GROWING PAINS , scott mccall

𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 , 117

117

Four drenched teenagers rushed into the animal clinic, their clothes and hair dripping, a change of scenery compared to the hot desert they had visited this weekend. Two girls rushed ahead as they called for the veterinarian they knew well, Deaton soon rushing to their aid. He'd heard the desperate calls of the group many times, he had begun to expect them nearly every time the bell rang, but some things even took a man with his experience by surprise. His feet came to a halt as he reached the reception area, looking past the two girls who had moved aside, revealing the set of boys behind them, Scott and Stiles holding an unconscious Derek Hale on their backs. Deaton hadn't seen that in a long time, since Derek was actually supposed to be a teenager. Once it had sunk in Deaton urged them to continue through the clinic, asking Noelle to flip over the sign, the clinic definitely wasn't open any longer, this problem topped every animal problem that Beacon Hills could possibly have. 

Scott and Stiles placed the unconscious young wolf on the table, taking a step back to stand next to the two girls who were still staring at Derek with complete shock, unsure how to react to it, all of this was still crazy to them, to all of them. The entire car ride home had been silent, unlike the drive to La Iglesia, nobody wanted to have all of their questions answered, they were too scared to know what Kate had done to Derek. They thought starting a fire that killed all of those people was as twisted as the woman could get, but this was an entire new level, something they simply couldn't wrap their heads around. Nor did they want to.

Deaton stood in silence, his hand to his mouth as he stared down at the young wolf on his table, Noelle and Lydia wore the same expression, keeping their distance from Derek, of course, Nellie gravitated towards Scott as she cowered behind him, this was her first time seeing Kate at work, and so far, she was far from enjoying it. The entire way home she wondered if this was what her future would look like, Kate had started off setting fires, now she was kidnapping werewolves to age backward, perhaps that was what she would progress to, maybe in some sick way Kate was similar to her. Two halves of the same coin. 

Wow, Deaton mumbled, the only word he could say to sum up how he felt when he looked at the wolf, he was quite literally lost for the words to say. Usually, he could pull a pocket full of tales of things like this that he had seen before, but this, this was different, new, terrifying. 

"Wow? Wow as in, "I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do," kind of wow?" Stiles had frantically asked the man. "'Cause that's the kind of wow we're hoping for."

"I think you might be overestimating my abilities," Deaton admitted.

Noelle stepped forward as she looked down at Derek, taking a hold of his hand, wondering if she should be calling Cora right now, asking her to return to Beacon Hills, this was the girl's brother, it was the kind of thing that she deserved to know. Or was that exactly what Kate wanted? For all of the Hale's to be back in one place so she could finish what she had started six years ago? Scott could see that the blonde girl was considering it, she often talked about Cora, how she wished to see more of the girl, a promise they had made to each other but were yet to follow through on. It was hard to find the time in her busy life that was crumbling apart. Noelle told the man how cold Derek was, unusually cold for a werewolf, thanks to her close, confusing relationship with Scott, it was common knowledge for her that wolves generated their own warmth. Deaton felt his hand for himself, he was too shocked by the temperature of the wolf. And he didn't know what to do.