Room with a View - [Jopper] ✓

Merry November

Within two weeks of the pacemaker ordeal, Jim was already back to being himself. His manipulative, erratic, self. 

"We should get a Christmas tree," Hopper stated over the strum of his guitar. He was reclined in a comfy La-Z-Boy chair that Jenny had given him when they replaced the breakroom furniture. 

"Hop, it's November." Joyce chuckled as she channel-surfed through their TV. "November 13th if I remember." Just as Hopper was about to retort, Jenny walked.

"Tank change, Joyce. You're running low." the nurse said as she carted in a new tank of oxygen. She knelt down beside Joyce's bed, accessing the tank that plugged into the tubes that always hugged Joyce's cheeks.

"Why don't you use the oxygen port on the wall for your cannula?" Hop asked confused as he watched Jenny fuss with the tubes.

"Because this way I don't have to keep changing them when I want to get up and go. This way, I can just have one all the time and not have to worry about pulling it right out of the wall." Joyce replied with a squeak of a laugh, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait, does this mean I could've had a portable heart monitor?" he asked as his attitude grew angry.

"Yes, you could've. But having you hooked up to the wall monitor made it harder for you to run off. You needed rest, Hop. I couldn't have you running around my hospital! You're lucky that I still don't make you wear one 24/7 after you went and died on me!" Jenny snapped with fake anger, eventually dissolving into laughter.

Hopper groaned in annoyance at the nurse's conniving actions. He wouldn't admit it but she was probably right anyway. His first week and a half in the hospital was spent arguing with Jenny every time he tried to get out of bed. 

"Jennifer, lemme ask you something," Hop said as he sat up in his chair.

"Shoot," she replied after finishing up with Joyce's oxygen.

"Where do you keep those mini Christmas trees that you put on the pediatrics floor?" his questions were finished off by the sound of Joyce's laughter at the subject.

"It's November, Hop. Way too early to decorate for the holidays." Jenny laughed as Joyce nodded in agreeance.

"Just tell me where you keep them so I won't have to go out and cut one down for myself. You wouldn't want me carrying a full-sized tree through the lobby when I can get a mini one for hassle-free, would you?" If there was one thing Hopper learned during his stay, it was the art of manipulation. Especially when Jenny knew he would absolutely go out of his way to bring a live tree up to his room.

She groaned completely annoyed. "Third floor, storage closet. We keep them down on the geriatrics floor because we can trust those guys not to riffle through them. Unlike you, James Charles." Jenny rolled her eyes before leaving the room.

"C'mon Joycie, we're gonna go get ourselves a Christmas tree." Hop grinned as he tucked his guitar back into its case. Without qualms, Joyce jumped out of bed and dragged her tank behind her.

--

"Ugh God, it smells like feces and death down here." Hopper plugged his nose as Joyce walked beside him.

"We're both gonna end up here someday, Hop. Better get used to it." Joyce chuckle, trying to keep up with him as he searched the halls.

"Nope, I'm going out like Evil Kenevil or I'm not going out at all," he replied before he came across the storage closet. 

"It's locked, let's just go back to the room and wait until it's actually Christmas time." Joyce pleaded with a short laugh.

"Snatched this from Jenny's desk," Hop replied as he held up her key card. Joyce made a mental note to just start expecting this kind of stuff from him. He swiped the key card and gave her a shit-eating grin when the lock blinked green.