Chapter Text
Steve Harrington stood outside the hospital room, his heart hammering and hands shaking. He couldn’t go in there. Steve groaned, running his hand down his face as a nurse passed by him, giving him a curious look. He grinned, guiltily after her and let his smile fall when she turned away, putting his back to the wall.
The hospital was bright with fluorescent lighting that made Steve’s eyes hurt with endless hallways that seemed to stretch on forever. A demodog could easily catch up to him in these halls. There were people everywhere and beeping machines and the building smelled of rubbing alcohol.
Steve has been discharged from the hospital just the day before after the battle with Vecna or the ‘serial killer’ as the lady with the stern look and crisp pantsuit had told him was the cover story. Steve’s bandages were removed and he was now left with large scars stretching across his torso and a smaller scar that wrapped around his neck like a necklace. The scars on his sides still ached sometimes but Steve had been given pain medication to take for the next few weeks.
Steve had been glad to be out of the hospital. Glad to be in his own bed even if he couldn’t sleep without nightmares of demogorgons and Vecna. It was better than being here. But now he was back, too scared to even walk into the hospital room he had promised himself he would visit.
Steve sighed heavily, closing his eyes and turning towards the door to the room again. He could do this. Why was he so scared anyway? He had faced worse. He had no reason to be this nervous. Steve placed his hand on the door handle, breathing in deeply and exhaling before opening the door and stepping inside.
The room was dark with little sunlight spilling through the slit in the closed curtains. Just like the rest of the hospital, this room smelled like cleaning alcohol. It made Steve’s head spin which in turn made him nauseous which was not helping his nerves. He could hear the steady beep of a heart monitor and saw an IV stand with a bag with clear fluid leaking out slowly through a tube. There was luckily minimal other machinery to Steve’s relief. He had seen enough hospital machinery in his lifetime.
Steve took the chair beside the bed at the center of the room and looked up at the occupant in the bed. “Hey, Eddie,” Steve said, quietly, willing his voice to remain steady.
Eddie Munson was lying in the hospital bed, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling evenly. His dark curls were splayed out on his pillow and his hands were resting at his sides, looking naked without their usual collection of rings. Eddie looked so unnatural in this state. In a hospital gown, hooked up to machines. It wasn’t Eddie.
Steve looked back down at his shoes and twisted his own hands together, nervously. It had been less than a week since he and Robin had carried Eddie’s limp body out of the Upside Down and the memory was still fresh in his brain, showing up constantly in his dreams.
Steve remembered the pain in his sides like the bats had come back for seconds as he carried Eddie’s weight. He had been completely unconscious, blood leaking from his torso and sticking to Steve’s hands as he carried Eddie back to the trailer with the help of Robin.
He remembered how Dustin screamed Eddie’s name through his sobs, screaming over the thunder roaring above them. He had been half carried by Nancy on his injured ankle but he kept trying to get free from her grip to get to Eddie and help. But every time he put less of his weight on Nancy he stumbled and instead settled on screaming and sobbing.
Steve had thought Eddie was dead. He had looked dead. Steve just wanted to get his body back through the gate. He deserved that much. But Eddie had survived. Here he was, just asleep in the hospital room, his injuries healing slowly.
Steve pressed his fingers to his eyes. He felt stupid talking to Eddie while he was asleep. He didn’t know if he had been awake at all since the incident. Maybe he was in a coma like Max was. Steve hadn’t been given any information besides what the government lady had told him.
Steve wasn’t even sure why he was here. He just felt like he needed to be here. He needed to make sure Eddie was okay. It was a feeling that had settled in his chest since he had realized Eddie was alive and was pulling him to be here.
“Um…I got out yesterday. The scars still hurt like hell though,” Steve muttered, trying to smile.
Steve looked back up at Eddie who’s eyes were still closed. He looked so peaceful. Steve stared at him for a while, not knowing why he was so entranced by Eddie at this moment. He was being weird.
Steve stood up, smoothing out his jeans. He wanted to check on Max, as well before heading home and it was getting late. But maybe that was just an excuse for Steve to avoid the sudden feeling in his stomach.
Steve had almost reached the door when he heard a sleepy voice behind him. “Harrington?” Steve stopped and turned around, rubbing the back of his neck which he regretted immediately, feeling a burning sensation when his fingers brushed over the scar.
“Oh, uh, hey,” Steve replied, awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets, avoiding Eddie’s eyes. “I…uh, I didn’t know you would be awake.”
“I didn’t know you would come to visit me,” Eddie teased, smirking. Even in the current climate Eddie was still himself. “I would have been if I had known.”
Eddie was sitting up now, his curls falling naturally over his shoulders and his dark eyes staring at Steve intently. He looked more himself now that he was awake. A mischievous glint was in his eyes and he was giving Steve a toothy grin, his dimples showing.
“I wanted to make sure you were alright, man.” Steve shrugged, trying to act casual. He didn’t want Eddie to know he was worried about him.
