Colors and Promises-Mileven Stories

That Night

Hey, so starting our kind of dark. Trigger warnings for hospitals, etc. I'm trying my best but it will probably be bad, bye. -Claire❤️🦕

(El had just closed the gate)
Steve drove them home that night. In the cold crisp air of Hawkins, Indiana. Mike looked out of the rusty car's window at the darkness that lingered on the other side. "What if she wasn't coming back?" He asked himself. "I should have held her closer." He told himself. His worry was that she would be forced to sacrifice her self once more for their greater good. He felt a tear trickle down his face. He fiddled and played with his hands. Until he found himself speaking aloud.
"I hope El is alright." He said. "Me too." Lucas responded. He contemplated making fun of Mike's affections for the girl, but he figures it was no time for that. Max looked over, remembering how El was not to fond of her. Lucas put his hand on hers sending her tension. "You like her, don't you?" Steve said, using his mirror to look at a fidgeting Mike. He stayed silent. Letting his facial expression speak for itself. "She's super sweet, and she's pretty too. I mean she's the prettiest girl I've ever met. And she is super strong and brave. And-" Mike was cut off. "She'll be alright Mike. She'll be alright." Dustin reassured. Mike nodded. He hoped it was true.

An hour later..

The rest of the party and Steve say impatiently as they awaited the arrival of two of their closest friends. And then head lights in the drive way. It was Jonathan's car. Mike ran out, and Joyce greeted him. Slightly disappointed that it wasn't his El, but glad to see them too. "He's ok, and with a little rest he'll be back on his feet." Joyce reassured, still a bit frantic from the recent events. The monster was out of him. Jonathan brought him in and laid him down in his bed. Mike came by to say hi, he didn't want to wake him though. And just as he was leaving, "Becoming friends was the best thing that's ever happened to me to." He recalled the questioning from the time before. Mike ran back in and gave him a hug. "Mom told me that I would finally get to meet Eleven, that she closed the gate." He said smiling. "Yeah, she's pretty amazing. I'm excited for you to meet her." Will noticed the look in his eye when he talked about her, he looked genuinely happy for the first time all year. But he was also nervous, that Will would never get to meet Eleven. That he was lying to himself.
And then the phone rang.
Hopper had taken El to the hospital because she had passed out after closing the gate. Her limbs were weak, and she was struggling a bit to breathe on her own.
"Mike, can you come here for just a second." Joyce pulled him aside to sit at the kitchen table. She could tell he was nervous. "Was that Hopper, is El on her way home?" He said trying to be optimistic. "Honey, Hopper took El to stay at the hospital for a little bit. She is having some..problems after she closed the gate." Joyce continued to talk, not completely noticing that Mike was no longer paying attention. He had blanked out over his fear, the world seemed to pause. "Can I see her." He asked his face had gone pale, his palms had started to sweat. And he bounced his leg aggressively trying to release the buried tension that built up inside. Joyce nodded. She didn't want to leave Will alone in the house, and he wasn't quite well enough to walk on his own yet. So Jonathan and Nancy opted to take the party over to the hospital.
Mike explained to them what had happened after she had closed the gate. Struggling to mutter each word. Nancy put her hand on his leg. "It's going to be alright, ok Mike." She said. Her soothing words helped a little but he was still struggling to stay calm.

At the hospital..

