Happy birthday, Ali! I can't believe we've known each other for over 5 years now, and now, more then ever, I'm glad I have your friendship to keep me grounded and keep me looking to the future. I hope your birthday is a great one, and hopefully there will be so, so many more fantastic ones to come.

And now, on with the story!

•••

"Hold still, sweetheart," Melissa spoke softly as Liam flinched while she wiped the cut on his face with the washcloth again, "I'm just trying to get all the dirt out so it heals right."

She put the washcloth down, and placed a small pad over the wound before taping it down with gauze. "There. It'll be useless in a few hours, but it'll keep infections out."

"Thanks, Ms. McCall."

"You're welcome." She smiled before the two of them walked into the living room where Scott and the rest of the pack was sprawled out on the couch with varying levels of injuries. Well, most of them. Stiles bolted up as soon as he saw her, his eyes pleading for some sort of update that she didn't have, yet.

"I'm about to go check on Malia. I'll have an update then," she noticed the subtle motion her son's best friend made by wrapping his arm around his ribs, but unlike the others, she knew that he didn't heal nearly as fast as them, "what's wrong with your ribs?"

"Nothing. Can I go sit with her?"

"Once you stop lying to me and let me check you over, sure." She insisted, crossing her arms and letting her hip rest against the doorways, ignoring the "ooo" she could hear from Liam and Scott. "What'll it be?"

Stiles relented pretty quickly, allowing her to lead him into the guest room, also known as the mini hospital she had set up in the house for days like this when they got their asses thoroughly kicked, before laying down on the bed and pulled his shirt off, wincing as every bruise and cut stretched from the movement of his arms.

"This is...not good," Melissa muttered under her breath, gently brushing her fingers across his ribs, feeling his breath hitch under her touch, "Your ribs are broken. I can definitely feel a few breaks." She stepped over to one of the small drawers and pulled out bandages, a clean cloth, antiseptic, and some pain killers before walking back over to the bed, before walking over and sitting in the rolling chair beside the bed. "Alright, this is gonna sting a little, just try and breathe through it."

Stiles hissed through his teeth as she started wiping at the cuts with the antiseptic, gripping the sheet under him in his hand, but he still managed to ask, "Malia?"

"You can be with her once I'm done." Melissa promised before continuing to wipe at the cuts, trying to block out the obvious noise of Stiles in pain.

Meanwhile, after making sure Liam, Lydia and Kira were comfortable in the living room with plenty of blankets and snacks, Scott finally got up the courage to see Malia, the fight against the Dread Doctors still playing out in his head.

•••

"Six against three doesn't matter much if you're still outnumbered by strength." Deaton's wise words echoed in his head as a large rod was pulled out from one of their outfits, similar to Kira's sword but skinnier and longer.

As Scott struggled to get up from his spot on the ground after being electrocuted, he watched as Malia sprinted towards the Dread Doctors, her fangs barred as she roared.

"Malia, wait!-" Scott heard Stiles shout from somewhere as his body throbbed just as Malia let out an ear piercing howl as his vision started to spin with guilt.

He couldn't move until his body started healing more and Kira pulled him into a sitting position that he saw Liam lift Malia's body, which made Scott's stomach jump into his throat. Not again, not again, not again-

"She's still alive." Stiles muttered, using his jacket to press against the very large bloody wound surrounding her abdomen. With that, Lydia, Liam and Stiles sprinted to the jeep, but Scott couldn't move, his heart in his ears. "Not again."

"Scott? Are you okay?" Kira asked softly, rubbing his arm softly, but his stomach clenched and that was his breaking point so he managed to lean forward before the vomit spilled from his lips onto the pavement.

•••

Scott moved on auto pilot, replaying the scene in his head interspersed with what happened to Allison as his fingers touched the cool doorknob and he opened it into his room, seeing just how peaceful she looked lying there.

It was almost as if she didn't nearly bleed out in Liam's arms.

Scott shook the mental image away, closing the door whilst trying to avoid drawing the parallels as he approached the bed and taking her hand in his, feeling the stinging pain immediately; without thinking, he started drawing it out, feeling it take over his body, but seeing the relaxed look on her unconscious face was worth the pain.

That's when he heard the door open again, and he whipped his head around to see his mom come in. "How is she?"

"Still unconscious."

She nodded, moving the blankets down to reveal her bandaged stomach and started to take off the old ones. "Stiles is resting in my room now and Dr. Geyer came to pick Liam up," she paused as she took off the gauze pad, revealing that the wound was indeed, looking better, albeit not fully healed, "good, she's healing," his mom started to clean the area, sending a spike of pain into his chest from Malia, "Principal Martin said that Lydia can stay if needed, and Mr. Yukimura is coming to get Kira in about an hour."

Scott nodded, focusing on Malia's face, still relaxed because of the pain that was coursing through his veins; that's when he heard his mom's voice break through again. "Tonight reminded you too much about Allison, huh?"

"I...I saw the whole thing again. I couldn't warn Allison, I couldn't warn Malia," he stopped to sniffle and grip Malia's hand tighter, "I can't lose more of my friends, mom."

Melissa finished wrapping the bandages around Malia and pulled the blankets over her chest before walking over to him and pulling him into a hug, feeling the hot tears against her shoulder; she instinctively pulled him closer and started to rub his back, whispering under her breath. "I've got you, baby. Mommy's got you. You're gonna be okay."

Scott managed to get his emotions under control enough to pull away after the few, warm, moments of comfort, still keeping his hand around Malia's, but using his other to wipe at the sticky tear streaks on his cheeks.

"She's gonna be okay," Melissa stopped to stand and press a kiss against Scott's sweaty hair, "They're all going to be okay."

"Thanks, mom." Scott mumbled in a whisper, keeping his eyes on Malia as his mother left the room; despite what he told her, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to lose someone again, someone close. Maybe it wasn't Malia, but it...it was someone, it was definitely someone.