BOTTOMLESS RIVER

Teen Wolf fanfiction

- Scott VS Parrish -

Description:

Johanna Elric thought better of her former best-friends, not once did she imagine them leaving her behind without a word of explanation. It was their own doing that Jo went out of her way to ignore anyone and anything associated with Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski. And yet, all of sudden, Beacon Hills doesn't sound as boring as she and Scott had always complained it to be. One by one secret is revealed and this time Scott promised to never leave Johanna alone, again, however, he might have been a little too late...

[Scott X OC X Parrish] S1-S6

Chapter 2: 2 Awakening

I've always been told that there are lines that cannot be crossed, especially in my family.

It was our form of protection against those, who wished to harm us. But apparently, some people didn't get the memo that the Elric family has no desire to be a part of this world. And it was why we were targeted. As I lay in the hospital bed, days have passed since I woke up after the surgery that saved my life.

I wished I hadn't.

Because there was this undeniable feeling, proof that the attack hadn't been a dream. That I'd never walk down the stairs to see my grandfather sitting on the couch and watching TV with my sister either playing or drawing on the floor in front of him. I wouldn't get to see grandmother cooking her delicious meals, or creating some sort of medicine or a potion in that personal lab of hers. There would be no yelling, no protest from me in going into the family business with grandmother looking immensely disappointed, mumbling something about how Nicholas was a shame to the family, and that I might be the next.

Nick, I wallowed in guilt and shame for not having been able to protect our little sister. The first time I woke up, I found him sleeping right next to me. There were obvious signs of distress, red eyes and the way he'd forgotten the basic hygiene let me know he hadn't left my side, at all. He hadn't gone home to change or shower since I was saved since the doctor had declared me safe. Did we even have a home, after what happened? The last time I remember seeing it, there was blood everywhere, broken furniture and broken glass shards lay on the floors.

Grandmother had attempted to fight back, she'd tried to buy us time to run but it wasn't enough. I barely held back a sob, remembering how my little (god, she was only five!) was killed first, followed by my infuriated grandparents. I'd been wearing headphones, not having noticed that something was terribly wrong at first until I smelt blood.

Until I heard glass breaking and multiple crashes.

And a scream so horrible that it'd chilled my blood.

I closed my eyes, willing the memory to disappear. But it wouldn't, not for a very long time. So, instead, I tried to move without screaming in pain and placed a blanket (on a nearby table) around Nick. The movement caused him to wake up with a jolt, nearly falling off of the chair. I couldn't help but snort at his disheveled state. His messy black hair, inherited from our father, has seen better days. Nick was still wearing his work uniform, and someone had placed the previously hot drink on the table near him. Probably hoping that he'd drink this.

"Jo?" His voice was hoarse as if he was scared that it wasn't real. That I was his imagination.

"Hey, bro," I gave him a weak smile, gesturing that he could hug me if he wanted and he did.

"Shit, I thought I'd lost you too," he mumbled, I could feel his body shaking. I didn't know if it was due to anger or fear or everything mixed together.

"Sh, I'm not going go anywhere anytime soon, Nick," I held onto him just as tightly as he held me. Neither of us wanted to be reminded that we could have lost each other.

I didn't want to remember just how close to the death I'd been.

He broke the hug, looking directly into my eyes before scanning me for the injuries. The number of bandages I was wrapped into, felt like an overkill. I felt restricted in my movements. I didn't know how bad I looked since I'd yet to look into the mirror.

"Do you remember anything at all, Jo?" Nick pressed the call button next to the bed, probably to let them know that I was awake and needed to be checked. "They told me that you died several times before the doctors were able to get you stable."

Died? My eyes widened, I'd known - felt - that things hadn't gone that smoothly after I lost consciousness. But to have actually died? I glanced around the room and winced, seeing things that I shouldn't see. I'd always been able to see weird creatures, ones that I soon understood were ghosts of the dead. So far, I hadn't seen anyone I actually knew from my immediate family. I dreaded the moment when I saw our family - Flora, our parents, and grandparents. I wasn't ready for it.

"I'm here now, Nick," I said in a soft tone, holding his hand as we both teared up. There was a knock on the door right before it was opened. The nurse let out a gasp upon seeing me awake and sitting up, comforting my crying brother. I recognized her, noticing the way how relieved she looked finding me alive. I did not want to think of the people, who saw me in that state. Or the ones, who found me.

The last voice I'd heard before succumbing to the blood loss had sounded so familiar, my heart gave me a painful thug. I'd recognize that voice from anywhere, even in my dreams.

"Oh, thank God!" Melissa McCall exclaimed as she rushed over to me, looking so much like her son, who'd abandoned me at the start of our Freshman year. Despite this fact, she always kept an eye on me, making sure that I didn't forget to eat or things like that. Over the years of my friendship with Scott McCall, she'd become a sort of a mother figure to me. "You're alive, Johanna. I was so, so worried."

There was a commotion in the hallway, but this time I didn't smile so much as I recognized the person, who'd stumbled into the doorway. Melissa looked like she wanted to tear Stiles' Stilinski's head off of his shoulders before she noticed the look in his eyes. The blood on his shirt was noticeable even from where I sat on the hospital bed. Nick had stopped crying and was discreetly trying to wipe his tears, talking with Melissa about the proceedings and how long I'd be here.

I couldn't tear my eyes off of Stiles, nor Scott, who'd appeared behind him. I still felt anger at the sudden abandonment from them, but I couldn't deny the fact that it had been Scott and Stiles, who'd found me.

It had been their voices I heard before I lost consciousness, making the blood on their shirts to be mine.

"Anna," Stiles used the nickname he gave me on the first day we met, looking like he very much wanted to check that I was indeed alive. That he wasn't simply seeing things like I was. Scott clasped a hand on his best friend's shoulder, it might not have been done in an attempt to calm Stiles but to prevent himself from collapsing on the floor.

"Is she awake? She's awake, isn't she?"