Jane shuddered as she got out of Hopper's truck and she stared up at Pennhurst - they had managed to retrieve the vehicle, and it felt good to use it again instead of that stupid pizza van - and she started shivering as she saw the few people walking around, some of them looking vacant or some of them cackling like insane witches.
Nancy saw her expression. "You don't have to do this, you know," she said quietly, having a fucking good idea why Jane was looking at Pennhurst with an expression of absolute dread on her face.
Jane turned to her friend, an unreadable expression on her face but Nancy wasn't fooled. "I know," she said quietly, "but I want to. I want to know what he wants."
Joyce and Hopper and Kali also got out of the truck. Kali's expression was dark as she looked at Pennhurst. Nancy had a feeling the illusionist had the same feelings of dread towards this place Jane felt but was expressing it more with anger than anything else. Joyce wrapped her arm comfortingly around one shoulder while Hopper did the same with the other, although he kept slightly in front of Jane as if he were trying to be a knight in armour.
Or a father trying to protect his daughter from her worst fears.
Nancy, Joyce and Hopper knew this was bringing back so many bad memories for Kali and Jane as they'd grown up in a place like this, but seeing the patients would likely make them think, and not of good things. After Hatch met them in Hawkins town square, Jane had been reluctant to go anywhere near here, but she had decided to do it anyway, but she didn't say why. But she refused to trust Hatch, and Kali instantly wanted to go with her, clinging to her arm like an octopus.
Joyce and Hopper had both decided to come as she was their adopted daughter, and they didn't want her to come here by herself. Nancy had also decided to come with her as she'd been here before, although she hoped with the former chief of Hawkins police with her, they wouldn't be tempted to do something stupid. She had largely decided to come to find out what Victor wanted although Nancy doubted he could actually tell Jane anything they didn't know already; still, the original visit when she had come here with Robin had helped them especially when Robin figured out music might be a key to trying to defeat Vecna in the first place.
But at the same time…. they walked through the corridors with Hatch leading the way, ignoring the looks he was sending her way although the looks of fascination he was sending towards Jane did not go unnoticed since Hopper and Joyce glared at him with enough force to make him rethink even asking Jane any questions, Nancy was kind of relieved everyone knew Victor was innocent of the murders of his family and was largely vindicated a demon had killed Virginia and Alex.
Okay, Vecna hadn't been a demon in the traditional sense, but he was now.
When they arrived at Victor's cell, Nancy shuddered as she remembered the cut-out eyes.
"Victor, here she is," Hatch called.
Victor Creel shuffled towards the glass barrier. Jane shuddered and gazed at Vecna's father and sole surviving family member, her sympathy for him burning through her. Nancy heard Joyce gasp in horror at the sight of the old man as he shuffled into the light, and even though she'd seen it herself she felt so much pity for him.
"How do I know she's here and you haven't just humoured me, doctor?" Victor asked.
"I am here, Mr Creel," Jane said.
Victor jumped but he turned his head in the direction of her voice. "Eleven?"
Jane didn't say a word about her number. "Yes, I am here. I'm here with my big sister Kali, who was living at the lab with me, and my adopted parents Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers, and my other big sister Nancy Wheeler, you met her before."
Victor's expression seemed to become more quizzical. It was hard to be sure considering the condition of his eyes. "I don't know any Nancy Wheeler."
"That's because I used a different name to get into the hospital," Nancy interjected before Hatch could say anything stupid. She smiled as she watched Victor react to her, knowing her voice would be the only one he was familiar with. "My friend and I had to use fake names and credentials to get in here to speak to you because your son was threatening one of our friends. My name is Nancy Wheeler."
Victor couldn't help but laugh. "Impressive work, young lady," he said kindly, genuinely impressed while Nancy tried to ignore the interested and suspicious look sent her way by Kali and Hopper. "Was this friend….Max?"
Nancy sighed, "Yes, Max was in danger," she replied, her jaw twisting in anger as she remembered just how close she and the others and Jane had come to finally ending the monster. But while their work had likely done some good overall, so many things had gone wrong; Eddie was gone, Vecna had proven to be too strong and while Jane had managed to keep her alive, those stupid jocks had gotten in the way thanks to their fear and their beliefs something satanic was happening.
"What was it you wanted to speak to us about?" Joyce, seeing the pained anger in Nancy's expression, spoke up.
"I just wanted to say….I am so sorry. I honestly didn't know my son was responsible for all of this," Victor said.
"How could you?" Kali asked bluntly for the first time. "From what we saw from Jane's memories Henry managed to cover his tracks far too well."
"Yes, I saw," Victor said darkly before he shook his head wearily and felt around his living space for a chair. Like most blind people confined to a small space so long, Victor had developed a very strong sense of the geography of his surroundings. He found it soon enough. "But I'm sorry I didn't join the dots and realise what he was even with all of those appointments with that bastard Brenner."
"How interested in Henry was Brenner?" Hopper couldn't help but ask. Nancy thought the question was redundant.
"Very. But we trusted him since Henry was a very introverted child. I just never suspected or even pictured he could or would kill his own mother and sister," Victor said. "I don't even know when he became so twisted."
An icy chill colder than the Upside Down ran down Joyce's back as she remembered Will's own upbringing and how he had always been a quiet, sensitive child. He had changed a lot since he was kidnapped by the Demogorgon after Jane was forced to open the fucking gate, and when the Mind Flayer took over and possessed him the second time around, making him into a spy, Joyce had been frightened by what else might be lingering in her youngest child. Was something dark residing in his mind? She hoped not, but she made a mental note to ask Jane and Kali to keep a watch over Will, to make sure he didn't become a second Vecna and stayed on the side of good.
Joyce snapped out of her thoughts when she realised Victor made a good point.
What made Henry Creel snap?