Recovery - Steddie ♡

Chapter Twenty Six

"Are you sure about this, Max? It might be very uncomfortable." El sat down in front of her best friend, a worried expression on her face. They were sat on the rug in the cabin living room. The girls had wanted to do it in Max's room but Steve and Eddie insisted they did it where they could keep an eye on them in case anything happened.

"I'm sure, El! I need to remember everyone! It's like Vecna erased the only good people in my life. I hate that the only people I remembered when I woke up were my shitty ass familly!"

"Okay, but if it starts to get too uncomfortable you tell me and I will stop, okay?"

"Okay!"

Steve walked into the the room with the radio from the master bedroom. He was worried about El going back into Max's mind but Eddie had just spent the past hour reassuring him. They would be watching the girls from the kitchen. He set the radio up and switched it on, turning it to a channel that was just static. He and El shared a look before he nodded and went to join his boyfriend at the kitchen island.

"It will be okay, pretty boy. From the moment I met Max I knew she was one of the strongest people I would ever meet. El won't hurt her either." Eddie said, taking Steves hand in his and giving it a kiss.

The two sat in silence as they watched El wrap a blindfold around her head. Steve was used this but Eddie had never seen El do anything apart from levitate Dustin.

"Okay Max, just relax and close your eyes. Remember, if it gets too much tell me and we will stop." El said as she took both Max's hands in hers and started to concentrate on entering her mind.

Max closed her eyes and waited, wondering what was going to happen. Suddenly she felt a dull ache in her head and she winced.  That must be El, she thought.

Meanwhile Eleven found herself in a dark, empty space with water coming up to her ankles. She took a moment to calm herself before she looked around to see if there was anything. To her left she noticed a big, red door. El looked around to see if there were any other doors but this seemed to be the only one so she made her way slowly towards it. She went to grab the handle but it disappeared into thin air leaving her with no way to open the door. Or so she thought.

"Max, I need you to trust me. You need to let me open the red door." She spoke softly, giving her best friends hand a small squeeze.

She looked back at where the door handle should be and sighed with relief when she saw it had reappeared. El wrapped her hand round it and twisted, a small smile appearing on her face as she heard a small click. She pushed the door open and entered into a bright, white hallway lined with many doors of all different colours. As the end of the hallway was another red door but this one had chains nailed across it.
El walked towards the first door on the right side. It was a bold blue colour with two white stripes painted across the middle. She put her ear to the door and listened to see if she could hear anything that might give her a clue as to what was inside. After hearing nothing she was about to move away when she heard a muffled voice inside. She pressed her ear back to the door and concentrated on the voice. After a few seconds the voice became clearer and she smiled when she realised who it was.

"Steve. I found Steve."

Eddie slapped his hand over Steves mouth before his boyfriend could yell out in excitement. He chuckled silentely and shook his head, taking his hand away when he was sure the man wouldn't make a noise. Steve gave him a sheepish look before smiling to himself and looking back at the girls.

"I think all these doors have a certain person and all your memories of them inside. A different colour to represent each person."

Max winced as the pressure in her head became a bit less bearable. She wasn't going to give up though. "So we just have to open each door?"