Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mike burst into Nancy’s room, her door slamming against the wall. Nancy jumped, her cheeks reddening at the intrusion, the phone slightly lowering from her ear.

“What the hell Mike? You scared me, I’ve told you to kn-” her wide blue eyes sparkled with irritation but Mike ignored her and cut off her scolding.

“I need you to take me somewhere.”

Nancy’s eyebrow furrowed and Mike shifted under her hard stare but he stood his ground. After the weird phone call he just picked up, there was no doubt in his mind he needed to go.

“Where? And why?”

“I- I’ll tell you in the car. I’d take myself but-”

But he couldn’t drive without adult supervision and while Mike never particularly heeded rules in situations of dire need, he didn’t want to fumble this one. It could be dangerous and to be honest he wasn’t sure he knew what to do on his own. He couldn’t call Lucas or Dustin to help him. It was Christmas after all.

Nancy continued to stare at him, her blue eyes intense. It reminded Mike of his mother’s darker eyed stare whenever she knew something was going on, especially these past few years but never said anything. And when she did, Mike always ran from her.

“Does this have anything to do with that phone call a little while ago?”

Mike nodded.

“What about Holly?” Nancy asked.

“I’ll get her. I’ll get the spare car seat from the closet and I’ll put her in the car. You don’t have to do anything… just drive.”

The unspoken please on his lips.

With a deep breath, Nancy brought the phone back up to her ear. Mike could just make out Jonathan’s distorted voice on the other end.

“I’ll have to call you back.” A pause. “I need to help my brother. I’m not sure, but I’ll call you back tomorrow.” A pause, breathy giggle and a small smile. “I love you too. Merry Christmas.”

Nancy hung up the phone and climbed off the bed. Mike took that as her agreement and he darted out of her room. He made quick work of putting Holly’s car seat in the back of Nancy’s car, the muscle memory making it easy. When he went back inside, Nancy was coaxing a half asleep Holly into her fuzzy boots, hat and coat. Mike scooped up the 6 year old once she was bundled up and followed Nancy out to her car. She started it up, the heat blasting while Mike strapped the youngest in her seat.

“Where are we going?” she mumbled sleepily. Mike gave her a gentle smile and tightened the straps across her chest.

“For a ride, go back to sleep,” he whispered with a light boop to her nose. Holly nodded and leaned her head against the sides of her seat. Satisfied, Mike hopped into the front seat and Nancy pulled out.

“So, you have to go tell me where we’re going,” Nancy said, her hands at 10 and 2 like their dad always instructed. Mike let out a sigh.

“Muncie.”

“Muncie? Are you crazy?” Nancy snapped, already pulling out of the driveway. Her knuckles tightened on the steering wheel but she didn’t make any move that she was going to turn back around.

“It’s a 30 minute drive,” Mike sighed. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out the book of maps, their dad made sure to put in Nancy’s car. “We’ll be back before mom and dad come home.”

At least he hoped that was the case.

Twenty minutes later, as soft Christmas music continued to play, Mike spotted the sign “Welcome to the town of Muncie” pass them by. He glanced back to check on Holly, who continued to sleep peacefully and he felt bad for potentially ruining that sleep soon.

“Mike, tell me where we’re going or I’ll stop right now,” Nancy whispered, her voice causing the nervousness in his stomach to grow.

“It’s too late to stop now, don’t you think?” he said before he could stop himself. Nancy sucked her teeth in annoyance and turned into a McDonald’s parking lot. The car jerked as she slammed it into park. She turned to face him, her ponytail swinging behind her.

“Mike… I need you to tell me what’s going on. I trusted you up to this point but I’m not going any further without an explanation.”

Honestly, Mike was surprised she allowed this much without any details. He guessed with everything they’ve been through and how they’ve all rolled with the punches more or less that she trusted him enough that he wasn’t leading them into a bad situation. He would never do that. Mike always had a plan even though he had to admit, he wasn’t entirely sure if this half baked plan he cooked up after getting off the phone would work out as well as he wanted it to.

So… Mike told her. Nancy’s eyes were wide when he finished and she shook her head, the words “absolutely not” falling from her mouth repeatedly.

“You’re gonna wake up Holly,” he whispered, his eyes checking on their youngest sister. Nancy’s gaze followed him, but the ire didn’t go away. Her lips remained pursed, even when Mike turned back to face her. “What?” he snapped.

“Are you out of your mind? Mom and dad would kill us if they knew what we were doing!”

“Mom and dad would kill us over many of the things we’ve done, this is a drop in the bucket!” He sat back against the seat, exhaling annoyed. “Dad wouldn’t do anything anyway,” he muttered. Mom would be the one punishing and yelling at them while dad would stand behind her, looking at them with that bored yet disappointed look on his bespectacled face.

“Either way, we’re not doing this. Why would he call you anyway? Doesn’t he have… bandmates? Or friends? Or other… I don’t know… dealers.”

Mike rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know. But he asked for my help so-” He wanted to help. He sounded bad over the phone. What would he have done if his parents were home and answered the phone? “Nancy, we’re already here. Let’s just find the Rusty String and-”

“Fine. But anything that happens is on you!”

While the book of maps included Muncie, the Rusty String wasn’t on this version. So Nancy drove around and Mike was eagle eyed on the buildings and their signs.

“Turn here,” Mike commanded, pointing to a dimly lit side street. Nancy scoffed and slowed down.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“It’s right there,” he said, pointing to the dingy sign standing above a black brick building. As the car moved closer, they could hear the boom of a bass coming from the place. There were a few huddles of people on the sidewalk, clouds of smoke over their heads. Nancy inhaled sharply. Mike’s stomach clenched and his heart pounded in his chest. This was definitely dangerous. The car crawled past the bar, the people not even paying attention but Mike’s eyes scanned the people for a familiar head of long curls. The door was being blocked by a large man, so there was definitely no way he was getting inside through the front door. Mike was tall but he clearly looked 14.

“Is there a back alley? When he called, did it sound like it was from inside?”

“I don’t know,” Mike mumbled. “It’s not like I’ve been here before.”

Nancy huffed and turned the corner down an even smaller street and Mike could still hear the booming music from the bar. Suddenly, he wished he had a flashlight.

“Wait, wait, I think that’s him!” he quietly shouted, pointing to a prone figure sandwiched between two large dumpsters. Nancy maneuvered the car as close as possible and Mike jumped out of the car before Nancy could even park.

