Chapter 69

Another chapter for y’all! Apologies for this being pretty short, but I’m going to be doing (at least hopefully) a new chapter every day until this book is done, so worry not! 

“Listen, we think we might have a way to figure out how to get Holly back,” Nancy says.

Maggie raises an eyebrow, “Really? Because from where I’m standing, we have absolutely no idea where she is.”

Mike sighs like he’s already had this argument ten times, “Mr. Whatsit.”

Maggie stares at him for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Right. Holly’s imaginary friend,” She gives them both a disbelieving look, “Sorry, how exactly is that helpful?”

Nancy exchanges a glance with Mike before answering.

“Mike has this theory that Mr. Whatsit might know where Holly was taken. We just need to talk to our mom and see if she knows anything else about him.”

She says it like the explanation should immediately make sense.

“Mhm. Okay,” Maggie folds her arms across her chest, “Just checking, but you do realize he’s imaginary, right?”

Mike shakes his head, “No. I don’t think he is.”

“Mike—”

“Think about it,” he interrupts, “Holly said that Mr. Whatsit warned her that monsters were coming for her. Then, later that same day, she disappears during a demogorgon attack. That’s way too specific to be a coincidence.”

Maggie’s expression shifts slightly. The logic is ridiculous. Unfortunately, ridiculous things have a habit of being true around here.

“So what?” she asks, “You think he isn’t imaginary? You think he’s… what? Something from the Upside Down?”

Mike shrugs, “I don’t know. Maybe. But it’s the only lead we’ve got.”

For a moment, nobody says anything. Maggie lets out a long sigh.

“Okay. Fine. Against every shred of common sense I possess, I’m in.”

A small smile tugs at Mike’s lips, “Good. Because I’ve already sweet-talked the receptionist. She’s getting the doctor for us now. We just need to get inside and talk to Mom.”

“Sweet-talked?” Maggie snorts, “Mike Wheeler, you asked one question and probably looked sad.”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

Before Maggie can answer, the double doors at the end of the hallway swing open.

An older doctor steps out, glasses perched low on his nose and exhaustion written across every line of his face. He spots the three teenagers waiting for him and immediately looks like he’s already done with whatever conversation is about to happen.

Nancy doesn’t waste a second, she marches straight toward him.

“We need to get in there. It’s an emergency.”

The doctor sighs, “What kind of emergency?”

“Our sister is missing, as you know,” Nancy begins.

His expression softens slightly, “I understand. And I’m very sorry.”

“Well, we think our mom knows something,” Mike cuts in, “Something that could help us find her.”

The doctor glances at him, “And I wish I could let you see her.”

The hopeful look on Mike’s face immediately vanishes.

“But your mother is recovering from surgery. Her body is still in shock.”

He gestures toward his own throat, “And beyond that, her larynx suffered extensive damage. Even if she were awake, she wouldn’t be able to speak with you.”

Nancy crosses her arms, “Right, but even so—”

“Shh shh, listen to me,” the doctor interrupts firmly.

The edge in his voice finally gets all three of them to stop talking.

“Finding your mother when you did saved her life. Let’s not undo that progress by taking unnecessary risks.”

The doctor places a hand on Nancy’s shoulder, “I know you want answers. But right now, your mother needs rest.”

Then he turns and walks away, effectively ending the conversation.

The second he’s out of earshot, Maggie’s face twists.

“What a dick.”

Mike huffs out a small laugh. Nancy, however, isn’t watching the doctor leave. She’s staring straight ahead, completely lost in thought.

Maggie recognizes that look immediately. It’s the same look Nancy gets right before she does something incredibly reckless or incredibly smart.

“What?” Mike asks, narrowing his eyes.

Nancy suddenly grabs both of them by the wrists, “Come on.”

Before either of them can protest, she’s dragging them toward the elevators.

“Where the hell are we going, Nance?” Maggie asks.

Nancy presses the button for the service elevator, “Ignoring doctor’s orders.”

Mike nearly chokes, “He literally just said it’s too risky.”

Nancy shrugs, “When has that ever stopped us before?”

Mike opens his mouth and closes it. Unfortunately, she has a point.

The elevator dings and the doors slide open.

Maggie rubs her hands together, a grin spreading across her face.

“Breaking the law?” she says, stepping inside, “Oh, we are so back.”

The doors close behind them.

Mike sighs, “I just want everyone to know this is a terrible idea.”

Maggie points at him, “Counterpoint: every good idea we’ve ever had started with one of us saying that.”

“Name one,” he says, narrowing his eyes.

“The sauna.”

Mike stares at her, “The thing where we locked Billy in a sauna because he was possessed?”

