30. Don't Fear The Reaper

[A/N: Hey all! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. You guys seriously make my day and warm my heart. Also, thanks to Lucy for pointing out a minor continuity error in the last chapter - I totally hadn't even noticed so gracias!

This is a nice long chapter so I hope you enjoy it! Only two more weeks left in the semester and then I'll be able to update even more frequently!]

Chapter 30: Don't Fear The Reaper (by Blue Oyster Cult)

"All our times have come here but now they're gone. Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain. We can be like they are..."

. . . . . . . .

Hopper had become an expert at weaving himself in and around the requirements of his day job and his debt to the lab. The fact that El was at a dance in Clarksville tonight as opposed to coming down to Hawkins for her usual Friday night made it even easier to coordinate things when the lab called him in unexpectedly.

He could tell they weren't telling him everything. Over the past few weeks, conversations had become more hushed and while they did a good job at appearing inconspicuous around him, he did a better job of spotting shady behavior when he saw it. He hadn't been a lead detective in Indianapolis because of his pretty face, after all.

An entire unit had been closed off and marked 'Authorized Personnel Only'. For what reason, he wasn't sure, but judging by how much attention everyone had been paying to those freakish yellow pods in the Upside Down, Hopper speculated the two could be related. Perhaps they were conducting tests back there and if that was the case, what were they finding out about those things? Ever since security had beefed up, he hadn't had any actual contact with them anymore. Now his expeditions largely kept him working as a glorified look-out and tour guide, escorting feeble old scientists and their apprentices through the harrowing climate of the Upside Down so they could conduct their research.

They didn't mention Eleven as much as they used to, either. Perhaps that could be due to the increased attention being put into these pods but Hopper still kept that thread of suspicion alive and alert. Not that they never mentioned her or that he wasn't expected to keep searching for her while he was out in the Upside Down - the frequency at which they pushed the topic had just simmered down. Were they beginning to realize that she was no longer trapped in that dismal hell-hole? How long would it be before they realized she'd escaped? That Hopper had had a role in it?

It was relatively early in the night but Hopper had done his due diligence for this shift. After shucking off the heavy protective gear used during yet another trip into the Upside Down, Hopper was finally making his way through the halls of Hawkins lab to head out. With it being a Friday, most of the employees were off or home already, leaving only a smattering of agents and scientists around the fortress of a building.

As Hopper rounded a corner, he came face to face with that sign again. 'Authorized Personnel Only'. Curious, he looked up and down the hall to check and see if anyone was coming, then walked up to the metal doors, peering in through the small windows. All he could see was hallway and the main lights were off. Dim light stretched across the hall from under a door, however, and Hopper wondered what it was that they were keeping back there. What had they discovered?

There was a security card machine by the door, much like they used for each major section of the building. Without thinking it would actually work, Hopper held his own access card up to the machine and to his surprise, the light turned green and he heard the sound of the lock turning in the door. Another glance up and down the hall and Hopper quickly slipped through the door, holding it as it closed so it wouldn't made a sound.

The hall was silent and dimly lit as Hopper made his way to the only room with light coming from it. The heavy metal door was locked but peering through the window, Hopper could see that no one was inside. The overhead lights in the room were off but he quickly saw that the light he'd seen peeping from under the door had come from a large illuminated 50 gallon fish tank. Inside, a creature unlike anything he'd ever seen was swimming with barely enough space to turn around. It looked to be almost a foot long and was grey and scaled, resembling a tadpole with legs that were beginning to grow. Its head opened and closed like the petals of a flower and rows of tiny sharp teeth were visible every time.

Before Hopper could stare any longer, the distant sound of footsteps and the murmuring of a conversation echoed from down the hall. He quickly darted into the next open room, hiding behind the door under the cover of dark as Dr. Brenner and one of the lead researchers, an older man named Richard, passed by.

"Holy shit," Hopper mouthed to himself, having been under the impression that Brenner had died that night back in November when the Demogorgon came to the school. That had been what the kids had told him at least and he had yet to see or hear anyone mention Brenner up until this point. Knowing he was back, or rather, had never been gone, was a revelation in and of itself.

Hopper watched as the two stood outside the room with the monster, peering in thoughtfully as they discussed.

