Over the years nightmares have been a frequent friend in the Hopper house. Chills and a scream lodged in the back of her throat is the only way that Christine Hopper knows how to wake up. Her father tries hard to believe his daughter has a handle on...
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"Maybe you should've gone with them," says Dustin, sitting on the couch with Christine. She frowns over at him. Dustin shrugs, not bothered by her hurt look. "I mean, El can use you as a siphon for energy, right? She might need it."
Chris huffs. "Dust, look at me. I'm barely keeping it together. I don't have much energy to give. I'm better off with all of you here. Besides, you wanna stick around here with Steve?"
Steve, who's sweeping up the broken glass in front of the window, shoots Dustin and Chris a look. Max, Lucas, and Mike are all tidying up the room as well. "I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but turns out I'm actually a pretty damn good babysitter."
"You're not a shitty boyfriend," she mumbles, rolling her eyes.
Mike throws a dustpan toward Dustin. "You gonna help us or what?"
"Chris doesn't have to help!"
"You didn't get attacked by a demogorgon while you were Shadow Walking," she defends, narrowing her eyes at the boy. He rises to his feet, helping Lucas sweep up the rug.
Max tucks some hair behind her ears as she folds up a blanket. She looks at Chris. "I thought you couldn't get hurt when you Shadow Walked?"
Steve sighs heavily, frowning. He throws his dirty towel into the kitchen sink in annoyance. He does not like the idea of Chris getting hurt in her Shadow Walking endeavors. She is not invincible.
Looking down at her hands in her lap, Chris shakes her head. She sniffs, blinking back the pain behind her eyes. She feels better than she has all week. She isn't overheating, she can feel herself regaining some strength, but that doesn't mean something else isn't wrong. She's been hurt in the Void and in the Upside Down now. "I don't...I don't know."
Dustin has wrapped up the demo-dog in a blanket, dragging it toward the kitchen. The others watch him in disbelief. Steve walks over to him, standing by the monster.
"What...what are you doing?" wonders Steve.
Dustin clears out the Byers' fridge, tossing things out of the way. "All right. It should fit now."
"Is this really necessary?" asks Steve, staring down at the dead creature.
"Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can't just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It's not a dog."
Rolling his eyes, Steve helps Dustin bring the dog inside the fridge. "All right, all right, all right. But you're explaining this to Mrs. Byers, all right? Christ. Help me out."
Chris, Lucas, and Max stare at Mike as he paces back and forth in the living room. Max collects the rest of the glass, throwing it in the trash.
"Mike, would you just stop already?" mutters Lucas.
