I do not own Stranger Things, or any of these characters.
"It may not be by blood, but he is my little brother..."
- Myself
Steve was just seconds from cracking two eggs into a warm oiled pan when the phone from the corner just off the kitchen rang, he turned the cooktop down to the lowest setting and carefully set the eggs down on the counter top, to go answer the phone.
Picking up the handset, he spoke politely, "Harrington residence, Steve speaking."
"Steve, honey, this is Claudia."
Steve hesitated for a brief moment, wondering if there was something he was supposed to be doing with Dustin that he was forgetting, but from what he remembered they hadn't made any plans. He found it harder and harder to remember things these days though thanks to the minor inconvenience of a few too many hits to the head, resulting in fucking concussions and now easily triggered headaches.
"Oh, hi Mrs Henderson." Steve greeted her, then asked hesitantly. "What can I do for you?"
"I was just wondering if you could do a favour for me. That is, if you're free. If not that's alright, I know it was kind of last minute..."
Steve cut into her rambling, must be a trait in their family, cause sometimes it was just a challenge to get Dustin to shut up so Steve could get a word in edgewise, "No, no, that's fine. I'm free today, I can do whatever you need Mrs Henderson." he agreed before he even knew what he was agreeing to.
"I was wondering if you don't mind, could you please take Dusty to the clinic for me? I made him a booking for quarter past ten," Steve turned his wrist to check his watch, it was only twenty to nine, they still had plenty of time. "I would of took him but I've been called into work and won't be able to take him."
"Of course, I'd be happy to take him."
"Thanks Steve, it's just for a routine check up," and then she spoke softer, in almost a whisper, and Steve had to hold the receiver closer to his ear to actually hear what she was saying, "and he also has to get his booster Diphtheria and HPV shot."
Steve ran his free hand through his hair, as Claudia spoke again in the same hushed tone. "It might not be fair to put this on you, Dusty is a little bit... I don't know how to say this," Steve waited as she paused, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, hoping against fucking hope that she better be not telling him the kids fucking petrified of needles, he wasn't sure if he'd even know how to deal with that. "he doesn't exactly like needles."
Steve sighed, no shit. Is there any sane person who actually likes getting a shot? But he also heard unspoken words through her tone, the kid was scared of needles... great.
"He'll be fine." Steve spoke feeling some semblance of confidence, "We'll get through it."
The called lasted a few more minutes with her reassuring Steve that he would do fine, and the best ways to distract and comfort a child during the process, with her being a nurse and all, he was sure she'd had her fair experience with traumatised children during different medical procedures. So he'd settled silently to himself that he'd keep reassuring the kid that he's okay and doing really good and just talk comforting words to him, and maybe hold his hand or even let the kid hug him if he needed to, whatever the kid needed he was willing to give just to get him through it in the most non traumatic way possible, thanks to Mrs Henderson's advice.
After hanging up, he finished off his breakfast and then went to get ready.
Steve picked Dustin up twenty minutes before his appointment, the thirteen-year-old had been ready and waiting patiently after his mom had told him that Steve was coming to take him to his appointment.
The ride over was a lot more silent than on a normal occasion, and Steve could tell the kid was already nervous, he wasn't sure what Mrs Henderson had told him regarding this visit, but with how the kid was bouncing nervously on the beige leather seat and fidgeting constantly with his hands, along with biting the nails on his right hand. Steve figured she must of told him before she left for work.
"Calm down dude, you're making me nervous."
"Sorry," Dustin apologised sullenly, trying to still his fidgeting without much success.
Steve creased his eyebrows, then spoke gently as he steered the burgundy BMW in the direction of the clinic. "It's okay, just try to relax okay?"
They hadn't had to wait for long in the waiting room before a man in his mid fifties wearing a long white coat with short dark brown hair called for them to follow him. The doctor led them into a small white room about half way down a short corridor, after he introduced himself as Dr Williams he told Dustin to go stand on the floor scales that also had a height chart directly beside it, after jotting down the appropriate details the doctor said for Dustin to hop up onto the exam table. Steve followed standing at Dustin's right side.
"Alright Dustin, I'm just going to check your blood pressure." Dr Williams held out a sphygmomanometer and unwrapped the velcro cuff, "I'm going to wrap this around your arm, and then you'll feel a bit of pressure as it tightens."
Dustin glanced up at Steve, maybe for reassurance, then back down just as quickly as the doctor strapped the cuff around his upper arm and securely velcroed it closed. Before pressing the rubber bulb shaped object in his hand, that made the cuff feel like it was squeezing his arm.
Next he used a stethoscope to listen to his heart and lungs.
"Your heart is a bit too fast, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's cause you're nervous?" Dr Williams gave a warm smile, as he removed the stethoscope from around his neck and carefully folded it, placing it down on his desk.
Dustin shrugged half heartedly, "Maybe, I guess."
Steve sighed biting his lip, he knew the little shit was more than 'maybe' nervous, but he kept quiet. The kid was a bunch of nerves just on the drive there alone, but now that he was actually here in the clinic, Steve was definitely certain the boy was more nervous than his answer let on. And plus, if Dustin hadn't shown any signs of nervousness his mom had definitely clued him in.
Dr Williams acknowledged the response with a small nod, then spoke in his calming doctor tone, hoping it might have a soothing effect on his young patient. "If I can get you to lie back for me, I just need to check your abdomen."
He waited until Dustin was ready, and lying on his back.
"Okay, this might feel a bit uncomfortable, and you will feel a bit of pressure but it shouldn't hurt."
