Chapter Text
Beeping machines, flickering lights.
Hurried words and muffled conversations.
Eddie couldn't remember much during his first day there. At the hospital, that is. He was so sure that there had been absolutely no chance of his survival. The Upside Down had chewed him up and kicked him down. He'd lost great amounts of blood and had to be hooked up to noisy machines for what felt like ages.
He'd get visitors every now and then. Dustin and Wayne were there almost every day and every chance they got, sitting by his bedside and keeping him company. He was even sure how he'd even gotten here. One moment he was bleeding out in Dustin's arms, vision blurring and going completely black, the next he was in a hospital bed.
There was no way that little Dustin Henderson had brought him here alone all the way through the gate.
Adrenaline. You could get a surge of strength from adrenaline, but there was no way that adrenaline could do that much, was it?
The days spent in the hospital were all the same. Eddie slept most of the time, otherwise talking to doctors, nurses or the occasional visitor coming into his room and disrupting his peace.
Days passed and kept the same pattern. It was honestly getting boring and he found that keeping his attention during conversations began to fail him. All conversations went the same, therefore, he never had to pay much attention to things anymore, all answers were stored up in his brain.
But maybe Dustin noticed, or he felt.. something was up.
One day, Dustin didn't show up alone. The little bastard had brought Steve Harrington along with him. Eddie wasn't even sure where he and Steve stood, were they friends? Were they acquaintances? Steve hadn't visited at all yet, Nancy had given him a wave once or twice from the door, and Robin went with Dustin sometimes.
It was a shocker to him, he and Robin had spoken less than he and Steve had, but they got along so well that it felt natural.
It didn't feel natural right now, Steve standing behind the chair occupied by Dustin next to Eddie's hospital bed. He had gotten a lot better in recent times, could even get up by himself now, he'd get lightheaded after standing up too long, but at least he could stand.
"And she got her powers back! It was insane, Mike said something about her crashing a helicopter!" Dustin explained excitedly, a story he'd told a few times before. Some girl with powers they knew had gotten them back, and apparently helped them defeat Vecna.
Was that even real? Had they defeated Vecna? It sounded crazy.
Steve was awfully quiet behind Dustin, just looking at Eddie in a way that made it impossible for him to drift into his thoughts. Why was Steve here? Why had Dustin brought him along today?
"Yeah, dude, sounds as crazy and insane as it did the other times you told me," Eddie grinned at Dustin, making the younger boy grin back at him. It was nice in a way, to have no real worries, to just be able to relax all day. He wasn't wanted anymore, through some miracle, it'd been proven to not be him.
Dustin looked back at Steve, then to Eddie, a toothy grin remaining on his face.
"Does Steve tell you stories? Like about when he saved your ass?"
What? Eddie was left confused at the question, Steve telling him stories? Saving him? What the hell was he on about? Steve never visited before today.
He glanced at Steve as the other crossed his arms, sighing in exhaustion at Dustin.
"I've told you, Henderson, I don't tell stories when I'm here," he replied, running a hand through his hair.
What? What the hell did that mean? When he's here? Steve never visited!
Eddie blinked in confusion, a furrow building between his brows while he looked between the two standing by his bed.
But the confusion was so evident on his features that Steve immediately picked up on it, nudging Dustin's shoulder from behind.
"See? He doesn't know. Because I've told you," he gave another light shove to the younger boy as he emphasized the words. "Eddie isn't awake when I'm here."
He isn't awake? So, Steve does visit? He wasn't sure if that was more surprising or the fact that he only visited during the night. Maybe he should try staying up later tonight, just to catch Steve sitting by his bedside.
The other two began chattering and bickering in a friendly sort of manner, but it faded out. Eddie was caught up in his thoughts. Steve Harrington would visit him when he slept in the hospital? Ugh, hopefully he didn't mutter something weird while sleeping.
But as he thought back to it further, he stopped again.
"Hey, when did you 'save my ass'?" The question slips from his lips as he stares at the two, expectantly as he waits for their answer.
Dustin's eyes grow wider and his eyebrows practically shoot up as he turns to look at Steve.
"You haven't been bragging his ass off about it?!" He yelled suddenly, causing the older guy to cringe lightly as he glanced off from his friend.
"He's sleeping when I'm here. Besides, I wouldn't brag about it even if he was awake," Steve shrugged, as if it was no big deal.
"You totally would!" Dustin snaps back before groaning and looking back to a very confused Eddie. "Steve was the one that helped me carry you back through the gate. After him, Nancy and Robin shot down Vecna, he came to check up on us and when he saw you unconscious on the ground, he picked you up and took you back. I helped!"
So, that's what happened. That was how he came back. Dustin didn't carry him, at least not by himself. Again, he wasn't sure what the most shocking part was, that Steve had helped him out all this time, or the fact that he wasn't constantly bragging about it.
When he did think about it, it didn't feel that weird that Steve helped. They had basically become friends, hadn't they? The confusion drained from him as a wave of something new came over him. Relief, most likely, he felt thankful.
"..Thanks, man."