Nancy used the hospital phone to call their parents, who now also were on their way. As Jonathan and Mike approached the desk. "Jane Hopper." Jonathan stated, as his mother had told him to. The lady nodded, "Room 213, walk straight then turn right." She smiled. And Mike ran down the hall way like a maniac. Until he approached the room. Jonathan who was seconds behind him. "Man you aught to join to track team bud." He said out of breathe. Mike awkwardly smiled, definitely not in the mood for laughing.
The rest of the party waited in the waiting room with Nancy. Since Hopper had heard and seen how important they were to each other first hand. He decided to give them some alone time.
"You ready?" Jonathan asked. Mike slightly nodded eyes to the ground. Jonathan put his hand on Mike's shoulder and opened the door. To reveal a pale, semi conscious girl laying in a hospital gown with Oxygen tubes in her nose. Hopper day in a chair watching her deeply. "El?" Mike asked nervously. "Mike?" She responded. He rushed towards her. Rapping his arms around her, gently and getting down on his knees to be level to her. "We'll give you two some privacy." He smiled at Mike. Mike could see a little cautiousness in his eyes. And a few tear stains. Mike nodded.
Hopper knew that Mike would protect his daughter at all costs, just as he would. And with that Jonathan and Hopper moved their conversation into the hall way.
Mike held both of her hands. "I-I closed the ga-gate. Ma-maybe the the monsters can leave us al-alone now." El said struggling a bit to complete her thought. Mike giggled through his tears. "Yes you did, and I'm so proud of you." He said as a soft tear falling near his smile. "She was back, she was back in his arms" he thought. El used her right hand, the hand that had her IV in it, to wipe the single tear of of Mike's face and rest her hand there. Mike thought about how El even sick and hurt was so strong and beautiful. "Will, you know Will?" Mike asked. "Yes." El responded. "Well he really wants to meet you. So when you get to come home, I'll take you over there." El smiled. She had the most gorgeous smile in Mike's eyes. She loved how excited he was for her to meet his close friend.
"Daddy?" El spoke loudly. "Yes, sweetheart." Hopper came into the room once again. "Can the rest of my friends come in now?" Everyone in the room giggled. "Yes." He nodded. She looked Excited. Mike stood up. El scooted over in her hospital bed, and patted the space the had created. Mike looked at Hopper, he nodded approvingly. Hopper then went to get the rest of the party. "You know, Lucas told me you didn't shake Max's hand." Mike said after he sat next to her in the bed, tears finally drying up. "Is she here?" El turned away, avoiding Mike's eye contact. "El?" He placed his hand on her chin turning her to face his direction. "Friends don't lie, remember." She nodded. "I went to see you. At the school, day 351. I couldn't wait any longer, I broke his rule." Mike looked a little surprised. "El, I think I saw you there. I thought I was going crazy. I missed you so much. I was in the gym with-" his quick ranting was interrupted when he realized. "El did you kick Max's skateboard?" He wasn't mad, how could he be mad at El. He was careful with his tone, not to hurt her for she had been through so much that evening already. "She-she was to close. I thought you didn't like me anymore. Like all of those 351 days were nothing and- I just-saw her there. With you." El said painful through tears. And just like that, Mike kissed her. Mike kissed her on the lips. He pulled away after a quick kiss. "El, There is no other girl on earth who I will ever love more. You are so special to me, and perfect. Look, if you don't want Max in the party. Then I'll tell the others that she's out, alright? You come first, our relationship comes first from now on. Alright?" Mike said as he put a gentle figure into her silky chestnut hair pushing it back behind her ear, El smiled. "Well now I have no reason to not want like her so that'd be a waste." They both giggled.
"Are you two done or what?" Dustin yelled. They were all standing in the door way. "Yeah it's been like 10 minutes!" Lucas followed. "Not getting any younger." "Yeah and it's good to know that my party membership is still in question Wheeler!" Max followed. Mike rolled his eyes. "El!" Dustin yelled. Running towards her and rapping his arms a round her. "We brought you Waffles!" Lucas stated excitedly rapping his arms around her." She smiled. Reaching her small arms out for another embrace, he jumped right in and Dustin rested her hand on his shoulder. And she then turned to the awkward girl eyes on the floor standing in the corner. "Hi, my name's El and I'm the weirdo who closed the gate with her mind and could eat Waffles all day." The whole room exploded in laughter. And Mike kissed her head, rapping his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. They talked and talked.
El started to go limp, she unexpectedly started shaking uncontrollable. "Help, please someone help her!" Mike held her in his arms, "it's going to be alright. I promise. It's going to be alright, I'll keep you safe. I'll do anything to be make sure you are alright." He repeated through sobs But El couldn't hear him, and part of him knew that. Nancy took the rest of the teens back into the waiting room, frantically she looked at Mike. Who told her with his eyes that he wasn't leaving no matter what happened. She nodded as several doctors rushed in. Mike was assured back, but he made sure he was still holding her hand.
"Start monitoring her heart rate!" A doctor would say. "Check for lung failure!" Another would. He didn't know what any of this meant. But he didn't want to loose El.
So he sat there, he sat by her side for 2 hours. He watched as they poked her with needles, and prodded her with tubes. And 30 minutes minutes after everything was over, finally she regained consciousness.
"El?" Mike said, still crying from the sudden scare. She looked around still a little out of it, until she locked eyes with the needles sitting on the tray. She started breathing deep and freaking out. "El? El? It's Mike, you're alright. I'm here, baby I promise." He hopped onto the bed and rapped his arms around her. "Deep breathes." El started to breathe normally again. Mike's arms made her feel more comfortable. She laid her head in his lap, and he stroked her hair.