Isaac didn't want to open his eyes. When he was in the freezer, sometimes if he tried hard enough, he could pretend he was somewhere else. That he was asleep out in a field with no walls in sight. Or anywhere really where he could spread out his limbs as far as they would go. But it was usually only head trauma or a lack of oxygen that would afford him that mental escape. There was some sort of haze dulling his senses now, and it was kind of nice.

He could tell he wasn't in the freezer now, since his legs weren't curled to the point of cramping. Maybe his father had sprung for an actual coffin to put him in. The cemetery would probably give him an employee discount. Isaac couldn't hold back a shudder at that thought.

"You need to be more careful."

Isaac jerked in surprise, before the pain of the movement stole his breath away. He panted harshly when he had the ability to breathe again, trying to stop himself from throwing up. From how badly his stomach hurt, he knew that strain would probably kill him. If he were lucky.

"I've finally fucking lost it," Isaac muttered, squeezing his eyes shut even harder. Of all the people for his subconscious to conjure up, why did it have to be Derek? A man he would probably never see again. Imagining his mom would at least be somewhat of a comfort, but his brain couldn't even give him that.

"Do you need to call a nurse?"

"Why are you always trying to get me to call people? You didn't even give me your number." And why was he still having a conversation with a hallucination? He'd blame whatever drugs were being pumped into his body through the needle he felt stuck in his skin. Funny that they weren't enough to take away all the pain he was feeling, but maybe he deserved the discomfort. When his dad got the bill for this hospital stay, he was in for a lot worse.

"What are you talking about?"

"You should know, since you're a figment of my imagination," Isaac scoffed. He needed to pass out again so he could have some peace before life decided the next way it needed to kick him down lower. Maybe his dad would be able to convince everyone that Isaac was the violent one and send him to jail. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. One cage for another.

"Your imagination is shit if I'm what you come up with."

"I don't have much," Isaac sniffled, shaking his head. He really didn't want to cry, but what was the harm in doing it now? He was alone and in so many ways. "I thought you were gonna save me, but you just made everything worse."

"Isaac-"

"Why did you do it?" Isaac asked, biting his lip as it wobbled. "Why did you let me think things were going to get better?"

"Isaac."

"You got me to trust you, and for what? Did it give you some sort of sick pleasure? Was it your plan all along to send me back?"

"No."

"I was always gonna end up here."

"Isaac." A hand touched his arm and Isaac's eyes snapped open. Hallucinations couldn't touch you, right? Isaac's eyes followed up the hand, before landing on the face of Derek. A very real looking Derek.

"Derek? No no no."

"Isaac, calm down."

"I can't do this. Not again," Isaac choked out, shaking his head in denial. This was just gonna keep happening, wasn't it? Derek would force his way into his life, then find a reason to toss him aside. And Isaac would be left to face the repercussions from his father. Isaac had absolutely no control over his own life. And he never would. "Get out."

"Isaac-"

"I don't want you here! Get out!" Isaac shouted, wrenching his arm away. He felt the sting of his IVs being jostled, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting Derek as far away from him as possible.

"Isaac."

"I want you to go," Isaac growled, putting as much venom in his voice as he could. It wasn't much, since it felt like each tear rolling down his face was choking the air out of his lungs, but he needed Derek to hear how serious he was. The night Derek sent him away was sort of a blur, but those words had been seared into his memory. It felt nice to turn them back on him.

"What's going on in here?" Nurse McCall demanded, bursting into the room with a few other staff trailing in behind her. Isaac didn't even care that he was probably about to be poked and prodded. As long as Derek wasn't anywhere near him.

The hospital workers surrounded his bed, blocking Isaac's view of Derek. Even though it was what he wanted, it was still overwhelming. His body started shaking as he was peppered with questions that his mind couldn't keep up with. He was just so tired and didn't want to deal with any of it. So when he saw something being injected into his IV, he didn't bother trying to fight the pull of the drugs. Maybe when he woke up again, his only company would be his troubled thoughts.

