Love Is..?

Chapter 17

Joyce, Nova and Mike had been sorting through the many drawings that "Will" had drawn and finally found that they were connected. So, they pieced them all together and tried to figure out what they were looking at exactly. Bob came inside a little not really paying attention, "Hey guys! I figured we could have a game night since Will's been... having... nightmares. Whoa. What's going on?" Joyce looks at Bob and says, "Honey, I know you have the best intentions but now is not the time." Bob nods and goes to leave when he recognizes some landmarks from Hawkins. "Hey, that's Lover's Lake. What is all this? A map of Hawkins?" He looked at Will who was sitting on the couch. "Did you draw this buddy?"

Will nodded and Joyce looked at Bob in shock, "Wha... wait. You can read this?" Bob nodded and looked at Joyce confused, "Yes. Its Hawkins, well... more or less." Nova spoke up, "Bob, we need your help. We're trying to find out where this red X is located. Do you know this spot?" Bob handed Mike the board games he brought and looked, "Well, let's see... Hmm. It looks like the pumpkin patch off of Renner Road." Joyce hurried over to the phone and called Dr. Owens to get his help. Bob looked at Nova, "What's there?" Nova frowned, "Hopper." Bob looked shocked as Joyce hung up and grabbed her keys, "Let's go!"

Nova grabbed Will and Mike, making the latter drop the board games and ran out the door after Joyce with Bob trailing behind them. They sped off towards the pumpkin patch and saw Hopper's police car just as they pulled up. "He's gotta be here." Joyce began yelling for Hopper as did Nova. Just then, a group of military vehicles approach and park. Nova finds a hole in the ground and Hopper's sheriff's hat at the bottom. "Here! He fell over here! HOPPER!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" A military officer moved Nova out of the way and descended into the hole, other military officers followed after him.

A few minutes later, the same military officer came out of the hole with an injured Hopper in tow. Everyone sighed in relief at seeing the injured but alive sheriff. Joyce and Nova went to go check on Hopper as Bob stayed behind with Mike and Will. Soon enough, the military force sent in some guys with anti-fire gear as they lit the tunnel up on fire to stop the vines from spreading. As soon as the flames hit the vines, Will began screaming bloody murder, scaring everyone. Dr. Owens stopped the men with blowtorches and Will finally stopped screaming and passed out. Nova rushed over to Will and caught him before he hit the ground.

She looked at Dr. Owens in fear and he frowned. "We'll take him back to the lab and take care of him there." Nova nodded and carried Will back to the car and got in with Mike's help. Bob shut the door and got into the driver's side and followed the military ambulance that held Hopper and Joyce back to Hawkins Lab.

Timeskip~

Once they got there, they were forced into quarantine showers and their clothing got taken for tests. They were given scrubs to wear and now, Nova was pacing the waiting room with Joyce, both worried about Will. Hopper was sitting with Bob, explaining what was going on and Mike was tapping his foot, anxiously waiting for word about his best friend. Dr. Owens appeared and said that Will could have visitors now. They all looked at each other in relief and decided to go in together. Nova opened the door to see Will asleep sitting up. She smiled and let Mike in first then walked in herself, followed by Joyce and Bob and then lastly, Hopper and Dr. Owens.

Will groaned as he began to wake up, catching everyone's attention. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Nova, "Nova!" Nova gave Will a teary smile, "Hey buddy." She ruffled his hair which cause him to giggle which Nova frowned at. Will hated having his hair messed with. Will looked around, "Who are all these people?" Everyone frowned at Will and Dr. Owens spoke up, "Do you not recognize anyone?" Will looked at Nova, "I recognize Nova! She's my favorite cousin, well... my only cousin. And... beside her is my best friend, Mike." He points to Joyce, "That's my mom but... I don't know who everyone else is." Dr. Owens nodded and Will looked at him again, "Are you a doctor?" Dr. Owens nodded, "Yes I am. So do you not remember the events prior to right now?" 

Will frowned then looked at Dr. Owens, "You burned the vines. You were hurting him. That wasn't nice. He didn't like that." Nova and Mike looked at each other, both frowning. Dr. Owens nodded and wrote something down before he ushered the adults out into the hallway. Will looked at Nova, "Did I say something wrong?" Nova shook her head, "No. You did good." She put her hand on his face and almost recoiled from how cold it was to the touch. Mike was trying to listen to the adults talk but they were too far away.

Dr. Owens took Hopper to see the gate as Bob and Joyce stayed in the waiting room. After about an hour, alarms were heard going off and Mike finally understood. "He's a spy! Whatever it is, is using Will as a spy!" Will frowned and looked up at Nova, "He's lying! I'm not a spy!" Nova frowned and looked up at Dr. Owens and Hopper rushing towards them. Hopper spoke first, "We have to get out of here." Mike looked at Hopper, "Will's being used as a spy! We have to knock him out!" Will didn't like this and started throwing a fit until Dr. Owens was able to sedate him with Hopper and Nova's help. Will passed out so Hopper picked him up and they tried leaving the building but were cut off but monster dogs.

Dr. Owens got attacked by a monster dog, which Nova took out with a fire axe. They hid in separate rooms. Dr. Owens hid in the camera room while they hid in a more open room. Dr. Owens used the cameras to help them escape but when the power went out, Bob left to fix the cameras as he was the only one qualified to do so. Once the cameras were back online, Dr. Owens once again led them outside to freedom. Once they were out, he did the same for Bob. Unfortunately, as Bob made it to the ground floor, he was attacked and killed by the monster dogs.

Joyce screamed as she watched Bob die as Nova cried, shielding Mike from seeing the carnage. Hopper managed to get Joyce away from the doors and to a military van. He placed Will in the back with Nova and Mike and got into the front with Joyce. He took off but stopped when he saw the other kids, Jonathan, Nancy, Steve, Dustin, Lucas and Max, at the gate and told them to get in. They all climbed into the back with the other three and he(Hopper) took off for the Byers house.