Just as a reminder to all of those reading: When the text is written in bold and italicized lettering "like this," that is the part of the conversation had in sign language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf. I also have no claim on any pop culture references that I may use throughout my writings. I only own my OCs. Enjoy the read.
(o.o)
Chapter 2.12
I drove with Lydia to school the next day. We were both feeling more off-put than usual. Lydia seemed to be handling everything worse than I was. I was confident we'd help Stiles, but Lydia looked like she was filled with dread, dragging through the day.
I missed Stiles. I was worried about him. Scott and I had been texting all day when we had separate classes—keeping in touch to keep ourselves together. We had planned to go to the hospital after school to see Stiles, provided he was awake. He was supposed to have some tests done, and we wanted to be there for him. I'd asked the sheriff to keep me updated if there were any changes, but there hadn't been. The man said Stiles had been sleeping nearly all day, rightfully so.
I found Lydia and Scott at his locker at the end of the day. Lydia jumped as I noticed people slamming their lockers closed. I approached her quickly with worry, placing a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"
Lydia nodded, eyes wide. "Yeah, I'm just a little hypersensitive to sounds today."
A loud bang ran through my head, and I jerked my hand from her. "Shit," I cursed quietly. I looked up at Scott.
Scott offered me a look of sympathy and turned to Lydia with concern. "They're doing tests on Stiles all afternoon. CJ and I were going over around six to visit. You want to come?"
Lydia's eyes searched the hallway, looking at nothing in particular. If that loud sound that I heard was what she was scared of, it made sense that she was so distracted. Lydia hadn't responded, so I glanced up at Scott. It seemed he caught my troubled expression.
He put a hand on Lydia's shoulder for comfort. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'll text you later," Lydia said, walking away from the pair of us.
I sighed, turning back to school after Lydia disappeared around the corner. "She's not okay."
"What was she hearing?"
"Everyone slamming their lockers, I think. But it was heightened to a decibel that humans shouldn't hear. It actually felt like my head was closing in the locker as it shut."
Scott seethed.
"Tell me about it. I just wish I could be there for her, you know? Neither of us knows what's going on with the things we can do. The things we hear. Patting her on the shoulder could make my own eardrum pop." I heaved a sigh, not thinking too hard about it. "Well, she was my ride. Can I hang with you tonight? I don't think I wanna go home just yet."
The corner of Scott's mouth twitched into a small smile. "Yeah. Tacos?"
I nodded. "My treat." Scott agreed with me, and we went to enjoy an early dinner before he drove us to the hospital on his bike. I'm sure Dad wouldn't have been fond of me being on the motorcycle, but he'd get over it.
The pair of us met Scott's mom downstairs at the hospital entrance. She'd been keeping the sheriff company so that he wasn't alone. I admired her for it. I was lucky to be a part of this makeshift family where there was always someone around for you if you needed it.
Melissa led us upstairs and to the MRI room. It had been a while since I'd been near one, but still, its anxiety came crawling back. However, once I turned the corner into the room and saw Stiles sitting on the bed of the machine, all of the fear disappeared.
Stiles turned, spotting Scott and me, and his shoulders fell in relief. "CJ."
I willed myself not to cry and rushed forward, hugging him around his neck. My eyes squeezed shut with how tight I held him. I sighed, happy to finally see him, but backed away so that Scott could get in his hug. "How are you doing?"
Stiles shrugged. "At least I'm not barefoot in the woods."
I bit my lip to hide the small smile forming. "How about we give it a bit before we joke about it?"
"Okay," He agreed, reaching out for my hand.
I hesitated but grabbed it, keeping my eyes only on him. I wasn't sure what I'd find if I even dared to look around the room. I was thankful to see nothing the other day, but I might not be so lucky today. Things had changed so drastically.
"How was the day without me?"
I glanced toward Scott quickly, "Dull. Even the tacos were subpar."
Stiles looked between the two of us. "You guys got tacos without me? Damn."
"I'll bring some next time I visit, but I'm hoping you're out of here before that happens," I said confidently.
Stiles nodded, but something happened to his eyes. They went dark like he was hiding something.
I opened my mouth to question him on it, but he glanced towards the door behind Scott and me. I turned to see the doctor enter the room, and my hand left Stiles'. I leaned against the machine next to Stiles, trying to find out what the doctor said to Stiles' dad.
The Sheriff's head nodded impatiently, "Just call him Stiles."
The doctor raised his brow and turned to face us. "Okay, Stiles, just to warn you: you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI. It's due to pulses of electricity going through the metal coils inside the machine. If you want, we can get you earplugs or headphones."
Stiles shook his head, raising his hands to sign as he spoke. "Oh, no. No, I don't need anything."
I smiled at him. Even with everything he was going through, he was still including me.
Stilinski came next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, we're just on the other side of that window, okay?" He questioned his son.