Dustin glanced nervously at Steve as the doctor pushed the hem of his t-shirt up to his chest, and tentatively reached out his right hand, Steve didn't waste a second before he took the smaller hand in his larger calloused one and squeezed gently.
"You're okay, buddy... I got you." Giving another soft squeeze, he ran his thumb gently over Dustin's knuckles as the doctor did his examination, pressing down firmly but gently with the two-handed technique in various spots on Dustin's stomach, causing Dustin to wince a few times at the deeper pressure.
Dr Williams finally finished palpating Dustin's abdomen and eased the t-shirt back down to cover his stomach again. "You did good, Dustin. Now if I can get you to sit up again, we'll finish this exam."
Doing as he was asked, Dustin took a seat on the edge of the exam table again. And waited. He continued holding Steve's hand as the doctor flashed a small light into his eyes, checking each one, then a tongue depressor in his mouth and then checked each ear with an otoscope.
"Okay, we're almost done here." Dr Williams says checking his clipboard that held the boys information on two sheets of A4 paper, "We just need to get you up to date with a couple of vaccinations and then you'll be good to go."
The doctor left the room to retrieve the items needed, closing the door gently behind him.
To say the kid was nervous was an understatement. Steve watched as the kid fidgeted nervously beside him, Steve still had one hand in his repeatedly rubbing the young teens knuckles in a soothing motion, as the kids other hand sat on his thigh and kept twisting and bunching at his jeans as his legs dangled about three foot away from the ground. Little shit was as nervous as a fucking stray puppy.
"Hey, just relax kid," Steve turned so he was standing directly in front of Dustin, and let go of Dustin's hand in favour of placing it on the boys shoulder giving it a slight squeeze.
"Maybe we could sneak out before he comes back. We could just tell my mom that I got it done." The kid said desperately with a pleading look up at Steve, as he continued wringing the same spot on his jeans.
"We're not sneaking out, Henderson. And I'm not lying to your mom."
"You don't have to. I can tell her then," he sounded even more desperate.
"No shithead, I'm not letting you lie to your mom either." Steve warns with a hint of authority, crossing his arms over his chest.
But Dustin completely ignores him, and frantically turns his head in every direction of the room, there was a small window that didn't look like it could be opened covered with a venetian blind and the door they had originally come in.
"Maybe there's like a back door we could sneak out or something?" Dustin gestures to the door they came in, if only they could get out without anyone noticing them and then maybe they could find another exit that didn't involve going past the reception desk.
"We're not sneaking out," Steve repeated, and when Dustin started to protest Steve held up a hand, "but how about we make a compromise, after we get out of here, we can grab an ice cream from the diner?"
Sure he was bribing the kid, but who was going to call him out on it?
And Dustin looked like he was considering this.
"Double scoops," he negotiated, before adding, "and a chocolate milkshake?"
"I'm not having you throw up in my car shithead, or I might just stab you with a needle myself." Steve joked, but couldn't resist slipping a mild hint of threat into his tone.
Dustin's eyes lit up, but not in fear. In fact his whole face lit up.
"Steve, you're a genius!" Dustin almost yelled, his lisp more noticeable when the kid was excited and talked fast.
Steve raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"I'm sure there's something sharp around here, like a pin, or the end of a needle or something?" Dustin scanned over the contents on the doctor's desk not seeing anything remotely sharp laying out.
"Kid, what are you going on about?"
"Maybe have a look in the drawers?" Dustin suggested, waving a hand in the direction of the desk.
Steve was not following along. "What the hell am I supposed to be looking for?"
"Something sharp, Steve." Dustin sounded exasperated, as he rolled his eyes with a duh, come on follow along Steve look. "I just need you to poke me twice to make it look like I had the shots, and when the doctor comes back we'll tell him that someone else already came in and did them."
Steve ran a hand through his hair, and just caught himself before he laughed covering it with a cough, then cleared his throat. He was amazed at how these kid's brains worked and what ideas they'd come up with sometimes, it was amazing actually, but...
"Dude, that's not going to work," he held his hand up for the second time as Dustin tried to protest again. "First of all, if I'm going to poke you with a needle, it's still going to hurt dipshit. So you might as well just get the damn shot. And second of all, I'm not going to poke you with a needle." Now it was Steve's turn to roll his eyes, because these kids were going to be the death of him.
"But it won't hurt as much, because you're only going to do a little poke." Dustin explained like it was the simplest thing, looking up at him.
"Not happening, kid." Steve was serious, but then relented saying. "Fine, double scoop and a milkshake, but if you puke you're cleaning it. Got it?"
They both knew that wouldn't happen either, the kid had Steve wrapped around his little finger, and they both knew that.
Dustin nodded with a gap-toothed grin.
Not even a minute later the doctor reappeared holding a stainless steel kidney dish with two ready filled syringes, cotton balls, an alcohol solution, and a couple of band-aids. And Dustin looked he was going to either start bawling or throw up, or both.
"Okay, now if you can hold still I'm going to start you off with the Diphtheria first, and then we'll do the HPV shot." Dr Williams dampened a cotton wool ball with alcohol and then retrieved the first filled syringe in his right hand. "Could I get you to roll your shirt sleeve up just a bit please?"
Steve immediately jumped into action, placing his left hand just above Dustin's elbow to hold his arm still, he pushed the sleeve up towards the smaller shoulder with his right hand.
"Okay, just hold still, this will only take a minute." Dr Williams says as he swipes the alcohol across Dustin's left upper arm. Dustin immediately panicked pulling away, and if Steve hadn't still been holding him he probably would have fallen off the exam table.