Serve & Protect

Chapter 16- Munson Trailer

You awoke to the pungent smell of hospital disinfectant. Slowly you opened your eyes, squinting in attempt to sharpen the blurred images before you.

Yep, you were definitely in a hospital. How long had you been here?

You closed your eyes, trying to remember what had happened that ended up with you in a hospital bed before it suddenly hit you.

Russians.

The machine.

Gunshot.

Hopper.

No.

He was dead. Hopper had died saving your life. That Russian was about to shoot you again, but Hopper stopped him. He saved your life... he saved the entire world.

You blinked your eyes open again not caring about the silent tears already trickling down your cheeks as you thought back to Hopper's face when you turned the key.

The ceiling above you was illuminated with a white, fluorescent light that had no right to be as bright as it was. The rest of the room was empty. You were literally in your own hospital room and there was no way your deputy wage could afford this.

Suddenly, the door across the room opened and you had to do a double take when you saw who stepped inside.

Doctor Sam Owens.

"Hey there, Deputy." He smiled softly walking towards you. "Good to see you awake."

"Where am I?" You asked cautiously.

The last time you saw Doctor Owens was back in Hawkins lab where all the Demo-dogs were and now he just suddenly shows up?

"Hawkins Hospital. You're safe."

That was not as reassuring as he probably thought it was and he must have noticed the look on your face because he continued to speak.

"I am so sorry for everything you went through at Starcourt... for everything you lost-"

"Why are you here?" You asked cutting him off because he was here for a reason. Owens wouldn't just show up out of the kindness of his own heart. He wanted something.

"To get you to sign this disclosure agreement." He sighed, pulling out a manilla folder from the inside of his jacket.

"Huh?"

"We can't have the public finding out about the real reason Starcourt Mall was shut down. The story is, there was a fire. You and Hopper happened to drive by when it started and went in to help. You saved the kids, and the Chief died heroically in the fire."

"How does a fire explain a gunshot wound?" You asked motioning towards your midsection that was covered with a blanket.

You could feel the pull of stitches every time you tried to move along with the tight bandage that was wrapped around your stomach.

"The arsonist was still onsite when you arrived. He shot you, and you shot him. His body disintegrated in the fire, no evidence." Owens easily explained before he handed the papers over to you. "I'll give you a minute to read through the story and then just sign at the bottom of each page for me. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Do you have a pen?"

He nodded pulling a pen from his pocket and giving it to you before you gingerly sat yourself up in bed before scribbling your signature at the bottom of each page without reading a single thing.

Hopper was dead. You didn't give a shit about anything else. Who cared what the papers said?

Owens didn't comment on your choice to not read them and simply took the papers once you finished before he left you sitting alone in the hospital room with nothing but your thoughts.