"Yeah, well, I knew your dad growing up," Hopper answers. "He was always kind of a dick."

He doesn't say anything for a minute and instead focuses on getting most of the blood off Steve's eye before he moves onto his mouth. Most of what's left behind now is a big ass bruise, but at least he's a little clean than he'd been before. This is where stuff gets complicated and he knows it, but it's not like he can just leave Steve to figure it all out on his own.

"Nah," he says. "I've been here for, uh... about a year and a half. And I know that sounds messed up, but time is messed up. That's part of this place. It messes with time. Last thing I remember happening back in Hawkins was El closing the gate. She did it and those demodog things all died and when we went to step back into the lab, I ended up here instead."