Flayed Experiment

10) Of Questions And Answers (Part 2)

"Ok, so Billy has come to the agreement that he will give this whole thing another shot," Joyce said once everyone was back in the room.

"Great, because we found a way to get Billy to talk," Lucas said.

El shook her head. "Not talk, write."

"Yeah, what she said."

"That sounds like a good idea," Joyce said with a praising nod "Would you be ok with trying that, honey?" She asked as she turned to Billy.

The blond teen squinted before slowly nodding his head. Dustin whooped and high-fived Mike and Lucas before sauntering off down the hallway towards Will's room.

Steve tilted his head and watched the younger boy walk off and disappear around the corner. "Why is he going down there?"

"My notepad is in there," Will answered with a small sigh.

Sounds of rummaging through draws could be heard from the small room before Dustin returned with a rather large-looking notepad and black pen in hand. He placed them down on the table before Billy and gave an expectant wave down at the items.

"Ok, do your thing," he said.

Billy looked down at the notepad and pen before picking them up. He fumbled the pen between his fingers, passing it from hand to hand, getting a good feel of the thing. It felt odd in his hands. He could picture the Doctors and Nurses with them jotting down notes. He grimaced heavily, brow creasing with the struggle to not dash the pen away from him in disgust.

"Uh...Hargrove?"

Billy sighed and ducked his head before flipping through the notepad to a page that wasn't covered in drawings, once finding one he quickly scribbled down on the paper in as neat a handwriting as he could muster.

Ask away.

It reads. He turned the notepad for everyone else in the room to see.

"Perfect, let's get this on a role then," Hopper said. "What can you tell us about the night you were possessed? when did it happen?"

"Flayed" Dustin interjects, correcting Hopper.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes!"

"Dustin, buddy." Eddie claps the younger boy on the back. Dustin turns to face him. "Stop talking." He says with an unimpressed look and Dustin huffs before visibly deflating and shutting up. Eddie flashes Hopper a thumbs up. Hopper gave him a thankful look before turning his gaze back to Billy.

Possessed?

The newly written word said, just the single word and a question mark.

"Yes, when the mind flayer had you under its control." Lucas summed up. "You know... when you almost killed us all?"

What are you talking about? I've never even met most of you before.

"You...what?" Max tilted her head to the side, perplexed. "W-what do you mean you've never met most of us?" she asked, her voice thick with concern.

Whispers could be heard all around the room. Billy was looking at the red-headed girl's expression, her face twisted with worry and disbelief, maybe even anger, he just couldn't place why. She had no reason to look at him in that way, he hadn't said anything unusual or obscene. He was being honest, they know this...well, at least they should.