Chapter Text
Dr. Byers’ phone rings through his pocket. He’s walking down the biggest street in Hawkins, which over the years has become more and more full of interesting stores. The general store his mother used to work at has been long gone since Will moved away.
“Hello? This is Dr. Byers speaking.” He’s using the most professional voice he can muster, as he's been practicing for this day for months.
“Good afternoon sir. You have been called to return to the lab as soon as possible. You are being assigned an entity to be put under your care.”
Entity?
“Got it Carol, I’ll be back in 10.” Will responds, hiding how giddy he is at his first real assignment working at Hawkins Lab. He’d been working in the building for weeks and had only heard rumors as to what they found while experimenting with the top secret ‘realm’. Will strolls at a steady pace down the now busy street till he can wave down a taxi. Hopping in and telling the man driving to Hawkins Lab.
Will checks in to the front desk quickly, tossing Carol an extra mint from his pocket as he hurries to the staircase. He accidentally barges into the room too fast but everyone quickly recovers and points Will towards the door on the left.
The metal label on the door reads:
E-4-M 7
He wonders for a second what each letter and number stands for, before realizing he needs to focus up. Will tugs on his lab coat and straightens himself up before walking in. His breath is shaky as it sets in what he’s really doing. His first real job at the lab. And it's with a real creature, he isn't too sure what's actually in the room in front of him but he’s excited either way. The door loudly locks behind him.
Will gasps as soon as he looks up and sees the being in the middle of the room. Sitting on the edge of the metal table in the center of the white room, an odd looking humanoid figure slowly turns around to face Will.
He’s pale, darkest of dark brown hair, dark eyes complimented by huge eyebags, and six arms. The man is lanky, and shares the same aura around him of an outcast teenage boy. Though he’s in the body of a 22 year old man. He’s wearing a navy blue swimsuit-like outfit with holes cut out for his arms, the cut is very low and Will can’t help but stare him down. He’s hooked up to a monitor on the right side of the room.
“Oh my god.”
“It’s rude to stare you know.”
“Well- right, apologies.”
“I’m kidding. I’ve been fucked up over the years. I get it.” The pale man chuckles softly. “But that wasn’t what you were looking at now was it?” He raises his eyebrows.
“I- I am a medical professional."
“Yeah? How old are you? 20?”
“22 to be exact. I graduated early.”
“Hm.”
"What?"
“We’re the same age.”
Will pauses his spiel. His mind flickers through memories for a second.
“Anyways, let's stop the chitchat and let me get to my job.”
“What’s your name?”
“Will- er-Dr. Byers.”
“Will?”
“Yes, that's my first name.”
The pale man flushes to a more pale pink hue.
Will. He knows that name.
No matter how much he's been tortured and changed over the exact decade he's been gone. He knows he had a Will. Knows how much he loved that Will. Knows how much his Will loved him. And above all he knows that's his Will.
“May I observe your…appendages?”
“I just call them arms.” The man laughs. “But yes you can.”
Will's hands are cold, they make the man flinch a bit.
“Not gonna ask me my name?”
“You- you have a name?”
“I was up here once, you know. Did you not read my file? I had to tell a bunch of creepy dudes my past and why I was in that world.”
“Wow. I guess I didn't read too much of it. What is your name?”
“It’s Mike.” Mike says. “Micheal Wheeler, in full. They’re trying to contact my family.”
“I’m impressed you remember that.”
“It’s not hard to remember friends and family when you don’t have any other humans to talk to for a decade.”
“So…you went missing?” Will asks, his now warmer hands on the second set of Mike’s arms.
“Yeah.”
“At what age?”
“Around 12 or so. It was November 6th.” Mike is looking into Will's eyes, with a knowing smirk on his face. Will isn't looking back. Though something in his head recognizes the date. He chooses to ignore it.
It's not him.
It cant be.
“Hm.”
“Hey,” Mike starts as Will retreats from his arms and writes some small notes down on a clipboard. “Can you ask to get me a blanket or something? I’m not an animal, though your collegues don't know that.”
“I’m not sure how they’ll respond but I will try.” Will says flatly. “And they aren't really my collegues, I’m the least respected one around here.”
“Actually I think that title belongs to me.” Mike jokes.
For the first time in this conversation, Will breaks and laughs along.
“Wow. Didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”
“I’ve always been the quiet one.”
Yeah, you have.
“Interesting. I’m just learning more and more.” Mike says charismatically.
Will feels something.
He shouldn’t.
But he does.
“I um…I’ll go ask about your blanket.” Will says, and he hurries out of the room, he fumbles his key in the door a bit.
Mike leans all the way back onto the cold metal table. He thinks about the kid he used to know. The quiet, sweet, friendly, nerdy boy he called his best friend. The mole on his chin. The curve of his nose. The adorable, olive hue of his skin. And not to mention his genuine smile.
William Byers: The Boy Who Forgot His Best Friend
‘Maybe he’s hiding it like I am.’ Mike thinks; ‘Maybe he remembers my face as well as I do.’
Oh god
What the fuck do I look like?
Mike suddenly springs up from the table desperate to find glass to use as a mirror. The monitor he’s hooked up to from all ends starts beeping.
“SORRY!” Mike yells at the one way mirror, knowing they’ll all come rushing in with needles and tubes to stick him with if he doesn't. Then he sees a reflection. The tiny twelve year old he saw last is gone. He’s a husk of himself.
But maybe if he gets his best friend back, he’ll still be Mike Wheeler.