed sleeping awkwardly in the chair. He seemed to sense the moment I opened my eyes and quickly moved to the side of the bed.
"Hey kid." He said softly, a small smile crossing his face.
"You guy did it." I said my voice coming out in a rasp.
"With help from you it looks like." He chuckled and I smiled, closing my eyes as I tried to adjust myself on the bed only to suck in a sharp breath as my side began throbbing. "Easy. You have a good number of stitches in your side and up your arm." He nodded to my left arm that I just realized was in a sling laying over my abdomen.
"What story did they believe?" I asked already feeling exhausted.
"You were attacked in the woods by some animal helping Dustin search for his cat." Jim explained and I nodded my eyes drooping. "You lost a lot of blood kid, they had to give you a transfusion, get some rest and we'll talk more when you wake up." I didn't get a chance to stubbornly argue, my body had already made the decision to give in to exhaustion and Jim disappeared as my eyes closed.
Waking up again, Dr. Sam Owens was seated where Jim had been before. He was looking over documents scattered over his legs, one of which was bandaged, crutches leaning against the wall behind him.
"How's the leg?" I asked after watching him for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed myself up on the bed so I was in a more seated position.
"Still there," he answered with a smile putting his papers back in order and into his bag beside him. "How are you feeling?"
"Sliced and Diced." I answered with a hum. "Could be worse." The words hung between us, as I am sure he thought of all the colleagues he had lost while my mind filtered to Bob. We sat in silence, neither of us sure what to say to the other.
"Veronica, I wanted to tell you something you deserve to know… you should have known long ago." Dr. Owens finally said and I looked up at him with a scowl. "Unlike Jane and the others, you were not initially raised at the facility."
"Yeah mom dropped me off and left." I scoffed with small grimace.
"But the reason she dropped you off… the reason Martin was so hard on you was…"
"He's my biological father." I interrupted him and he just stared at me stunned. Smiling and gave a small laugh before looking down at my sling. "I snuck out enough times… I found my folder one of the times. I figured it out awhile back, just decided not to say anything."
"You're mother failed the initial testing and drug trial its why she was let go from the program. I wasn't aware of Martin's relations with her until you arrived. It wasn't until six years later that your mother came back with you in hand…"
"Unable to pay for her lifestyle addiction that Dr. Brenner created, she dropped me at the front door in order to get money to continue getting high." I sighed. "Yeah I know the story."
"Yes, and that is why you were treated differently, trained differently. Martin couldn't control you as he could the other kids that he had essentially raised. You had grown into your own mind before he could and that scared him. You were the one person that could ruin him." He stood up and hobbled towards me placing his hand on mine. "You didn't do anything wrong Veronica, you were the one thing he couldn't manipulate."
"When I was there, I spent most of my time trying to be perfect. I just wanted to be enough for him you know. I couldn't figure out what I did wrong, why he didn't just want me the way normal fathers want their daughters." I felt the sting of tears as I remembered the emotions I felt at the lab and when confronted with Dr. Brenner. "I just wanted to belong somewhere; I wanted someone to want me. Dr. Brenner didn't, my mom didn't…"
"We do kid." A voice surprised me from the door. Standing in the door was Jim and Steve. Steve was holding a plastic bag, which from where I was sitting looked like actual food, which made my stomach growl thinking of something other than hospital slop. Jim was carrying a duffle bag full of god knows what, but there they both were staring at me, both sharing the same look as they processed what I had said.
"Any chance you just got here?" I cleared my throat taking the palm of my hand and wiping my cheeks. They both gave me a shrug and I groaned laying my head back willing myself to disappear into the pillow.
"Jim." Dr. Owen nodded to the man in the door before hobbling back to his seat to grab his bag. "I will let you rest."
"Hey Dr. Owens." I lifted my head and he stopped just before he made it out the door. Steve had settled on one side of me while Jim was dropping the bag beside the other side. "What's going to happen to Eleven now? Now that you know she's out… er I guess now that you know we are both out here?"
"You let me worry about that sweetheart. You just focus on getting better." He smiled and left while I still stared confused after him. To both Jim and Steve's credit, neither asked about what they had overheard with Dr. Owens. They both remained impassive as they updated me on Will, the Lab, the news stories going around town and what happened to Billy. When Jim found out what Billy had done to Steve and I he was ready to lock him up for assault, but after some convincing from Max and myself he backed down, only to say he's on his list.
After four days in the hospital, with constant observation and multiple tests I was given the all clear from any infection and my injuries were "healing nicely" according to the doctor. I was moving slowly but anxious to get out. The hospital reminded me too much of the constant tests the lab used to do. Reluctantly I had let the nurse help me change loose fitting clothes.
"You ready to go?" Steve knocked on my door and I turned surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?" I asked working to put the sling back around my neck. "That came out wrong… I thought Jim was picking me up."
