Mileven One-Shots

Save Me

(TRIGGER WARNING: depression, attempted suicide)
(Characters aged up to 17, so they are 17 following the events of season 3 instead of 14 in this one.)
(Requested by W-WRITER69. Hope you enjoy it!!:))

El was not managing well without Hopper. She really missed him. Every night she dreamt of him. But they weren't nice dreams-they were nightmares. Night after night of interrupted sleep. She'd wake up, frozen with fear, and stare at the ceiling until her consciousness reminded her of where she was. Then she'd fall back asleep, but when she woke in the morning, she didn't feel any better rested. She was always tired, no matter how much sleep she got.

Then there was the crying. She never showed anyone she was sad. She'd cry herself to sleep, get though her nightmares, and then get up all cheerful in the morning. Pretending to be, of course.

It was a cold winter Sunday afternoon, and El was sitting in the living room watching a movie with Will. The phone rang, and Will and El both just glanced towards it. They weren't interested in answering it. Joyce rolled her eyes and got up from the table.

"Hello?"
"Yea, she's here."
"Okay, just a second."

Joyce turned to El and held the phone out.

"It's Mike," she said. El tossed her blanket off and scrambled to the phone.

"Mike!" She said. She stepped around the corner into the office and shut the door.

"Hey El! I just...I really missed the sound of your voice," Mike said. El's lip quivered immediately and she looked up at the ceiling as she held tears back.

"I miss you too," she said.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"Okay..." she said. She'd been telling him that a lot lately. One word answers of how her days were.

"El...talk to me," he said.

"There isn't anything to talk about...I'm okay," she said. But tears started to roll down her cheeks. She cried quietly, and Mike knew something was up. So when El left and went back to the couch with Will, Mike spoke with Joyce privately.

"Yea, I've had her seeing a therapist. He says she's extremely depressed. She's on a pretty high dosage of antidepressants and she's super tired all the time, but she doesn't sleep. She's having a very hard time without...Hopper. She cries out his name in her sleep. And then when she's awake I hear her mumbling his name. And yours. I shouldn't have brought her here," Joyce said with a sigh. She stayed quiet when she said Hop's name. The sound of it made El cry.

"She's going to have a complete breakdown sometime...I want to be there for her. I just...tell her I love her so much, and I will be there as soon as possible," Mike said. Of course they'd said I love you before El got off the phone, but he needed her to know. She needed to be reminded any time possible.

"I will. I've got to go start dinner, but I'll keep you updated. Talk to you later, Mike," she said. She hung up the phone and went to the living room.

"Did you talk to Mike?" El asked.

"Yes I did. And he wanted me to remind you that he loves you very much and he will be here as soon as possible," Joyce said. El nodded and hugged the teddy bear he gave her for Valentine's Day close to her. She needed him.

"I'm going to start supper," Joyce said gently. Will and El nodded. Jonathan was hidden away in his room, studying for his final exam for college.

"You can talk to me, you know. I know I'm not Mike but...I am here for you," Will said. El nodded and leaned her head on Will's shoulder. She appreciated him making an effort, but it wasn't the same as having Mike. Or if she had Hopper.