Okay, first... I have zero medical knowledge outside of google and television, so anything medical in this chapter is purely how I imagine it would work, or how media has told me it would work, please don't come at me for it being incorrect.
Second, between this chapter and the next two chapters I feel like I have been writing non-stop. The chapters are turning into beasts, and I want to apologize if they seem to be going on, and on, and on, and on ... Also, if it seems like I am just writing out what happened in the episode with little change... there are some parts I don't want to change because I felt like they were important to the show.
I am sure there are errors.
"Somethings happening." Dusting called behind him. He was several feet ahead of the group, his eyes fully focused on the compass rather than the terrain and path in front of him.
"Dustin? Can you slow down?" Eddie asked, trying to catch up. "Dustin!"
"I think we're getting close." Dustin said over his shoulder still moving forward. Eddie reached out quickly and grabbed Dustin before he stepped into the large body of water that was in front of him.
"Watch your step big guy." Eddie commented looking out at the water. Stopping at the edge of the lake I put my hands on my hips.
"Oh man, you gotta be shitting me." Steve let out a breath beside me.
"Yeah." Eddie nodded. "I thought these woods were familiar."
"Lovers Lake." Robin stated.
"This is confounding." Dustin said confused.
"There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max questioned.
"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening." Nancy thought out loud, turning towards me looking for my thoughts.
"I mean its plausible." I nodded. The Demogorgon opened the gate in the woods that you and I went through, and he opened the one Joyce's house when you lured it out. It never stayed open long, but Venca is more powerful. If he opens a gate with each kill, he may be able to keep it open."
"So maybe Vecna's the same way?" Nancy asked.
"Only one way to find out." Steve said. As he and Eddie moved towards a boat Eddie had stored on the shore that morning, I walked towards the edge of the shore staring at the dark water. There was a heavy feeling the weighed on me as I watched the moon reflect off Lovers Lake.
"Easy… I said easy man." Steve stated to Eddie as I heard them drag the boat into the water.
"Sorry dude." Eddie mumbled and Steve came towards me.
"Something out there?" he asked following my gaze into the open area. I swallowed and took a breath turning away from the lake.
"Guess we'll see." I answered walking towards the boat. Robin and Eddie were already sitting in the boat and Steve held out his hand to help me to step in. Nancy followed me in, and Dustin moved to jump in next.
"Hey, hey, you trying to sink us?" Eddie stopped him and Nancy turned to address the teen. "This thing hold four people tops, okay?"
"Its's better this way, okay?" Nancy said with a shrug. "You guys stay here with Max, keep an eye out for trouble."
"You keep an eye out." Dustin shot offended. "It's my goddamn theory."
"I mean your theory got us here." I said, "Technically its Nancy's idea about why the gates there so…"
"Really?" Dustin groaned.
"Compass." Nancy demanded, holding her hand out and the teenager hesitated before handing her the compass with a pout on his face.
"Hey, here you go." Steve said throwing the backpack at Dustin before pushing the boat off the shoreline before jumping in quickly.
"You said four!" Dustin called frustrated.
"Sorry." Steve shrugged with a smile.
"Bedtime at nine kiddos!" Robin called out and I laughed reaching for one of the paddles as Eddie and I started to slowly push our way out to the middle of the lake. Nancy sat in front of me with her eyes on the compass.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Nancy said, putting a hand on my paddle to stop me. "Slow down." I leaned forward and saw the compass needle spinning wildly.
"Guys, what's going on?" Dustin asked through the walkie talkie. "Come on guys talk to me, what's going on?"
"Uh Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital 'ahhh!'" Robin responded. I slowly moved beside Nancy and looked over the side of the boat, careful not to rock it. Behind me Steve started to take his shoes off, followed by his socks.
"What are you doing?" I asked and Nancy pulled her eyes away from the compass to turn around.
"Steve?"
"Somebody's gotta go down there and check this thing out." He said and I instantly knew what he was thinking. My stomach flipped and I could feel my heart start racing. "Unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then… it's gotta be me." He finished looking up at everyone glancing over each of them before his eyes fell on mine. He kept eye contact with me as he finished, "No complaints, all right?"
I held his gaze for a moment longer before biting my bottom lip and nodding slowly. Satisfied, he looked around the group again, slowly standing up.
