Stranger Than Normal

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I woke up with a start, covered in sweat. But it was less sweat than what I had passed out in. Which was weird.

I looked around trying to figure out where the fuck I was. I was surrounded by white walls, floor, and ceiling. The smell of cleaning supplies and a faint smell of sweat and blood radiating off me.

I realized I was in a hospital and started to panic since it reminded me of the lab. I also just hate hospitals in general. A loud beeping noise was heard from my right and got faster and faster the more panicked I became and then the door swung open and three people rushed in. Hopper, Joyce, and some nurse I had never seen before.

The nurse ran over to the monitor making the beeping noise and did something to make it quiet while Joyce and Hopper ran to me. They both sat on the edge of the bed, Joyce on my left and Hopper on my right."Nice to see you're awake now." The nurse spoke. "I'll give you three some time alone." She said with a small smile and left the room.

As soon as she left, I immediately started bawling. "I need to get out of here. I can't be here. I need to leave." I cried out, not wanting to be in this environment ever again. I then gasped really loudly, remembering what happened.

"Are El and Will okay? Nancy and Jonathan? You guys? Did we close the gate?" I almost blurted out that I needed to tell Joyce something. That something being me having killed Bob. But I was able to stop myself.

Joyce laughed sadly at my questions. "The gate is closed and everyone is fine." She answered my questions. I breathed a sigh of relief and fell back onto the bed, my head hitting the very soft pillow.

"Where are they?" I asked softly, watching as they looked at each other, speaking without words in their own way. 

"Everybody's back at my house, we were hoping you'd wake up today," Joyce told me softly. I nodded in response and started to give myself a once over. "When can I leave?" I asked. I felt fine and didn't see any wounds on me, so other than being a bit tired still, I felt ready to leave.

"Soon," Hopper told me. "Every time you said 'soon' for the last year, you lied. When can I really leave?" I argued, my voice was hard and bitter. Hopper looked like I had just slapped him while Joyce just looked confused as hell.

"The doctors here all used to work at the lab, with Owens, so they know about your...uh...situation. But they said that you should be able to leave once you feel rested enough." Joyce explained cautiously. I nodded in understanding.

"Can I go now? I feel fine and I'm only tired enough to need a small, one two hour tops nap." I asked, just wanting to go back to the cabin and sleep on the couch or something if my bed is still in the living room and covered in sweat, doesn't matter if it's mine or Will's, it's still gross as hell.

Joyce and Hopper shared another look, this time trying to decide if I was well enough to leave. "Well, I mean, she has been sleeping for three days now," Hopper told Joyce nonchalantly. "Excuse me?" I yelled, sitting back up. "I've been asleep for three days?" 

"Uh...yeah?" Hopper panicked, apparently not expecting my outburst. I shook my head in disappointment, "Just get me out of here please." Hopper nodded in response and walked towards the door to go get the doctor.

*Time Skip*

I was now sitting in the back of the car with Joyce while Hopper drove us to the Byers' house where everyone was waiting. I decided that since I had promised the boys last year that after all this was over I would explain everything and never did, I would once I got to the house. Except I'd explain to everyone and not just the boys.