Hanahaki From Hell (Steddie + Ronance)

Call the kids

Robin and Steve's last work hours were the longest ever as they waited to be with their friends. When they finally closed shop it was like escaping prison.

"You again." Mr Wheeler sighed when he answered the door. Before he could ask if there was any other house the could watch movies at, Nancy waved them in.

"We brought snacks." Robin said and dumped her bag on the basement couch. There lie a pound of candy bars and chips.
"Wheres Eddie?" Steve asked.
"He's getting some drinks, he should be back anytime now-"
"Does someone miss me?" Eddie asked with a grin as he walked down the stairs.
"Pfft you wish." Steve shook his head, Eddie gave him a playful slap on the arm. Steve gave a glance to Eddie, like usual there was a whimsical glimmer to him. Steve enjoyed that about him, the whimsy was uplifting.

"Ready to watch?" Nancy asked.
They all piled on the the couch, with Eddie on the right followed by Steve, Nancy and Robin. Robin felt a sweat coming on as Nancy scooted in close to her. This happened all the time, her heart picked up pace when Nancy's arms brushed up against hers. Robin resented how nervous she was, especially around her friends. Nancy was different though, Robin still somewhat felt like she was performing to not annoy her and damn did she want Nancy to like her.

"Can you pass me some chips?" Nancy whispered. Robin jumped a little at the request and grabbed all the chips to offer to her. When Nancy looked down at her arm full of bags she couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Thanks." She smiled and returned her attention to the TV. Robins eyes lingered on her doll like face for a moment before also returning to the TV, completely forgetting to put the chips back.

They watched Grease (much to Steve and Eddie's dismay) without much words, only talking during the songs. Occasionally Steve or Robin would have a small coughing fit. By the end of the movie Nancy was a bit concerned about that cough. When the credits started to roll Robin started on a fit. She cluched her chest as it felt like she was coughing up sand paper. Nancy kindly patted her back as she howled in pain.

"Can someone get her a tissue?" Nancy asked and Steve jumped up to grab one. Robin coughed into the tissue and was disgusted to find something came up. In the dim light of the basement she could barely make out whatever was coming up but she felt blood dribble out of her mouth, the iron taste made it all the more dreadful.
"Crap." She hissed and started coughing again. Steve flipped on the light and they gathered around Robin to see the tissue.
"Oh my God." Nancy said seeing it herself.
"Holy shit." Eddie chimed in.
"Do we take her to a hospital-" Steve was cut off by the shock in what he saw. Robin had stopped coughing after something much larger came out. In the tissue Robin held a bloodied black flower. Robin was too winded to speak but her wide eyes said it all, she was loosing it. In closer inspection it wasn't a flower they had ever seen before. Instead of a stem it was a dark vines and the flower itself looked wilted. All of them knew, this was something from the upside down.
"I'll radio Henderson." Steve volunteered and ran to the other side of the basement to the radio set up.

Nancy offered Robin some water.
"Thanks." Robin replied, her voice was hoarse. "Why, just why is there a flower in my lung?" She held her chest. The water unfortunately burned her throat which made her cough it up. Nancy did her best to help but theres next to nothing she could do. She simply continued to pat her back.

In the process of radioing Dustin Steve started coughing, he tried to keep subtle but it was no use as Eddie was coming to check on him anyways.
"Here man go have some water." He offered to take the radio. Before Steve could hand it off such a violent pain in his chest made him drop to his knees. Eddie dropped with him. He threw an arm around Steve as he hacked up two small flowers and a pool of blood.
"Nancy can you grab a towel." Eddie called and she was quick on it. When Nancy came to help Steve, Eddie hopped on the radio.

"Dustin, cmon answer." He said trying again.
"Eddie?" Dustin said over the mic.
"Oh good." Eddie sighed, "We have some.. Problems."
"Problems?"
"Yes problems, of the upside down varity."
"Another gate."
"No, God, I don't know what it is." Eddie paused to take a look at his friends. Robin laid on the couch studying her flower while Steve tried desperately to catch his breath. "Steve and Robin, they're coughing up flowers.." He said
"Flowers, like actual flowers that's not a figure of speech right?"
"I wish it was, coughing up like very real upside down looking flowers." The line went dead for a moment.
"We'll be there in a minute, over."
"Over and out." Eddie said before cutting the line.

"Hanging in there, Harrington?" Eddie asked taking a seat beside Steve on the floor. Steve was in tears from the coughing. Steve didn't answer he was too busy trying to breathe. "Dustin's on the way." Eddie reassured. Steve nodded, he was struggling to pay attention with the on coming head ache. Before Steve knew it he was laying his head on Eddie's thigh. Eddie was encouraging his rest. The pain in Steve's chest subsided but his heart continued to bash into his ribs. Steve stayed silent and every now and then Eddie would ask if he was alright.

On the other hand, Robin was talking laps around Nancy. She went over every illness that scared her and then some.
"Robin." Nancy said softly shutting down Robins train of thoughts. "Take it easy." She reached out to place a reassuring hand on Robins arm only to find she was freezing. "Oh my God, Robin you're stone cold." Nancy reached out to touch Steve and he was frozen too.
"What does that mean?" Eddie asked,
"It's confirmation it's from the upside down." Nancy's eyebrows furrowed. "It's been a month since we've been in the upside." She said to herself. "How did this happen?"

Before she could really develop her thoughts the kids came. When Steve heard the steps on the stairs he sat up from Eddie's leg, too quick to be polite about it. Steve glanced at Eddie who had averted his gaze, Steve's eyes fell.

Dustin, Mike, Max and Lucas filed into the basement and was just a shocked when they saw the flowers.
"Ew." Max and Lucas said taking a look at the large one.
"Definitely some upside down bullshit." Mike said.
"So I take that you guys have never seen this crap either?" Steve asked.
"No, especially since it came from the lungs." Dustin said.
"So what do we do?" Robin asked.
"Research?" Max shrugged and unfortunately that seemed to be the best option.
"Well we can't do much of that right now." Eddie said,
"Tomorrow it is, until then we need to keep an eye out." Nancy replied,
"Okay, I gotta go, my head is killing me." Steve stood up with great help from Eddie,
"You can't be alone, what if you suffocate on a flower!" Dustin exclaimed.

Silence filled the room for a moment.
"You guys can stay here." Nancy offered. Robin nodded,
"Yeah, now that it was mentioned I really don't want to choke on a flower."
"If you insist." Steve said flopping down on couch.

With that the kids when back to what they were doing and Nancy and Eddie were put on nurse duties.