𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 || eddie munson

CHAPTER NINE

november 14th, 1983

it was cold, then it wasn't.

that's all june remembered. he had a vague recollection of waking up, in the upside down, and leaving. he left will. that was the first thing he remembered.

his eyes fluttered open. bright hospital lights pierced his eyes. he closed them and groaned.

"will?" he said softly. he sat up. his entire body flared with pain. he winced. "will?" he repeated.

"oh my god, june!"

he blinked, turning his head. a hand grasped his. he held it back. "uncle jim?" he whispered. he opened his eyes fully, looking up at his uncle. despite the pain, he used all his strength to pull hopper in for a hug.

hopper didn't say anything, neither did june. they both sat there, crying, holding each other. june's heart was pounding. he felt warm.

he pushed one of the blankets off of his body, only to be met with three more blankets and a hospital blanket, all of which he pushed off his body.

"sorry, i.. you felt cold, thought you needed it,"

june looked around. "where am i?" he asked. it looked like the hospital, but the lights were so bright he had trouble seeing.

"the hospital, kid," hopper said, squeezing june's hand. june squeezed back.

"where's will?" he asked.

hopper sighed and june feared for the worst. "other room over," june let out a breath of relief. "he just woke up, we can see him later," hopper offered.

"is he okay?" june asked.

hopper chuckled, running his thumb over june's knuckles. "same shape as you, june. how are you feeling? are you hungry?"

june's stomach growled painfully when hopper spoke. he nodded. "I'll ask someone to get you something to eat," hopper said.

june nodded and sat up. it was painful, but he feared if he laid down he might throw up. he felt tubes move with him when he did.

a nurse knocked on the door, scaring the daylights out of june. "jim hopper? you've got a visitor,"  hopper made a face before looking at june.

"go, mr popular," june laughed.

"are you sure?" hopper asked, squeezing june's hand again.

hopper nodded and got up, kissing june's forehead. "I'll send the kids up with food, maybe talk about getting you and will in the same room," hopper said softly. june nodded and watched his uncle leave the room.

june sighed softly. he was alone, again, but the loneliness wasn't accompanied by fear. he felt safe, for the first time in a while.

15 minutes later, jonathan was up in june's room with what june could only assume was one of everything in the vending machine.

june was met with a big hug and then an armful of food in his lap.

"chief gave me a $20, so... figured i shouldn't waste his money," jonathan chuckled.

june grabbed a diet coke and opened it, taking a large drink. he then reached for a bag of skittles. "of course not! now," he popped two skittles into his mouth. "what have i missed?"

jonathan laughed. "nothing really... spent the entire week with nancy wheeler, can you believe it?"

june's eyes widened. "oh? do i sense romance?" he asked.

jonathan went red, which told june everything he needed to know. "what? of course not, she's nancy wheeler," he said. "plus, she's still with steve harrington,"