"Are you ready?" you asked gently, helping Eddie with his rings. The clunky accessories always had a little scotch tape on them, since your boyfriend's fingers were too small.

Eddie blew out a sigh, making his curls rustle. He didn't look you in the eyes as he nodded his head. It was only a week since the Upside Down, and three days since Eddie had woken up from his coma. Life had been irreversibly changed by the defeat of Vecna. Chrissy was still dead, though Eddie was no longer suspect number one. Max was still in her coma and would likely be blind and paralyzed for a while if not permanently.

And Eddie had lost his spark.

Gone was the passionate rockstar and creative Dungeon Master. In his place was this jumpy, depressed disaster. He still needed a wheelchair to get around as his legs were still healing, and his back and belly were scarred all to Hell. He hadn't said a word about D&D or Corroded Coffin since the demobats attacked him. Nights were spent wiping sweat from his brow and coaxing him back to sleep.

"Remember, it's just a bath," you parked the wheelchair in the bathroom. Eddie moved in with you, as him and Uncle Wayne's trailer wasn't wheelchair-friendly. And Eddie had burdened his uncle enough in life.

"Yeah," Eddie whispered. "Sure."

Eddie hadn't bathed since the hospital. The water brought back memories he'd rather forget. A rickety rowboat rocking beneath him, lake water filling his mouth, Jason and his jocks chasing him to the boathouse...