There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

SEVENTY FOUR

Looking down, Steve finally took note of his own wounds. "Well, they took about a pound of flesh. But other than that, yeah, never better."

"Cat, what about you?" Nancy asked, placing a gentle hand just next to her collarbone. The girl shrugged her shoulders, head falling onto Steve's chest. Exhaustion was taking over now that the fear fuelled adrenaline was wearing off.

"Here." Eddie said, throwing a jacket over to them. Steve caught it, holding on to it for Catherine. "You left it in the boat when you got dragged in." Cat nodded at him, smiling in thanks. She grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt, ripping a large chunk off. With Nancy's help, she managed to tie it over the wound in her collarbone.

"Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin asked, kneeling down over a dead bat, inspecting it with the torch Steve had dropped when he had been pulled through the gate. Cat raised a curious eyebrow at her, shrugging on her father's old jacket. She rolled up the sleeves, not wanting the material to catch on the large cut that resided on her arm.

"What?" Steve asked as the group turned to look at Robin.

"It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear." She elaborated, standing up. "And I think we should get the two of you to a doctor like really soon because once symptoms set in, its too late. You're already dead."

"Thanks for that, Robin." Cat sighed. "Very helpful indeed." A sudden loud shrieking caught their attention and they all looked to the left, spotting a small swarm of bats flying towards them. Steve gently moved Cat so she was standing behind him as Robin and Eddie quickly moved closer to the other three. Steve held his arms up protectively, preparing for another attack- though this time there wasn't one. The bats swooped down to the gate, landing in a circle around the edge of it- blocking the group's only exit.

"All right. There's not that many." Steve observed. "We can take 'em. Right?"

Robin shook her head in disagreement. "Not with the injuries you and Cathy have." She whispered. "We'd be outnumbered in seconds." Just as the words left her mouth, another set of loud shrieks sounded from the sky. The young adults turned, eyes widening in shock and fear at the even larger swarm of bats that was now flying their way.

Panicked, Nancy looked around at their surroundings. "The woods." She said, tapping Steve's arm to catch his attention. "Come on."

"Great." Robin sighed as the group took off running, Cat holding onto Steve's arm as pain shot through her leg. "More running."

***

Crouched under the Upside Down's version of Skull Rock, the five watched fearfully as the swarm of bats flew over their hiding spot. Cat bit the inside of her cheek, terrified that the creatures- or something worse- would find them and do more than just bite at their flesh. Thunder rumbled and the red lightning continued to light up the dark sky as eventually the shrieking of the bats faded away.

"Oh... Okay." Robin breathed out, slowly leading the gang out from under the rock. "That was close."

"Yeah." Eddie agreed. "Too close."

Steve stood up, wobbling slightly before falling against one of the large rocks. "Oh, sh... shit."

Cat's face contorted in worry as she spun to face him. "Stevie? Babe, you don't look so good." She stepped forward, wrapping a gentle arm around him as she helped him to sit down.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He insisted, pushing away her hands once she had sat him on the ground, his back leaning against the rock.

Cat frowned as she knelt next to him. "You don't have to pretend around me, Stevie." She whispered. "It's okay to admit when you don't feel fine."