Always There {6}

Chapter 9: Memory Found

Scott, Lydia, and Malia are in Argent's bunker locked in to keep the Ghost Riders away. Scott says, "So, how cold does this thing get?" They're thinking going into this machine that Parrish went in to remember how he became a Hellound. Lydia says, "Cold enough for a Hellhound. It's not the same as the ice bath you gave Isaac but, it can lower your core temperature past anything a human can survive." Malia says, "So what does freezing our asses off have to do with our memories?" Lydia says, "It'll slow your heart rate, and put you in a trance-like state." Scott says, "Like hypnosis." Lydia says, "Hypnotic regression. If we can figure out how to work it." Malia looks to the side and says, "This says "start, " so, maybe it's not that complicated." Scott looks to the other side and says, "It's complicated." Malia says, "So, optimistically, how much time do you think we need to do this?" Scott says, "As much time as Liam and Stilinski can buy us." Scott takes his shirt off to go in first and Malia says, "Okay, it's doing something. You ready?" Scott then gets in the chamber and Lydia locks him in. Lydia says, "Remember, this will get cold enough to kill you. So, if something feels wrong or like it's not working..." Scott says, "It's going to work." Lydia says, "I hope you're not saying that because you think I know what I'm doing." Scott says, "I'm saying that because I know you can figure it out." Lydia then turns on the machine and Scott gasps, "Oh, okay, all right, yeah, that's cold. Really cold." Malia says, "So what are we supposed to do? Talk to him? Help him remember? Wait until he turns into a werewolf freezy pop?" Lydia says, "We need to guide him. Keep him focused. Scott, you have to think about him. Concentrate on Stiles. Try to picture him in your head. Think about what he looks like, things he said." Malia says, "I don't like this. Something's wrong." Lydia says, "Wait. Give it a few more seconds." Scott grunts and says, "Ah!" Malia is worried about Scott and says, "I'm getting him out of there." Lydia stops Malia and says, "Wait!" Lydia says, "Scott... can you hear me? Scott, don't fall asleep. You have to keep your eyes open." Scott softly says, "Trying..." Lydia says, "It's not sleep. I think you're losing consciousness. And if you do that, I think we're going to lose you." Malia says, "Scott, stay awake. Scott!" Lydia says, "Scott. Try to find him. Try to find him in your memories. Find him in any memory. Good or bad." Malia says, "What's happening to him?" Lydia says, "I don't know." Malia worriedly says, "He doesn't look good. He looks... lost." Lydia says, "I think he is. I think maybe it's too much information. Like, he's getting buried under all the memories. Being overloaded by them." Malia says, "So what do we do to help him?" Lydia says, "Scott? Scott, do you hear me? You have to try to focus!" Malia then hears something and she says, "You hear that?" Lydia says, "Thunder?" Malia says, "Maybe." Lydia sighs and says, "This isn't working." Malia says, "Then we have to figure something else out." Lydia says, "I know. I, I know." Malia says, "Is he going to freeze to death in there?" Lydia says, "If his memories don't kill him." Malia says, "There has to be another way to do this. Isn't there?" Lydia says, "I don't know. This is my first attempt at trying to open a dimensional rift in space-time. So, I'm kind of fumbling around in the dark, okay?" Malia nods and says, "I'm getting him out." Lydia says, "Wait, I'm not the only one." Malia says, "What?" Lydia says, "I'm not the only one fumbling around in the dark." Malia says, "What does that mean? I think we have to treat this more like actual hypnosis. They use images to guide you through memories. Like, a stairwell. The steps take you down through one year of your life to the next. That's how they regress you back." Malia says, "I get it. So, he needs to imagine something. What do we tell him?" Lydia says, "Scott? Can you hear me? Scott, listen. Imagine this. Imagine you're in high school. Visualize yourself in the high school, in the corridor where all the lockers are. Just try to imagine standing there. That's where your memories are. They're all in the lockers. They're locked away behind each one. Every memory of Stiles is in a separate locker. Scott, you're there. In the high school. You're standing there now." Scott says, "Lydia, I need your help. I don't think I can do this. I can't figure it out." Lydia says, "Keep looking." Scott says, "There are memories, but I don't know which ones the right one. What am i supposed to do?" Lydia says, "Find another memory. Just find another memory. It's getting too cold. He's getting too cold." Malia says, "What if it's not enough to remember him? What if it's some kind of a connection he's supposed to make because of a memory?" Lydia says, "Like an emotional connection?" Malia says, "That could be why it worked for Stilinski, right?" Lydia says, "He wasn't just remembering someone. He was remembering his son." Malia says, "Scott? Scott, can you hear me? Listen, I remember something. At the start of the year, Stiles was trying to find a place for you guys to live after graduation. He said you were getting an apartment together? And I remember saying something to Stiles. Something like it's not always a good idea to live with your friends. Even your best friend. But Stiles said it wouldn't matter because you weren't just friends. You guys were more like brothers." Then the girls take Scott out and he says, "What, what's wrong? Why'd