AND, HERE THEY WERE AGAIN, sitting in Will's hospital room as Joyce had her head in her hands thinking to herself, figuring out a way to prove Mariella's theory. She knew this wasn't a virus, she's his mom for God's sake. She'd know if he boy had a virus. This wasn't it.

She looks up, shaking her head. "What the hell is taking so long?" She asks, sighing.

"Hey... Doctors take forever, always. Just try and relax. Just be patient," Bob tells her, rubbing her knee as she takes deep breathes.

She sighs, "You know, I just," She stammers out, pushing the blanket off her shoulders and getting up, opening the door and exiting the room. Bob following after her.

Leaving Mike, Mariella, and Will in the room alone. They sit silently for a moment, Mariella tapping her fingers against her leg over and over as Mike stares at the ground before looking back up at Will who looked blankly out the door.

"Will... Will?" He asks, Mariella looking from her leg and at Will's empty eyes. "Will?" He says again, patting Will's arm. He snaps out of it, jolting up and looking to his friends worried faces. "What's wrong? Are you hurting again?" Mike presses.

Will shudders, looking around dazed. Mariella softly putting a hand over his. "Uh... I saw something," He sputters, looking between Mariella and Mike.

"In your now-memories?" Mike urges.

Nodding in response, he leans to his side, closer to them. "The shadow monster. I think I know how to stop him," He says quietly to them.

♧

It was only extraordinary measures for William Byers. Only. That's how they found dozens of people crowded around Will in the meeting room, the table cluttered with photos of his drawings and his house.

Will stared down at the photos, eyes scanning each trail as the group stood behind him, watching curiously. 

"Sam, this is lubricious," A doctor starts, shaking his head as he stares down at the photos before looking to Dr. Owens.

"Just give him a moment," Dr. Owen tells him, putting a hand up and signalling him to stop.

"We don't have time," The other doctor says.

"No one asked for the time," Mariella snaps, looking towards him angrily from where she sat next to Will. "He's only going to take longer if you don't be quiet," She goes on, the doctor shutting mouth as she rubs Will's back.

He continues to observe the photos before standing and walking towards the other end of the table. He points down to part of the map. "That's it," He says.

"That's what? What... what's there, Will?" Dr. Owens asks him.

"I don't know. I just know, he doesn't want me to see there. I think it's important," Will responds as Dr. Owens looks to Hopper. Already knowing what they have to do.

♧

Now, Joyce, Mariella, and Mike sat in Will's hospital room while they waited on more news. They were sending people into the Upside Down to try and find whatever it was Will pointed out.

They were all awake, zoned into their own thoughts. Joyce at her sons bedside holding his hand, Bob by the sink, while Mike leaned his head on Mariella's shoulder tiredly, eyes fixated on Will. It was silent. Until it wasn't.

"I'm sorry," Will stammers, words catching in his throat.

All heads turning towards him curiously, Mike lifting his off Mariella's shoulder while she tiredly rubs her eyes.

Joyce looks to her son curiously. "What? What do you mean, sweetie?" She asks.

He shudders, breathing heavily while his head looks towards her. "He made me do it," He cries shakily.

Standing up, Joyce leans in. "Who? Who made you what?" She presses now, concern in her voice.

"I told you. They upset him," Will goes on, eyes wide as he stares back at his mom. "They shouldn't have done that. They shouldn't have upset him,".

Closing her eyes for a moment, Mariella shakes her head, breathing heavy before she looks to Mike. "Michael..." She whispers, already knowing what they both were thinking.

Mike's eyes grow wide, looking towards Will and Joyce before mumbling out. "They spy,". There's a pause. Will beginning to cry softly while Mariella stares at him with a quivering lip, heart shattering for her best friend.

"They spy!" Mike repeats, standing up from his chair and rushing out the room. Bob following after him while Mariella stays seated, eyes dazed as she searches for her voice, Joyce taking her son by the shoulders and sputtering.

"Will, sweets, talk to me. You got to help me understand," She says to him, rubbing his arms comfortingly.

"It's too late," Will cries to her, shaking his head.

Joyce looks to him, eyes wide as her body shakes. "What's too late?" She asks.

"It wasn't Will who told us where to go. It was the shadow monster," Mariella speaks up, standing now, voice small while she paces the room.

"What... What do you mean?" Joyce looks to her, stuttering.

Mariella shakes her head, stopping in spot. "We have to stop this. We have to... Stop—Oh God, Michael!" She screeches at the end running out the room after Mike, hands shaking.

But she wasn't far enough to not hear Will calm down. Eyes going blank while he looks to his mom. "You should go now,".