Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter nine: never mine to lose
╚══════✮❁•°♛°•❁✮══════╝
SERENITY SAT, HER heart racing against her chest both from adrenaline and from being on Steve's lap. Hopper's police cruiser was stuck in a tense silence as they drove further and further away from Hawkins Lab, leaving all of the Demogorgons behind. Serenity, Steve, and the kids didn't tell Hopper what they had been doing for the past couple of hours, and Hopper didn't tell them why he was at Hawkins Lab or why he was wearing scrubs.
Basically, nobody had any idea what was going on. Pretty normal for them, actually.
Her arms hooked around Steve's neck, Serenity tried to ignore the throbbing from her lower leg. Max's green hoodie was completely ruined at this point, stained with all of the blood. She also felt a little lightheaded from the blood loss. Wherever they were going, she definitely needed some water and a little food. Her eyes were trained on Jonathan's car in front of them. God, she hoped Will and Mike were in that car.
Finally, after about ten minutes of driving, they finally arrived back to the Byers' house. Hopper parked the car, and without saying a word to them, he got out and walked over to Jonathan's car. Serenity shared a glance with Steve.
Steve picked up Serenity in his arms, holding her legs in one and her waist in the other. He slid them both out of the car. Lucas pushed the seat forwards and him, Dustin, and Max all got out as well, Max still holding Steve's bat.
Serenity looked over, her eyebrows knitting in concern. Joyce looked positively shattered, also wearing hospital scrubs. Hopper took her shoulders in her hands and gently steered her inside. She had never really seen her look so numb, not since Will had been kidnapped to the Upside Down and everyone thought she was crazy because she kept insisting that she was talking to Will through the lights. Serenity wondered what made her become like that.
And the next thing made her eyes widen and her heart stop.
Jonathan had been leaning in the backseat of his car. When he straightened up, he was holding a small, frail body in his arms that was wearing a hospital gown. Will. He looked just as delicate as he did that night in the hospital when he had been rescued from the Upside Down. Serenity watched him carry Will into the house, Nancy trailing behind him.
Mike also got out of the car. He seemed to be frozen in place, just staring blankly at the house. Serenity frowned. She knew the telltale signs of when Mike Wheeler wasn't fine. He hadn't been okay for a while, not since Eleven disappeared, but he seemed even worse.
