Barbed Wire ♚ Steve Harrington

Chapter Ten ♚ The Past

AN: Blake's outfit is the same as the last chapter.

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The last twenty minutes had gone by in a blur.

Everyone had ended up at Hawkins lab after Hopper was taken out of the tunnels and was separated before anyone could even blink. Will was being rolled down the corridor while screaming in pain, everyone rushing behind the gurney besides Joyce who was next to the bed. When in the room, the woman went to her son but was pulled back by Bob while Mike hid his head in Blake's neck.

"Will, where does it hurt?" A nurse questioned as she began cutting the boy's shirt off, the boy groaning as an answer. Dr. Owens looked at him, "He feels like he's burning. Check for burns."

Will, not being able to take it any longer, ripped the rest of his shirt off and contorted his body in pain while still screaming into the oxygen mask. Every nurse and doctor in the room started checking him for marks, only to come up short.

"Where does it hurt the most, Will?"

"Everywhere!" Will yelled as they restrained him down to the bed before injecting him with a sedative. Everyone besides Blake, who was holding her hand over her mouth in shock, was crying as the boy finally fell asleep.

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"That thing, it did something to him."

"And these... now memories, as you call them? How long has he been experiencing them?" Dr. Owens asked Joyce, "I told you, since Thursday. Since I found him in the field."

"And why haven't you brought him in?" The older woman gave them a look, "I have been bringing him in and what have you done? Nothing. Nothing!"

Dr. Owens put his hands in front of him, "These are new-"

Blake, who was in the corner of the room silent, suddenly spoke, "No, they aren't. He's been having them since Halloween night."

Mrs. Byers pointed a finger, "See? He's been telling you over and over that something is wrong. And you said it was all in his head. You said be patient, those were your words."

Blake came out of the corner, grabbing one of the doctors coffee cups on the table, taking a large gulp. The man looked at her seemingly upset as she simply flicked him off as Owens began speaking once more, "I understand that you are upset, okay, I get it. I would be too if I were in your shoes but we are all in the same boat here-"

"-All in the same boat? Did you not see him screaming out in pain? We are NOT in the same boat as him, so get your head out of your ass and help him," Blake told, slamming the mug on the table. "Okay, stay calm-"

"Stay calm!?" Joyce questioned, shaking her head. "Trust you? No, I want him transferred. To a real hospital."

"Well, you know that's not possible." Owens said before everyone started defending him and Mrs. Byers sighed, "A-a-and what are you treating him for exactly?"

The woman stood up next to Blake and put her hands on the table in front of her, angrily, "Can anyone tell me what's wrong with him? Can a single person in this room tell me what is wrong with my boy?"

The whole room was silent and Blake scoffed, looking at all of them in disgust, "What is wrong with my boy?!"

"Come on, Mrs. Byers, let's go," The teenage girl put her hands on the woman's shoulders, escorting her out of the room. Before she closed the door she turned around and spoke intensely, "Figure out what's wrong with him."

♚

After hours of pure silence that were passing slowly and nurses coming in and out to take vitals every thirty minutes, Blake had wondered off to some back room where they stored food and grabbed some snacks for everyone. She made her way back, balancing the snacks in her arms before a static noise erupted from her backpack.

Blake dropped the candy and snacks on the floor, unzipping her bag and taking out the radio that Lucas' voice was coming from, in and out. "Lucas? Dustin are you there?"

"Blake? What're-" Lucas' voice cracked before it was interrupted by Dustin, "Blake! I've been-"

The girl rolled her eyes, "Look, I can't hear you very well, we're in the lab. Something happened to Will-"

"What happened?" Steve's voice cut in causing  her brows furrow, "Steve? What-"

"No time to explain, KitKat. Dart-" The radio cut off making her curse. She tried for a few minutes, but couldn't get a signal.

She packed it away, picking up the food and made her way back to the room that the everyone was still in. When she got in, she laid out all the food on the counter next to Joyce, who smiled, and went over to Will and Mike who were asleep next to each other.

She pulled up Will's blanket to his chest, doing the same for Michael before taking off her backpack and sitting down in the unoccupied seat next to him. Blake pulled her knees to her chest, letting out a breath and wondered how they got to be where they are now.

Blake began remembering all the good times they had before they were dragged into this mess. She remembered teaching them how to play Dungeons and Dragons, taking them all to the movies for Star Wars before remembering one of the most important one of them all, the day they all met.

Blake Hopper was on her way to her first day of Hawkins High School and she was not looking forward to it. She was passing the familiar middle school, as she looked over and saw two kids picking on a boy with raven black hair.

She stopped, getting off the bike and making her way over to the situation, "Hey, assholes! What do you think you are doing?"

"Just showing these freaks what the next three years of their life are going to be like."

Blake rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, and lifting a brow, "Oh really? Well, I'm sure my Dad, the Chief of Police, would love to hear that there's a case of youth violence at this school. If you want, I could tell him? I'm sure he'd love to meet you two."

All he boys' jaws dropped and Blake let out a breath, "This is the part where you guys disappear." The bullies did as told and the girl turned to the three other boys with a smirk on her face.

"Well, I don't think they'll bother you for a little while," She laughed, holding a hand out for Mike to take. The boy took it, brushing off the back of his pants, "Thanks... I'm Mike. These are Dustin, Will, and Lucas."

"Mom?" Will questioned, waking up and pulling Blake out of her thoughts. Bob ran out of the room, getting a doctor before returning side by side with Hopper. Blake jumped out of her chair, going to her Dad and giving him a rare hug which he immediately returned.

"Hey, Sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Who's that?" Will questioned, looking over to Bob who came up besides the bed. "What?"

"It's me, Big Guy. It's Bob," He answered, going to touch Will's hand but he abruptly pulled it back. "Are you... a doctor?"

Everyone in the room shared a look of concern knowing something was wrong, "No, it's just me. Bob."