Crush Culture [M.Wheeler]

[31] DO YOU REMEMBER ME?

After transferring Will to the lab while the hospital couldn't handle him, Nori and Mike sat beside the boy, fast asleep. Nori leans her head on Mike's shoulder while his head rests on hers.

"They made me sign, like, a thousand documents." Joyce begins softly as she speaks to Bob. "I mean...we all had to. We had to."

"I mean, I lost track at a certain point." She takes in a deep breath to calm herself. "They're gonna make sure you do the same. I'm sure."

"Yeah. Well, hey, whatever." Bob responds calmly, then pauses. "What kind of documents?"

"Uh, confidentiality." Joyce shrugs. "And there were these official forms saying, like, nothing ever happened, which is why..." she trails off, looking to Will.

"Will got lost in the woods." Bob finishes. "Yeah." She nods. "Man, I always thought stuff like this happened in movies and comic books. Certainly not in Hawkins and certainly not to someone like you." He comments.

"Or you." Joyce reminds. "Yeah." He chuckles. "Bob Newby, superhero."

"You cold?" Joyce inquires. "Uh, just a little jitters, I guess." He explains. It was truly cold in that room, however.

Last night, Mike had given Nori the majority of the blanket so she wouldn't suffer too much. He figured she had already undergone enough stress.

After Joyce and Bob speak for a bit, Will's eyes flutter open. "Mom?" Will asks softly. "Hey." She smiles, setting down her coffee and making her way to the boy.

Bob walks out into the hallway. "Is there a doctor? We need a doctor!" He calls out. Nori slowly wakes up at the sudden yelling, shaking Mike to wake him as well. "Mike, Will's awake." She whispers softly.

"Sweetie, how you feeling? You okay?" Joyce checks. "Okay, they're on their way." Bob informs. "Hey." He smiles.

"Who is that?" Will questions. "What?" Joyce furrows her eyebrows. Nori glances at Mike, who seems all too focused on Will.

"It's me, big guy. It's Bob." Bob reaches out to touch his hand, but Will pulls away. "Are you a...doctor?" He asks, eyeing his outfit that the lab had given him.

"No. No, it's just me. Just... just Bob." He sighs. Nori lets out a shaky breath, leaning her head back.

***

Dr. Owens shines a flashlight towards Will's eye, examining the boy carefully. "Do you know your name?"

"Will." The boy responds. "Your full name?" He checks. "William Byers."

"Do you know.... Do you know who I am?" He inquires, furrowing his eyebrows. "A doctor." Will says, unsure.

"Have we met before?" Sam continues. "I don't remember." Will sighs. Nori can't help but feel her heart break for Will. She reaches for Mike's hand for comfort, intertwining their fingers.

"You don't remember me?" Dr. Owens asks. He shakes his head no. "Okay. How about, Uh... How about these two here?" He motions towards Nori and Mike.

Will glances at the two, then down at their conjoined hands. Mike sends him a hopeful wave. "Know who they are?"

Will stares at them, only causing Nori's heart to beat faster. "It's alright. Take your time." Sam says calmly.

"Those are my friends. Mike and Tiny."
Will informs, emotionless. "Tiny?" Owen sends him a questioning look. "Her real name is Eleanor." Will adds.

Mike and Nori smile to each other. "What about me, kid? You remember me?" Jim asks with a kind grin. Will denies.

"They tell me you helped save me last night. You remember that?"

Will shakes his head no once more. "Do you remember anything about last night? About what happened?" Sam speaks up. "I remember they hurt me." Will says, a tint of anger in his tone. "You mean the doctors?"

"No. The soldiers." Will explains. "The soldiers hurt you?" Sam repeats. "They shouldn't have done that. It upset him." He glares at the man.

"You say, Upset him. Is that him?" He takes out a photograph of Will's drawing of the shadow monster, showing it to the boy. Will pauses, bringing his attention back up at the scientist, nodding.

"Okay. Okay, I wanna try something. It's gonna seem a little odd at first, but I think it's really gonna help us understand what's going on." Sam states, turning to Joyce.

"Is that okay?" He then asks Will, who agrees. "Okay."

After a few minutes, they bring in a box with what seems to be one of the vines from the Upside Down, setting it beside Will.

"Now, Will, I want you to just let us know if you feel anything. Okay?" Sam instructs. "Okay."

Nori leans up, sitting beside Mike on the counter, feeling as he wraps an arm around her shoulder.

One of the scientists turns on a blowtorch, then begins to slowly lower it down into the box.

"Do you feel anything?" Sam inquires. "Little sting." Will says, his voice shaking. "It stings? Where?"

"My chest." He grunts, clutching it as the man lowers the blowtorch. Sam sends him a nod, allowing him to lower the blowtorch.

Will's heart rate increases while his breathing copies. "How about now?"

"It.. it burns." He stammers. "Ah! It burns." He raises his voice, beginning to sweat. Nori leans more into Mike, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"Where?" Sam asks. "Everywhere." He groans. "That's enough. That's enough!" Joyce shouts.

"Stop! You heard her! That's enough!" Jim yells, stopping the test. Will begins to breathe normally, calming down. "Alright, let's talk about this outside, shall we?" Sam says to Jim and Joyce, leading them outside.

As Will lies on the bed, Nori and Mike remain silent, Nori nearly in tears. "I'm sorry, Nori." Mike sighs.

"About what?" She sniffles, looking up at him. "I got your hopes up. I said nothing bad was gonna happen and— the complete polar opposite happened." He explains.

"It's okay, Mike. I promise. You were just trying to be there for me. I appreciate that on your part." She assures. "Really? Oh. Okay." Mike lightly smiles, leaning his head onto her shoulder as they wait for the adults to return.