Stand by Us || Reddie [COMPLETED]

chapter 24

ADULT EDDIE NARRATING:

[Fear. That was something I had felt all my life. All the time. Everything around me scared the shit out of me so much I had to take pills for nearly everything at a very young age. My mom, Sonia, made me feel unsafe all time without even knowing why but that's how things were. I never felt brave or courageous and, like my destiny, I accepted and obeyed my mom's orders.

After all, she might had been right.

But everything changed when Richie first appeared in my life. I remember it so clearly like we were always meant to be. I'm not going to describe that here because that's one moment we share together that we prefer to keep to ourselves, even though, I would love to write it down somewhere. Maybe I will. It's just that there are some things I don't want to ever forget.

That day means the world to me and has always been my safe space when I feel terrified or unprotected. This is why, after those nurses dragged me away from him when I was at the conversion therapy camp, is the only thing I can remember to think about.

I just closed my eyes and went there. Back to my childhood. Back to my best life.]

///

"He needs a higher dosis. He is responding back."

Eddie kept breathing deeply as he found himself tied up to a stretcher. His body was paralyzed but he couldn't figure out if it was because of his fear or some weird medicine the nurses had gave to him before.

The room started to became blurry as well as the women's faces. His asthma was getting worse by the seconds but none of them seemed to care about it.

"Try this." she handed a syringe to her partner.

Eddie tried to fight back but he was feeling so weak he couldn't even keep his eyes open for a long time.

"Stop! Do not fucking touch me!"

"This will help you, Edward. It's your new medicine."

"No! Please! I will behave but please get that away from me!"

Another nurse whispered something to the one carrying the syringe and Eddie looked at them, hopefully. He wished she had told her to stop or let him go but, deep down, Eddie knew such a thing wouldn't happen.

As the syringe got closer, he realized how big it was and his fear increased. He shook his head while he begged her to stop but it didn't work.

"I'm sorry we have to do this to you, Edward." the nurse said once the injection made contact with the boy's skin. "You really seemed like a nice boy."

"I will change..." he cried out. "Don't kill me, please..."

The woman looked down, sadly.

"It's not my decision. I'm just a pawn. I'm sure God will take care of your soul."

Tears showed up Eddie's face but the nurse ignored them and did her job. Eddie shut his eyes wide and sobbed while he felt the syringe getting inside his skin and touch his vein.

"You will be fine, Edward."

But before she could inject him the liquid, the door opened wide revealing Stanley's figure.

"Get the fuck off him, bitches!" he ordered them as he ran towards the nurses.

Because of his childhood years practicing athleticism, he ran incredibly fast and stopped the nurse with the syringe before she could inject anything to Eddie. Stanley thew her to the floor and glanced at the rest of them running away like scared chickens. He whistled loudly and the rest of the Losers Club reunited there and smiled at Eddie.