Stiles nodded.
The three of us watched as the doctor and their parents left to go to the observation room.
Scott was unlike I'd ever seen him. He wouldn't stop fidgeting with his fingers, twisting them around and picking at his nails. I stretched mine out, getting anxious just watching him.
Stiles looked up at his best friend. "You know what they're looking for, right?"
Scott nodded, just barely, but I was lost. I had no idea what they were looking for.
"It's called frontotemporal dementia." As soon as the words left him, my heart dropped. "It's what my mother had. It's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers." Stiles looked at his hands in his lap. "And there's no cure."
I pursed my lips to stop my emotions from getting the best of me. I cleared my throat. "But it might not be, right? Just because your mom had it doesn't mean that you do."
Stiles looked at me like he'd already resigned himself to have it. He nodded. "Yeah, I might not."
A tear escaped my eye without my permission, but I wiped it away quickly. "Don't do that. You're gonna be fine, okay?"
Stiles didn't answer, but he looked at Scott.
Scott wiped away his tears quickly. He stared into my eyes, showing his seriousness. "Stiles, if you have it, we'll do something." Scott turned to his friend. "I'll do something."
I furrowed my brow. The possibilities quickly running through my head. Would that work?
Stiles couldn't respond. His fear was taking over, and his eyes filled quickly. The pair hugged, trying to keep themselves together.
I covered my mouth with my hand and closed my eyes, trying not to be a witness to something that wouldn't calm me.
Scott pulled away and looked at me. "I'll give you guys a minute," He said, scratching his face nervously.
I smiled and pushed off of the machine, facing Stiles. "I'm not trying to take up much time. I just - the MRI isn't that bad. Although, when I had mine, I was mostly deaf. I guess I don't know how it is."
Stiles nodded with a chuckle. "Thanks for the pep talk."
I stepped forward, leaning my forehead on his for a moment. I took in a deep breath and pulled away, my hand on the side of his neck. "I -" I stopped myself. I shook my head. "Scott and I will be here until you're done."
"Should you -" Stiles paused. "Should we… I don't know. You didn't sign up for this." He said, glancing behind him at the large piece of medical equipment.
"I didn't, but it's what I got. And I'm here because I like you. A lot. You're just gonna have to fuckin' deal with it, okay?"
The corner of his mouth turned up, probably at my choice of words. "Okay."; He lifted his hand, signing 'kiss.'
"I thought you'd never ask." I leaned forward, kissing him hard. I pulled away after a moment. "I'll see you in a bit," I said, pulling away before staying much longer. As I left the room, I passed a smile to the sheriff. I went to join him, watching at the window, but he pointed behind him towards the door. Confused, I looked to the exit.
Derek stood in the doorway, offering a small wave.
I let out another sigh, rushing to him for a tight hug. Since finding out about the supernatural, he's been much better about being there when I needed him. Carter would be proud. I pulled away once I had my fill of comfort.
Derek raised his hands, looking at the sheriff and Melissa behind me. "Scott's in the hall. Can we talk?" he signed.
I nodded, suddenly nervous about what he might say. I turned to Stilinski. "Text us when he's done? We'll be around."
Sheriff gave me a nod, "Sure thing, CJ."
I followed Derek out into the hallway to the chairs on either side of the small space. I sat next to Derek while Scott was opposite us.
"How's everything going?" Derek questioned, gesturing back towards the room.
"The consensus is that it might be dementia," I said, shrugging. "If it's actually medical."
Derek looked away quickly. "Right."
My eyes narrowed at him. "How did you know we were here?" I asked, using my hands.
Derek opened his mouth but shook his head, eyes landing on Scott.
"You know the stuff you were telling me about chemo signals earlier? It reminded me of the time you were teaching me to use anger to control the shift." Scott shared.
Derek grinned. "I think you ended up teaching me more about that."
"Are you teaching me again?"
"Think of this as sharing a few trade secrets." Derek adjusted his head, freeing up his hands. "You guys know I took Cora back to South America, right? It's where she spent most of her time after the fire."
I nodded.
"That's not the only reason I left. I needed to talk to my mother."
Scott furrowed his brow. "Your dead mother?"
I shook my head, trying to catch up. "Wait, you talked to Auntie Talia? How?"
Derek offered me a sad smile. "Long story, but she told me something that changed my perspective on a lot of things. She said that my family - our families," He corrected, glancing at me, "We didn't just live in Beacon Hills. They protected it. This town needs someone to protect it. Someone like you." Derek said to Scott.
Scott nodded. "And someone like you to teach me a few trade secrets."
"So we protect the town." I insisted. "But how do we do that if we don't even know what's going on with Stiles?"
Scott paused, staring off like he'd realized something.
"What?"
"He was protecting us," Scott said. "Stiles. He was protecting us."
Derek must have realized the same thing because he nodded, too. "From himself." The two of them got up from their chairs and ran toward the elevator.
