What's Left of Us

Days Gone

A/N: If I'm being self critical, we spent quite a bit of time in the hospital, I tried to emphasize the severity of Mike's injury that way, but maybe it got redundant. Either way, leave comments or criticisms if you'd like or don't. If you're reading it and enjoy it, I'm glad, either way thanks for reading!

Day's Gone

Joyce

Joyce rushed to the hospital, and upon arrival, immediately rushed back to room eleven. She could barely contain her emotions, excitement to see Mike and Eleven still alive, sorrow to bring bad news to Eleven about Hopper. Hopper, she thought, there was still so much pain behind his name right now. After she had turned the key he had disappeared into the fray, and that was the last she had seen as they were rushed out of the building by soldiers. She had no idea how to comfort Eleven or even bring the subject up without breaking down into tears, but she owed it to her to do her best explaining it, and to help her figure out what to do next.

As they walked into the room, she saw Eleven asleep on Mikes chest, and Mike gently holding her. Those two really were precious, and she was glad Eleven had such a caring person that was always looking after her.

"Knock knock" she said lightly, as she poked her head in. She watched Mike gently shake El awake, and they met eyes. El ran over to her and hugged her, and began to quietly sob.

"Oh I know sweetie, I know." Joyce said, beginning to tear up herself. She could already tell how hard this conversation was going to be. "Hey, hey, let's sit down okay?" she added, as she ushered Eleven over to the seat next to Mike's bed.

Eleven looked up at her, with pain filled eyes. "Can you tell me what happened Joyce?" she pleaded.

"Well, when we got to the control room, we were attacked by a man that had been following us since we first found out about the Russians. It was hard to escape him, and so Hopper ended up drawing him down onto the main floor...after that the machine opening the gate malfunctioned and Hopper got..." she started to tear up, her voice cracking in between words "he g-got- stuck on the wrong side of the machine. And when I had to close the gate, he wasn't there when I looked back up. Nobody on the ground floor made it out, I'm sorry El." She couldn't meet Eleven's eyes, but she could feel them staring at her.

For a long time there was silence, only being broken by Eleven's crying and Joyce's crying. Joyce could tell that Mike didn't know what to do, so he climbed down from the hospital bed and pulled up a chair and put his arm around Elevens waist and pulled her head into his shoulder. After awhile Joyce decided to speak up.

"You know we can go gather your things that weren't destroyed in his cabin, and you can come live with us if you'd like." Joyce added, "I don't know about our future in Hawkins but you always have a home with us."

El looked up from Mike's grasp, and stammered for a second. "I think— I think I'm going to with Mike. I can't leave Mike again. Not after everything thats happened. He saved my life, I love him." she kept going, "but I would like you to go with me to get my stuff from his cabin, I don't think I could do that alone."

Joyce began to protest. Hopper would not have wanted her moving in with the Wheelers. But then again, she wasn't truly Hopper's daughter. And after all, she wanted what was best for Eleven, and she could tell Mike was going to give her a safe home, and the wheelers happened to be very well off, so it made a bit more sense. "Okay, I guess that will work" she said.

At that time, the doctor knocked on the door, asking if he could come in.

Mike