Smoke -- Jim Hopper

8. AS YOU WISH

EDIT: definitely realized I forgot to name the chapter lol

Sorry I totally accidentally published this when I was still writing lol😂

Also sorry this chapter is shorter than usual :( I just wanted to get one out today for you guys! A better one will be out tomorrow.

Thank you all so much for supporting this book! Love you guys <3

Unedited
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Jim parked the car in front of the morgue and looked at her, "this time it's gonna work." He pointed at her coat in the back seat.

"We'll see." Natalie said with a grin and got out of the car and grabbed her coat and put it on. She then pulled her hair up into a ponytail and looked at Jim, "Okay, how do I look?" she asked.

Jim swallowed loudly, "good...very professional" he paused and shifted his weight, "pretty."

Natalie's face flushed, "Thank you," she put her hands in her pockets, "Okay I'm going to go in, ill let you know if I need extra help, just keep your walkie on and come in if it gets messy." she told him.

Jim nodded, "sounds good." He held up his walkie with a grin, "channel 8?"

"Channel 8." She nodded and took a deep breath while opening the door to the morgue and smiled at the receptionist, "Hello." she internally cringed at herself and went to open the door that led to a hallway.

"I need some identification." the receptionist told her.

Natalie flashed her drivers license super fast and grinned, "I'm Dr. Shepherd from the University of Indiana. Pathology." she told her.

The receptionist tilted her head, "Okay, thank you Dr. Shepherd." she let her through the door with a smile.

Natalie let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and approached the officer who was guarding the morgue. He looked up at her with curiosity and his lips pulled up into a smile.

"Who might you be?" He looked her up and down.

"I'm Dr. Shepherd from the University of Indiana, I've been assigned the case of Will Byers." she told him in a firm voice.

"I'm sorry doctor, but I can't let you through these doors." He said with a shrug.

Natalie rolled her eyes, "I'm with the University-"

"Listen, I don't care where you are from. You are not allowed in here, this is a state case, not some universities' lab project."

Natalie balled her fist, "Do you really want to go there?" she snarled at the officer.

He laughed, "What are you going to do? Hit me?"

She shrugged, "No, I'm not, but he might." She told him.

Jim came up from behind her and smiled at the officer before slamming his fist into the officers jaw and knocking him out cold.

"Nice swing," she told him.

Jim shook his hand out, "thanks, but it hurts like a bitch."

Natalie grabbed his hand and looked at his split knuckles, "I can wrap it for you when we're done." She offered.

Jim shook his head, "its fine really."

"Don't trust me? Remember I'm a doctor." She smiled at him.

Jim rolled his eyes, "fine, C'mon 'Dr. Shepherd'" he said to her as he opened the door.

Their playful attitudes were quietly diminished as they entered the dark damp room. Natalie shivered involuntarily and glanced around for a light. Jim quickly pulled out Will and Natalie felt bile rise in her throat.

"Oh gosh," she shut her eyes.

Jim glanced at her before feeling around Will abdomen, "jesus," he whispered to himself before jamming his knife into Will's stomach and pulling upwards.

"Shit, what the hell." Jim breathed as he pulled stuffing from the body.

Natalie opened her eyes and gasped, "that's ridiculous. Who would do that?" She whispered.

Jim looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Hawkins lab." He growled and stormed out of the room.

"Wait! Jim we have to plan!" She shouted after him as he stormed to the car.

Natalie practically threw herself into the passenger seat just as Jim started driving. She held onto the arm rest as he sped down the road at an alarming speed.

"What about your hand?" She asks him, "what about a plan?" She offered again.

"No time to plan and my hand is fine." He said curtly.

"Jim," she paused, "this isn't smart." She told him seriously.

"Yeah? Why is that? You don't know everything like you think you do." He shot back angrily.

Natalie crossed her arms,"Fine. You want to be a dick. Go ahead. I was just trying to help." She snapped at him.

"Wow." He chuckled darkly from next to her, "do you really not see that time is of the essence here? Oh wait, I shouldn't be so surprised, women are usually not very punctual."

"What the hell, Hopper?" She punched his arm, "what happened to the nice guy from earlier, I like him better." She huffed, "and you really had to pull the sexist card to get on my nerves." Natalie felt her blood start to boil, "you know what, drop me off somewhere, I don't care what you do." She snapped.

"As you wish, princess." He snarled back at her and pulled the car over with a screech of protest from the tires.

Natalie hopped out of the car and flipped him off as he sped away.

••• Jim's POV •••

Jim hit the steering wheel as he drove away from Natalie. He didn't want to say any of that to her. He just wanted her to be safe, and Hawkins Lab was not safe.

He would rather have her hate him, then end up hurt because of him.

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