Work Text:
Mike was only 12 when he saw his best friend, Will byers being pulled out on a stretcher from the lake.
The flashing red and blue lights everywhere.
Mike’s eyes blurred out everything besides Will–
He tried to pretend Will was still here–
Still going to the arcade, still drawing Will the Wise in sketchbooks, still at school dealing with the party's shenanigans, still playing Dnd.
Mike felt hopeless,
Will couldn’t be dead
.
Will was well… Will, the shy kid Mike met at the swing set, the kid who Mike would consider his best friend.
Mike couldn’t advert his eyes from the scene, he sees Will, being on the stretcher, drenched and pale from the lake, his eyes shut.
Mike couldn’t bear this, that couldn’t be Will.
It wasn’t–
It can’t be Will.
Will’s alive, alive and well.
Will is the person who would help Mike when he would sob about his parents, Will’s the boy who helped Mike for years, Will’s the person who introduced the party to DnD, Will’s the one who helps calm everyone down, Will’s—
Mike could see his tears flooding his eyes, hot boiling tears, Mike puts his hands on his face, his mind was racing– He quickly looked around, his head was spinning, colors all around blurring into a mess.
Will can’t be dead.
He can’t.
He can’t–
Mike lets out a sob, “Will– No—” He then feels his legs moving without permission running after the stretcher, Mike could hear yells for him to stay back, “Will!” He cries out, but a Nurse blocks him off by putting his arm in front of Mike “Stay back.” Mike didn’t care about this Nurse– he just kicks him in the shin and ran after the stretcher, The stretcher with Will’s body in it , he could feel himself getting closer to Will– Mike could see the blue hues of Will’s skin– his drenched hair–
Then Hopper pulled him back.
“Will! No– Please–” Mike sobs out, seeing the paleness of Will’s face, the view of Will’s cold body making Mike sob even more “No… No– No…” He kept trying to convince himself “Will– he can’t be dead…”
Hopper sighs and puts an arm around Mike’s shoulder trying to comfort him “Hey bud, this is all gonna be fine–” He says in a timid tone, it was obvious he was also upset about Will’s death but trying to calm everyone else down first.
“It's not gonna be fine! Will- he’s alive! Will is alive– He can’t be dead!” Mike shouts trying to shove Hopper's arm off him, he quickly kicks Hopper's leg, and runs off, to the forest.
His eyes blur with tears, shades of green surrounding him, slowly getting darker and darker–
His legs ran endlessly until he didn’t know where he was and he was breathless.
Mike then broke down.
He collapsed to the ground, covered with dead leaves.
“No, no… No–” He sobs out “Will– please come back to me–” He says, his voice trembling, he stares up at the sky, with endless stars, He put his hands together and prayed, Mike never prayed , but for Will? Yes, he would.
“Will… Please– come back, I know you’re not dead, just– please.” he says the last part as a sob, his face felt hot and sticky from tears, his breathing heavy from sobbing, Mike just curled his arms around himself and closed his eyes.
“Will… Please.”