Downside Up [W.Byers]

034

"It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs." Hopper says. "Demo-dogs" Dustin corrects.

"I'm sorry, what?" Hopper asks. "I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass—"

"How is this important right now?" He cuts him off. "It's not. I'm sorry." He sighs. "I can do it." El says. "You're not hearing me." Hopper shakes his head.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it."

"Even if El can, there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies." Mike states. "I thought that was the whole point." Max squints her eyes.

"It is, but if we're really right about this.. I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer's army..." Mike trails off, looking over at Will. "Will's a part of that army." Ruby mutters.

"Closing the gate will kill him." Mike finishes. Joyce walks away, towards Will's room. They all follow behind. As they enter the room, a cold breeze hits them from the open window.

"He likes it cold." Joyce realizes. "What?" Hopper asks. "It's What Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold." She walks up to the window, pulling it closed. "We keep giving it what it wants."

"If this is a virus, and Will's the host, then ..." Nancy begins. "Then we need to make the host uninhabitable." Johnathan finishes.

"So if he likes it cold..." Nancy continues. "We need to burn it out of him" Joyce states. "We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Mike says. "Yeah, somewhere far away." Dustin nods.

"I, Uh, I think I can help with the hot part." Ruby states. "And I know where to take him." Hopper adds.

Hopper carries will out of the house along with Johnathan, Joyce, and Ruby. "Take Denfield, then you'll see a large oak tree. You're gonna swing a right. That road is gonna dead-end. And it's about a five minute walk from there." Hopper explains, setting will in the backseat of the car.

"Okay. Denfield to oak tree. Swing a right. That's it. But it's channel ten, right?" Johnathan asks. "It's channel ten. Listen... you let me know when that thing is out of him." Hopper says, then heads off.

Nancy gets into the car as well, then they drive away.

Once they reach Hopper's house, they set will down on the couch. "It's actually kinda nice." Nancy says as she looks around. "We'll do it here." Joyce states, bending down by the fireplace. They move will onto a bed, then strap him on.

For extra heat, they light the fireplace and set down multiple toasters around him.

"Ruby, are you ready?" Joyce asks. Ruby fearfully turns to face the sleeping Will, then nods. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Johnathan asks. "This thing has had Will long enough. Let's kill the son of a bitch." Joyce responds.

Ruby sends a heatwave at Will, creating a slight breeze of heat.

After a while, everyone is already sweating and just waiting for it to be over. All of a sudden, Will wakes up. Ruby looks down at him with sad eyes, but continues. "What's happening?" He asks.

"It hurts!" He grunts. "I'm sorry, Will." Ruby cries. "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" He shakes, failing to get out of the bed. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"It hurts! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" Joyce turns up the heat on the toasters, then looks to Ruby. "Hotter." She instructs. "Okay.." She hesitantly nods, then uses up the rest of her energy to send a huge wave of heat.

Will continues to scream, causing Ruby to sob. "Mom.." Johnathan warns, before wrapping his arms around Nancy. "I'm so sorry, Will. I'm so sorry." Ruby sobs.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"

"It's not working. It's not working. Mom, are you listening to me?" Johnathan asks. "Just wait!" She shouts. "Ruby! Hotter!"

"How much longer?" Johnathan yells. "Mom, look at him! Look at Ruby! She's basically out of energy! She can't do this for much longer!"

"No, I can." Ruby manages to say. Although she is still getting weaker. "Johnathan, just wait!" Joyce screams.

"You're killing him! You're killing both of them!"

Johnathan reaches forward to unstrap Will. "No, wait!" Joyce grabs his arm. "You're killing them!" He yells.

"Just leave it!"

"Wait, Johnathan, Johnathan! His neck! His neck!" Nancy shouts, pointing at the thick black veins running up his skin. They escape up to his face, giving him the strength to break his wrists out of the straps.

Joyce holds will down, but he reaches his hand up, choking her. "Will, stop!" Ruby cries, shooting a ball of fire onto his arm, which causes him to let go. Joyce backs away fearfully, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, the dark shadow escapes through Will's mouth and leaves out the door into the cold air. Ruby gasps, then stops the heat, collapsing onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Will, baby. Joyce sobs, looking down on him. "Will, please."

"Come on, buddy." Johnathan says. After a few more pleads, his eyes flutter open. "Mom?" He asks. Joyce smiles happily, crying as she wraps her arms around him. Johnathan joins in, sobbing.

"Will." Ruby slowly gets up, coughing. Joyce and Johnathan move out of the way, giving her the chance to talk to him. "Will." She smiles, engulfing him in a hug.

"Ruby." He cries onto her shoulder as they hold each other close. Once they pull out, Ruby looks to him angrily. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She says sternly.

A few seconds later, her mouth curls up into a grin and she hugs him again. "I missed you." She chuckles sadly.