𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙶𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝙷𝚞𝚛𝚝

𝟶𝟸𝟾

AUGUST 1985

Steve sat outside the Henderson household, tapping his steering wheel anxiously. The AC was on full blast, and 'Holding Out for a Hero' was playing over the radio. Fine, it wasn't the radio. It was the first song on a long mixtape that Steve made for Stephanie. He always kept it in the cassette slot of his dashboard, waiting for the day he could finally give it to her. Steve tapped his foot against the floor of his car and looked at his watch. He grew impatient as he honked the horn.

"Where is that little shit?" Steve mumbled to himself, his eyes not moving from their front door. Stumbling out the door, Dustin threw his backpack over his shoulder as he slammed his front door shut. He ran across his front lawn and flung open the door to the passenger's side.

"Sorry," Dustin huffed, catching his breath in the humid summer air. "I couldn't find my other shoe." Dustin placed his bag on his lap as Steve began to drive away.

"Yeah, well, because of you, I have even less time cuz I have to be at work." Steve huffed, driving across town, passing his current place of work, where Robin was most likely waiting.

"Dude, chill. It's not like we're not there every day." Dustin commented, digging through his backpack. "And it's not like anything changes anyway. It's always the same each time we go." Dustin mumbled, his eyes not moving from his backpack.

"Yeah, but still, and who knows, maybe today will be the day something does change." Steve's gaze shifted off the road for a moment, looking a the boy curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for the Three Musketeers that I got yesterday." Dustin laughed triumphantly as he pulled the candy bar out of his bag, unwrapping it almost immediately. Steve didn't respond, his body filled with the sinking feeling he always got when he pulled into the parking lot. The teen pulled into a spot with ease and turned the car off.

"Let's go Gumbo," Steve hopped out of the car as Dustin did the same.

"For the millionth time, it's Gumby."

"Yeah, don't think so."

The two walked into the air-conditioned building. A building the two had become increasingly familiar with in the past month. The boys walked up to the front desk, smiling at the lady who sat behind it, also familiar with her.

"Morning boys." The lady at the front desk smiled at the boys, she's seen the two of them so often that her heart ached a little more each time they showed up. "You know the drill." The woman slid a clipboard across the desk, along with a pen and both boys signed it and put down the time they walked in.

"Any updates?" Dustin asked the woman, hoping to hear something, anything different. She smiled sadly at the boys, taking the clipboard back.

"Sorry, dear, same as it's been since she got here." The boys nodded and mumbled a quick 'thank you' before walking down the hall, having made the walk millions of times before.

Room 115.

Steve took a deep breath before opening the door slowly. As often as both boys visited, the worst part was always opening the door. It had been almost 2 months since they started visiting and each time everything looked the same. It looked like the room was frozen in time, unmoving and unchanging and that hurt more than anything else. Steve and Dustin walked in silently as Steve pulled up a chair and Dustin hopped up onto the foot of the bed.

"Hey Steph," Steve took the girl's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb carefully across her knuckles, being cautious of the IV in her hand. "I brought your little shithead brother. Who was running late, as usual." Steve didn't always come with Dustin, sometimes it was Nancy or Jonathan and other times it was Robin. Once in a while, he would even bring Mike, Lucas, Max, El, and Will along with Dustin, but Steve was always there. Waiting.

"I told you I was sorry," Dustin smacked his arm in annoyance, but sadly Steve was his only mode of transportation so he had to live with it. Their mother visited in the beginning, begging the nurses to let her stay nights but as time went on, it hurt her too much to go, until she stopped going altogether. Nonetheless, she always called the hospital for updates.

The room fell into silence quickly, neither boy knowing what to say. Every time they saw Stephanie, it hurt a little more. The endless bandages, tubes, and needles made the blonde look like something out of Frankenstein. The only thing that hurt more than seeing Stephanie, was the uncertainty that came with it, neither of them knew if she would wake up and that feeling was eating them alive. Stephanie had been in a coma for a little over a month and the only silver lining was that her wounds were slowly healing, meaning that her body was functioning enough to help itself heal. At least that's what everyone told themselves.

"Uh, I start school in a week. First day of high school. Mom's freaked out beyond compare. As usual." Dustin mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers as he looked between his older sister and the linoleum floor. The boys told Stephanie everything, even though they knew that she couldn't hear anything. Dustin hated telling Stephanie things that she should already know, like when both of them start school or how their mother was doing, but it was the only thing keeping him sane. He needed his big sister more than ever, and she wasn't there.

It was Dustin's first day of high school and she wasn't going to be there. It was supposed to be the only year where they were both in the same school and it was supposed to be just like the movies. The kind where Stephanie would drive the two to school and threaten that if he even comes near her he'll regret it but then she'll save the day when he would inevitably get bullied by some senior. All of those trashy high school movies were supposed to come true in a week, but instead, Dustin was sitting at the foot of his sister's hospital bed, unaware if the girl would ever wake up.

❀❀❀❀❀

Steve opened the front door to Family Video, groaning as the little bell rang above the door and it shut behind him. He hated working, he hated greeting customers who wanted nothing to do with him. The only fun parts were when it was just him and Robin screwing around in the store or when one of the kids came in looking for a movie they were way too young to watch, but Steve would always turn a blind eye.

"Welcome to Family Video, how can I-" Robin recited the little intro she had drilled into her brain but stopped as she noticed who came through the doors. "Oh hey, dingus. How's Steph?"

"Same as always." It was Monday so the store was empty, and would be for the rest of the day. "I hate to say it, but Robin what if-" He hated himself for thinking it, but the thought hadn't left his head for two months. "What if she doesn't wake up?" His eyes fell to the floor, knowing the exact look that his best friend was giving him.

"Steph's one hell of a fighter, Steve. You know that. She survived this long, she'll wake up. It's just a matter of time." Robin placed a hand on his shoulder and shoved his Family Video branded vest into his chest. "Now let's get to work to keep your mind off of it. I'll even let you pick the movie." Steve looked over at her and smiled. They always had a movie playing on the TV that they had facing the counter. Something they could watch if the store was empty.

"Fast Times," Steve challenged, jumping over the counter and grabbing the VHS from off the shelf. Robin groaned as she watched him.

"You just wanna watch it for the boobs." Robin chuckled, watching as Steve fumbled to put the movie into the TV.

"You do too, don't lie," Steve responded, pointing a finger at her as the movie started up.

"God, you really are a dingus. I'll grab the popcorn." Robin went into the back of the store to make some All-American microwaved popcorn.

A/N: I know this is short but I just wanted to add a little bit in between to add some clarification. I might add another one that would take place closer to season 4!!
Hope you all enjoy it!!