Whiskey on the Rocks-Chapter 7
Theo slowly woke up to the harsh lights and sterile but overpowering smells on the Beacon Hills hospital. Initially his pulse jumped and he expected to hear Tara but slowly his hearing just picked up two other heartbeats. His eyes crept open as he adjusted to the light and a figure blurred to his bedside. He looked up at him as his eyes adjusted and saw Scott with a look of relief but also concern on his face. The alpha said, "That was pretty foolish to take on Derek by yourself Theo."
Theo struggled to speak and weakly croaked out, behind his weak, but smug expression, "I had him up until he tried to crush my throat."
He caught Stiles' scent in the adjacent bed when the young man stated, "And I helped when he tried to do that."
Theo looked to Stiles and smiled. He saw a few bandages on his boyfriend's arms and face and his left arm was in a sling but otherwise, Stiles appeared to be his usual energetic self. Theo's voice strained, still damaged from Derek's assault, "What happened? Did you kill Derek?"
Stiles shook his head, "No. Though every part of me wanted to. I shot him in the shoulder. He dropped you and it wasn't long before EMTs showed up. When Dad came to he called for backup. He heard most of the struggle."
Theo chuckled a little, "Then I guess I owe your dad one for that."
Stiles wore his shit eating grin, "I guess you do. Don't worry, he takes payment in the form of cheeseburgers and curly fries. And if you replace the bottle of Jack you drank all those months ago then he might be happier."
Theo rebutted, "But if I get him those things, then you'll be mad at me."
Stiles nodded slowly, as his grin widened, "You are exactly right Bear. I guess you have quite the problem to deal with."
Theo looked to Scott and in a raspy voice said, "I'm a little surprised to see you first Scott. I figured your Dad or the Sheriff would greet me."
Scott's lopsided smile glowed as he said, "My Dad is overseeing the security of the FBI high value target that you two apprehended and the Sheriff is just down the hall talking to mom. She was pissed about what happened and I'm pretty sure the Sheriff is trying to keep her from sliding some wolfsbane into Derek's IV."
Theo coughed a few times as his throat still fought to heal and said, "Then I am really glad that you are here Scott."
Scott's smile grew and he said, "You two have visitors if you are up to it."
Theo looked to Stiles and grey and amber met. Without words they spoke volumes and Stiles said, "Sure. Send them in."
Scott opened the door and stepped out and Theo quickly turned his head as he caught Liam's scent. Mason and Corey stepped inside but before they closed the door, Theo strained to yell, "Get in here Little Wolf. It's not visiting if you sit outside the door and never come in."
Liam slowly crept into the room with his head down and slid behind Mason and Corey. Mason looked to Stiles and Theo and said, "I didn't think I would ever see you two in hospital beds next to each other and be happy about it. I also didn't think I would hear about Theo stopping Derek."
Mason and Corey smiled while Theo corrected him, "I just held Derek back long enough for Stiles to deal with him. You know Agent Mieczyslaw Stilinski is the most well trained, tactically proficient agent in the greater Beacon Hills area."
Theo grinned as he looked to Stiles who stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend and said, "I think this might have to go on your performance review, Mr. Theodore Raeken. You needed help from your boyfriend to apprehend the high value target. You might lose points for that."
Mason, Corey, Stiles, and Theo laughed at the banter between the two while waves of sadness flowed from Liam.
Theo picked up on the chemo signals and looked to Corey, "Do you and Mason mind taking the most honorably and esteemed Agent Stilinski to the cafeteria so he can grab a bowl of chocolate ice cream for his boyfriend's incredibly sore throat."
Stiles giggled as he said, "But you can't have chocolate, Bear. What would the girl in the park think?"
Theo smugly grinned, "She would think that I am the most gorgeous pet she has ever seen and so well behaved."
Stile stuck his tongue back out at Theo and left the room with Mason and Corey. Liam attempted to slink behind them when the greys fell on him. Theo whispered, "Come here Little Wolf."
Theo adjusted the bed so that he could sit up and face Liam. Conflicted emotions wrestled in the chimera's mind before he said, "I'm glad you came to visit."
Liam slowly moved closer to Theo, his eyes still firmly planted to the floor as he weakly said, "I heard what happened and I was, ergh, am worried about you."
Theo sighed, his voice made it sound more struggled than what it was, and said, "Look at me Little Wolf."
Liam inched his face up and his blues met the greys. Theo looked at Liam and saw the distress on the wolf's face. He looked like he hadn't slept well and his eyes darted around frantically like an animal trapped in a cage. Theo asked, "How are you holding up?"
Liam bit his lip nervously before he said, "I'm alright. School's been hard but it won't be long until it's finished and I go to college. I've just been focusing on lacrosse since we have championships coming up."
Theo smiled a little as he nodded, "That's good. How are your chances looking?"
Liam smiled a little, "We are looking pretty good. We might just be the state champions."
Theo gently laughed which turned into a coughing fit, "Good. I expect nothing less."
After a long pause, Theo asked, "I take it you got the present."
Liam slowly nodded as his eyes misted up, "Yeah. Thanks Theo. Do you want me to bring the one pair back to you?"
