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The van let out a faint, worn-out creak as it rolled into the hospital parking lot, its engine humming unevenly before Eddie finally brought it to a stop, his hands still resting on the steering wheel for a brief second. Not far behind them, a BMW followed, but unlike Eddie, Steve didn't pull in close.
Instead, he deliberately chose to park a little farther away, leaving a noticeable gap between his car and the van, as if that distance alone could prevent whatever tension already existed between them from escalating.
Nancy noticed it right away, and she felt a small sense of relief knowing Steve at least made that choice, she didn't want any kind of conflict happening here, not now, not in front of a hospital. Tommy and Carol, however, didn't share that sentiment, they clicked their tongues in quiet annoyance, their eyes drifting toward the van parked at the edge of the lot, clearly wanting to walk right away to them.
Barbara, on the other hand, didn't care about any of that. She pulled her car in right beside Eddie's van without hesitation, she stepped out, completely indifferent to the invisible line drawn between the two groups.
One by one, they all got out of their cars, and the moment they did, the air seemed to shift into something heavier. Eddie and his clubmates immediately turned their attention toward Steve's direction, their gazes sharp and unwelcoming, while Steve returned the look just as firmly, refusing to back down even an inch. Tommy stood slightly behind him with that familiar smirk curling on his lips, as if he was already enjoying the tension building in the air.
Barbara let out a quiet sigh, already sensing where this could go, and she shot Nancy a look, one that didn't need words to be understood. Nancy caught it immediately. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed Steve's arm, her fingers tightening just enough to hold him back before anything unnecessary could happen.
She didn't say much, but the message was clear enough. Steve didn't resist, but the slight tightening of his jaw made it obvious that he wasn't exactly happy about it either. Nancy exhaled softly, but that relief quickly mixed with a growing sense of regret. She shouldn't have come here like this, not with both sides arriving together, not when things are gonna escalate faster.
It was a bad decision, and she knew it. Still, that thought didn't last long, because another one quickly took over, Chris. That was the only thing that mattered right now. She just wanted to see him, to make sure he was okay.
"Wait… is that my mother's car?" Nancy suddenly said as she was about to turn and head inside, her brows furrowing slightly as her eyes caught something at the far end of the parking lot.
There it was an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser parked near the edge, unmistakable. Steve followed her gaze, and the moment he saw it, something shifted in his expression, subtle but noticeable. The idea that he might run into Nancy's mother right now wasn't exactly comforting, and for a split second, it made him uneasy.
But he straightened almost immediately, pushing that feeling down and masking it behind his usual composure, because there was no way he was going to let Nancy see that he was even a little bit nervous.
Eddie and the others started walking toward the hospital entrance, their steps steady but the tension around them already thick enough to feel. The moment they crossed paths with Tommy and Carol standing right in front of them, it was clear this wasn't going to be a simple walk inside.
Tommy greeted them with a mocking smile, while Carol let out a light chuckle beside him, clearly entertained by whatever was about to unfold. "Hey, freak. Did you say anything before to me?" Tommy said as he stepped in front of Eddie, his tone low but laced with provocation.
Steve and Nancy both caught onto it immediately. Steve instinctively wanted to step in on Tommy's side, but his eyes flicked toward the direction of Nancy, and hesitation crept in. "Tommy, Nancy's parents are here," Steve whispered under his breath, trying to rein him in. He didn't want a fight, especially not one that would ruin his image in front of Nancy's family.
Tommy turned to him with a confused, almost speechless look, while Carol also glanced at Steve and Nancy with an odd expression, the same thought clearly crossing both their minds, 'what's wrong with that?' They didn't understand.
They didn't know that Steve wasn't playing around women this time. Nancy wasn't just another girl to him, not someone he was dating casually like the others. But to Tommy and Carol, it looked exactly the same as always.
"Are you an idiot or something? I didn't say anything to you," Eddie replied, a wide grin spreading across his face as if he wasn't standing right on the edge of a fight.
"I only give you this." Without hesitation, he raised both of his middle fingers and even stuck his tongue out at Tommy, the kind of blatant provocation that was impossible to ignore.
BAM!
Tommy's punch landed squarely on Eddie's face, the sound of impact sharp and immediate as it sent Eddie stumbling backward. "Since we are in a hospital, you're not gonna die," Tommy said coldly, as if he was doing him a favor.
As he moved forward again, Gareth stepped in and threw a punch at Tommy, but it landed weakly, barely enough to slow him down, yet more than enough to escalate the situation further.
Nancy and Barbara gasped at the same time, both of them instinctively covering their mouths with their hands, eyes wide in shock. Carol, on the other hand, reacted the complete opposite. She screamed excitedly, almost hysterically, "Punch him, Tommy! Punch him!" like this was some kind of twisted entertainment for her.
Steve muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed that Tommy had started the fight, and finally stepped forward, ready to intervene. But before he could reach them, Jeff and Grant moved in front of him, blocking his path completely. Steve raised his hands slightly, trying to de-escalate the situation. "Hey, I don't want trouble! Stop it!" he said and avoiding their punch.
Meanwhile, Tommy continued throwing punches at Gareth, his face lit up with a grin that bordered on unhinged, as if he was actually enjoying this. Eddie, despite taking the first hit, finally fought back, his punch connecting hard with Tommy's face. He wasn't just some ordinary 'freak', he had lived a rough life, and it showed in the way he fought. The hit made Tommy stagger slightly, blood beginning to show on all of them now, Eddie, Gareth, and Tommy alike.
