Smoke -- Jim Hopper

37. THE MIND FLAYER

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. This semester is super hard for me and I have literally no free time, and when I have some I usually am sleeping. I know some of you may be mad, but please try to understand that being a college student is not very easy lol. None the less, I am still so thankful for all the support! I can't believe we've made it to 50k! That's crazy!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Sorry this is short too :(

Not edited

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Natalie felt a rush of blood race to her head and she groggily rolled over to one side of the couch. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal Jim who was watching her with a worried expression.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and pushed some hair away from her face and ran his thumb over the top of her cheekbone.

Natalie smiled softly at his touch, "It's fine. How's Will?"

Jim frowned at her response and cupped the side of her face with his hand, "Nat," he pressed, "Will is fine, I need you to tell me how you are."

She sighed, "It hurts a lot, but really, how's Will?"

Jim removed his hand and leaned back in his chair and folded one leg over his knee, "He's struggling. While you were passed out we turned the shed into an interrogation room, he woke but he's barely in there, this thing is strong. We had to knock him out again."

Natalie swallowed thickly, "Can I see him?"

"No," he said firmly, his eyebrows furrowing in distress.

"Why not?" she argued, pushing herself up into a sitting position, and grit her teeth in pain.

Jim pushed her back down, "You need to rest."

Natalie narrowed her eyes, "Okay fine, just tell me what you are planning."

Jim nodded, "Alright, well the kids are grabbing something to explain what they think is in Will. You know how they make up all those ridiculous names from their games. Anyway, I noticed that Will was tapping morse code on the side of the seat when he was awake. We're going to try and get him to give us a message by triggering his memories."

Natalie bit the inside of her cheek, "I can help, please, you know Will and I are close, Jim."

He furrowed his eyebrows in frustration, "Natalie, I can't move you. You could rip your stitches."

She sat back up again, "You need me to help. You can carry me, Jim."

Just then Dustin, Lucas, and Mike ran out of Will's room with a heavy book. Dustin swung his head towards the pair, his curls flying wildly around his head, "C'mon guys, I've got an answer!"

Natalie looked at Jim with a raised eyebrow, "Jim?"

He leaned forward and ran his hands over his face, "Dammit Natalie, I can't have you getting hurt again. That almost killed me!" he hissed at her quietly, his eyes wide.

"Jim, please," she pleaded, "look, I can help maybe. I know Will."

Jim sighed, his eyes momentarily closing with frustration, "Fine. If your stitches rip I'm not fixing them." he said slowly as he carefully pulled her up into his arms.

Natalie forced a smile and swallowed her pain, she had to do this. For Will. She couldn't bail out on him now when he needed her the most. Natalie wrapped her arms around Jim's neck as he carried her into the kitchen.

Joyce raced over to her and kissed her forehead, "Oh, Natalie. I was so worried about you!" her voice shook as she looked her in the eyes.

Natalie smiled at her and wiped a few tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks, "I'm okay, Joyce. I'm so glad you and Bob are okay."

Joyce nodded and glanced at Bob who was smiling at them, "I'm so glad he is too. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if he didn't sidestep that monster."

"Demodog!" Dustin corrected.

"Oh my gosh," Jim pinched the bridge of his nose as Dustin gave them a toothy grin.

"We better get started," Natalie said as Jim walked closer to the table.

The group settled down as Dustin pulled out a book and quickly flipped through the worn pages and harshly pointed at a picture, "The Mind Flayer." he muttered and looked at the group.

"What in the world is that?" Joyce asked as she grabbed Bob's hand.

"That," Dustin started, "that, is what is in Will. Essentially, it is a higher being that thinks it's superior to another race, us, and wants to take it over."

"Like the Germans," Steve said seriously.

Dustin clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, "The Nazi's, not Germans."

Steve's face flushed and he dropped his head a little, making Natalie snicker.

"Anyway, we just need to find a way to get rid of it. Since this thing has a hive mind mentality, then we need kill the Mind Flayer."

Natalie nodded in thought, "Okay so Will is in the shed and apparently from what Jim has said, he is still in there. Maybe we can get him to tell us how to kill the Mind Flayer."

Dustin nodded, "Yeah that could work, we need a morse code chart, walkies, and I'm going to need some chocolate milk."