After the war

Chapter 29 : The failure

Inside the Byers' house, three families were reunited. After the bomb exploded in the Hawkins center, Joyce told Mike and Dustin to take their families here to be sure they wouldn't be hurt or killed. She was aware Will wouldn't be happy about the situation, but he didn't say anything. In fact, he was spending most of his time in his bedroom, hunched up under his blanket. Joyce tried everything to make him move or just to see him smile, but he was sealed to any form of emotion currently. He was just empty. Joyce made sure to hide the entire situation in Hawkins to Will, especially what happened with Lucas, worried it could affect him too much. No one knew where he was and if he was still alive, but it could upset Will again and she didn't want that. He needed to heal, far from all this mess.

As she couldn't use Will's bedroom anymore, Joyce and Jonathan were sleeping in the living-room, using the couch and a mattress, Dustin and his mother were in Jonathan's bedroom, using his bed, and Mike, Holly, and Karen in Joyce's bedroom, Holly and Mike in the bed and Karen sleeping on a cot. It was something they had had to do for three years during the war when different neighborhood lost power and access to heating; Joyce didn't hesitate to welcome them, knowing in those moments they had to keep their humanity not to finish like some others, turning their backs to everyone and keeping their food and other products for themselves only. She never blamed them; those people had families too to take care of, but seeing one of them beating a child to death because they stole a corn was driving her crazy. It had been a very dark period for everyone.

In the living-room, Mike and Dustin were playing with Holly to reassure the young girl and make her think of something else than the real situation while Karen and Claudia, Dustin's mother, were sitting at the kitchen table, listening carefully to the radio.

- "How are the news?" Joyce asked, joining them.

- "Bad. I don't know how they're gonna end this," Claudia answered.

- "Still no news about Hopper?" Karen said.

Joyce sighed and shook her head to say no. It had been two weeks now that he left to take care of the riots, and she had no idea where he was and if he was still alive.

- "I'm sure he's fine," Claudia added, seeing Joyce's worried expression. "He probably doesn't have a second to himself."

- "Yeah, probably."

Joyce wore her facade smile to reassure them, knowing they had other things to worry about right now.

Mike let Holly with Dustin to go to the kitchen, filling a plate with some food and taking a glass of water before walking in the corridor and knocking at Will's door. He said it was him to not scare Will before slowly opening the door and entering. The first thing that hit Mike was the stuffy odor. The atmosphere was dusty, and the light of the sun was struggling to go through the closed curtain. Mike could barely see where he was going, so he followed his instinct until he reached Will's bed.

Will was turning his back to him, looking at his wall like if it was the most fascinating painting of the world. Mike placed the plate and the glass on his nightstand before clumsily clearing his throat to catch Will's attention.

- "Um...hey."

- "What do you want?" Will sharply asked.

- "I brought you some food and some water. Are you...are you okay?"

The only answer he had was a sharp exhalation.

- "I'm wondering if Lucas is dead or not," Will finally said.

Mike frowned. He was sure Joyce told him that Will didn't know about that, but he probably heard it in a way or another. The walls were not thick, the sound of the radio could easily reach his ears.