Aftermath

Part 2- The New Kid, Again

February 5, 1987

It was loud. So. Very. Loud. That was the first thing one particular girl noticed when she opened her eyes. It's not like she could really smell, because of the tube in her nose, and her eyesight was... poor. So she sat up, wincing as the IV in her arm moved around.

"H-Hello?" the 16-year-old murmured, scratchy from her year on "bedrest," so to speak.

She knew she was in a hospital, but not where. She doubted she was still in Hawkins, more likely in Indianapolis or something. A nurse came rushing to her side.

"Oh, wonderful! She's finally woken up, I see." Yeah, no dip, Sherlock.

A few more staff members came over to see, and from what the girl could tell, they were surprised she'd lasted that long in a comatose state and made it out.

They checked her pulse, she denied feeling positively sick, they drew blood, she said she could see... Y'know, the usual. That's also when she learned that her mother had died in the earthquake. Thankfully, she was able to lie about her dad and step-father, so she wasn't being sent to that abusive asshole. Adoption? Might as well give it a try...

February 8, 1987

Today was the day- the day she would meet her new parents. Even if they were horrible, they can't have been any more shitty than the other three she'd had.

A car pulled up in the parking lot, and a wealthy-looking couple walked into the lobby. They said what they were there for, and the receptionist directed them down a few halls. (A/N: Guys, I know this isn't how adoption works. Bare with me.)

She finally met them. They seemed nice enough there, but the teen could tell they were strict people. They thanked the nurse, then led her to a shiny red car in the lot. They didn't talk much, but enough to know a little bit about them.

...

In fourty-five minutes, they were back in Hawkins. They waltzed in the door of a huge house, and the redhead saw a face she had long doubted she'd ever see again.