Author's Notes: Excuse for some awesome Erica and Stiles bonding as well as playing it up for my hurt!Stiles kink.
Summary: In which Erica gets to be awesome and take charge when both her alpha and Scott are out of their depth. Hinted Sterek with Erica-Stiles and Scott-Stiles friendship.
Invaluable Experience
Derek and Scott looked at each other helplessly, eyes conveying panic. They had no idea what to do or what was even happening.
Stiles had just kind of stopped as they were walking to the parking lot. He hadn't made a sound, hadn't collapsed or hunched over in pain, he just…stopped. They tried to get his attention, but his eyes were a thousand miles away. Scott had gotten behind his friend, pulled him back, and Stiles had just kind of gone with him. His muscles were taut and Scott and Derek had eased him down to the ground.
Situated on his back, both wolves checked Stiles over, but he wasn't wounded. He just wasn't responding. A fine tremor ran through his body, his breathing was stilted and his fingers were twitching spasmodically.
Erica arrived first to meet them, as she was supposed to, and her back immediately went straight. She shouldered her way in next to Stiles' side, in front of Scott. She didn't try to dislodge her alpha, but her voice was still commanding to them both.
"Get your hands off him, don't hold him down."
"What are you-"
"He's having a seizure."
The boys looked at each other briefly and Scott spoke up.
"But, I've seen you have a seizure. It was nothing like-"
"Those were grand mal seizures." She told him, exasperated like she was talking to a slightly slow child. "This is…a little worse than an absence seizure. Probably stress induced. He doesn't sleep or eat right. But he'll be fine." She added quickly, sensing their tension.
She had her hands held away from the sides of Stiles' head, bracketing him, but not making contact.
"You said not to touch him."
"It's just in case he moves, so he doesn't hit his head." She glanced over Stiles quickly, noting the light bruises on his lower arms. "If you wanna help, put something soft under his wrists."
Erica's eyes were on Stiles, but she saw Scott practically rip off his over shirt. She almost snapped at him to be careful when he scrambled for his friend, but when he placed the folded-over fabric between Stiles' skin and the concrete, he was infinitely gentle in the way he touched him.
She didn't fail to notice Derek's jacket under his other arm. The she-wolf was wholly concentrated on Stiles, but she could feel the unease in her alpha, the worry.
Scott was a different story, no subtlety, all show. He was rocking a bit, keening in the back of his throat. His fingers scraped across the ground, aching to reach out and Erica softened a bit.
"You can hold his hand if you want." She told him. "You just can't pin him down or you could hurt him if it gets worse."
Scott leapt, hand wrapping around Stiles' as tight as he dared.
It went on for a bit, Stiles' eyes continued to flicker unnervingly, his breathing stuttering now and again, unable to find a pattern to fall into that would assuage the werewolves concerns. He wasn't in danger, Erica had explained, but he wasn't alright.
Erica began to worry as two full minute ticked by. Just as she was opening her mouth to tell them they maybe should call someone, Stiles gasped a little and blinked. She smiled, letting out a breath.
"Stiles." She called, making her voice softer than usual, coaxing, like Stiles had done for her when she'd been hurt in the past. "Hey." She put her hand on his face, turning him to look at her and waiting for his confused, roving eyes to refocus. While waiting, she smirked at what she saw out of the corner of her eye.
He might not be holding onto his hand for dear life like Scott, but Derek had laid his hand over Stiles' forearm, clutching tightly, eyes trained on the human.
"Wh-what…" He was confused, in pain, and beyond exhausted. She frowned in sympathy.
"You with me, Stiles?" She waited for him to nod slowly. "Good boy. You had a seizure, but you're fine, okay? You're alright".