“Eddie?” The dim light from the few light posts in the back alley, spilled across the pale face of Eddie Munson.

****

Eddie hated Christmas. He hated all of the good cheer, the music, the gift giving and whatever other cliche thing that came with Christmas. But he didn’t always hate it though.

When he was a kid, his mom loved Christmas for as long as he could remember. She did the best she could with making their little house festive and Eddie always liked helping her. It made her happy so it made him happy. He remembered the traditions she tried to maintain from her own childhood in Tennessee. Eddie always wanted to make her happy, so he participated even if sometimes it was too sappy. Al participated begrudgingly.

She liked to put on the TV guide to find a classic Christmas movie but also because, while the guide scrolled, a yule log was displayed with Christmas music playing in the background. A Christmas Carol and Meet Me In St. Louis was her favorite. She would hum Christmas carols, while baking snickerdoodle cookies or cooking her special chili. Before they had to move in with Uncle Wayne and mom got sick, Eddie remembered waking up on Christmas morning to the smell of bacon, biscuits and eggs. 

It wasn’t like they had enough money to fill up the space under the Christmas tree, but his parents made sure he had a few things to rip open. Eddie used to badger Al into helping him buy a gift for his mom. As he got older, he learned that he could have just taken a page from Al’s book and just took the things he wanted. He didn’t do it often… maybe once or twice but it was never enough to become part of his personality like it could have been. He wanted that apple to fall as far from the tree as possible.

When he was 8, Al’s attitude soured much more than ever and things shifted. Al eventually lost his job. Al started to come home later and got heavily involved with “those friends of his” his mom would say. They were always around but after Al lost his job, they were around more. Christmas began to lose its shine no matter how hard his mom tried to maintain it. When they had to move in with Wayne, she continued to try. When she got sick, it was much harder to try and Eddie didn’t have the spirit to try for her. After she died, with Al in jail much longer this time, Eddie stopped caring.

Every year during the holidays, Wayne took on extra hours, so Eddie was usually alone until Wayne walked tiredly through the door at 2AM on December 26th. Sure, he could call his friends but they had families and traditions of their own. So, he usually just strummed away at his guitar, on the couch, in his bed or on the front porch of the trailer. Sometimes he’d go for a drive and sometimes he’d go to The Hideout and hang out for a while. They liked him there. But this year, he ended up at Reefer Rick’s house. The man was cool and often let Eddie hang out if he wanted and tonight was no different.

Except it kind of was.

Eddie didn’t like the other dealers in Rick’s employment. They were older. Some were surly and mean looking. Some had narrowed eyes and calloused hands that chafed whenever they gripped the back of his neck in greeting. He didn’t like them but they listened to Rick so while he was uncomfortable, he never let it show. He always interacted with an easy grin and mirth in his eyes. His only ask when he started working for Rick was that he would sell to the youth of Hawkins only… if possible. He would refer adults to the others.

Today out of 6 people in Rick’s employment, including Eddie, there were 4 spending Christmas at Reefer Rick’s. It was kind of sad. They laughed loudly while they told Christmas stories, ate pizza and passed a joint around. Eddie thought that maybe this Christmas wouldn’t be so bad. It wasn’t something he would want to do on a normal holiday basis but he could let it be this year. After passing the joint to Rick on his right, he leaned back and relaxed in the chair. But then Skinny Lance ruined it by suggesting they go to this new bar in Muncie, The Rusty String. He could get them in because the bouncer owed him a favor.

So Eddie found himself, in Reefer Rick’s van, squished between two of the surly ones. He never remembered their names. Christmas music played on the radio and annoyingly, they sang along to the classic songs. Everyone always thought they were a singer and Eddie sighed annoyed. “The Christmas Song” began and Eddie closed his eyes to listen to the soothing tones of Nat King Cole but then Surly Man 2 ruined it by joining in. Eddie cracked his eyes open and curled his lips in disgust.

Ugh, Christmas sucks.

At the Rusty String, there were tacky Christmas decorations thrown up over the various neon signs. Band posters, movie posters and other random posters were pasted on the walls. Even though there was a stage that Eddie made note of for when Corroded Coffin decides to travel to another city, music was filtering out from the jukebox in the corner. Some Christmasy pop song was currently playing and Eddie knew he’d probably change the music later. The bar was semi-busy with two quick-moving bartenders. He spied a man standing near a hallway under the “bathroom sign” who watched their group as they slid into one of the round booths. Once again, Eddie found himself squished between Surly Man 1 and Surly Man 2.

One day, he’ll remember their names.

They’d been there for what felt like a couple of hours. Eddie did change the music to suit his needs better but some girl went back to put on Cyndi Lauper. He definitely wanted to bring his band here and introduce these people to some real music. Being 19, Eddie wasn’t legally allowed to drink or get into a bar but it wouldn’t be the first time that he managed to get alcohol while at a bar.

He’d gone with Lance to get the beers this time and the bartender didn’t even bother to card him. With the few beers coursing through his blood, he was feeling a little bold, so he flirted with a leggy brunette, in a low cut black dress who touched his arm and smiled coyly at him. He didn’t quite catch her name but it didn’t really matter in the end. It still didn’t matter even when she slipped a napkin with her name Joanna and phone number on it.

He walked away with her phone number and the beers, pleased.

A few minutes passed and his head began to feel a little fuzzy. His eyes were picking up the colors of the bar walls but they were starting to melt together, like a kaleidoscope. The music was loud and overbearing for his suddenly sensitive senses. His body felt heavy and he could feel his heart pounding in his head. He blinked and shook his head, trying to set everything back on straight but it only made it worse. A pained moan slipped from his lips before he could even stop it.

“Munson? You okay?” Reefer Rick asked. His voice was loud in Eddie’s ear as he pushed his shoulder. Eddie found himself falling slightly to the side, his face landing on Skinny Lance’s bony shoulder. Another moan.

“The kid’s drunk,” Lance laughed, shrugging his shoulders and causing Eddie’s brain to rattle in his head. He didn’t like that one bit. He wasn’t drunk though. This was something else. “Or high maybe.”

“He didn’t even smoke that much,” came the gruff voice of one of the surly men. If Eddie ever participated, he never smoked as much as the others. He needed to keep his wits as much as possible. Just enough to feel something. Besides, this didn’t even feel like being weed high. Rick rolled it himself, he didn’t lace his stuff.