"Hey, I'm not complaining." Eddie commented pulling out a plastic bag from his pocket, turning the bag over and emptying its contents to the bottom of the boat. "I do not wanna go down there." I turned back just as Steve pulled off his shirt and handed it to me with a small smile, trying to reassure me… it wasn't working. He turned to look down at the water and I followed his gaze. The water almost looked like black ink. Eddie reached forward with a flashlight wrapped in the plastic bag.
"Hey, good luck." Eddie said.
"Thanks." Steve nodded, putting a foot on the edge of the boat.
"Wait." I said quickly reaching up and grabbing his wrist. My movement rocked the boat slightly and Steve stepped back balancing himself. Once we were still again, he looked back down at me and I hesitated, I wanted to tell him not to go, wanted to tell him to stay, it was dangerous, but none of the words came out. Instead, I took a deep breath and pushed down my fear. "Be careful." He gave me a nod and smiled before turning back towards the water, taking a deep breath and dove into the water. My eyes stared at the ripples in the water from where he had gone in. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath until Nancy put her hand on my shoulder and my gaze forced away from the water. Looking at her I let out the air in my lungs and hung my head, dropping it into my hands before running my fingers anxiously through it.
"I'm surprised you didn't try and stop him." Robin commented when I looked up at her.
"It would have been pretty hypocritical for me to try and stop him..." I sighed turning back towards the water. The spot where he had jumped had disappeared and there was no indication that he was beneath the surface. Staring at the water my eyes burned, as I stared, unblinking at the water, wishing Steve to come to the surface.
"Hey." Nancy said softly beside me, placing her hand on my knee to stop it from bouncing. I glanced at her hand before looking up at her. She was giving me a reassuring smile, "he's going to be okay."
"Where we at Wheeler?" Robin asked, starting to sound nervous.
"Closing in on a minute." Nancy answered looking at her watch.
"Okay." She nodded, rubbing her hands on her legs looking at the water. I started to mentally spiral, thoughts of how fast I could get in the water, what could happen, why it was taking so long... Steve burst through the surface of the water sucking in a gasp of air startling all of us in the boat. My heart skipped a beat and Eddie cursed holding his own chest as Robin and Nancy gasped.
"Oh Christ!" Eddie exclaimed. I felt tears of relief in my eyes as I watched Steve swim towards the boat.
"I found it." Steve breathed out treading water.
"Wait really?" I questioned surprised.
"You found it?" Nancy asked.
"I found it yeah." He nodded, reaching for the side of the boat. "Yeah, I found it."
"Dustin you're a goddamn einstein." Robin said excitedly into the walkie-talkie, "Steve found the gate."
"It's pretty wild. It's more of a snack-sized gate than a mama gate, but still its pretty damn big..." He explained but it was cut off as he suddenly went below the surface briefly. When he came back up, he looked at me confused, and I was already on my knees at the side of the boat. Before he could say anything or lift himself into the boat something yanked him back under the water, ripping his hands from the side of the boat. The boat jerked and I fell back as Robin yelled. Nancy and Robin were yelling for Steve as Eddie cursed to the side, and without waiting I was up and jumping into the water. Someone yelled out my name, but I was already in the water and swimming below the surface.
Opening my eyes, my view was distorted, but I could make out a large red light several feet down and Steve being pulled into it. He was flailing his arms trying to pull away from the vine that was wrapped around his ankle, but his efforts were doing little to stop it. He disappeared through the red gate, and I pushed myself further down towards the bottom of the lake, the water getting colder and my ears popping as I kept swimming.
Reaching the gate, I touched my hand to the film that seemed to cover the entrance pushing it through. My hand broke through and I felt ground on the other side. Shoving my other hand through I grabbed each side of the small gate and lifted myself through. The world tilted and as I broke through the surface I rolled to the side. The lake had been replaced with dried earth. There was a strangled cry from the air, and I saw two flying bat-like monsters flying at Steve, who was running to a broken boat lying a few feet away. He grabbed a paddle from inside and swung it at one of the monsters as it came at him.
I stood and reached my hand out just as the second bat dove at Steve from behind. Turning, he looked shocked at the creature as it remained suspended in spot, crying and trying to move towards him, but I had a firm grip on it. Steve looked in my direction surprised, still holding the bat up. He gave me a nod and I tried to give him a small smile, but his relieved expression changed. I saw his eyes widen at the same time I heard a bat cry out behind me.
