XIV

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"...because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it had been when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass."

     Richie bounced awkwardly in his chair as the Losers sat, looking over at Bill.

     "Juh-Georgie's alive," Bill whispered. He glanced up. "He's a-a-alive, and stuck in th-that lab, and p-probably so sc-sc-sc-scared and- we c-c-can't just luh-leave him there."

     "What're we gonna do," Richie said abruptly. "Just . . . sneak into that fucking fortress of a laboratory?"

     Bill turned towards him. "Yes."

     Richie felt his heart begin to race. "It wouldn't work. They'd get us- they'd probably kill us."

     "Bill's right," Stan stood up, shaking slightly. "If his brother's in there . . . we have a chance to save someone. We can't ignore it."

     Richie turned desperately to Beverly. "Bev-"

     "Richie. His brother is in there. I don't know about you, but I'd do the same thing."

     They looked at Mike, who shrugged. "Better than staying here for another 3 years. I'm in."

     "Eh-Eh-Eddie," Bill began. "You d-don't have t-t-to go. I knuh-know you spent . . ." He fell silent, and Richie took a shaky breath. Eddie had spent years in that lab. Going back there for him would be . . . Richie couldn't even imagine . . .

     "No, I- I can go," Eddie whispered.

     Richie stood up, looking at them plaintively.

     "Y-y-you don't have to guh-go, Ri-Ri-Richie," Bill said.

     "It's not me I'm worried about." That's what they think? They think I'd just abandon them? I don't want anyone to go!

     How could he live with himself if Bev or- or-

     (eddie)

     any of them died? And if they went there, if they got caught, they were all as good as

     (like mom dead like mom dead like dad dead like-)

     dead.

     "I need to think," he choked out, then hurried outside. 

     The pouring rain drenched him immediately, fogging up his glasses, but he didn't care. All he could think about was the vision that swam in and out of focus in his mind

    (mom wake up wake up wake up)

     and the image of the others with the same gaping bullet hole as his parents,

     (dead dead dead dead)

     a pool of blood surrounding them.

     (my fault my fault)

     (stop)

     Richie pushed his glasses up, pressing his hands against his eyes. A small part of him whispered that he'd only known these people for a day or two, but.

     But did it really matter? He already felt as though he'd known them for a lifetime. He cared about them.

     Richie heard the door open and close behind him. Turning around, he saw Eddie move towards him.

     "Oh. Hey," he said, hugging his arms in.

     "Hi," Eddie replied, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

     Richie snorted at the absurdity of the question. "Gee, I dunno, Eds, maybe the fact that we're about to go off on a suicide mission?"

     "It's not-" Eddie sighed. "You don't have to go."

     "Fuck, Eds, of course I do. If you idiots are going then of course I'm coming too." Richie took a deep shuddering breath. "And- and what- when we do go- you're just going back in that- hellhole? How will you stand that?"

     "I don't know," Eddie shrugged, kicking a pebble across the road. "I don't know! But I was lucky. I escaped. Bill's brother didn't, and I can't just not do anything."

     Shivering in the rain, Eddie leaned against him. Richie pushed a thought

     (god he's so cute why is he so cute)

     out of his mind. You've known him for less than two days. Just. Calm down.

     They walked back inside, Richie's thoughts racing. Half of him still desperately wanted to try to talk them out of their plan, but the other half whispered that he couldn't. And he knew they were right. They couldn't let Georgie just stay in the laboratory.

     Everyone's eyes were on Richie as he and Eddie awkwardly sat back down, wrapping a blanket around each other. Richie cleared his throat.

     "So. What's the plan?"

A/N: The last two chapters have been a bit on the short side, sorry.

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