Jeopardy- Stranger Things

Chapter Twenty Five

November 9th, 1983

Nick stood at the edge of the crowd, pacing back and forth a few steps and gripping strands of her hair, twirling it around her fingers to keep herself occupied. Every half second, Nick would glance across at the crowd, search desperately for a glimpse of George to know that everything was okay. It had to be okay. Will would be okay.

Nick took a long, shaking breath to try and steady her nerves. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It did nothing. She kicked at a rock on the ground and sent it skidding to a halt by her car tyre. She turned her head towards the crowd. Not a single movement. Until George tore through the crowd.

He was elbowing people out the way, nothing would stop him from piercing that crowd as he shoved himself through. He tore up the slope, away from the water's edge. He scrambled, stumbling and almost losing his footing on the loose rocks but he kept barrelling on. He almost ran straight past Nick. She darted forward.

"Hey!" She called out, reaching out to grab his arm but her fingers barely grazed his shirt sleeve. He snatched his arm away and hurried past her, grabbing the handle bars of his bike and yanking it up off the ground and swinging his leg over the saddle.

"Hey!" Nick called again, running after him. This time when she reached for his arm, her thin fingers latched around his skinny arm and refused to let go.

"Let go!" George shouted, yanking his arm away from her but Nick held fast, "Let go of me. Let go. I want to go."

Nick grabbed George's other arm, fastening her hands around his upper arms and spinning him around to face her. He had no choice but to look at her. Even then he tried to turn his face away from her so she wouldn't see him crying.

"Hey, talk to me. What was it? Talk to me." Nick encouraged, bending slightly so she was at George's eye level. She stared at him, imploring him to give her an answer. He looked over his shoulder but Nick already saw his glistening eyes. He sniffed and gasped, his breathing so heavy his shoulders shook. George riggled his arm and eventually Nick let him go to let him wipe his eyes on his shirt sleeve.

"I saw- he was... His body- he...Nick, he..." George stammered in between his convulsing breathing.

Nick leant down on the ground, pulling George down with her and forced him to sit. She loosened her grip on his arms and wrapped hers around him, pulling him close to her. He stopped resisting and leant his head on her shoulder. She felt him move with every sob. All she could do for him now was hold him.

Nick ran her hand over George's mop of curls and hushed him as he sobbed into her shoulder. She comfortingly rested her chin on his head and watched out at the scene. Countless paramedics had flocked down to the water's edge. Most of them were coming back now. All the police officers started to move around more slowly now, as if there mission was over. As if there was nothing left to do to find Will Byers.

Nick sniffed as silently as she could and blinked hard, not wanting to cry in front of George. He needed her to be strong, now more than ever. She didn't want to watch as a team of paramedics wheeled a small body on a stretcher. Nick assumed it was a body, it was covered in a sheet so she couldn't tell for sure but it was a pretty conclusive guess.

A police officer, who Nick remembered seeing around town sometimes, sauntered over to the paramedics. He lifted up the sheet at the head end and looked down solemnly. He even removed his hat dutifully before replacing the sheet out of respect for the deceased. Another police officer approached him. They were close enough for Nick to make out a few words of their conversation, even over George's sobs.

"Is it?"

"Yeah. It's him."

Nick screwed up her eyes. Poor Joyce. Nick tightened her grip around George's trembling shoulders and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. He shifted, as if he were embarrassed, and looked up at her. She blinked away the tears in her eyes, hoping he hadn't seen. George's own eyes were red, his cheeks tear stained. Nick ran her hand over the back of his head.

"We won't go home until you're ready."

Nick felt George nod into her shoulder. Neither of them said another word, they just sat there. Nick's arms tightened around George and they waited, until no one else remained. They stayed there until George stopped shaking from his pain filled sobs. Then, and only then, did Nick summon up enough strength to drive home and carry on as normal.