𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

25. the battle of starcourt

FOLLOWING FROM LAST CHAPTER

El was screaming and crying in pain, everyone unsure of what to do.

"What is that?" Erica leaned over her leg as something inside of it moved again.

"There's something in there." Mike said.

"Jesus Christ."

"We need to do something!" Aubrey yelled at them.

Jonathan got up, "Keep her talking. Keep her awake, okay?" he told them, running back over to the food court.

"Hey, hey, hey." Mike shook her.

"Stay awake, stay awake." Aubrey told her, "We're gonna fix this, okay?!"

"Let's get her on this side, on this side." Mike told them, Steve and Dustin helped move her.

"You know, it's not actually that bad." Robin opened her mouth. Oh god, Aubrey thought. "There was a... The goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg, and the bone came out of her knee, six inches or something, it was insane." she rambled, this is what she did when she was nervous.

Everyone looked up at her in horror. Rue patted her shoulder, "Rob."

"Robin." Steve said.

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping." he told her.

"I'm sorry." she replied. Jonathan came running back over, holding a variety of kitchen utensils.

"Okay, alright, El?" He leaned back down at her feet, "This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?" he said to her.

"Okay." she sobbed.

"Need you to stay real still." he said, putting on gloves. Aubrey could barely take it as El squeezed her hand, "Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this, okay?" he handed her the wooden spoon.

"Jesus christ." Dustin said as Mike took the spoon and put it in her mouth.

"It's gonna be okay." Aubrey told her, Steve placed his hand on her back for support.

Jonathan brought the knife to the wound, "Holy shit. Holy shit." Dustin was freaking out. Jonathan looked back up at everyone, his eyes landing on Aubrey.

She gave him the nod of approval, "Do it." she said. They needed to get whatever the hell it was out of her leg.

Jonathan looked back down and sliced the wound back open, Eleven screaming out in pain. Everyone just watching in complete disgust. Aubrey had no idea how Jonathan was doing this.

He closed his eyes, bracing himself before he stuck his hand inside. El screaming even louder, everyone exclaiming in disbelief.

"Jonathan!" Nancy yelled at him.

"Stop talking!" he yelled back, trying to find it. El screaming louder and louder, "Goddamn it!"

"No!" she spit out the spoon, "Stop it! Stop it!" she screamed, Jonathan pulled his hand out. El brought herself up, "I can do it."

"El..." Aubrey said as she helped her to sit up.

"I can do it." El reaffirmed, "I can do it." she cried, breathing heavily. She stuck her hand out and yelled out in pain as she pulled it out of her leg, "God!" she struggled and then began to scream, the glass window behind them shattered, everyone yelling and ducking.

Her screaming continued and grew until she finally pulled out the little monster, she threw it across the room.

It immediately got stepped on and smushed by a large boot. They all looked up and saw Hopper, Joyce, and a man Aubrey didn't recognize.