Dressed to Digress -Void!Stiles V.S Stiles-

Chapter Twenty-Three : Guilt and Figures

"I want to go back to the topic of guilt today." Ms. Morrell speaks up eyeing each one of us. According to the bulletin, today was a day of counseling a few patients at a time in the main room, talking and having them express themselves.

We all sat in a small circle in the middle of the open space; I sat in front of Stiles with Malia on my right and the frightened looking girl, who bumped into me just a few minutes ago, who kept eyeing Stiles. Next to Stiles, sitting on the left was the one boy who had helped him get up from the ground who seemed to be coughing awful a lot and another boy on his right who had long, ashy blond hair.

Then there was Ms. Morrell who sat in between Malia and the coughing boy, leading us into discussion. "It might surprise you to hear me say that guilt is a good thing. It's a rather mature emotion." She paused and turned to Malia. "Malia, you said something about guilt the other day. You said it came with a visceral reaction."

"I said it made me feel sick to my stomach." Malia sighed, crossing her arms and legs on the chair kinda like how I was sitting on mine.

Ms. Morrell glanced down at her binder and continued. "Guilt often becomes physical. You feel it in your gut." I eyed Stiles for a second and see him glance behind him, looking at a patient talking to a doctor. "It's not just psychological." Stiles shook his head, turning back his head and intertwined his hands together tightly. He let out a shaky breath and slowly calmed himself down, releasing his hands. "How does guilt make you feel, Stiles?"

"I'm sorry, what?" He looks at her, gulping just a bit.

"Guilt. What does it make you feel?"

Stiles licked his lips. "Nervous." He lightly shook, bouncing his legs and hands.

"Like a sense of urgency?" Ms. Morrell asked possibly taking in notice of his body language. Stiles blinked, nodding. "You feel an urgent need to make up for something you've done." His eyes dart over at the far wall and my eyes follow to see nothing but just the wall. "To apologize." Stiles then glanced down at the boy's hand who sat next to him, his leg shaking again. "These are healthy responses." My eyes keened in on him as his hands mashed back together and he glanced up, leaning his elbows on his thighs and sighed. "Does anyone know what we call someone who doesn't experience guilt?"

The boy on Stiles's left, the Cougher, raised his hand. "Sociopath." He stated.

Ms. Morrell nodded and gave him a light smile. "That's right, Oliver." The Cougher the boy, Oliver, lightly smiled back, nodding and put his hand back down.

The frightened looking girl next to me started whispering and out of the corner of my eye, she was eyeing Stiles. My attention then turned to him as I seen him rubbing the back of his neck repeatedly, his fingers fumbled against his skin then shakily leave as he removed his hand for me to see red marks on his neck. He started biting his thumb nail, still shaking just a bit.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but we need to take a break." She instantly stated, getting up and eyed Stiles who'd looked up at her. "Come with me, Stiles. I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

The group got up, pushing back their chairs and left with no words. Oliver gave me a light smile as he walked away down the hall with the frightened looking girl and Mr. Long-haired Blond. Malia walked down a different hall away from them, seemingly to drag her feet in her slippers. I looked at Stiles as he looks at me. "Just stay here. I'll be back." He nodded and walked off with Ms. Morrell.

They walked off into a sprouting off hallway, entering a door and she closed it behind them. I knew better than to stay. I got up, walked on over and made way to the door. My ear leaned up against it as I heard nothing at first but then, their voices carried through and Ms. Morrell spoke. "It's called a Lichtenberg figure. They appear on lightning strike victims." Then there was a pause. "The fact that they're appearing on you after a shot of Wolf Lichen is both significant and strange." Her heels then clacked against the floor meaning she was walking to somewhere in the room.

Stiles then talked. "By significant and strange do you mean hopeful and optimistic?"

"When the marks fade, the Nogitsune's grip over you will return." She replied and the sound of a cabinet was being shut, then her heels clacked again and stopped.

"What are these?" Stiles asked and there's a rattling noise. "Sleeping pills?"

"Amphetamines. Sleeping is exactly what you don't want to do. You're vulnerable when you're asleep."

"So all I have to do is stay awake?"

"For now. If your friends haven't figured out something by the time those marks are gone," she paused again and I leaned closer in towards the door, listening more. "I'll come find you."

"To tell me what to do?" Stiles questioned.

"No, to give you an injection. Pancuronium Bromide. It causes respiratory paralysis." She stated in a fast tone.

"That sounds a lot like death." Stiles quickly replied.

"It's used for lethal injection, yes."

I then heard a sighing grunt from Stiles, his voice was husked and he whispered with a bit of anger in his voice. "So when the Nogitsune takes over, you're going to kill me?" He practically stated in a arguable tone like he was in a debate.

"I'm going to do what I've always done. Maintain the balance." Ms. Morrell nodded and I knew that for a fact since her voice was ranged with some authority and understanding.

"Okay then." He huffed. "I've missed our talks. Thanks for the illicit drugs." There's another rattle and I heard footsteps coming near the door; coming near me.

"Stiles." The footsteps stopped and there's a minute of silence. "Stay awake."

The door handle turned and I quickly backed up, trying to make a dash but it was too late for me. Stiles walked out holding a pill bottle , seeing me and sighed. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." I nodded.

"Kit," he looked at me then paused. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." I then thought as he put the pills in his pocket. "Stiles?" He glanced up at me, raising an eyebrow. "You've said that you've been here before, right? That you've been in the basement."

Stiles sighed. "Yeah."

My mind searched through memories and quickly found one in an instant. "The night you disappeared and called Scott." He eyed me, thinking for himself and I knew that since his lips were pushed out; a look that he puts on when he thinks. I nodded more as the whole night was coming back to me. "You said over the phone that you were in a basement and it looked industrial, dirty and that it stunk down there. Then, Lydia, she went to find you and she thought that you were here. . . . in the basement."

Stiles looked like his whole world finally made sense and he nodded. "We need to get down there. There's something that the Nogitsune wants me to see, or at least, find."

"You know how to get down there?"

He thought for a second then nodded. "Follow me." Stiles then walked pass me and I followed in pursuit behind him, making a couple lefts and a right turn down a darkened abandoned hallway with a white door at the end. He turned to me and I gave him a light nod, he shifted back around and we slowly descended on down.

We finally made it to the door and Stiles leaned against it, listening in. His hand grabs the handle, turning the knob but the knob doesn't turn. He started jingling the knob trying to open the door and grunted in doing so. I glanced down at him then at the handle and started getting panicky, just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "What are you doing?"

I jolted, gasping and turned to see the boy Oliver eyeing Stiles and me, I placed my hand over my heart trying to calm down. Stiles eyed him and sighed. "We need to get through here. To the basement."

Oliver eyed the door, shaking his head. "Doctors don't even have a key to this door. Only Brunski."

"Is that the head orderly?" Stiles asked.

"He's got keys to everything in here."

"Does he keep them on him all the time?" Stiles turned to him, eyeing him intently.

"If you want them, you'll probably have to figure out a way to trick him."

I then sighed, rolling my eyes a bit. "That shouldn't be hard." I whispered and glanced at Stiles.

"Well, part of me is getting very good at playing tricks." He replied.