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Steve never questioned that Hawkins was alive and plants would communicate with him. Of course he didn't, because it had been happening ever since he got lost playing behind his house at 7 years old and asked aloud how to get home. The trees had been the ones to guide him.
That was why he hadn't noticed the change in the forest when Barb when missing, assuming it was either a breeze or the trees sharing information. Unfortunately a living forest still can't communicate easily, so even when he tried asking later, if only to hopefully calm Nancy's worries, but also because he was curious, he didn't get much, other than that he needed to keep away from his pool and blood? It didn't make sense to him, but he could do that.