Disclaimer: I still don't own Teen Wolf.
A/N: Thank you to all those who are reading, favoriting, and reviewing this. You guys are truly the best!
The Human Effect-Chapter 2
"Dad! Dad!"
John tries to burrow further into his pillow away from the noise. His head is pounding. The morning sunlight coming in from outside isn't helping the unrelenting agony in his skull either.
"Dad!" The yelling is louder and is now being accompanied by an incessant shaking of his shoulder.
John peaks open an eye to see his son standing by the side of his bed. He tries to shoo his son off as he pulls the blanket up higher and closes his eyes. "Stiles, let me sleep!"
But, the shaking and pleas just get more incessant. "Dad! It's almost quarter to ten. You have to take me to Dr. Malone!"
John's eyes instantly pop open. Crap. The pain in his head has been replaced with a sharp pain in his chest. For what feels like the thousandth time in his son's young life, he feels like a failure to him. How could he forget about Stiles' appointment?
"Dad?!"
"I'm up," john says as he sits up. He's forced to close his eyes when the room starts spinning.
"Rough night?" Stiles asks in his now normal louder than usual conversation volume.
Rough night? John thinks. More like a rough week. Or a rough two months. No, a rough year. Hell, who is he joking? It's been a rough couple of years.
He then looks down to see he's in his undershirt and uniform pants. What started as a night cap turned into another drink, which later into two more drinks and him not having the energy and coordination to change into his pajamas. God, he needs to get himself together. If not for himself, then for Stiles.
"Dad? You okay?" Stiles asks cautiously.
John wipes a hand over his tired face. "I'm good."
"Dad?" Stiles asks again with worry etched in his voice.
John sighs. Of course Stiles when he speaks with a hand in front of his mouth. "I'm good, Stiles. Did you eat breakfast?"
Stiles rolls his eyes as he motions impatiently with his hands towards the door. He gets the point. "Okay, son. Give me a couple of minutes. Let me get dressed."
"I'll make you a cup of coffee," Stiles says quietly as he glimpses quickly at the empty drink glass on his father's nightstand.
And that knife of shame in the sheriff's chest digs just a little deeper. But, before he can offer false platitudes Stiles is already jogging out of his room. John flops back down on his bed. God. He needs to reel this in.
John knows he needs to find another way with dealing with his son's diagnosis. He knows consuming large amounts of alcohol and working way too many shifts are text book avoidance techniques. He tried to read those brochures about dealing with a loved one's hearing loss that Melissa and Dr. Malone has given him. But, he just…can't. Why didn't he come home sooner? While he was dealing with a never ending pile of paper work and dealing with calls from the mayor's office, his son was sick at home battling potentially deadly bacterial meningitis. If only he was home maybe he could have gotten Stiles to the hospital sooner. Then maybe Stiles would not have lost much of his hearing.
And while he's been a mess about the whole thing, Stiles is the exact opposite. His son has taken everything in stride. Stiles' been diligent about following Dr. Malone's orders. He has attended every one of the otologist's appointments without one problem.
But, john can't help but think that the other shoe is about to drop. That Stiles' positive attitude towards the hearing loss is about to do a 360. That this is just Stiles in denial. That he really believes that the hearing loss is only temporary. Melissa, Dr. Malone and he has reminded Stiles to remain cautiously optimistic. But, John has a sinking suspicion that Stiles has not taken their advice to heart.
Please let this appointment go okay. Please, the kid has been through so much already.
"Dad!" Stiles yells again as John eyes pop open.
"Coming!" John yells as he stands up and starts to get ready.
XXXXX
John and Stiles take a seat in Dr. Malone's waiting room. Stiles is looking at his phone when his own father's phone beeps notifying him that he has received a text. John can't help but smile when he reads the text from Melissa.
Hope everything goes well today. Call me when you guys get out to tell me how everything went.
Melissa has been a godsend with this whole thing. She's been there to decipher the medical terminology that has been floating around since Dr. Malone's dire diagnosis. She's been there to give him advice on how to tread the new situation with Stiles. When to give his kid space. When to be there for him. If he can't get off a shift to take Stiles to an appointment, Melissa is there in a heartbeat to bring him herself.
"Who's that?" Stiles asks
"Melissa," John replies looking up from his phone.
"Ohhhh," Stiles sings song, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Stiles, stop!" John admonishes, half chucking.
"You guys goin' on a date?" Stiles asks smiling mischievously, his voice rising in enthusiasm.
"Stiles"
"Come on dad, do it!" Stiles says as he goes for his father's phone.
John struggles to keep it away from him. "Stiles"
"You should take her to that new Mexican place," Stiles continues. "I heard the fajitas are excellent," he says as he gives up checking his father's phone and instead takes out his own. No doubt checking the latest Yelp reviews.
"Stiles," John says. But, his son's attention is on his phone.
"They have a lighter food menu," Stiles says, ignoring his father. God, his son is like a dog with a bone.
"Stiles!" A booming voice calls out from the waiting room door way. "You ready?"
Father and son look up to see Rita in the doorway. John has never been more grateful to see the young nurse.
"We'll talk more about this later," Stiles says as he stands up.
John stands up too, changing the subject. "Good luck, kiddo." John give his son's shoulder a firm squeeze before he leaves the room.
