Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Recovery Stage

(The Gate, Pt. 6)

***

The car trip from the tunnels was just as chaotic as the trip toward them.

In the front, Rowan wasn't squashed with the kids, but that didn't mean the chaos wasn't reaching her in the front. And maybe squashing five kids together, especially one with a possibly injured ankle, wasn't the best idea, but how the fuck were they going to fit the kids together? Still, the bickering coming from the back was doing Rowan's head in and was not helping her concussion and it was all she could do from turning around and screaming at the kids to shut the fuck up or completing what Hargrove had tried to do three times and knock herself out. By her side, Steve was similarly exasperated and looking like he wanted to throttle the kids as well but substituted by gripping the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip and clenching his jaw so tight Rowan swore she heard his teeth grinding.

Case in point as a smack sounded from the back, followed by a shriek of, "OW! Dustin, that was my leg!"

"Sorry, I was trying to get to Lucas!"

"How could you get to me over there!?"

"I would have found a way!"

"A way that doesn't involve breaking my leg!?"

"Yes!"

"Lucas move, you're crushing me!"

"I can't move—hey, stop elbowing me!"

"Then move, you el idiota!"

"WHERE!?"

"Rowan, Steve! Max hit me!"

"Wha—I didn't hit you!"

"YOU HIT ME!"

"I DIDN'T BUT I'M GONNA TOO NOW!"

"MOVE LUCAS!"

"NO!"

"SHUT UP!" Rowan screamed, twisting around and glaring venomously at the kids—Cami and Lucas had their hands pressed against each other's faces, Dustin and Max looked inches away from fighting as well and were only separated by Mike sitting right in the centre, the raven-haired boy wearing the most exasperated look on his face. They immediately stopped fighting as Rowan pointed a finger at each of them and hissed, "If you gremlins don't stop fighting, I'm gonna sting you! Got it, gremlins?"

It was an empty threat. Rowan was too tanked out to really do anything, and even if she was at full-power, she would never sting them. Still, it worked and the kids stopped trying to attack each other, grumbling sullenly. Rowan turned back to the front, pressing her fingers against her temples to stave off the headache these kids and her concussion had formed.

"Jesus Christ, I swear I'm gonna strangle one of them if they fight again," Rowan muttered as she glanced over to Steve, a smirk on her lips to see if he would respond back with saying they could take turns or something.

Her smirk dropped when she saw how pale he looked, the glazed look in his eyes.

"Harrington? You still there?" Rowan questioned, her voice shaking.

"I... I-I just..." Steve stammered before he lurched the car to the side of the road. That incited five mutual screams as the car stopped at the side and was parked. Rowan hissed as her arm collided painfully with the door before she looked back and saw Steve hunched over the wheel, taking in several breaths as his body trembled.

"Steve, are you okay? C'mon, talk to me Harrington," Rowan asked, reaching out a hand to his shoulder.

"'M gonna be sick," he mumbled, and Rowan's concern spiked. Tentatively, she touched the back of his head—where Hargrove had slammed the plate. When she pulled her hand back, Rowan's heart stuttered at seeing blood on her fingers.

"Okay, get out of the driver's seat. We're heading to the hospital," Rowan ordered, after wiping the blood off her fingers on her jeans. Before she saw the blood, maybe she would have asked Max to take over and they drive to the Byers house and wait, and worry about medical treatment when they were all together. But with the blood...

Steve needed to go to the hospital. Now.

Steve lifted his head, a flicker of alarm piercing the unfocused, sick... well, sick look on his face.

"Graveswood, no, I can drive to the hospital—" he protested, but Rowan cut in sharply, "That's not happening, Harrington. You're getting in the back, right now."

Steve tried to muster a protest, but seemed to think better of it and instead he opened the door and stumbled out. Rowan followed, moving over to the driver's side and keeping a steadying hand on Steve as the backdoor opened courtesy of Max, the kids' faces peering owlishly at them. And immediately, Rowan was hit by a barrage of questions.

