Disclaimer: I still don't own Teen Wolf.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back to this. No excuses, just life. Anyways, here is the next chapter for those of you who are still with me. Enjoy!

The Human Effect-Chapter 4

"Come on, Stiles. You got this," Lydia says trying to sound as reassuring as she can as she sits across from Stiles on his bed. "We did four problems just like this one. You can do this."

But, Stiles remains quiet as he stares down into his physics book. The redhead can't help but let out a loud, frustrated sigh as her friend remains quiet. His concentration firmly and solely on his physics textbook.

"Or not," Lydia says quietly looking at her own book. Silence fills the bedroom for several more minutes. As unnerving as the silence it, it's not too uncommon nowadays. True, Stiles did talk after he recovered from the meningitis. Granted it was nothing like how he was before. But, he still talked. He still rambled on about the latest movies and the latest thing article he read on line. His words may have been clipped or muttered. And when he got really excited about something, the volume was raised. But, he talked.

And now, that's not the case. After his latest doctor's appointment Stiles is talking way less. Lydia takes in the now normal silent atmosphere as she gets back to doing her own work, leaving Stiles on his own. He seems to prefer to work like that now. If he wants to do the work on his own so be it. She can do these problems in her sleep.

She has plenty of other things to do, but she has taken time out of her busy schedule to help Stiles with his work so he doesn't fall behind too much before he returns to school. So, if he's going to ignore her then fine. Two can play at this game. Lydia knows she's being a bitch. She knows that Stiles is going through hell. But, can't he be a little appreciative for her help?

"What did you get for number three, Stiles?" She looks again at her friend and sees his head is still lowered. She can't help but let out a frustrated groan. The redhead continues to work quickly through her homework and is just about done with the last homework problem when she glances over at Stiles. His eyes are still lowered, but she can still see that he is squinting.

"Stiles?" Lydia calls, but he doesn't answer. "Stiles?" she tries again, this time putting her hand over his.

This seems to do the trick because he finally looks up. And all her frustration and anger instantly fades when she sees the unshed tears in her friend's eyes. She feels like such a bitch for getting frustrated with him just moments before. She knows that Stiles has been struggling since his last doctor's appointment. All of his loved ones know he's having a hard time but he has refused to talk about the worsening hearing and ossification is his left ear. The unchanged hearing in his right. They all know what was said, but Stiles has kept mum about how he's feeling about the disheartening news. Up until this point everyone has taken the 'we'll wait for him to come to us approach.' But, now seeing her friend's tears, Lydia needs to act now.

"Hey, come on." Lydia says. "Talk to me. I know your latest appointment with Dr. Malone did not go like you….like we all wanted it to. But, I've been doing a lot of research. You should see what these guys at John Hopkins are doing."

Stiles shakes his head. 'ot that."

"Not that? Then what?" Lydia asks confused, looking at Stiles rubbing his forehead. Then it clicks.

"Headache?"

Stiles sheepishly nods his head, rubbing his forehead more aggressively almost as if to rub away the pain.

Lydia pulls Stiles' hand away from his head. "Why didn't you tell me you had a headache? We could have done the work another time."

"You ook the time now. Didn't want too 'convenience you ore than I ready am," Stiles explains.

And once again Lydia feels like a bitch. Yes, she wants to help get Stiles to where he should be in his studies. They're friends. He's probably her best friend. They've seen so much. Things that most people would ever dream off. But, she is also selfish. She wants to get Stiles to where he should be in his schoolwork, so that he can join Scott, Kira, and her back at school. Get things to where they should be. Where they were before Stiles got sick. To where Scott wasn't running around chasing every supernatural being in a fifty-mile radius. Where Kira wasn't disappearing on long trips with her mother to help learn to harness her emerging kitsune powers. To where she, herself, wasn't spending all her free time researching the effects of meningitis and hearing loss.

"I want to be here," Lydia says firmly. "Don't make it sound like it's a chore for me to want to help a friend."

Stiles just shrugs his shoulder. His hand returning to the spot he was rubbing before.

"Is it bad?" Lydia asks

Stiles doesn't answer her. But, he doesn't have to. She knows it must be bad for him not to brush her concern off.

"Want me to call your dad?" Lydia asks.

Stiles quickly shakes his head. "Don't."

Lydia frowns. "You have something to take for it?"

Stiles nods his head. He moves like he's about to stand up, but Lydia motions for him to stay where he is. If he's hurting enough to almost be crying, then he shouldn't be up walking around. "I'll get it. Where is it?"

"Medicine cabinet," Stiles answers, laying down.

"I'll be back," Lydia says as she makes her way to the bathroom. Just as she's about to enter the hallway Stiles calls her name.

"Yeah?" Lydia answers turning around to face him.

"Thanks, Lydia." Stiles says sincerely before he closes his eyes.

"No prob, Stiles." Lydia says with a genuine smile.

Even with her extensive pharmaceutical knowledge, Lydia is having an issue finding the correct prescription bottles. The Stilinski medicine cabinet has several prescriptions, most of them in Stiles' name so it's no easy task trying to find the one she needs. The generic names aren't helping much either.

"Stiles?!" Lydia yells. "Which one is it?!"

She's not too surprised when she Stiles doesn't answer her. Lydia should go back and just ask him which one it is. But, it's almost ten o'clock at night and she's tired. So, instead she just yells again, this time louder. Stiles still doesn't answer her, but she does hear him making his way down the hall towards the bathroom. She can't help but chuckle when he bumps into the wall. He's still clumsy, sometimes awkwardly so, Stiles. Some things don't change. Her back is facing him, but she knows he's there. She says over her shoulder. "Hey, sorry. But, I didn't know which one to grab."

Stiles doesn't say anything.

"Stiles?" Lydia says turning around to face him. "Which one-"But she stops when she sees him. Something isn't right. His jaw is slack and he looks like he's staring into space. "Hey, Stiles. You okay?"

But, she already knows he's not. And then his right arm starts spasming. Lydia knows instantly what this is. All the literature she read about the effects of bacterial meningitis comes rushing back to her. How patients who display seizures when battling meningitis can often develop epilepsy later on during their recovery from the illness. How it can sometimes take time for the full extent of the damage caused by the infection to take form. Sometimes weeks, months, or even years.

Back in the hospital when Stiles' fever finally broke and the seizures ceased, they all let out a sigh of relief. They dodged a bullet. The hearing loss was tough enough to deal with, but at least they didn't have epilepsy to also contend with. Now as she watches Stiles crash onto the floor in a grand mal seizure she knows how wrong they all were.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I had to throw a little more Stiles whump in!