"Fine," Hopper ran a hand down his face. "How do I do that?"
"You can't," Bob said, shrugging. "Not unless you know BASIC."
"I... don't know what that means."
Lucas piped in, glad he finally had at least one answer. "It's a computer programming language."
Bob stared at Lucas, impressed. Hopper ignored the both of them, speaking directly to Bob. "Teach it to me."
Bob scoffed. "Shall I teach you French while I'm at it, Jim? How about a little German? How about you, Doc? You speak BASIC?"
"No," Owens sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Okay, I got this." Bob squared his shoulders, taking the flashlight from Hopper. "I got this."
Joyce finally spoke, reaching for her boyfriend. She had turned white as a sheet. "No. Bob..."
"It's okay," Bob pulled Joyce into a hug, clearly forcing a smile. "It's gonna be okay. Remember? Bob Newby-"
"Superhero," Lucas finished from the floor, remembering Will's drawing. Bob looked at him appreciatively.
"See?" Bob kissed Joyce's forehead.
Lucas stood up, resting Caroline's head back on her twin. He went to be next to Joyce, taking her hand. The tiny woman's eyes were filled with tears as she squeezed his hand.
L.S
The wait for Bob Newby to make it to the breaker room was excruciating. Joyce paced back and forth as Hopper leaned over the control panel, watching the screens closely as if waiting for them to suddenly work again. Lucas had his head in his hands, his eyes squeezed shut.
We're going to get out of here, he said to himself silently. We're going to get out of here.
He repeated it like a mantra, over and over again, trying to convince himself that if he said it enough, it would stick. It was a terrifying feeling- not knowing if you were going to be able to make it out alive.
We're going to get out of here.
The lights suddenly flickers on, plunging the room into blinding white. Lucas rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, blinking to adjust to the sudden change. Relief flooded his veins as Joyce let out a small sob and buried her face in her hands.
"He made it," Hopper said, sounding faint.
We're going to get out of here.
For the first time, Lucas actually meant it.
"Okay, Bob?" Dr. Owens leaned into the microphone on the table, tapping it. "Can you hear us?"
"Loud and clear, Doc." Bob sounded winded, his voice crackling into the room. "Can you hear me back?"
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