I sat dumbstruck. "Wait, what?" I got up quickly, following after them.
In the elevator ride, Derek had explained that when they were looking for Stiles the night before, they did get his scent on the roof. However, Stiles was long gone when they arrived. Given that they can sense emotions (past included if they were strong enough), they knew he had to have been there. But for what?
I narrowed my eyes at Derek, deciding to believe him. "So, what are we trying to find by going back there?"
Derek turned to Scott, hoping he had that answer.
"I'm not sure," Scott admitted. "But something, right?"
I nodded though I was unconvinced. "Cool. Sounds like fun."
The elevator doors opened, and Scott rushed out. He knew his way around, which seemed terrifying. I struggled to step off the elevator, knowing how high up I would be. Scott stopped, turning back to me. "I think Stiles wasn't just up here struggling with himself. I think he was struggling not to do something."
"Like what? What could he have done up here? Besides, look over the edge." I turned in a circle, trying to get my bearings. I noticed Scott head towards a chain-link fence in the area. "Oh, my god. The power supply."
Derek looked at me, confused.
Scott nodded, heading for the cage and climbing onto a stack of pallets. He reached on top of it and looked back at us, shocked. Scott pulled his arm back and threw a duffle bag full of tools at mine and Derek's feet.
I bent down, digging through them. "These are his. His dad's. He used them to play the prank on Coach." I looked back up at Scott, who was staring curiously at one of the wires. "What -?" I stopped my questions, standing back up and turning my back on Scott. A scream echoed through my head. "Guys, I think something's wrong."
Derek stepped towards me, grabbing my shoulder. "You heard that?"
I shrugged. "It's Lydia," I said as if it were obvious.
Scott looked back at the fenced-in electrical box.
Derek turned, too, blocking me from it as the mechanism exploded, sparking wildly.
I shielded my eyes from the brightness that came from the electrical fire. A large wire began whipping uncontrollably around the room. "Derek?!" I questioned, hardly able to find my way.
"Go!" Derek shouted, pointing towards the door back into the hospital.
"His bag!" I shouted as I took off. "Grab the bag! It's got his prints all over it!"
Scott bent to pick it up, and I ran for the stairs inside, running down them quickly with the two wolves. We hurried through the entrance to the emergency room, where the wire was still waving around.
I spotted Kira on the ground in a giant puddle near the wire. "Kira!" I shouted, running towards her. Quickly, I was pulled back by Derek.
Kira reached out and grabbed the wire, covering its end with her hand.
"Holy shit," I said, turning around and watching as the lights in the hospital flickered before going out. She'd absorbed the electricity as she did a few days ago. Realizing that Kira was okay, I looked around to assess the rest of the damage. "Isaac?" I questioned aloud, finding him on the ground.
Derek followed my line of sight and ran to him.
I looked further past where Derek joined Isaac's side, spotting Allison trying to pull herself off the floor. "Shit," I cursed, running to her with my hands held out to help her. "Are you okay?"
Allison nodded, reaching for my hand.
As soon as my skin touched hers, I felt the world reverberate around me. Before falling to the floor alongside Allison, I caught myself quickly, not wanting us both to hit the pavement.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded, trying to push the feeling away. "There's - a lot is going on. I think I just got dizzy."
Allison looked at me warily, like she didn't believe a word I said, but she nodded anyway. "What happened?" She asked as we watched people run circles around us.
I shook my head, knowing what might have happened but not wanting to believe it. "Stiles, I think," I said quietly.
A stretcher appeared next to Derek, and Isaac was loaded onto it with the help of a couple of nurses. Allison followed the stretcher back into the hospital, probably worried if he was alright.
It wasn't until Allison's hand left mine that the weird feeling in my hand disappeared. I stretched out my fingers, shaking away the awkwardness, and put a hand over my abdomen, taking deep breaths.
Sheriff Stilinski came out of the emergency room entrance moments later with Melissa right on his heels.
I ran towards him, finding my footing. "Sheriff!"
Stilinski looked around until he saw me and met me halfway. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm okay. I don't know what happened, though. There was a weird power surge," I said, playing it off. "Where's Stiles? Is he okay?"
The sheriff's shoulders dropped. "I was hoping that he was with you."
I furrowed my brow, shaking my head. "Last I saw him, he was getting his MRI. We went out into the hall and then… Then the electricity went crazy."
"Stiles disappeared when the lights went out."
I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to alleviate the growing pressure in my head. "What is happening?"
Sheriff placed a hand on my arm to grab my attention. "If you see Stiles, let me know immediately."
"You, too," I said, not knowing if we would be able to find him this time. I looked around at the chaos that was caused by one power surge. How could Stiles have done this? Why would he?
Whatever Stiles was doing on the roof, he tried to protect us. According to both Scott and Derek, his was the only scent up there, though. If he was protecting us from himself, he might not really be him.
