Break and Mend | "Lost and Found" Sequel

Chapter Seventeen: The Gate

"We missed you, too, Doc."

A head of fiery hair caught her eye, Dustin and Lucas moving out of the way for Max to walk between them. The Mayfield girl looked a bit hesitant to try and greet Doc, for she had just been coldly turned down for a handshake by Eleven. But Doc knew Max, she cared for her, so she pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, Mad Max."

"Wheeler." Max hugged back with a smile.

"You probably have some questions right about now."

"Not as many as you think."

Doc felt a hand on her shoulder, so she pulled away from Max to find El staring at her. She nodded her head towards Joyce, who stood off to the side with a warm smile. "We're going to see Will." El informed. Doc nodded before the two of them approached Joyce.

"Hey, honey," She wrapped an arm around Doc's shoulders as she led the girls to Will's room. "Are you okay? I was so worried about you."

"I'm okay, Mrs Byers. Actually, I think I'm the best I've been in months. As crazy as that sounds."

"You're right. That does sound crazy."

Entering Will's room, Doc's chest tightened at the sight of the boy unconscious in his bed. She thought back to how harsh he was with her before she left and wondered if his behavior had worsened since then. If he had to be held back and sedated, then the work of this monster had deeply infected the poor boy worse than she thought. This didn't help Doc's guilt for leaving him to deal with this alone, but now wasn't the time for self-blame. Will needed her help. She promised him she would fix this, and that's exactly what she was going to do.

"He's not doing well." Joyce whispered as the three sat beside Will. El rested a hand on his shoulder with pursed lips.

"I know. I saw."

Joyce widened her eyes. "What else did you see?"

    CLOSEGATE

El and Doc approached the kitchen table with the decoded message written on the piece of cardboard. Doc narrowed her eyes as she heard the room begin to fill with the others. "Gate... Like the one you opened?" She looked to her sister, who silently nodded.

"Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?" Joyce asked from her other side.

El glanced at her before turning forward, taking a very, very deep breath. This was what she came back for. This was how she was going to save her friends. She felt Doc's hand slip in hers, her nerves already soothed at the presence of her sister. From somewhere else in the house, a door opened and closed before Mike walked into the kitchen, followed by Hopper.

Mike didn't even speak a word before his arm was around Doc's shoulders and pulling her into an embrace. That was all it took for the dam to break and for her tears to flood her eyes, cascading down her face and some soaking Mike's shoulder.

She didn't know if she should hug him back. She didn't know if she deserved to hug her brother after taking off the way she did with only a note with less than half an explanation on the where and why of her sudden disappearance.

Mike was becoming sick of his sister being in danger at this point, but whatever happened, happened. He couldn't stop it, but she was here now. She was okay and that was what mattered.

Doc decided to give her brother a squeeze before she turned to the Chief. Hopper lightly smiled at her and placed a hand on her head. "I take my eyes off you for a second and you run away."