Chapter 54

Allison sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the marble's wishy-washy pattern. Its maze had no way out. Her spoon sat loosely between her fingers. Her eyes were blurry with sleep still. Blinking as much as she could was doing nothing but making her drowsier.

"You should get to school soon," her dad said, making her jump.

Dressed in his usual non-dad-like attire of dark wash jeans and a grey t-shirt, he pulled down a black coffee mug and filled to the rim with caffeine just as black.

"Yeah, I was just-uh-wondering if you wanted to go on another search tonight," she said. She scratched the back of her head, making her bun wiggle.

"No. I'm meeting with Deaton this afternoon. He, Stiles and Scott were attacked the other night. Stiles is missing."

"What!?" Allison's face lit with surprise. The kind filled with fear. Her spoon fell and clinked on the counter. She grabbed her bag that sat on the floor, at the end of the counter and ran out the door.

He didn't tell her to stop because she wouldn't listen. Much like her mother, she did what she wanted. She didn't run away when the situation was really bad. She just got stronger and fiercer.

"Be careful," her dad breathed in prayer as the door slammed shut. Her bowl of cereal hadn't been touched and had turned into a mushy grey mess.

Scott slammed his locker shut. Dents from his fingers dotted along the edge. His arm still ached with a dullness that drilled to the back of his skull. A gentle touch warmed his shoulder. Allison pulled him around to face her.

"We're going to get him back," she whispered, leaning against him. She was trying to lift his spirits but not even the hope

"Them." He corrected her.

She looked up at him confused.

"Lydia is gone too. Her mom called the station and reported a missing persons this morning. Her room was a mess. There was blood." His voice was null as he spoke.

"Hey!" came a bark, making the two teens flinch. Finstock looked between them. A permanent frown in the lines of his forehead was directed at the two. "Get to class, now!"

They shuffled slowly to class.

English. Not only was it boring, now it was highly uncomfortable. That's bound to happen when you teacher is the murderer of multiple classmates and teachers.

Scott and Allison stopped in the doorway at seeing Miss Blake writing on the board. They were one of the first ones to class. Allison put her arm across the threshold firmly, keeping others from coming in. Miss Blake's head turned. She smiled at them sweetly, though Scott growled under his breath.

Allison closed the door and pulled her mini crossbow from her messenger bag.

"This school really needs to get metal detectors," Miss Blake commented, eyeing the weapon carefully. She set the piece of chalk in her hand on its tray. "I'm not going to kill them. I have no intention to. In fact, after all of this is over, you can have your friends back."

"I'm going to kill you," Scott snarled. He took a step forward.

"Careful Scott," she said sharply. "Get me upset and I will kill them. None of you are even really a part of this, not really."

"Then stop!" Allison exclaimed. She pointed the sharp end of the crossbow at her.

"I can't." Miss Blake replied. "I have to finish and you are going to help me."

Isaac sat up. It was 10:34. Late for school, oh well, he thought tiredly. He rubbed his chest. The organ was beating like it has been, but was numb. He couldn't feel anything. Breathing was a lot more difficult lately and most days he contemplated not doing it.

He padded across the room and pulled a shirt from the top drawer of the dresser. Melanie stared at him from the photograph on top of it, smiling. He held her from behind, his arms draped over her shoulders. Shaking his head, he left the room, picking up his cell phone off of the nightstand along the way. It rang half way down the stairs. It was Scott.

Danny had quit talking to him since the funeral. A lot of people had. He figured it was only because they were afraid to. Danny mostly was taking Derek's side. What was with the whole choosing of sides anyway? Somebody died, again. People had been dying before this, but Scott chose now to get pissed? It made no sense.

"What's up, Scott?" Isaac's throat felt scratchy like pebbles were lodged along its lining.

"We need your help," Scott said

"No."

"No? Stiles and Lydia have been kidnapped! Please! They're our friends!"

"No." Isaac said more firmly, touching on agitation. "I'm done. I quit. Call somebody who gives a fuck."

"Isaac, she's threatening to kill them if we don't do something."

"I guess that means I'm lucky then…I don't have anybody."

He hung up. Looking down at the blinking numbers; the call lasted 46 seconds. He threw the mobile device across the room. It lodged between two cushions of the couch.

"Somebody needs to keep watch Isaac," Deaton said.

"How worried do we need to be?" Sheriff Stilinski asked.

Melissa was at work, but Chris and the sheriff came to the clinic. The broken window had been covered with plastic and was flapping back and forth due to the afternoon breeze.

"He's awake and that is dangerous for himself and people around him," Deaton replied. "He's in a state of null. He's not feeling anything because he doesn't want to. I don't know how long it'll last, but when-if he comes out of it he might actually mourn and possibly will himself to death or…"

"Or what?" Chris asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"He will go…" Deaton shook his head, searching for the right term, "rabid. He will kill anything in his way in a fit of rage."