Theo shook his head, "No. Stiles would probably try to throw them away or worse."
At the mentioning of Stiles' name, Liam's eyes returned to the floor, "Yeah. You are with Stiles."
Theo nodded slowly, his lips pursed in finality before he said, "Yeah. He's pretty awesome."
Liam bit his lip as his rage grew but he fought against it and asked, "Do you- I mean Theo can we. Um. Would it be possible-"
As Liam fought to find the words Theo interrupted, "Yes Liam. We can still be friends. I just hope you understand that when you get me to cheer you on at the games that I come with a lead cheerleader as well."
Liam looked to Theo, a glint of hope and relief in his eyes, "I can completely understand Theo." Liam laughed a little as his spirits picked up, "I mean two more cheerleaders, just for me is better right? With you and Stiles there, we have got to become state champions."
Liam looked at the side of Theo's neck and saw the claw marks. He leaned closer and Theo turned his head away to further expose his neck. The wolf asked, "What made Derek do that? Those go deep and it looks like they are taking forever to heal."
Theo nodded and before he could respond, Deaton stepped into the room and said, "They are wounds caused in protection of ones mate."
Theo sat up further and pointed to the back of his neck, "Just like these. They are still trying to heal."
Deaton looked at the wounds and continued, "Once a werewolf bonds with a mate, their strength ebbs and flows with that mate."
As Deaton spoke, Stiles, Mason, and Corey returned with an ice cream each and one for Theo. Theo glared at the three as they only returned with four as he spooned out some and ate it. The cold ice cream eased the pain in his throat and he offered his bowl to Liam, who seemed to be embarrassed that his friends didn't get him any. Liam looked to the offer and Stiles complained, "But I got that for you Bear."
Theo replied, "Then you should've remembered Liam too." Theo looked up at the wolf who took the bowl with a smile and took a bite.
Stiles took a bite of his before scooping out another spoonful and serving it to Theo. The chimera couldn't help but giggle at Stiles' behavior before he ate the ice cream. Stiles looked to Deaton and asked, "So what are we talking about Deaton?"
The emissary addressed Stiles, "Mate bonding and how it affects werewolves."
Stiles asked, "Is this one of those "true love there can only be one mate" kind of things?"
Deaton shook his head, "Not exactly. More like conditions have to be present and both partners have to commit to it. Usually involving scenting or marking. Once established though it greatly affects how the wolf thinks and behaves. The bond is just as supernatural as the wolves themselves. It allows betas and omegas to inflict wounds much like an alpha would when defending their mate. Much like Mr. Raeken's wounds."
Stiles stated, "I don't get it. Derek constantly called me his mate but I don't think I felt anything different."
Deaton thought for a moment and agreed, "You wouldn't Stiles. The bond is only felt by wolves. It's probably a fair guess that Mr. Raeken doesn't feel any sort of mate bond either."
The intensity of the conversation overwhelmed Liam and he stepped out of the room. Theo looked to Deaton and smirked, "You might be an all knowing guru of the supernatural but you have no clue how to read a room."
Deaton looked back to the door that Liam left and then looked to Theo, "I see. That wasn't my intention."
Stiles curtly asked, "Is there a way to sever the bond?"
Deaton paused as he remembered and began, "There is a ritual to break the bond. I do have to warn you though, it is incredibly painful. While it wouldn't kill the wolves involved, it would be physically painful and traumatic."
Theo thought for a moment about severing his bond with Liam. Part of him wanted to release Liam from the bond so the wolf could go and find someone to make him happy. Another part thought about how he needed to talk to the Little Wolf about it and since the chimera can't feel the bond, let the wolf decide.
After a few minutes of silence, during which Deaton examined Theo's wounds, Stiles stated, "I want to sever the bond. I don't want Derek to be able to hurt my Bear from something I created with that wolf."
Deaton looked to Theo and Stiles, "First the ritual would have to take place where the initial bond was created."
As Deaton spoke, Liam ran away from the door, and down the hallway after overhearing Stiles' plan to sever the bonds.
"Second it would require a concoction to de-mark you as a mate. Normally this would be done by both parties since it would make it easier but it can be done by one side."
Stiles looked to Theo, "So, do you want to do this?"
Theo looked to his bed, "I understand why you want to Stiles, and I am completely supportive but I don't know about me."
Mason chimed in, "Theo. Think about what Liam did."
Theo glared at Mason, "I am. I am also thinking about how you can still be upset about it when I forgave him for it long ago. The only way I am considering this is if Liam wants to be free of the bond."
Mason took a step back, wounded by Theo's words. The chimera continued, "I honestly think you should apologize to your friend, your best friend for relentlessly judging him. Yeah he made a mistake. Yeah, he made lots of mistakes. But that's why you're friends. You help each other through the bad times. I wish I would've looked to my friends when I was going through my bad times after my mistakes. Things might've ended differently." Theo looked to Stiles and held out his hand. Stiles grabbed it in his and smiled.
Corey looked to Mason and said, "I never thought I would see the day when Theo could make us feel bad about being bad friends."
Mason looked to his boyfriend and nodded before he looked back to Theo, "We are going to find Liam and talk with him."
