Halley's comet | Steve Harrington

xxix. welcome home

"𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄."

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

The room was an agonizing white. And Quiet. God, it was so fucking quiet. Halley hated it. The wait. The silence. The fear that he wouldn't wake up.

She was sandwiched between her mom and brother, each of them with too much tension, too much stress: explosion on impact.

Small was a word people often used to describe Will. He was, afterall. A scrawny kid, meek as all hell. Halley had never seen him that way until that moment. Hooked up to medical machines, an oxygen tube taped to his nose. Brown hair stamped on her forehead like a pressed flower.

Her body was numb. It was like she was experiencing everything through different eyes; looking in on something she wasn't welcome. To be completely honest: she didn't want to be there.

Obviously she wanted to be around for Will, but the entire environment made her itch. She wanted out. She wanted all of them out.

Machines buzzed and beeped around them. Joyce jolted at every manicured noise. The rhythm of it all, like a song Halley wanted to turn off.

Jonathan was falling asleep beside her. He would never admit it, but she could see the way his eyes begged the rest of his body to let them fall. She had half a mind to tell him to rest. But the other half knew he would never listen. The same way she hadn't when their mother had told her the same thing.

So caught up in thought, Halley almost missed the twitch of Will's nose, and the slow opening of his eyes. Joyce's face sprung with emotion, a smile so wide it hurt Halley's cheeks, spread wide across the older woman's lips.

"Hey," she said. Her voice barely above a whisper as she reached forward toward him. Halley could barely force her lips to move, let alone utter a word. "Hi sweetheart."

The sheer desperation was both heartwarming and breaking.

Will's cracked lips wavered, slowly parted as he spoke in a cracked voice. "Where... where am I?"

Still with her bright smile, Joyce turned to Jonathan and Halley with tears in her eyes for a moment. The teens were at Will's side, holding his hand.

"Home." Halley breathed. "You're home now, kiddo."

"You're safe." Jonathan added, and Halley turned to see a tear drop from his eye. She squeezed his hand.

Will took a breathe, his eyes squinting slightly. "Halley? Jonathan?" he whispered. He looked worried; as if the mention of their names would whisk them away like an unspoken mirage. But they stayed right there. Right. There.

"Yeah, Buddy, it's us," Jonathan sighed, his breath catching for a second before continuing, "we missed you," Halley nodded, feeling her tears start to fall, "we really missed you."

A moment passed, and Will's eyes fell down to the matching bandages on Halley and Jonathan's hands. "Are you okay?" he asked, trying to lean forward.

Putting her hand up, Halley nodded. "This? Just a little accident, it's all good." she nudged his shoulder gently, "you're worried about us?" she teased, laughing slightly.

With Will still occupied with Halley and Joyce, Jonathan leaned over, bringing a small box into view. "We, uh, we brought you some stuff," he looked at the things in his hand, "so you don't get bored." he grabbed a small rectangle out first. "So, I made you a new mixtape. There's some stuff on there I think you really might like." Will smiled, something Halley hadn't realized how much she missed until she saw it again.

"Your friends are outside," Joyce said quietly, her fingers still brushing through Will's tangled hair. He smiled, trying to push himself up, but Joyce was quick to stop him. "Oh no, you stay here, Halley'll bring them in."

The girl in question nodded; not exactly happy to be leaving Will, but knowing he would be safe with their mom. "Yeah,  just give me a sec'." she patted his leg, before getting up. Her legs were filled with the static of pins and needles from being in the hospital chair so long, but she pretended not to notice.

Everyone was in the waiting room. Dustin and Lucas were asleep on each other, while everyone else was in a strange slump. Halley met Steve's eyes through the windows before she even went through the door. He looked bad, aside from the damage Jonathan had caused, his eyes were sunken, and the air of superiority he carried with him everywhere, was nowhere to be found.

He smiled at her, a small curl of quivering lips, but it was a wrecking ball through a wall that had built up between them. A truce.

The door was almost silent as she pushed it open, but Mike's head whipped toward her with eyes wide in anticipation. She nodded, her own gaze flickering down to the two sleeping boys, of whom Mike quickly shook awake.

"Guys, guys," Mike said, rigorously shoving at his friends, "he's up, Will's up. Come on." Within seconds the words had processed, and the two jumped from their seats and tore after Mike as he ran past Halley.

Nancy stopped her before she could follow them. She let the door close, giving them an ounce of privacy from the others.

"Are you doing okay?" she asked, putting her hand on Halley's shoulder. "And I mean honestly."

With a shuddering breath, Halley shrugged. And it was the truth. She didn't know. With everything that had happened, there was no way she could put a finger on what she was feeling, let along if she was okay.

"It's a lot, you know?" she finally said, not meeting Nancy's eyes. Even without looking at her, Halley could tell that she was nodding. "I'm glad he's back..." she wanted to say something about Barb; apologize, maybe, but how would she even start?

"Yeah. Me too." Nancy said, wrapping her arms around the older girl. She knew. And Halley wasn't sure who the hug was more for. But she relished it nonetheless.

Wiping at her eyes, Halley broke away, sparing a glance through the window again. "I might have to take back what I said before," she said, turning back to Nancy, the ghost of a grin beginning to stretch her lips. "Steve may not be your worst choice."

Nancy laughed. Not loudly or outrageously, but after the shitshow of a day they had just had, Halley felt it thunder around her.

"I'm glad I have your approval." Nancy shoves at her shoulder. "You should get back there, before Mike figures out a way to break your brother out."

She nodded. A smile threatening her lips. Nancy was right. Mike would try to get Will out as soon as possible. "I better go stop him from sneaking out the window, then." She started walking, but realizing Nancy was still waiting by the door, she turned around. "Aren't you coming?" Taken aback by the offer she didn't respond for a moment, then, with a small smile on her lips she nodded.

The two set off down the hall; the boys' voices were bouncing off each wall and it was almost too easy to find the right hospital room.

They were talking about El. But in past tense. Halley wasn't able to pick up everything the boys were saying; their mouths were moving a mile a minute and her brain was fried from the day she had had. Something had happened when she, Jonathan, and Nancy had gone back to her house. Something bad.

El was gone.