Chapter Five
River wasn't annoyed or depressed. She was angry. Scott and Stiles were suddenly too busy for her all the time. Her regular friends had stopped being her friends. Jackson was being weird with Allison. Lydia was being evasive. Add on Noah having to work extra hours due to all the animal attacks and she was wanting to punch something. She finally cornered Lydia after classes one day.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked bluntly.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean, everyone is avoiding me or acting weird and I want to know why, starting with you," River said, arms crossed as she stared Lydia down.
"I like your outfit," Lydia said instead.
"You bought it," River answered immediately.
"Of course, I did," Lydia smiled before frowning. "However, if I had known the shoes would make you taller than me, I would have gotten you a different pair."
"You said you would wear your heels that way we would be the same height on days where I wore these," River defended.
"And did you tell me you were going to wear those so that I could wear mine?"
"I tried calling you three times last night," River said, annoyance in her voice.
"Yes, you're being very needy lately. What's up with that?"
"Whatever," River rolled her eyes, walking away and ignoring the hurt that she was feeling.
She ignored Lydia calling after her and went straight to her locker, grabbing her homework and heading to her car. Yes, her car. She had finally saved enough to get a second-hand car. She had spent the past three weekends fixing it up, spending hours getting the car grease off of her hands. Noah had watched a few times, wanting to help but not knowing a thing about cars.
River climbed into her 1998, red Ford Mustang, peeling out of the lot and racing towards the house. Once she parked in front of the house, she sighed, hitting her head against the steering wheel as she thought about Lydia's party from a few weeks before. Stiles had completely ditched her and Scott had ditched Allison, causing some weird guy to drive them both home. Stiles and Scott had started avoiding her after that, talking in hushed whispers and hiding at Scott's a lot.
She walked into the quiet house, Noah still at work and Stiles at practice. She caught herself wishing she had work that day just so she'd have something to do. Instead, she pulled her weekend homework from her bag, working through it quickly before she grabbed a random book from her shelf and started reading.
She fell asleep with the book open across her stomach, knocking it to the floor as she rolled in her sleep. She woke up to sunlight pouring into her room and let out a sigh before grinning. She began unwrapping her fingers, happy that the four weeks was finally up. Once she was done, she went to her bathroom, taking a long, hot shower before getting dressed for the day. She had offered to help Noah with some reception duty until four when Amber would get there and she had another twenty minutes until she had to leave the house.
After her hair was dry, makeup was on, and clothes were chosen and thrown on, she headed towards the kitchen, finding Stiles eating a bowl of cereal.
"Hey," she greeted, skipping through the kitchen.
"You're in a good mood," Stiles smirked.
"It's going to be a good day," she nodded, grabbing a granola bar and putting hot water into a kettle and setting it on the stove. "I got to unwrap my fingers this morning, I'm spending the day at the station to help dad, and then I'm getting diner food for dinner."
"Sounds like a good day to me," Stiles nodded, putting his bowl in the sink. "Let me see your hand?"
River held her hand out for Stiles to inspect. He pressed on her fingers, checking for pain or broken bones before looking into her eyes. They stared at each other and River couldn't help but notice the way his maple eyes shined in the sunlight. She felt herself leaning closer to him and jumped when the kettle began to whistle. Stiles stepped away from her, shaking his head to clear it before telling her he was heading to Scott's and running out of the house.
After pouring the hot water into a travel mug with a tea bag, River grabbed her bag from beside the door and headed towards her car. She drove to the station in silence, not even turning the radio on as she drove. Once she reached the station, she smiled to Ricco, who was all too happy to leave the front counter to get back to his actual job. She chewed on her granola bar as she got herself situated at the desk. She slid the headset that connected to the phone over her ears and sipped her tea before starting to organize the case files that were scattered around the desk.
Noah came to check on her a couple of hours later, not having received any calls or walk-ins so far that day.
"How's it going up here?" he asked, sitting beside her.
"Your office is so unorganized," she sighed, setting down the folder currently in her hands.
"You can come organize it any time you want," Noah smirked.
"I did. Four months ago," she deadpanned. "Did you already forget the system that I told you to use?"
"I remember it when I'm looking for something," he offered.
River rolled her eyes, giving him a smile in the process.
"Maybe I should be here instead of the hospital," she offered. "Nurse Jennifer doesn't like me reading to the patients, anyways. She told me not to bother the past few times I went inside. I had to sneak around just to get to the room."
"The coma patient, right?" Noah asked.
"Yeah."
"Anything you can tell me about him?"
"That's against HIPPA regulations," she shrugged. "I'll say his first name is Peter."
"Peter Hale. Only survivor of the Hale house fire."
"So, you've met?" River asked, leaning back in her seat.
"No. I've met his nephew, Derek, though."