"Is he okay?"

"Are we going to the hospital?" 

"Are you driving now, Rowan?" 

"Is he gonna pass out?"

"Is Steve gonna die?"

Rowan stared bug-eyed at Mike. "No, he isn't gonna die, Mike, he just has a concussion! I think. Now, make some room! And for the love of God, don't bang his head any more than it has been!"

The kids obeyed without question, scrambling to make room while helping Steve inside, the teen boy protesting but Rowan was firm. When he was inside, Rowan looked at Max and said, "Okay, Max, you're back in the driver's seat. Lucas, give her directions to the hospital—with my head there's no way in fucking hell I can drive or give proper directions. And I swear to God if you gremlins start bickering again, I'll kill you all. So zip it until we get to the hospital, okay?"

Five nods came.

"Okay, good," Rowan said, and turned on her heel and stalked back to the passenger seat as Max got into the driver's seat. Once they were both inside, Rowan turned to Max and said, "We're at your mercy now, Madmax. Please don't kill us."

"Don't worry. I can do this," Max said with casual confidence.

"Why does that make me nervous?" Cami muttered from the back as Rowan braced herself as Max put the car back into drive and pulled out back onto the road and rushing down the highway, changing from heading to the Byers house to instead straight for the hospital.

God, I hope I don't regret this, Rowan thought as she gripped her seatbelt like her life depended on it, praying they won't run into any police. That would be a hard time explaining why the fuck a kid is driving, two—maybe three—of them are injured and why they all smell like gasoline and the rotting stench of the Upside Down. The thought made Rowan peer out of the window occasionally, watching for any flash of red and blue lights chasing them.

Mercifully, Max didn't break any further road laws by not driving at the insane speeds she'd been at earlier, but still toeing the speed limit, and not making any fast, swerving turns. And even more mercifully, the only sign of life they run into is a startled pigeon that had been wandering across the road. No cops. Plus, the back was blissfully silent save for Lucas' directions and the occasional bouts of Steve and Dustin bickering—the latter was insanely relieving, for Rowan to know Steve wasn't comatose in the back.

When they finally arrive screeching into the hospital and almost mounting the curb, Rowan looked to the gremlins and hissed, "If anyone asks, I drove, okay?"

"Okay," chorused back.

Rowan's gaze flickered to Steve, who seemed less conscious than earlier, and she ordered, "Okay, gremlins, help me get Harrington out. Except for you, Mike—I don't want you to hurt that leg any more. On three? One, two..."

Rowan opened the door on three right as the right passenger door opened and she saw Cami, Dustin and Lucas twisting Steve's body around as he groaned in pain, trying not to bump his head. Whenever they did, they froze and winced at Rowan's murderous glare, as she helped by grabbing Steve's leg and trying to reorient him so he was facing horizontally. Eventually, after several minutes of grunting and yelling and a few more bumps that had Rowan want to set the kids on fire with her mind, Steve was out of the car and propped up by Rowan and Dustin while Cami and Lucas helped Mike out. Max came to join Rowan in helping Steve as they made their way to the hospital.

Turning, Rowan hissed out one last time, "Remember. I drove. Got it?"

They nodded.

"Good," Rowan said as the doors opened and she bellowed at the top of her lungs, "WE NEED A DOCTOR!"

The nurse at the counter jumped like she had a heart attack and whirled, her eyes widening as she saw them, messy and bloodied from their soiree in the tunnels.

"Good Lord," she breathed before she pressed a button and shouted into it, "I need staff to the lobby pronto! There's a group of kids carrying an unconscious teenage boy!"

"We need a doctor for her and him as well!" Dustin shouted, pointing to Rowan and Mike who only nodded.

"The doctor will look after all your friends," the nurse assured, still eyeing them. "Just wait here till they come."