Maggie winces, “Okay, bad example.”

“The Russian base?” Mike adds.

“Worse example.”

“The time Dustin adopted a demodog?”

Maggie throws her hands up, “That wasn’t our idea!”

The elevator dings before the argument can continue. The doors slide open onto a quieter floor of the hospital.

Nancy immediately steps out, “Come on.”

“Do you actually have a plan?” Mike asks.

Nancy gestures toward a sign at the end of the hall. STAFF ONLY.

“Working on it.”

Mike groans.

Maggie pats him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry. If we get arrested, it’ll be together.”

“That’s not comforting,” Mike says, giving her a look.

“It should be.”

Nancy peeks around the corner.

The hallway beyond is mostly empty. A nurse pushes a cart in the distance while a pair of doctors disappear through another set of doors.

At the very end of the corridor sits a small staff changing room.

Nancy’s eyes light up, “There.”

Maggie follows her gaze, “Oh, that’s definitely illegal.”

Nancy starts walking, “Then stop saying it so loudly.”

A minute later, the three of them are crouched outside the changing room door.

Nancy carefully checks both directions and opens the door when she sees that it’s clear.

Inside are rows of lockers, benches, and several neatly hung uniforms.

Maggie whistles, “Hospital workers are way more trusting than they should be.”

Nancy rolls her eyes, “They probably don’t expect teenagers to break into their locker room.”

“That’s their first mistake,” Maggie chuckles.

Nancy shoots her a look.

Maggie raises her hands, “Focusing.”

The girls quickly begin searching through the lockers.

After a few minutes, Maggie triumphantly holds up a nurse outfit.

“Jackpot.”

Nancy finds another set.

Mike watches them, “Why do you both get cool disguises?”

“Because nobody would believe you’re a nurse.”

Nancy tosses him a hospital gown. Mike catches it and stares.

His face falls, “Oh, absolutely not.”

The gown is enormous.

Maggie immediately bursts out laughing, “Please tell me I get to watch you wear that.”

“No,” Mike says, shaking his head

Maggie wipes away a fake tear, “This is the funniest thing that’s happened all week.”

“We’re trying to save Holly,” Mike argues.

Maggie nearly wheezes, “And you’re dressed like someone’s confused grandfather.”

Mike glares at her. Nancy is already changing into the outfit.

Mike looks down at the gown again and at the girls, then back at the gown.

His soul visibly leaves his body, “This is humiliating.”

Maggie is laughing so hard she’s nearly doubled over.

Five minutes later, the transformation is complete.

Nancy looks surprisingly convincing in the outfit. She carries herself with enough confidence that most people would probably assume she worked there.

Maggie looks significantly less professional. Partly because she keeps grinning and partly because she immediately found a clipboard and is pretending to inspect it.

“Hmm,” she says dramatically, “According to these charts, everyone in this hospital is suffering from severe boredom.”

Nancy snatches the clipboard away, “Can you be serious for five minutes?”

“No,” Maggie says with a grin.

Mike emerges from behind a row of lockers. The girls turn and immediately lose all composure.

The hospital gown is far too large. The back is tied awkwardly. He looks like a child who got lost on a field trip.

Maggie nearly falls off the bench laughing, “Oh my God.”

Mike crosses his arms, “I hate both of you.”

Nancy is trying and failing not to smile, “This’ll work.”

“It better.”

Maggie wipes tears from her eyes, “No, seriously. This is incredible.”

“I hope Vecna gets you,” Mike huffs at her.

“That’s hurtful.”

Nancy checks the hallway one last time, “Okay. Focus.”

Nancy looks between Maggie and Mike, “Mom’s room is on the third floor. We get there, talk to Mom, find out everything she knows about Mr. Whatsit, and get out.”

Mike nods and Maggie takes a breath. The knot of worry that’s been sitting in her stomach all day tightens. Please know something, Mrs. Wheeler.

Nancy reaches for the door, “Ready?”

“No,” Mike says.

“Nope,” Maggie agrees.

Nancy opens the door anyway, “Good.”

And the three of them step back into the hallway, heading for the elevator to get to Karen Wheeler’s room.

When the elevator doors slide open on the third floor, the trio steps out together. For a brief moment, they exchange determined looks with a nod.

As they start briskly down the hallway, Mike suddenly freezes. His eyes widen.

“Incoming, incoming,” he mutters, immediately ducking his head.

Nancy follows his gaze and nearly groans. Karen’s doctor is walking straight toward them.

“Act natural,” she whispers.

“We’re dressed like stolen hospital staff and a lost patient,” Maggie mutters, “Natural left the building ten minutes ago.”

