Chapter Text
The blood dripped down his neck, hot and thick as tar, eventually crawling its way to the back of his throat. The unfamiliar crunch between his teeth was a sensation so abjectly horrifying his brain couldn’t keep up with the reality of the situation. It was survival, purely instinct.
The second Steve was free and the creature was dead, he tried desperately to catch his breath and spit the black bat blood from his mouth and out from between his teeth. It was rancid and metallic, like a penny soaked in vinegar and molasses. It was the disgusting taste that kept his attention for just long enough that he didn’t immediately feel the burning pain in his abdomen. It was Robin clearing her throat that brought him back to the present.
He looked to her with desperate eyes, seeking some kind of comfort so that he would avoid going into shock. They didn’t have time to panic.
She took a step closer to him and reached out a damp, grimy hand and gripped his wrist with a grounding pressure. Steve closed his eyes and focused on her fingers resting on the pressure point where his pulse was rapid beneath the skin. A few deep breaths were enough to get his mind somewhat on track again.
“These look awful, but you’re okay. I promise. Unless you have rabies, in which case I can’t help you there. But who knows! We’re in another dimension so maybe rabies don’t even exist here!” she rambled, her voice getting higher and tighter with each word.
“Hey, Rob, maybe we should give him a second..” Nancy trailed off. Steve could tell she was trying to offer him a moment to recover, but her cold exterior did not falter.
“No, it’s all good. I’m good,” Steve assured her, rolling his shoulders and tensing his stomach to ease the pain, “What’s next, Nance?”
Her lips were in a tight line, but she nodded once and turned to face the looming forest edge before them. Stepping carefully over the debris and vines that littered the ground, she motioned for them to follow as she began speaking. The screech of bats echoed in the distance.
“Now we know there’s a gate in the lake, we need to find the next one, but I don’t think we can stay down here for long without protection," she motioned back to the black mass swirling on the horizon. The bats were yet to descend on them, but Nancy knew the more time they spent in the dried up lake, the longer they were sitting ducks.
“Like what? You talkin’ guns, Wheeler?” Eddie raised a brow at her as they trudged through the tree line.
Steve was so wrapped up in his demobat encounter that he didn’t even acknowledge Eddie had been standing a few feet behind Robin this whole time. He had remained silent while Steve composed himself, which he was grateful for. He wasn’t sure why being injured felt so embarrassing - maybe it was the vulnerability of being shirtless and bloody. Feeling weaker than usual due to the wounds. Or maybe it was the knowledge that other people just witnessed him in such a primal state, biting through the flesh of a creature to save his own life. If the bats hadn’t literally stripped the skin from his torso, he would feel figuratively skinned alive.
“Yes, Munson,” Nancy rolled her eyes. “Did you have another idea?”
Eddie held his hands up in defense, “No, no, guns are great. Perfect. Love me a good firearm to kill some hell-bats. Where exactly are we planning on getting them, may I ask?”
His tone was light and shockingly calm. Steve appreciated the normalcy amongst such a ridiculous and odd scenario.
“My house, of course. My guns, thank you very much,” Nancy replied, equally as casual.
“Holy shit,” Eddie whistled, grinning widely. “Who knew Big Wheeler was such a badass? Let’s go get ‘em, Miss Gunslinger.”
Nancy let a small giggle escape her throat, releasing a little bit of tension from her face. They continued on, stomping through the maze-like woods with Nancy in the lead, and Robin trailing right behind her. Steve thought Rob might be trying to avoid word-vomiting her anxiety about his injuries by keeping her distance. It was moments like this when Steve thanked whatever interdimensional force that brought them together. It was such a relief to have a friend who knew exactly what he needed, no words necessary to explain, just one look at his face and she knew whether to linger or give him space. He really loved her for it.
The walk to the Wheeler residence was not typically too long, but about halfway Steve started to feel lightheaded and out of breath. With the blood drying and his shallow wounds trying to scab and clot, each breath that extended his stomach and chest tugged sharply and made him wince. It wasn’t unbearable, but Steve’s stamina was at an all time low as he slowly fell behind the rest of the group.
Suddenly, his foot dragged over a rock jutting out of the uneven ground and Steve lost his footing. He stumbled forward and caught himself from falling face-first, but not without a loud grunt ripping from between his clenched teeth when a burning pain shot from below his right rib. Leaning to the side to catch himself had stretched his skin enough to tear at the corners of a particularly deep bite.
