It Comes To Hawkins

Twins

"Should we check on him?" Will nervously wrung his hands.
"How could we possibly do that? Karen won't let us go out there." Richie stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Mike looked at him. And said, "El can find him." Richie turned his head to her.
"The dark place." He realized.
She nodded. Richie sucked in a breath. He hated being there. It caused him too much pain and brought back too many memories. He only used it three times for the lab men and he passed out after no more than 30 seconds each time. El got ready as Mike got his radio, turning it to static. Taking a deep breath she put her bandanna over her eyes and went there. A couple minutes later, she came out of it.
"He is safe. Riding his bike. He was crying though."
"Crying? Lucas doesn't cry." Max said.

What did his mother tell him?

Everyone's thoughts were on Lucas when they went back to watching movies. They continued eating popcorn and hanging out, though with a somber attitude, until Karen called downstairs,
"Mike's friends! It's a school night! You need to go home!"
Grumbling came from the party as they heard this and started packing and cleaning up. After 15 minutes, they were leaving and Richie and Mike walked them to the door. Catching Mike as he was about to leave the door and go to his room, he tried to get something off his mind.
"What... do you...have you thought about what El said?"
"When?" Mike has a look of confusion on his face.
"When she said that we were.. you know... not cousins, but closer?" Mike started to open his mouth. Most likely to say they were just cousins but Richie couldn't help but interrupt. "Just hear me out! We look almost exactly alike and I was born here, the lab is in Hawkins, El said she could sense you as if you were my twin, you just didn't have my powers cause you weren't in the lab. There are too many coincidences. I think... I think we're twins."
Richie ended with a hopeful look on his face. Maybe he was hopeful about someone believing he was right, or maybe he wanted a better family. He didn't really know.
"I think you're right." Richie sighed in relief.
"Thank god, Mikey. I thought I was going crazy."
"Should we ask your mom?" Richie asked, nervous that Mike would say no.
"I think that's a great idea." Mike almost began to look angry. Hopefully not at Richie. But then again, he didn't want to make Mike mad at his mom.
Mike began to move toward the kitchen, seeing his mom, he began to speak.
"Mom."
"Hold on one second honey." She was on the phone.
"No. Mom!"
"I'm in the phone!"
"Mom!!"
"Michael!"
"Did you always know Richie and I are twins?"
Karen froze and put the phone down slowly.
"Michael..."
"Oh my god. I can't believe this! You knew!"
"Yes I did... but honey... it was complicated."
Richie spoke up from behind Mike.
"How was it complicated?" The betrayal in his voice stung Karen.
"Sweetie... yes you were twins but there was a complication during the birth. You were sick."
Richie thought back to Eddie's mom. How she kept saying Eddie was sick, he needed to take pills, he was fragile. Eddie was never sick. Karen kept on speaking. "Doctors came and took you to a private hospital and kept treating you. That was good! It went on for years.. I kept coming to see you but they wouldn't let me, only telling me you were good and healthy but needed to be there..Eventually... I just.." Karen stopped and whispered, "I guess I just.. forgot."
Richie let a tear slide down his cheek before answering, "I know about forgetting." In a biting tone.
Mike was appalled at his mother. How could she FORGET about her child?!? Much less the reminder of him every time she looked at Mike?!?
"I'm so sorry Richie!" Karen was sobbing by now, remembering what she had done. "The doctors came by after years and said he you were healthy but I didn't know you and I already was having Holly and I knew that my sister was trying to get pregnant but couldn't. They already called her. I didn't know what to do. They assured me it was okay. That you would be safe and loved" Richie winced. "there!" Karen tried to touch Richie but he kept away.
"I have to go. It's a school night after all."
With that, Richie walked away without so much as a glance back to his mother. The scars on Richie's body burned with the memories of his family and the lab. It was all her fault he was raised the way he was. It was all her fault he was left in that abusive household, almost being killed several times over again. It was her fault he was left in Derry.
Falling into his bed, he cried silently for hours until he fell asleep, dreaming about being beaten and Karen laughing in the background.

When the sounds quieted after what seemed like hours, Mike finally moved from his place guarding the door to his own room where he took refuge for the rest of the night.