Steve kept dodging the weaker swings from Jeff and Grant, moving just enough to avoid getting hit while still holding them back. "I said stop it!" he repeated, frustration building in his voice.
Tommy, after taking Eddie's hit, quickly regained his footing and shoved Eddie hard, sending him crashing to the ground. Without hesitation, he followed up with multiple punches, driving them down into Eddie as he lay there. Grant, still on his feet, stepped in and drove a kick straight into Tommy's side, trying to pull him off Eddie.
Blood smeared across Eddie's features, his face already bruised, but even then, he forced himself back up, breathing heavily and yet still grinning.
"Is that it?! Come on!" Eddie taunted, his voice rough but defiant, the challenge in his words only fueling Tommy's anger further.
Tommy spat blood to the side, his eyes locking onto Eddie again as he prepared to charge forward once more, but before he could, the chaos was cut short.
"Hey! Stop it!" a hospital security guard shouted as he rushed in, grabbing Tommy and forcing him down to the ground with firm control. At the same time, another guard tackled Eddie, pinning him down to stop him from continuing.
The fight had only lasted a minute or two, but it was enough to draw attention. People nearby started gathering, some trying to help break it up, others just watching in shock as the situation was finally brought under control.
Nancy and Barbara stood there watching everything unfold, both of them still frozen in place as the chaos slowly settled. Barbara shook her head and let out a quiet sigh, as if this was exactly what she had expected from the very beginning, that bringing these two sides together would only lead to trouble.
Beside them, Steve raised his hands slightly, looking at everyone who had just been holding him back, silently signaling that he wasn't going to fight.
Some of the onlookers had already called the police, whispers spreading among the small crowd that had gathered.
When Eddie, Tommy, and the others tried to pull themselves free from the security, the distant roar of motorcycle engines suddenly cut through the air, growing louder by the second until it filled the entire parking lot.
Heads turned to the sources of the sound.
A group of men arrived one by one on their motorcycles, engines rumbling as they rolled into the lot with a presence that immediately changed the atmosphere. They wore denim jackets and jeans, their builds rough, their expressions even rougher, men who clearly weren't strangers to hard work or harder lives.
It was Keith and his mechanics.
After hearing about Chris's accident, they had only paused their work long enough to make sure everything was stable before heading straight to the hospital. Now, they were here.
Tommy, Eddie, and everyone else look at them, including the security guards who were still holding onto Eddie and Tommy just moments ago. Even the guards hesitated now. There were only three of them, and facing a group like this wasn't exactly something they were prepared for. Slowly, almost instinctively, they released their grip, stepping back while staying alert in case things escalated again.
Eddie and his clubmates exchanged glances, clearly confused. They had no idea who these people were, Chris had never really talked about what he did outside of school, after all. But they remember that Chris is working at a workshop.
Keith and five of his men got off their bikes and walked toward the hospital entrance with calm, steady steps. They didn't spare a single glance toward Tommy, Eddie, or even the security guards standing tense nearby. It was as if none of them mattered.
They were here for one reason only.
And without saying anything, they walked straight into the hospital.
At the same time, Hopper stepped out from the hallway leading to Chris's room, heading toward the entrance after hearing the call over his radio. From what he understood, the receptionist had called the police about a fight between teenagers, and because Hopper was already in here, he was just gonna slap those dumb teenagers and take them to the office.
But then he saw them.
"Keith? What are you doing here?" Hopper said, his brows furrowing as he looked at the group of mechanics, his tone immediately turning serious. "Are you making trouble here?"
"Trouble? We just got here, officer," Keith replied calmly, not even slowing his steps as he approached the receptionist desk. "Do you know which room Christopher is in?"
"You want to see him?" Hopper asked, but before he could get a proper response, his eyes shifted toward Eddie and the others, noticing their bruised faces and bloodied lips. "What the hell happened?"
Tommy and Carol already walked away and stayed outside, choosing to wait in Steve's car, but Steve himself had already followed Nancy and Barbara inside.
"We wanted to see Christopher too," Nancy said, her voice softer now as she looked at Keith, a hint of unease still present in her eyes.
"You're his friend?" Keith asked, his gaze briefly shifting toward Eddie as well.
"You got beaten up, kid," one of the mechanics said with a light chuckle, eyeing Eddie's bruised face. "Thank God it happened in front of a hospital." His comment drew a few laughs from the others.
Eddie and Gareth chuckled awkwardly in response, though it was clear their faces stung from the hits they had taken, the bruises already starting to form.
"Yes… we're friends with Chris," Nancy answered again, more firmly this time, and Keith gave a small nod, accepting that without question.
Hopper let out a slow breath, his gaze moving between Eddie's battered condition and the group that had just arrived. Part of him wanted to drag the kids straight to the station for what had just happened, but something told him to wait, to see what exactly Keith and his people were here for.
Just as they were about to move further inside, another voice cut through the moment.
"Keith. Where is Chris?"
Everyone turned at once.
"Benny?" Hopper tilted his head slightly, recognizing him immediately, the diner cook. But confusion quickly followed. He didn't understand why Benny was here too… or why he was looking for Chris.