Before he could even look up, the three others were surrounding Steve, helping him balance from all angles. Robin clutched at his left shoulder while Nancy held his right arm away from the wound where he instinctively went to clutch tight. Eddie stood behind him in case he began to sway off balance again.
Nancy made a sympathetic hissing noise as she examined the re-opened wound. Steve held perfectly still, willing himself to not move and irritate the area that was throbbing and oozing blood again. His eyes were clenched shut and sweat started to bead on his forehead, his breathing even shorter and shallower than before.
Without discussion, Nancy took initiative and ripped the bottom of her sweater to create a makeshift bandage to wrap around Steve’s injured torso. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, he just nodded in her direction and she got to work. She whispered a few apologies as Steve grunted and groaned at the pressure she was applying, but it was a workable pain. With it wrapped, it was easier to ignore.
“Thank you, Nance. I appreciate it,” Steve said quietly, the sincerity apparent in his voice even though it came out a little winded and slow.
Her head of fluffy brown hair bounced around her shoulders as she shook her head. For Nancy, this was on par with a scoff and eye roll. Steve was well versed in her mannerisms, and he knew it was not a silent malice. She just knew there were no words for them to exchange. This is what they do for each other. They help. No questions asked.
It had been years since the two were close. They spoke on occasion, but it was ultimately upside down related instances that brought Steve and Nancy back to close proximity. He would be lying if it didn’t hurt just a little. Her small hands fluttering around him to secure the bandage should have made him feel butterflies from the act of kindness, but he just felt his heart ache a smidge as he remembered the last time they stood face to face like this, with Nancy’s ruined clothes and red spilling between them.
It was ridiculous to compare the situations, but Steve could not help his mind wandering from a physical discomfort to a familiar pain that hadn’t nagged at him in awhile. He was over Nancy, fully and truly, but the way she looked up at him and sneered that he is nothing but bullshit is burned in his mind. The last real romantic touches he felt came from those same small hands, wrapped in his own. Maybe, Steve thought, he is much lonelier than he realized. Standing in the closest thing to hell he’s ever experienced, battered and bleeding, and his thoughts still swam to his long past heartbreak.
Robin’s never ending love and companionship was the catalyst for Steve realizing he needed real friends. Dates and casual conversation with classmates could only keep him distracted for so long. Romance will never come first when he so desperately needs the simple comfort Robin provided him, so Steve gave up the one night stands and dates with girls he didn’t really like to begin with. The void in him was not gaping like before, but the current proximity to Nancy brought back the ghost of an aching hole in his chest. Ironically, he thought, he did not have time to worry about the figurative wounds when he had very real holes in his skin that Nancy was tending to gently.
When she stepped back, her hands leaving his tender torso, Steve felt Eddie’s eyes burning into the side of his head. His gaze was fixed on Steve’s face, his expression unreadable. Nancy walked away silently and Eddie took her place, his vest hanging from his hand, shaking it in Steve’s direction.
“For your modesty, dude,” he deadpanned, dropping the soft denim in the injured boy's unsure hands.
Steve felt like every time they interacted, something was going right over his head. However, he was grateful for the clothing, however minimal it may have been. He shrugged the vest over his shoulders and let it hang loose and cover the worst of his bites. The motion was uncomfortable, tugging at his crudely bandaged wounds, but he instantly felt a little better. A little more secure and not so exposed. He nodded a thank you in Eddie’s direction. The metal head just shrugged and shoved his hands in his front pockets, looking away quickly.
Their trek continued with Eddie falling in line beside Steve, nearly shoulder to shoulder.
Steve shot a glance in his direction, not knowing what to say as they followed the girls to the Wheeler neighborhood. Eddie was the one to break the silence.
“That was really fucking metal back there. Very Ozzy. You’re insane, man," he chuckled, shaking his head and sighing incredulously.
“I’m not sure if I know what you mean,” Steve returned the laugh, a little confused, but still recognizing it as a compliment.
“Ozzy? Osbourne? Not ringing any bells?” Steve shook his head. Eddie sighed again. “Didn’t expect you to understand a metal reference but one could hope. However, I will still say Henderson might be right about you after all.”
“Dustin?” he said, confused about what the twerp was going around telling his Dungeon Master about him. “What about me?”
