Stiles hesitantly entered the hospital room, and walked over to his mother's side. She was asleep. Stiles grabbed the chair and dragged it closer to the bed, then plopped himself down. He opened his backpack, and took out a framed photograph of the Stilinski's, and a pile of Claudia's favourite books. He placed them on the nightstand.

Stiles took out his ratty old teddy bear, and placed it on beside the photograph. He hadn't played with that bear since he was five, but he was hoping that it would make Claudia smile. Maybe even make her a bit less lonely, when Stiles was at school or at home.

He turned around, and realized that Claudia was awake. Her face lit up as she watched him putter around the hospital room, attempting to make it more like home.

"Hey," She said, glad to see him. "How was school?"

"Boring." Stiles told her, with a serious look on his face.

His mom looked so frail, and so much thinner than she should be. Stiles dug into his backpack, and pulled out the three chocolate bars he'd bought at the vending machine in the hallway.

"Snickers or Payday?" He asked, putting the bars onto her blanket.

"Payday." Claudia said. Stiles unwrapped the bar, and broke off a piece for her. He hoped the nurses wouldn't come in to check on them, in case he got in trouble for giving his mom junk food. Claudia hated the hospital food.

Claudia glanced over at the table beside her bed, and noticed that Stiles had brought the framed family portrait they'd taken last Christmas. She reached for the teddy bear, and hugged it to her chest.

"Aww, I haven't seen this little guy for so long!" She exclaimed.

"In case you get lonely." Stiles explained. "He can keep you company."

"Thanks, honey." She said. She picked up the picture, and looked sadly at it. Claudia wished her husband was here as well, but she knew he had to work.

"My brave little Stiles." Claudia said, touching Stiles' cheek. "Promise me you'll take care of your dad for me after i'm gone." She said.

Stiles nodded, gravely. "Of course, mom." He said.

"I love you. " She told him. "I'm so proud of you."

Stiles picked up one of the books, and held it up. It was his battered copy of the Hobbit.

"Would you like me to read to you?" He asked, mimicking the tone she used when she asked him every night. "I believe we're on chapter ten."

Claudia patted the mattress beside her, and Stiles quickly clambered up onto the hospital bed. He leaned against Claudia's shoulder,as he started to read to her. She reached down and clutched his free hand. Claudia smiled, and closed her eyes as she listened to Stiles read.

When Stiles woke up a while later, he felt disoriented for a moment before realizing he was still in the hospital. He scrubbed his eyes, and looked over at his mom. She was still holding his hand, her grip slackened.

"Mom?" Stiles said, in a small voice. She was dead.

Stiles crawled out of the bed, and walked down the hall to the nurse's station. There was a tall, blond nurse sitting at the desk. He didn't recognize the man.

"Is Melissa here? I need to talk to her." Stiles said.

"She's on break. What can I do for you?" He asked. Stiles shook his head.

"I wanna talk to Melissa. Can you page her?"

Stiles waited until Melissa showed up at the desk.

"Hey," Melissa said, looking down at Stiles. "What's going on?"

"My mom's dead." Stiles said, the words spilling emotionless out of his mouth. "I fell asleep reading to her. She's dead."

They walked back to Claudia's room, Melissa's arm around Stiles' shoulder.

He still felt nothing, like he was hollow on the inside. Why wasn't he crying? Didn't normal people scream and yell on tv when family died? Something must be wrong with him, he thought to himself, as he watched with a detached disinterest as Melissa covered Claudia with a sheet, and officially called time of death.

"I'm so sorry, Stiles." Melissa told him, hugging him. "I need to call your dad. I'll be right back." She told him, ushering him to a seat in the hallway. He sat, watching as she rushed back to the nurse's station to call John.

He stood up, wandered down the hall. Past the vending machines where he'd bought his mom chocolate bars a few hours ago. Past the gummy-toothed old woman who always mistook him for her grandson. He wanted to be alone, so he locked himself in the bathroom. Stiles turned the lock, and slid down the cold, tiled wall until he was sitting on the floor. Stiles drew his knees up to his chest, and closed his eyes.

"Derek, I need you." He said, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration. "Please, Derek." After a minute, He could feel the wolf's hot breath on his cheek, and Stiles opened his eyes. He threw his arms around Derek's neck, and buried his face into the coarse, black fur.

"She's dead." Stiles said, muffled. "Why can't I even cry for my mom's death? I'm a heartless freak."

"Stiles." Derek said, shifting back into a human. "People respond differently to grief. That doesn't make you a freak. You definitely have a heart." He said, wrapping his arms around Stiles. He could smell the stench of fear emanating off the kid, could feel Stiles' racing heartbeat thud against his ribcage.

"Come here." Derek said, scooping up Stiles and putting him in his lap. Stiles curled against Derek's chest, his face buried against his leather jacket. "I already miss her." Stiles whispered, and he started to bawl, his tears soaking the front of Derek's blue henley.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay." Derek murmured, as he gently rocked the boy back and forth. "It's okay." They sat quietly for another twenty minutes, until Stiles' sobs finally slowed down, his breath hitching.

"Sorry," Stiles said, wiping his snotty nose on his own t-shirt. He pulled away from Derek a bit, and wiped the teartracks off his face.

"Your dad's gonna be here soon." Derek told him, as they both stood up. Derek turned on the faucet, and Stiles washed his face. He felt like crap.

"You need to be there for him," Derek said. "I'll wait with you till he gets here, but then I'm gonna go away for a while. Not forever." Derek told him, watching sadly as Stiles clutched Derek's arm.

"Don't go! I need you!" Stiles insisted, desperate. "I don't want to be alone."

"You're not." Derek said, firmly. "Right now, your dad needs you then ever. You can't rely on the company of your own imagination at a time like this. Reach out to him." Derek said, as they walked back to the chairs. "The pain you are feeling, that's something he will also be going through right now."

"Don't go. Please. I'm begging you. I need you." Stiles whispered, looking imploringly at the werewolf.

Derek glanced up, and saw John Stilinski running up the hallway.

"I'll be back later." He said, vanishing.

John stopped short when he saw his son sitting miserably in the hospital chair. Stiles was staring numbly at the floor, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his over-sized plaid shirt. Stiles glanced up, and saw his dad standing there.

"Daddy!" Stiles yelled, nearly tripping over his own feet as he rushed forward to hug him. John dropped to his knees, as his son threw himself into his arms.