Escape ~ S.Harrington

97} Ripping Off the Band Aid

Anna walked down the hall, pushing a wheelchair as inconspicuously as possible down to the basement for Max while the military flooded in all around her. She kept muttering under her breath to herself, trying her hardest to comprehend everything she just witnessed.
Monsters... in Hawkins? I guess it all makes sense. That's why the military is here and probably why Jenna Henderson showed up to school looking like a cat scratching post multiple times. What is up with the mind trapping stuff? I have a lot to catch up on. Why the fuck am I involved in any of this!? I should've never warned Alice about the pills and cops and... you're in it now Anna. Just deal with it.

Back in the basement, Max continued to talk about what had happened to her and Holly.
"I couldn't see where Holly was gonna wake up," She leaned into Lucas, "But I figured wherever Vecna was keeping her, it had to be in the Upside Down. So... I told her to just go home."
"Home?" Mike asked, "Home as in our home?" Max nodded.
"Meaning we have to get back into the Upside Down," Robin looked down at her feet before glancing at Mike, "Where is the nearest rift to you?"
"Off Cornwallis, I think," He thought aloud, "About a mile and a half, give or take."
"Lucas, do you copy?" Erica started to talk to him through the walkie talkie, "Lucas!"
"Alice..." He bashfully shifted Max's weight onto her so he could talk with his sister.
"Heya, Max," She hugged her, "Nice to know he trusts me enough with you."
"Well, I trust you, too," She smiled, "Don't give him the final say over me."
"Oh never. Men's opinions are always second."

"Erica, I can't really talk right now," Lucas grumbled as he stepped to the side.
"Okay," Mike regrouped them, "So Vecna took out those soldiers, so it should be a lot easier to get into the MAC."
"No," Hopper disagreed, "They're going to have reinforcements by now."
"I can break through the plate," El added.
"Are you saying that Holly is trapped under a steel plate?" Karen croaked.
"Without context, that might sound troubling," Robin cringed, "But she's not pancaked under a giant hunk of steel or anything. She's..." Mike shook his head at her, "How do I talk about this?"
"There's a world under ours that has an opening that the steel plates are covering up," Alice shrugged, "It's identical to Hawkins but with scary monsters and shit like the ones that I whacked around and you blew up. Make sense?" Karen stared at her with a bit of comprehension, but mostly she looked confused.

"Guys, guys, guys," Lucas lowered the walkie's antenna and walked back over, "Okay, you really won't believe this, but Erica and Mr Clarke came through. They found Dustin and the others."
"Jelly Belly!" Alice squealed, squeezing Max slightly, "I get my Jenna back!"
"All right," Hopper nodded, smirking, "Well, they're gonna be able to find Holly a lot easier than we are. Especially with Jenna."
Anna burst through the doors, startling everyone slightly, "We better hurry. We have lots of uninvited company."
"Okay, Max," Alice picked her up bridal style, "Transfer time," She plopped her down into the wheelchair.
"Thank you," She giggled.
Anna led them down the secret staff tunnels with Lucas pushing Max. After rounding a corner, Karen weakly collapsed.

"Hey, hey," Mike caught her, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Michael," She winced, "I'm fine."
"No," Anna stood tall and proud, "Sorry, that came out too harsh, but with all due respect, Mrs Wheeler, you're not okay. You could get an infection, hemorrhage, god forbid, stop breathing. I may not be a nurse yet, but I'm trying to get my certifications. You almost died the other night, you can't be messing around like this. You're going to hurt yourself even more."
"If you think I'm gonna stay in bed when my daughter needs me, you're out of your goddamn mind! Let's go."
"Mom, mom, mom," Mike stopped her, "She's right. It's okay. Keep going," He signaled to Anna.
She nodded and caught up with Alice and Robin.
"Thank you, Anna," Alice smiled, "For helping us back there."
"Yes, thank you," Robin nodded in agreement, "I didn't even really know you existed before today, and I'm sorry about that, but I will never forget now."
"I see why you like her," Anna bumped Alice, "She rambles just like you."
"I do not ramble!" Alice and Robin defended at the same time before they both broke out into a fit of laughter.
"My point exactly," Anna shook her head.