"Mike.. stop.." she breathed
The door, his friends, and freedom were all right there, right in front of him. He could see it.
"Stop.."
Mike forcefully came to a halt unwillingly
He looked down at her puzzled
"I have to kill it" she muttered almost incoherently
"No, You're too weak.. You can't."
"I have to. It's dangerous." she slowly pushed herself out of his arms and did her best to stand on her own two feet
"El we can make it though. If we leave now, we can always be together. We can go to more dances like prom, we can see more sunsets maybe even one across the ocean this time, and we can go on the plane ride I promised you. Just the two of us, We-we can grow old together.."
She looked up into his desperate dark eyes
Every time she looked at him she saw it.
When she was a little girl she would often imagine another world to escape the current one she faced. She'd look out the windows of Hawkins Lab and there she'd daydream of a world that she hadn't known but wanted, one of peace, of love, and of happiness.
And that's what Mike was,
He was this world she only thought she'd find in her dreams,
He was her world.
She smiled softly before placing a chaste kiss on his cheek
But she had made up her mind. She had to destroy the demogorgon.
She knew that it would wreak havoc otherwise and it would be unfair to let any more innocent lives suffer because of her.
He swallowed a hard lump as he fought back tears "Please, don't do this. I can't lose you a second time"
El made her way back towards the shrieking monster but turned around to see him, knowing it could be her last
"I love you Mike"
His mind suddenly flashed back to when they were both twelve and he could see a young El turning around to say her final goodbye.
He suddenly snapped back into reality.
This can't be goodbye. He hadn't had enough time with her.
She faced the beast, lowered her eyes, and stuck her hand out.
"NO!" He yelled, hot tears stinging his face
The monster soon obliterated into the air, black specks slowly falling to the ground
El violently fell backwards
Mike ran, catching her before she collided with the floor
Her vision went fuzzy but she could somewhat make out the face that was in front of her
His tears fell and splashed onto her cheeks "El, I've got you. Just hang in there, you're gonna be okay" he said, gathering her in his arms
"Promise?.." she barely managed to utter.
El's heart rate slowed down and her breathing grew shallow. She was losing feeling in her body as it became numb. Her eyes were too heavy and she hadn't the energy to keep them open.
"P-Promise" Mike's voice trembled as he lift her head up with his arm
The boys sprinted over as fast as they could
Lucas mouth went dry "Is she...?"
"We have to get her to a doctor stat! She need's a doctor!" Mike yelled out
Lucas and Dustin picked El up carefully and helped Mike take her out of the room
A familiar voice rang out "There you are!" Hopper's face fell as he immediately caught sight of the girl "El? EL!" he sprinted towards them, grabbing her up gently
Mike's voice cracked "She needs help"
Hopper carried El as he ran down the hall "You boys find a doctor! I'm gonna get her to a room!"
"We have this, go be with her" Dustin mentioned sincerely, patting Mike on the shoulder.
✧
A group of cops peered around the lab room, looking over everything as they began to put a new case together.
"Hey Powell! Over here!" Callahan called, motioning him to come over "Do you think he's okay?" he asked, scratching his head
Powell put two fingers against the professors neck "Yep, he's still kickin" He then gently slapped him on the face "Wakey wakey"
Lowe shot up "Where am I?" He then grimaced holding his head "ugh, I feel like I got hit by a truck"
Callahan helped the professor up to his feet "It's not where you are, but where you're gonna be" he replied snapping handcuffs onto his wrists
Lowe quickly darted his head around the lab "Jones? Jones!? Tell them I had nothing to do with this!"
Officer Powell shook his head "Geez looks like he's lost it, let's get him out of here"
Callahan began to escort Lowe out of the room
"I have a right to an attorney! This is an outrage!"
"Yeah, Yeah, Shut up"
✧
Mike sat right next to her bed and steadily watched the heart monitor while he held onto her freezing hand
Max, Will, and Joyce had finally joined them and now all of them sat cramped in the little room together hoping and praying that El would pull through.
"Doc, how's she lookin?" Hopper stated, breaking Mike's attention away from the monitor
The doctor looked down, not wanting to make eye contact "Not so good, but we're currently doing the best we can to stabilize her heart rate and get her blood flow properly circulating"
"Do you think she can hear us?" Lucas asked unexpectedly
The doctor nodded "I'll let you guys have some time with her, I have to get more medication anyways" he said, walking away
Lucas, Max, and Dustin cautiously approached her bed, glancing at Mike for approval
Mike lightly smiled, waving them over
Lucas spoke first, fighting his urge to tear up "Well, If you're listening I just want to say.. Thank you for saving my life El. I honestly don't deserve a friend like you because unlike me you always put others first no matter what."
Dustin smiled in agreement "Yeah, actually none of us deserve you as a friend. You're way too badass and I'll personally never understand why you hang around us losers." he chuckled softly masking the pain prominent in his voice "But thanks"
They all looked over at Max who remained silent
"What? You want me to say something too? You know how I am with emotional stuff" She mumbled, sniffling
Dustin eyed her curiously "Max are you crying?"
"Shut up" She said punching him, she then turned to El "Even though we haven't known each other long, you keep me sane around these knuckleheads." Max faintly laughed "Thanks for being the sister I never had.."
Hopper and Joyce joined the kids, putting their arms around them
Hopper looked at the pale faced girl "My other daughter" he rubbed his knuckle gently across her face "please come back..." He muttered before hanging his head
Joyce squeezed his arm in efforts to console him
Will could feel the heartbreak prevalent in the room. He had never met El, except for once in the upside down but he noticed that she had made such an impact in the lives of everyone there.
He stared down at his feet as he felt guilt weigh heavy on his shoulders. He scratched nervously away at the bottom of his chair thinking that If it wasn't for him none of this would've happened and he'd be the one to go and not her..
"Can I be alone with her for a little?" Mike choked, catching his friends off guard
"Yeah, of course, go ahead.. We'll be out here" Hopper replied, ushering the others out the door
Mike stood in front of her.
She had lost the color in her face and there were evident bits of dried blood, but to him she looked as beautiful as she always did.
"Remember when we were kids and I told you that you had saved me?"
He gently pushed a few loose strands of hair from her forehead and placed them behind her ear
"You've saved me in ways you'll never understand. I know you think I was the one who found you on that rainy night we first met, but truthfully it was you who found me. I was lost until you found me."
He then grabbed her hand and pressed it against his face "I love you too El. I've always.. loved you"
The heart monitor made a constant buzzing sound as it began to flat line
"NO!" Mike sobbed "NO, EL WAKE UP!"
The others burst into the door after hearing the commotion
"Somebody get the doctor quick!" Joyce cried out
"DON'T LEAVE ME!" Mike sobbed into her, gripping onto her shirt
Hopper pulled Mike away from Eleven as the doctor rushed in with the heart defibrillator and a team of nurses trailing behind
The doctor rubbed the two metal pads together then pressed them to El's chest
Her body jolted up and he looked up at the heart monitor,
There was no response.
Mike put his hand over his mouth, continuously sobbing
The doctor exchanged glances with the nurses mutually deciding to try one more time
He rubbed the pads together again frivously sparking electricity, he then placed them on her chest.