#cole001

A creature of habit since as long as anyone had known her, Juliana has spent every Saturday night before the full moon curled up in the top floor of the library. Alone time was nearly unheard of for the Alpha, feared even on most days, but it was a safe place to hide her nervous energy from others and steel herself for the week ahead; even more so as an Alpha now.

it had only been a few days since whiskey and the men she’d been traveling with set up camp at taos. everything about this place was new to her...but the biggest shock was the sense of camaraderie. the community of it all. she hadn’t gotten by for two years on the road by making friends, so the thought that all of these people cared about each other felt difficult to wrap her head around. lee’s words echoed in her mind. people came to taos to ‘reunite, swap materials, share stories, enjoy togetherness.’ 

it was a nice sentiment, but whiskey wasn’t totally buying into it yet. in fact, the only thing that was sticking in her mind was the swap swipe materials bit. she couldn’t help it—especially as she stared at a brand new, shiny walkman that someone had left in their beach chair carelessly while they went to go look at someone else’s trailer. whiskey glanced around innocently, eyes wide as she tried to sus out if she was in the clear. no one was really around, so she inched closer to the empty chair, to the walkman that was so close to being in her possession. she was still too far to make a grab for it, but just when she got close enough, she felt the worst chill climb up her spine. she was being watched. glancing over her shoulder again, she found the eyes that were burning into the back of her head, and she nearly choked when she saw him.

something about that face. it was like seeing a ghost. “what?” she spat bitterly, “do you need something?” 

after a day or two of processing on his own, chance knew he had to pick himself up by the boot straps and go tend to the people who needed him.  adam’s death disappearance paired with chrissy’s had made him a ghost but the carnage at the carnival had woken him up. chance was so far from himself, so far from who he used to be...but whatever had happened to that cult in the woods was clearly bleeding into hawkins and chance could either stand by idly or he could try to figure out how to keep himself and his people safe. 

did he have even the slightest idea of where to begin in order to make that happen? no. but he figured a visit to the hospital to pay his respects and at least try to get the story straight couldn’t be a bad first step. plus, he had something he needed to return. 

chance arrived at the hospital a few minutes after visiting hours started. he went up to the nurse working the check-in desk and he gave her a list of names of people he wanted to see. some people weren’t taking visitors, some already had company, so at the end of his conversation with her, he was told he could go see one cole montgomery. 

he wasn’t chance’s first choice, mostly because he wasn’t sure what he’d get, but oh well. it was time to suck it up and be brave. chance followed the signs that led him to cole’s room and once he was there, he gave two warning knocks before opening the door. “yo,” he greeted, standing cautiously by the frame as he let out a deep breath, “you look like shit.” cole had no doubt gotten the worst of it when it came to injuries. at least out of the people he’d seen so far. clearing his throat to ease some of the awkward tension he was feeling, chance slowly approached the chair next to cole’s bed and reluctantly sat down. “can you talk?” he asked, staring at adam’s friend with a twinge of concern, “or does it hurt?” 

          You cannot just approach someone with a mind boggler like that out of nowhere. Have some sympathy.

          At least he could likely solve this… riddle?