Ø17

2

Hopper's death provided critical to Joyce's mental health. It made her nauseous and numb, but she hadn't cried since that night. It stayed bottled up in front of her children. 

Taking El in was probably the most difficult part of the whole situation. El lost her powers after the Battle of Starcourt Mall, and moving didn't help the grieving much. El had lost her temper so much in front of everyone. 

But this fight was different.

El stood from the dining room table. "Do NOT talk about dad! Just stop!" 

Joyce stood slowly and held a hand out to her. "El, please honey…"

El moved from her. "Get away from me!"

"El-"

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM!" El screamed, tears falling down her face, and her angry red face staring hard at Joyce.

Joyce got quiet. Her hands started to tremble, along with her breathing. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to fight back the anxiety in her body. Her chest tightened, and she got nauseous. El never blamed her for his death, until now.

Jonathan was about to help her, but she had already bolted to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She slid down the door, finding it hard to stand or breathe.

Why wasn't I the one who died?

She started hyperventilating and tears poured down her paled cheeks. Her hands grabbed at her shirt for security, but found none. God she wished it was her who died in the explosion. She hated him not being here with her and the kids. She missed him so damn much.

Joyce let's out a loud, heartbreaking sob at last. She cried so much, her head pounded. Jonathan and Will were trying to open the door, concerned for their mother. "Mom? Please let us in." Mom, please!" 

Joyce felt something warm dripping on her lips. She touched her face, pulling away showing deep, crimson blood covering her finger tips. Her stress had her nose extra bloody. 

Where are my meds?

Joyce stood up trying to find her pill bottle of anxiety medicine. She found them, but her shaky hands made her drop them all in the sink and the counter. In anger, she yelled at her misfortune. 

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering rang out, causing Joyce to cover her head and face from the shards. She looked up, seeing the mirror had broke into fragments on the floor. She backed away from the mirror in terror.

What the…

She was dizzy, and the last thing she heard was Jonathan screaming her name before she collapsed into the dark void. 

Joyce stood in a dark void with a water like floor at her feet. It was strangely very quiet. 

"Hello?" She yelled out, only hearing her voice echo back.

She turned around, and saw a figure laying on the ground about 30 feet away from her. She turned slowly to fully face the figure. "Hello? Eleven?"

She walked slowly toward the figure, who was laying on the ground, facing away from her in a little ball. It was at this point where she was in touching radius. "Hello?" She said again.

The figure turned quickly to face her screaming. Joyce paled at the sight. 

The figure was Hopper, but where his face was suppose to be was a wide mouth similar to the demodogs. A hand shot at her from its throat and at her neck.

Joyce screamed when she felt something touch her. Not at her neck, but arms.

"Mom!"

Her eyes shot open and she sat up. Her breathing was heavy and she was sweating badly. The nausea overtook her, and Jonathan grabbed the wastebin next to her bed, where she promptly vomited what looked like black ink. 

When she was done, Jonathan took the basket from her hands, and set it away from them, taking her hand, helping her lay back down. "Shh, you're safe."

"What happened?" She seemingly whispered.

Jonathan sat on the hospital bed she laid on. "Mom, we opened the door to the mirror shattered, your pills everywhere, and you passed out with a bloody nose. Dr. Owen's said it was from stress levels and dehydration."

Joyce looked around the room. Will was on the other side of her, holding her hand, rubbing circles into her knuckles, and behind him distantly was El. 

She couldn't look at Joyce in the eye. She didn't mean for her to yell like that and blame her. Joyce had done so much for her, and she didn't want Joyce to abandon her. Not like Papa did. 

"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Joyce murmured sadly.

"No Mom, it's okay."

Jonathan looked at El, then at Will. "Hey Will, want to come with me to get Dr Owen? Eli stay here and watch Mom."

Will and Jomathan walked together, leaving El and Joyce by themselves. Joyce looked the young girl, who was held tight against herself in the hospital chair. "El, sweetie, its okay. Come here honey."

Eleven looked at Joyce suspiciously, but walked toward her. She was surprised when Joyce grabbed her hand, and squeezed. "I understand you are upset with me, but I want to let you know, your dad would be so proud of you. You've gotten taller and very pretty and you've learned so much." Joyce choked up. "And he loves you so much. I love you, El."

El started to cry, and hugged Joyce tightly as she could. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry Mama! I love you!"

Mama.

El had just called her Mama. 

Joyce hugged her tighter in her arms. "I love you too baby."