"I won't let that happen," Chris said quickly.

"He is in a tremendous amount of pain that will never end and will leave a hole for the rest of his life," Deaton added. "We need to give him purpose; remind him of a time before knowing her. Before he felt the scorch of his existence."

"The kid didn't have any purpose before her. His mother is dead. His brother is MIA and his father used to beat him," sheriff Stilinski said pointedly.

"Then his friends are going to have to remind him how strong he really is," Deaton said.

None of them said it outright, but it was hopeless. The entire situation was one that none of them had ever dealt with. Fixing this broken heart wasn't going to be done with time.

"Danny," Scott called, jogging down the dusty school hallway after him.

Danny carried his gym bag on his shoulder. He didn't stop as he made his way to the parking lot.

"Hey, where have you been," Scott asked, slowing to a fast paced walk.

He noticed quickly that Danny was trying to get away from him.

"Busy," Danny replied.

"Allison and I need-"

"No."

Scott fumed inwardly, but kept his cool just barely.

"I'm not going to help you," Danny continued as they walked through the double doors of the school for the last time. Once at the end of the sidewalk, he stopped and turned to his former lacrosse captain. "I know about the whole 'sides' thing between you and Derek."

Derek's black SUV drove up alongside them. Scott stared through the passenger window. Derek stared straight ahead, not saying a word, but waiting patiently.

"It's ludicrous, but if I don't have a choice in this, I choose his side. You need to get your head straight and realize that we should all be levelheaded about this."

"Derek-"

"Didn't kill her," Danny finished for him. Each word bit Scott, making him shift uncomfortably.

Danny got into the car and they drove off.

Scott went back into the school. A few people were emptying out their lockers. Barrel trashcans were filled with junk from missed homework assignments to old food wrappers and old gym clothes that had never been taken home to be washed. Allison was taking her pictures from her locker door down. A blue, bubble magnet fell from the metal, clacking on the ground at her feet. Scott picked it up for her and placed it in her hand. She offered a half smile and tucked the magnet into her bag with the other ones.

"Where's Danny?" she asked, giving her empty locker one last look.

"Derek picked him up," he replied, also giving the ugly locker a good look and remembering the notes he shoved through its bent slots when they had to be sneaky around her dad. "He's siding with him."

"We're all in a rut. He'll come around."

"No, he won't. He woke up Isaac, and he's been in a rage constantly." He shook his head. "Get a hold of your dad, okay? We'll meet up at the clinic. I'm going to go see my mom real quick. If anybody knows how Isaac is, it'd be her."

Allison nodded and gave him a quick kiss before parting ways.

"Hey," he called after her before she was gone. "Be careful."

And like that, he was by himself.

"Mom," Scott said as he walked through the sliding doors of the ER.

Melissa looked up from her metal clipboard.

"Scott, what are you doing here?"

"It's the last week of school. Nobody really sticks around," he replied with a silly shrug.

"What? No. Your last week is next week," she said and looked down at her watch. Little digital numerals rendering the date were above the time on the small screen of the two dollar watch. "Which is this week."

"Do you know how Isaac is?" Scott asked.

"Why would I know?" She put the chart on the nurses station counter and picked up another from the small rack that similarly resembled a dish rack.

"He talks to you. You're like a parent to him," Scott replied.

"I haven't seen Isaac since Danny woke him up."

Scott sighed as he followed her down the hall. She stopped and turned to him. He was exhausted both mentally and physically.

"Scott, when is the last time you slept?"

"Well?" he joked. Melissa's concern didn't waver. "I don't know. I just want to get Stiles and Lydia back and defeat this bitch. I want to graduate with my friends and not worry which one of us is going to die next."

She tucked her clipboard under her arm and then took her son's face in her hands.

"You need to rest. You can't help anybody in this condition. Isaac, Allison, Lydia and Stiles need you."

He nodded. She was right. He couldn't think straight. Every thought was unfinished and faded into a wobbly mess. He didn't know how Stiles managed to go without sleep.

"Go home. I'm off in a few hours. Get some sleep and when I get home I'll cook a late dinner."

Scott nodded. She kissed the top of his head then went to her next patient's room. He wasn't ready to go home just yet. He would sleep when this was over, which was a funny thought. After this there could be a whole new problem. It was never going to end so he'd probably never sleep in a sense.

Melissa closed the door behind her quietly as if trying not to get caught and tucked her clipboard under her arm. Isaac was lying down on the hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Is he gone?" he asked blandly.

"Yes," she said with a nod.

Isaac let out a sigh.

"He needs you, Isaac."

He said nothing. That more than anything left Melissa morose. Her heavy heart thudded. It's like he wasn't even in there.