“S-something’s wrong,” Eddie muttered, his mouth slightly obstructed by Lance’s shoulder. He never gave in to the temptation of trying some of the other stuff but it would come in handy right now to identify what exactly was happening.

“Did you take something Munson?” Rick asked, pulling his face back towards him which sucked. Eddie shook his head as best he could and Rick hummed. He could feel fingers on his face, moving his head this way and that before Rick huffed. “I don’t have time for this right now.”

Eddie flinched hearing the tone in his voice. Rick was cool but he didn’t like being inconvenienced and Eddie felt like an inconvenience… not by choice obviously. His surroundings continued to alternate between blurring together and being super clear. It was giving him an extreme headache.

“Keep an eye on him fellas, I gotta run an errand,” Rick commanded. Eddie felt the dip of the booth’s vinyl covering as Rick slid out. Skinny Lance sighed, annoyed and pushed Eddie off of his shoulder. His head felt so heavy that he found himself looking up at the ceiling, the back of his neck resting on the booth behind them. The overhead lights were too much against his eyes so he forced his head forward to defend. Surly Man 1 chuckled, shaking his head. Surly Man 2, frowned, his dark eyes shining in irritation.

“I wanted to check out that club down the street, the one with the girl on the sign,” he huffed.

“We can still go,” Lance said, shrugging.

Surly Man 1 shook his head. “You heard what Rick said.”

“He’s not our responsibility. Isn’t he an adult anyway?” Surly Man 2 demanded. Eddie didn’t like where this conversation was going and he appreciated Surly Man 1 for trying to defend him a little.

“He’s a kid.”

“‘M not a kid,” Eddie mumbled but he was unsure if they even heard him. To him it sounded so loud but they reacted as if they didn’t even hear him.

“He’s 19,” Lance answered, finishing the rest of his beer. “He’ll be fine for an hour. It’s only 10:30. ‘Sides, if we try to take him with us, it’ll be slow goin’ and they might not even let us bring him in. He’s underage.”

“And high,” Surly Man 2 said, already standing to his feet. Skinny Lance popped up to join him and Eddie appreciated how Surly Man 1 didn’t move right away.

“I’m n-not high,” Eddie rasped. He tilted his head as best he could but he really didn’t want to be left behind. He’d rather Reefer Rick took him with him and left him in the van. Being left in a city 30 minutes away from home, with people he didn’t even like, in a strange bar… with whatever’s going on with him, it terrified him. “D-don’t leave m-me.”

“It’s just an hour, you’ll be fine. We’ll be back.” Surly Man 2 said, patting his cheek and walking away, Skinny Lance following close behind. Surly Man 1, watched him for a moment and Eddie forced his body to move, sitting up as best he could.

“Please…” he muttered but Surly Man 1 rolled his eyes, stood and walked away. Eddie could have cried at that moment.

“Here.”

Eddie was startled at the sound of glass hitting the wooden table. In front of him was a glass of water. He looked up and Surly man 1 was watching him. Again, Eddie could have cried because he wasn’t being left behind!

“Drink some water.” Eddie slowly reached for the glass, concentrating on gripping it and bringing it to his lips. “Stay in the booth, we’ll be back.”

“W-wait.” Eddie almost dropped the glass but Surly Man 1 caught it before it could spill and lowered it back to the table.

“Look, you’ll be fine. We’ll be back. Just stay here.”

Eddie’s stomach clenched as the man left without a backward glance.

Well shit.

****

Unable to really pay much attention to the time, Eddie was unsure how long it’d been since the others left him. So far, he’d been left alone and no one paid any attention to him. But he really wanted to leave. Maybe he should call Wayne to come get him. Wayne would be pissed to have to leave work to drive 30 minutes and pick up his stupid nephew but Eddie would rather take Wayne’s quiet disappointment than stay here alone.

So, he forced his body to move and slide out of the booth. The payphone was in the hallway near the backdoor and the bathrooms. If he could just make it there, he would be okay.

“Heyyy, you’re still here,” a feminine voice whispered suddenly behind him. Eddie stumbled in surprise, his back colliding with the wall. He felt so heavy and out of it that it took him a minute for his eyes to settle on the person in front of him. She stood, long legs, brown hair, black dress and wide blue eyes. The lights from the neon signs casting her pale face in eerie glows.

“Oh h-hey,” Eddie said, putting on a grin and straightening the best he could. “Yeah, but I’m about to head out,” he said as conversationally as he could. He didn’t want to look like a stuttering fool in front of such a pretty girl.

“Oh? Can I walk you out?” she asked, lowering her eyelids and walking closer to him. Eddie inhaled deeply, her perfume that he liked before, negatively assaulted his senses. She wrapped a hand around his arm, locking him next to her, and the other around the back of his neck, her fingers twisting into the curls at the back of his head.

He shook his head, ‘no’ tumbling out of his mouth. His stomach flipped at her closeness but she just giggled and leaned in closer and pulled him away from the wall. Eddie would like to think that under normal circumstances she wouldn’t have been able to move him as easily as she’s able to right now. He blamed whatever was incapacitating him right now. She cooed things in his ear as she ran her unoccupied hand through his curls. He spotted the payphone next to the bathroom and he tried to dig his feet in to make them turn in that direction but she kept leading him towards the back exit.

They stumbled out the door, Eddie tripping over the door frame and crashing to his knees.

“Dammit Joanna!” another voice snapped in the distance. It was male. Eddie tried to push himself to his feet but two sets of hands gripped and yanked him up. He let out a pained grunt when his back hit the brick wall behind him. “I told you to bring someone out at 11!!”

“15 minutes isn’t that big a deal! Besides, I didn’t have eyes on him after I dropped it in his drink. Are you even sure he’s one of them?”

“I saw him come in with Skinny Lance,” the man said. Rough hands pushed his shoulders back into the brick wall while another pair of hands started to dig through his many pockets. The lights in the alley behind the bar were dim and Eddie could barely make out the faces of his attackers? Robbers? What were they even doing? They mentioned Skinny Lance… so they knew him? What did they want? “You should have put it in his drink.”

“I tried,” Joanna said, her voice taking on a pouty whine. “But this one was flirting with me and I-”

“What? You got caught up by his eyes?” The man gripped his jaw and twisted his head to the side to face the woman who stood straight and smirked.

“You know I can’t pass up big brown eyes,” she cooed, leaning into him and pinching his cheek. Again, under normal circumstances… but right now, he really wanted to go home.

