it's the end of the world as we know it.

19. frankie almost gets eaten

They arrive at the hospital as it grows dark, and the group quickly files into the building. Nancy glances cautiously at the secretary, who was on the phone as they walked in, and grimacing, Nancy tried to brush the group right past her. Unfortunately, they were not fast enough.

"Woah, woah, woah! Excuse me!" The secretary exclaimed, and they all froze. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, um, I was just going to visit my grandma again." Nancy plastered on a fake smile. She glanced among the group. "And... this is... my family."

The lady raised an eyebrow at Lucas, who matched her own appearance. Lucas grinned at her. "Extended."

"I don't care who they are. You know the rules, two visitors at a time."

"Yeah, but -"

"Two!" The lady exclaimed, pointing at Nancy. She shook her head and turned back to the phone. "Girl, this child has lost her mind. She brought a whole zoo in here."

Nancy glanced between Frankie and Jonathan, chewing on her lip as she tried to work out a plan quickly. "For the sake of her, I'm letting you two go and saying you haven't gotten a chance to visit her yet. Get some tests for me, bring everything back that looks remotely suspicious."

Frankie and Jonathan glanced at each other before nodding and heading to the elevator, stepping inside. Frankie exhaled nervously, barely casting a glance at Jonathan. "So. Nancy... and yesterday..."

Jonathan grimaced. "Frankie..."

"I just, I don't know. I kind of thought you actually wanted to see me." Frankie scoffed lightly.

"I do, really." Jonathan protested, turning to face Frankie now. "I'm sorry, I -"

Their conversation was cut off as the elevator door slides open, and they step out onto the floor. Frankie glanced around the dark hallway as they walked, and he felt uneasy. "What room did Nancy say hers was?"

"It should have her name on it, right?" Jonathan questioned. As they walked down the hall, they noticed a clipboard on the floor with papers scattered around it. They glanced at each other uneasily and continued to the room labeled as "Driscoll."

Frankie pushed the door open, first noticing the wilting flowers on the bedside table, then the empty bed. "Uh... shouldn't the bed have the old lady?"

"Are we sure this is the right room?" Jonathan asked, and Frankie noticed the flickering lights beside his head.

Swallowing thickly, he glanced at Jonathan. "I definitely think this is the right room."

"She's gone home." A voice spoke, and a man walked around the corner, whom based on descriptions Frankie's heard all summer, he could guess was Jonathan and Nancy's boss, Tom. "We were hoping you might come back."

"We?" Frankie murmurs, as Jonathan says, "Whose blood is that?"

They back into the room further as Tom walks in, and he started to get too close for Frankie's comfort. Frankie stepped closer to Jonathan, and suddenly, Jonathan reached for the flower vase, smashing into the side of Tom's head.

"Go!" He exclaimed, grasping for Frankie's hand, and running out of the room. They slid to a stop in the hallway when they ran into another one of the Hawkins Post staff. He reached toward his head where Jonathan had just smashed Tom.

"Owie." He said blankly.

"Bruce," Jonathan breathes, and Bruce stepped forward. Eyes widening, Jonathan turns with Frankie, and they run down the hallway. They run down the stairwell, Frankie grimacing as he tried not to fall.