"Oh?"
"His sister was the body that you and Stiles went looking for," Noah explained.
"I stayed in the Jeep," River defended.
"Was Scott there?"
"Nope."
"Stiles already spilled the beans weeks ago," Noah smirked.
"I plead the fifth. You can't talk to me without my lawyer present."
"You're my kid," Noah laughed.
"Not when I'm being interrogated in a police department," River shot back, smiling wide.
"Fair," he shrugged. "I'll let you get back to organizing. I'm going to run and get something to eat. Do you want anything?"
"A Ceasar salad with Italian dressing," she rattled off. "Can you grab me a Sprite, too?"
"Of course," Noah smiled, kissing her head before heading out of the station.
River went back to organizing, reading through the files quickly so she would know where to put them. She stopped to take a break when Noah got back with their food, passing Ricco the headset. He grumbled but headed up front, customer service smile in place in case anyone was up front. Once in Noah's office, she switched her salad and Sprite out for the greasy burger, curly fries, and chocolate shake that Noah had gotten for himself.
"That's mine," Noah complained.
"Stiles is on his way," River shrugged, dipping a fry in to the shake.
"Is he actually?" he asked.
River smirked, staying quiet as she ate instead of answering. Stiles came in a few minutes, looking as if he had just run a mile. He looked down at the table, nodding approvingly at the salad in front of his dad. He plopped down, stealing one of River's fries.
"Is it cool if I stay with Scott tonight?" he asked.
"Yeah," Noah nodded. "We should have a family night one of these days, though."
"How about after the game on Friday?" River offered. "We can get dinner after and then go home and play a game or watch a movie?"
"Sounds good to me," Noah nodded, looking to Stiles.
Stiles nodded, chewing through the bite of burger that he had stolen from River. She rolled her eyes, ripped the burger in half, and handed him the larger half. He smiled, grabbing a napkin and holding it under the burger so grease wouldn't get on his clothes.
"Has Scott gotten his phone fixed?" River asked curiously.
"No," Stiles shook his head. "He's getting a new one next weekend when he gets paid."
River nodded and tuned out the banter between Stiles and Noah as she continued eating. When Stiles finished his half of the burger, he grabbed a handful of fries and left. River rolled her eyes, passing the remaining fries to Noah and wiping her hands. She stood, kissed Noah's head, and took the remaining milkshake with her to the front. Ricco jumped when she snagged the headset off of him and she laughed loudly. He gave her a glare, but it was accompanied by a small smile, so she knew he wasn't actually upset.
She went back to organizing, just barely getting through half of the stack when Amber walked in at a quarter to four, giving her the okay to head out. She went to Noah's office, giving him a hug before heading out. She drove to the diner, ordering fries and a chocolate shake for dinner. She dipped the fries in her shake as she sat in a booth, scrolling on her phone as she read through article on the Hale fire. She zoned out as she read, finishing her fries and shake without even realizing it.
At seven, she received a text from Scott.
'GET TO THE SCHOOL. NOW.'
She clicked call on his contact, frowning when he didn't answer. She tried calling Stiles next and felt panic washing through her when he didn't answer either. She threw money onto the table and ran out of the diner, getting in her car and speeding to the school. When she got there, she spotted Jackson's Porshe and frowned before stopping at the sight of a pool of blood in front of an open door.
She heard rustling and looked to the bush near the blood, seeing a leg sticking out from underneath it.
"Oh, my God!" she yelled, rushing forward to the figure.
She pulled the man from the bush, rolling him to his back and gasping at the hole in his chest. She pulled her phone out and called the station.
"Beacon Hills police department. What's your emergency?" Amber's voice asked.
"I need an ambulance at the school!" she yelled into her speaker as she pressed her hands against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
"We heard there would be prank calls about a break-in at the school. If you call again, we're sending a cruiser to your home."
The line went dead and River growled, working through the blood on her hands to call again.
"Beacon Hills…"
"Damn it, Amber! Do not hang up on me again! It's River! I need an ambulance at the school, now!"
"River?" Amber asked. "What's going on?"
"I don't know. I think Scott and Stiles are inside and Jackson's car is here, too! There's a lot of blood, Amber! I'm trying to stop the bleeding, but There's a hole in his chest!"
"A hole in who's chest?" Amber asked.
"I don't know who he is!" River said. "He's barely breathing! Amber, tell dad to hurry!"
"He's on his way," Amber assured her. "I need you to stay on the line until he gets there."
"My hands are covered in blood! I couldn't hang up if I wanted to!"
"Deep breath, River." Amber spoke, trying to sound soothing. "Help is on the way. You're okay."
"Okay," River breathed, tears streaming down her face. "Okay."
A growl came from behind her and she turned quickly, gasping at the sight in front of her. A huge creature stood directly behind her, red eyes staring into her soul.
