Courageous

54

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

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

"And new eight ones," Carter said. "That's ten now."

Sheriff Stilinski didn't turn around, focused on his board. He tacked up another picture as she said, "I'm thinking 11." Maggie glanced at Stiles to see him tensing up as his mouth opened. "Out station tech guys confirmed something for us." He 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."

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

"Unless you can think up with a better name, yeah. You're thinking they broke Donovan out?"

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

"Donovan's a Chimera," Stiles said.

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

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

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

Stiles locked eyes with his father. "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."

Carter shook his head and stood. He walked towards the board and looked at it. "See, 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 Carter let out a sigh.

Lydia said, "Kinsey's and 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 Kinsey and I should have our mother read it. She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone."

Kinsey was handed a stack of papers and leafed through them. "Maybe. But I don't think Mom wants to remember that if she does."

Lydia handed Carter a stack of papers.

Stiles muttered, "Yeah, if it works."

"It has to," Lydia and Kinsey replied.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked the sisters.

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

"A memory trying to surface," Theo finished.

Stiles tensed up and Carter frowned, wondering why his friend was acting so strange. He glanced at Kinsey who shrugged, letting him know she didn't know.

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, Kinsey and Carter, grabbed a stack of papers, and scattered across the room. Malia, Kinsey and Stiles were on the couch; the latter two sat next to each other. Scott and Kira were across from them, on the other couch. Theo and Lydia were both in a chair. Carter sat on the floor nest Lydia.

They started reading and after a few minutes, Kinsey yawned and began closing her eyes. The book seemed to drag on and she wanted to be finished with it already.

"Anyone feel anything yet?" Scott asked.

"I don't like this book," Maggie said.

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

"Hungry," Lydia and Caleb answered.

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

Kinsey attempted to read again, but the book seemed to drone on more than it had before.

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

"Just resting my eyes," Kira told him.

"Give me a minute," Kinsey mumbled as her eyes closed.

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

Stiles momentarily panicked, wondering what he should do, and decided to lay as still as possible.

Everyone eventually dispersed and Stiles remained a moment longer.

He picked Kinsey up and walked upstairs. He laid her down in her bed and took her shoes off. He put a blanket over her and gently tucked her hair back before saying softly, "Sleep well, Kins."

---

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

Stiles glanced at Carter. "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.

Kinsey, who had left her class to go to the bathroom, rushed to her friend's side and tried calming him, but nothing she did worked.

Scott was sitting against the teacher's desk.

Kinsey 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, Kinsey. Thanks, Liam."

As they made their way to the hospital, Carter was in a room staring at his cousin, uncle and his father's bodies on the ground.

"Uncle Chris? Dad? Allison?" he called softly, running to the bodies. "Uncle Chris! Dad! Allison!"

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

In his panic, Carter bumped into someone who said in a deep voice, "Whoa. Calm down, son."

Carter looked at the man and a small smile crossed his face. "Dad. What are you doing here?"

"Noah called me in."

Amos Davidson