"As you can see, once passing through the initial larval stage, their development speeds up considerably," Richard said as Dr. Brenner looked through the window at the creature swimming around in its tank. "Judging by the protrusion of the limbs, we anticipate a transition from a wholly aquatic tank to a semi-aquatic or even fully terrestrial one,"

"Would you say it is the same species?" Brenner asked, still staring into the room.

"Without being able to conduct studies on the original creature, I'm afraid it would only be speculation at this point," Richard said regretfully. "Though, based on what I've been told of the other creature, I suspect this and the others are the offspring of that one,"

"What's your working theory?" Dr. Brenner inquired, finally stepping back from the door and looking down at the man.

"Well," Richard said, adjusting his glasses and looking over his clipboard. "As you know, we have several in varying stages of development consistent with amphibious species. We've harvested one of the pods from our field expedition and have been monitoring it in-house. It appears that these pods serve as nests or incubators for the larvae until they reach a certain stage at which point they emerge and continue to grow to the level you see in that specimen there," Richard gestured to the window. "Interestingly, in the most under-developed pods we've been able to study, it appears that they start out with hundreds of smaller larvae that then fight with one another for resources until only one remains. At that point, the larva is free to grow to the limits of the pod before making its way out," He glanced inside the room at the creature. "We've designed this tank to replicate conditions in the pod so as to simulate its natural habitat while allowing for better study and access. The pods themselves are mostly comprised of water and the light on the tank is meant to imitate the natural light emitted from the pods. Also, in their lesser developed stages, the larvae are coated with a thick layer of protective mucus that we believe guards against the relative acidity of the pods,"

"Incredible," Brenner breathed, staring in wonder at the creature through the window. "We'll need to continue monitoring this one, especially as it transitions. I want a full, detailed report on my desk Monday, can you do that?"

"Of course, Dr. Brenner, sir," Richard nodded.

"We need to be prepared as it grows," Brenner said thoughtfully.

Hopper pulled back, away from the doorway as he took in the information he'd just overhead. "Shit…"

. . . . . . . .

Despite desperately wanting to ride in the ambulance with his little brother, Jonathan and the kids piled into his car, following closely behind the emergency vehicle all the way to Clarksville General Hospital. Gabby decided to stay and ride along with Trish and Emma later since they had to wait for Emma's sister to come back to the dance and pick them up.

The drive to the hospital was a blur of flashing red and white lights in front of them, and the screaming siren, the anxious energy of everyone in the car. El tried to tell Mike about what was happening to Will but each time she did, her mouth went dry and her words died in her throat. Finally as Will was taken down to the ambulance bay and Jonathan pulled into the parking lot, El found her words.

"Mike," She said, clutching his jacket to get his attention. "Will…"

"Yeah?" Mike said impatiently as Jonathan stopped the car. "What about Will?"

"He's…" El hesitated, her eyes wide with fear as she looked up at the building. "He's got monsters," She pointed to her stomach. "In here,"

"What?" Mike asked, confounded.

"Little monsters," El repeated as everyone was quickly exiting the car.

"Come on guys," Jonathan said, his patience wearing thin. "Get out of the car,"

Mike and El quickly unbuckled and hopped out, then the group ran for the emergency room entrance.

. . . . . . . .

The emergency room was packed to capacity with every seat filled and some people milling about with their loved ones as they waited. Jonathan was escorted to the back right away to meet Will and the ambulance whereas the boys and El were left to wait anxiously in the crowded room.

"Man, this is like deja vu," Lucas commented, shifting his weight back and forth, his dress shoes squeaking softly as he did so. They were arguably the most well-dressed group in the ER.

"Do you guys think this has to do with those slugs Will was puking up?" Dustin asked quietly.

That jogged Mike's memory and he looked up at El who was nervously looking around at the unfamiliar faces surrounding them. "What were you saying in the car about Will, El?" He asked, grabbing her attention. "More monsters?" He said in a hushed tone.

El nodded warily as the boys looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wait, how do you know this?" Lucas asked. "What 'monsters'?"

"Upside Down," El replied and the boys were quiet for a moment, processing this.

"So what now?" Dustin asked, his anxiety mounting. "I mean, if they get him back there and find some interdimensional creature just, I dunno, swimming around in his guts -"

"We'll all be in deep shit," Lucas finished and Dustin began to shift back and forth nervously.