“Dude, he says you’re a total badass. He worships you, Harrington!” Eddie exclaimed, running his dirty hands through his equally dirty hair.
Steve thought for a moment, trying to picture Dustin doing anything regarding Steve aside from being a smartass and cracking jokes. Henderson admiring him made him happier than he would have thought. He was used to admiration, after years of being popular and all, but this felt different. Steve wondered if this is what it felt like to have a sibling relationship, or any close familiar love for that matter. This train of thought made his head spin a little. Eddie once again interrupted the quiet between them.
“I didn’t want to believe it. There’s no way one guy could be the total package. Rich, popular, nice, AND tough as shit? No way. You’re just supposed to be an ass. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but the kid insisted on the matter. In fact, he seemed pretty hell bent on changing my mind,” Eddie explained, smiling softly at Steve while they walked, still side by side. “I guess watching you dive headfirst into danger, literally, must prove his point.”
Steve thought for a moment, mulling it all over with his eyebrows knit together.
Eddie continued, his voice a little louder, gesturing in disbelief.
“I must add, however, that those two ladies followed you with zero hesitation. I thought they were fucking crazy, but they did it, and you must be a pretty special guy for this many people to want to save your ass.”
“Huh,” Steve thought aloud, his confusion making Eddie laugh.
He didn’t know how to respond to that last bit. He thought he should feel a sense of appreciation, of companionship. However, he felt a pang of fear at the thought of people so important to him being in danger on his behalf.
He didn’t mention the fact that Eddie followed him through the gate as well. They hardly knew each other, but something about that felt significant. Steve couldn’t dwell on that right now, so he chose to focus on his common ground with Eddie.
“Well, I can tell you Henderson says the same about you. I may have been a little jealous that he seemed to have replaced me with another cool older guy who he actually has a lot in common with. I think he was planning on forcing us to be friends, though.”
They arrived outside the house and the boys hung back while Nancy looked for the spare key in the garden. With the world around them deteriorating, it felt silly to look for a key when the door was so frail, but she wanted to keep as quiet as possible. Buying them time in the upside down undetected was essential, so she approached the house slowly and carefully wiggled the rusted key in her front door.
“If all this was an extremely elaborate ruse to get us to bond… first of all, I guess it worked. Second, I’m going to kick his ass,” Eddie joked fondly, resting a hand on Steve’s uninjured shoulder. “I really hope we figure this shit out. I’d like to get to know this so-called cool as fuck Harrington I’ve heard so much about.”
“So-called? He’s right here, y’know. Are the bloody bat bites not ‘Ozzy’ enough for you after all?” Steve challenged, motioning to his blood soaked torso and biting back a smile.
“Oh no, it appears I’ve inflated your ego, your majesty. Forgive me,” he laughed, hands up in defeat. “You’re plenty cool, Stevie,” He added softly.
Steve blushed and broke eye contact, the nickname suddenly making the moment feel infinitely more serious and intimate than he thought it should be. Something akin to butterflies fluttered around the previously mentioned hole in his chest. Steve had no clue what to make of this feeling. He opened his mouth with what he was sure would be a bumbling and awkward thank you, but Robin’s voice called down the steps to them.
“You’re still out here? C’mon, boys, for god's sake,” she whisper-shouted and motioned for them to follow her inside.
They shared sheepish looks and did as directed, following hopelessly behind the girls once again.
-
Steve couldn’t register any sensation other than burning.
Wet, hot blood pooled in his hands this time. He knew he was talking, but he couldn’t hear a single thing he was saying. A plea for a shirt, rag, anything tumbled from his raw throat that seared with every word. He didn’t even know who, but someone shoved a linen shirt into his hands which he wadded up and pressed against the wounds. His knowledge of first aid was limited, but he had to get his certification multiple times for summer jobs, so the basics were ingrained somewhere in his brain. He knew he needed to apply pressure to stop the bleeding and that airways needed to be cleared before anything else. He also knew he couldn’t save anyone, he was just buying time.
This time the blood in his mouth was not his own.
He tilted Eddie’s chin up and his jaw fell slack, but there was still blood gurgling in his throat. He leaned forward and pushed one large breath through Eddie’s parted lips. The pressure was enough to clear the blood from his airways and he was able to weakly cough it out. Steve kept his right hand in a vice grip on the makeshift bandage to keep pressure on the worst of the gashes in Eddie’s stomach and the other holding his head up so he could catch his breath. It was feeble, weak breaths but that didn’t matter to Steve. A cool shiver of relief washed over his blood soaked body. The bleeding was slowing and Eddie was breathing. That was all that mattered.
