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What was different about what was happening to Max, versus what was happening to Jude, was that Max knew about Vecna. She knew he'd come for her, she knew what trauma he would use against her. Jude only had an idea of something bad in Hawkins, he had no clue what. Meaning, when he fell still with white eyes, his mind trapped in an endless hell he hadn't known, he thought he was dead.
"Mike!" Jude called out, getting off the floor. The hospital lights were blinking all around him, making his head spin. How'd he get here? Where did everyone go? "Mike!"
He shoved a door open, immediately welcomed in the same room he'd last seen Bob in. Blood was on the walls, used to write in letters. 'Your fault.'
"I volunteer Hopper." his mouth opened without meaning to, putting a hand over his lips in shock that it happened without him even planning on saying it.
"Bob took Hoppers place, didn't he?" a painfully deep voice made Jude gasp, spinning around and staring back at the tall figure. He knew he'd seen him before, it just took a second to remember the exact D&D page it was on. "All because you volunteered someone in the first place. You had to have known Bob wouldn't let anyone get hurt."
"I didn't." Jude's voice was weak, his vision going blurry when his eyes filled up. "I-I didn't know."
"But you were so quick to offer Hopper though, weren't you?" Vecna walked closer to him. "Now he's dead too."
"I was just trying to tell a joke." Jude cried, he fell over a dead Demodog in the process of trying to walk backwards. "I was trying to make the situation better. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Yes." Vecna stood right above him now, Jude's back pushed flat against the wall. "I know how sorry you are, Jude. I can feel it. I know everything you think and feel."
Jude shut his eyes as Vecna's claw touched his forehead. "I know that you think you deserve pain. I know what you did."
When Jude opened his eyes, he felt like he was floating. He could see himself, like there had been two of him. He was in the dugout at first, watching Channing Barron pitch while he practiced with Bentley Bockanan. Jude stood by the gate, watching his past self remove his helmet and walk onto the field. He was still smaller in height then most of the other boys on his team, meaning Bentley wasn't able to see him walk to stand behind Channing.
When the blonde boy pulled his bat back, he hit Jude right in the face with it.
Jude watched his past body hit the ground at the impact, but as soon as he did he was in the locker room. He was alone, fresh out of the shower. It was the day Bob died, one year, the entire day had been haunting him. Mike or anyone else hadn't remembered, the only person that did was Joyce, but she wasn't here to know. Jude pressed his head against the locker, the constants guilt he felt even worse today. That's when he noticed his hand rested right where the locker closed.
