Chapter 11 Lost Cabin

It seems like the boys have been walking for hours with no end in sight. Scott still walks on, with a determined look. The storm has not died in the least. All four boys are cold, wet, and tired.

Scott watches up front and has noticed Stiles walking slower the last few minutes. He looks on in surprise as he sees him stumble a few times.

Then finally, Stiles stumbles again and falls to the ground. He braces himself just in time, so Danny doesn't fall off his back.

Scott strides over.

"Are you okay?" He shouts over the rain.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Scott. No need to take over." Stiles spits back.

"I just asked if you were okay." Scott responds. Stiles doesn't respond and starts to get back up. But he falls right back down, breathing hard.

"Stiles?" Scott asks him, staring with a concerned look.

"I'm fine, okay!" Stiles shouts at him. Scott just holds up his hands.

"Okay, fine."

He stands back and watches as Stiles struggles to get up.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit." Scott suggests.

"No!" Stiles shouts again. "I can handle this. We need to keep going."

"Okay, okay." Scott says as he holds up his hands again.

"You must be having the time of your life right now." Stiles suddenly says.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You were just waiting for this moment, weren't you?"

"Stiles, I don't know what…" Scott starts, but Stiles interjects.

"You were waiting until I would screw up. Because you thought I couldn't handle carrying Danny and congratulations, you won. I guess I really am a screw-up." Stiles says from the ground. Then he moves Danny from his back and carries him to a rock and sits him on it. Danny can now rest with his back against a tree.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know I might not be the smartest guy in the group or the most responsible. But I try my best, Scott."

"Stiles, I…"

"But I guess that's not good enough for you, right?" Stiles says with a sad laugh. "I'm always going to be the stupid kid to you, aren't I?"

"Stiles..."

"No, you know what? Fine, I don't even care anymore, I am too tired for this. I give up. So you win, Scott. You win."

"Just stop it!" Scott shouts, making Stiles look at him. "I don't think you're stupid and irresponsible, alright?"

"I heard you say it, Scott. So you don't have to lie to me anymore."

"I'm not lying."

"Then why did you say it?"

"I just…" Scott hesitates. But Stiles takes it the wrong way.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Come on, Danny." He says and tiredly picks Danny up from the ground, carrying him again and moving onwards.

Scott groans in frustration, but he grabs the gurney and starts to pull Jackson along again.

After an hour of walking in silence again, Stiles suddenly stops.

"Why did you stop?" Scott asks him.

"Look." Stiles answers and Scott follows his gaze to the right.

"Is that a cabin?" Scott asks.

"Come on." Stiles says and he starts to pick up his pace towards it. Scott quickly follows.

When they finally reach it, they note there is in fact a wooden cabin in front of them. Stiles's eyes light up slightly as he almost races towards it.

"Stiles, wait! What if there are people in there?"

"Well, then they can help us get home." Stiles answers back.

"Stiles? They might not be that nice." Scott states. Stiles just rolls his eyes and moves forward. "Stiles?" Scott watches, but can't stop him as Stiles steps closer to the cabin and takes a look inside the windows.

"I don't think there's anyone in there." He shouts. "Hello?" He calls out as he steps in front of the front door. He starts to knock on the door when it starts to open on its own. He shrugs and heads inside.

"Stiles, get back here!" Scott shouts in a whisper. "Stiles?" He waits, when suddenly the door opens again.

"It's completely abandoned." Stiles tells him and then heads back inside. Scott sighs in frustration, but starts to head inside as well.

Inside, he immediately coughs at all the dust that is in there. Stiles lays Danny onto an old couch in the corner, while Scott lays down the gurney and takes off his bag. He stretches his muscles and watches as Stiles lets himself fall into an old recliner, groaning from his aching muscles.

Scott starts to move around the small cabin, checking for electricity. Finding that it doesn't work, he searches for candles instead. He finds them in the small open kitchen along with matches and a lantern.

"Well, I found some candles. Seems like whoever lived here, just left all their stuff behind." He looks up to find all three of his friends fast asleep.

He sighs and puts the candle into the lantern. He lights it and puts it in the middle of the room on a brown coffee table. He himself sits down in a second recliner and watches his friends sleep.

He closes his eyes and tries to get some sleep himself. But after a few moments of trying to get comfortable he awakes from Danny mumbling and whimpering in his sleep. He quickly heads over to him.

"Danny?" he whispers, gently shaking him. Danny doesn't wake up, but he does settle down. "Oh, Danny. Don't worry, we'll get you home." He sighs and looks on in concern at the beads of sweat forming on his face again. Danny starts to shiver.

Scott gets up and heads to his bag. He unhooks the sleeping bag and covers Danny. He knows he'll need it the most. Then he looks at Jackson lying on the gurney still, with his leg in that strange angle. He definitely needs to go to the hospital. Finally his gaze rests on Stiles. He sleeps peacefully, but Scott knows their friendship has taken a blow.

He then slowly gets up and walks out to the front porch, breathing in the fresh air. Stiles has woken up, because he heard the creaking of the door. He notices Scott is not inside anymore and gets up.

"Scott?" He softly calls out and moves outside. The moment he opens the door, a loud creaking is heard. Scott and Stiles both look up as part of the porch ceiling starts to fall down. "Look out!" Stiles yells as he pushes Scott out of the way.

"Noo!" Scott yells as he watches the wooden beams fall down, on top of Stiles with a loud crash. Then all is quiet. "Stiles?" He carefully asks. There is no answer.

He quickly rushes to his side and pulls off the wooden beams. Finally he sees Stiles. He lies still, eyes wide open, but his face is deathly pale.

"Stiles?" He quietly asks. Stiles doesn't answer, he just breathes heavily. It is at that moment when Scott looks down and gasps.

There, between all the sawdust and fallen beams, one beam seems to have broken in two pieces. The sharp ending is now sticking out from Stiles' abdomen, the other end lodged deep inside…