Here is the latest installment. I hope you enjoy! ~Chasechick

Chapter 6

What is Going On?

When Stiles awoke Lydia was no longer laying with him. For a moment he thought he fantasized the whole thing but as he repositioned himself he could smell her perfume, he hadn't dreamt it. She had been here and once again helped him through an ordeal he hadn't wanted to face on his own.

There was no one in the room with him and judging by the darkening windows night was quickly approaching. He wondered if there had been any progress on the disappearances or if anything else strange had happened while he was out. He still ached terribly but the throbbing in his shoulder had reduced to a dull ache at least.

He didn't wait long before a nurse arrived and assisted him to the bathroom and then wheeled him down to the radiology department. After another x-ray of his shoulder and a complete scan of his back in the MRI machine she took him back to his room and he shakily climbed back into bed. Melissa arrived as the other nurse hung another IV bag and she gave the woman a smile as she left to finish her rounds.

Melissa had brought a tray of food from the cafeteria and pushed it towards Stiles. "Any news?" He asked as he took a small bite of mashed potatoes.

"None as far as the supernatural are concerned." She answered back as she watched him eat his dinner.

Stiles stopped mid bite. "So there is news just not relating to weird stuff?" He asked her with a bit of his old humor.

"Scott will be in to see you in a few minutes. He had to take care of something or other." She said as she fussed over his blankets. Stiles just nodded his head and tried to sip some milk.

"When can I get out of this damn thing?" Stiles asked pointing his head to the IV drip that he was untangling yet again. "I can't use either of my arms if I'm tied up like this… not to mention… I just don't like it." He said as he shoved his half eaten meal back.

"Well… actually it's not so much for your injuries Stiles… you're pretty dehydrated… and judging by looks of things I'd guess you are a bit underfed as well." Melissa said with a tone of voice that was both unrelenting yet expressed her concern. She waited for him to answer but he stayed silent. "Stiles, you need to be taking better care of yourself. With all that's going on you can't afford to do that kind of thing."

Stiles nodded but couldn't bring his eyes to hers. He felt as if he had disappointed her and he didn't like the guilt that squirmed in his gut. "Your dad also mentioned to me about your meds Stiles. I just want you to know that you can always talk to me. I know the truth about what is going on now, I know a lot of things I'd rather not, but you can always come and talk to me or ask me anything. You know that right?" She asked as she moved closer to the bed and caught his eye.

"Yea. I do. And it's nothing serious or anything. I just… I've been having a hard time sleeping and it started to carry over through the day and then I couldn't focus… so you know it's just a cyclical thing." Stiles said trying to make light of it all in hopes that she'd drop it.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Melissa asked him.

Stiles swallowed thickly before he answered. "I've never slept much to be honest. I think that's the reason I have the ADHD to begin with. But now… ever since that whole ritual I just feel like something is there watching me when I sleep… sometimes I even feel it following me in the daytime. I don't know if it's real or if I'm just going crazy…either way…"

"It's not good." Melissa finished for him. "Have you talked to Deaton about it, maybe you should mention it to him?" Stiles just shook his head. "That might be a place to start, or at least tell Scott… maybe he might know something too." Melissa smiled a caring smile at him before she moved to the foot of his bed.

As if on cue Scott appeared at his door clad in his jeans and leather jacket. He smiled at his mother and whispered something in his ear as she gave him a hug and exited the door. Scott smiled at Stiles as he approached and pulled his bedside chair over closer before flopping down.

"Well?" Stiles said waiting for Scott to spill about everything that was going on like he usually did. Instead he sat there observing Stiles with a stony silence. "Aren't you going to tell me what the hell is going on? I've been stuck in this damn bed all day and no one has told me anything!"

"I'm afraid if I tell you what's going on you'll put yourself in harm's way and it's obvious that you are in no condition to do so." Scott answered and nearly glared at Stiles. Stiles shrunk back a little. The full moon was tomorrow night and with Scott's alpha prowess he could make even the non-lycanthrope bow to his will.

"If I promise to sit here and be a perfect little patient will you just tell me what the hell is going on?" Stiles asked as he yanked angrily on his IV line that had tangled again.

Scott sat forward and put his hands on his knees his head hung in exhaustion and for the first time Stiles felt bad for demanding something from Scott. Scott assuming the role of alpha had been a difficult one for him. The responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders and Stiles knew that he feared screwing up. "Well at first we didn't think anything about the one disappearance, but then the second one happened… Peter isn't with Derek and no one knows where he is. Derek and Cora are on their way back to Beacon Hills now just in case. It's just odd though… I just feel like this is something else… but I can't put my finger on it." Scott sighed and stood up in frustration and started to pace, a trait he had no doubt learned from Stiles.

