Nineteen woke to two girls standing at the end of the bed, gaping at her. One had brown curly hair and brown eyes, the other, red hair and blue eyes. She sat up too fast, enduring the cabin walls dipping and swaying. She held her head with one hand, the blanket up to her chin with the other.

The girl with curly brown hair swiped the blanket away with the flick of her hand. "Hawkins Lab," she whispered.

The red haired girl said, "Are you sure Eleven? I thought they were all gone."

Nineteen tilted her head at an angle, puzzled by the words, Hawkins Lab. "What is Hawkins Lab?" she uttered softly.

The girl called Eleven knelt down beside the bed. "Who are you?"

"I am Nineteen."

Eleven gasped at this, shocked. "No. They all died. You died."

"I am not dead," Nineteen said. "I was in a coma. When I woke up, I was alone." She showed Eleven her tattoo.

Eleven knelt down by the bed, moved into giving Nineteen a hug. "I don't remember you."

"I don't remember anything," Nineteen answered. "Except from the videos."

"Videos?" 

"Yes. They were in the control room. There was no electricity to make the monitors work until I touched them." Nineteen demonstrated by touching the wall. The lights in the cabin flickered on momentarily then shut off when she removed her hand. "I saw you in the videos."

"How come I don't remember you?"

"I can't tell you that. I'm still learning about who I am."

"Are you hungry?" Max asked. Her long, thick red hair intrigued Nineteen who had no hair. She longed to touch but then thought better of it. No reason to scare her off.

"Yes. I am."

"I'll get you something to eat." Max walked over to the kitchen and began prepping a meal.

"What is her name?" Nineteen asked of Eleven.

"Max," Eleven answered. "Short for Maxine."

"She has no number?"

"She is not like us. But she is a good friend to me."

"Friend?"

"People who like and help each other."

"I don't understand."

"You are my sister because Papa said so. A friend is like a sister but more. Friends don't lie."

"They don't?"

"No. You should wash up. I will get you some different clothes."

Dressed in Eleven's clothes, Nineteen sat at the table and ate the most curious thing. Round and flat, the food on the plate had ridges in the center. Covered in melted butter and a sticky sweet substance. Nineteen tasted it, enjoyed the juxtaposition of savory, sweet and creamy sensations going over her tongue. She ate until she felt stuffed full of the delicious food then pushed her plate away.

"Thank you."

"Do you want to watch some TV?" Eleven asked.

"TV?"

"Yes. Like the monitors in Hawkins Lab but not about us."

Nineteen sat before the TV entranced by a variety of shows. Unable to do little more than just watch, she heard little of the dialogue. Instead, she studied the actors movements, some serious, some silly. She laughed at the more silly actions with little understanding.

Max and Eleven observed her. "I don't think she can hear," Max said.

"She can't hear?" Eleven touched her own ears. "What does that mean?"

"It means she's deaf. A flaw the people at Hawkins Lab probably tried to cure. They also probably caused the coma."

"What is- coma?"

"An involuntary shut down of the body and the mind. The person sleeps but doesn't wake up. He or she is unaware of their surroundings too. Maybe they experimented on Nineteen. Tried to make her better and messed it up."

Eleven tapped her head. "The scars."

"Yes, they might have operated on her brain. Cut into her skull," Max explained staving off Eleven's next question.

"Poor Nineteen. We have to help her."

"I agree. But we can't hide her here for long. Hopper might not let her stay."

"He will if I tell him she is from Hawkins. He hates that place."

"Speaking of Hopper. Where is he anyway?"

"I don't know."

In the course of their discussion, Nineteen had fallen asleep. They carried her into Eleven's bedroom and covered her with a blanket.

"She's so thin," Max said. "And so light. I wonder how long she was in a coma?"

"Too long."

"Could you- I mean, see into her mind?"

"Too weak. Have to wait."

"Good point."

Eleven and Max kept a close eye on Nineteen. They fed her when she woke up, showed her how to play cards and talked to her about the TV shows. Gradually, Nineteen grew stronger. When Eleven proposed looking into her mind to learn the truth, Nineteen was at first afraid, then curious.

"All right," she said reluctantly. "Go ahead."

Eleven put on the blindfold. Max fiddled with dials on the radio which puzzled Nineteen. "What are you doing Max?"

