KNOW THY ENEMY (DEREK HALE FANFICTION)

10

"Nice to know you're still alive." KARSON mutters as she enters the back room of the animal clinic and stares at Scott. She notices a motionless puppy on the operating table where Issac is leaning over, whimpering in apparent pain. Deaton smiles at her, rubbing the puppy's head in comfort and injecting a large needle into the animal's back. Scott appears distraught and Karson can tell he hasn't been sleeping, but as he opens his mouth to speak Karson silences him, holding her hand up in the air to stop him. "It's fine. I know you've been dealing with a lot of shit. What I really want to know is why you are here."

Karson nods her head in her brother's direction, hoping for an explanation about his sudden change of heart with talking to Scott. Issac ignores her, scrunching up his nose as he stares down at the sick puppy on the table. "Why does it smell like that?"

Scott and Deaton grin at each other, causing confusion in Issac. "What?"

"Scott said almost the same thing to me a few months ago. One day, he could somehow tell the difference between which animals were getting better, and which were not." Deaton explains, sadness appearing on his face as he watches the puppy continue to whimper as Scott pets the animal.

"He's not getting better, is he?" Issac asks, watching as Deaton shakes his head no. "Like, cancer?"

"Osteosarcoma. It has a very distinct scent, doesn't it?" Deaton says. Scott nods his head rapidly, furrowing his eyebrows together as he unintentionally inhales more of the puppy's scent.

"Come here." Deaton looks at Issac, causing the boy to shift uncomfortably. Karson nudges his back with her arm to push him towards Deaton. Slowly, Issac moves closer to the puppy on the table while Karson approaches Scott's side. She presses her mouth together in a thin line as she makes eye contact with the werewolf before placing her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"I know you're well aware of what your new abilities can do for you-- improved strength, speed, and healing. You ever wonder what it could do for others?" Deaton says to Issac, who glances at Scott for presumable guidance.  "Give me your hand."

Reluctantly, Issac sticks his arm out to Deaton. "Go on." Issac watches as Deaton places his hand on the puppy, then releases his grip on the boy's hand. Karson's eyes widen as black veins appear on her brother's hand. The puppy begins to breathe quicker and heavier as Issac gasps for his own breath. "What did I do?"

"You took some of his pain away." Scott replies, grinning at the boy. Issac retracts his hand from the puppy, watching as the black subsides from his hand up his arm.

"Only a little bit. But, sometimes, a little can make quite a difference." Deaton says, stuffing his hands into his white coat pockets. Issac brings his arm to his face as he begins to tear up, causing Karson to walk over to him for comfort. She rubs small circles on her brother's upper back.

"It's okay. The first time he showed me, I cried, too." Scott smiles, causing a laugh to escape the Lahey siblings.

Karson realized at that moment, it was the first time she saw her brother cry, really cry, since the night of their mother's funeral. The years of abuse and neglect hardened Issac. When he deserved to be shown love and care, he was shown the worse side of humanity in the form of their father. They never used to cry about the things that went on with their father, because in their minds, crying wasn't going to stop the abuse. Karson and Issac wanted to be strong for each other, especially after Camden passed away. As a werewolf, Karson knew the anger within Issac would only intensify, but as she was comforting him as Issac watches Deaton move the dying puppy to his crate, Karson knows her brother was saved from the shadow of their father.