"This is not good," He said, clutching his curly brown locks in his hands and tipping his ever-present cap in process. "This is so not good,"

Before they could say anything else, Jonathan came running through the double doors that led to the back, panicked and distraught.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Mike tried to stop him as he blew past but Jonathan didn't stop until he reached the payphone. He dug into his pocket for change and fumbled to get it into the machine.

"What happened?!" Lucas asked as the kids formed a circle around him.

"It's not good," Jonathan shook his head, tapping his foot and pacing back and forth, though the phone cord would only let him go a foot before he had to come back. "Mom?" His voice was desperate and high in pitch as tears pricked his eyes. "Mom, y-you need to get up here to Clarksville. Will's in the hospital,"

"What's wrong with Will?!" Mike tried to press but Jonathan ignored him as his eyes brimmed with tears. "What's happening?!" He looked back at his friends, especially El whose doe eyes were wide with fear and worry.

"They're taking him into surgery," Jonathan explained to his mom on the phone, looking at the kids and hoping they were listening. "They think his appendix ruptured or something,"

"His appendix?" Lucas looked around at the group.

"Yeah, okay, bye," Jonathan said, hanging up and running his hands through his shaggy brown hair. "Did you catch that?" He asked the kids encircling him.

"It's his appendix?" Dustin clarified but El shook her head.

"Not appendix," She said, without actually knowing what an appendix was. She knew the real problem and that was enough. "Stomach," She pointed to her own again. "Little monsters from Upside Down,"

"What?" Jonathan asked, confused and darting glances back at the double doors as he shifted anxiously. "What are you talking about?"

Mike and the others glanced at each other, silently agreeing that it was time to break their promise to Will. "Will's been throwing up a lot since he came back," Mike said, keeping his voice low enough that the other people around them couldn't hear.

"These weird slug things," Lucas said.

"From the Upside Down," Dustin added.

"What the hell?" Jonathan exclaimed. "Why didn't he tell us? Why didn't any of you tell us?"

"He made us promise not to," Dustin admitted guiltily.

"And he's been a lot better lately," Mike chimed in. "He hasn't thrown up in a long time so we all thought it was over,"

"Shit," Jonathan cursed under his breath, wiping the tears that had begun to flood his eyes. "I-I don't even know what to do with that information. I need to get back there," He said, brushing past them. "You guys should call your parents,"

The air was thick and heavy around them as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Will was in significant danger and this time, there wasn't anything they could do to fix it. He was in the hands of the doctors and all they could do was wait and hope that he'd be able to pull through this.

"I've got quarters," Dustin said quietly, breaking the somber silence that had fallen over them as he dug into his pants pocket.

. . . . . . . .

Nancy was already dreading her mother's curious and speculative gaze as her cab pulled up in front of the house. Her evening at the Valentine's dance at school with Steve had not gone well and she'd cut it quite short as a result.

Everything had started off well enough but Nancy had still been as distracted as she'd been since her life turned upside down back in November. She tried to smile, she tried to enjoy the meaningless chatter and small talk with Steve's friends but after a while, the energy it'd taken to put up such a front had been drained and she didn't want to do it anymore.

"What's going on?" Steve had asked. "You were fine a few minutes ago,"

"Nothing," Nancy replied automatically, without actually thinking about the fact that she really wasn't fine. "I'm just... tired, that's all,"

Steve sucked in a breath, then escorted her over to a relatively empty hallway nearby so they could talk privately. "That's bull, Nance," He said, confronting her gently. "You haven't been yourself lately," He paused. "For a while actually,"

Nancy looked up at him, his hair coiffed perfectly. "I-I know," She admitted with a sigh. "It's just…"

"Is it Barb again?" Steve inquired and Nancy bit the inside of her lip. "I mean, I know you miss her and everything…"

"It's a lot of things," Nancy said quietly, looking away. While the loss of Barb had had a significant impact on her, Steve didn't know the whole truth of that situation. And to add her developing feelings for Jonathan Byers to the mix? Nancy thought it wise to avoid that one.

"Look, I… I get it," Steve said, pulling her gaze back to him. "I mean, you know, your best friend leaves town, there was that whole… crazy shit that happened at the Byers'..." He said, furrowing his brow as he referred to the monster they'd fought alongside Jonathan. "But I mean, everything's back to normal now,"

"But it's not!" Nancy exclaimed, catching the unwanted attention of a few students around them as her eyes brimmed with tears that she vigorously fought back. "It's not back to normal," She said in a quieter voice.