Eddie smiled, softer this time, less like he was teasing Steve. “Thanks, man,” Eddie said, quietly. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Eddie said, “I’m getting out day after tomorrow.”
“Oh.” Steve felt his heart lighten at this news. “That’s great.”
“Yeah. Uh…Wayne should be coming by soon. He’s been visiting every day before his shift.”
Steve nodded. He still felt so nervous and wasn’t sure why. Eddie seemed to be okay. He wanted to ask how he was doing. But the words wouldn’t come out. Steve nodded again as Eddie watched him.
“Well…um,” Steve started. “I should go. I’m supposed to check on Max. I hope you feel better and uh…bye.”
Steve waved awkwardly and backed into the wall behind him before turning around and reaching for the door handle. Eddie watched Steve rush out of the room, smiling, his eyebrow raised at Steve’s awkwardness. Once safely out in the hall Steve breathed out heavily and closed his eyes.
What was that? Could he not have a normal conversation anymore? Maybe hospitals just made him nervous. Maybe seeing Eddie like that was just a lot for him. But Eddie seemed to be himself. He seemed fine. Steve didn’t know why he had freaked out but he didn’t want to think about it right now.
Steve opened his eyes and sighed, straightening up so he could walk to the elevator to go up to Max’s room. Then he could go home, away from the hospital and away from the strange interaction with Eddie Munson.
Steve tries to push it from his mind as he steps out of the elevator and walks down the hall towards Max’s room, avoiding looking down the seemingly endless hallway and instead keeping his eyes on the room numbers. Steve reaches Max’s room, knocking softly before opening the door and stepping inside. Lucas and El are there, talking quietly but had stopped to acknowledge Steve’s presence.
Lucas is slumped in a chair closest to the window, his hand squeezing Max’s tightly. He looks exhausted, his eyes drooping and occasionally blinking quickly as he tries to keep them open. Steve wonders if he’s been sleeping at the hospital with Max. El is standing against the wall, her arms crossed also looking tired but much less so than Lucas.
Steve passes El, smiling sadly at her and placing a hand on her shaved head briefly before going to stand behind Lucas. He puts a hand on his shoulder and Lucas leans into the comforting touch, sighing heavily.
“How is she?” Steve asks, quietly.
Lucas shrugs. “Same as usual.” His voice is hoarse and low. Steve rubs his thumb across Lucas’ shoulder.
El nods, sadly. “We play Kate Bush sometimes. It does not wake her up.”
They stand together in silence for a long time. Lucas holding Max’s hand, Steve’s hand on Lucas’ shoulder, rubbing comforting circles onto the top of his shoulder. El comes over to lean her head on Steve who puts his free arm around her as they watch Max, the heart monitor making a steady beeping sound.
Max looks like she’s simply sleeping like Eddie had been. But Steve knows she can’t wake up as easily as Eddie did. He wants to fix this. Lucas looks so tired and El looks sad and Max’s arms and legs are in casts and he knows that under her eyelids her eyes are white.
After a while Steve checks his watch which reads 6:39. “I think we should get you guys home,” he said, softly.
Lucas tenses and grips Max’s hand tighter, leaning forward and Steve’s hand slips off his shoulder. Steve sighs heavily, knowing that he doesn’t want to leave. But Lucas looks like he hasn’t slept in days. He has heavy bags under his eyes and his posture is slumped and tired. He needs the rest.
El straightens up as Steve places both of his hands firmly but gently on Lucas’ shoulders and helps him up from the chair. Lucas hesitates before allowing himself to be helped up and walks to the door, still looking at Max over his shoulder.
Lucas is almost as tall as Steve is now and could easily have resisted if he wanted to but he lets himself be steered out of the hospital and into Steve’s car with El following behind them. Lucas sits in the front, staring out of the window, his head resting on his hand as they drive in silence. Steve drops Lucas off first hoping that he’ll get some sleep.
Lucas nods without saying anything to Steve as he gets out of the car.
“Get some sleep, okay?” Steve says, waving at Erica who is watching from the window. Lucas nods again and when he’s safely inside Steve drives to the Byers-Hopper house to drop off El.
Steve stops her as El makes her way out of the car. “She’ll be okay.” Steve smiles, his hand on El’s arm.
El smiles too before heading inside and thanks Steve for the ride. Steve watches her go and then drives away, breathing deeply. So much had happened in one day. It was too much for Steve to process. There were too many hospital visits.
Steve pulls into his empty driveway and unlocks the door to his empty house. The sound of the door closing echoes through the house as Steve pulls off his shoes and tosses his keys onto the table by the front door.
Steve makes his way up the stairs and collapses on the bed, waiting for sleep to overtake him. But his head is too full of thoughts. Thoughts of Eddie Munson and Max and Lucas. Steve supposes that these thoughts are better than his nightmares about Vecna and demogorgons. But the thoughts still bothered him. Especially his thoughts about why he had been so nervous around Eddie today.