My heart stopped, my breath catching in my throat. I brought a hand quickly up to my chest, trying to find my heartbeat to settle. It was a panic attack.
Derek was in front of me in seconds, crouching slightly to meet my face. He was saying words, but I couldn't read his lips. Everything was blurry, and I became dizzy. Derek lowered us to the ground, guiding me to sit on the sidewalk. He grabbed my hand, holding it to his chest. His other hand went on top of mine to tap out the rhythm of his heart so that I could find it and emulate it.
After a few moments, my vision returned, and I could see again.
Derek met my eye. "Are you okay?"
I took my hands from between his and wiped my face. It had been wet with tears that I didn't realize I had shed. "You know what's wrong with him."
Derek nodded once, helping me to my feet.
Scott came over, interrupting Derek's thought. "The sheriff said he disappeared when the lights went out."
I nodded, already knowing that. "This was definitely him, then?" I asked, not wanting anyone to answer the question.
Derek nodded, looking at me with a face full of sympathy I didn't want.
Scott started talking, and Derek signed his words. "But I don't think it really was. The Nogitsune is just an evil sp[irit. That doesn't mean it was actually him that caused this."
"Yeah, well, his dad is freaking out because none of us have any real idea about what's going on." I sniffled, a few of the panic tears still finding their way out. "And if no one else can tell, so am I."
Derek looked down at me, and I knew immediately what he was thinking. "You have to tell him." Derek insisted, turning back towards Scott. "You have to tell him what's really wrong with Stiles."
"Tell the sheriff? That his son is being possessed by an evil spirit? I'm sure that'll go over well."
"What else are we doing to do?"
"I don't know," I stressed. "Something, I'm sure. But what if he panics more about the thought of something terrible inside his son. We don't know how to get it out, and maybe we shouldn't tell him until we do."
"What if telling him helps us find Stiles?"
I shrugged. "We couldn't find him last night. You couldn't find him last night. What makes tonight any different?"
"If anything, now it's worse." Scott agreed with me, thankfully. "The Nogitsune has to know that we're onto him. He'll be harder to track."
I groaned, pushing my fingers through my hair to get it out of my face. "How far could he have gotten? It's been what - five minutes since the power surge?" I questioned, getting a nod from both Scott and Derek. "How far can he get in five minutes?"
"Probably not far." Derek shared.
"Then go. Circle around and see if you can find anything."
"What are you gonna do?" Scott asked.
"I don't know yet. I have to go home, but I can't until I try everything. I'll stay here and find out what else the sheriff knows."
Scott nodded at my response and took off. Derek stayed another moment, studying me.
I shook my head. "Derek, you need to find him."
"I need to make sure you're going to be okay."
"I will be fine. I'll be better once we get Stiles back and figured out. You can't do that if you're too busy with me."
Derek rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious. This is what you need to do for me right now. I'll be fine." I felt a tremor in my throat when those words came out. I let out a quiet groan. "Derek, I love you, and I know what you're doing."
"Yeah?"
"Keeping your promise to Carter," I stressed, watching his face change instantly at the mention of my brother. Derek was trying to do what he could to make my pain disappear, much like Carter had always done. He knew I cared about Stiles, even if I hadn't realized how much. "I appreciate the shit out of you for it, but this is what I need you to do right now. I need you to work on finding Stiles."
Derek gave a soft nod. "Okay."
"Thank you."
"I'll call you later." He said before leaving me in the opposite direction Scott had.
I rubbed my hands over my face again, praying that I wouldn't have another panic attack. It would be the last thing I needed with no one around to help calm me down. A tap on my shoulder made me drop my hands instantly. I tried slowing my heart down when I noticed who stood in front of me. "Deputy Parrish," I sighed.
"It's CJ, right? You're Stiles' girlfriend." He said.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."
"The sheriff wanted me to drive you home. He said something about everybody looking for Stiles and that your dad would be worried about you."
"Yeah," I sighed. "He probably is."
"You ready? My squad car is just over there." Parrish said, pointing behind him.
I looked around the parking lot one last time, ensuring there was no unexpected sight of Stiles. Parrish tilted his head like he was watching me curiously. I wished Stiles would jump out of the bushes or something, revealing where he was. Maybe he wasn't being possessed by an evil demon. Stiles could be hiding, afraid of what was going on. He could really have dementia as his mother did though that might worsen.
Parrish moved to stand in front of my eye line, giving a small wave. "Why don't we drive around for a bit before I drop you off at home? See if we can find him?"
I furrowed my brow at the deputy. "Seriously?"
"If it'll help you sleep better tonight," Parrish shrugged. "I don't see what harm it will do."
I dropped my shoulders, relieved. "You might be my favorite deputy."
"I just wanna help."
I gave him a soft smile. "Thanks."