Derek was practically bullied out of the chair and shoved to the side of the room by the nurses and doctors surrounding Isaac's bed. He couldn't even see more than brief glimpses between bodies now and then. Leaving would've been the smart idea. Isaac's father had been taken care of and Derek got to see with his own eyes that Isaac was going to be okay, but Derek's feet were frozen in place.

It wasn't a surprise how Isaac felt about him. Derek felt like shit for what he'd done and it was well deserved. But hearing it vocalized and with such honest pain made it even more real. Derek had run off before having to deal with the consequences of what he'd done, but now they were hitting him full force. Isaac hated him and Derek hated himself too.

After a few minutes, the tension in the room started to leak away. Derek still couldn't get a good look at Isaac, but he could hear that his breaths had evened out. They must've given him a sedative to put him back to sleep, so his body could rest. So Derek couldn't hurt him anymore. It wasn't the amends and goodbye that Derek wanted to give him, but it would have to be enough. He was just starting to turn to leave when a vice grip wrapped around his wrist.

"We need to talk," a woman said firmly. Not any woman, but Scott's mom. Derek had enough strength that he could've pushed her off of him without effort, but for some reason, he was letting himself be dragged from the room and down the hallway, before she deposited him in an empty room and shut the door behind them. What the hell was he doing? "I want the whole story."

"I don't have to tell you anything," Derek argued. He'd been tortured before and kept his mouth shut. If he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't.

"You don't have to, but you're going to," she replied, raising an eyebrow at him. So this was where Scott got his stubborn nature.

"Look, Ma'am-"

"Melissa."

"Melissa," Derek repeated, drawing her name out a little and flashing her a charming smile. "I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"The only misunderstanding is you thinking that smile is going to work on me," Melissa replied, matching it with one of her own. His track record with it was pretty good, so yeah, he was kind of banking on it. It was cleaner than having to resort to violence. "We're not leaving this room until I get some answers. And I'd like you to be quick, since I'm still on the clock."

"Are you serious?" Derek scoffed. That was something he'd do. Why couldn't she have been bitten instead of her son? She would've made a great werewolf. "Fine. I saw the guy I brought in on the side of the road. He told me his son was in the hospital and I wanted to see if he was okay. Now I'm being interrogated for being a good samaritan?" That was close enough to the truth, wasn't it?

"I don't believe you. Try again," Melissa said, cocking her hands on her hips.

"What, you need something juicier to tell the sheriff?" Derek shot back.

"No, I want the truth so I know the best way to help that young man in there," Melissa snapped, not cowed by Derek in the slightest.

"You care about him?" Derek asked, watching her critically. He'd know if she was lying.

"I do," she confirmed. Derek didn't hear any signs of her being dishonest. Maybe Melissa was exactly what Isaac needed. Maybe she could be who Derek couldn't. Maybe this was his chance to make things right.

"I'll tell you the truth if you agree to take Isaac in," Derek proposed. Melissa reared back a little in surprise. It was the first time in their conversation that she seemed caught off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not like he'll be able to go back to his dad. He should be with someone who can take care of him. That's you." And could never be Derek. "I can give you money to help pay for his expenses."

"You're serious," Melissa stated. It wasn't a question. She could tell he meant every word he was saying. She had good instincts.

"Yes." Melissa stood silently for a few moments, contemplating his proposition. Derek knew it was a lot to ask of someone, but there were no other options. If Isaac had been around her enough for her to develop affection toward him, it would be easier for the kid to find a home with her. And Scott and Stiles would be around to help. They could provide him with a real family, instead of whatever Derek was.

"Fine. I agree. But you know that this will still have to go through the proper channels. Social services might not agree to place him with me," Melissa warned.

"They will," Derek said confidently. If Melissa could provide a good home for Isaac, it would be less work for them to do. Who was going to fight for a teenage kid? No one had bothered to pay attention to him before.

"Now that that's settled, I'm ready to hear the whole story," Melissa demanded. The whole story was complicated, but there had to be a sanitized version that Derek could give her to satisfy her. The werewolf part would be left out obviously. The less than legal things Derek did weren't bothering him too much, since he could always leave town like he planned all along. What did he have to lose?

