Inside the library, it wasn't just vines that had invaded across the floor and up the bookcases and walls, there was also a strange webbing of some sort that was taking over the space as well. The adults took the lead with their flashlights, Quinn following behind them, eyes scanning across every surface.
Hopper spotted small puddles of blood on the checkered floor and followed the trail into the back of the main reading room and down the stairs into the basement. It was much darker here, even though from outside it had appeared like there was a light. He barely heard Joyce mutter "Oh my god" at the sight of a skeleton precariously stretched over the side of a table.
The webbing was much denser down here, Hopper noticed. He directed his flashlight over the concentrated masses until the light revealed a body laying on the floor, the webbing only half covering it.
"Barbara," Quinn whispered, standing next to him. He looked down at the teen, noting the crease in her brow. She recognised the missing girl but clearly this was not where she had found her before. Joyce had relayed to him that Dr. Brenner had told her six people went missing this week. Is this where they had all landed ultimately?
Joyce continued scanning the area with her flashlight until it landed on an opening in the webbing revealing a young face, eyes closed and some strange root over the mouth.
"Will! Will!" She screamed recognising her son's face. Hopper and Quinn quickly turned in Joyce's direction.
"Hopper! You need to help get him out!" She cried, tugging on the vines entrapping Will's body. As gently as he could, Hopper started pulling the root out of the boy's mouth, horrified when he started using both hands and more was still coming. When it was finally completely out, he threw it back on the ground.
"Oh, Jesus!" He exclaimed when it hissed and writhed on the floor. He quickly took hold of the rifle and shot at it. While he was busy with that, Quinn moved around him and carefully started cutting the vines and the webbing away with the blade of the axe. With Joyce's help, she pulled Will out and away from the wall. Hopper helped them slowly lower the boy's body to the ground, all three crouching down around him. Joyce took off the helmet of her suit, and lowered her ear towards his mouth.
"He's not breathing, he's not breathing," she sobbed up at Hopper who removed his helmet as well.
"All right, Joyce, listen to me, listen to me," he said sternly, grabbing her arm as panic started taking over her senses.
"I need you to tilt his head back, and lift his chin," he ordered. Joyce did as she was told. Quinn watched attentively as Hopper placed his hands in the middle of Will's chest and started doing compressions, counting out loud.
"Now when I tell you, you're gonna pinch his nostrils, and breath into his mouth twice," he told Joyce.
"Okay," Joyce confirmed, trying her hardest to calm herself.
"One second, and then pause," Hopper continued, "then one second." He counted up to 30 and then told Joyce "now, go!" She bent forward, breathing into Will's mouth once, pausing, and then breathing a second time.
"Oh come on, come on," Joyce whimpered seeing that their efforts had done nothing so far.
"I can help," Quinn cut in as Hopper continued with the chest compressions. Hopper looked at her skeptically.
"Please save my boy," Joyce cried on the edge of despondence. Quinn slapped her hands together and then rubbed them together, creating a concentration of static.
"Joyce, unzip his jacket and pull up his shirt," Hopper ordered understanding what she was doing. The older woman did as she was told, begging her son to come back to life.
"On my mark, okay?" He told the girl in front of them, who nodded.
"GO!" He ordered, watching her quickly drop her hands around both sides of his chest. The body bounced up a little but not as much as it would have with a defibrillator. Hopper started chest compressions again.
"One more time, but with more power," he said, knowing that he didn't need to ask if she could do it stronger. She nodded, rubbing her hands together again, this time making the static crackle.
"Will, listen to me, it's me, it's your Mom. I love you so much, I love you so much," Joyce cried, "I love you more than anything in the world. Please...please come back to me."
"Ready? GO!" Hopper ordered. Quinn pressed her hands on Will's chest again. With a jolt, Will shot up gasping and then coughed.
"That's it! Breathe, baby, breathe," Joyce said through tears. Will coughed before falling backwards into his mother's arms. Hopper moved around Joyce to grab the oxygen mask that came with the tank on the back of her suit and placed it over Will's face. Joyce held the mask in place as she continued crying over him. Hopper fell back, overwhelmed by emotions of his own. His eyes landed on Will's hand firmly in Quinn's grasp as the teenager watched on silently. The boy's other hand reached up and landed on top of hers, the shadow of a soft smile crossing her face.
After some readjustment of the suits so that Hopper could carry Will while he still wore the oxygen mask, the group made their way out of the library.
"I can walk you to the edge of the trees," Quinn declared, making both adults stop in their tracks and turn to her.
"You cannot stay here," Hopper said in what he hoped was a gentle tone.
"I know where you're going," she replied coldly, "I can't go through there."
