Time seemed to stop.

All Eddie Munson could focus on was the way Talia Wheeler's body dropped, smacking against the rough ground as the hoard of bats around them let out weak cries as they, too, fell from the air. He felt stuck, feet cemented to the ground as he stared at her in a daze. His spear fell to the ground, hands shaking as tears gathered in his eyes. Why wasn't she getting up?

"Talia!"

It was Dustin who broke Eddie from his immobilizing pain. Shooting forward, Eddie's knees harshly hit the ground as he dropped down beside her body. Dustin reached them moments later, adrenaline overcoming the pain from the limbs broken in his fall from the gate. All he could do was watch helplessly as the older male gathered Talia's limp body in his arms and pulled her into his lap.

Blood stained Eddie's shaking hands, leaving a trail on Talia's exposed flesh as he brought a hand to cup her cheek. Tears fell from his eyes and trickled down his cheeks. A choked sob left him as her face remained painfully still under his burning gaze.

"Talia," he shook her lightly, "come on, you gotta wake up, Lia." He shook her again—nothing.

Dustin hiccuped, tears streaming down his cheeks. He felt guilty. She had been fine. It was him who didn't listen to her—who distracted her.

"I'm sorry," he croaked out, shoulders shaking. It was as if Eddie didn't hear him, making no inclination that he had as he began desperately shaking the girl.

"Wake up, T. Please, I can't lose you."

She didn't. Talia's eyes reminded closed. Eddie couldn't help the heart-wrenching sound that escaped him, his body folding over hers and he held her close to him. Dustin's cries grew louder, his knees giving out as reality came crashing down.

It felt like a lifetime had past before rushed footsteps were heard. Dustin's head snapped up, catching sight of the three figures rapidly moving their way. It was them—Nancy, Steve, and Robin. They hadn't seen them yet, Dustin realized, noting the trees that hindered their view. His stomach fell even further than it already had.

It was Robin who saw them first, horror etching onto her features as she caught sight of Eddie's hunched over body and Dustin's tear soaked cheeks. Her feet faltered before moving even faster, rushing towards the fallen group with a newfound sense of panic.

Nancy noticed her change of pace, glancing over at the taller girl before following her line of sight. She felt nauseous when her eyes landed on what had panicked the girl so much. Taking off after her, Nancy quickly caught up.

The abrupt movement caught Steve's attention, too. A pit forming in his stomach as he hurried his pace. It wasn't until he broke through the tree line that he finally saw what had scared the two girls. He, too, felt panic rise as he realized what was happening—what had happened.

"Talia!" Nancy cried out, finally able to see what Eddie had been hunching over. She sprinted even faster, passing Robin and not stopping until she had reached them. She dropped beside Eddie, who had dazedly looked up at her. He looked broken.

"I'm sorry," he weakly spoke, voice cracking. His eyes flickered further, catching sight of the devastated look on Robin's face as she held Steve close to her. The Harrington boy's shoulder shook as his body was wracked with sobs, face buried in his best friends shoulder. He couldn't bare to look at Talia—for this to be the last way he remembered her.

Eddie's eyes flickered back down, latching on to the sight of Talia's face. She looked peaceful. The thought comforted him, but it did nothing to soothe the ache he felt in his heart.

Shuffling broke through the quietness, Nancy moving forward slowly and taking her cousins hand in hers. It was warm, still, perhaps that's why she thought she saw the faintest rise and fall of her chest. She had imagined it, surely.

"Oh, my god," Nancy breathed out, wide eyes focusing on the way her chest barely rose and fell, again. Quickly, she moved her hand to Talia's face, fingers hovering just under her nose. It was light, but it was there—the slightest feeling of air hitting her skin.

"What are you doing?" Dustin croaked. Her head snapped to him, disbelief written across her features.

"She's breathing."

Nancy's proclamation brought everyone to a hurry, newfound hope bubbling up as Eddie adjusted his grip on Talia and stood. Steve pulled himself from Robin, the two moving closer as Nancy helped Dustin stand. Catching the younger male's wince, Steve moved to help him.

Time moved in a blur as the group rushed to escape the Upside Down, barely managing to find a way through the now enormous rip between the two dimensions. They didn't let themselves think about what had to have happened for the gate to have grown so much. It was hard to ignore the reality of the situation, but they forced themselves to as they piled back into the RV—parked just far away that the widening gate had missed it.

The air was somber as Steve sped towards the hospital, silence falling upon them. None of them knew what to say.

When they reached the hospital, already littered with cars and desperate people, Eddie wordlessly handed Talia off to Steve. He couldn't go in, he was too easily recognizable. With the Wheeler girl in his grasp, Steve took off ahead of Robin and Nancy, who were helping Dustin. He needed help, too.

Rushing through the doors to the ER, Steve ignored the hoard of civilians and pushed past the line to the front desk.

"Help me! Please, you have to help her!" He yelled, gaining the attention of the lady at the desk. Her eyes widened at the unconscious, bloody girl in his arms. Stopping mid-sentence, she rushed away from the desk and the middle aged man she had been checking in and called out for help.

A group of nurses bursted through the doors that led to the examination rooms, a gurney pushed by two of them. Hastily, they moved Talia from Steve's arms and laid her on the bed. Steve followed after them as they ran back through the doors and down the hall, the nurses beginning to check on the girl as they moved.

Right as he was about to enter the room, a male nurse held him back. Steve tried to push past him, eyes focused solely on the Wheeler girl. The nurse stopped him, again.

"You'll have to wait out there," the nurse spoke, a calmness to his voice as he took in the obviously shaken male.

Steve shook his head, "No, please I can't leave her."

"I'm sorry, but it's hospital policy. You'll be in the way, let us do our job, okay? We'll take care of her, I promise."

Defeated, Steve nodded his head. He managed one last glance at her before the door shut. With no other choice, he numbly walked back through the halls and the doors that led to the waiting room. Nancy and Robin were right there, moving towards him before he could process it.

"They took Dustin back, said they'll call his mom," Robin said.

"How is she?" Nancy asked, eyes desperate, "Why'd you come back out, is she okay?"

"They wouldn't let me stay," Steve muttered, feeling relief that Dustin was getting help, "said I had to wait out here. Stupid policy."

Blinking back the tears threatening to fall, Nancy nodded. She pushed her hand through her hair, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing before opening them again.

"Okay, I...I should call her parents."

"We'll go update Eddie," Robin said, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder and shooting the worried girl a reassuring smile as she began leading him away, "she'll be fine. She's tougher than she seems."

Weakly smiling, Nancy nodded her head before moving towards the front desk. She ignored the annoyed grunts and scoffs that came from the line as she cut in front, a sweet smile on her face as she cleared her throat to catch the attention of the lady sitting behind the desk.

"Hi, I am so sorry to cut," she said, partly to the woman she had stepped in front of, "but my cousin was just brought in—she was unconscious and hurt, badly. I was just wondering if there was a phone I could use? Her parents...they don't know."

With a sympathetic smile, the lady stood and ushered Nancy around the desk. She led her into the tiny office that was attached to the space, and motioned towards the grey landline that laid on the desk.

"I'm not supposed to do this, but you can use this one. Just don't let anyone know I let you."

"Thank you, so much."

With that, the lady left. Nancy waited for the door to fully close before grabbing onto the phone and dialing her cousin's house.

——————

Y'all didn't think I was gonna let this bitch die just like that, did you? It felt right for Talia to sacrifice herself for Eddie, which has been hinted at the entire book. BUT, I love her so much I had to write a version that she survived in. Depending on how season five goes, Talia will return.

Stay tuned for extra chapters that give light to previous events!