Alone • Liam Dunbar

Nine

Silence falls across the field. 

It only lasts momentarily before all hell breaks loose. 

Coach snaps out of his trance and bolts onto the field. I had never seen him move so fast before, but if a student was injured, Coach wasn't just going to stand by. 

"Don't move! Don't touch him!" Coach orders the players that swarm Liam.

Liam attempts to stand on his own, brushing off everyone's worries. It's not convincing as he cries out when standing on his now injured leg. Scott and Stiles react, both grabbing either side of the boy to help keep him up straight. 

I go back to Kira and Malia, watching the scene unfold. Kira was standing up, trying to get a better view, while Malia had gone back to reading as if nothing happened.

"This isn't good, is it?" Kira asks. 

"Definitely not," I say, taking my seat again. 

"I feel like we should help them." Kira watches Scott and Stiles struggle with Liam. They were dragging him toward the building closest to the field, most likely taking him into the school to see the nurse. 

Malia looks up at Kira, frowning. "But you promised after this you'd teach me about World War One and then The Great War." 

I laugh at her words, thinking she was joking. Kira meets my eyes before shaking her head with a blank face, telling me Malia was entirely serious. 

"Oh," I murmur. I reach for my helmet and backpack before standing. 

"I guess I'll go. You have fun with that, Professor Yukimura." 

Kira watches helplessly as I leave her with a confused Malia, the coyote having no idea what made me so amused. I was sure Kira would explain it to her soon enough, so I focused on jogging after Scott, Stiles, and by default, Liam. 

Scott doesn't look my way, but I know he hears me coming. 

"Jac." He calls out, jutting his chin out toward the doors of the building. I understand his silent command and speedily pass the three boys to prop open the set of double doors, allowing them to pass through without trouble. 

With every step the three of them take, Liam winces and grunts. The boys' pace is far too quick and their height difference with him isn't helping. Liam's significantly shorter than them, so half of his energy is going into keeping his arms propped around their shoulders. 

The door to the nurse's office was already opened when we reach it. 

Stiles enters first, the doorway not wide enough for two people at once. Scott hands Liam over to him before he and I step inside. The nurse doesn't look up at us from her desk, too busy playing some obnoxious-sounding game on her phone. 

I clear my throat, alerting her to our presence. 

She doesn't jump, only looks at us through graying eyes. Her gaze falls to Liam's ankle and she sighs, having to return to her job. 

"Put him there." She gestures to one of the cots in the room. 

Scott and Stiles lead Liam to it, helping to lower him carefully. When they're done, they come to stand by me, allowing the older woman to analyze the injury. 

"He's gonna need to go to the hospital. She can't help him," Stiles whispers to Scott and I. 

I nod in agreement, turning to gauge Scott's reaction. I find nothing but remorse in his dark eyes. Scott didn't even want to willingly harm the people we called our enemies, I could only imagine how he felt about delivering such a gruesome blow to Liam.