"Sweetheart, he's right. You've already been here longer than you should be," Joyce tried to interject.
"They think I'm dead," Quinn stated, "I'd like it to stay that way. Even if it means having to stay here," she added. Before, she was fine with the idea of staying here if it meant being out of the Lab's reach. Now, the thought of being left behind made her uneasy, even if it was of her own volition, but it was a price she was willing to pay if it meant being free.
"There's no food here, no potable water, and you're injured," Hopper started, motioning to the arm she'd tucked back into her makeshift sling. "If you stay here, they won't just think you're dead, you will be," Hopper tried to rationalise. Joyce shot him a look which he tried to ignore.
"Look, we made a deal with them, to come here, find Will and a teenaged girl — no specifics on which teenaged girl — and come back out. If there's anyone, I will deal with them, I'm the Hawkins Chief of Police," Hopper said, trying to reassure her and appease Joyce.
"I don't know what 'Chief of Police' means," she replied.
"It means it's my job to protect people in need. I won't let the bad people get you, I promise," he answered. She stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Eventually she nodded slowly. Joyce gently placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder and guided her forward. Hopper followed behind them still carrying Will.
The trek back to the Lab was made in silence. Quinn had taken the lead, constantly surveying their surroundings. With the blade of the axe, she would motion towards spots in the ground that were freshly disturbed and lead the small group on minor detours to avoid any more hostile encounters. She has a talent for tracking, Hopper remarked. The list of questions he had about these children from the secret lab in the middle of the woods just kept growing.
When they reached the Gate, Joyce volunteered to go first. Quinn hesitantly handed over her axe so Joyce could get through more easily. Hopper told the uncertain girl to follow behind him, just in case there were people on the other side that needed dealing with.
Once through to the other side, the adults were a bit surprised to find nobody there. No soldiers, no scientists. Making their way through the halls, they encountered absolutely no one. It was like the place had been completely deserted while they were in the Upside Down. This was a far better outcome than Hopper could have ever hoped for.
They wasted no time, quickly loading into Hopper's truck and he drove them straight to the hospital. He instructed Quinn to remain in the backseat, hidden from view, while he carried Will into the Emergency Room with Joyce.
"Go, Jonathon should be here soon. He'll be able to help me with this...stuff," Joyce sighed tiredly, shuffling through the pile of papers in her hands.
"Okay, I'll get her settled and I'll be back in a few hours," he replied after glancing around the hallway to check that no one was in ear shot.
"Get some water bottles from the vending machine," Joyce started.
"And make some food, and make sure she cleans the wound. I know, Joyce," Hopper cut her off. She gave him an apologetic look.
"Call if there's anything," he said before turning to leave. Bottles of water in hand, he passed a frantic Jonathon rushing into the building. Before the teenaged boy could start, Hopper gave him the directions up to where Joyce was waiting and continued on his way out.
He had hoped to be out of there sooner than he was. As time continued to pass in there and the pile of paperwork just kept growing taller and taller, he got the nagging feeling that the girl he'd asked to sit tight in the truck would be gone.
When he got in the truck and turned back in his seat, he was relieved to see two golden eyes intently staring up at him from the back seat where she had moved to in Will and Joyce's absence.
"Sorry about the wait, lot of paperwork," Hopper said holding a water bottle out to her. She looked at his outstretched hand and the bottle for a moment. She shifted into a seated position and pulled it out of his grasp. With a side glance, she twisted the cap off and downed the whole thing. He handed her a second bottle as the truck peeled out of the hospital parking lot.
"Is Will going to be okay?" She asked in a small voice, leaning against the back of the passenger seat.
"Yeah, it looks like he's going to pull through. All thanks to you, you know," Hopper informed her.
"No, I don't know," she replied pensively.
"Sure, you do. You protected him and then you helped start his heart again," he argued, turning onto the little road that led to his cabin by the lake. For the time being, he decided against inquiring how she knew how to do that. She had known exactly where to put her hands, and she had known to be careful with the amount of power she used. She knew how to tread through the forest, how to track movements. Hopper knew they had only just started scratching the surface with Hawkins National Laboratory, but from what they had dug up so far, these abilities didn't really fit the M.O.
"What's going to happen to me?" She asked after a beat.
"For tonight, I'm taking you to my house. You'll be able to shower and sleep in the guest room. Nobody will bother you, including me," he told her.
"And tomorrow?" She asked.
"Tomorrow is another day," Hopper replied. "Joyce and I will think of something," he added, trying to be reassuring. He glanced at her through the rearview mirror to see her reaction. She had a pensive look on her face but made no sign of objection.