"He's at the Byers… actually everyone is, kind of like a cleaning party." Steve answered, coming up behind me to help with the straps. "I was on food pick up so I offered to pick you up on my way back."
"But you're gonna drop me off first, right?" I asked suspiciously.
"Not a chance." Steve shook his head, and I sighed watching as he pulled a wheel chair in front of me. "Take a seat."
"Really?"
"Hospital rules, sit." He nodded with a smile, and I rolled my eyes slowly sitting in the chair letting out the breath I was holding. I said goodbye to the nurses and relished the fresh air as soon as we reached the front door. Steve opened the passenger side of his door and waited patiently as I moved to sit in the seat. He was quick to put the chair back and get into the driver's seat pulling away from the hospital. His car smelled of pizza and I looked over my shoulder to see the boxes of pizza sitting on the seat. Sighing, I grimaced as I adjusted in the seat and watched the hospital disappear behind us. "You okay?"
"Yeah… I just…" taking a deep breath I closed my eyes before finishing, "Now that everything is done, I just don't know if I'm ready for to face everyone."
"What are you talking about?"
"Bob…"
"Was not your fault." Steve interrupted. "Bob's death is not on you, and no one blames you. Mrs. Byers was the first one in your room after you got out of surgery. She wants you there, we all do."
"Yeah, maybe." I said quietly giving him a small smile before looking out the window. The remaining drive was in silence, but I could see Steve glancing at me as we got closer. Pulling up the gravel driveway Steve's BMW hit a pothole jerking the car and gasped squeezing my eyes shut and held my side as he slowed the car.
"Sorry."
"Its fine." I breathed out blinking back the tears that were in the corner of my eyes. I stared at the house in front of us. From the front you couldn't tell the horrors that happened a few days ago, aside from the boarded-up window in the front it was just a house. Steve had walked around the car and opened my door waiting for me. With a sigh I grimaced and slid from the seat.
"Stop worrying." Steve whispered as he shut the car door and walked beside me. As much as his words gave me a little comfort, they did not stop the churning of my stomach as I walked up the steps and through the front door. Steve wasn't lying, everyone was there. Dustin and Lucas were seated in the kitchen working on fixing the table, Jim was helping fix the window in the front room, Mike, El and Max were pulling papers from around the house that had been our map through the tunnels, and Will was camped out on the couch. I hadn't seen him since he was under the Mind Flayers control, but he looked more 'alive' than he had in almost a year.
"They're here!" Dustin called loudly once we stepped foot in the house. He was quick to pull the pizza boxes from Steve's hands and him and Lucas had already opened once on their way back to the kitchen.
"That's for everyone!" Jim stated gruffly putting down his tools and came towards us. "How you feeling?"
"If I tell you I'm good are you gonna let me help with all this?" I asked eyeing the house before looking at the older man.
"Not on your life." He chuckled pulling me into a light side hug. Steve placed his hand on my back before walking past us into the kitchen yelling at the kids as they tore through the pizza.
"I'm okay, sore but happy to be out." I answered Jim honestly, once he stepped back. "Not a huge fan of hospitals."
"Who is?" Jim said and I smiled up at him with a nod. "Go ahead and take a seat, you want me to grab you some food before its gone?"
"I'm not really hungry," I shook my head and I could see he wanted to argue but chose to nod and walk away.
"Veronica." Els voice pulled me in her direction standing just outside the kitchen.
"Hows the pizza?" I asked walking towards her. She gave me a big smile as she took a bite. Laughing I pulled her into a one armed hug gently. She reached around tentatively and squeeze carefully. "I'm glad your okay." I whispered into her hair.
"Thank you." She stated and I pulled back scowling at her.
"For what?"
"Mike said you allowed them go into the tunnels to distract the creatures." She explained and I looked up at Mike who quickly looked away and back to his friends.
"Demo-Dogs." Dustin added with a full mouth.
"I'm not sure if 'allowed' is the right word." I said rolling my eyes before looking back at her and smiled. "I'm glad it helped." She nodded and moved back to the group that was standing around the temporary table they had set up. After I looked over them for a few more seconds, I moved back into the living room and took a seat on the couch next to Will, who had his pencils and paper on the other side of him, a notebook currently on his lap.
"Where's your brother at?" I asked, letting out the breath I was holding once I was finally seated.
"Out in the shed with Nancy and my mom." He answered quietly.
"How are you holding up?"
"Okay I guess." He shrugged looking into the kitchen.
"You sure about that?" I looked at him suspiciously.
