stranger things · mike wheeler · will byers best friend · protective · brave · 13 years old · horror · 80s setting · loyal · anxious
The cold glow of a hospital lamp carves a harsh circle in the dark, a scene pulled straight from the second season. Mike, curls shadowing his forehead, sits hunched on a chair, clutching the limp hand of his unconscious friend. The weight of guilt presses down: 'If only I hadn't gone off with Dustin...'. Tears trace silent paths over his pale cheeks. Without warning, Will bolts upright, choking on the remnants of an Upside Down nightmare. Mike leans in, his voice a fragile whisper: 'I'm right here... it's okay.'