"I met Isaac at the cemetery and could tell he was being abused. I found out where he lived and kidnapped him," Derek said evenly. Succinct and to the point. Melissa blinked a few times in surprise, absorbing the information.

"You kidnapped him?"

"I don't have a better word for it." It's what Isaac said many times. If the shoe fit.

"Go on."

"I took him to a motel until I could figure out what to do next."

"A motel? That's where Scott and I found him." Derek hadn't known that and it made him feel sick. Had Isaac been looking for Derek? Could Isaac have died looking for help that wasn't there? Derek shook that thought away. Isaac was fine now.

"We were there for a few days when Isaac got sick. I tried to take care of him, but he got worse."

"So you left him alone on the side of the road?" Melissa asked accusingly.

"No! I called Stiles and had him pick Isaac up." He was definitely leaving the part about how he got Isaac into the jeep out. What he'd said and done still left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Why Stiles?"

"His dad is the sheriff."

"But how do you know Stiles?" Yeah, a guy in his twenties hanging around a bunch of teenagers wasn't the best look.

"I met him after my sister was killed and I was dealing with the investigation." Melissa's eyes softened a little at hearing that.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Melissa said sincerely. Derek bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to think of his family. His crap didn't matter right now. This was about Isaac.

"I thought maybe Isaac would be okay after that. Either his dad would be too worried about people finding out the truth about him, or Isaac would tell someone and be taken away. But that didn't happen." It was a pipe dream, but Derek clung to that hope. "When I found out Isaac was in the hospital, I-"

"Nope, I don't want to hear this part!" Melissa said quickly, holding up her hands to stop him from saying more. "Mr. Lahey confessed to a crime. No need to muddy the waters." Derek was really starting to like this woman.

"That's it then. The whole story. Are you going to hold up your end of the bargain?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep Isaac safe with me," Melissa promised. Derek felt a little bit of the weight fall off his shoulders. He might've fucked things up every step of the way, but he'd finally done something right.

"Thank you."

"If I'd said no to your request, what would you have done?" Melissa asked suddenly, pinning him with her gaze. He knew his answer, but he couldn't say it. It was what he wanted to do for weeks, but was too much of a coward to. "You would've taken him again." Derek couldn't argue with the truth.

"I should go."

"You shouldn't run off. Once things calm down, I think Isaac will want to talk to you. I think you both need that."

"I'm pretty sure Isaac hates me and never wants to see me again," Derek sighed. He really hoped he didn't sound petulant and whiny. Derek deserved all the hate Isaac had for him. "It's my fault he's in here."

"It's Isaac's father's fault he's in here," Melissa said firmly, placing a careful hand on Derek's arm. It wasn't like the grip she'd had on him before. This was soft, caring. Derek didn't know what to do with it. "You were trying to do the right thing. You maybe just went about it in not the best way. Give him time."

"Right," Derek mumbled. He didn't believe her, but he wasn't going to argue.

"I need to get back to work. And make a lot more phone calls," Melissa said lightly, patting him on the arm before pulling her hand away. Derek watched her walk to the door where she paused, turning to look at him again. "I can tell you're a nice boy. Don't let this experience convince you to stop trying to help people."

Derek felt his cheeks heat up as she left the room. No one had called him nice before. Maybe when he was a kid and his life hadn't been molded by loss and pain, but not now. Now he was a loner. A mess. An asshole. He hadn't helped Isaac because he was a good person, it was to grow his pack. It was to be selfish.

But then why was he still here? Why hadn't he given up on Isaac the second he'd become more risk than reward? More work than necessary? More of a real person than a prop for Derek to use? But had he ever been just that, or was that Derek lying to himself? Could Scott's mom, a woman who was a complete stranger to him, see him better than he could see himself? There were a lot of things Derek didn't know right now and he didn't know what to do with it all. What he did know was that he was going to stick around town for a little while longer. Not because Melissa told him he should, but because he didn't have any other plans at the moment. Not because he wanted to make sure Isaac was okay, but because… Derek was running out of lies to tell himself.