"Thanks," Rowan grunted as she, Dustin and Max carried Steve to a chair while Lucas and Cami did the same with Mike. Once Steve and Mike were set down they all sat—Dustin, Max and Lucas also on chairs, Cami and Rowan on the floor. All the kids groaned in unison, the exhaustion of the past few hours falling on all of them without the adrenaline, fear and panic powering them as they waited for the doctors to come. Rowan leaned her head back on Steve's leg, propping one arm on her knee while the other rested by her side, feeling the pain of all her injuries and the crushing fatigue of using her powers so dangerously much rushing through her.

"Jesus, where have you kids been? Hell?" the nurse questioned, face scrunched up in both confusion and curiosity.

Rowan looked at the kids, the kids looked at each other, Rowan looked at the barely conscious Steve, before she looked back to the curious nurse.

"Yeah. Yeah we have," Rowan confirmed, a rueful smirk cracking her face and the blood and grime smeared on it. "We just got back."

***

The groan was what alerted Rowan to Steve waking up.

Rowan opened her eyes and looked up from where she'd been lying halfway on Steve's bed while still sitting in the uncomfortable chair, watching as Steve shifted in his sleep before his eyes slowly fluttered open. He tilted his head over to her, surprise washing over his face before it disappeared and he smiled. 

"Hey, Graveswood," he greeted, voice fuzzy.

"Hey, Harrington," Rowan replied in a similar cottony tone. "How're you feeling?"

"My head doesn't feel like it's being hit with a hammer repeatedly, and I'm not seeing multiples of you, so I guess that's a good sign," Steve mumbled. He looked over at her. "What about you?"

Rowan shrugged. "The doctors said I have a mild concussion, plus my split lip and a few bruises on my back. And I had the, you know, exhaustion from my..."

Rowan trailed off, not trusting to say anything about her powers here, where there might be too many ears listening. But Steve got it, even as thick as his skull was, shifting closer and saying in a low voice, "Is it... are you okay?"

"It's... better," Rowan answered evasively. "I don't feel like I'm about to collapse from exhaustion, so that's a good sign."

She looked over to him and murmured, "But I'm worried about you. You sure you're okay?"

Steve stared at her. "You waited for me to wake up?"

Rowan pinned him with a glare. "Don't avoid the question, Harrington."

"I'm... okay," Steve answered, still looking at her with that look even as he gave her a wry smile tinged with something bitter. "I have a thick skull—Harrington trait."

"Yeah, along with thick hair. I'm sure all that hair cushioned your brain," Rowan snarked, but her sarcastic smile faded. After the doctors checked her out, she'd sprinted into Steve's room and never left, worry twisting her guts as she watched the doctors attend to Steve's injuries—including the heart-stopping moments of pulling the shards out that were responsible for her  having Steve's blood on her fingers—and then waited for when Steve woke up. Never before had she felt so worried, so anxious about the fate of someone she cared about—and absolutely terrified that he could slip away, even if she was right here.

Now, as Steve rolled his eyes with the slightest wince, some of that worry eased.

"My head still hurts," he mumbled, hissing as he raised a hand to his temple. "God..."

"Yeah, the headache's a bitch," Rowan said as she grabbed for the glass of water and aspirin on the bedside table and handed them to Steve. "Here."

Steve took the glass of water and aspirin with a muttered, "Thanks," tipping the pills back and dry-swallowing before washing it down with water.

As he sat back, he looked over to Rowan and asked, "What about the kids? Are they okay?"

"Mike has a sprained ankle, but they're otherwise fine. I wouldn't be surprised if they're in a sugar coma from eating too much vending machine candy," Rowan reported and Steve gave a weak chuckle.

"God, those little shits are real trouble," he muttered, but fondness lined his tone. It was clear to Rowan that in these past few hours Steve had grown to care for the kids, especially with how ready he'd been to protect them.

"They are," Rowan agreed, a fond smile on her face. "But they're safe and mostly unharmed. We did a pretty good job—for glorified babysitters."

