Steve watches as Hopper approaches him and blinks as he lays the cool cloth over his head. It's a tender thing that he wasn't really expecting, and Steve is so overwhelmed that it almost makes him a little emotional. It's not something he ever really got from his own dad, and in just moment Steve gets it, why El ended up with him.

"Yeah, I stopped thinking you were fucking with me around the time I puked up my second lung," Steve croaks out, swallowing hard and giving himself a few more moments to just be calm and feel a gentle, fatherly hand on his head. He grips the edge of the tub and heaves himself to his feet.

When Steve sees his reflection in the mirror he lets out a choking sound, eyes widening before he quickly looks away. He hadn't seen himself yet and it scares him to see his face so beaten, reminding him of how he almost died. Again.

The wet cloth in his hands trembles a little and he blinks, trying to recalibrate himself as he heads towards the living room. He suddenly misses the drugs, if only because they kept him from being so terrified.

"So, uh--" He clears his throat and winces as he stats to wipe the blood from his skin. "Where are we, then?"