you bring me out?" Lydia says, "Your heart rate dropped. You were going to die." Malia says, "We had to." Scott says, "But then, but then nothing happened, did it? It didn't work I'm going back in." Malia says, "No, you're not." Scott says, "It was working. Something was happening. I could feel it." Lydia says, "But nothing was happening out here. Nothing, Scott. All we saw was you freezing to death." Malia says, "You're still too cold." Malia says, "We can't give up now." Malia says, "We're not. It's my turn." Malia then takes off her shirt and says, "I have plenty of memories of Stiles, too." Lydia says, "It's too dangerous." Scott says, "Not as dangerous as doing nothing. She'll probably handle the cold better than me." Malia says, "If it's all about connection, then Stiles was the first person I connected with in a long time." Scott says, "She'll need a visual." Lydia says, "Okay, I think I have an idea. But Malia, if your heart rate goes down like Scott's, or if we think you're going to freeze to death..." Malia says, "Then get me the hell out of there." Malia then gets into the chamber and Lydia says, "Can you see yourself there? Are you in the library now?" Malia says, "I'm here. I'm in the library." Lydia says, "Can you see the books?" Malia says, "I see them." Lydia says, "Concentrate on them. The books on the shelves are your memories. Everything that's ever happened to you. Find the shelf that has all of your memories of Stiles. Try to find a memory where you made some kind of connection with him. Did you find something?" Malia says, "I definitely connected." Outside of the chamber they hear Malia say, "Stiles, where are you going?" Lydia says, "Malia?" Scott says, "Malia, open your eyes." Lydia says, "Malia, can you hear us?" Scott says, "Open your eyes, Malia." Malia opens her eyes and gasps. Then Scott goes to unlock the chamber and Lydia says, "Scott, look. Something's happening." They both unlock the door to get Malia out before she freezes to death. Scott gets a blanket for Malia and he sees Lydia turn off the machine and he says, "What are you doing?" Lydia says, "It's too dangerous. We're not going to save anyone by freezing you guys to death." Malia says, "But it was working, wasn't it?" Lydia says, "There was a light and a strange noise. No Stiles." Scott says, "But I remember him now. I can see him in my head." Malia says, "So can I." Scott says, "He's more real now than he's ever been. If we can bring Stiles back, we can bring everyone back." Lydia says, "There's a huge difference in being a vivid memory and an actual corporeal human being." Scott says, "I know. Which is why I think is should be you." Lydia says, "I won't last two minutes in there." Scott says, "Then think of something else. Malia's right. It's all about the connection. When I was remembering him, I was also remembering the two of you together. I don't think anyone had a connection like you guys." Malia nods and says, "I saw it, too. You have to try, Lydia." Lydia nods and says, "Then we have to do it the old-fashioned way. We're going to have to actually hypnotize me." Then they look around the room for the supplies they need. Lydia is writing down what Malia or Scott have to say to her when she they hypnotize her. Lydia says, "My mother had a hypnotist who helped her quit smoking. She had me see the same one when I was 10." Scott says, "You smoked when you were 10?" Lydia says, "No. I bit my fingernails. Just find a lighter or a candle, please." Malia turns on a blowtorch and says, "Too much?" Scott finds a candle and says, "I got one." Malia lights the candle with the blowtorch and Scott says, "What's that?" Lydia says, "An induction script. One of you is going to talk me through this." Lydia hands it to Malia and Malia says, "So I just read?" Lydia says, "Well, you have to soften your voice. Keep it relaxed, but not monotone. Go for clarity, not volume. Try it." Malia awkwardly says, "'Take a deep breath and look at the candle'." Lydia takes the notepad away from Malia and hands it to Scott. Scott says, "'Take a deep breath and look at the candle. Feel the muscles in your body begin to relax. Your hands relaxing. Your eyelids relaxing. As you relax, imagine you're sitting in front of a TV. When you turn the Tv on, it's going to play memories from your life. The remote gives you total control. You can play any memory you want. All you have to do, is hit the button. Try to find a memory of Stiles. A memory where you felt a connection with him." They hear Lydia say, "Fields Medal... Nobel doesn't have a prize for mathematics. Fields Medal." Scott says, "Find another memory. Keep looking for Stiles. Find another memory." Lydia says, "That's when it happened." Scott says, "When what happened? Lydia, what do you mean? When what happened?" Lydia says, "When I kissed him. That's when it all changed. I saw him. I was there. I was the las t person to see him." Lydia starts crying and Scott says, "Where? When did you see him?" Lydia says, "The Ghost Riders, they... when they took him. I never said it back. I never said it back." Then a bright light is coming through and the place is shaking. Lydia gets up to open the door and she leaves to see a figure and says, "Stiles?" Meanwhile at the train station, Liv and Stiles hear an announcement and Liv thinks that voice sounds familiar and says, "Does that voice sound familiar to you?" Stiles says, "No, should it?" Liv says, "I don't know. I just felt like I know it from somewhere." What Liv doesn't know is that she has heard that voice somewhere.