Hunger

Chapter Twenty-six

Stiles

I felt like I was some kind of science experiment, everyone staring at me, poking me, asking questions. Derek, Liam, Scott, Lydia, Charlie, Will. . . all of them standing around a table I was strapped down to, my arms and legs held down by ropes. Scott was standing at one end of the table, near my head. He grabbed a hold of my head, twisting it side to side, eyes narrowed as he examined me. He pried my mouth open, used a tool to hold it that way. A liquid was thrown into my eyes, blinding me. I heard Lydia's voice now, speaking softly about the " dangerous procedure" that had to be done. When I tried to talk, ask what was going on, I couldn't get out anything more than a scream. I physically couldn't form the words.

"Stiles, we're truly sorry for this. We've got to figure out what's wrong with you. You're mad, Stiles. You're over the top crazy. We can't keep doing this. You're an abomination," Scott whispered sincerely, hand grazing the top of my head. "Maybe we can fix you."

No amount of fighting could stop this. No amount of hope could make this any better. "Scott, maybe this is a bad idea," Charlie's voice said next, soft but audible. "I know he's bad, but maybe we can just deal with it?"

Scott sighed above me. I winced at the feel of cold metal pressed against my forehead. "Charlie, please. If he continues on like this, he'll go too far, kill us all. We can't have that. This is our only chance." Scott pushed the tool down against my head, drawing blood. I felt it roll down my face and onto the table.

"But it could kill him," Derek expressed from farther away. I could imagine his expression, teeth clenched and his fists too, glaring at Scott. "We don't have another solution?"

"We have to do this, now, Derek. Quit trying to put it off." Liam spoke that time. Another cold piece of metal pressed against my forehead, closer to my temple. When they started to push them into my head, I tried to hold on, tried not to lose it. I clenched my fists and a cloth was shoved into my mouth to muffle the screams. "Stiles, we're doing this to help you!" Liam yelled over my screaming.

It stopped suddenly, the room going quiet. I felt no different, other than the searing pain in my head. Someone stepped closer to the table and wiped blood from my forehead. "It didn't work. We have to end it," Will whispered.

"He's right," Lydia responded quietly, voice shaking. "We've got to kill him. If he was sane, it's what he would want."

I shook my head, but they didn't care. There was whispering, and then the tip of a blade on my chest. I felt it plunge in just a little, deeper and deeper until. . .

"Stiles!" Derek's hushed voice yelled in my ear, shaking my shoulder. I quickly opened my eyes and grabbed for the first person I could find, which thankfully was Derek. He wrapped two arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer. He kissed my head softly, then rested his head on top of mine. "Are you alright?"

"Bad dream," I replied. I glanced out the window, at the stars in the black sky. I wished I could just lie outside in the grass forever, never have to do anything, get hurt. It be so much more simple. "Where are we going?" I mumbled against Derek's chest.