Casey Hopper has lived an interesting life, yet she never had any real complaints. Growing up without a mother and being raised by her single father until he meets someone new. Casey is forced to leave her home of Hawkins and her best friend Steve H...
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RED AND BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS REFLECTED off Casey's eyes as she sat in the back of an ambulance. Her gaze was set forward with a glazed expression, lost in the maze of her thoughts and her heart heavy in her chest. An EMT was in the middle of checking her ribs, pressing his fingers to the bone. She flinched as a sharp pain shot through her and the man apologized but didn't stop.
"Casey?" The teen perked up hearing her name be yelled from somewhere in the parking lot, "Casey!"
Her voice cracked, "Dad?" She stands to her feet.
"Miss, I'm not finished evaluating you."
The man tries to tug her back to sit, but she yanks her arm from his grasp, "Dad!" Pushing through a crowd of emergency services was her dad. A relieved chuckle brushed past her lips seeing him in one piece. She would admit when he didn't show up with the rest of them, she thought the worst thing imaginable. She also thought it wasn't all that fair that he looked in better shape than she did.
"Casey, oh my god..." Her father ran up and gently cupped her face, scanning her face worriedly. She stared back up at him with doe eyes and despite the kind of pain she was in threw her arms around him. Tears welled in her eyes, yet nothing spilled over. A wide range of emotions ran through her, she couldn't make sense of it all. What she did know for certain was her dad was okay, so everything else would be too.
The side of his face rested against the top of her head, and he held her gently like he knew her injuries. He didn't ask what happened and she was thankful for that. The teen didn't want to talk about the previous events in the middle school. She didn't want to relive those memories. Not yet at least. Instead, her head popped up from his chest and she asked, "Did you find Will?"
Hopper sighed with a nod. "Yeah, yeah, we found him. He's at the hospital with Joyce and Jonathan. We'll head there after you're all square here." He turns to the EMT, "How is she?"
The man looked irritated because she insisted on not listening to direction, however replied professionally, "Bruised ribs. Nothing's broken and no concussion, thankfully." He directs his attention to her, "Take it easy for a few days. Ibuprofen for any discomfort."
She nodded and said a small thank you of appreciation before he walked away. Hopper tilted his head down to her, "Let's get out of here." She said no words of protest.
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Hopper and Casey walked into a full waiting room. Dustin, and Lucas were asleep on each other. Mike was wide awake. Nancy and her parents were there. And much to Casey's surprise, Steve. Face bruised from the fight earlier that day. The boy stood from his seat the moment he laid eyes on her and a small smile reached her lips, but it quickly faded. She hobbled toward him to meet in the middle and smacked her hand to his shoulder.