"You don't think it might have anything to do with that ritual we performed do you? I mean didn't Deaton say that it would be a homing beacon for the supernatural? And I don't know about you but I can't sleep because I literally feel like something evil is just lurking around the corner… haven't you felt it?" Stiles asked him.

Scott turned around abruptly to face him. "What do you mean you've felt something lurking… you can feel something?" Scott was next to the bed now staring at him intently.

"Well… just… I don't know… I'm probably just going crazy but I haven't slept much since then… and when I do it's like there is something following me around… breathing down my neck… just waiting for a chance to strike. And lately… I can feel it when I'm awake too… I just thought I was losing it man… I mean look at me… I'm a freaking basket case." Stiles gave a wide sweep with his good arm over his body. This caused his IV to catch yet again and he tugged on it a bit harshly… "Ow.." he said and stopped immediately.

Scott came over to examine the IV before adjusting the tape for him. He looked down at Stiles with a strange expression on his face. Stiles stopped and looked at Scoot nervously… "Wh-What?"

"You look like hell. I told you that you should have gone to the nurse." Scott answered bemusedly at Stiles and for a moment it's like they were before any of the strangeness had entered into their lives.

"Yea okay so I was a little banged up. Didn't feel it at the time though. So… do you think I'm crazy or what?" Stiles asked bringing the conversation back to where they had started.

"No. I don't think you are crazy, but I haven't had that feeling or felt like anything has been watching me. I don't think Allison has either. I'm going to go over and talk to Deaton in a few minutes to see if he thinks there is any connection between the two." Scott decided even though it looked like Stiles wasn't happy about it. "And what is up with you and Lydia by the way?"

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked attempting to be nonchalant.

"You know what I mean Stiles. One minute you are avoiding her like the plague and the next she's in here weeping by your bedside." Scott asked him and Stiles attempted to shrug only causing him to seethe in pain.

"Well…just so you know it's made things a little tense. Aiden wasn't too happy about it and everyone is either rooting for you or for Aiden… add to it that no one knows where Peter is and something strange is definitely going on…" Scott ran his hands through is hair in exasperation and for the moment Stiles was glad he wasn't in his friend's shoes.

"Sorry. But I really don't know what is going on with me and Lydia. She just… helps… and I've helped her. But she is with Aiden and I swear I haven't done anything… whatever is going on between them is between them… I haven't asked her." Stiles said sadly.

Scott just shook his head and started to smile. "Well apparently something is… that has to be good for you right?" Melissa poked her head through the door and smiled at the two boys.

"Stiles, the neuro is here now, he's going over the scans with the doctor. As soon as they've finished up I'll give your dad a call and we can see what's going on okay?" She waved to them and popped back out the door to check on other patients.

"What's wrong with your back?" Scott asked him.

"Dunno for sure… have to wait and see. I'm feeling better than I was… at least my shoulder isn't killing me like it was." Stiles said as he rubbed his shoulder tentatively through the sling.

"Yea… I heard about that… that sounded intense. Hey listen man; I hope things go good with this appointment of yours… I'll go over and see what Deaton thinks of this whole business and let you know what I find out okay. Oh and here's your cell. I stopped by your Jeep and grabbed it out and charged it for you." Scott said as he plopped it on the bedside table. Even though Scott was busy trying to save the world at least he had stopped to think about Stiles for a moment.

"Thanks man… at least I can surf the web now… maybe do a little research." Stiles shrank when Scott gave him a glare. "I mean I'll play candy crush or something and rest perfectly still." Stile's stuttered out.

Scott gave him an endearing smile and left out the door. Stiles turned his phone on and went through all his missed calls and messages. He had two voicemail from Lydia, one from Scott, one from Allison, and a whole slew of messages… mostly from Lydia. He felt himself smile as he looked through them. He had no idea what was between them but he was thankful she was there.

He quickly typed out a message to Lydia letting her know that he had his phone now and could text… he nicely added that it would keep the loneliness at bay and keep him from doing something stupid if he could communicate with the outside world. Stiles texted Allison as well as his father to let them know he had his phone and then laid his head back on the pillow to wait.

He wondered what the neuro would come up with and silently prayed that it was nothing a little back massage wouldn't cover. He waited lying in his bed listening to the hustle and bustle outside of his room, listening for the telltale signs of his phone getting a message. He hated waiting, just sitting in the dim room with nothing but silence gave him too much time to think… time for his mind to wander. He thought about his dreams and the creepy feeling of something or someone watching him, he was starting to feel it again now that he stopped everything else and focused. And it was making him uneasy.

He could feel something, like it was almost palpable. The more he focused on it the more he could feel it. His hands were starting to shake… if someone didn't come into this room soon he was going to flee IV and all into the hall. But Stiles wondered if he'd be able to run from this at all. He didn't even know what it was. Or what it wanted.