Once in a Lifetime

18

The sheriff placed an X through Tracy's picture and said, "Chimeras."

Stiles shrugged. "Well, yeah, two dead Chimeras."

"And new eight ones," Tabitha said as she crossed her arms. "That's ten now."

Sheriff Stilinski didn't turn around, focused on his board. Robin tacked up another picture as she said, "The sheriff and I are thinking 11." Tabitha glanced at Stiles to see him tensing up as his mouth opened. "Out station tech guys confirmed something for us." She and the sheriff turned around. "They said both the holding cell lock and cameras could have malfunctioned because of something electromagnetic. You said that, uh, these guys..."

"Dread Doctors," Tabitha interrupted.

The sheriff frowned, turning to her. "Are we really calling them that?"

"Unless you or my my can come up with a better name, yes. You're thinking they broke Donovan out?"

"It's how they got into Eichen, isn't it?"

"Donovan's a Chimera," Stiles said.

Robin nodded. "Yeah. But is he a failure like Lucas and Tracy?"

"If he is, he's probably dead."

"Not until Deputy Young and I've seen a body," Sheriff Stilinski replied as he studied his son. "You're uncharacteristically quiet."

Stiles locked eyes with his dad. "Yeah. Sorry... I'm, uh, I'm just trying to think about it. Uh... these are are all strangers, right? So, now shouldn't we be trying to figure out why these teenagers? If the Dread Doctors, if they went through all that... burying them, killing them, breaking one of them out of jail..."

"They couldn't have been chosen at random."

Tabitha shook her head and stood. She walked towards the board and looked at it. "There's something in common with them. There was something that made them right for this experiment."

They made their way to Scott's and Tabitha let out a sigh. "Oh, I am so looking forward to this."

Lydia ignored her. "My mom's book club usually has more wine."

Stiles let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, they also probably didn't read books that caused violent hallucinations."

"That's why Malia's here," Scott told him.

Kira frowned. "So none of us go running into traffic?"

"Or worse."

"Like what happened to Judy," Malia said. She noticed their confused looks. "Chapter 14."

Lydia grabbed the only actual book and looked at it. "Maybe I should have my mother read it. She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone."

Tabitha was handed a stack of papers and leafed through them, letting out another sigh.

Stiles muttered, "Yeah, if it works."

"It has to," Lydia replied.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked the strawberry blonde.

Lydia met his eyes. "I think I saw them during surgery. When I look at the cover of the book, it's almost like..."

"A memory trying to surface," Theo finished.

Stiles tensed up and Tabitha stood in front of him. She set down her stack of papers and took his hands.

Lydia glanced at Theo and nodded. "Yeah."

"Isn't that what Valack wanted when he wrote it?" Kira questioned.

"If they did something to me, I want to know what it is."

Each teen, excluding Lydia, grabbed a stack of papers, Tabitha picked hers up from where she'd left them, and scattered across the room. Malia, Tabitha and Stiles were on the couch; the couple sat next to each other. Scott and Kira were across from them, on the other couch. Theo and Lydia were both in a chair.

They started reading and after a few minutes, Tabitha yawned and began closing her eyes. The book was an exhausting read, and she already wanted to be done it.

"Anyone feel anything yet?" Scott asked.

"I hate this book," Tabitha said.

"Tired," Kira replied, trying to keep her eyes open.

"Hungry," Lydia answered.

Theo gave a small smile. "I think he meant the book."

Tabitha tried reading again, but the book seemed to drone on more than before.

Scott looked between Tabitha and Kira. "You two aren't giving up, are you?"

"Just resting my eyes," Kira told him.

Tabitha sighed and closed the book. "I don't like giving up on things, but I'll make an exception for this book. Yeah, I'm done."

Tabitha rested her head on Stiles' shoulder and her breaths evened as she fell asleep.

Everyone eventually dispersed and Stiles remained a moment longer.

He picked Tabitha up in his arms and walked out to his car. He put her in the passenger's seat and drove her home.

When he reached her house, he brought her inside and laid her on her bed.

He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Sleep well, Tabi. I'll see you in the morning."

---

The next day at school, Scott looked between his friends. "We keep an eye out for each other today, okay?"

Stiles glanced at Tabitha. "Yes, and keep an eye out for eight other potentially homicidal Chimeras."

"And keep an eye out for the Dread Doctors," Kira added.

They separated and made their way to class.

In the midst of class, Scott began panicking.

Tabitha rushed to her friend's side and tried calming him, but nothing she did worked.

Scott was sitting against the teacher's desk.

Tabitha shook Scott's shoulder a few times, but he didn't respond.

Liam appeared and showed his werewolf eyes and growled Scott's name.

Scott shook his inhaler and took a puff. "Thanks, Tabitha. Thanks, Liam."

As they made their way to the hospital, Tabitha was in a room staring at her parents' bodies on the ground.

"Mom? Dad?" she called softly, running to the bodies. "Mom! Dad!"

Their eyes opened and they were hollow. Their mouths were sewn shut as though someone had wanted to prevent them from screaming.

Tabitha screamed and let out a burst of purple sparks with a faint red hue.

Scott ran to her side. "Tabitha, are you okay? Hey, Tabitha!"

The redhead nodded, but Scott knew, from her chemosignals, that she was lying. "I haven't heard from Stiles, and that usually means trouble. I'm gonna go check on him."

"Okay. Be careful."

"Yeah. You too."