Chapter Text
The day after the Shadow Monster was burned out of Will Byers, his house was eerily still.
The group of pre-teens and teens (including Hopper…) that once crowded his run-down house now gone.
The chaotic mess that once was, left the house feeling empty.
Will was exhausted.
When his family could finally settle down, it was well into the night.
He could barely stand up right, swaying back and forth in front of the door.
His mother had fretted over him and fed him as much food as she could make at 11 in the night.
It was a struggle to keep anything down, the feeling of anything in his mouth brought back memories of the field (and another event his mind was weirdly trying to block), and he shuddered through the whole meal.
After, his mom and his brother had laid him down in his bed, too tired to try and bathe him.
While lifting up his gown, they tried hard to hide their grimaces when it stuck to his burn.
Apparently, getting burned with a fire poker isn’t the best feeling ever.
Will had squeezed his eyes shut and wished that he could wake up again as Will the Wise in Castle Byers, free and careless.
But no, he had to lay there and feel every time his mother would pick up another piece of his hospital gown from his blistering and leathery skin.
God, why did Nancy have to poke him for so long?
Jonathan had held his brother’s hand and tried not to let the tears in his eyes fall, willing himself to be stronger.
It was so hard.
Here was his 13 year old brother, crying and writhing in pain in his bed, looking as pale as he did in his hospital bed back in 83’.
He had to explain for about 5 minutes to his brother’s best friend why he couldn’t be in the room while they did this, not wanting to traumatize Mike anymore than he was.
He wished Mike was home, safe in his bed without a care in the world.
But Jonathan had known Mike since that day in the playground and he would never want to leave Will’s side, especially now.
He had gotten Mike out the room but he knew that behind the locked door, he was probably listening in.
He couldn’t do anything but hold tight.
His mother somehow looked worse than the day Will’s ‘body’ was found in the quarry.
She was crying freely, whispering tiny ‘sorry’s’ and ‘I love you’s’ to Will while she lifted and wrapped the white bandages around his stomach.
He was so pale, from Jonathan’s point of view, Will’s skin and bandage almost blended together.
If not for the slight reddish brown that was rapidly coming up on Will’s side. The sight alone almost made Jonathan puke again, but there was now nothing for him to throw up except stomach acid.
Will’s eyes were so out of it.
He almost thought his brother had passed out again, if not for the way his eyes kept looking behind him, towards the door.
Probably wondering where Mike was.
He squeezed his hand harder.
Finally, his mother was done with the wrapping.
Stopping to brush Will’s bangs out of his eyes and revealing all the sweat and tears.
She let out a quiet sob at Will’s slight smile. Jonathan reluctantly let go of his hand to walk around the bed to hug his mother tightly.
“How do you feel Buddy?”
He asked, knowing that his brother must be feeling hell right now. He felt his mother wrap around him tighter as Will chuckled.
“I feel great.” He said, sarcasm bleeding through.
He was about to comfort him, try to tell him everything was fine, before his mother interrupted him.
“Oh, I’m so sorry baby. Why don’t you rest for now yeah? You must be so exhausted.” She cradled his head, frowning at the heat radiating from his head.
Will nodded.
“Jonathan, can you get him some clothes? Something light. And you baby, I’ll get you some Tylenol and water then you can go to sleep alright?”
“Yes Mom.” He smiled.
When Jonathan saw his mom walk out the door, he saw the shadow of a small boy next to the opening, legs curled up to his chest.
The shadow perked up slightly before returning to normal as the door closed. He sighed and quickly picked some clothes.
He then turned to see his brother.
His brother, who was now staring blanking at the ceiling.
The hospital gown pulled all the way up to his chest, bandages pulled tightly around his stomach, bottom half covered by his fish blanket, and arms limp at his side.
His heart ached, he was so terrified for Will.
How could his family function after this?
Their mom was always so protective of Will long before this, God only knows how she will act now.
How could Will go back to normal?
He was always a sensitive child, even more so after his disappearance, and now? Oh god, the burn. It would probably scar for life.
He silently cursed Nancy before realizing it wasn’t her fault.
It wasn’t anyone's fault.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the murmurs of his mother walking back in.
One hand holding a full glass of water and the other carrying an entire bottle of Tylenol.
She kicked the door shut with her left leg before practically running to Will’s side.
That seemed to drag Will’s eyes away from the ceiling, face now pulled into a pained expression.
Jonathan stayed at the end of the bed as his brother took 2 pills and downed the entire glass in one go.
“That’s good Will. I’m going to keep the bottle at your night table okay? In case you wake up later with more pain.”
She whispered, as if she spoke any louder something would happen, while she stroked Will’s hair.
He saw his brother nod and slightly smile.
His mother turned to him and held her hands out for the clothes he held.
“This is going to hurt a little, I’m sorry.
But then after this, you’ll be able to go to sleep and rest okay baby?”
Now it was the part Jonathan was dreading: dressing his baby brother. They had to work together on this because they didn’t want any chance at disturbing the burn anymore. They would’ve liked to leave him to rest but seeing him in a hospital gown any longer did not sit right with them.
It took a while, a lot of pained grunts and quiet apologies, but it was all worth it.
Will was dressed in an oversized The Cure shirt (which he now saw was his shirt that Will probably stole when he wasn’t looking) and some old pajama pants.
It wasn’t the best but it was worlds better than before.
Jonathan smiled and finally let some of his worry leave him, now welcoming in the exhaustion of the night.
While dressing his brother, his mother had been very adamant on staying with Will the whole night.
“I would be able to get to you faster if I stay, Will. We don’t know how well those bandages will hold up while you’re sleeping.”
And while he knew that his mother had a point, he wanted to be there quickly if anything happened as well, he saw the panicked expression on Will's face.
He sighed for what left like the hundred times that night and convinced his mom to let Will rest, alone. (Though alone probably meant Will and Mike, like it’s always been.)
By the time his mother finally agreed, Will had been dressed and looking plenty relieved.
Before he left, Jonathan hugged his brother and smiled as he finally let Mike through the door.
He looked like a kicked puppy when he first opened the door but jumped up when he was told he could finally come in.
His mother came in with another glass of water for the night and they both said goodnight to Will and Mike.
Jonathan couldn’t wait to jump in his bed.