"Yeah, we did," Steve concurred, that fondness playing on his face before he looked back to her. "What about the others? The Byers kid and your brother and the super-powered girl? Nancy and Jonathan and the chief and your aunt and Will's mom?"

Rowan shook her head. "Don't know yet. I think we gave them a chance with what we did in the tunnels, and I'm hoping they got the gate closed and saved Will in time, but..."

Rowan bit back the tears and felt a hand gripping her own. She looked and saw Steve holding her hand, an earnestness in his eyes that contrasted with the hazy look of the concussion.

"Hey, I'm sure they're fine, Rowan," he said, and Rowan felt something in her go funny at the way he said her first name, not her last. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, still looking at her, brown eyes soft. 

Rowan sucked in a shaky breath as she palmed away her tears, squeezing Steve's hand back. "I know. Guess I'm just worried."

"Don't blame you but... I know you Graveswood. You're tough, probably same with you brother, and... and if you and your brother are like that because of your aunt, then they're probably fine. And they have the chief and Nancy and Mrs. Byers with them, and with Will and El," Steve said, before his eyes widened a fraction and he looked away, mumbling, "Jesus, that sounded pathetic."

"No, it didn't," Rowan murmured, holding Steve's hand a little tighter as she smiled. "I needed to hear that. Thank you, Steve."

Steve gave a small smile back. "No problem, Rowan."

They stayed in that moment, comfortable silence on them, holding hands and looking at each other and just glad that they're alive and that Dustin, Lucas, Max, Cami and Mike were alive and, hopefully, it was all really over like the blinding headlights had promised it was and Will was free and El closed the gate, and Alistair and Aunt Aco were okay. Until a knock came and the two teenagers looked to see a nurse there.

The nurse smiled. "Hi there. Steve Harrington, right?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"Glad to see you're awake," the nurse said, smiling. "I'm Nurse Abrams, I'm going to be looking after you during your stay here. The doctor will be here shortly to check up on you, but you're probably going have to stay here overnight, so we can make sure you don't get any worse."

"Okay," Steve said, gripping the sheet a little more tightly. Rowan gave his hand another squeeze.

"And you're Rowan Graveswood?" Nurse Abrams asked, looking at Rowan.

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Well, good news, you have a mild concussion, and it doesn't seem like something we need to worry about, so you don't need to stay overnight and can go home," Nurse Abrams told her and Rowan wilted in relief—both in that her concussion wasn't serious, and that she wouldn't need to stay here and rack up even more overpriced bills for her aunt. The nurse looked at Rowan and Steve's hands, still interlocked together, and she asked, "Unless you want to stay the night with your boyfriend?"

Rowan's eyes widened and she let go of Steve's hand like she'd been burned, Steve's face going red as Rowan stammered, "It's not like that. W-We're just friends."

Nurse Abrams nodded, but she had a wry smirk on her face, like she didn't believe that. "Sure. Anyway, I have some news, if you want to go home."

"Yeah?" Rowan questioned, not looking at Steve, who was also not looking at her.

"An hour ago, an Aconite and Alistair Graveswood came in asking for you? The nurse said—"

Rowan barely heard as she stood from her chair, so fast it nearly fell behind her, and she asked, "My aunt and brother are here? They're okay?"

"Yes, they are. They're waiting outside with those other kids," Nurse Abrams answered.

Rowan almost collapsed with relief. They were okay. Alistair and Aunt Aco were okay, and that meant El must have done it, she closed the gate, and Will was free of the Mind Flayer. Her family was okay.

She wanted to run to them, but hesitated, looking at Steve. She didn't want to leave him, not when she'd been afraid if she left he could have slipped away, the injuries and concussion Hargrove had dealt proving lethal.

But Steve only said, "Go, Graveswood. I'll be okay."

