Chapter Text
"Mom!"
Joyce heard her boy's voice as he ran from the living room to her. His socks slipping on the cold tiles of their kitchen.
"Yes dear?" She'd respond ruffling his hair, other hand resting gently on her belly.
"There's a man at the door, he said he wanted to talk to you" Jonathan replied.
She nodded, walking to the door and turning the handle. The man addressed her.
"Good morning ma'am, are you Joyce Byers?"
She got a better look at this man, his pristine suit and slicked hair, his presence was professional.
Joyce nodded and asked why he was here. Holding out a flyer the man would explain they are asking for participants for an experiment they were hosting.
"We are trying certain drugs on expecting mothers, to strengthen the child when it's born."
Joyce instinctively touched her stomach.
"Oh- sorry I'm not interested in that, but thank you for coming by" She'd say, waving her hand dismissively.
The man pointed to the flyer in his hand, Joyce's eyes widen.
'All participants rewarded with $5000'
"You may want to reconsidered your answer ma'am" He'd say glancing to their quaint home.
Joyce turned to her home, listened to the way the floor would creak as Jonathan ran around, the dents from Lonnie's meltdowns. She sighed running a hand through her hair, hand catching on a knot. The man handed Joyce the flyer, before bowing his head respectively and turning to leave. Turning as the door creaked behind her she find herself in both her and Lonnie's shared room.
"Honey?" Joyce said nervously, wringing her hands.
His eyes met hers, dark brown peering almost into her. He hummed in question.
"Well, a man came by, he works for the
government I suppose. He suggested a test they are doing and I wanted your opinion on it." Joyce responded offering her husband the flyer. She watched his eyes lazily scan the paper. He huffed then she watched his face stiffen before glancing up at her.
"$5000 eh? Well that ain't too bad. We could do a lot with that money" He sat up, the covers of the bed shifting.
"It'll help us raise our children" She replied, eyebrows furrowing.
He sighed before nodding.
"You sure this shit safe?" His jaw clenched.
Joyce thought before nodding. This experiment was sanctioned by the government, it'd have to be safe right? He shrugged in agreement.
The next day Joyce would enter Hawkins clinic, looking at the flyer for guidance.
"Joyce Byers?" A familiar voice called out.
She turned seeing the man from yesterday, he ushered her to a private room, Joyce looked around seeing 8-10 other chairs half full with woman around her age, all different stages of pregnancy. She'd bow her head nervously before sitting down. It took roughly 10 minutes before everyone had shown, she was surprised that everyone had accepted the offer, then again it was $5000. The man would go on to explain they'd under drugs and severe changes to their bodies and lifestyles, such as eating and sleeping. This sounded alarming but she remembered her boys smile, she'd do this for her family.
Weeks passed and she spent more time at the clinic, some mothers had stopped showing up. Joyce felt the changes before she saw them. Her eyes had sunken and dulled, even though she was pregnant her weight had significantly decreased. Then she felt it, aching- brittle bones, headaches. She'd get horrible headaches, they last hours, then it would abruptly stop, Joyce would feel a warm substance drip from her nose. Reaching for a tissue she'd rub only to see the paper turn red. Walking up to one of the nurses Joyce asked.
"Excuse me, is this normal? I've been getting these horrible headaches, and now this." Her voice was raspy, thick with worry.
The nurse would assure her this is all normal but Joyce's instincts screamed at her to run, run away from all of this.
After the daily sessions of the test were complete everyone would return to their respected homes. Joyce grabbed her purse and started walking through the halls of the clinic, she paused after hearing a muffled voice, turning to the hall next to her she'd stare through the closed doors and saw a woman. She looked upset, eyebrows tended, fists clenched. She was talking to a taller man, he was similar to the advertiser, except his demeanour showed authority, his brown hair was slicked up and his suit was clean. He was staring down at her calmly, Joyce got closer to try and see what was happening.
"I can't do this- please I don't want to do this anymore!" The woman drawled out, she looked out-of it, her eyes darting frantically. Her hand shaking slightly.
"Mrs. Johnson, please remain, may I remind you, you signed up for this? I'm afraid you're not given the option to stop." He'd say.