Looking over my shoulder, I had enough time to process a flying monster directly behind me, and one of its long tails wrapped around my wrist as the other wrapped around my upper arm pulling me backwards. I heard Steve yell, and I glanced quickly in his direction as he stepped towards me, but three of the bat monsters were descending on him. The bat still had my arm wrapped in its tail as it pulled me backwards until it yanked me hard off my feet. As my arm was pulled upward there was a loud pop and I cried out as I felt the pain shoot through my shoulder and arm, tripping me as my feet hit the ground again, the bat dropping me hard to the ground. Gritting my teeth, I looked back in Steve's direction and saw one monster, teeth and claws digging into his abdomen and another with its tail around his neck as he struggled to pull them off.
The bat that had its tail still wrapped around my arm took my distraction as an opportunity to dive towards me. Before its claws made any purchase to my skin a paddle slammed into it, and it screeched in pain as it fell to the ground. Looking up, Nancy was standing above me with a smile and Robin was beside her reaching her hand out to me.
I quickly took it with my good arm and stood immediately raising my hand to the bat that was digging itself into Steve's flesh lifting it off his side and tossing it in Nancy's direction. She swung the paddle at it smashing it to the ground before hitting it again for good measure. Steve seemed to find his footing and was able to free himself from the bat around his neck. Looking around there were several other monsters coming towards us, and I lifted my hand up putting a protective shield around us, the incoming bats hitting it hard as they tried to attack. I filched each time one hit the barrier, one of my arms in the air the other hanging limp at my side.
My focus was on the bats above us, and I didn't see one of the vines near the gate skate towards me until it was already around my leg. Gasping my concentration was broken and the vine pulled, causing me to fall backwards and then started pulling me along the ground. Eddie quickly stomped on the vine making it wither back and release my ankle and he reached down grabbing my arm pulling me back away from it. Looking up I nodded at him as a thank you before turning, Robin and Nancy were standing beside dead bats and Steve was throwing the bat that had been around his neck to the ground angrily. As he finished, he looked up at everyone, breathing heavily, spitting the bat's black blood from his mouth.
Letting out a breath I laid back on the ground and raised my good arm over my eyes as I tried to slow my heartbeat and process what had just happened.
"Oh Jesus Christ." Eddie stated, beside me starting to pace back and forth. "Jesus H. Christ!" he exclaimed again, throwing the oar he had in his hand. Pulling my arm away I stared up at the grey sky blinking a few times before sitting up, feeling my muscles protest as I did so."
"Are you okay?" I heard Nancy and turned to see her talking to Steve as he looked down at his abdomen. There were some deep punctures and claw marks to his left side that were dripping blood and he grimaced as he brought his hand down to examine the injury.
"Well, they took about a pound of flesh." Steve sighed before looking up at her letting out a small chuckle. "But other than that, yeah never better." I blinked back the tears of relief as I heard him talk with Nancy, and slowly pushed myself up with my good arm. As I stood Eddie came up behind me and tried to help steady me by grabbing both my shoulders.
"Shit." I hissed, pulling away from and bending over holding my arm.
"Whoa..." Eddie stepped back quickly putting up his hands. "Sorry I didn't..."
"It's fine." I shook my head standing up straight holding my arm groaning.
"Roni?" Steve was already moving towards me.
"I'm fine." I answered his question before he could ask it. His hand was outstretched towards the arm I was holding, and I shifted away from it looking up at him wearily, "It's dislocated."
"Uh, do you think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin asked and I scowled at Steve before looking at her. She was bent down examining one of the dead monsters.
"What?" Steve questioned, his hand dropping from where he had it raised by my arm and turned to look at the girl.
"It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear, and I think that we should probably get you to a doctor, like, really soon, because once the symptoms set int it's too late. Your already dead." Robin started talking quickly. I opened my mouth to respond but a loud screeching from the distance stopped me and I spun around and took a step back as I looked at the red and grey sky. I bumped into Steve's chest, and he put his hands up to hold me in place, only holding my right arm. In the sky there were half a dozen bats flying towards us.
Eddie and Robin both ran behind Steve and me as we took steps backing away. The bats all landed around the glowing red gate turning towards us screeching louder.