Alone in the waiting room, John looks at his phone again.
Thanks, Melissa. Want to grab dinner later?
John's finger lingers above the send button. Should he? He takes a long look at the door where Stiles disappeared through a minute ago. The kid has been through so much as of late. The last thing he needs is his father getting into a relationship with his best friend's mother. He types a new message and hits send.
"Thanks, Melissa. I'll call you later.
John sighs tiredly as he presses send.
XXXXX
"Good morning, John." Dr. Malone greets as the sheriff walks into the exam room.
"Moring, doc." John replies as he goes to stand by the exam table.
"Stiles and I were just talking about the articles that Lydia Martin has been e-mailing me about the advances in otology," Dr, Malone says with a small roll of her eyes a she moves to stand by Stiles' good side.
"She's still sending you stuff?" John asks.
"Yes, she is. I think if she wants to, she can have one heck of a career in the field. The medical field is always looking for some brilliant, young minds. I better be careful or she might start talking over my practice," Dr, Malone says with a smile. "Starting with you," she says motioning to Stiles.
"She means well," Stiles says quietly.
The physician nods her head. "I know she does. You're lucky to have such incredible friends."
Stiles nods his head. "I know. What's the news doc?"
John doesn't need to have a medical degree to see the shift in the doctor's demeanor. All traces of the joking doctor has been replaced with one of serious. Shit. He hopes it's just her being professional and not an indicator of bad news.
"Based on the hearing test, the hearing in your right ear has not changed. I know you were hoping that it would improve, however, as of now it hasn't."
"Still can though, right?" Stiles asks hopefully.
The hopefulness in his son's voice just about kills him. Both Stiles and he knows that the longer his hearing doesn't improve after the diagnosis, the more likely the hearing loss is permanent. But, the hopefulness in his son's voice tells him that he's still hanging onto to hope that his hearing will improve.
He wishes he can share his son's optimism. He did in the beginning. Right after the diagnosis. But the days of standing on Stiles' good side, having to repeat things multiple times, and having to get used to his son's speech switching from mutterings to sometimes inappropriately border-line yelling has turned into weeks and now months.
"It can. And we will continue to monitor it when I see you for your next appointment. " Dr, Malone says. But John can basically hear the 'but, it won't' in her voice.
"How about the left ear?" John asks.
She turns from john back to her patient. "Stiles, in your last hearing test you were able to hear sounds at 92 decibels."
Stiles nods his head. He knows his numbers inside and out.
"Unfortunately, in today's test the lowest you were able to hear in your left ear was 99 decibels," Dr. Malone explains slowly.
They were hoping that he would drop from 92 to maybe the low or mid 80's, placing him in a severe hearing loss range. There were much more options for a severe hearing loss over a profound hearing loss.
"And unfortunately, during your exam I found some ossification in your left ear."
Jesus. Can't they get a break? He knows ossification is bad news. Dr, Malone said they had to watch out for it. Ossification basically causes the cochlea to turn into bone rendering the organ useless and making it incredibly hard to treat the hearing loss.
John instantly pulls his son into a hug. "It's okay," he says into Stiles' good ear as he feels his son's tears dampening his neck. He squeezes his son's neck tightly as the teenager lets out a shudder.
"I know it's not what you wanted to hear," Dr. Malone says as Stiles breaks away from his father.
"No, it's not." Stiles says as he wipes his nose on his sleeve.
"I want to see you back here in three weeks. We're going to check your hearing again and go from there. "As you know from Lydia there are many hearing aid devices available. Maybe next time bring Lydia along so we can discuss some options, Sounds good?"
"We probably won't be able to keep her away much longer anyway," John says.
"prolly," Stiles agrees. "Surprised she's not here today."
"Me too," Dr. Malone says. "I'm sure that I will be getting either an e-mail or phone call later to check on you. No matter how many times I've reminded her about the Hippocratic Oath, she still tries to wrangle information out of me."
"She's stubborn," Stiles says.
"Just like you," John adds.
The otologist hums in agreement. "And do you know the thing about stubborn patients, Stiles?"
"What?"
"They never give up. And if you don't give up. Then I won't." Dr. Malone turns to the sheriff. "Let us get you through this."
John tries to give his son his best reassuring smile and it seems to work when his son nods and asks what's next.
"Keep doing what you're doing. If the tinnitus gets worse or your sense of balance, give us a call. If not, we'll see you in three weeks. Okay?"
They say their good byes as they leave the room. John looks at his watch. It's almost 11:30. His still queasy stomach can't bear to stomach much, but the way Stiles is all but dragging along tells him his son needs a pick me up.
"Hey, why don't we get some pizza? Ballerini's should be open."
Stiles shakes his head.
"Come on, Stiles. Buffalo chicken? Cheese? You pick."
His son's unusual silence about the unhealthy food has John unnerved. This is what he has geared all along about Stiles optimistic attitude. The other shoe has dripped. More like slammed into the earth. He nudges his son's shoulder, motioning him to stop walking. "Talk to me, kid."
"Just wanna go home," Stiles says quietly.
John nods his head. If that's what the kid wants, so be it. He thinks the kid earned it today. "Okay, bud. Let's go.
I know a bit of a somber chapter. But, don't worry Scott will be in the next one. I love their friendship and wish we can see more of it on the show.