"But why not?" Steve pressed. "I mean, it could be,"

"You make it sound so easy," Nancy murmured with the slightest tinge of bitterness.

"Well, I mean, it kind of is," Steve shrugged, becoming impatient. "You just, let shit go. That's how people deal with stuff in the real world,"

"The real world?" Nancy quirked an eyebrow. "Are you trying to be condescending?"

"No, I-" Steve backtracked. "I just mean, it doesn't have to be as hard as you're making it," He said but Nancy was beginning to fume at this point. "I mean, look around, we're at a school dance. No monsters, right? And I mean, friends move away or leave or whatever all the time. I'm sure Barb's fine," He said, completely oblivious to the way Nancy's blood was boiling at this point. "It's not like you're never gonna see her again. I mean, you guys were practically attached at the hip. I'm sure she'll get back in contact with you or somebody in Hawkins eventually. Hell, it happens all the time - people get bored and so they run away only to find it's not as exciting as they thought it'd be and they come home,"

Nancy glared up at him. "You just don't get it," She said, turning on her heel to walk away but Steve caught her arm.

"What don't I get?!"

"Any of it!" Nancy replied vehemently, yanking her arm away from him.

"You know what? I don't get it!" Steve exclaimed, raising his voice in frustration. He ignored the stares and snickers of the people around him. "Why can't things go back to how they were? What happened to the old Nancy?"

"She's gone," Nancy said evenly, her eyes boring holes into him before she walked away. "And I'm done,"

Now, as she made her way up to her front door, her heels in her hand and her bare feet padding along the cold sidewalk, she heaved a heavy sigh and stepped inside only to find her mom frantically running around.

"Mom?" Nancy said curiously, one eyebrow raised. "What's going on?"

"Mike just called," Karen said distractedly as rifled through her purse. "Will had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital so they're sitting in the ER now," She walked briskly over to the bottom of the staircase. "Ted! Make sure Holly's in bed in the next half hour!"

"Got it!" He called monotonously from upstairs.

"Wait, what's wrong with Will?" Nancy asked, dumbfounded and having difficulty keeping pace with her mom as she darted around the first floor, gathering her things and checking to make sure she was leaving the house in order.

"A stomach rupture? Something like that," Karen said, plucking her keys from the end table and slipping into her winter coat. "They're taking him into surgery and it's not looking good so I'm going up to make sure Mike's okay,"

"I-I'll come with you," Nancy said after a split second, turning to follow her mom back out into the night.

. . . . . . . .

Joyce was just about to run out the door when the shrill ring of the phone stopped her. Thinking it could be Jonathan calling from the hospital again with an update, she ran over and grabbed the receiver.

"Jonathan?" She said desperately.

"No, it's me, Hopper," Hopper's gruff voice filled her ears and she glanced at the front door.

"Listen, Hop, I -"

"Joyce, is Will okay?" Hopper interrupted her and his question made her blood run cold.

"Wh-What?" She stammered. "How do you -"

"I can't tell you everything right now but I just learned some things that I think you should know,"

"Hop," Joyce said, her voice trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. "He's in the hospital now. Jonathan and the boys and El are all up there with him. I've gotta go,"

"Damnit," Hopper said under his breath. "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can,"

. . . . . . . .

By the time the adults made it to Clarksville, Will was in surgery and Jonathan and the kids had been escorted to another smaller waiting room deeper in the hospital. The girls and Emma's sister had already come and gone, unable to stay long per their parents' insistence they be home by a certain time. Still, they'd stayed as long as they could to offer their support. Hopper arrived with Becky shortly after Nancy, Karen, and Joyce. He'd figured it would be good to let Becky know what was going on and as soon as she'd heard the news, she'd gotten a neighbor to come keep an eye on Terry so she could leave.

This waiting area was less crowded and there had only been a couple other people in there at first but shortly after the group settled in, the couple had been called back to see their loved one.

A resident named Dr. Sanders had come out at one point just as Will was being rushed into surgery to update them on his situation. Jonathan had been able to vaguely explain some of Will's symptoms and coupled with the tests they'd run, they'd deduced that he had 'parasites' in his stomach that had eaten through the lining of his stomach. They were taking him to surgery but his condition was critical. The doctors hadn't been certain of the type of parasites Will had but most of the people waiting already knew.