Theo looked to Mason, "Thank you. He could really use his friends now."
Mason and Corey left the room to look for Liam. Stiles looked at Theo and said, "Are we sure you don't feel a bond with him?"
Theo looked to Stiles and slightly smiled, "I don't feel a bond. I just know in the few minutes you were gone I probably brought one of the few smiles he has had in weeks just by agreeing to watch the lacrosse games at the school."
Stiles groaned, "Do we have to?"
Theo smirked, "Your complaint groan isn't even believable. You love lacrosse and nothing would make you happier than cheering and trying to bounce popcorn off Coach Finstock's head."
Stiles eyes lit up and he cheer, "Okay. You win Bear. He officially has two cheerleaders."
Deaton looked at the two and said, "I'll be at the clinic if you decide to go through with the rituals. And Theo, I would like you to swing by so I could check some things about your physiology. That is if you don't mind."
Theo shook his head, "Not at all Deaton. I'll be there with Stiles."
Deaton nodded and stepped out of the room.
Derek laid in the hospital bed and his head swam. The wolfsbane was neutralized not long ago and the bullet pushed itself out of his shoulder. He thought about seeing Stiles, his mate, holding the gun and firing the round that wounded him. His heart ached from the thought of his mate choosing another, spending time with another, being intimate with another. His sorrow turned to rage as he yanked against the restraints that held him to the steel frame of the bed that was brought in, specifically for the wolf, from Eichen house. He heard the heartbeat of the guard outside his room and knew that he was going to be brought in, not just for violating the restraining order but for the numerous things that the FBI was tracking him for. He struggled against the restraints when he heard the faint voice, girl's voice, "Theo."
Derek looked around for the source and didn't see anyone. She spoke again and sounded louder, "Theeeeooo." The elder wolf's heartrate rose as he tried to catch a scent, hear another heartbeat, but he found nothing but the sterile hospital room.
He looked to the far end of the room and noticed the shadows seemed to move. He felt as though his mind was trying to torment him or he was experiencing a hallucination from the wolfsbane when he saw the shadows deepen and a pair of hands plunged out of them.
The hands silently scraped against the floor and pulled pale, fetid arms as the girl began to emerge from the shadow. Her head crested the darkness, which only grew in its dread, and water rotted black hair clung to her green murk encrusted face. Her hollow eyes locked on to Derek as she wailed, "Theeeeeeooo."
Derek instinctively responded, "I'm not Theo."
Almost as if his words angered her, she moved quicker out of the oil. She crawled out on hands and feet with her joints contorted in directions that a living person couldn't muster. Her joints popped loudly in his ears as she skittered to the bed and pulled herself to stand. He heard her ghostly, disjointed voice, "Theo."
Fear gripped the wolf, a normal unfamiliar sensation, as his heart pounded. He wolfed out and roared at her as he stained against the metal cuffs, "I AM NOT THEO!"
She fully stood, her dark purple sweater covering her torso except the gaping hole in the center of her chest, where Derek could count the knobs of her twisted spinal cord, free of the soft tissue that normally lived there but also lined with the jagged, broken, warped ribs the were flayed like the legs of a spider.
Derek didn't notice the hospital door fly open as Rafael ran into the room and looked at Derek who appeared to be having an intense panic attack with hallucinations. The agent yelled for someone to get a nurse as the scene unfolded.
She crawled on the edge of the bed and the swamp murk, rotting carcass smell hit Derek. He fought back nausea as he roared again, "I AM NOT THEO!"
Her head tilted sideways as her mouth contorted with anger and she moaned, "Deeeeereeeeek."
He shook his head and flailed against the restraints as she clawed across his body, her bony talons cutting him cold to the bone before she made her way up his chest and straddled his torso.
His heart monitor went crazy as his already fast heart beat accelerated. Rafael ran out of the room to grab a nurse and Liam managed to get into the room. He smelled the fear the flowed off the elder wolf, who appeared to be fighting something invisible off of himself.
Derek flinched as she brought her hand up but the blow didn't hit. After a moment he opened them again to see the face of the girl wasn't the same but replaced by the dead eyed face of his sister, Laura.
Derek pleaded, "Laura. No. I tried."
His pleas were cut off when she plunged her decayed hand into his chest, snapping ribs as she clawed through his sternum and tore his heart out. He saw it pump out blood before his sight went black.
Liam ran to Derek as his heartrate spiked and immediately flat lined. The elder wolf's blue eyes glowed and stared off into space and Liam remembered what Melissa did to start Scott's heart again. He climbed onto the bed and slammed his fist against the wolf's chest. His first blow hit with a dull thud as the heart monitor beeped once but returned to a flat line. His second his resounded louder, the obvious sound of ribs rattling against abuse as the monitor once again flat lined. On the third blow, the wolf's heart rate jumped and Derek almost threw Liam across the room as he tore through his shackles.
The nurses came pushing into the room with a crash cart but Derek's senses caught them before they were inside. He slammed the cart back out of the room, pushing the staff out and locked the door. In a frenzy he grabbed Liam and jumped out of the hospital window.
