Stay with Me (Stalia)

Chapter 31

Stiles met Scott's eyes as he turned around one last time before he left. Stiles tried as hard as possible to look confident, but as soon as his friend had disappeared he deflated. He fell against the wall and slid down it to the floor. He had known that something was seriously wrong, but he never imagined it would be something like this.

Stiles pinched his arm as hard as he could. It hurt, it felt like real pain, but he knew it wasn't real. All pain signals came from your brain anyways, so right now he was in his brain telling himself to feel pain in his arm. Stiles buried his head in his hands, it was all just too much.

He remembered the last time he hadn't know whether or not things were real. When he, Scott, and Allison had opened up the door in their minds. Stiles had never known if he was awake or sleeping. Finding out that what he thought was reality was really just a fantasy in his mind was like thinking he was awake only to wake up from the nightmare screaming. It felt like the lurch you felt when you skipped a step, only the feeling didn't fade away. It stayed in your stomach, gnawing and growing until the feeling paralyzed you with fear and confusion.

Stiles lay curled up on the floor for a while, he lacked the strength and courage to get up. He knew what he had to do. He had known before Scott and his dad had finished talking. But knowing didn't make it any easier. It was still going to be the hardest thing he had ever done.

Lying still with his eyes closed, Stiles began to notice a strange feeling in his hand. He curled his fingers slightly and sat up in surprise, gaping at his hand. He could have sworn that it had felt like someone was holding his hand. It had only been for a split second, but he recognized the feel of those long, soft, cool fingers linked with his.

"Malia?" Her name slipped from his lips before he mind caught up. She was obviously holding his hand back in the real world, that meant that she probably couldn't hear him. Stiles flexed his fingers again, but the feeling was gone. He stared at his empty hand and felt more alone than he ever had before. "Malia, if you can hear me, I'm going to get out. I will find my way back to you, back to my dad and Scott, back to everyone." Stiles got up, he swayed slightly on his feet, but he stood tall. "I just have to go say goodbye to my mom for the second time." Stiles tried not to think about it too much as he walked towards the door, because the thought of what he was about to do threatened to send him running in the opposite direction.

*****

Derek sighed in frustration, and not for the first time. Braeden reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. He saw Deaton give him a slightly annoyed look.

"We need to remain p-" Deaton started but Derek angrily cut him off.

"If you say patient I swear I will throw something out of the window. It's been over an hour and he still hasn't woken up yet, why hasn't he woken up?" Derek knew that he should remain calm and optimistic for the sake of the Pack. Even though he wasn't the alpha anymore he was still a veteran werewolf whom they looked upon for advice and support. So him freaking out would only rile them all up more than they already were. But Derek couldn't keep his cool, not this time, not with Stiles lying pale and broken in a hospital bed fighting for his life. He couldn't be patient when every passing second made Stiles' chances of surviving this thing slimmer and slimmer.

"Melissa, how are Stiles' vitals?" Deaton asked suddenly, apparently switching tactics.

"His heart rate is a bit high, but other than that everything looks stable." At her words Deaton gave him a satisfied smile which Derek returned with a glare.

"So?" Isaac asked, not understanding the significance of this.

"It means that Stiles is stable, so whatever is going on inside that mind of his, he isn't losing the fight." Scott offered.