𝚖𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚔 ❦「𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚔𝚒」

𝟶𝟽𝟸《𝙼𝚈 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚂 𝙲𝙰𝙽𝚃 𝙶𝙴𝚃 𝙰𝙽𝚈 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝚂𝙴》

𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

I stand back in the animal clinic and watch in awe as Stiles and Scott lower Derek onto the metal table, the man looking merely fifteen in age.

"Wow..." Deaton breathes out.

"Wow?" Stiles retorts "Wow, as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do' kind of wow? 'Cause that's the kind we were hoping for"

"I think you might be overestimating my abilities" Deaton replies and I reach out, taking a hold of Derek's hand.

"He's frozen" I shiver and Deaton checks the man's temperature in concern.

"Do you think this is permanent?" Scott questions.

"I'm not sure a medical diagnosis is even adequate. This is well beyond my experience" Deaton explains to us.

"So, what do we do with him?" Stiles asks as I frown at the unconscious man, boy even, in front of me.

"Until he wakes up? Probably not much. It might be best to leave him with me. He'll be safe here" Deaton suggests.

"You mean, from Kate?" Stiles assumes and I'm guessing he assumes right.

"If she's alive and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate" Deaton assures us.

"Why would she want to do this to him?" I wonder aloud.

"Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her" Deaton responds with a frown of his own.

"And bad for everyone else" Stiles adds.

"You guys should probably go home. He doesn't look to be in any danger... So, maybe the rest of you should get some sleep?" Deaton tells the three of us with a fatherly look that makes me smile "It is a school night, and you all need to start taking care of your own lives again"

"Someone should stay with you" Scott counters and I'm surprised to feel Derek grip my hand tightly.

"I'll stay" I offer with a nonchalant shrug "My grades can't get any worse"

"I'm so not okay with this" Stiles argues and I roll my eyes at the boy.

"Guys, go" I tell them.

"No-" Stiles protests but my brother cuts him off.

"Will you text us if anything happens?" Scott asks and I nod in agreement.

"Nope! Still not okay with it. Not going anywhere" Stiles declares stubbornly but huffs when Scott starts dragging him to the door "All right, just 'cause you're stronger..."

"Idiots" I mutter and Deaton grins at me, heading over to his desk.

Derek continues to squeeze my hand and I use my free one to brush his hair out of his face, gently tracing my knuckles over his cheek.

"You still in there, Derbear?" I whisper, hoping that he'll hear me.

After a while of waiting around and moving to sit on the chairs in boredom, Deaton checks over the boy and I can't help but notice the concerned expression on the man's face.