“What, what are you doing?” Eddie rasped out, his tongue feeling like lead in his mouth. He was probably slurring but he couldn’t tell. “Get offa me,” he whined as he tried to push back against their hands. The man growled annoyed and pushed his forearm across Eddie’s throat, knocking his head back into the brick.

“You run with Skinny Lance,” the man said, pushing harder. The woman, Joanna continued to go through his pockets but he didn’t know what she was looking for.

“Not really,” Eddie muttered, still trying to push the man away, trying to get a full breath. “What do you want?”

“He shorted me last month and I’m gonna get back what he owes.”

Eddie frowned. He had no idea what this man was talking about. Lance owes him? He sold to him and didn’t give him what he paid for? That was shitty if that’s what he meant.

“Th-that doesn’t have any- anything to do- to do… with me,” Eddie groaned. Joanna felt around his back pockets and in another instance…

“Nothing,” she sighed, standing straight. She pushed at Eddie’s chest. “You don’t have nothing on you? Not even an 8-ball?”

Eddie’s eyes widened. So they were a couple of snowbirds. He shook his head. He’d never carry that. The time he’d spend in jail wasn’t worth it. The man huffed out an annoyed breath.

“Your eyes aren’t that cute,” she said, her lips twisted in disappointment.

“Where’s his wallet?”

His legs were weak and he was so ready to sit down. He barely registered the aggressive shaking and demanding of his wallet. Joanna went back to one of his many pockets and lifted the worn black wallet up.

“There’s no money-” their laughter cut through his explanation. But their laughter died when they saw that he was right. Eddie barely kept money in his actual wallet for reasons just like this. He had his driver’s license and a couple of other cards, like his Family Video card or the record store card as he was a frequent customer. The man, whose name he still didn’t know, snatched the wallet from Joanna, thumbed through it like he didn’t believe there was nothing in there.

The man growled and threw the wallet at Eddie. It bounced off his jaw, Eddie flinching slightly, and landed next to his feet. Eddie started to slump forward, but the man refused to let him fall over. He thumped him back into the wall, his hand on Eddie’s neck keeping him in place.

“Where are they?” he demanded. Eddie blinked slowly at the guy. “Where did the others go?”

Some titty bar, he didn’t know. They left him behind. Besides, it seemed like Joanna meant to drug Lance but Eddie got in her way.

“Why can’t you just le-leave me alone? I ain’t got shit to do- to do with what y’all got going on.” Gathering his strength, he heaved forward, flailing his arm, his fist connected with the soft flesh of the guy’s cheek. The man stumbled backwards, Eddie falling into him, with a pained curse.

“Brett!” Joanna cried out. Eddie’s body, now that gravity has pulled him down, refused to move. Shit. He thought. This really fucking sucks. These guys really fucking suck. Lance fucking sucks.

Brett cursed again and pushed Eddie off, his body wanting to melt into the ground.

“Asshole!” He shouted. Eddie’s head whipped to the side with the force of Brett’s fist against his cheek. He felt the skin split. Was the guy wearing a ring?

“Let’s just go,” she said. “I can call Ramsey.” Eddie groaned but nodded his head in agreement. He wanted them to leave him alone. Everyone was leaving him alone tonight and he wanted to be left alone now.

“Waste of fucking space,” the man, Brett, growled. Eddie grunted feeling the hard kick to his ribs. That was gonna leave a fucking bruise. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s been kicked in his ribs over some goddamn drugs. Merry fuckin’ Christmas.

****

He didn’t know how long he’d been laying there on the ground alone. His sense of time, of everything was so fucked thanks to whatever those two assholes gave him. Now he’s going to have to make sure he doesn’t leave his drinks unattended.

“Fuck you Lance,” he said to no one. That guy could have gotten him killed. He had to get up. Did those guys come back yet? Did they even care that he wasn’t where they’d left him? With a heave, he pushed himself into a sitting position. His head swam and it took him forever to pull himself up to stand. “This fucking sucks,” he mumbled.

He needed help.

Making his way back inside The Rusty String was so hard but he did it. He knew when to pick his battles and this couldn’t be one he lost. Eddie pushed the numbers on the payphone. Without actually knowing what time it was, he didn’t know if Wayne would be home yet. Jeff and his family were out of town. Pete was definitely asleep. Gareth most likely would not even bother picking up the phone if he wasn’t still in his garage messing with his drums.

He only had one other choice of a number he knew. He never had a reason to dial this number and he hoped that their parents didn’t answer. The phone rang four times and just when Eddie was about to give up and hang up, the other side clicked. His head still felt fuzzy and he wanted to sleep so badly, but he perked up.

“Hello, Wheeler Residence?”

“Wh-Wheeler is that y-you?”

“Who is this?” He sighed. Not only was the kid’s voice familiar and broke through his bleary senses, he felt the warm feeling of trust exploding through him.

“It’s E-ddie,” he ground out. The other side was deathly silent and he wondered if the kid was holding his breath as a parent walked by. Maybe his hand blocked out the receiver to prevent Eddie from hearing him argue with someone.

“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice a soft whisper. Eddie huffed with what he hoped sounded like a laugh. “Eddie?”

“Um, not- not really. I-” he inhaled deeply. “I need some help and I-”

“Where are you?”

Right to the point. From the time he’s spent with Mike Wheeler, he knew the kid had a tendency to babble and not get his words out the way he wanted to. But he also saw just how much of a leader he could be. When he explained the dynamics of their party, he completely understood and the more time he spent with the kid, and his friends, he got it. When he needed to, he took the lead.

“Muncie. At The Rusty String.”

“Is that a- a bar? Were you playing there?”

Eddie laughed, a small smile cracking his face. He wished he was playing at that bar because then he’d be with people he trusted. They wouldn’t have left him. They would have stuffed him into his van and Gareth would have driven him home.

“No, I don’t wanna talk about it,” he said. Not over the phone anyway. Mike was silent. Alarmingly so and Eddie’s gut began to twist. This wasn’t a good idea. The kid couldn’t drive. At least legally. How would he get here to get him? There was no way Mrs. Wheeler was going to bring him to Muncie to pick up the drug dealer who sold to high schoolers, who was the weird and freaky leader of her son’s after school club. Mike probably wouldn’t even ask his dad considering their past conversations. Was Nancy home?

This was actually such a bad idea.

