Raising Hel | a Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 22

Timeline check: sets during ST4 episode 9, on Thrusday 27th of March 1986, following right after chapter 21.

_

Dustin relaxes as the feedback dies off and takes a moment to look around. He pokes at a Demobat with the tip of his shoe, it wobbles lifelessly. He hopes this means Steve, Nancy and Robin got rid of Vecna. Then he turns back to Eddie and crouches to help him to sit. His friend gives him a weak smile. He looks in pain, a large part of his face is bloody, it seems his cheek and his earlobe were bitten off. The garment of his vest swells out from big tears in the fabric, the sleeves of his leather jacket are shredded but Dustin doesn't see too much blood coming from the upper part of his body. His legs are another story...

Eddie too stares at the gruesome mess of his thighs before meeting Dustin's eyes. The younger lacks of anything to say for once. His brain is firing a ton of thought all at once.

– Doesn't look so good, does it, croaks Eddie.

– Don't worry, we just need to get you to a hospital.

Dustin grabs him by the shoulders to pull him up.

– I don't think I can walk, man...

– Okay. It's okay. We... We'll just wait for the others. Steve can carry you.

– Finally, the moment I've been waiting for!

They both let out a laugh that turns into a grunt of pain for Eddie. He holds onto Dustin's arms and looks right at him.

– I didn't run this time.

Eddie gives him a bloodied smile, Dustin feels his eyes watering.

– No, you didn't.

– Though I was a goner, man. Thank you for coming back!

– You would have done the same. Now just ... just stay put, we're gonna get you out of here.

Eddie nods, winces in pain as he tries to settle more comfortably. Dustin looks around, desperate to see anyone coming. His brain is blank, he can't figure out what to do. There's so much blood everywhere! Eddie spits some, then lets out a moan. He looks like he's about to pass out, which only freaks out Dustin more. But his friend focuses back on him and smiles weakly.

– I love you, man.

Dustin chokes out a sob. They both grip on each other's jackets.

– I love you too, he mumbles. You're gonna be alright. We'll get you home and in a few days, we'll be making an insane campaign out of this.

Eddie makes a weird noise that might have been a laugh drowned in blood. Dustin holds on tighter to his vest.

*

Hellen sprints up the lane, only slowing down when she sees the boys. Eddie's eyes widen. She lifts her hand to her mouth. It feels like she's going through that gate again, like everything is shifting upside down. So much blood...

She drops to her knees next to Eddie but something switches inside her and the training kicks in. She pulls at her bandana, untangles the two t-shirts that used to be her Leia buns and throws one at Dustin, instructing him to press it on the gaping wound on Eddie's face. Meanwhile, she fumbles to make a tourniquet with the bandana, tying it around his right thigh. She empties her pocket to frantically search through the bits and pieces she kept from the repairs of the crane. She finds a long bolt and a rubber band, which should do. She sticks both under the bandana and she starts turning the bolt to tighten the tourniquet. Her hands are shaky, her arms weak and the bolt slips out of her fingers. Her eyes get watery, she silently urges herself to pull it together.

– Let me, says Dustin as he takes the bolt and imitates her. Just tell me when to stop.

Hellen starts having doubts, but she remembers her med school roommate telling her it's better too tight than not enough so she lets the boy make two more turns even though the bleeding seems to have stopped. She helps him secure the bolt with the rubber band so it won't spin back then sits on her heels and searches for Eddie's eyes. She bits her lips but there's no stopping the flows of tears that flee her eyes.

*

No amount of pain would stop Eddie from hugging back Hellen as she jumps at his neck. She cries with her face buried in his neck, he wraps the arm that hurts the less around her waist. He knows she won't say anything, but he likes to imagine she's thinking about how good it is to see him alive, how she thought she'd lost him for good this time, how she's never leaving him again ... how much she loves him.

He catches a glimpse of Dustin's smile. He still feels dizzy and sick from the pain and probably the blood loss too, but at the same time, there's all this relief and love and pride! He's so proud of both of them, and of himself. Part of him thinks they're unbeatable. The other, that he's going to collapse in a few seconds and never get up.

A bell tolls from afar, followed by a tremor that lasts longer than anything Eddie experienced here. The three of them hold on to each other. The atmosphere turns heavy and red, a low rumble rises from not too far from them. He watches with horror as the ground splits open and swallows a trailer a few feet away from them. The crevasse keeps growing out of his sight, unbothered by any obstacle it encounters.

When the quakes finally stop, a heavy silence falls onto them. Hellen dries hers face with her sleeve and stares back at Eddie. She's terrified, trembling. He puts it on the loss of blood, the fear and the adrenaline but he wants to kiss her. Dustin's next word takes the urge off his mind as quickly as it came:

– Max!