keeper (d. Hale)

out of sight.

"Melissa!" Derek roared as he entered the hospital with Delilah.

Melissa looked up from the nursing station she sat behind and felt the chair she was in topple over as she stood. Derek Hale stood in front of her with a frantic look in his eyes and a limp Delilah in his arms. He was shirtless but covered by his recognizable leather jacket and what looked like to be blood. And a lot of it.

Throwing herself into action, Melissa began barking orders to the other nurses around her as a gurney was rushed forward. Derek gently placed Delilah down onto the waiting surface and carefully brushed the hair from her forehead. His fingers turning red with her blood.

"Please." He pleaded to Melissa. She nodded and took his arm to drag him off to an empty exam room.

"I don't know what the hell is going on but stay here. Don't come out until I come for you." She hissed, jabbing her finger into his chest.

Melissa closed the door and moved a blank patient file into the front slot indicating the room was in use.

At hearing the shouting Noah came around the corner seeing Delilah laid out as nurses buzzed around her.

"Delilah!" He yelled, rushing over.

"Move away Sheriff," Melissa called trying to calm her nerves. "She was just brought in and we need to work."

Noah squeezed Delilah's hand and watched as the nurses took her away, gutted they would need to work on one of their own.

"I want to know what you know, when you know it, alright?"

Melissa agreed and took off after her friend, terrified of what was to come.

- - - - -

"She's stable now." Melissa told Noah. "She had a bulley wound in her left shoulder and extensive bruising on the side of her head, resulting in a concussion." Melissa stopped as she took in a deep breath. "Her wrists were covered in deep ligature marks. And she is severely dehydrated."

"What the hell happened to her?" Noah questioned. This night was becoming to much for him. First the Martin girl and now this? Maybe it was time he considered retirement.

Just as he was about to ask more questions, Tara ran down the hall grabbing his attention.

"We gotta go, Sheriff. There is another body in the woods."

"Oh for fuck's sake," the Sheriff swore. Looking a Melissa he let her know he was serious about yhe updates and want sure when he would be back to check on Delilah. Taking a deep breath he left to deal with the next town disaster.

Melissa watched the Sheriff leave, and waited a few minutes before running to the exam room she stashed Derek in.

"Alright, Mr. Hale. Spill or I'll call the Sheriff back."

"Is she going to be okay?" He asked pleadingly, desperate for any scrap of information she could share about his girl.

"Yes," Melissa sighed dejectedly. "She's been through a lot but I don't see why she won't pull through. She's resting now and I'll take you to her, if you tell me what happened."

Derek blew out a deeper breath hearing she was going to be okay. "It was Kate Argent."

"She has been stalking me ever since I got back to town. We dated back when I was in high school and it didn't end the greatest.

I thought she was out of my life but she found out I was seeing Delilah and I think it tipped her over the edge. She took us and kept us in my old house. I was so scared she was going to kill her and as soon as I could, I got us out."