“You know what, this is fucking dumb,” he said. His knuckles were white as he gripped the side of the payphone. “Sorry about this kid.” He pulled the receiver away from his ear, about to hang up.

“Eddie! Eddie, wait!”

His hand stuttered hearing Mike’s frantic voice. He placed it back to his ear.

“Are you back? You didn’t hang up right?”

“No,” he responded after a moment. He heard a breath of relief on the other end.

“Just… just stay there. I’m coming.” Eddie was silent. He almost didn’t believe him. “Eddie?”

“Okay.”

****

When Mike spotted Eddie between the two dumpsters. One of his biggest fears was realized and it slammed into him. The idea of finding anyone he cared about dead haunted him almost every night. Before Will disappeared, his biggest fear was facing his bullies at school or turning in a late assignment, or being grounded without the ability to see his friends. After Will’s disappearance, his biggest fear became never finding him. When El disappeared his biggest fear became losing the people he loved the most and that stuck. Every year something happened where he worried that someone was going to disappear or die.

El and Will were now in California, two of the people who have been most affected by the Upside Down, and he couldn’t even have eyes on them everyday to make sure they were okay. Especially El, she gained so much just to lose almost everything.

Eddie was a new addition to his circle of people he cared about, and Mike did care about him. The way Eddie sounded on the phone set his teeth on edge. He sounded like he was drunk but also in pain. Before Nancy could even put the car in park, Mike’s long legs hit the ground as he stumbled like a newborn colt, over to the older boy.

Eddie’s body was against the wall between the two dumpsters, his chin resting against his collarbone and his long hair curtaining his face. Mike scrunched his nose at the smell but he ignored it to shake Eddie gently.

“Is he okay?” Nancy asked, her shoes cracking against the rocks surrounding them. She tentatively reached out a hand, brushed his hair out of the way and rested two fingers against his neck. “He has a pulse,” she breathed out, relief in her voice.

“Eddie, wake up,” Mike commanded, shaking his shoulder. The pressure that held his heart in a concerned vice released when Eddie lifted his head a little and whined. “Come on, you gotta get up.”

Even though he and Nancy hadn’t really spent that much time together that wasn’t fighting eldritch terrors, he always knew he could count on her. With a look, she seemed to understand exactly what he was saying. The siblings each took hold of Eddie’s arms and with a couple of grunts, they heaved him forward and slipped his long arms over their shoulders.

“Damn, he’s heavy,” Nancy said between clenched teeth. Eddie’s feet stumbled behind them as they moved slowly towards the car. “I’ll get the door,” Nancy grunted. Mike tried to take most of Eddie’s weight while Nancy’s fingers scrambled for the door handle. Mike could feel his legs buckling a little and he wondered once again if he should have taken Steve up on his offer to work out with them. He laughed a little at that thought. Once Nancy got the door open, she moved around so they could get him into the backseat without jostling Holly who miraculously was still asleep.

Nancy darted to Holly’s side to check on her, while Mike got a seatbelt around Eddie. He didn’t even seem to realize they were there yet. Mike made sure Eddie’s legs were tucked behind his seat and closed the door. Just before he got back into the car, he spotted a black object on the ground spread open. He knelt down for it and discovered it was Eddie’s wallet.

Mike found that he couldn’t sit still. He kept glancing behind him at the older teen in the backseat, his head inches away from a sleeping Holly. He didn’t seem to be asleep exactly but very unaware. He glanced at Nancy who stared straight ahead, her fingers tight around the wheel.

“Thanks,” Mike muttered, eyes turning back to the road. Nancy was silent but from the tightening of her lips, he knew she at least heard him.

“I can’t believe we did it,” she finally said. Mike nodded his agreement. “So, what’s the next part of your plan?”

“We take him home, let him sleep it off in the basement.”

Mike gripped the handle above the window when Nancy jerked the car off the road into the nearby McDonalds, the same one before. He couldn’t help the laugh that fell from his mouth from how silly that just seemed. She threw the car into park and turned to face him. Her blue eyes were fiery and Mike leaned away from her. If she had laser vision, he would have lost his hair for sure.

“Nancy, I need you to chill the hell out,” he dared to say. Nancy’s tight lips grew tighter as she stared at him.

“Mike, I have gone along with this crazy plan of yours without arguing. I have gone along with many of your crazy plans before but this is a step too far.”

“Why? How is it a step too far compared to the shit we’ve done in the past?”

He definitely has come up with many plans in the past, things that were dangerous. Hell, he faced down murdering scientists, hell creatures, possessed Billy Hargrove and used physics to flip a damn car. This was nothing compared to those.

“He- we can’t-”

“He’s my friend Nancy, I can’t just leave him somewhere.”

“We can take him to his home.”

They could. Mike thought about it but whatever was wrong with Eddie, what if he got sick while alone and he choked on his own vomit or something? Mike would feel like shit knowing he could have been more helpful. He glanced back at the older teen in the back seat and the street lights and the yellow light from the McDonald’s sign shone over the discolored bruise and cut on Eddie’s cheek. He wanted to help. Plus, Eddie said before that his Uncle often worked extra hours on holidays. What if his uncle wasn’t even back yet? His emotions and thought process was usually kept under wraps but they must have shown on his face because Nancy sighed. It sounded like resignation.

“McDonald’s?”

The siblings jumped at the sudden sound of Eddie’s voice breaking through the tension of their brief standoff. Nancy turned to face him and shook her head.

“No, we’re going home.”

“Nooo,” Eddie whined. “McDonald’s… chicken nuggets,” Eddie flopped in the backseat like a toddler about to throw a tantrum. A laugh bubbled from Mike’s lips as he discovered a different side of Eddie Munson. Nancy gawked at them both.

“Hell no, you don’t get McDonald’s after you called us out here to get you.”

“Please,” he begged. Mike wasn’t even sure if Eddie realized who they were. His brown eyes were nowhere near as alert as he’s used to seeing them. They were foggy. “My treat.”

Mike pulled Eddie’s wallet up from the center console and thumbed through it. He chuckled and shook his head.

“You don’t have any money in your wallet Eddie.”

Instead of responding, Eddie lifted his leg until it rested on the middle console. Both Mike and Nancy were confused. What the hell is he doing? Mike wondered. Eddie tried to reach forward but not only was he stopped by the seat belt, but it seemed like he could barely control his body. Lifting his leg already seemed to take a lot out of him.

“In my shoe.”

