You Frustrate Me Incredibly

"Without you"

I sit at the bench in silence. It's a low-key spot. It has to be cause there are a dozen of people just outside the hospital protesting or shit. Fucking assholes. Why can't people mind their own fucking business?

My stitches still hurt. I was discharged, myself, only a couple of days ago. I'm gonna have some serious scars from this. Not that I didn't already have, they just weren't all that visible.

I have headphones on. Since mine got drenched back at Lover's lake Robin lent me hers. She told me to keep them, but I don't want to. I know she wants to make me feel better, but I can't take that. I can't bare how the guys act around me. Like they're apologizing each time they look at me. It's not their fault. It's none of our fault. At least as far as we know it's over. But I'm not really bound to get my hopes up.

I see Robin with Steve and Dustin in the distance and I get to my feet. I grab the flowers I got for Max...and the letter.
I can already see the sympathy in their faces.

"Hey", Steve says with a small sympathetic smile. Stop giving me that look. All of them.

"Hey", I say as casually as I can

"You didn't go in yet?", Robin asks

"No, I uh, I wanted to wait for you guys", I lie. Truth is I couldn't bring myself to go in alone. It's the first time I'm visiting after I was released from the hospital.

"Let's go then", Steve says and steps forward. I hate how they look at me. How they act around me now. Like it's over. Like I'm never going to... Like I lost...

Dustin shoots his eyes at me. I know he can tell what I'm thinking about. He places his hand on my shoulder and looks at me with sorrow in his eyes. Hidden sorrow. I nod. Don't know why. I just wanna get out of it. I step forward shrugging his hand off and head in the hospital.

"HEY, FREAK!", I hear some asshole yell at me "WHERE'S YOUR ACCOMPLICE, UH?!", they yell again

I feel my blood flowing through my veins faster. The rage forms on my face as I tighten my fists feeling my nails dig into my palms.

"Ignore them, Y/N", Steve says grabbing my shoulder and lightly pushing me in the building

As we step in Steve and Robin go to the counter to register our visit and Dustin and I sit down.

I look around. The hospital is busy. There were so many victims after the incident. People think it was an earthquake. It did seem like one. I mean, at least it didn't esculent. From what Nancy had described it could've been a lot worse if they hadn't killed him. Some FBI agents covered the whole thing on the news. I think they may know what actually happened. Or at least part of it. Good thing is that the police is not after us anymore. The case is officially off their hands. He doesn't have to run anymore.

"Com' on, they're taking us in", I hear Steve and lift my head snapping out of my thoughts

I get up and follow the nurse that's leading us to the room.

As we pass through the halls I briefly look into the rooms. I recognise some people. Kids from school. People that I notice just walking on the street. So many people. It's nice to know that we're at least not completely alone in this. Although, I'd prefer it if we weren't in this in the first place.

"Here", the nurse says stopping in front of one of the doors "The other room is right over there", she points at a room a little further away "I'll be here if there's any issue", she says and goes off letting us go in the room.

We all step in. I see Lucas and Eleven who came here earlier. I don't know her all that well, but I know she cared for Max. They're sitting by the bed with Max.