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

FORTY THREE

The Gate

Billy's Camaro sped down the road, with Max in the drivers seat. Seeing as how both of the older teens were unconscious and Max was the only one who knew how to work the car, she had been elected as the driver. In the back seat, Steve began to stir. His eyes opened, as much as they could with a forming black eye, and landed on Mike who held a can of gasoline on his lap.

"Nancy?" Steve slurred slightly, causing Mike to shoot him a weird look. The Harrington teen tried to sit up, but was stopped by a weight on his stomach. Looking down, he could just make out Catherine curled up- her head lying on his stomach while her feet where resting on Dustin's lap. Her eyes were shut and there was a lot of dried blood over her face. Steve groaned and lifted his hand to his nose which felt pretty busted- although Cat's looked worse than his felt.

Dustin reached a hand over and moved Steve's hand away from his face- his other hand holding the icepack that had been placed on the older teen's head (which was covered in band aids). "No, don't touch it." The younger Henderson instructed. "Hey, buddy..." Dustin greeted as Steve looked up at him. "It's okay. You put up a good fight. He kicked your ass, but you put up a fight. You're okay."

Steve groaned in pain, sitting up slightly. As he sat up slightly straighter, he accidentally moved Catherine, causing her to stir slightly. Her eyes opened, although she could barely see out of one. Cat wrapped her arms around Steve's waist, stopping herself from slipping off the backseat.

"Okay, you're gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai." Lucas instructed Max from where he was sat in the front passenger seat.

"What the fuck is happening?" Cat asked, her eyes landing on Max and Lucas in the front of the car. "Why are we moving?" She lifted a hand up to her nose to wipe the dried blood away. "Fuck!" She cried out as her hand knocked her injury. Tears formed in her eyes at the pain as fresh blood began to flow. "Shit." She mumbled, digging in her pocket for a tissue, which she didn't have. Steve dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a tissue, handing it to her as he questioned the situation.

"What's going on?"

"Why won't my nose stop bleeding?" Cat asked, mumbling as she kept her focus on Steve. In her dazed state, she lifted a hand up and traced her fingers over the many bandaids that littered his face.

"Oh, my God!" Steve exclaimed as he realised that Max was driving the car.

"What?" Cat asked, her fingers on Steve's face- although she had stopped tracing the bandaids and was just resting her fingers on Steve's cheek. "What's happening?" She glanced up at Dustin.

"Just relax. She's driven before." Dustin reassured the older teens.

"Yeah, in a parking lot." Mike pointed out.

"That counts." Lucas argued.

Cat scoffed. "Hardly."

"Cat, you don't even have a license." Lucas pointed out. Cat rolled her eyes in response to the younger boy.