Steve could not tear his eyes away from the way red dribbled from his lips, to his ears, and matting in his unruly hair. It was so jarring Steve almost could not even recall what Eddie looked like just earlier that day. He couldn’t fathom that just hours ago they were sharing smiles and making small talk.
This, however, was not part of the plan. No one was supposed to get hurt, let alone this fucking badly. Eddie had gone rogue and paid a truly awful price, but no one could bring themselves to be upset with him at this moment. Dustin was near inconsolable as he screamed from the other side of the gate, demanding to know what was happening as he tried his best to throw more sheets through so the others could haul themselves over. He was all tears and incoherent rambling but there was no anger there, just fear.
Dustin had been through the whole upside down ordeal enough times to know what pure terror felt like. It was a whole body sensation that turned off his brain as fight or flight kicked in. This was different, though. Watching Eddie sever the tie between the gates and leave him alone in the real world, he knew instantly what he was doing - sacrificing himself. It was a different kind of fear because he could neither run nor fight, but was rooted to his spot in the Munson trailer, overflowing with dread. There was nothing for him to see except the floor of the upside down version of the trailer, but he could hear the sickening screech of bats circling.
His feet were planted in the center of the mattress they had strategically placed for their escape route. The minutes ticked by with only his own heaving breaths to mark any passage of time. It felt like an eternity, of course. Dustin knew better than to expect anything else but his mind to distort the situation to appear even worse than the horrific reality that surrounded him. He was smart enough to pathologize his natural reactions which only calmed his anxieties marginally.
Eventually, he caught sight of Nancy who had shouted at him to find another rope for them to climb out. She looked scared, which was a little off putting coming from the ever-composed Nancy Wheeler. Dustin knew something was wrong and she wouldn’t tell him so he did not even bother asking. He got to work tearing through the closets and drawers that were near empty.
Waiting for her to reappear once he had a few towels and another sheet strung through the gate was the worst part of this. Not knowing if anyone was left alive to even come grab the rope was a thought hanging heavy in his mind. His brain felt like it was full of slowly hardening cement.
Robin was next, peeking her disheveled head into view of Dustin, who promptly screamed demands to know what the hell was happening. He needed to know Steve was okay. He was the only one he had not seen yet. Dustin realized he was already assuming Eddie to be dead which made him sick to his stomach. He still howled Steve’s name to poor Robin who looked an absolute mess.
“We’re coming, Dustin. He’s coming, I promise,” she said back, voice firm enough to cut off his babbling.
They stared at each other for a moment before she took one last look behind her and grabbed the sheets. Her jaw and eyes were clenched tight to hold back a dry, heaving sob that was rising up her throat, arms shaking as she tugged herself through.
She landed beside Dustin who gripped her forearms as she steadied herself on the dingy mattress. He felt a slight comfort in knowing he wasn’t alone anymore.
“What the fuck is happening over there, Robin? What the fuck?” Dustin rasped.
She took a shuddering breath before speaking. “It’s Steve. H-he has Eddie. He’s trying to bring him through. We need to call for help, okay? Like, right now.”
Dustin’s jaw hung open in disbelief. He couldn’t even take a second to register what that meant exactly, but he flung himself to the walkie talkie he dropped on the floor when he fell through the gate.
“Lucas, come in Lucas, please tell me you’re there,” Dustin begged, too panicked for proper walkie etiquette.
Instantly, the channel crackled to life with Lucas’s response.
“We’re okay, Max is hurt but she’s okay. What’s happening? Over,” Lucas said.
“Can you call an ambulance as soon as fucking possible? Over.”
“No, man, I think those earthquakes knocked out the phones. Why do you need an ambulance? Over,” Lucas snapped as he realized something truly horrible was happening.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re at the trailer and we need help, now. Over,” Dustin shrieked, voice cracking and breaking.
Lucas mulled over his options as quickly as he could. He looked to Max who was, thankfully, alive but still injured. She had begun to float but dropped as her limbs began to twist in unnatural ways. Her arm was certainly broken, maybe a leg too, but she was conscious. The bar was infinitely low, but that was all he could ask for at the moment.
