In My Blood

Episode 17 - The Plan

"It's not like it was before," my father sighed as we all surrounded the table once more. Joyce sat in front of him while the rest of us stood, most with arms crossed against their chests or their hands in their pockets. "It's grown... a lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there- the place is crawling with those dogs." Dustin's head turned sharply to look back at the man behind him.

"Demo-dogs," he corrected quickly. The eldest Hopper's eyes flicked down at the curly-headed boy, who at this point, wasn't phased by the weird looks at the name he had created.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, uh... Demo-dogs," Dustin said simply. "Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass-"

"How is this important right now?" my dad questioned him, his voice raised in annoyance.

"It's not, I'm sorry," Dustin admitted, turning back to face the table.

"We can do it," Eleven piped up, her hand clutching mine just under the table out of everyone's view. I looked down at my younger sister, who had a determined expression on her face as she stared at my father. He sighed, moving his arms to cross them against his own chest.

"You're not hearing me..."

"I'm hearing you," she told him with a nod. "I can do it. Rachel can do it."

"Even if they can, there's still another problem," Mike continued on, but I was stuck the moment my eyes connected with my father. His lips had slightly parted almost in betrayal once Eleven had explained who 'we' meant. I didn't understand exactly why, but my stomach fell at how his brows furrowed in grief and his stare had a heaviness to it. "If the brain died, the body dies."

"I thought that was the whole point," Max interjected. My father broke eye contact first, glancing down as he bit his bottom lip. Something didn't feel right.

"It is," Mike agreed, "but if we're really right about this- I mean, if El and Rachel close the gate and kill the mind flayer's army..."

"Will's a part of that army," Lucas realized quietly. I returned my gaze to the center of the conversation, still irked by what had just happened. El gave my hand a squeeze, and I knew she saw the change in our demeanors. I gave a squeeze back, not wanting her to have to worry about my problem before we'd go back into the fight.

"Closing the gate will kill him," Mike continued, and there was no response to that. How could there be one so quickly? Even with everything on the line, the lives already lost... Will couldn't be sacrificed. No, wouldn't. From the brief moments I had known the young boy, I would never be able to live with myself if I killed him.

Suddenly, Joyce's head jerked up as she stopped staring at her hands, and I flinched as she quickly evacuated her chair and left the kitchen. My father was quick to follow her out the room, Jonathan next as the rest of us hurried behind. I struggled to take in the pieces of paper taped to the walls of the hallway as we were led to Will's bedroom, blue tunnels drawn furiously by hand that connected and looped around each other. Will laid in his bed like a statue, his arms by his side pin-straight. Dustin gave a shiver, and I noticed the open window covered by a thin sheet that was blowing from the harsh November wind.