"You sure?" she whispered. "I can stay—"

"I'll be okay. Thick skull, remember?" Steve reminded, a wry smile on his face.

Rowan smiled back. "And thicker hair."

The smile widened a fraction as Steve murmured, "Go. I'll be fine."

Rowan's own smile widened as she turned, looking over her shoulder to say, "I'm glad you're okay."

When she opened the door, she heard Steve say, "I'm glad you're okay, too," before it closed shut.

Rowan looked out into the corridor, saw Dustin, Cami, Max and Lucas conked out on the chairs, a pile of candy wrappers at their feet, and Mike next to them, ankle propped up and bandaged. And down further in the corridor talking to someone Rowan recognised as the doctor who checked up on her was her aunt and probably talking about any detestable bills they might have from the hospital, while in front of Mike was...

Rowan choked out a sob. "Alistair!"

Her brother whirled. He looked like hell—his curls were more unrulier than ever and clumped with perspiration, sweat stained the collar of his shirt, and tear tracks streaked his face—but he beamed when he saw her.

"Rowan!" he yelled, charging toward her and tackling her in a hug. Rowan embraced her brother, laughing and crying at once as she hugged Alistair, knowing her brother was here, he was alive, he was okay.

"Oh, kid," she heard a minute later before she felt Aunt Aco's arms wrap around her, tears soaking her hair as her aunt huffed a tear-laced laugh into her hair as the Graveswoods nearly fell to the floor, hugging and crying and happy that they were all alive.

"You came back," Rowan whispered. "You came back."

"I told you I would, kid," Aunt Aco murmured, stroking Rowan's hair, dirty with the grime of the tunnels and Upside Down ash and some blood. "I told you I would."

Alistair just let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob, gripping his aunt and sister tighter. "Thought you... you wouldn't."

"I'm here, kids," Aunt Aco said, holding them just as tight. "Not going anywhere. Promise."

Rowan sniffled, unable to speak, only hugging her family tighter, delirious happiness flooding through her.

They were all here, they were all safe. They all—mostly—kept their promises.

And that was what mattered the most.

***

Aunt Aco's engine roared to life as she pulled the car out, while in the back, Rowan and Alistair sat together, neither sibling willing to stay apart, even if by a few metres, while Hugin sat next to Alistair, resting against his side. Heading home.

After they'd pulled out of the hug, the family of three went to a more private area of the hospital to share their stories. Rowan listened as first her aunt recounted the infiltration of the lab and of El closing the gate and stopping the Mind Flayer, then Alistair as he spoke about Will's exorcism. Rowan's eyes widened as she heard the stories before she shared her own—about Billy Hargrove coming and her and Steve fighting him and Max landing the final blow, the plan to set the tunnels on fire, their escape. Aunt Aco's and Alistair's eyes were wide as they listened, briefly angry when Rowan darkly commented on how Hargrove had only targeted Lucas and could have targeted Cami, not Mike or Dustin, for hanging out with Max, for no other reason Rowan could think of but the colour of their skin. 

When they'd all finished, Aunt Aco had looked at Rowan and Alistair and had said, "So... do you kids want to head home?"

Rowan didn't need to look at Alistair before they said an unanimous, "Yes."

So, after saying goodbyes to Cami, Lucas, Dustin, Max—who'd woken up—and Mike and to Joyce and Hopper who'd come with Aunt Aco when she learned that Rowan was at the hospital, they were in the car and heading home. Which Rowan was relieved by, even though a part of her had wanted to stay overnight and make sure Steve was okay. She wanted to have a shower and sleep in her bed and wake up tomorrow knowing there was no more threat of the Upside Down, no more of it haunting or controlling Will or leaking through and infecting Hawkins—a mood Rowan could see was shared with Alistair and her aunt, as her brother leaned his head on her shoulder and fell asleep, Hugin curled up next to him, as Rowan stroked her fingers through his hair.

