There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

TWENTY FOUR

MADMAX

"All right, I'm gonna be honest with you." Doctor Owens said to Joyce, Hopper and Catherine as they sat in his office. Will was sat outside the room waiting for them. "It's probably gonna get worse before it gets better." Cat's eyebrows furrowed as she tiredly leaned her head on Hopper's shoulder. Hopper glanced down at her before turning his attention back to Owens.

"Worse?" Joyce asked, leaning forward in her chair. "He's already had two episodes this month." Cat bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if she should mention that she also experienced Will's last episode.

"He'll likely have more before the month is out." Owens explained. "It's called the Anniversary Effect. And we've seen this with soldiers. The anniversary of an effect brings back traumatic memories."

"Not shit." Cat muttered, all to familiar with what the doctor was talking about.

Owens ignored her and continued explaining. "Sort of opens up the neurological floodgates, so to speak."

"So what does this mean for the kid?" Hopper asked him. "He's gonna have more episodes, nightmares?" Cat dug her nails into the palms of her hands, silently debating whether or not to bring up her little secret.

"Yeah, that. Maybe some personality changes. He might get irritable. He might lash out."

"What do we do when that happens?" Joyce asked.

"Okay. Well, from what we know about post-traumatic stress... And we're still learning, okay? Just treat him normally. Be patient with him. Don't pressure him to talk." Joyce nodded as the doctor spoke. "Just let him lead the way."

"I'm sorry, what you're saying is it's gonna get worse and worse and we're just supposed to pretend it's not happening?" Cat reached out and grabbed onto Joyce's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"It sounds counterintuitive, I know. But I assure you that is really the best thing you can do for him. Listen. I understand what you went through last year. I get it." Cat scoffed. She bet he didn't go through half the stuff they did; fighting off monsters and travelling into an alternate dimension to rescue someone they all loved dearly.

"But those people are gone." The doctor continued, leaning forward on his desk slightly. "They're gone. Okay?" Cat couldn't help but have a feeling of dread, like Owens wasn't being completely truthful. And she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the bad men came back. "So if we're gonna get through this, I just... I need you to realize I'm on your side. I need you to trust me."

"Yeah, that's a no." Cat whispered, barely loud enough for Hopper to hear. The Chief smiled slightly at the teen for a moment before the smile disappeared and his face went back to being serious. Everyone knew that Cat barely trusted anyone now, specifically if they were a doctor and worked in an old lab, wearing white lab coats.