"Alight," Steve said confidently. "That's not that many, right?"
"Sure, Roni's got it right?" Robin said with a nervous laugh, and I looked over my shoulder at her raising an eyebrow. Another set of loud screeches echoed around us and from the horizon more bats appeared, heading towards us.
"Yeah, I have my limits." I said, as I stared at the incoming swarm.
"The woods." Nancy said quickly turning, "Come on." I turned and followed her running across the dried lake into the woods out of sight of the bats. We kept running up the rocky path and through the trees, avoiding vines as they crossed our way until we were standing under Skull Rock. We all peaked out as the swarm flew over the rocks and passed us, screeching and cawing as they went by. Robin and Eddie stood up and slowly walked out of the cave and I turned leaning my head back against the rock structure letting out a frustrated breath. Closing my eyes, I started walking my fingers up my injured arm until I reached my shoulder and felt the bone out of its socket.
"Crap." I grimaced, opening my eyes. Turning I found Nancy looking at me concerned. "I need your help popping it back in."
"What?" Robin and Steve seemed to have the same reaction, but Nancy just stared at me for a second before scowling.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes pushing myself away from the boulder.
"I'd rather have two functioning arms." I replied looking at her waiting for her. Finally, she nodded and took a step forward. "Robin come here." I nodded to the other girl.
"I'm not sure..."
"Just, hold me still so I don't move." I interrupted her and she seemed to understand, walking to my uninjured side and put an arm around my waist and placed the other on my good shoulder. Turning I nodded towards Nancy, "take my arm at my wrist and just above my elbow." She followed my instruction, and I bit my lip as she lifted it away from my side, "you're going to want to pull down and out as hard as you can. It's gonna hurt like hell, but it'll hurt worse if you hold back."
"Okay." She nodded and I closed my eyes taking a deep breath as I felt her change her grip. "Okay, on three." she said again, and I tried to keep my arm from being tense, tried to breathe through what was about to happen. "...One..." and then she pulled, and I heard and felt the pop as my shoulder went back into place, but I also felt the pain. I tried to muffle my voice as I cried out and I felt Nancy quickly let go of my arm. Groaning, I stepped back against the boulder again and Robin loosened her grip on me, letting my other arm go so I could reach up and touch the injured one.
Touching the shoulder, there was an ache there, but it wasn't as bad as before, and there was a tingle in my fingers as I moved them before testing the motion of my shoulder. I lifted it slowly and grimaced but was able to move it slowly.
"Did it work?" Robin asked.
"Yeah." I nodded, "Yeah it worked." I opened my eyes and nodded at Nancy. "Thanks. Steve?" Steve was behind her, and he was on the other side of the opening using the wall to stand as he looked down at his side.
"Shit..." he cursed stumbling a bit. I pulled away from Robin and quickly made it to him before he fell forward, catching him and pushing him back so he could lean back and sit down. Keeping a hand on his arm, I pulled the other away from his stomach and looked at the injury.
"It doesn't look too bad." I reassured him, giving him a small smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Behind us there was a ripping sound and Nancy came over handing me the bottom chunk of her shirt.
"Use this," she said handing it to me. I smiled and thanked her. Turning back, I helped Steve up so I could wrap the cloth around his back.
"Roni?" he questioned, still waiting on my answer to his earlier question, but I kept my eyes on the wrap and lips pursed as I focused on securing the make-shift bandage tightly.
"Okay, so good news here, is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies, but if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms, or you start feeling really aggressive, like you wanna punch me or something then you should totally let me know." Robin said, coming to kneel beside him nervously rambling. I smiled as I wrapped his injury another time working to tie the cloth together.
"Robin," Steve said grimacing as I pulled the wrap tight, and I felt him tense. Looking up I gave him a guilty look.
"Sorry." I whispered, turning back to finish up the bandage.
"Yeah?" Robin asked, looking at her friend.
"I kinda wanna punch you." Steve answered and I giggled, smiling as I finished typing a knot, securing the cloth in place.
"Sense of humor's still intact." Robin smiled widely. "That's a good sign."
"Yeah." Steve breathed out putting his arms down. Holding out my hand I stood helping him. I had forgotten about my injured arm until I tried pulling him up with it and gasped, nearly dropping him. "Shit, sorry."
