flashback or PRESENT

CONTEXT/PURPOSE: while the party unites with Jonathan and Nancy, Y/n recalls an instance she had unintentionally healed someone other than herself, leading her to realize the extent of her healing abilities + Jonathan and Nancy get protective when they learn the details of the previous nights' sauna test

SETTING: The Wheeler Basement, July 3rd, 1985; 1 day after the sauna test - THE FLAYED

REASON FOR CUT: I was really not happy with the dialogue at all and i kept getting stuck. as for Nancy and Jonathan, while i believe they worry about the kids and they are upset you the reader put yourself in danger, the lecture felt a bit out of character. it was purely here for fluff if I'm being honest and the word count was too high [coming from ME]

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"-Mrs. driscoll,"

I remember going inside and dressing the wound; he washed it out in the sink and I helped apply a disinfectant before apply a bandage. But thats all it was, a stupid little band-aid.

"-We don't know-"

But i also remember the campaign planning days later, it was almost completely healed in under a week when, come to think of it, it should have taken at least two. We had both brushed it off at the time, thinking it had seemed much worse than it was.

"what time was this attack?"

Just as Will had pointed out that day, I've always been the one, more often than not, who has the band aids on hand ever since we were young. I've bandaged countless scrapes and applied many cold compresses through the years but there's never been total healing this fast before.

"Y/n?"

Has there?

"Y/n?"

I turn to Will at the sound of his voice, and I'm shot back to reality. When I finally land, I shift subconsciously under everyone's stare. My mind was still in a daze, even when the three of us where practically pulled out of the bathroom and onto the couch where Jonathan and Nancy were waiting for us.

Apparently, they've been dealing with a whole different piece of the puzzle; just like old times I suppose. The Party, Nancy and Jonathan, Hopper and Joyce. And me, finding some twisted new thing about myself along the way that makes me even more of a liability to my loved ones.

The thought left a bitter after taste, but I knew I couldn't sit on this for long.

"Look, it could be nothing," I clarify, sharing a looming eye with Max and El before turning to Will and the rest of the group. "But there's a good chance that-that I healed... Max."

Everyone remained quiet.

"You healed Max?" Nancy finally asked, looking between us.

"I healed Max."

"Like healed Max, or 'oh, you know, you healed Max'?"

"I healed Max. I think."

"What's the big deal? So she healed her?" Jonathan cut in.

"No, Johnathan, I. healed. Max."

Jonathan and I were locked in possibly the most awkward staredown of our lives; Finally, his face dropped, prompting a few sighs around the room.

"There it is," Max quipped, leaning back into the couch.

"Well, what does this mean then? I thought you could only heal yourself?"

My shoulders yank up in involuntarily defense. "I thought so too! But the other night... I sorta, burned her?"

"Is that why you had the bandage?" Lucas asks, his voice full of soft surprise for Max.

Looking put on the spot, she quickly dismissed it. But I could see the blush creeping up on her cheeks at his worry. "Well, yeah, but it was an accident!" She quickly turned looked to everyone, not without meeting my eye for a solid glance. Returning her gaze to the room, she began explaining on my behalf. "It doesn't matter how it happened, the point is, it's gone! And believe me, it should not be. That was," she shook her head with grimace. "a second degree burn at least. Two nights ago. Now look. Nothing."

My eyes catch Max's before immediately dropping to her forearm. Both bandage - and burn - were gone.

[BREAK]

Once again i felt Jonathan's eyes flicker over to me, this time, in this small silence, unable to keep the question down any longer. He clicked his tongue, folding his arms over his chest and looking between me and Will specifically. There was an edge to his voice, one that told us he wasn't exactly happy with us putting ourselves in danger.

"Okay, so," he shrugged, looking between us as he seemed to tower over the couch we occupied together. "And what exactly happened during your... sauna test? And what happened there?" He pointed to my neck, and the small lump almost perfectly concealed beneath Will's hair. Despite his questions, the tone in his voice told us he really didn't want to know.

Me and Will shared a look, something I knew we weren't alone in. The entire Party seemed to have grown quiet under his sudden older brother intimidation act.

"Well," Will gulped, sharing nervous eyes with me. "the reason Billy got away was because he sort of... broke out," Will admitted, and whatever problems Jonathan and Nancy seemed to be having were suddenly forgotten in one brief, shocked glance and identical exclamations. "He attacked us... Y/n specifically"

"What?!" Jonathan bellowed, looking at me in shock and anger. Both him and Nancy were looking between me and my friends wildly as they spoke over one another in an overlapped frenzy. It was understandable considering until now we had somehow managed to get away with telling them nothing but the simple fact we suspected Billy, cornered him in the sauna and saw that he was flayed.

Avoiding as many details as possible. For this exact reason. I knew it was coming one way or another, given the state we were all in, but it was a hope worth holding on to.

-"What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Nancy cried, jumping in over Jonathan's lecture with her own.

-"You can't just jump into these things - im talking to all of you -"

"-you should have come to us first! You could have had help! - You're lucky-"

"-what would we have had to say to your mom if, God forbid, anything happened to you?! Any of you! And you, Will-"

"-nobody was killed! I thought you guys were smarter than this! I don't care if you - any of you - are from some government lab or not, you do not take something like this on alone. You get help-"

"-with everything we went through the past two years, you really think me or Mom could go through losing you? No. Not happening. That was-"

"-you find us first. Understand?"

"-totally irresponsible. Both of you."

They both take deep breaths, glaring at all of us; i didn't have to look at anyone, even Will, to know everyone was as just as shocked as I was; sitting there, wide eyed in stunned silence with zipped lips at the sudden heated lecture.