𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐭

xii. DOCUMENTS

Charles couldn't really comprehend what was happening, he couldn't even think straight but all he knew was now he was rushing down the hall of Hawkins Lab along side with Bob, Joyce and Mike, who was holding his hand. The screams in pain, the cries coming from Will broke his heart. He wished all this suffering and pain could stop.

"Vitals?" Came from one of the women as Mike and Charles stood at the end of the bed, Mike had both arms around Charles, holding him back sort of. "Heart rate 220. Temperature's 106." The other ladies said as the nurse leans over.

"Will? Where does it hurt?" She saked the boy who was still screaming in pain. It was getting harder to watch for Charles as he grabbed Mike's arm, holding it tightly in his hand. "All over." Will groaned out. "She says he feels like he's burning. Check for burns." The doctor beside her says.

They start to cut open Will's sweater, checking for burns but seeing none. "I don't see anything." The ER doctor says. "Where does it hurt the most, Will?" She asked the boy who was still screaming. "Everywhere! Everywhere!" He yells as Mike holds onto Charles more tighter who turns to him.

Later after Will was fine, Charles started to get tired as he was under a blanket next to Mike, he leans his head onto Mike's shoulder. "You can sleep for a bit if you want." Mike tells him.

Charles was gonna sleep, but then the door opened and he stood up instantly, walking over as his mom walked in. "Mom." He said before rushing into her arms, wrapping his arms around his mother. "Oh, honey.." Sarah whispered, hugging her son tightly, glancing at Will once.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked as she pulled back, holding Charles' head in her hands. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay, mom.." He whispers as he puts his hands to her arms and she sighed, nodding. "I was worried." She whispers then kisses his forehead.

"I'm okay, mom." He repeated with a small smile. "I just spent the night at Will's and I didn't think you'd worry, I thought you had a late shift again.. I'm sorry for making you worry." He said with a small frown on his face and she sighs.

She kisses his forehead again, "you don't ever have to apologize for being an amazing friend, being there for Will. Especially now... Charleston, you're a great friend, and I'm so happy you're okay and not hurt." She said then proceeded to hug him again, which he wasn't again, he hugs back. He needed a hug, and so did she. He knew they did.

The next morning, Charles woken up to his head on Mike's shoulder again, both of them underneath the same blanket as Joyce, Bob and Sarah spoke. He stays quiet, pretending he was still asleep as he listened in on their conversation.

"They made me sign, like, a thousand documents. I mean.. we all had to. We had to. I mean, I lost track at a certain point." Joyce explained to Bob as Sarah nodded. "And they're gonna make you do the same thing. I'm sure they will." Sarah said and Bob looks at the two women, nodding.

"Yeah, well, hey, whatever." He says as he looks at Sarah then at Joyce. "What kind of documents?" He then asked and Joyce thinks for a moment. "Uh, confidentiality, and these were these official forms saying, like, nothing ever happened, which is why.." Joyce trailed off as Bob turns away, towards Will. "Will got lost in the woods." He says.

"Yeah." Joyce says as Sarah looks at Bob, searching his face for his reaction, any reaction. "Man, I always thought stuff like this happened in movies and comic books. Certainly not in Hawkins and certainly not to someone like you." Bob says as he turns to face Joyce again.

"Or you." Joyce says and Bob looks away. "Yeah. Bob Newby, superhero." He said then chuckled lightly making Sarah smile at that. "You cold?" Joyce asked him when she noticed his hands shaking. "Uh, just a little jitters, I guess." He says.

Then he looks at her, "hey, don't you start worrying about me. Okay? I'm fine." He tells her and Sarah smiled. They were pretty cute. "It's not like you didn't warn me. This is not a normal family. Isn't that what you said?" Bob asked.

"Yeah," Joyce said and Sarah reached out, rubbing her shoulder gently as Bob chuckled. "You weren't kidding." He says and Joyce sighs. "It makes my idea of moving to Maine sound a little less crazy, right?" He said and Sarah looks at him.

"Maine?" She asked, sounding alerted, which Charles was too, as his eyebrows furrow together. "That's a great idea, Bob. It'd be good for you, Joyce and the boys." Sarah said with a nod, smiling slightly. "I mean, it's not crazy.. But what about Charles and Will?" Joyce whispers to Sarah.

Charles tensed at that, but then something else caught his attention. "Mom?" The adults all look over to the boy who was awake now. "Hey." Joyce says, setting her coffee down.

Bob runs out to get a doctor as Charles sat up, awake now as he moves closer to the hospital bed. "Sweetie, how you feeling? You okay?" Joyce asked as Charles went to the other side of the bed with his mom. "Okay, they're on their way." Bob said as he ran back into the room.

"Hey." Bob says with a smile at Will. "Who is that?" Will asked and Charles' eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "What?" Joyce says softly. "It's me, big guy. It's Bob." Bob said and reached out for Will's hand but the boy moves his away.

Charles looks at his mom with worry who rubs his shoulder, also worried. "Are you a.." Will trailed off before looking at what Bob was wearing. "Doctor?" He then asked. "No. No, it's just me. Just.. just Bob." Bob said, still staying positive with a small smile.

authors note "and if you need to reach me again.. don't." what a big mood lmao