You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man

chapter thirteen

"Will? Will!" I look at Joyce who's running towards Will.

They take Will and Hopper to an ambulance, Bob and Joyce running to the car. Mike and I follow as we sit down in the back.

My hands start shaking as I look at Mike. This isn't real. This isn't real. Will's fine. Everything's fine. Everything is not fine. Will's hurt, Hopper's hurt. Everything is ruined.

We run into the hospital to see Will sobbing with an oxygen mask on his face.

"Hold on, sweetie!" Joyce yells as Will screams in pain.

"I'm right here, just hold on." Joyce says as we jog to catch up with Will.

I can't even process what's happening all I know is that Will's hurt. But how?

They take Will off the stretcher, laying him on a bed. There's a constant beeping in the room that's filled with multiple doctors.

"Heart rate 220. Temperature's 106." A doctor says as someone holds his face for him to look at her.

"Will, where does it hurt?" The doctor asks.
"All over." Will says, his words muffled because of the mask. The doctors cut his shirt to see what's happening.

"She says he feels like he's burning. Check for burns." Another doctor says as Will screams.

There's nothing to show that Will's hurt. He looks perfectly fine, physically.

"Where does it hurt the most, Will?" The same doctor asks.
"Everywhere! Everywhere!" Will screams as he puts his head back. A doctor sedates Will as Bob holds Joyce and Mike holds me.

We wait in the waiting room and I put my head in my hands.

I think about what happened. He was seizing.

Flashback

"Addy! Addy!" My mom yells as I open my eyes.
"Mom?" I mumble as she holds my face.
"Oh my God, honey where's the ambulance!" My mom yells as she holds me. It hurts. Everything hurts.

"What happened?" I mumble.
"You had a seizure, baby. It's okay, everything's gonna be okay." My mom says as she continues to hold me.

"It hurts, mom. Please, it hurts."

End of flashback

My breath starts to hitch as I think of the memory. That was 4 years ago. I was 10. I can't breathe. I can't move. Icantbreatheicantbreathe.

"Addy?" Mike asks as I look at him. I try to take a deep breath, my lungs burning as I look at Mike.

"I... I can't be here. I need to go. Now." I say through ragged breaths as I stand up to leave.

"What's wrong? Addy?" Mike says as he stands in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

"I.. I just need to go. I can't breathe here. Please, Mike." I say as he looks at me, worry filled in his eyes.

"Okay, call me, okay?" Mike says as he hugs me as I nod.

"I love you. Be safe. I don't want you hurt." Mike says as he releases me from the hug.

"I'll be okay, I love you more." I say as I leave the hospital, trying to set aside the incoming panic attack.

— 15 minutes later

I go to my room, ignoring my mom as she calls my name and grab my walkie talkie. I sit down against my door as I try to breathe. Breathe, Addy. Breathe. You're okay. This wasn't real. It's not about you, Will's the one that's hurt.

"Dustin? Lucas?" I ask through the channel. I still can't breathe without me gasping.