Stranger Things: Strange Encounters - The Final Fight

Epilogue: The Life Within

Leaving Wayne on his own felt awful but I knew we couldn't stay there. We returned the van to him and then Dustin and I made our way back by busing it and walking. We made it back to Nancy's where we found her, Robin, Max and Lucas outside by Nancy's car, loading it with old things to donate.
"Hey, you're back." Robin said to us.
"Yep. All done." I sighed. She gave me a sorry look and rubbed my back. I was happy to have such supportive friends in this heartbreaking time.
"Nancy! You forgot one!" said Mrs Wheeler as she came out of the house holding an extra box. Nancy gasped and picked up a soft toy rabbit from the box.
"Oh, Mr Rabbit!"
"You can keep him if you want, you know?" smiled Mrs Wheeler.
"No, he'd be much more loved in another home. Thanks." said Nancy as she took the box off of her. Suddenly, a car horn beeped from down the street which made us all look. Coming towards us, was a yellow Surfer Boy Pizza van. We didn't have Surfer Boy Pizza in Hawkins?
"Did someone order pizza?" asked Lucas. The van came right in and pulled up in Nancy's driveway. We all stood there, confused, until the van door slid open. I felt like I had frozen in time as four people stepped out of the van. Jonathan, Will, Mike and El stood before us.
"El!" I shouted as I saw her. El and I ran together and collided with a tight hug. Mike ran to to Mrs Wheeler whilst Jonathan and Nancy came together in a deep embrace. Max, Lucas and Dustin welcomed Will with open arms.
"Awh, look at this, family reunion." said the guy with really long, black hair who was driving the van.
"I can't believe it's you!" I said, pulling El away but still holding on to her.
"I'm back." she smiled. I looked up at her buzz cut head.
"What...what happened to your hair?" I asked.
"I've become a superhero again, Beth." she said, grabbing both of my hands and holding them. I looked at her with a confused expression and then it came to me. She had gotten her powers back.
"I'm so glad you're safe." I smiled at her. She looked down at my hands and spotted the ring. She then looked back up at me with wide eyes.
"You're engaged?" she asked. That's when I felt my heart become heavy. She didn't know. I looked at her with a sorry expression and she clocked on quickly.
"El!" said Max as she came over. She grabbed El for a hug whilst the boys came over to join us.
"Where's Steve and Imogen?" Mike asked us.
"They're...oh god...you don't know." replied Lucas. Will and Mike looked at Dustin who had a very glum look on his face.
"What happened?" asked Will.
"She's at the hospital. They both are." said Max. I looked at El who had a certain type of look on her face. It wasn't shock like the others but it was as if she already knew.
"Who's at the hospital?" asked Johnathan as him and Nancy joined us.
"Imogen...with Steve." I replied.
"Can we go see her?" asked Will.
"We've got to take some things to the families." said Lucas.
"I'll take you broski's to the hospital." said the man with long hair.
"Who...who are you?" Nancy asked.
"Argyle. I met these cool dudes whilst they were road tripping for superhero girl." Argyle smiled.
"He helped us get El back." said Mike.
"If you want to go with them to the hospital, Nancy, we don't mind sorting this." said Robin.
"Yeah, we've got it. Go see Imogen." said Max.
"Thank you." Nancy replied. Robin, Max and Lucas decided to help out with the people of Hawkins whilst El, Dustin, Nancy, Jonathan, Mike, Will and I decided to hop into Argyle's van and head to the hospital to visit Imogen and Steve.

In the van, Nancy tried to explain to Jonathan that it wasn't an earthquake that shook Hawkins but Jonathan explained that he already knew and that they all knew a lot more than we thought they did. After arriving at the hospital, Argyle stayed in the van to wait for us as we all made our way inside. We headed to the ward Imogen was kept on and went straight to her room. Walking in, her door was open and that's when we saw Steve sat beside Imogen's bed, holding her hand. She was in a coma with her arm and both her legs in casts. Steve looked up and saw us all walk in.
"Oh...hi." said Steve with pain in his voice. He had tear stains on his cheeks. He stood himself up and came over to us. He looked at El, Mike, Will and Jonathan and nodded. "It's good to see you all back."
"How is she?" El asked him.
"She's alive but she's stuck in a coma. The doctors don't know when she'll wake up...if she ever will." started Steve. He turned to look at her resting body. "She died. Her heart stopped for over a minute but, for some reason, she came back. They say it's a miracle." I looked over at El who had the same look on her face, as if she knew something we didn't. Mike turned to look at her, as if he was wondering something about El. El and I headed over to Imogen's bed side. She looked peaceful. El grabbed Imogen's hand.
"I'm here." she whispered to her. El then closed her eyes as if she was trying to see something. I watched as El seemed to go into some sort of focus. Was she trying to travel into Imogen's mind? Was Imogen still really here with us?
A few moments passed and El opened her eyes with a tear streaming down her cheek.
"Are you okay?" I asked her. She looked at me with sadness. I knew something was wrong.
"I want to go home." El said to me. She almost sounded defeated. I looked at her and nodded. We both hadn't been home, well, to Hopper's cabin in a long time. I think we needed it.
"I'm going to stay here with my sister and Steve." said Dustin.
"You sure, buddy?" Steve asked.
"Of course. I want to be here." Dustin replied.
"Look after each other." Nancy said to them both. Steve nodded his head at her as they began to turn away and exit the room. As I went to follow, Steve grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Beth." Steve started. "I'm so sorry."
"I know. I am too, Steve." I replied to him. He gave me a small grin and then let go of arm. "I'll see you soon." I said to them both.
"See you, Beth." said Dustin. I watched them both head to either side of Imogen's bed and sit with her before I followed the others. We were feeling the pain of losing a loved one, except I couldn't even physically see Eddie anymore.