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Steve took a step forward, eyes narrowed and lips curled in disdain. “He wasn’t a hero, Dustin. He never was. He didn’t save anyone!”
Dustin furiously stomped against the rough concrete. “Don’t say that! He saved my life!”
“He saved no one’s life! He died a self sacrificing idiot, just to make a name for himself. It didn’t work too well, did it?” Steve snapped. Guilt tugged at his heart as those words left his lips. He didn’t want to say this to the kid, but it was about time someone stood up and told Dustin what needed to be heard.
Eddie wasn’t a hero. He was a coward who made a last minute sacrifice in an attempt to clear his name, for people to stop hating him. Except now, the hatred only grew worse, like wildfire.
“At least Eddie wasn't a fake like you! He was smart, funny and he cared about all of us. He was never afraid to speak up and be himself. He was a good guy!”
Steve bit back a frustrated groan as he glared at the younger. “If he was so smart, then why am I the only one still here?”
Dustin froze, eyes wide in an unreadable expression. Then, poorly-concealed rage. His voice shook. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m just telling it like it is! Eddie tried to be a hero, even when I told you both to not be, and he got himself killed!”
Something in Dustin snapped, fury blazing in his eyes and his soul. “SHUT UP!” He screamed as he lunged at the older boy, slamming him backwards against the wall. Steve winced as his back made sharp contact with the harsh material, grazing his lower back.
Dustin yelled. “He was not a coward or an idiot! He was a hero and he saved all of us, Steve! What is wrong with you?” He had Steve half-pinned against the wall, his hands shaking.
“I get you’re sad that he is dead, Dustin, but you don’t get to take it out on me. I’m sorry that he got killed, but you know it was on him. He was always too scared and too stubborn and now look where it got him! Dead in a world that doesn’t exist anymore! He’s gone Dustin, he’s go-“
Steve didn’t get to finish his sentence as Dustin let out the most terrifying, enraged scream he had ever heard and then a flash of sharp pain shot through his head at the same time a very audible crack echoed through the room, rattling his skull and someone shouted loudly. His head burst with unfathomable pain, searing his skull viciously. He suddenly felt very wrong - nausea and dizziness climbed through his body as the pain continued to torture him.
He felt weak in the legs and they buckled under his weight, but before he could hit the ground, arms grabbed at him. Through his blackening vision he could see someone in front of him, with brown curly hair and a bloody face. They looked terrible, were they okay?
He could hear muffled talking in front of him, but it was mostly drowned out by the ringing in his ears.
“…-eve?”
“I’m so-…plea-”
…Steve, can y-…”
The words were drowned out as his vision faded to black, his body surrendering to the ferocious pain and injuries he had succumbed to.
He came to with the persistent ringing in his ears louder than ever and felt his body lying on its side. He felt sick. His muscles were sore and achy, with little twitches that ran through his limbs like aftershocks. As his awareness returned slowly, he heard a loud voice speaking. He groaned and opened his eyes to meet the terrified gaze of Dustin.
Dustin? What was Dustin doing here? Where was he?
He tried to get up but the younger boy pushed him back down.
“Don’t get up, Steve. You’re really hurt, you just had a seizure. You’ve got a nasty concussion, after…after I pushed you into a wall,” he said sadly, eyes glimmering with regret. “I’m so sorry Steve, I wasn’t thinking I was just so mad and-” he cut himself off when he noticed Steve’s glazed over expression and pale skin. “Shit, sorry I didn’t need to ramble. You’re gonna be okay, man, I called Nancy and Jonathan and they’re coming to find us. Just- just rest okay?”
Steve felt his head weakly, feeling soft bandages seeped with wet liquid. Blood. He turned his head to look back at Dustin. “Du-Dus’n?” he slurred. The younger immediately knelt by his side and frowned.
“Yeah, you okay buddy?” Dustin asked, hands clenched tight in worry.
Steve whimpered as his head pulsed again, but pushed through the pain. “…you ‘kay? You loo’ hur’.”
Dustin glanced at him incredulously. “Me? Of course I’m okay, I’m the one who hurt YOU man.”
Steve nodded weakly, brain too muddled and confused to even try to comprehend more speech than a single word. He felt the nausea return tenfold and a sudden rush of lightheadedness swirled through him. The aches in his bones and muscles felt like gravel weighing him down, sinking sharp teeth into his insides. But something…
Something felt wrong…
Seriously wrong.
He shakily looked at Dustin, head spinning. “Dus’, Dus’,” he whimpered.
“Steve? Steve, what’s wrong?”
Steve whined. “I don’ feel goo’…feel weir’…”
Dustin looked horrified. He set up and almost leaped to the injured man’s side. “Steve…what do you mean?”
He was met with silence followed by the twitching of Steve’s body again. Wracking into full body tremors as the poor young man whimpered in terror.
Dustin gasped. “Shit, shit, oh gods you’re seizing again, fuck-” he cut himself off as he was quickly adjusted the hoodie under Steve’s head and moved everything out of his way.
Steve was losing consciousness rapidly; his warm brown eyes fluttering open and closed as scared keens left his lips. Dustin tried his best to soothe his distraught friend, ignoring the lingering guilt that this was all his fault.
Steve could die and it would be all because of him. The others would ask where he was and he would have to tell them how he lost control of his emotions and hurt his own best friend.
Shaking his head from those awful thoughts, he focused on Steve. “You’re gonna be okay, Steve, you’re gonna be okay.”
Dustin stayed by his side through his seizure and then after that, barely moving an inch, too scared that one wrong move would let everything fall to pieces again.
When Steve woke up the next evening, hands caressing his hair gently and feeling the warmth of a soft bed that didn’t belong to him, he didn’t try to get up.
He just laid there and let himself be loved and looked after for once.