Keep me Closer - Billy Hargrove - Stranger Things

37: Determined

The walkie talkie started to make noise and that snapped me out of whatever was going on in my brain at the moment.

I could only hear slight mumbles of what people were saying. My ears were ringing. I couldn't tell if my ears were ringing because I was stressed and I'm making this out to be more then it is. Or if my ears are ringing because I'm reaching dangerous levels of physical pain and parts of my body is shutting down in order for me to stay alive.

Everyone gathered around and Mike told everyone what happened. After they did all they could do for me and Els wounds, El decided to look for Dustin with her powers. They took her to the freezer aisle for the noise. I told them not to pick me up. I was determined to walk. Though I couldn't feel my feet or hands.

I studied once that when the human brain is close to dying the first thing you loose strength in, is you arms and legs. And of corse that's all I could think about. All I could think about. About the fact how I was probably going to die in a run down grocery story and the last thing I said to me mom was 'I'll tell you tomorrow.' And here we are 4 days later and my mom knows nothing about my near death experience just about everyone of those days.

I was all by myself and everyone was with El. I wasn't bothered by the fact that they left me at all. If anything I was relived. If they were here no matter how many times I would tell them 'no' they would still try to help me up. They would be a distraction to my overthinking of how at any second I could loose consciousness and die.

I stayed there for like 7 minutes thinking about how my body is probably already accepting its death and that I should probably do the same but this 8th minute I decided I would stand up. First things first, I have to actually move. I put my hands behind me for support as I put all my strength and faith in my knees. It took a whole minute but I did stand up. I held onto the counters behind me for support but I was standing. Sure the floor was spinning and my mind was racing and I couldn't exactly feel my legs. But I was standing. The counter I was holding on to started to melt. My powers had basically decided they were coming out whether I liked it or not. I groaned as I felt a huge wave of energy in my body ready to just be let out but I stumbled back and held it in to avoid burning everyone alive like I did in the hospital room. Unlike those workers, these people do not deserve it.

I unstably and slowly walked to the back of the store where they were. It was convenient timing because at that moment they were walking to me. To get me. They had been done finding Dustin probably before I stood up.

"If not we always have Lucas's fireworks." Max sarcastically said. That was the first thing I heard when I got to them. We were walking back to the car and they had an entire cart full of fireworks. The more I started moving I think the more my body started adjusting.

**

We were in the car and I started to calm down. I think me stressing over the fact that I was too close for my personal liking to death made things worse. Stress makes things worse. So because of that. Things were a lot worse then they could have been and my body was taking longer to heal.

I was still uncomfortable of corse. Still in pain.  But the stress of it all was really taken over by my worries of Billy. Nancy was driving us to the StarCourt mall. Apparently that's where Dustin was. And he needed our help.

I was worried that Billy would get to them before we do. I was also worried that because of my new connection with Billy he would find us easier.