"Is he going to be okay?" Joyce had asked desperately, her cheeks stained with tears but her eyes fixed and hyper-alert now.

"It's touch and go, m'am," Dr. Sanders said solemnly. "We're going to do everything we can to save your son but we won't know the extent of the internal damage until we get in there. Our plan is to repair the tear in his stomach and try to prevent further complications but he's lost a lot of blood and the damage appears to be severe,"

"Complications?" Jonathan parroted, worried.

"With any perforation to the stomach, there is the risk of peritonitis - damage to the lining of the abdominal cavity," Dr. Sanders explained. "A tear such as Will's can leak bile, stomach acid, bacteria, and other things into his abdomen that could wreak havoc on his insides and lead to sepsis,"

"Oh god," Karen's hand flew up to her mouth.

"I've gotta get in there now but if you have any additional questions, you can check with the nurse's station," The resident said.

"How long will he be in surgery?" Joyce asked, her voice trembling.

"It's hard to say," Dr. Sanders replied. "But it could last several hours,"

Hopper braced Joyce as she took a few unsteady steps back. "Thank you," He nodded to the doctor as he helped Joyce to one of the cushioned chairs.

An hour went by and everyone was getting antsy. Hopper had taken Joyce outside for a smoke break at one point to update her on what he'd found at the lab.

"Remember those yellow pods we saw in the Upside Down?" He'd asked her as she fumbled with her lighter, a cigarette dangling from her mouth. "The lab's been studying them for weeks now and I just found out what they know," He went on, taking the lighter from Joyce's trembling hands and lighting her cigarette for her. "Apparently that thing you saw was using those pods as some sort of egg sac. The lab's been collecting them and raising the little bastards but that got me thinkin' about how we found Barb when we were lookin' for Will,"

Joyce quietly recalled the grotesque image of the lifeless teen, her skin splotchy and discolored as thick slugs crept from her mouth, leaving a trail of slime in their wake.

"You think the same thing is happening to Will?" Joyce asked, taking a long, shaky drag on her cigarette as she leaned against the brick wall.

"Could be," Hopper said simply. "Remember he had one of those slugs down his throat when we found him,"

"Yeah," Joyce shuddered, not wanting to conjure those memories in her mind. "We all thought he was fine," She shrugged helplessly. "Apparently the boys told Jonathan that he's been vomiting up these slugs for months now," She shook her head in disbelief, a wave of emotion rising in her. "I-I don't understand it. Why didn't he say anything? I had no idea!" Tears flooded her eyes and Hopper captured her in a hug, holding her tightly against his chest as she shook with each sob. "I had no idea," He rubbed her back gently as she whimpered into his shirt.

. . . . . . . .

The waiting room was uncomfortably quiet. Jonathan had left abruptly with Nancy following after him a few minutes later, leaving Mike, Dustin, Lucas, El, Karen, and Becky alone. There was a TV in the corner playing an I Love Lucy rerun and generic landscape artwork decorating the walls. Lucas was reclined back in his chair, staring at the floor ahead with his arms crossed over his chest while Dustin rested his elbows on his knees, holding his face in his hands. Mike's foot bounced anxiously as he stared at the floor and El alternated between watching Mike and stewing in her own guilt and worry. Her memory had been coming back in bits and pieces but it killed her that she hadn't been able to remember what was going on with Will until it was too late. Was it too late? The guilt felt like it was eating her alive. Friends told each other the truth. But if she couldn't remember, was it still wrong? Was is still a betrayal? It was in her mind because she could have kept Will safe. She could have prevented this if only she'd remembered sooner. She hadn't remembered seeing Will in the Upside Down or the yellow pods with dozens of slugs breaking free throughout the grim landscape. She hadn't remembered that there were now a myriad of little monsters growing in the Upside Down, a threat that frightened her but took a backseat to the present danger facing Will.

They could've gotten Will help and avoided whatever dangerous surgery he was undergoing right now. She'd risked everything to save her friends before but this incident made her feel powerless and weak. She could access places and things with her mind that no other person could - why couldn't she have accessed this one piece of information? A tear dripped down her face, soaking into the fabric of her dress.

