[ He should be relieved that she doesn't seem mad at him asking the question at all, instead it just makes another pang of anger move up from his stomach into his chest.] Well, it was a stupid plan. They should've come up with something else.

[ He swallows, his expression falling. He's lucky that she's not able to see it, or maybe unlucky, since if she could, she'd know immediately something was wrong. He wishes he could sugar coat it, but there's no use. Lying would only put off the inevitable. Besides, it's not as if she really knew Eddie. Not like he and Dustin had. He knows she means the others as in the others in the party. Lucas, Dustin, Nancy, Steve...] They're fine, but he got away.

[ He doesn't know why his voice cracks, he'd thought he'd done all his crying a month ago. Maybe it's sheer frustration at everything they lost and for what? For Hawkins to fall apart at the seams anyway? For the nightmare to just be continued? He does his best to fight the threat of tears, clearing his tightening throat.] Eddie didn't make it., though.

[ There's something so much worse about saying it out loud other than just carrying the knowledge around with him. It feels like he's closing a door he didn't realize until this very moment was still open. He releases her hand so he can wipe his sleeve across his eyes. This isn't the time to fall apart. He tries to reach for that familiar anger that's been burning in his gut. The only thing that's been gluing him together.] El brought you back. I don't know how, but she did.

[ He'd wanted so badly to ask her to do the same for Eddie, but he couldn't, no matter how important he was. And that felt like another betrayal, another weight that he'd have to carry around with him for the rest of his life. Doing so would've put El herself at risk and the world needed her. They all did.] You've been in a coma for over a month.