North Starr

71

5B

FUTURE

Dr. Valack smiled at Lydia. "Tell me where you are Lydia. Tell me what you see."

"The bridge..." Lydia began.

"Keep moving," Dr. Valack encouraged. "Describe what you find. Tell me what he did."

She found herself drifting slightly and he said, "Stay focused, Lydia."

"What did you do to me? Where am I? Last I remember I was in the... In the woods. I think."

"I've amplified your abilities. Something that might just save the lives of your friends. Now focus on the bridge... On Theo. Why did he let his sister die?"

Lydia stood behind a tree as she watched a young Theo watch his sister die. She shook her head. "I don't know."

"You don't see it yet," Dr. Valack said. "Search for it. Keep looking. Why did he let her die? What did he want?"

Lydia saw Theo's sister rise from the water. She had a gaping hole in her chest, and her ribs were visible.

She gasped softly. "Her heart. He wanted her heart." A fresh trepanation hole in her head helped her relay the information.

Dr. Valack frowned. "There's no record of a heart condition. But a transplant would make Theo a genetic Chimera unlike the others. The hypothermic conditions would keep the organ viable. But why him? Why choose a ten year old willing to kill his own sister?"

"Why do you care?" Lydia asked groggily.

"Because Theo was a first step in the right direction for the Dread Doctors. Think of who they are. Para scientists who have prolonged their lives and twisted the laws of nature in pursuit of one goal. The creation of the perfect killer. And now they've done it. But Theo doesn't know who the success is. The last Chimera. It doesn't matter. There's a reason they chose him, a reason he failed, a reason they changed their methods, and a reason they finally succeeded. It all starts with Theo."

Outside Eichen House, Theo's pack attempted to get inside. Tracy used her kanima venom to disable a guard. Josh grabbed a guard's taser and absorbed the electricity from it. Corey stepped out from the wall, becoming visible. They got inside and Orderly Schrader looked down at them. "Visiting hours are well past over."

Theo smirked. "We're not here to visit. We're here for Lydia Martin."

Back with Dr. Valack, he was still looking for information. "When did you know for sure? That the Dread Doctors had succeeded?"

"Scott, Melanie and Stiles found out that night," Lydia answered.

"The night of the Supermoon."

"They didn't know it yet. There was too much going on. Liam had nearly killed Scott. Kira was still gone. Malia was still looking for the Desert Wolf."

"You were missing. And Sheriff Stilinski was dying..."

PRESENT

Stiles sat in the uncomfortable hospital chairs as he stared into space. He didn't know how his dad was, he didn't know how Scott was, and he didn't know where Melanie or Lydia were.

Stiles walked up to the front desk, thinking he could make sure his dad was covered so they didn't have to worry about more bills. The nurse looked up at him. "Stilinski, right? You said his insurance was with the county? He's a deputy?"

"No, he's the sheriff, he's the county sheriff," Stiles corrected.

She nodded. "Okay. He's covered. I mean he should be covered."