Joyce watched as she yelled, the woman screamed about leaving and never coming, that there was nothing they could do, the man's arm came up and two guards had appeared behind the woman grabbing her from either side. Joyce gasped, the woman wailed while being dragged through the hallway. Joyce turned and jogged out of the clinic making a decision then and there.
This experiment clearly had more to it than she'd realised. Thinking back to the woman. It was early in the morning and Joyce was sitting on the couch with her son, her hands wrapped around a cup of warm coffee as she watched Jonathan, he was staring at the TV in interest, his favourite show was in. Joyce smiled fondly, then the phone began to ring. Getting up was a struggle, her belly had grown over the month getting closer to her due date. Picking it up she heard a woman's voice sounding almost robotic.
"Joyce Byers is requested at Hawkins Clinic."
"Oh uh, sorry but I'm sick I won't be attending this week" She replied nervously.
The line went silent for a while and Joyce thought they'd hung up when.
"Ma'am, there is no exceptions, we expect you at the Clinic at 10am, thank you" The woman continued before ending the call.
Joyce sighed and rubbed her face. After leaving yesterday she made the decision not to return. Something was obviously going on and she doesn't want her and her unborn son to be involved. The next few days go by and she's sure the clinic has dropped it, but atlas the day comes. It's late in the night and she's in the kitchen, the door bell rang and her chest clenched. Walking to the door, she rubbed her hands on her pants.
"Can I help you?" She said opening the door.
She was met with blue piercing eyes, and a tight smile.
"Hello Mrs. Byers" The man replied, it was the same man from early this week.
Joyce's shoulders tensed and she gripped the doorframe with clammy palms. She bowed her head.
"Hello, I'll ask again, do you need something sir?"
His eyebrow twitched but his smile remained tight on his face, reaching down he pulled a folded envelope from his pocket.
"We tried reaching you yesterday but you were out, your husband I presume answered the door." He started.
"You gave consent to participate and it's too far long to opt out, so we advise you come with us calmly" The man finished handing Joyce the envelope.
"I don't want to keep going, I saw what you and your man did to that poor woman! I will not partake in this" She spat out, glaring up at him.
She heard his sharp inhale, looking behind him Joyce saw two men appear, dressed in black suits. She slowly backed up and grabbed the door handle, swinging it shut. A hand caught slamming the door back open. Joyce's screamed was cut off by a sharp stabbing pain in her neck, the faces blurred as her legs felt like jelly. Looking up through dazed eyes she met the man's.
"I'm sorry Joyce but we need you" He said looking down at her now unconscious body.
The next month was a torturous blur for Joyce. She slept on and off, just awake enough to be fed and given an assortment of drugs. Her head ached and her limbs were numb. Joyce sat in the hospital bed, after they'd taken her she had been moved to a different section of the clinic, she'd hear the screams of another woman sometimes. A nurse walked into the room as normal, Joyce had learnt the routine by now.
"Hello Joyce" She says, a sad look in her eyes.
Joyce glared at her before turning to her hands, there was a tray of pathetic looking food, her stomach churned but she kept eating for her baby. The nurse sighed, putting the tray down.
"I've.. got some news for you, about your baby I mean." She started.
Joyce sat up quickly, forgetting her meal, eyebrows furrowing.
"Huh? What's wrong with him?" Her heart clenched. The nurse calmed her and made her lay back before she kept talking.
"Well, since you rejected the tests, you had to catch up on what you missed, so we've had to compensate by increasing your drug intake. But that had its drawbacks" She exclaimed.
"So what does this mean, is my son okay?" Joyce stammered, anger rising how could they do this to her son?
The nurse stared at her for a second, thinking. Before slowly nodding.
"Yes, yes he'll be okay- there's a chance of miscarriage but don't fret " She assured Joyce.
"But he is currently a bit undeveloped. So it's excepted he'll come out earlier then original. So you should be expecting in less than a week."
The nurse smiled before asking if she had any questions. Joyce shook her head so the woman left like always, leaving her alone to think. Joyce put the tray on her side table, looking down at her belly, she put a warm hand on it and felt subtle kicking causing her to smile.
She would love her baby no matter how different he was.