Nancy scoffed and rolled her eyes but Mike slipped the shoe off. He turned on the reading light and spied a small bag taped to the heel of the shoe. Mike let out an amused breath and pulled the bag out and sure enough inside, were a few folded up bills. He pulled out a $5 bill and returned the money back to the shoe.

“Gross,” Nancy muttered. Yeah, Mike couldn’t ever see himself putting money in his shoe but he could understand why Eddie would. In his line of work, he could potentially have a lot of money on him that if someone robbed him, he’d lose a lot of money. Obviously, looking at how he found Eddie’s wallet not on Eddie, maybe someone tried to rob him just to find nothing in his actual wallet. It was smart. With that bruise and cut, the robber probably hit him for it.

Now that he had the money in hand, Nancy literally had no reason to refuse. And she didn’t. Eddie tried to lean forward and order but his voice was slurred and garbled that Mike had to wrangle him back into the backseat. Nancy’s cheeks were red as she ordered a simple chicken nugget meal and a couple of apple pies when Eddie whined for them.

“Can he even eat without choking?” Mike wondered, the bags in his lap. He wanted to pass them back to Eddie but Nancy vehemently said “no”. Eddie barely had control over basic motor functions, there was no way he was going to be able to eat with the rocking motion of the car. So, Mike held onto the bag of food until they finally pulled up to their house around 12:30 AM. Mike breathed a sigh of relief to see that their parents weren’t home yet.

“I’m going to take Holly inside,” Nancy announced, turning the car off. Mike nodded and waited until Nancy disappeared inside with their youngest sister before exiting and heading to help Eddie. The older boy landed sideways and Mike had to abandon the McDonald’s bag on the middle console just to struggle to pull Eddie out of the car.

“Jeez Eddie,” he grunted. Eddie mumbled sorry and tried to help Mike by getting his feet under him. His head lolled to the side, his hair falling into Mike’s face and Mike struggled to push it out of the way. Nancy returned, her eyebrows lowered. Mike knew she was furious about the entire situation but he was so glad she helped. “I left the food in the car.”

Once he finally got Eddie into the basement, the stairs being extremely difficult, Mike laid Eddie out on the couch. He stood straight, wiped his forehead and sighed. Eddie lifted his head and sniffed.

“Food?”

“Can you even eat it?”

Eddie’s eyes looked a little clearer than they had all night but he blinked so very slowly. Nancy pulled the side table over to him and pulled the food out of the bag.

“Nancy Wheeler?” he asked, confused, his bottom lip poking out. Nancy froze at the expression and his small voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m helping you,” she huffed. Mike laid a hand on his shoulder and shook him a little.

“Eddie, you called me remember?”

Eddie swung his head to look at Mike, and once again he blinked so very slowly. Mike could see the recognition in his eyes. He was so worried about what was going on with Eddie. He wasn’t familiar with drunkenness or drugs. His parents had gotten a little drunk before during the holidays but it was never anything like this. He’s seen people around who have been on drugs but he’s never seen this.

“My face hurts,” he mumbled instead of actually answering Mike’s question.

“Help him eat,” Mike instructed as he turned on his heel to run back upstairs. Nancy spluttered, her cheeks flaming. Mike rummaged through the cabinet below the kitchen sink for the first aid kit. Eddie’s face wasn’t too bad, but he could clean it a little and put a butterfly bandage on the cut. When he returned to the basement, Nancy was fighting with Eddie who was trying to handle the food on his own but just like the rest of the night, his arms barely moved.

“I’m trying to help you, you idiot.”

“I can do it,” Eddie said, trying to bat her hand away.

“Clearly you can’t, I don’t even want to be feeding you.”

“Wheeler, tell your sister to leave me alone,” Eddie grumbled, as Mike sat next to Eddie on the couch, the first aid kit on his lap.

“If you want to eat, then she has to help you,” he said, busying himself with dabbing at Eddie’s cut with a sanitizing wipe. Eddie flinched away from Mike’s hand but he resigned himself to letting Nancy alternate inbetween putting food in his fingers and guiding them to his mouth and putting a nugget to his lips with her own fingers.

Between the two of them, they got Eddie Munson fed, enough at least, and cleaned up a bit just in time because the older teen was out like a light. Nancy’s hands were on her hips and Mike could tell she was so annoyed. He knew that he would owe her for a long time.

“Thanks,” he said as they left the basement. Nancy’s hands fell from her hips, she threw her head back and let out a loud sigh. “It’s fine. You’re a good friend Mike,” she said, rubbing his arm. Mike felt his heart swell at her gentleness. He really did miss her.

“You’re a good sister,” he added. She gave him a close lipped smile and led him back up the stairs where they both fell into their respective beds.

The next morning, Mike tiptoed down the stairs, hoping his parents were still asleep. He was so glad they managed to make it home, sneak Eddie into their basement, get Holly back into bed before their parents probably even thought of leaving their party. If it was up to his dad, he was sure they would have left the party around 11PM, but his mom always enjoyed Christmas parties with friends as they very rarely went to parties together. She always said having three kids really took up a lot of her time, he’d even catch her mumble about having four kids and he assumed she was including his dad.

He poked his head around the wall, but all he heard was silence. Good. He thought. Eddie was probably still passed out and his parents weren’t in the kitchen. This was all going according to plan. Mike smiled to himself and went the last few feet into the kitchen only to jump almost a mile high.

“What are you doing?” he gasped, seeing his mom in the fridge. She pulled back, her hair still hidden in her sleep scarf, her eyes tired.

“Michael,” she yawned. “What are you doing?”

“I uh, I wanted to grab some Eggos.” She nodded and pulled the creamer from the fridge and went to turn on the coffee maker. “Did you sleep okay?” She asked, her fingers rubbing her tired eyes. Mike glanced at the basement door, as he went to the freezer for the box of Eggos, hoping that Eddie wouldn’t suddenly wake and stumble up the stairs. That would be the worst thing that could happen right now.

“Um-um yeah, I had some weird dreams but it was fine.”

“Weird dreams?” She hummed. The smell of fresh coffee began to fill the room and Mike glanced again at the basement door. He didn’t know if Eddie drank coffee but the smell could rouse anyone. “Do you want to tell me about them?”

Mike looked at his mom as he pressed the button down on the toaster.

