A/N~ Everything except the last part of the chapter are in the past. The last part is marked with the PPPPPPP -indicating the present day. In this instance the Death wolves. Please let me know what you think. Hope everyone enjoys and will review. ~A
Chapter 49
Malia was trying perhaps too hard to shift back to her coyote form. Both of her fathers had suggested that she just relax and she would shift back to that form when the time was right. She wanted to show off to her sister though when they went back.
It might have been a little petty, especially since she really did love her new sister. Allison treated her like a normal girl, not like someone who had been stuck in the woods most of her life as a coyote. Even her cousins Derek and Cora treated her a little differently, explaining every little thing, as though she couldn't remember her life from before.
She knew what a toaster and coffee maker were for and how to work a microwave. She remembered these things, she just wasn't comfortable using them without something catching on fire, or blowing up. Although that was just the one time and how was she supposed to know you couldn't put metal in the microwave. Besides according to her poppa it was an old microwave that needed replacing anyway.
She heard Chris' phone go off and knew something was wrong. It was the wrong time of day for Allison to be calling and she knew her dad's had specifically told everyone else not to call unless it was an emergency. He had even told his customers this, in his stern voice. Then she overheard there two dad's talking about something being wrong with Allison.
When Malia had come out of the woods both of her fathers stopped talking. Then Peter sighed and looked at Chris and said, "We promised to never lie to them again, omission is still lying." Chris had grumbled slightly but nodded and then began packing up camp as Peter explained.
Allison had attacked Jackson and when she came to help him, Cora as well. Then her sister had gone after her other cousin Laura who had come to defend the Pack members and had also been injured. Derek had called them because apparently Allison had used an unusual form of wolves bane or some other plant extract that none of the wolves nor the druid/vet Deaton could identify.
They needed both of her fathers help. Chris of course as a hunter would have more experience with all sorts of wolves bane types and Peter had all of the ore on other plants that might do harm to wolves. Malia took all of this in with growing horror, she understood about being a coyote and was beginning to understand about Pack dynamics. To turn against a Pack member and try to kill them for no apparent reason was enough of a crime to have the other Pack members turn against the enemy within and tear them apart, "Why would Allison do that?"
She asked no one in particular as she went over and shoved her few belongings back into her backpack, her eyes distant as she worked mechanically. "We don't know, honey." Peter said as he helped roll up a sleeping bag.
"We don't know yet," Chris corrected as he put out the fire vigorously. "We don't know yet but we will find out, Malia. Then we're going to do what we can to make Allison better." he added reassuringly.
Malia nodded as she focused a little more on what she was doing to help break the camp down. She missed the worried looks that passed between her two fathers over her head.
XXXXXXXXX
The Pack had finally had to take Jackson into the hospital, when they realized that his werewolf healing wasn't working. The wolves bane allergy kits even Cora's breaking his arm hadn't caused his healing factor to kick in and none of them could figure out what Allison had done to cause that.
Besides the broken arm, the multiple stab wounds, twenty two to be exact. There was blunt force trauma, at least three to the head, that had caused a fractured skull, a fracture to the jaw and another to the left orbital socket. One of the stab wounds had punctured a lung and then were the blows to the body several fractured ribs one of which had punctured the other lung.
There were other injuries but the doctor who had shown the Sheriff what he had called the miracle. The fractured rib that had punctured Jackson's lung had also protected the heart from being punctured by blocking the knife wound headed for the heart. He told the Sheriff about the skinning which had been apparently interrupted as the skin was still attached and was hanging in ribbons from the teens legs.
When he came out of the consultation with the doctor to explain the situation to those gathered, Stiles had been very concerned for his father. The man's face was actually gray and pasty looking. He had seen a great many things but what the doctor had confided about Jackson's wounds was one of the worst things he had ever seen in his career.
At the present time the doctor had no idea why Jackson was in a coma. The injuries were severe but he didn't think any of them were bad enough to cause the teen to lapse into a coma. He was having another CT scan done of the head injuries and was also going to have the lacrosse player given an EEG to determine if there was some brain dysfunction.
The fact that neither the hospital or the Sheriffs people had been able to get hold of Jackson's parents was mentioned with growing concern. Although the broken rib had not punctured Jackson's heart it was still perilously close to the vital organ and several arteries as well. Surgery was inevitable but the teen was still a minor, permission must be given for more invasive procedures.
The Sheriff told the doctor, "If we can't get hold of the boys parents I will sign the papers taking custody away from them and awarding it to myself with the understanding that any and all life saving procedures will be done."
"I appreciate your fervor Sheriff, but even I know you can't do that," the pretty red-haired doctor said thoughtfully.
"The hell I can't," the older man said vehemently, "Jackson is a part of our family and we're going to take care of this, of him. He is not going to die, not on my watch."
A perfunctory knock on the consulting room door had the pair look up as Talia Hale decked out in a power suit stepped in, "No argument here Sheriff, and just as it should be too. I've taken the liberty of consulting with Judge Haynes. He said as long as there are two consenting adults willing to sign off on it, he's awarding temporary custody and medical power of attorney for young Mr. Whitmore."
