A Girl From Hawkins (Jim Hopper x OC)

006

I don't think I'll forget the sight in front of me in a million years, my knees wobbled and my stomach rolled. I gripped the booth seat beside me and lowered myself to the ground, to sit aside him.

We found Benny.

Everything seemed to stop in that moment, my heartbeat stilled, the world around me silenced to a deadened buzz, my sight blurred as I stared. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

I don't know what was worse the excess of darkened, cooling blood around his head like a morbid halo, soaking into the linoleum or the contrasting icy white of his skin, the cold his body exuded, his eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling, the colour in them already clouding over to a deathly milky shade.

"Charlie...." Hopper came and knelt down beside me.

"Why?" I questioned, still not taking my eyes off of Benny. His usually bright smiling face was a ghostly mask now, the playfulness, the warmth, gone. He looked like nothing but a grim copy of the uncle I love.

"I don't know." He spoke so quietly, not seeming to want to disturb anything.

I reached out and stroked Benny's cheek, my vision blurring with tears as my hand connecting with his frozen skin. Hopper allowed me a moment, whether it was a minute or an hour I couldn't say. But he eventually reached an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his warm chest.

"I don't want to have to do this but we've got to leave, I need to call some people in and you can't be here when they are."

"Ok." I heard my voice but it sounded distant. I knew who he meant, he meant more cops and professionals, people to take photographs, examine the place, remove the body.

"Come on." He rubbed my shoulder and pulled me up, supporting me, he seemed to know I needed help without asking. No doubt Hopper had seen his fair share of bodies.

"They'll look after him won't they?" I finally looked up at Hopper, in that moment he looked almost as vulnerable as I felt. Just a flash of something in his deep blue eyes, so stern and severe moments ago were now soft and gentle.

"Of course, you have my word." He glanced back down at Benny one last time before pulling me towards the door. Pulling me as closely into his side as possible. I never want to see this place again.
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We were silent for a while as we sat in his truck, he made a call over the radio then offered me a cigarette, lighting one of his own.

I took it, instantly relaxing as I breathed in the familiar burn, I hadn't smoked in a long time, not since Mom took a turn, but it was a comfort, a vice I needed, it soothed my shaking bones and calmed my mind. The burn on my dry throat fought the numbness setting in.

Hopper explained that we had to wait for one of his deputies to arrive and then he'd drive me home. He spoke a little, about what? I don't know, I heard the sound of his voice, the relaxing rhythm of his words, but not what he said. I just stared ahead, into the still dark forest behind the diner.

"Charlie....?" He touched my shoulder, finally drawing my attention. "We're going to leave your car here for the time, I'll swing by later and drop it off to you, is that ok?"

I hadn't noticed the other vehicles pull up, or that Hopper had clearly been out of the car at some point to talk to the others, a coroner, a couple of cops and two people who looked like medical examiners.

"It's fine." I muttered, only then realising he'd draped a blanket around my shoulders, I pulled it tight and huddled into the large seat.

"Give me a second and we're out of here." He paused for a moment, I noticed out the corner of my eye, I could feel his eyes, examining me. He turned to one of the other officers and spoke in a hushed voice before climbing back into the vehicle.