Be My Cover Story

28

It had been just over 12 hours since Derek had last spoken to Stiles. He was overwhelmed with the concern he felt. Melissa had convinced Noah to go for a walk with her to the cafeteria, knowing he could use a break. She also happened to mention that Derek could keep an eye on Stiles while they were gone. 

Derek wondered how she knew. He would have asked but that would confirm her suspicions and the secret was already known by too many. As the pair walked away, Derek sat alone in Stiles's hospital room. He had pulled the chair right next to his bed and took his hand, hoping he wouldn't be caught by any prying eyes.

"I need you to wake up." Derek sighed at Stiles' sleeping form. "Please." 

He listened to Stiles's steady heartbeat, the sound calming him. Derek was overwhelmed with guilt. He wished Stiles hadn't gotten roped into this world. He knew the boy could handle it but he wished he didn't have to. He wanted Stiles to be able to live the normal life he deserved. 

"I'm so sorry." A soft knock on the door had Derek jumping away from Stiles.

"Relax Scaredy Wolf." Lydia's voice sent a wave of relief over him. "How is he?" 

"He's okay, still unconscious," Derek informed her, his eyes not leaving Stiles's peaceful looking face. "What are you doing here?" 

"You really thought I was going to leave you to deal with this alone for the whole night?" She held up a bag she had brought in with her. "I brought you some clothes and deodorant. Trust me you don't want Stiles to wake up to that." She gestured to him with a dramatic cringe. Derek thought about protesting but he was not ready to argue with Lydia on such a little amount of sleep. 

"Did you break into my loft?" He frowned at her. 

"Jordan let me in." She rolled her eyes. "I'll wait here if you want to go change now." He nodded and slipped into the bathroom. 

Once Derek left Lydia turned to Stiles. "We need you. If we have any chance of figuring out this list and putting a stop to it, we are going to need your help. The pack needs you. Your dad needs you. Derek needs you. Hell, I need you."

The Sheriff poked his head into the room, surprised to see Lydia. 

"Oh, hello Lydia." He forced a weak smile as he stepped inside. "Have you been here long? Where's Derek?" 

"He just stepped out. I've only been here a few minutes." She answered. "How are you doing?" Noah looked at his son sadly.

"I can't lose him." He sighed. Lydia pulled him into a comforting hug. Derek wished he knew how to be there for Stiles's dad but he knew they couldn't tell him the truth. Instead, he had to let Lydia be there for him. Derek decided to leave them alone, checking in on Boyd and Erica. Erica had climbed onto the hospital bed beside him and the two were fast asleep in each other's arms. 

"Sow oh..." Lydia gasped when Stiles started mumbling. "Oaf..." The nonsense coming out of his mouth didn't matter to the sheriff who darted out of the room to find Melissa or anyone else who might be able to help his son. "Sourwolf?" Lydia smiled to herself as she took his hand. "Derek?" Stiles's eyes fluttered open as the name fell from his lips. "Oh." He coughed lightly as his eyes settled on Lydia. 

"Hey to you too." She chuckled. "Your dad was here so Derek stepped out." She told him. "They both should be in soon." 

"What happened?" Stiles wondered, still feeling groggy but noticing a dull ache in his torso. 

"You were stabbed, you lost a lot of blood." Noah walked in with Melissa, both rushing to Stiles's side. Lydia stepped out of the way as Melissa started to check him over. She texted Derek and Scott, hoping they could pass on the message to the rest of their pack. 

"Where's Boyd?" Stiles asked, remembering what had happened just before he was injured.

"He's okay," Melissa told him.

"Deaton came and checked him over," Lydia added. 

Derek was outside the room listening to Melissa explain everything to Stiles. He was overwhelmed with relief that Stiles was okay. Now he could focus on making the people who did this to him pay. 

Lydia had expected Derek to come in once they were sure he was okay but instead the alpha was nowhere to be found. She called around and no one had heard from him which worried her even more. 

Her concerns reached their peak when the sheriff passed her on the way out of the hospital.

"Mr. Stilinski? What's wrong?" Lydia called after him. 

"There's been a murder at the station." He told her. 

Lydia's mind immediately went to the worst. She grabbed her phone and rang her best friends, the two people she trusted to help her get to the bottom of this, with the exception of the boy in the hospital bed.