“Not really.” Because the dreams were things that actually happened. His sleep was dreamless. Or at least he didn’t remember them. The toaster dinged with the Eggos popping up and he snatched them and plopped them on a paper plate and fixed a cup of water. “I don’t always remember my dreams anyway,” he amended, hoping she didn’t pry. She seemed too tired to pry anyway.

With a tired nod, she shuffled away back towards the staircase with two cups of coffee. Mike waited until he could no longer hear the soft creaking of the staircase before he crept into the basement. It was dark, save for the small red lava lamp he was gifted by Steve Harrington last Christmas. Instead of Eddie being laid out on the couch, he was fiddling with the back door.

“What are you doing?” Mike whispered, creeping further down the stairs. Eddie whirled around, his long curls spinning with him, a few of them sticking to his face. His eyes were wide in confusion and fear. He stared at Mike for a moment and Mike moved further into the room, making sure that Eddie could see his face fully. The fear receded as recognition filled his eyes but the confusion remained.

“Wheeler?” he croaked. His voice sounded rough, like he’d been gargling with rocks only a few moments ago. “Where am I?”

Mike placed the plate of Eggos and cup of water on the side table and walked over to Eddie, his movements slow and his hands raised. Like he was approaching a feral cat.

“You’re in my basement… we brought you here last night.”

“We?”

“Me and Nancy,” Mike answered. Eddie’s brow furrowed and to Mike it looked like maybe he was trying to remember the night before. He didn’t blame him. Eddie was out of it. Sure, he could talk and walking was slow going but he seemed to be actively trying to not pass out. Eddie’s mouth opened and closed as he took in Mike’s words and Mike just waited patiently for him to catch up. “Are you okay? I brought you some food and water. The way you ate that McDonald’s last night, I bet you’re still starving.”

Belatedly, Eddie’s eyes landed on the plate of Eggos and he moved away from the door, enticed by the slight warm smell of the Eggos. Once he decided to sit on the couch and eat them, Mike relaxed into one of the DnD chairs.

“How did you find me?” Eddie asked in between bites and gulps of water. It was Mike’s turn to frown. What? Eddie didn’t remember calling him and asking for his help? He watched Eddie chew, slowly compared to last night. He felt a little honored that Eddie had called him instead of someone else but he supposed that maybe Eddie hadn’t meant to call?

“You called here last night.”

When Eddie’s confusion didn’t fade, Mike continued. “It was kind of late, but when you called, you sounded weird and kind of scared. It took me a minute to get out of you, where you were.” He paused, watching for a reaction but Eddie continued to watch him blankly. “You sounded almost like you were far away. But you told me you were in Muncie at a bar. I told you to stay put and I was coming.”

“My knight in shining armor,” Eddie laughed, wiping his hands together and putting the plate aside. “But I don’t remember that.”

“Really?” Eddie shook his head and shrugged. Mike fiddled with his fingers and Eddie sighed dramatically. “What is it?”

“You were high?”

“I-” Mike bit his bottom lip nervously. Eddie told him that he only smoked weed once and while he’d never smoked himself to know what it felt like, the way Eddie acted was completely different from what he’s seen some of his classmates act like while they were high.

“I barely smoked last night,” Eddie finally said. “I don’t remember a lot but it’s never felt like that before. I drank but I wasn’t drunk.” He paused. “At least I don’t think I was.”

“You were definitely on something,” Mike whispered, like his parents could catch them at any minute.

“You were roofied,” a feminine voice declared. Both boys jumped, Eddie’s eyes turning up to the top of the stairs and Mike spinning around. Nancy stood at the top, a hand on her hip and the other holding a glass of water, her hair wild and more frizzy than curly.

“What the hell Nancy?” Mike whispered angrily. She continued down the stairs into the room, her footsteps light. She ignored Mike’s outburst and stepped further into the room, her blue eyes furious as she stared at Eddie. She put the cup of water next to the empty one Mike brought and maintained her glare. For his part, Eddie tilted his head and met her stare head on, his brown eyes lighting in amusement.

“Did you hear what I said?” she demanded. Mike was reminded of their mom. Eddie shook his head and ran a hand through his curls.

“No I didn’t. Can you say it again without parental disdain?”

“I said you were roofied, which is a serious thing to have happened to you, Eddie Munson.”

“Jesus, you don’t have to say my entire name like that.”

“This is serious,” Nancy said, crossing her arms. Mike looked back and forth between the two. Eddie shrugged and reached for the water. “You don’t care? That’s rich. Let’s not forget that you called my little brother because you needed help.”

“Well, I don’t remember that so-”

“Case in point,” Nancy sniffed. Mike rolled his eyes and thrust his hands out to cut the tension between the two older teens.

“Nancy, can you not? You’re talking to him like it was his fault he was roofied.” Mike paused, his eyebrows furrowing. “What does that mean anyway?”

“It’s a date-rape drug,” Nancy said, her voice trembling a little. Mike’s eyes widened and he choked on air at the blunt explanation.

“Jesus,” Eddie exclaimed, rearing back as if he’d been slapped. Nancy’s cheeks burned a bright red and her glare faltered a little. “You didn’t have to say it like that.”

“Well that’s what-”

“Nancy, can you not be a reporter for like two seconds?” Mike all but shrieked, his voice breaking and he shifted uncomfortably. Nancy seemed to deflate and Mike didn’t understand why she came in here guns blazing. If what she’s saying is true, knowing Nancy, it 95% was… Eddie was a victim. Mike couldn’t help the awful thoughts that ran through his mind as he looked everywhere but at Eddie.

****

Eddie sighed, annoyed. When he woke up, he felt groggy and his memory was wonky enough to know that he’d probably been drugged. The more they talked, the more bits of his memory began to come back and no matter what kind of drug he was given, he definitely wasn’t… he wasn’t attacked in that way.

He remembered hands but not in that way. He wasn’t super familiar with roofies… Rohypnol being the technical name coming to mind. He’d been asked about it before and he almost kicked the guy’s ass. The way the Wheeler siblings were looking at him, made him want to crawl under a rock. He might have needed some help last night, but he wasn’t helpless. Eddie Munson was never and would never be helpless. He’s taken care of himself for years. Nancy’s expression was virtually unreadable. He saw concern and pity which made him grit his teeth. Mike was looking at him with confusion and concern, his forehead wrinkled under the growing bangs.

His memory was still fuzzy but he seemed to remember them asking him about an 8-ball. They wanted drugs from him. They wanted to rob him for drugs but he didn’t have any on him. They wanted to take money but he kept that hidden in his shoe. They were too dumb to do a thorough pat down.