"Amber?" she whispered.
"Yes, River?" Amber answered.
"Tell dad that I love him," she said and the monster pounced.
A scream ripped through her throat as she tried to shield the injured man. The monster threw her across the parking lot with ease, running after her body as it crashed into the Jeep. The monster scratched down her arm and side, causing her to scream louder. She could hear Amber screaming from her phone but couldn't hear what she was saying through the blood rushing to her head. The monster threw her again and she landed in the puddle of blood in front of the door. The monster loomed over her as she felt her consciousness slipping.
"Please," she begged the monster. "Please, don't hurt them."
Them monster growled and took off, running to the trees. River watched it run off, confused until she heard the sirens and saw the lights pulling into the parking lot.
"River!" Noah screamed, dropping down by her side as paramedics ran over.
"By the bush," she said, pointing to where the man had been. "By the bush."
"Don't talk, sweetheart," Noah said as deputies ran into the school, guns drawn.
"The monster," she continued anyway. "It went into the woods."
"Monster?" he asked.
"It went into the woods," she repeated. "Not a mountain lion. Red eyes."
"Shh, sweetheart. You're going to be okay. I've got you," he told her gently.
"Don't leave me," she repeated the words from years ago, begging him.
"I won't," he promised. "I would never."
"Hurts, dad," she said, tears streaming down her face.
"I know, sweetheart," he told her, tears rolling down his own face. "You're going to be okay."
The paramedics lifted her onto the gurney, causing her to scream in pain at being moved. They began wheeling her towards the ambulance when River heard Stiles scream out.
"Dad!"
"Are you hurt?" Noah questioned.
"No, we're fine. Is that River?"
Panic raised in Stiles voice as he ran over, following the gurney. River closed her eyes, finally passing out now that she knew her friends were safe. She woke up again in the hospital, her eyes fluttering open. She turned her head, finding Noah asleep in the chair beside her bed and moved to take his hand. She gasped in pain from the movement and Noah startled awake, standing and coming to her side in an instant.
"Dad?" she asked.
"I'm here," he promised, clicking the button to call for a nurse.
Jennifer came in, frown on her face.
"Are you in pain?" she asked gently.
River nodded, tears going down her face. Jennifer walked over to the IV beside her bed, twisting one of the cords and allowing pain medicine to drip faster. She looked down to River, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. River looked to Noah and closed her eyes, falling back asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, Stiles was in the chair looking lost in thought.
"Hey," she spoke, her voice cracking from how dry it was.
"Do you need water?" Stiles asked, grabbing a cup from beside her bed before she could answer.
She sipped the water through the straw, Stiles holding the cup for her. Once she'd finished the water, she leaned back, sighing.
"Did they find it?" she asked him.
"It?" he asked.
"The thing that attacked me," she explained. "I told Noah that it ran into the woods."
"What thing?" he asked.
"The monster. It was huge and had red eyes," she explained. "I think it was the thing that attacked Scott."
"River, Derek Hale attacked you," he said gently.
"What?" she asked.
"Derek Hale. He chased us around the school, killed the janitor, and attacked you," Stiles explained.
"You're telling me a guy threw me across the parking lot twice and then scratched me to hell and back?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
Stiles flinched and River knew he was lying.
"Did they save the guy that was bleeding?" she asked instead.
"What guy?" he asked, this time looking confused.
"There was a guy in the bush. I pulled him out and called the station while I tried to stop the bleeding. He had a hole in his chest and was barely breathing."
Stiles' eyes got wide at her explanation and he shook his head before controlling his features.
"They didn't find anyone except you," he stated.
"There was a guy, Stiles," she said angrily.
"I believe you," Stiles said soothingly. "They haven't found the janitor, either, and Scott and I both saw him."
"Where's Noah?' she asked, tired of listening to Stiles.
"Work," he explained. "He's trying to find Derek."
River rolled her eyes.
"I should get some rest. Go home, Stiles," she dismissed him.
"River," he tried.
"If you're going to try to gaslight me, then I don't want you here. Go."
Stiles sputtered for a few moments before nodding slowly. He left the room and Jennifer came in.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Tired," she answered honestly. "Side hurts."
"I turned the pain medicine down a little," she explained.
"How bad is it?" she asked.
"Well, we had to stitch you up and you lost a lot of blood," she explained.
"Will it scar?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Wonderful," River rolled her eyes.
"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can grab you a dinner tray."
"What day is it?" she asked.
"Wednesday. You've been out for a while."
River groaned before nodding to the food offer. Jennifer came back in with a tray and set it on the table beside River's bed. She sat the bed up, helping River get comfortable before moving the tray. Once River finished eating, Jennifer took the try and helped River lie back down. River fell asleep not long after, exhaustion washing over her.
