When Jonathan and Steve enter the TV room, Joyce dismisses herself, mumbling something about hot chocolate. Will hops up from his spot on the couch so Steve can have a seat next to Dustin.

"Kid, that's okay," Steve tries. "You don't have to get up."

"I don't mind, really," Will says as he takes a seat on the floor next to Mike, who was propped up on his elbows.

"Yeah, Steve, don't worry about it," Jonathan says nudging him gently toward the couch. "Will chooses the floor over the furniture regularly. Besides, you need a proper seat." Jonathan settles into the recliner.

Steve's back is throbbing as he says it, so he ultimately agrees. "Okay," he gives in and sinks into the Byers' couch. "Hey, bud," he greets Dustin, giving the kid a soft jab in the ribs with his elbow.

"Hey," Dustin says quietly. He looks up at Steve pleadingly. "What's going on? Where'd Jim go?"

Steve swallows nervously. He knows that Dustin is looking for answers. And he deserves them. "There's some stuff going on with my dad," Steve tells him honestly, resting a hand on his knee. "We'll talk later, okay? I promise."

Dustin bites down on his lip and nods.

"Hey, Steve. Have you ever seen Ghostbusters?" Lucas leans across Dustin to ask the question.

"Nope," Steve admits.

"Well if you all would pipe down, we could start it," Mike says with an eye roll from the floor. He crawls to the VCR. "I'm gonna press play. Now shh."

"Mike takes Ghostbusters really seriously," Will whispers behind his hand.

Steve feels his lips tug into a smile. "I can see that." He reaches down to ruffle the kid's hair and looks across the room to meet Jonathan's eyes.

Jonathan raises his brows in a silent, you good?

Steve gives him a nod as Dustin leans his head against his shoulder. He thinks he's as good as he can be.

xxx

Steve finds himself drifting off during the movie. He might actually enjoy Ghostbusters if he was watching it at a time when he wasn't concussed or anticipating Hopper returning from his dad's. But right now his concentration – or lack thereof – isn't cutting it.

When Joyce re-enters the room with a tray full of mugs of hot chocolate, she says, "Can you boys pause it a minute? I have something I think you're going to want to hear."

Interest piqued, Will hurries to flip the VCR to pause.

Joyce starts passing out the mugs. "I just got off the phone with Mrs. Wheeler. She said that school is closed tomorrow, on account of the bus lot flooding. Said she just heard it on the news."

"Seriously?" Dustin says, and Steve can feel him buzzing with excitement when Joyce nods.

"High school, too?" Jonathan asks hopefully.

"Yup. All the schools in the district," Joyce confirms. "Mike, your mom also asked if you could spend the night, since the roads are so bad. I told her all of you can. Actually, I insist on it."

"So we're having a sleepover?" Lucas asks.

Joyce giggles. "Sure, yeah, if that's what you want to call it. I'll phone your parents and let them know." She kisses the top of Jonathan's head on her way back to the kitchen, but Steve sees her wringing her hands on the way and he knows she's worried about Jim.

Steve is too.

xxx

Joyce is an anxious woman, Steve decides.

After she phones the kids' parents, she's either standing just inside the front door, peering out the sidelight window, or she's out on the porch bundled up in that brown tattered blanket, smoking a cigarette.

Jim does make it back eventually, when there are about 15 minutes remaining in the movie.

"He's back," Joyce announces with a relieved sigh. "Thank God."

Steve hears the tires on the gravel and sits up straighter in his seat.

When Jim steps in the door, Joyce almost knocks him over in a bear hug. Steve gets it. She really cares for Jim. And that poor woman has been through a lot. From losing Bob to having her son possessed by some otherworldly mastermind, Steve can understand why she doesn't like having the people she cares about out of her sight. "What took you so long?" Joyce scolds into his shoulder.

"Sorry. I'm okay, Joyce," Jim apologizes and talks her down a little. "I'm fine." But then he dismisses her by gently pushing her away.

Jim meets Steve's eyes, nods towards the hallway. "We need to talk, son," he says gravely, and Steve's stomach does a funny little somersault.

He pushes himself off the couch, wincing at the twinge of pain in his lower back.

"Give us a minute, yeah?" Jim says to the others as he takes Steve by the arm and leads him back into Jonathan's bedroom.

"How you doin', kid?" Jim asks Steve, once he's closed the door and led him to the bed to sit down. He runs a shaky hand through his hair. "You okay?"

"You tell me," Steve says slowly, trying to read the man's appearance; he's getting a really awful vibe from this whole situation. "What's going on?"

Jim breathes out slowly, sits down next to Steve on the bed.

"Your father is dead."

xxx

It doesn't register.

Not really.

Overdose. Painkillers. Too late.

He hears the words that Jim is saying. Understands them, even.

But he can't process them.

Can't wrap his mind around the gravity of the situation.

Jim's voice seems far away, but the hand on his shoulder is heavy.

"I know this is a lot to take in. I know this isn't what you were expecting."

Steve feels himself nodding.

No shit, Chief.

God, he feels so numb. And sick.

His face is hot. His vision is fading in and out.

He lifts his head, tries to focus on Jim's face, but black dots are dancing in front of his eyes.

He blinks dazedly.

"Steve, kiddo?" The grip on his shoulder tightens. "Talk to me."

"Don't feel good," he hears himself muttering for an answer. He thinks he might be on the verge of passing out. He wonders vaguely where his mom is. "My mom…"

"We'll find her," Jim's far-away voice says. "C'mon, lean forward Steve. Head down. You're okay. Breathe for me."

Steve does.

His father is dead.

And he doesn't know how he should fucking feel about that.

So he just breathes, and breathes, and breathes.