Broken Things (Broken Book 1)

19: Life Saver

"They just left town," Parrish said over the phone, Stilinski on the other end. The deputy was sitting in his personal car in civilian clothes. He'd followed Araya's SUV from the hotel the Calaveras had been staying in during their time in Beacon Hills. "I don't know how many people she left behind but she's gone."

"Good," Stilinski said. "One less thing for me to worry about."

Parrish chuckled. "At least until the next supernatural threat."

"That is true. I really hope we have a break first."

"Yeah, me too. But this is Beacon Hills."

"Good point. Come back to the station."

"Alright." Parrish hung up and turned his car around on the shoulder, waiting as a black sedan crossed the city limits, before pulling out behind them.

~~~

"You know, I can walk, Melissa," Chris said as Melissa pushed him through the halls in a wheelchair.

"You know, it's hospital policy."

"It's a stupid policy."

Melissa chuckled. "I know."

They reached the lobby and Melissa released Chris from the chair. Together they walked out of the hospital.

In the patient pickup area, Derek leaned against his Cruiser, his hands in his jacket pockets. He gave a smile. "Thought you might want a ride," he said.

"I appreciate that."

Melissa placed a hand on Chris' shoulder as Derek turned and opened the passenger door. "I leave you in good hands."

Chris chuckled before climbing into the Cruiser. "Thanks, Derek."

"Ethan and Isaac took your car back to your apartment building. I just thought it'd be simpler just to give you a ride home than have someone follow me to the hospital so I could drop it off."

"That's not what I'm talking about. Melissa told me what you, Isabel, and Kate did. Thank you for saving my life again."

"You're my friend, Chris. I haven't really had many of those outside the pack since the fire."

Chris looked at Derek, never expecting in his lifetime to hear Derek admit to viewing the former Hunter as a friend. "What exactly did you do? She wouldn't give me any details."

"Because I didn't give her any." Derek was silent for several minutes. Chris started to think the werewolf wasn't going to give him the details either. "Did anyone tell you about what happened after Isabel and I escaped from Kate?" he finally said about the time Chris decided that Derek wasn't going to tell him.

"I was at the clinic when they brought you in. She said that her blood had a healing property to it."

Derek nodded. "Vincent threw a dagger at Scott. I intercepted and it hit me instead. With the amount of electricity Kate had used on me to try to force me to give up Scott, my healing process was a bit lacking. In fact, I wasn't healing at all. Isabel cut open her palm and let the blood drip into my wound. I remember nothing after that."

"She didn't know it would work. Isabel said she'd never done that to a wolf."

"But she said she did it to plenty of humans. We caught Kate in your hospital room. I would have killed her if Isabel hadn't interfered. It was her idea to try on you what she did on me and managed to convince Kate to let go of her hate long enough to help her save your life. She taught Kate how to take away pain and the two of us worked on your pain while Isabel used her blood to heal you."