Hopper and Joyce came back a little while later and after seeing Joyce's broken appearance and checking with Mike, Karen offered to escort Joyce down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. Becky was relatively quiet, rubbing a comforting hand over El's shoulder as Hopper sat down next to her and the group fell into silence once more.

. . . . . . . .

Nancy found Jonathan in a narrow corridor that housed a couple of vending machines. He was stuffing quarters into the machine as she walked up beside him, still clad in her red Valentine's dress and heels.

"Hey," She said quietly, moving to stand against the wall opposite the machines, behind him.

"Hi," Jonathan darted a glance in her direction but never made eye contact, instead returning his attention to the machine. He punched a couple of buttons and watched as the candy bar he was after came closer, then stopped as the silver ring held onto it at the last minute. "Damnit!" He exclaimed and Nancy stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Jonathan…"

"I'm fine!" He said, a little louder than he meant to, and she quickly retracted her hand. "Sorry," He mumbled, then turned back to the machine, banging a hand against the glass in an attempt to dislodge his snack.

"D-Do you wanna talk?" She offered quietly as he proceeded to kick the machine to no avail. He grabbed the sides of it, attempting to shake the candy bar free but when it didn't budge, the fragile structure he'd built up inside him collapsed and he leaned hard into the machine, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Hey, hey," Nancy put her hand on his arm and he avoided her gaze. "It's gonna be okay,"

"You don't know that," Jonathan bit back but his words didn't sting, they only made her more sympathetic. "He's got a freaking monster in his stomach!"

"They're gonna get whatever that thing is out, okay?" She tried to reassure him. "He's in surgery - they're gonna fix it,"

"Yeah? Well what if they can't? What if the damage is done?" Jonathan shot back, tears in his eyes as he did everything he could to keep them from falling. "What if he dies in there because I didn't know something was wrong?!"

"How could you have known?" Nancy said. "No one knew -"

"I should've known!" Jonathan exclaimed, finally making eye contact with her and with such intensity that it took her back for a second. "I'm supposed to look out for him, Nancy! That's how it's always been. Your brother said he didn't even wanna tell them this was going on - they just found out. Will made them promise not to tell anyone but I should've known," His breathing became more haggard and he momentarily refocused his energy, channeling his anger and desperation into the vending machine as he kicked it once more, pounding on it with his fist until all of his energy left him and he slid down to the floor.

"This isn't your fault," Nancy said quietly, tucking her legs under her as she joined him on the linoleum. "You… you can't beat yourself up about it. Believe me, I should know…"

Jonathan shook his head, his hair falling over his face and blocking her view of his eyes. "He's my little brother," He said softly. "We thought we lost him once but this… this is actually happening. What if we really lose him this time?"

Unsure if there was anything she could say that could make things better, Nancy adjusted herself, moving closer to Jonathan so that she could slip a comforting arm around him. He accepted her touch, shifting slightly closer to her as thoughts of Will flooded his mind.

He'd spent Will's entire life being his protector and guardian. When their parents were fighting, when Lonnie was drunk and a bit too aggressive, when Will's heart was in danger of breaking because of Lonnie's rejection and judgment, Jonathan was there picking up the pieces. He made breakfast, he made sure Will was getting his homework done, he talked to him about the bullies at school and the drawings he was working on - everything Joyce couldn't do because she worked herself to the bone just trying to keep a roof over their heads. After the divorce, Lonnie had left them with a mountain of debt that they'd only begun to scrape away before Will's disappearance in the fall. Their little family had been a team and Will their most vulnerable player so of course Jonathan was extra protective of him. Of course he carried the weight and guilt of what was happening on his shoulders because for so long, that had been all he knew.

He hadn't realized he was silently crying until Nancy tentatively grabbed his hand and he looked at her, her face inches away from his.

"I… I don't know what to say," She admitted, her voice barely as whisper as she instinctively rested her head on his shoulder. The action was momentarily jarring for Jonathan who had not expected that level of affection from her and he abruptly turned to face her again. "But I'm here," She said softly, her big blue eyes looking into his with a combination of empathy and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Thanks," He said, his voice scratchy for a second before he cleared his throat.