"No, I forgot." I shook my head, finishing helping him up and reaching up to hold my shoulder. He stood in front of me, staring at me for a moment longer before I looked away. "Is that how you felt?" I asked quietly.
"What?" he questioned.
"The pit in your stomach, watching me run into danger, not know..." My voice trailed off and I looked at my feet. I felt his finger under my chin pulling it up, so I was looking into his brown eyes again. He had a smile on the corner of his mouth and was nodding his head.
"Since the day you ran into the woods to the lab two years ago... actually, when you ran into the school before I even had my car in park the year before that." He let out a small chuckle as he remembered, and I cringed.
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
"I'm not." He shook his head and I scowled at him confused. "That feeling I felt, it was the realization that you might not come back, and I realized... I didn't want to lose you... ever."
"You scared the shit out of me Steve." I said shaking my head. "I'm not used to feeling that way, and... I hate that I ever made you feel that." With his finger still lifting my chin he leaned down gently and placed his lips on mine as softly as he could.
"I'm sorry I scared you." he said quietly against my lips. I knew a tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn't care to wipe it away, instead I pulled away enough to just lay my head on his shoulder. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around me, but quickly let me go when a whimper slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"Here try this." Robin came back towards us watching me hold my arm again. She took off the button up shirt she was wearing over her T-shirt and handed it to Steve. Nodding to her, he wrapped the sleeves of the shirt around my neck tying them there before gently lifting my arm into the sling he had made. Seemingly satisfied with it he smiled and turned towards the opening of the rocks holding his side.
"Hold on." I said quietly pulling back. He turned scowling at me. I kept my hand in his staring at them before taking a deep breath and looking up at him again. "I... I can't lose you either." His eyes seemed to search mine before he looked down at his hand in mine, his thumb brushing my knuckles.
"Watch out for the vines!" Nancy called out to Eddie and Steve, and I turned to see Eddie stop moving from his place on top of a rock a few feet away. He looked up at Nancy with wide eyes confused and Steve and I walked out towards the group again. "It's all a hive mind."
"It's all a what?" Eddie asked looking at his feet and the vines that covered where he stood.
"Everything is connected, the vines, the bats, whatever else is hanging around here..." I explained.
"They're all like one, or something" Steve added grimacing as he put his hand on his side. "You step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna."
"Shit." Eddie said moving forward carefully until he was off the rock.
"Okay, but everything from our world is still here, right? Except people... obviously?" Robin questioned curiously.
"As far as I understand it," Nancy nodded. "I was only ever in the forest." She turned to look at me for more explanation.
"Uh, yeah." I nodded. "I mean there's no electricity, running water, or food really, but yeah, houses, places... there all here from what I was able to see last time I was here."
"Wait you were here before?" Eddie asked.
"For about two days, yeah." I shrugged.
"So, this is like, normal, for you and shit?"
"Bats are new," I chuckled, "But it's more normal than I wish to admit."
"So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate." Robin suggested.
"I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades Robin, but guns yeah sure." Steve nodded.
"Well, we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns." Nancy shook her head looking at the group. "I have guns, in my bedroom."
"You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?" Eddie questioned in disbelief.
"Like I said... more normal than you think." I looked at Eddie giving him a small smile.
"A Russian Makarov and Revolver." Nancy continued.
"Revolver... that was the one she almost shot you with, wasn't it?" I asked, looking at Steve as he rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah well, he almost deserved it." Nancy added and I laughed as Steve glared at her. Eddie shrugged out of his vest and tossed it at Steve, who caught it confused looking from the garment to the long-haired kid giving him a smirk.
"For your modesty dude." Eddie said just as the ground shook around us. An arm came around my waist holding me upright and away from the vine covered ground. Behind me Steve did his best to keep us still, one hand on the rock face behind us. Robin and Nancy were holding onto one another, and Eddie was on his knees trying to balance. As the shaking stopped there was a screech that echoed from the trees. "Yeah, so uh... guns seem like a pretty good idea to me."
"Yeah, me too." Robin nodded quickly. Steve slowly let my waist go and shifted to put the vest on.
"So, what are we waiting for?" he asked, starting to move down the trail. I looked at Nancy who nodded at me and I followed Steve, hearing the footsteps of the others close behind.
I am having so much fun writing these, I have read, and re-read them just to make sure they flow.
Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.