Isaac didn't think he'd ever felt so exhausted in his life. And it wasn't just from the illness his body was battling. He was emotionally wrecked. After years of only knowing pain and fear, something had finally changed and given him hope. Derek had convinced him that things would be different. And as much as he fought against that idea at first, he'd truly started to believe it. Isaac was such an idiot.

His father had his good moments too. A few week stretches where he drank less and cared more. Where every sentence that came out of his mouth lacked the bite it usually had. When he made promises to Isaac that he would be better and they would get back to being the family they used to be. But then something would happen that would shatter the illusion and things would go back to the way they were before. And that's when it would hurt the most. The sharp sting of disappointment would take the place of the dull constant ache of resignation that was there before it.

Isaac knew that Derek had been too good to be true. People like him didn't get saved. But Derek came in out of nowhere with talks of being strong and being pack and Isaac had always wanted that so badly. Maybe not the pack part, since he didn't even know there was such a thing before Derek, but having a place where he belonged. Where he would be safe. Yet when Isaac was at his most vulnerable, Derek ripped it all away from him.

Isaac cursed himself for being so weak and stupid. If he'd just agreed to take the bite from Derek, none of this would've happened. His body would've been strong and he wouldn't have fallen ill. But he just had to be stubborn. His father had pressed into him for years that that was one of his worst traits, and it was true. He was too stubborn to learn his lessons the first time and kept incurring his father's wrath. And he was too stubborn to accept the gift that Derek was willing to give him and say yes. Isaac being alone in a hospital and about to go back into the hell he thought he'd escaped was his own fault.

A nurse stepped into his room and Isaac quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He didn't want to talk or find out exactly what was wrong with him. It was something serious, since he was hooked up to a bunch of machines and IVs. This was definitely the sickest he'd ever been. Besides some broken bones and stitches, he was healthy. If this was going to be a new trend for him, he was never going to make it at home.

"I know you're awake," the nurse said casually, moving around his bed. Isaac still wasn't willing to give up the act, but when a cold hand touched his wrist, he couldn't suppress his surprised jerk. "I didn't mean to startle you. Just checking you over."

"I'm sorry," Isaac mumbled, because apologizing was the default when it came to people in positions of power. He kept his eyes down as she kept working around him.

"No need to apologize. Heaven knows my son is a pro at pretending to be asleep when he wants to get out of doing things," the nurse chuckled, standing in front of him as she jotted down a note. The movement jiggled her ID badge and he couldn't help noticing the name printed on it.

"McCall? As in Scott McCall?" Isaac asked quietly.

"You know my son?" Nurse McCall asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Only from lacrosse," Isaac mumbled, remembering Derek's warning to keep him and Stiles out of his drama.

"Do you know Stiles as well? He's the one who brought you in."

"Lacrosse," Isaac said again. If he said more, it might contradict any story they cooked up while he was out of it.

"Well, he was lucky to find you. What were you doing out there?" Nurse McCall wondered, setting her clipboard back at the end of the bed. Isaac pressed his lips together, unable to answer. Naturally the next question would be about where he had been before that and Isaac honestly had no idea what to say. Saying nothing felt safest. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you about that. It's not my job."

"Um, am I dying?" Isaac asked hesitantly. If he was, then he could just spill the beans. What else did he have to lose?

"Oh sweetie, of course not!" Nurse McCall insisted, looking horrified that he'd even asked that. "The doctor will be by soon to go into detail about everything, but you're going to be fine. Your kidneys just needed a little extra help and you're on the tail end of some really bad food poisoning, but it's nothing that a day or two here can't fix." Isaac nodded in understanding. He wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved. He didn't want to die, but an illness that kept him in the hospital until after his 18th birthday didn't sound so bad.

"May I come in?" a new voice asked from the doorway. Isaac froze at the sight of Sheriff Stilinski. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to be questioned by someone official. Someone who had the power to upend his life forever.

"Isaac, calm down," Nurse McCall soothed, reaching over to rub his arm. Isaac jumped at the touch, turning wide eyes toward her. "You need to slow down your breathing, okay? Can you do that for me?" Isaac hadn't even realized he wasn't breathing right, until he forced himself to pause and take note of his surroundings. The machines around him were starting to go wild. He needed to get a hold of himself before it alerted other staff and his room filled with strangers.

"Sorry," Isaac whispered, trying to take measured breaths. His heart was still slamming in his chest, but he couldn't control that.

"I just wanted to ask you some questions. You aren't in any trouble," the sheriff assured him. Isaac knew that his trouble was only starting. Sheriff Stilinski cautiously entered the room, pasting a non threatening smile on his face. "Do you remember we met? About a week ago?"

"Yes," Isaac mumbled. He may have been sick, but his brain was working just fine. It seemed like treating Isaac like a scared child was the sheriff's plan. He'd probably earned that, thanks to his freakout when he was brought to the hospital.

"Good. It's good to see you again. A lot of people were worried about you." Isaac cut his eyes away at that statement. No one gave a damn about him. This town just liked the drama. Did anyone care when he came to school with bruises? Or when he didn't show up at all for days at a time? Did anyone even realize he was missing until the news report? Sheriff Stilinski had been the only one to question the marks on his face in years, but that was all it was. A question, then nothing. Even if Isaac lied, it was for his own safety. He couldn't say anything with his father there.

But Sheriff Stilinski was in his room right now. Maybe that meant this was finally Isaac's chance to talk. His chance to tell his whole truth to someone and put his faith in them. Stiles seemed to trust his dad, which wasn't something Isaac was particularly used to, but Scott and Derek hadn't said anything against him either. The closest Isaac had come to trusting an adult in a long time had been Derek, but that blew up in his face. Was it worth the risk to give it one more shot? The alternative was to accept his fate and end up back in the house with his father. Could things really get any worse?

"Can we talk?" Isaac asked timidly, keeping his eyes locked on the blanket covering his legs. He heard Nurse McCall quietly excusing herself, assuring that she was just a button press away as she left the room. Sheriff Stilinski came closer, sitting down in the visitor's chair next to the bed.

"You can tell me anything you want. And I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you," Sheriff Stilinski said firmly. Isaac brushed a hand under his eyes, feeling embarrassed at the thought of crying. He'd always been terrible about keeping his emotions in check. "What is it you want to say?"

"I-"

"Isaac!"

Isaac felt all the blood drain from his face at the sound of his father's voice. It seemed like all the air was gone from the room and Isaac could barely draw in a breath. His dad couldn't be here right now. Isaac was finally about to ask for help. He was finally going to have a chance to get free from the constant fear and pain.

"Isaac, calm down."

This couldn't be happening again. No matter what Isaac tried, he was never going to escape his father. Derek should've let him die in the motel bed.

"Melissa, we need help in here!"

Isaac couldn't handle this. He couldn't stand the thought of tense dinners and not knowing what he was going to encounter when he woke up in the morning. The long walks home from school when every part of his body told him to turn and run the other way, but he had nothing and nowhere to go. The freezer.

"Everyone out!"

Isaac felt hands on him and he screamed, clasping his eyes shut as he fought against the touch. He just kept screaming and screaming, because if he made enough noise, someone would have to realize where he was. No one ever heard him before, but they had to now. He couldn't be in the freezer again. He couldn't.

"We need to sedate him."

Isaac felt a needle slide into his skin, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. He wasn't in control of his future or even his body. He was at the mercy of whoever decided they wanted it. From his dad, to Derek, to the doctors at the hospital. What was the point of fighting? Isaac gave in to the pull of the drug in his system, letting himself slump on the hospital bed. He was giving up.