All about control

you are now leaving beacon hills (june/august)

The clinic door opens easily, though Liam's stumble as he struggles to force himself over the threshold, his grip still wound tight around Anika's hands, is the only reason he keeps moving. She's leading him straight through the room, not letting up her hold on his hand or slowing her pace. He does his best work of ignoring the eyes that slam into him as they move, choosing to focus on the weight of Anika's hand in his, his eyes downcast as they walk through the swinging half door that leads towards the back room, the one he can't move if he tried.

His legs bring him to a halt in front of the third door, unwilling to let him move any further. Anika pauses too, squeezing his hand in hers enough to bring his attention to her face instead of the ground. He trusts her, he really does, but the fear gnawing at his bones is rooting him to the spot. What if they're wrong? What if, even if he's alive now, he ultimately doesn't make it? What if...

Anika gives him a soft smile and a slow tug on his hand, making him take a step forward, even though he really doesn't want to.

"Remember, use your eyes, not your ears." She says, a gentle laugh in her voice.

He nods, holding his breath as they take the final steps through the doors to the back. Though, the sight before him has his knees nearly giving out on him, and if it weren't for Anika hoisting him up, he would have hit the ground. Corey is sitting in a chair next to Theo, but his head snaps in their direction when they walk into the room. A smile slides across his face as his eyes lock onto Liam's.

"I told you Deaton would take care of it."

Liam laughs, a wet thing, more tears forming in his eyes as he walks over to his friend and squeezes him into a tight hug. Corey grunts at the impact, but his arms snake around Liam's form just as tightly. When they finally pull apart, Liam has it in himself to turn and take in Theo's form. His eyes trail from his chimera's face, the smeared and dried blood there, then down to his chest.

From the moment he arrived at the clinic, he tried so hard to search for the one heartbeat he's been so pinpoint focused on for months, the same heartbeat that can bring him back down to earth, calm him down from panic attacks. But, he was met with nothing. Until now.

He watches the rise and fall of Theo's chest, closes his eyes and focuses one more time, listening out for that gentle heartbeat. When he finally hears the quiet, but still there , his knees finally give out on him this time, taking him down to the floor as a sob is ripped from his chest.

Corey catches him on the way down, breaking his fall. He tries and fails to tell him that Theo is going to be fine, but everything is muffled, like he's miles away. God, his focus is so pinpoint on Theo's heart, that's the only thing going through his mind, the only thing he can focus on at all. For all he knows, gunfire could be raining down on them, and he wouldn't even notice against the too-quiet rhythm.

Theo is alive. He's alive, and safe. They both are.

Somewhere along the line, he's put in Corey's chair, and from then on he refuses to move. His hands are cradled around Theo's, intermittently pulling as much of his pain as he can before his vision goes spotty around the edges. If the chimera were awake, he never would have let him take even half as much as he does. Though, after a while, he can't pull anymore. A weak smile spreads across his face as he leans back into his chair, tapping his feet to fill the silence he and Anika are sitting in since Corey left with Mason an hour ago now.

Both of them are watching Theo, randomly shifting in their seats, uncomfortable in the silence that Theo would be the one to fill between the two of them. He's had a few moments with Anika now and it shouldn't be awkward anymore, but what the hell is he supposed to do when they're just essentially watching Theo sleep?