"I'm searching for static on the radio. It helps Eleven to see into your mind."

"I don't understand but go ahead."

Nineteen lay on the bed, eyes closed. She didn't know what to expect even though Eleven tried to explain. Eleven would probe her mind, looking into the past, hopefully the time before she went into a coma. To facilitate this, Eleven had told her to think of the videos she had seen in the lab.

Nineteen concentrated on the ten videos she had watched hoping it would help Eleven to find some answers to her past. Eleven took hold of Nineteen's hand. Part of her proposal suggested that they join minds, watch the past come alive together. For this, Nineteen was afraid.

The cabin suddenly disappeared, replaced by a thin layer of water and darkness. They walked hand in hand through Hawkins Lab. When they approached the rainbow room, they went inside. A younger version of Eleven played with a younger version of Nineteen. This alone, told them what they needed to know.

"How come I can't remember you?" Eleven asked, her voice echoing.

"I can't remember you either," Nineteen answered all sense of deafness gone in this odd shadowy place. 

They observed their younger selves, quite young in fact. Definitely not the age Eleven was when she had escaped the lab two years ago. Their counterparts were sitting on the white couch rolling metal balls with their minds, racing to see who would get to the other side of the wooden maze first.

They grinned at each other, doubling their concentration. Nineteen won but barely. "You won," Eleven said in their own version of sign language. She made the signs close to her body as if concealing them from the cameras in the room. They shook hands and then Eleven moved on to another game while Nineteen decided to do some drawing at another table on the far side of the room.

Papa entered, calling out "Good Morning," to them all. The children went to their customary places in line.

All the children answered, "Good Morning Papa." All except for Nineteen who sat at the table drawing, oblivious to Papa's presence.

Papa's mouth turned down into a frown. "Nineteen."

Nineteen didn't move, concentrating on getting just the right shade of green on the leaves of her tree. Eleven broke rank and rushed over to Nineteen. She touched her and Nineteen sprang up out of her seat, taking her place in line. "I'm sorry, Papa," she said, eyes down.

They exited the rainbow room, Papa continuing to frown.

Eleven released Nineteen's hand. Both their noses were bleeding. "I was there," Nineteen said.

"So was I."

Nineteen wiped the blood with the back of her hand. "My younger self couldn't hear Papa. You helped me but what were you doing with your hands?"

"I wish I knew."

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, her curiosity peaked.

"I talked to Nineteen with my hands," Eleven explained. "Papa didn't know she couldn't hear."

"Maybe you were using sign language."

"Sign language?" Eleven asked.

"Yes. Words with your hands. Deaf people do it to communicate. Like this." Max demonstrated a few signs. "This means hello," she saluted them. Then she pumped her fist up and down. "This means yes."

Nineteen's eyes lit up, eager to learn more. "Teach me."

"Me too," Eleven echoed.

"I don't know many signs. I will teach you what I do know. Maybe I can find a book at the library."

"Yes, please," Nineteen said.

"All right. I will. I have to go now but I will be back tomorrow."

The two said goodbye to Max, ate some supper and watched more TV. Nineteen tired easily and went to bed early.

Eleven worried about Nineteen. There was more to her story she was sure. But she had to take it slowly, Nineteen couldn't handle long sessions it seems. Eleven went to sleep concerned also about Hopper who she hadn't seen all day. She hoped he was okay. Too tired to look for him with her mind, she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Eleven fed Nineteen. They waited for Max who came at ten carrying a book. She taught them simple vocabulary words such as, yes, no, eat, drink, hungry, thank you, please, milk, juice, and so on. The more Nineteen learned the more she wanted to know.

She perused the book after lunch on her own, practicing the signs to herself. She learned quickly, putting them into practice right away. 

While Nineteen was occupied, Max and Eleven stepped outside. "What are we going to do with her?" Max asked.

"I don't know. We can't send her away," Eleven said. "She needs us."

"Do you think Hopper will let her stay here?"

"I'll ask. If he ever comes home."

"He must be on a case. You know how busy he gets."

"I know."

"Are we going to tell the others about Nineteen?"

"Should we?"

"They will find out about her anyway."

"Not right now. I think the boys would scare her."

Max laughed. "Especially Dustin."

Eleven faced the driveway. "I wonder where Hopper is?"