Courageous

58

Stiles got to the hospital, was sitting on a bed, and was protesting. "I'm completely and totally fine."

Melissa shook her head. "Uh-uh-uh. You completely and totally have a concussion, Stiles. Lie back down. The doctor said you're not leaving the CT scan."

Stiles frowned. "We still haven't paid for the last one."

"Oh, no, no, no. Meredith is at the station. Your dad said it could take some time, but they will get her to talk. Even if I let you go, what would you do?"

Stiles let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. Can you do me one little favor?"

"Anything."

"Can you get me a tape player?"

"Like cassettes?"

"Yes. Tapes."

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

"Okay, tapes, though, please."

"Cassettes," Melissa corrected as she left.

Kinsey walked in with a frown. "What do you want with cassette tapes?"

Stiles looked up to see her. "I'm working on that as I go. Are you okay, Kins?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"Kinsey... How are you? Really?"

"I'm fine."

But they both knew she was lying.

Stiles said, "Whatever it is, whatever you're refusing to tell me, I'm here."

At that moment, Melissa walked back in. Stiles looked up at her. "You find a tape player?"

Melissa shook her head. "No. But I found a couple someones looking for you two."

Malia and Carter walked in and the former said, "I heard you two almost got killed."

"I heard you almost got killed," Stiles returned.

"You two okay?"

Stiles nodded. "Brunski punched me in the face. Maggie's okay. Turns out he was a serial killer."

Malia nodded. "Makes sense."

"What about you, Malia?" Kinsey asked.

"We almost got set on fire."

"Everyone okay?" Stiles inquired.

"Basically."

"You okay?"

Malia nodded. "I'm fine. I'm gonna go." She walked away and the three were left with an awkward feeling seeming to waft through the air.

Stiles got a CT scan and was fine, so he and Kinsey headed to his house. Carter needed to help his uncle with something and wanted to check on Lydia, so he left.

Inside his room, they played the tape Brunski made when he killed Lorraine.

"Let's go, Lorraine."

"Listen to me. Please listen. There's something I have to do, something I have to stop," Lorraine said. The volume increased and Lorraine continued. "No. No. I don't think you're gonna be taking me anywhere. I can hear the recorder in your pocket. It's on now, isn't it? You're making a tape. Just like you taped the others. How many others have you taped, Brunski? Ten? Twenty? A hundred?"

Stiles frowned. "This didn't happen at Eichen House."

"But then where did she go?" Malia asked.

"That's what we need to figure out."