"I mean… its hard to explain." He sighed finally looking to me. "I was awake, I could see everything, but I wasn't in control, it was like watching a movie. I was screaming but nothing was happening I could only watch, and now that it's gone… I still see everything, hear everyone's screams…"
"Hey." I stopped him and moved closer to him looking down at the paper on his lap. It was a drawn out picture of a man in a cape. It was a superhero and as I looked at the picture closer, I could see the large B on his chest. It was a picture of Bob. I felt the lump in my throat grow as pains of guilt clench in my chest. I looked up from the picture to Will. He had tears in his eyes as he looked back at me and I let out a shaky breath. "Will, none of this is your fault."
"I saw it happening, I heard the order in my head…my order…"
"No." I interrupted him firmly and he finally looked up at me his eyes rimmed with tears. "You didn't do this. He did, the Mind Flayer, not you… and Bob…We wouldn't have made it out of there without him. He died exactly as he wanted everyone to see him, how he wanted you and your mom to see him… Bob Superhero." I struggled to stay strong as I spoke, the thought of Bob running down the hall and then a monster jumping on him flashed through my brain and it made my stomach churn. Clearing my throat and swallowing the lump in it I gave Will a soft smile and placed my hand on his shoulder giving it a squeeze. "For as much as we miss him and hurt, he would want you to remember him like this, as the hero he was… is." I watched as Wills bottom lip trembled and I pulled him into a hug. He took several deep breaths before he finally pulled away. He looked from me to his friends laughing in the kitchen.
"You should get in there before they eat all the food." I smirked and he laughed but nodded pulling the blanket from his lap and putting down the picture of Bob.
"Thanks Roni." He said softly as he stood. I nodded and watched as he went into the kitchen and joined in whatever conversation they were having. In the moment I could see he had released a little of the guilt he had been holding onto. With a sigh I looked down at the picture picking it up and staring at the man all the 'What Ifs' I had been pushing aside jumping out again. Shaking my head, I put the picture down and carefully got up and walked towards the front door. Quietly I opened it and stepped out onto the front porch.
If I decided to leave and start walking down the road, I would never hear the end of it from Jim and Steve. Both would put me on house arrest if they had to, but I needed to get some air. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, the sting of tears eased as they flowed freely down my cheeks.
"Veronica?" a soft voice startled me from my downward spiral and I turned to find Joyce standing behind me.
"Mrs. Byers." I breathed out using my sleeve to wipe my cheeks and I force a smile on my face.
"I came in check on everyone." She smiled softly. For the first time since everything happened the smile reached her eyes, and she didn't look haunted. "When you weren't inside I got worried you may have left."
"Um... no, not sure Jim would let me leave." I chuckled before turning back to look out at the cars in the driveway. "I just needed some air."
"Sweetheart…" she said softly, I could feel her hand brush my back as he stepped around to get in front of me. I kept my eyes down, still unsure how I was supposed to face her after what happened in the Lab and to her son. But Joyce seemed to have another idea and she bent down slightly so her head appeared at my eye level, and I couldn't look away. My eyes instantly burned, and I tried to push any emotion down, but as I stared back at her concerned and warm eyes, I felt the wall breaking. "Oh honey." She whispered before she pulled me to her and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing as tight as she could without hurting me. I didn't care about her trying to be conscious of my injuries, with my good arm I wrapped it around her and clenched my fist in her sweatshirt as I buried my face her shoulder.
In that moment I was the little that was dropped at the doorstep of the lab. I was the little girl that wanted to be good enough. I wasn't strong, I wasn't unmoving, I wasn't emotionally locked down… I was a little girl who just wanted to breakdown.
"I am so sorry." She whispered and despite my emotional breakdown I let out a small laugh that sounded like a sob pulling away.
"Why are you sorry?" I asked, still unsure how to make eye contact with her.
"Honey… I know that you're feeling guilty, and I wish I was strong enough to tell you when it happened, but at the lab… what happened to Will, it is not your fault." She said her hands holding my face, I scowled letting out a shaky breath closing my eyes.
"Joyce…" my voice broke as I spoke. "I was right there, I should have…"
"So was I." she interrupted, and I scowled watching as tears filled her eyes, but she still wore a sad smile, "So was Jim, there was nothing any of us could do, it was to late. Bob… he wouldn't have made it as far as he did without you, and you gave him a chance… that means everything. But you didn't kill him, you didn't do any of this, you did everything you could to try and save him and it nearly killed you. We lost Bob but if we had lost you too… sweetheart none of us would be okay or survive that."
"Veronica, you hold so much on your shoulders that we forget to see that you are a kid. No one should hold so much responsibility on their shoulders… not alone, and honey you are not alone…not anymore."
I wasn't sure if I believed her, or if I was ready to accept it. It would take time I knew that but right now, standing on the porch with Joyce's arms wrapped around, it was the first time I could breath and look forward.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and continue to come back as i progress through the next seasons on this story line.
Any suggestions and ideas are welcome. I have a good idea of the direction i want to go but i am always open for changing things up.
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