"Doctor if you don't mind being witness," she said as she spread a sheaf of papers out on the counter with little sticky arrows where signatures went. "As you can see Laura as the boys," here she cleared her throat giving the Sheriff a pointed look, "Godmother has already signed as one of the guardians. If you don't mind being the other?"
"Damned straight," the Sheriff said skimming the pages quickly. It was obvious that Talia in her hurry to work these papers up had skipped a great deal of the usual legaleze, for which John was grateful. As the senior Stilinski was going through the paperwork, a nurse came into the room to show the doctor some lab results.
"If you'll excuse me I need to speak to the friends of my patient," the doctor said and there was a bit of cold stiffness to her tone that had the other pair in the room looking up sharply. Talia looked over at John as the doctor left the consultation room and John said, "Go," as he continued to work through the documents.
Talia followed the doctor into the waiting room where most of Jackson's Pack were congregated waiting for more news on their friend. As soon as the doctor entered several of them jumped to their feet worried and expectant expressions on their faces. When Talia walked in behind them the expressions changed to fear, suspicion, even outright hostility.
"I need you all to be honest with me, it's a matter of life and death." said the redhead who Talia hadn't even gotten the name of yet. "What drugs has Mr. Whittmore been taking?"
Confusion reigned as everyone looked between themselves questioningly. Stiles and Derek finally stepped forward followed closely by Danny. Derek said firmly, "Jackson doesn't take drugs."
"He's right," Danny agreed, "he doesn't even take Ibuprofen after a really rough practice or game. His body is his temple. Not even steroids or anything."
The woman put her hand on her hip and paced as she rubbed her forehead thoughtfully. "Has your friend been in the woods lately. Camping, hiking anything along those lines?"
Danny gave a half-smile as he responded, "His body may be his temple Doc but the closest Jackson gets to nature on a regular basis is the lacrosse pitch and a tanning bed."
"You're not helping him by protecting him by lying for him" the doctor said as she continued to pace.
"In case you didn't notice it Doc," said Scott and there was no mistaking his waspish tone. "We didn't do a good job of protecting him in the first place or he wouldn't be here." The woman flinched in sympathy as there was obvious guilt and worry in those words. She recognized the McCall boy and the Sheriff's son and the Hale children because of their uncle.
The woman looked at the trio doubtfully, when Stiles added, "We're not lying to you doc. Is it something the attacker could have given him? Cause we're telling you, Jackson would never do drugs." He left out the part where with his healing and werewolf powers the teen really didn't need to take anything.
"It's some kind of toxin, plant based. It's causing his organs to shut down and his clotting factor is completely out of whack. The truth is this just isn't my area of expertise." she said frustrated.
Derek and Talia looked at each other as he said, "I think I know someone who might be able to help. I'll call him but it still might take a while for them to get back."
"Actually I already called," Cora said, "but you might want to give them a heads up about this new development." she suggested.
"I doubt they could move any faster with Ar-Mr. Argent in tow." Talia said without heat.
Stiles and Derek looked at each other with an oddly uncomfortable look as Derek fished his cell phone out of his pocket and headed to the hall for a little privacy.
Stiles muttered lowly, "Oh you might be surprised." He was saved from the questioning gaze the other Alpha sent his way as his father came into the waiting room with the paperwork filled out and handed the doctor her copy to have copies made for Jackson's medical files.
The Spark didn't complain as his father pulled him in close for one of his bear hugs. He knew that what he had seen Jackson had suffered had affected his father and the fact that the other teen was a member of their Pack and Stiles own age had hit a little to close to home for the older man.
PPPPPPPPP
Akecheta looked up from where he had been smashing the other wolves face in with a rock. Truthfully the other wolf looked more like a jackal. One that had been killed and left out in the desert sun for too long.
The smell of death was very strong in these things and he honestly hadn't wanted to get within a mile of the things. The job of the Pack though was to protect the tribe, from everything. Their scouts were set up in fire towers around the tribal lands.
To watch for fires, the land was arid and prone to lightning storms this time of year, making it a tinderbox. The warning calls that came from the scouts this time though hadn't been about fire. They were about intruders, strange wolves impinging on the tribal territory.
Akecheta had pulled the Pack together and they had gone after the eight intruders, all of them were still in their Beta forms and were trying to cough up the putrid flesh and blood of the enemies. As he watched he saw his Pack start to change in front of him and heard the screams and cries of their families around them who had come out to help them fight.
He heard their screams and cries as they were in turn set upon by the Pack that had sworn to protect them. Even as more of the dark wolves came out of the woods to join them. This time there was no warning from the sentinel wolves in the fire towers. Akecheta knew there was something wrong with all of this, he just couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment.
After the fifth or sixth kill he couldn't even find it in himself to remember his name or what this place was or what he was. There was only the blood and the killing.
