Together Again

Chapter 7 - The Plan (part 1)

Hopper began breathing deeply. He was almost gasping for air. His breaths were shaky as his hands started trembling. He stared straight ahead, his expression blank. Joyce reached out and grabbed his shaking hands in hers. He turned towards her and she leaned forward, taking him in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. She rubbed his back until his breathing slowed. They released each other, but their fingers stayed clasped.

Hopper was gripping the chair with his other hand. "She's...alive?" He muttered. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Hopper took in the reality of what was said. Sarah was alive. And she had been locked up for the last four years. She would be 10 now. He was mad. He was mad at Dr. Brenner, mad at Dr. Owens, mad at everyone in that lab. He stood up fiercely and walked to the door.

"Hopper." Joyce said sternly.

He looked back at her and shook his head. "No." He insisted, he knew that she would want to come with him, but all that he really wanted was to be alone. He turned on his heel and walked out the door, slamming it. He walked down the halls. He didn't know where he was going he just had to get out of there, he had to go, he had to go now.

He marched through the halls aimlessly. He passed a confused Flo as he found the door. He pushed it open and made his way outside. He walked around the building. He didn't know what to do. The world was spinning, he was lost. Everything was so familiar, yet he had no idea where he was.

One name was on his tongue. Sarah. He had to find Sarah. He needed to get to Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. He wanted to go to the lab, but he didn't know where it was. Everything was fuzzy. His head was buzzing. All he wanted to do was make it stop, make everything stop. The roar in his head became overwhelming. He spun in circles slowly. Not knowing what to do next. He just kept spinning and spinning and spinning. He was trying to grasp hold of reality. But he couldn't. He felt trapped. His heart was racing. Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump. His breaths were short and quick. There was nothing he could do.

His knees buckled and he fell into a heap on the ground. He couldn't make himself get up. He just lay there. Tears began to fall. He punched the ground as hard as he could. A half groan-half scream escaped his mouth. He pulled himself up into a sitting position. He leaned back and his back hit a wall, he didn't bother to move. He just sat there. His knees folded up and he brought his hands to his face. He leaned his head into them and let out a sob.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside the building sat Joyce after she watched Hopper slam the door. That can't be good. She wanted to follow him and be there for him, but she also wanted to let him cool off. What if he did something stupid. A thousand different scenarios ran through her mind.

The room was awkwardly silent. Bryan looked down at his feet while Joyce stared at the closed door. She was worried about Hopper, he wasn't thinking straight.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I never connected the dots...between The-The girl, and The chiefs d-daughter." Bryan stuttered.

Joyce was silent, but smiled slightly. She was scared about everything. There was something strange going on...again.

She thought about her boys. Where had they gone? They had all showed up at the hospital together when they caught Bryan. She knew that Jonathan would keep Will safe, but she still worried about Will all the time. Maybe she was too paranoid sometimes, but she didn't want to lose her baby again. Hopper had told her that she needed to let go sometimes, and let Will enjoy being a teenager. Joyce knew that he was right, and she was trying to be less protective, but it was so hard.

Suddenly a scream, no a groan -she didn't know what it was but it didn't sound good- awoke her from her thoughts. Hopper! She was up and out of her chair in seconds. She shouldn't have let him go alone. She fumbled with the doorknob before getting it open. She raced to the back of the inside of the police station, he wasn't there, but she was sure that this was where she heard him. Where did he go.

She did a quick search of his office and a couple other rooms, but he was no where to be seen. There was only one place she hadn't looked. Outside. She bolted to the front door and got a very confused look from Flo. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. She ran outside and turned to the left. She placed her hand in the brick wall of the building and her fingers slid along it as she ran on the grass. She turned again and was now at the back of the police station.

On the ground sat a crumpled up figure, leaning against the wall. A sob escaped him. His face was in his hands. Joyce understood what he was feeling. Sort of. She knew what it was like to think that your child was dead, and then have them turn out to be alive. But she had no idea what it was like to find out that your kid had been hidden and abused for the last 4 years. She knew how to help though. What she really could have used when Will was gone was some support, but instead, no one believed her. She had to help Hopper.

She walked up to him slowly and sat down beside him. She put one arm around his back and the other on the shoulder that was closest to her. She leaned her head onto his shoulder too and her hand rubbed his back in slow circles. She didn't even realize how fast her heart was beating, but she did feel the butterflies in her stomach again.