Max raised her eyebrows from where she crouched on the floor of the crumbling Creele house, opening her mouth to scoff like the answer was obvious.
“We have Nancy’s keys, dipshit. Let’s go!” she screamed, waving her arms to the door.
Lucas nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her stand on the uninjured leg. He completely forgot that they had parked Nancy’s car from view earlier to make sure they had a getaway in. They doubled back in the trailer after Nancy parked her car in the tree line beside the house since Max, Erika, and Lucas might need to make a quick exit.
At the time, aside from Vecna himself, their biggest concern was Jason Carver and his angry Christian mob hunting them down. They weren’t quite wrong, however whatever was unfolding in the Munson trailer was likely worse than what Lucas had imagined he would need the car for.
“We’re on the way. Hold tight, Dustin. Over,” Lucas assured him, shoving the walkie in his pocket and hobbling outside with Max in tow.
Dustin sighed, closing his eyes to revel in even the slightest moment of relief. He still had no clue what the hell was going on.
A moment later, he wishes he never did. His stomach recoiled and his heart dropped to his feet at the sight before him.
On the other side of the gate stood Steve, covered head to toe in blood and grime. Eddie was practically dragging alongside him as Steve supported his weight with help from Nancy. Dustin couldn’t tell where Eddie’s blood ended and Steve’s began, unsure who was injured where. It didn’t matter. It was an awful sight regardless.
Nancy sprung into action yet again, practically flinging herself up the rope of sheets and through to the right side up with little struggle. She nodded to Steve who started wrapping the sheet under Eddie’s arms and around his back, stringing him up like a puppet.
“We need to pull him out,” she said to Robin and Dustin, motioning for them to help her reach through the gate in the ceiling.
They all grabbed on where they could as Steve did his best to lift Eddie as high as he could. He shook and growled with the effort, his arms pushing Eddie up from his back as they pulled him higher with the rope. Eventually, they met in the middle and his body hit the barrier where gravity turned on its head and he was falling through onto the mattress. The three of them somewhat broke his fall, but he groaned and lolled to the side limply.
Dustin was shocked to hear sounds coming from his body. He more than half expected them to be recovering a dead body. Eddie was alive, albeit barely. Fuck, he was alive.
After sliding out from below Eddie and getting him situated on his back, Dustin realized Steve was still on the other side of the gate. Panic gripped him again when he saw the older boy crouched down, shaking and heaving. Steve had his arms around his stomach weakly, holding Eddie’s vest close like he was trying to hold himself together. After seeing the absolutely obliterated state of Eddie, it wouldn’t be surprising if that was literal.
“Fuck, Steve, we have to get you out!” he screamed.
When there was no response, Robin’s head shot up from where her and Nancy were tending to Eddie’s bloody torso. They ripped more of Nancy’s sweater and Robin’s overshirt to wrap around what was already pressed to his wounds.
“C’mon, Harrington! We need you over here, please!” Robin pleaded, hoping that would be incentive enough to distract him. Adrenaline was a hell of a pain reliever.
Dustin gathered up the rope again and tossed it through, landing it softly around Steve’s back. He felt the fabric pool around him and he feebly reached out for it.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck..” Steve chanted to himself, groaning quietly and holding his bleeding stomach with arms that felt like jello.
He was so tired. So incredibly, unbelievably tired. Exhaustion rattled through him in a way he had never quite felt before; it was almost beyond bone-deep. All of his joints ached, his muscles tense, and wounds weeping, but it still wasn’t over. He did everything he could and at least he knew his friends were no longer in this hell hole dimension. Willing himself to have energy to pull himself through was almost too much. The straw that nearly broke the camel's back was self-preservation. It was almost ironic, Steve thought to himself, that he spent his entire life with an air of egocentrism he was born into, and here he was. Almost at his end, ready to give up because his job was finished. His friends were safe, and he was so fucking tired.
The devastatingly desperate cries of Dustin and Robin snapped his eyes open when he could finally hear them again. He hadn’t even realized he had ever closed them.
They still sounded distant, like they were underwater, but Steve could make out the tone and a few individual words he recognized as they begged him for a response.
“Steve, I swear to fucking god if you don’t get out here right now…” Robin nearly sobbed when she realized he had begun slumping forward, eyes slipping shut.