On a whim, Nancy leaned forward, closing the small gap between them as she left a gentle kiss on his cheek. Rather than react with shock or get wrapped up in his own feelings toward her, he sank back into the metal of the vending machine behind them, letting her lay her head on his shoulder and letting the fleeting warmth of her kiss calm the frenzied storm within him.

. . . . . . . .

Flashback

For all anyone could tell, the treatments at Hawkins National Laboratory were working for Sarah. She experienced periodic nausea and weakness for the first week or so after receiving the medication but her symptoms dissipated more readily and completely than they had during her standard chemotherapy regimen. It would be another week before her next phase of testing and round of medication but the Hoppers were beginning to let themselves be hopeful.

It was a sunny day in the early fall when Jim and Diane took their daughter to the park. She hadn't had the strength to run around in months and they could all use a day of normality to soothe the stress that had built up inside them.

"It's troll's favorite food!" Hopper growled playfully as he chased his daughter across the grassy lawn. It had yet to change colors with the season and was still as bright and green as ever. Diane stood by watching with a smile as the picturesque family she'd been missing came back to life before her eyes.

Sarah bounded away from her father happily, giggling all the while - a sound that brought joy beyond measure to her parents.

"Princess!" Hopper said, picking Sarah up and pretending to eat her stomach like the make-believe troll.

"No, Daddy!" Sarah laughed happily as her father held her in his arms. "No, Daddy. No!"

"Roasted princess with paprika and gravy!" Hopper continued until Sarah suddenly stopped moving, her eyes fixed and terrified.

The world had gone black, if only for a few seconds. She was suddenly alone, her feet were wet, and all around her, there was nothing. She'd been to this place before during her first treatment with the lab. They'd given her medication and the doctors and nurses led her to the back where they helped her change into a wet suit. They'd put a heavy helmet on her head just before lowering her into a large cylinder of water and after a few minutes, she was in this place. This dark, scary place that looked like absolutely nothing. There was no one to talk to, nothing to touch or see or smell.

She'd been resistant at first, especially since her parents hadn't been allowed back with her, but a kind nurse who she'd befriended when she first got to the hospital stayed with her the entire time. She'd walked her up to the tank and promised to be there when she got out. She talked about medicine making her feel better and big girl things like being brave and doing what she was told, even if it was scary. It helped that Sarah had taken swim lessons at a young age and the medication they gave her made her a little calmer, a little sleepier. And with the promise that everything would be okay if she followed what the doctors said, she didn't put up a fight.

Outside of the tank, researchers discussed her condition and treatment, citing the neuroblastoma that had gone unnoticed for months until the swelling in her belly had become more noticeable. They spoke of the mets in her brain that had broken off from the original tumor, putting pressure on various cerebral structures and making them excited at the possibilities for their research. They compared the treatment process to that of 'the girl' who was close in age to Sarah at the time and therefore, a comparable case study.

Sarah began to hyperventilate in her father's arms, whimpering and gasping as the blackness disappeared and the world came back. Hopper stopped his play-acting and he and Diane looked at their daughter with concern.

"Hey," He said gently, trying to assess what was going on as Sarah continued to breath heavily. "You alright?"

"What's going on?" Diane asked, worried as she reached for her daughter.

"Whoa," Hopper said, still alarmed by his daughter's breathing as Diane watched helplessly.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, I don't know," Hopper replied, setting Sarah on the ground so that she could stand, her breaths still coming erratically.

"Hey, you alright?" Hopper asked her again but she didn't reply, instead gazing out past them and wondering if the blackness would come back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," He said as Sarah darted her gaze around anxiously, still panting. "Relax, relax," He tried to get her attention, tried to get her focus on him. "Honey, honey. Honey, just breathe," He said gently and Sarah tried to listen, gradually taking deeper, slower breaths as she realized the world was not changing anymore. She wasn't alone and the darkness had gone away. "Breathe, breathe, breathe," She finally looked at her dad, standing there, comforting her as her mom stood by, still worried. "In, and out," Hopper coached her as he cradled her head gently. "Slow, slow, slow," He modeled a deep inhale for her and Sarah listened and watched, still agitated but gradually calming down. "In and out with me," He went on, breathing deeply and exhaling slowly until her own breathing returned to normal. "In… and out…"

. . . . . . . .

"Come on baby, don't fear the reaper. Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper..."

. . . . . . . .

[A/N: Please review! ^_^]