The doctor gets closer.

“Nancy,” Mike hisses.

“Just limp or something,” Nancy shoot back.

“What?”

“Limp!” she nearly shouts.

With no better options available, Mike immediately launches into what can only be described as the worst limp in human history.

One leg drags, then the other, then both somehow drag at the same time.

Maggie bites down hard on her lip. Nancy refuses to look at him. The doctor passes by, deep in conversation with a nurse. Neither of them even glance at the three teenagers.

The second they round the corner, Maggie finally loses the battle.

A laugh escapes her,”What kind of limp was that, Wheeler?”

Mike throws his hands up, “It was a limp.”

“No.”

“Yes it was,” Mike argues.

Maggie gives him a pointed look, “You looked like a baby deer trying to survive an earthquake.”

Nancy pinches the bridge of her nose, “We are never speaking about this again.”

The laughter fades as they continue down the hallway. A few seconds later, Nancy abruptly stops. Mike nearly walks into her.

“Nance?”

Nancy’s arm shoots out, stopping him. At the end of the corridor, partially hidden by the doorway, sits Karen Wheeler’s hospital room.

Through the opening, they can see her lying motionless in the bed. The sight steals the humor from all three of them.

Nancy swallows hard. Maggie catches her eye and gives her a small nod. Nancy nods back and gently pushes the door open.

The room is quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. The three of them step inside. Nancy and Mike pull chairs closer to the bed while Maggie remains standing nearby.

Karen looks pale, far paler than Maggie has ever seen her. The sight makes Maggie’s stomach twist.

Nancy leans forward, “Mom?”

No response.

“Mom, can you hear us?”

Mike carefully takes his mother’s hand, “Mom?”

A few seconds pass before Karen’s eyelids heavily flutter open. Confusion flickers across her face before recognition settles in. A soft sound escapes her, somewhere between a sob and a gasp.

“Hey, Mom,” Mike says softly.

The tension in his shoulders visibly eases.

Maggie offers a small smile, “Nice to see you alive, Mrs. Wheeler.”

Tears immediately gather in Karen’s eyes. Her lips part. A strained noise escapes her throat.

Mike squeezes her hand, “Don’t try to talk.”

Karen’s eyes move to him.

“It’s your throat,” he explains, “The doctors said it’s gonna be okay. It just needs time to heal.”

Nancy nods quickly, “But can you write?”

Karen gives a small, weak nod.

“Okay. Good.”

Nancy immediately starts searching the room. Her gaze lands on a clipboard hanging beside the bed. She snatches it up along with a pen and carefully places them in her mother’s hands.

Karen’s fingers tremble as she writes. The pen scratches across the paper.

Holly?

Nancy’s face falls, “That’s why we’re here, Mom.”

Karen immediately looks at her.

“Holly’s…” Nancy pauses, “She’s missing.”

Karen’s eyes widen. A broken gasp catches in her damaged throat. Tears glisten in her tired eyes.

Mike squeezes her hand tighter, “We’re going to get her back.”

Karen looks at him desperately.

“We think somebody knows where she is,” Mike continues, “Or why she was taken.”

Nancy nods, “We just don’t know where to find him.”

“And we’re hoping maybe you do,” Maggie adds quietly.

Karen stares at them for a moment before slowly nodding. She begins writing again.

Who?

“We don’t know his real name,” Maggie says.

“But Holly calls him Mr. Whatsit.”

Karen’s expression changes. Her pen moves again.

Teacher saw talking to W.

Mike leans forward, “W? As in Whatsit?”

Karen nods.

Nobody there.

The three exchange looks.

Nancy scoots closer, “Did Holly ever describe him?”

Karen nods.

“What did he look like?” Nancy asks, “Did she ever mention what he wore?”

Karen writes again.

Pocket watch. Tall. Vest. Gentle and kind.

Mike frowns, “That doesn’t exactly sound like a monster.”

“No,” Maggie murmurs.

Nancy’s brow furrows, “Did Holly ever tell you his name?”

Karen hesitates. Then she writes slowly, one letter at a time.

Nancy takes the clipboard. Her eyes scan the page. The color drains from her face.

Mike notices immediately, “Nancy?”

She doesn’t answer. Mike grabs the clipboard and his stomach drops.

Written across the page in shaky handwriting is a single name.

HENRY.

The room goes completely silent. Maggie’s blood turns to ice. Every muscle in her body locks. A sick feeling crashes into her stomach.

“Mother…” Maggie breathes, staring at the name.

Then she lets out a shaky laugh of disbelief, “…fucker.”