“Harrington, you need to move. You have to get out of there or you’re going to die, you asshole!” Dustin begged sharply.
After what felt like ages, Steve realized that staying put was not an option he could even consider. This was not over yet, even if Vecna was burnt to a crisp, they still needed to get everyone to the hospital. He did what he could for Eddie, but he knew he would not last much longer without medical attention.
So, Steve mustered every last shred of will he had left and heaved his battered, trembling body up the flimsy, blood-stained rope of sheets and flung himself back to the real world.
He landed beside Eddie on the mattress where he tried to catch his breath as quickly as he could. Headlights flooded the room through the blinds, and a familiar voice was screaming through the closed door. The bright yellow glow made Steve wince, but he kept his eyes open because he was too scared he wouldn’t be able to open them again. Nancy opened the door and in came a frantic Lucas who had no idea what he was walking into. He gasped and froze, eye wide as he took in the blood-soaked room before him.
Dustin stood and wrapped his arms around Lucas in a quick hug, offering just a little bit of reassurance to the shocked boy. They both shook it off and swung into action once again, listening to Nancy’s directions as she advised them on how the four of them could lift Eddie while moving him as little as possible. Steve watched Lucas carefully step between himself and Eddie’s side to secure his left shoulder while Nancy got the right - Dustin and Robin supporting his legs and torso. He was a big guy, but thankfully he was light and lanky enough for them to drag him towards the door.
“Lucas.. I-I… Max? Where is Max?” Steve stuttered, raspy and near silent. He tried to cough and clear his throat and repeat himself, but it did him no good.
“She’s okay, Steve. Max is okay,” Lucas replied, just loud enough for Steve to make out.
It was like half the tension in his body was released instantly. He let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. There seemed to be a lot of that happening, and his inability to focus on his body was beginning to scare him more than his bloody bat bites ever did. He pivoted his attention to taking inventory of his body, tallying his injuries mentally as best he could to understand what was happening. His legs and arms were sore but otherwise uninjured, his torso was torn apart as expected, but something else was off.
The nausea hit him like a truck when he went to stand and follow the others to the car they loaded Eddie into. The entire world spun on its axis and Steve’s stomach churned along with it, like a gravitational pull was heaving bile from his stomach onto the gravel outside. Everyone fell silent as they heard the revolting sound of Steve retching nothing but acid into the dirt beside the car.
“Fuck, get him inside too,” Nancy demanded sharply once Eddie’s barely conscious body was somewhat settled.
The lot of them piled inside the car, Steve and Eddie in the back with Robin and Dustin crowded on the floor in front of their seats. Nancy drove off, peeling out of the gravel drive with a speed and ferocity she had never driven her poor station wagon with before. Lucas held Max steady in the front seat with Erika also crouched beside them. It was an unbelievably tight fit but traffic laws were the least of their concerns at the moment.
Vomit and spit spilled from Steve’s mouth while he did his best to stay upright in his seat. He didn’t want to fall to the side and land on Eddie’s slumped form he could barely make out. The vertigo didn’t lessen, even with his eyes closed. If he was even a little more coherent, he would wonder aloud if this is what it felt like to be carsick. Usually, he was the one behind the wheel so he was unfamiliar with the sensation. His muddy and slow thoughts mulled around like swamp water as he resumed trying to take inventory of his injuries. There was nothing he could think of that would explain why he felt like he was strapped to a carousel from hell that never stopped jerking his brain in circles.
A tiny snippet of the aforementioned first aid training creeped in despite being such a distant memory now. The voice of his instructor joined the carousel, where her voice floated around, wobbly and distorted. She was talking about head injuries and the signs of concussion including nausea, vomiting, confusion, etc. Steve was beyond familiar with that sensation though, so that didn’t quite line up.
Something new and unfamiliar was happening to him, making him feel detached from the people surrounding him. There must have been a conversation happening, right? His head lolled to the side to look for Robin just to find her gaze was already fixed on his face. Her features were screwed into an expression of fear and confusion as she whispered his name. Steve knew what she was saying because of the way her lips moved in such a familiar way. He also knew she was whispering because the way her mouth barely parted, but it still scared him that he couldn’t hear her.
The last thought he could remember having before their arrival at the hospital was that he was surely drowning. In his head, he was back at the community pool, diving headfirst into the water where his ear canals filled with chlorine and ached with a slow, building pain.