“Stop looking at me like that, Jesus,” he said exasperated. “I’m fine. They didn’t do anything to me.”

“Fine,” both siblings said in unison. They didn’t even seem to realize they spoke at the same time.

“Do you feel well enough to get home?” Nancy sighed, relaxing her posture. Eddie smirked and leaned forward, his curls falling forward.

“Ready to kick me already, Wheeler? I’m not good company?”

Nancy rolled her eyes and looked away. Mike spoke up.

“I don’t mind you being here Eddie, but eventually our parents are gonna find out and no offense…” Mike’s voice tapered out at the end. Eddie knew what he was getting at. It was bold enough that the kid even brought him here to stay overnight, to sleep off the drugs. The few times he’s interacted with Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, neither of them were pleased with his presence. He could only imagine what it would be like if they saw he was in their house. Eddie Munson, the drug dealer? Mike and Nancy would hear about it for weeks… months even. So, he sighed and leaned back again on the couch. It was fucking comfortable. No wonder he didn’t feel stiff compared to the times he’s fallen asleep on his own couch.

He nodded because he understood. He should get home. Wayne was a silent worrier and Eddie didn’t want to add more grey to his thinning hair. With a cat-like stretch, Eddie stood to his feet and rolled his neck. He wasn’t under the effects of the drugs anymore but his limbs and bones still felt languid.

“I got it,” Eddie chirped. The siblings looked at him with concern but Eddie waved it off. “I’m fine.”

“I can take you home,” Nancy spluttered out as he moved towards the back door. Eddie’s grip on the knob tightened for a second while he considered her offer. It was already an inconvenience that he called them in the first place, that they drove 30 minutes to bring his drugged body back and let him sleep it off in their basement. He’d walked home many times. This wouldn’t be any different.

So, he turned with a bright smile, trying to make his posture be as relaxed as possible. “Nah, it’s good Wheeler, thanks though, besides-”

“Are you sure?” Mike interrupted, jumping to his feet and his eyes wide. Eddie felt a swell of warmth. He really liked this kid. He stepped forward and squeezed the kid’s shoulder.

“Mike the Paladin,” he said quietly and with a small close lipped smile. “But I’ll be fine. You both did a lot. So really, appreciate it.”

“Hold on a moment,” Nancy said, softly. She went into the hallway and rummaged through one of the many boxes piled in the corners. Mike and Eddie watched, curious but when she returned with a red, black and white scarf, Eddie felt his cheeks warm. She came to a stop next to her brother, her blue eyes big and intense. “Take this.”

He wanted to fight and refuse the scarf. But just by the expression on both of their similar faces, he wouldn’t win that fight. Plus, even though it hasn’t snowed in days, it was cold enough for the snow to stick around. Indiana cold air was something else. So, he took the scarf gratefully, wrapped it around his neck and pulled his hair from under the scarf.

“Thanks,” he said to her. She pursed her lips, like she was refusing to smile and nodded. Eddie turned back to the door and turned the knob but like earlier, it didn’t budge. He tried it again and it didn’t budge. With a sigh and his hand still on the knob, he turned back to the siblings, his smile wide.

“So, can y’all let me out of here?”

“Oh yeah, sorry. That door sticks sometimes,” Mike said, jumping to attention and crossing the room quickly with his long legs. He gripped the knob, jerked upwards and pulled the door open. Eddie furrowed his brow.

“You should tell your dad to get that fixed.”

With that, Eddie slipped out the door and into the cool Hawkins air.

****

The walk back to the trailer park was slow and Eddie was cold but thanks to the scarf, he didn’t feel like he was dying or anything. Eddie was much more of a Fall guy. It wasn’t so hot that he couldn’t wear his signature leather jacket and it wasn’t so cold that he would be freezing. He walked in the middle of the road to keep from having to step in the snow on the side. If any cars came, he veered right or left. Only once did a car honk at him but he was nowhere near them so he flipped them the bird and kept walking.

“I’m never hanging out with those assholes again,” he muttered to himself. He folded his arms tighter over his body as the wind picked up. His memory was still a little spotty but things were becoming clear and he made a promise to himself of ‘never again’. He needed to have a chat with Rick about the company he employs.

Those two idiots drugged and tried to rob him because of whatever deal between them and Skinny Lance. That could cause future inconveniences and Rick hated those.

Finally, the trailer park, his trailer, came into view. Wayne’s truck was in the driveway and for a split second, Eddie freaked because his own van wasn’t there. But right, he drove to Rick’s. He’d have to pick it up later. Right now, he needed a warm shower and a change of clothes.

“Ed?” A gruff voice from the back called after the door slammed behind him.

“Yeah!” Eddie called back, immediately walking to the bathroom and turning on the shower. Hot water needed a second to get going in this weather. Wayne’s cracked bedroom door opened further and he stepped out into the hall to stare at his nephew. Eddie gave him a close lipped smile and a head nod. “Hey Wayne,” he greeted quietly.

Wayne’s tired blue eyes roamed over him and Eddie shifted. Every so often, Wayne did this. When Al was forcing his presence on them for the last couple of months, Eddie noticed that Wayne would secretly watch him when he thought Eddie wasn’t looking. He never asked him about it but he was sure it was because he was concerned but didn’t want to voice it. Wayne was always the quiet one in the family. He was doing it now because Eddie wasn’t here when he got here. Plus, he could see how his eyes narrowed slightly when they noticed the slight discoloration on his cheekbone from the punch, including the cut from the guy’s ridiculous ring. Thanks to some first aid from the Wheelers the night before, he was sure he’d heal up just fine. But the relief was evident in Wayne’s eyes.

“I’m okay,” Eddie decided to say. Steam began to pour from the bathroom and Wayne grunted his understanding. He reached up, his movements slow, and at first Eddie thought he was going to touch his bruised face. But when his hand kept going, Eddie thought he was going to ruffle his hair, like he did when he was younger and shorter but instead, he just rested his calloused hand atop of Eddie’s head. No ruffling… just resting.

“Okay,” he said.

He flexed the fingers atop of Eddie’s head then pulled away, disappearing back into his room. For the third time today, Eddie felt warmth bloom in his chest and soon enough that hot shower warmed the ache in his bones and washed away the grime, stress and fear from the night before.

Yeah, Christmas sucks.