Stiles and Scott stayed away the next day, Noah and Melissa coming in at random times of the day to make sure she was okay. Lydia and Jackson came to see her before the game on Friday.
"How are you feeling?" Lydia asked.
"Disgusting," she answered honestly. "I want to go home and shower."
"I'm guessing the sheriff isn't listening to that request?" Lydia smirked.
"Not even a little," she smiled back before looking to Jackson.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hi," she whispered back. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Just hope they catch him soon."
River rolled her eyes.
"Did either of you actually see that guy?" she asked.
"No," Lydia shook her head. "He chased us through the school though."
"When was he chasing you?" she asked.
"We got there at, like, six," Lydia explained. "He was chasing us for a while."
"Do you know what time he stopped chasing you?" she asked out of curiosity.
"We weren't really looking at the time," Jackson rolled his eyes.
"I called the police at six-fifty," Lydia spoke up. "He was still chasing us then, but he stopped not long after that."
River nodded, eyebrows furrowed together.
"Why?" Jackson asked.
"No reason," River shook her head. "You should be getting to the game."
Jackson nodded and Lydia squeezed her hand before they left. River sighed, looking back to the tv that was playing a black and white movie. After trying to stay still for a bit, she groaned and sat up, slowly swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She took her time getting to her feet, smiling when she only felt a pang of pain from her side. Carefully, River took a step, hand on the bed in case she needed to catch herself. After a few steps, she reached the edge of the bed where her bag rested.
She pulled out her shower bag, pajama pants, and big t-shirt that she was sure Stiles had probably packed for her. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, hand on the wall for balance. Once in the bathroom, she turned the water on, waiting for it to heat up before reaching behind herself with her good arm and untying her hospital gown. She let it fall to the floor and looked in the mirror, staring at the long, jagged scars. The outside of her left arm was completely stitched up, the claws leaving almost no skin knit together. Her left side had three maul marks going all the way down, running parallel to her arm. Her hip had two smaller lines where the claws had barely clipped her after her arm and side.
She turned from the mirror, wiping at her eyes and ignoring the tears that tried to spill from her eyes. She walked into the shower, careful to hold onto the bar inside of it for balance. Once she had washed her hair, carefully washed her body, and shaved, she climbed out of the shower, flinching as her side began hurting more from all of her movements and from standing for so long. She pulled on her underwear and pajama pants before looking at her shirt. Taking a deep breath, she rolled the left side of the shirt up and slid it up her arm, holding it away from the stitches in the process. Then she slid her other arm in and used her right arm to pull the shirt over her head.
When dressed, she let out a shaky breath and opened the bathroom door. She heard a crash from the hall and turned her head towards the door, listening to the sounds of growling and glass breaking. She slowly stepped towards the door, opening it a crack and peaking out. It took everything in her to hold in her gasp of shock as an awake and functioning Peter threw the man that she had found in the bushes across the hall, sailing pass her door.
Peter stopped and stared at River and she felt her heart rate pick up. He gave her a gentle smile, stepped towards her door, and winked at her before shutting her door. She listened to him footsteps walk away from her room and heard the other man yell out. Eventually the sounds completely faded and she went back to her bed, panic and fear overpowering the physical pain that she felt. She crawled into the hospital bed and pulled the sheets over her head, squeezing her eyes shut and jumping at every little sound she heard. She isn't sure how she ended up falling asleep, but she knew her dreams were filled with nightmares of loud growls and glowing red eyes.
She woke up the next morning lying on her back, blanket at her shoulders. She could feel someone holding her hand and felt no pain for the first time since she had woken up. She sighed at the feeling, wanting to sink back into unconsciousness.
"I know you're awake, little one," a voice she didn't recognize said, causing her to frown.
"Sleepy," she whispered out.
"I know, but I want to meet you properly," the voice said. "Open your eyes for me."
River sighed, slowly opening her eyes slowly. She was looking up at the tiles above her. She turned her head to see Peter sitting back in a chair, his arm reached out so he could hold her hand. She looked to their interlocked hands and noticed the black lines running up his arm.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Your pain," he said.
"My pain?" she questioned, confused.
"Yes. I can take your pain out of you and into me," he explained.
"So, it's your pain now?"
"Yes."
"No," she shook her hand, trying to pull her hand away, but Peter held firmly. "I don't want to hurt you."
Peter let out a small chuckle as he leaned forward.
"Well, I hurt you, so it's only fair."
"You did this?" she asked, feeling anger and fear.
"I did," he frowned. "I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to get there so quickly. Sometimes I lose control."
"You're the monster?" she asked, her voice smile.
"I'm working on it," he promised. "I want to ask you something though."
"Okay."
"Do you want the bite?" he asked.