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Chapter 24

El's Home

Everyone gathered in the living room of the Byers house. They had just arrived back from their long one day trip. They watched as Hopper carry the still passed out El up to her bedroom with Joyce trailing behind. Leaving the kids alone with their thoughts.

It wasn't too long until Hopper and Joyce came back downstairs to the group in order to let El rest. Joyce looked around at the kids looking at her with hopeful eyes. Jonathan and Will stood together, while everyone else stood in there respected groups.

"Mom." Jonathan broke the silence.

Joyce just smiled hugged her sons. "She's going to be okay."

Both boys gratefully returned the hug. "We know she will, she's strong." Will spoke still in his mother's embrace.

Jonathan got out of the hug and turned to Hopper. "What are we going to do about Brenner?"

"I don't know, kid." Hopper shrugged.

"But it's only a matter of time before they figure out it was us that got El."

"I know, but right now we just need to keep an eye on her until we figure out what to do with Brenner." Hopper said turning towards the staircase to go back to El's room.

As Hopper went out of sight, everyone turned to Joyce for her input. "He's right." She nodded. "We'll keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe. But right now, we need to get you guys home. I'm sure your parents are wondering where you are."

"But what about El?" Mike asked just wanting to be there for her.

"We don't know when she will wake up." Joyce said looking at the clock which read 8:15 at night. "What if we called you when she wakes up, yeah?"

She got nods from everyone in the room.

"We can drop off the kids." Steve said pointing at himself and Robin.

"Thank you." Joyce smiled happily and went up the stairs to check on El.

"Alright guys." Steve said grabbing his keys. "Let's go."

El woke up to a different surface than what she remembered being passed out on. Maybe papa moved her back to her room? She dreamt that night for the first time in a while. A dream with Hopper saying he would help her get out of there. It was a happy dream. So happy it almost felt real. She shifted her position not wanting to open her eyes just yet and live in that dream fantasy a little while longer.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes to see a wall facing her. But in wasn't tile walls like the lab, it was a dusty pink just like her room. A dim glow came from the side of the wall, she looked and saw white fabric hanging up from the wall letting in some light.

Am I still dreaming? She wondered.

She slowly sat up in her bed and looked down to see what she was wearing. She was still in her hospital gown the lab made her wear. She looked around the room and immediately knew where she was. She was in her room.

She glanced to her right and knew that it wasn't a dream at all, because there was Hopper asleep on her desk chair.

She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Hop?" She whispered since her voice it was still hoarse from all of the screaming.

Hopper stirred for a minute before he fully woke up to see El awake and on the verge of tears.

"Hey." He said moving so he could sit next to El on her bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she silently cried in his shoulder. The time said that it was 8 in the morning, meaning that Joyce should be making breakfast. "How about you change and then we can get some food and see everyone else?"