Anyone Else but You

But you.

SPRING - 9 MONTHS

Will is lying on his back on the bed, using his stomach to hold his sketchpad as he doodles aimlessly.

Suddenly, a warm gush spreads across his thighs, soaking through the fabric of his sweatpants and onto the bed sheets. His eyes widened in shock, the pen frozen mid-stroke on the page. He sits up, thoroughly freaked. He pats his lap frantically and jumps off the bed and runs out to the living room, calling out.

"Mum!"

Joyce looks up from her crossword.

"What?!" she calls out from the couch where she's sprawled along it.

Will looks frantic as he stops at the end of the couch, staring at her.

"Either I just pissed myself or..."

Joyce looks puzzled at her son.

"Or..?"

"Thundercats are go!"

Joyce launches off the couch immediately with a squeal.

"Oh my god!!"

Joyce's eyes widen as she sprints towards Will, her arm sliding around his waist to support him. She takes in the stain on his pants and the manic look etched on his face, and her expression morphs from bewilderment to understanding.

"It's okay, Will, it's okay. We've got this." She says, her voice a mix of excitement and calm.

"Thundercats are go!" Joyce calls out to the rest of the house and in a flash Hopper,El and Jonathan are helping them into the car.

⭑

Joyce floors the pedal majority of the way (despite Hopper's protests) so they arrive at the hospital at record time.

Will's wearing a puffy surgical cap as he's being pushed down the hospital corridor in a wheelchair at an aggressive pace and bursts into giggles. Max jokingly steers the wheelchair into a wall and Will feigns whiplash.

Jonathan appears behind them and orders Will out of the wheelchair. Chuckling, he pulls off the brunette's surgical cap. Lucas snickers, Dustin laughs and El giggles at Max and Will's disappointment.

"Come on, Byers. Let's do this," Max says, starting to push the wheelchair super fast again, yelling at other people to 'Shove it!' as El and Lucas run close behind, Dustin struggles to catch up, calling in protest after them.

The chaos of the hospital lobby seems to melt away as they reach the elevator, and the group's laughter echoes off the walls. Will grips the armrests, his knuckles white, trying to keep the panic at bay. The elevator dings open, and the chaotic energy of the friends seems to dissipate as they enter the maternity ward, the stark white walls and quiet efficiency of the nurses reminding them of the gravity of the situation. Joyce and Hopper had made a call to Max, who called the rest of the party, yelling "The Batmobile has left the bat cave!" and everyone had understood immediately, (except Mike who had been thoroughly confused and grumbled as he hung up in annoyance, though Max had thought he understood and just didn't want to come.) Jonathan was standing with the rest of the party in the elevator, laughing at their antics.