✓ | 3. soldier, soldier, spy [STEVE HARRINGTON]

eleven.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
THE HOSTILE HOSPITAL

[ THE FLAYED ]

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          With Nancy in front, when they marched into the hospital, the woman at reception was on the phone, so without a word they all angled their heads down in an attempt to slip past -- which inevitably proved unsuccessful.

"Woah, woah, woah!" the receptionist rushed out in a shrill voice, half a shriek, as she moved the phone momentarily from her ear and stood. Her hair was big and fluffy, and she wore blue scrubs underneath a colourful apron-type jacket. "Excuse me, where do you think you going?"

Like a switch, Nancy flicker on her innocent charm. "Oh, erm!" she exclaimed absentmindedly, taking Thomas's hand with one of hers, then squeezing his bicep with the other. He tried to act like this wasn't the weirdest action in the world. "I was just going to visit my grandma again.. and this. This is my family." She dug her nails into Thomas' bicep; he took the hint and smiled sweetly, trying to appear husbandly. He supposed his shorts and suspenders didn't much help him appear grownup.

"Extended," Lucas squeezed out. In any other scenario, any other world or time, Thomas would have giggled.

"I don't care who they are, you know the rules," the woman said, putting her hand on her hip. "Two visitors at a time."

"Yeah, b—"

"TWO!" the woman interrupted quickly, holding up two fingers. Sighing irritably. she plopped down down in her chair, putting the plastic phone to her ear again. "Kid brought a whole zoo in here."

With tight smiles, they walked onward toward the waiting room, Nancy quickly letting Thomas' hand go. They'd barely turned the corner when Thomas muttered, "Okay, but we are not doing that. I'm coming with you."

         "I don't think that's responsible," Mike said as they reached the elevator and Nancy pressed the button with her thumb irritably. "Look at you."

         "I'm actually trying to avoid my reflection. The black veins are wreaking havoc on my complexion," Thomas replied mockingly.

Lucas half smiled, but the others only rolled their eyes. Tough crowd.

Sighing, he adjusted his glasses, crooked because they were broken and cracked on his left lens after the fight with Billy. "Shut up. I'm going."

           "They're right," Nancy started, but he shot her a glare.

         "I'm going with you."

         The elevator arrived and they slipped in — Thomas, Nancy and Jonathan – before turning to face the kids. Doors closing, rang out in the familiar sugar sweet voice, and Thomas' eyes met Eleven's with a feeling of insidious finality as the doors slid closed between them.