When they arrived at the trailer park and the familiar shape of their trailer appeared, Rowan couldn't help a tired smile creep across her face at the sight of her home.

Aunt Aco parked the car and turned over, looking at Rowan as she asked, "You okay, kid?"

Rowan nodded. "I will be."

Her aunt looked at her before she grabbed Rowan's shoulder, smiling as she said, "I'm so proud of you, kid. You and Alistair. You've both grown up so much, and I'm so proud of the woman you're becoming, of the man your brother's becoming. And I know your mom and dad would have been so proud of you two as well."

Rowan's eyes prickled as she smiled. "Thank you. We... we had a pretty amazing woman raising us. They'd be proud of you, too, Aunt Aco."

Aunt Aco's eyes gleamed wetly before she sniffled and said in a thick voice, "Well, come on. Let's head inside. Wake Al up."

Rowan smiled and she shook her brother. He woke up, looking around blearily as she said, "We're home."

A sleepy smile stretched on Alistair's face at that, and he opened the door, Hugin flying out before he got out, Rowan climbing out a minute later. They closed the doors as their aunt slammed the trunk down, holstering her crossbow and shotgun. The lack of bolts had Rowan realise her aunt would probably need to get new ones, after using nearly all of them on the Demodogs to protect herself, Hopper and El. 

"Come on kids. Let's get inside and you two can clean up while I make you some pancakes and—" Aunt Aco said before she stilled.

"Aunt Aco? Is everything okay?" Alistair questioned.

"Kids. Get behind me," their aunt said, voice dangerously calm.

Rowan and Alistair's eyes widened and the siblings looked at each other, before looking at the trailer, where their aunt's gaze was trained on, on the closed door...

And the light behind the curtained window.

Alarm prickled through Rowan and she pulled Alistair behind her as they shuffled behind Aunt Aco, who shouldered her shotgun and crept up the stairs toward their home. Deja vu washed through Rowan, of Aunt Aco doing the exact same thing a year ago, the day after Will disappeared and they found out Hawkins Lab had bugged their home. But, it couldn't be Hawkins Lab, not after its destruction and Dr. Owens' promise to never bug their home again. 

So who was in their home?

Carefully, never lowering her shotgun, Aunt Aco unlocked the door and slowly opened it. It swung open, revealing a mostly dark trailer except for the lamp lighting up the darkness like a beacon—lighting up the woman sitting at the table and holding a cup of tea in her wrinkled, elegant hands, gilding her silver hair golden and making her eyes flash poisonous green.

Aunt Aco froze as Rowan and Alistair peered out from behind her, staring at the woman sitting at their table, confusion suddenly erased as they felt the overwhelming aura of power from the woman—an aura they would recognise anywhere.

"Hello, Aconite. Hello, Rowan and Alistair," the woman greeted, smiling warmly. "It's been a long time."

The shotgun's barrel drifted down, as Aunt Aco uttered one, single word.

"Mom?"

***

SURPRISE! Grandma Graveswood is here! 😈

I loved writing the beginning—you can't tell me the car ride wouldn't have been just as freaking chaotic away from just like it was toward the tunnels. And like always, the chaos is very fun to write, especially with Stowan being annoyed, tired parents and it having the feels of a road trip. And yet, Steve still wants six kids...

And yeah, the majority of the chapter is just pure Stowan feels!! I loved writing them like this so much; they have my heart and aren't even together yet 🥺

And the reunion between Rowan, Alistair and Aunt Aco! It's definitely tearjerker, even if the tears are ones of happiness *gives you all virtual tissues*

And now, the big surprise I've kept hidden—Grandma Graveswood is here in Hawkins! A family reunion is in store, along with other surprises... 😈

Next chapter will be soon! That is the second-last chapter, and then after it and the one with the Snow Ball, we'll be done with s2!! I can't believe s2 is nearly over. Buckle in, dear readers. These next two chapters are gonna be doozies.

Spanish translation:

El idiota: Idiot

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!