Hours had gone past, Stiles falling in and out of slumber. He turned his head to his father next to him, who had fell asleep around an hour ago. There was no sign of the doctors or the detective, it was an awful waiting game. Just as Stiles felt his eyelids begin to flutter, he heard his name being called.
He looked up the hall to see two figures walking towards him. Lydia's mother and sister.
"Stiles, hi." Lydia's sister approached him and Stiles stood up. His head felt dizzy from no sleep but he shook it off.
"H-hi. Stephanie, right?" Stiles quickly rubbed his eyes before holding out a hand to shake.
"Yeah, nice to meet you." Stephanie shook his hand.
Stiles could see so much of Lydia in Stephanie. The hair, although Stephanie's was more brown than strawberry-blonde and much shorter, had the same curly factor as Lydia's. Same colour eyes, same skin colour. It was an odd feeling to be conversing with someone that resembled Lydia so much.
"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself at the funeral..." Stephanie began.
"No, of course, I understand." Stiles nodded, thinking back to Lydia's funeral. That seemed so long ago now.
Natalie stepped forward and smiled at Stiles with red eyes. "How are you, Stiles?"
Stiles looked down at the floor between them before nodding. "I'm holding up. Getting a little impatient. Nobody's told me anything in the past three hours."
"She's still in surgery." Lydia's mother smiled sympathetically. "We've been waiting outside the surgery room the hours, nothing's changed at the moment. But you know as soon as we're told anything we'll come and tell you straight away, we promise."
Stiles smiled slightly before nodding. "Thank you."
"Get your father into the waiting room up here. The seats are much more comfier and he'll sleep better. There's a canteen on the first floor, go call Scott and Melissa." Natalie spoke softly to Stiles. "Get yourself something to eat. And a coffee."
"Thank you, Ms-" Stiles paused before smiling. "Natalie."
"It's okay." She smiled. "We'll see you in a little while."
Stiles nodded before turning to his father as the Martin's walked off together. He sat down next to his father and began to shake his shoulder lightly just as he overheard Stephanie talking to her mother.
"I can see why Lydia spoke so much of him." He heard Stephanie whisper. Stiles' heart warmed up at the fact that Lydia spoke about him frequently.
The sheriff woke up and looked around with a slightly confused expression before he sat up and everything came back to him. "Hey, son."
"Hey, dad. I'm gonna get us a hot drink while you make yourself comfortable in the waiting room. You'll sleep better in there."
The sheriff nodded before stretching out his arms. Stiles helped him stand before they began to walk towards the waiting room. "You want some food?"
"No, no. Just a coffee. Go and get yourself something to eat and some air, all right?" The sheriff patted his son on the back before opening the waiting room door.
"Okay. I'll see you in a little while." Stiles nodded before heading to the elevator.
He waited for the doors to open and as they opened and he stepped in, he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection on the elevator wall. He went stiff.
It was as if the nogitsune was staring straight back at him.