"It's ok. I've got you. It'll be ok. I'm gonna take more of your pain, ok? I've been healing more and more and I'm completely capable of taking your pain, I promise. Breathe with me, ok? Like this. Good. You're doing great." Derek kept his voice as level as he could manage while taking Stiles' pain with one hand and softly combing through his hair with the other. "I need to move the jacket a bit, ok?" The makeshift jacket-bandage hand fallen from the wound and blood was pouring freely again. It was a deadly amount of blood and Derek knew it, but he held the jacket steady and kept firm eye contact with Stiles. He refused to lose hope. Stiles trusted him and Derek would be there for him. Derek would take care of him. He had to. He wiped the tears from Stiles' face and took as much of his pain as he could while continuously muttering encouragements and reassurances. Derek was crying himself, despite his best efforts to keep his cool for Stiles' sake. Stiles' body was wracked with tremors and he looked like any moment he might throw up or pass out. Derek just breathed slowly and evenly, gently encouraging Stiles to follow his lead. Eventually Stiles started to steady his breathing and loosen his death grip on the front of Derek's shirt. He took several slow, steadying breaths before speaking.

"Do you have any idea how perfect you are?" Derek was so caught off guard that he almost let go of Stiles' hand.

"What?"

"Just… with all of this. Thank you." Stiles gripped his hand tighter. Derek choked back a sob.

"Of course. Always. You know I'm always here for you. How can I help? What can I do?" Derek waited impatiently for Stiles' response. Stiles paused for a long moment, meeting Derek's glistening eyes with a steady, hard gaze.

"I'm in love with you." Stiles smiled, as if enjoying the way the words sounded out loud. Derek stared, stunned. Nobody had ever said that to him. Not once. And this was Stiles.

"Stiles! I love you so much. You're everything to me. I love you. God, I love you." Nothing made Derek spill his guts quite like a perilous situation. Stiles smiled wider.

"That's very good news. Otherwise this would have been super awkward." Derek laughed and cradled Stiles' pale face in his hands, bringing him into a kiss. Stiles shakily returned the kiss for as long as he could before pulling away to gasp for air. "Derek… it hurts…" Derek pulled away immediately.

"What hurts? The kissing?"

"Breathing..." Derek's heart sank. Stiles' eyes were half-closed and each breath he pulled in was shallow and labored. His face was becoming paler and paler and there was a slight bluish tint to his lips. Derek couldn't help but think this wouldn't have had to happen if Stiles had the bite. He'd thought it many times before but he fully respected and understood Stiles' decisions. Besides, it would be too late now anyway. He was too weak. The bite would kill him if the blood loss didn't kill him first. Derek didn't know what to do besides continue to comfort Stiles with words and physical contact. Stiles instinctively leaned in toward the warm touch.

"Don't move, Stiles-"

"It's alright, Der. I'm ok." It was an obvious and incredible lie. Derek wanted to scream. This couldn't be it. Stiles couldn't go through everything that he'd been through just to be killed by an idiot drunk driver. Derek could not lose him. He grabbed Stiles' phone again and started furiously composing texts. He must have sent fifty before Stiles stopped him.

"It's ok, Derek."

"It's not-"

"Derek. Listen-"

"No. No. Help is on the way and you are going to be just fine."

"Der-"

"I won't argue about this!"

"Der…no…I…can't…I… can't...breathe…." Without another word his eyes slid shut and his head slumped forward onto his chest.

"Stiles! Stiles?!" Derek frantically felt for a pulse and thought his own heart would stop when he couldn't find one. Without even thinking about what he was doing Derek laid Stiles down and started performing mouth to mouth the way Deaton had taught him. "Come on, Stiles- come on.." He pressed down on Stiles' chest four times and returned to the breathing. He choked out a sob when Stiles gave no response. He repeated this cycle three more times before Stiles finally, finally pulled in a ragged breath for himself and opened his eyes. Derek sat back on the dirty ground and sobbed. Stiles was alive. He was still alive. Stiles coughed and gasped for air. Derek gently helped him to sit back up and laid him against his chest. He adjusted the jacket-tourniquet again, trying to ignore the blood soaking through it. Stiles' heartbeat was faint, but it was there. He lay limp against Derek's chest, breathing shallowly and slowly. He was completely unresponsive. Derek just held him. There was nothing else to do.

A few minutes later Derek finally heard the sirens. Dozens of people with flashlights and shouting voices started running towards him. He picked Stiles up, kissed him on the forehead, and started stumbling toward them. The EMT's reached him first and gently took Stiles from his grasp. He reluctantly let go and stared as they started rushing him to the ambulance. He ignored the probing questions about his own health and breathlessly began speaking. "Drunk driver - slammed into the driver side - there's glass in his left side - I tried to stop the bleeding - I don't know how long I was out after the hit - he stopped breathing - I gave him mouth to mouth-" He stopped when he met Scott's terrified eyes a few feet away. "Oh god, Scott… I'm sorry… I couldn't do anything…" Scott pulled him into a fierce hug and cried into his shoulder.

"Derek, I can't do this again-"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry…" Derek was interrupted by the EMT's shouting and the sheriff swearing in sync. Derek closed his eyes, waiting for the words that he knew were coming next.

"We're losing him. He's not breathing - get the defibrillator." They worked quickly and forcefully, desperately swarming around his lifeless body. Derek couldn't see Stiles anymore; he could only hear the sound of the electricity attempting to jumpstart his heart. He held onto Scott for dear life and turned to see Lydia standing several feet away, looking petrified. She had a distant, tortured look in her eyes and when she lifted them to meet Derek's gaze, he knew what was going to happen before it did.

"Lydia, please no-"

She screamed.