Alpha's Angry Little Sister

Chapter Twelve: Healing Process

I wake up with a raging headache, "Why does this hurt so much?" "You had surgery. Surgery hurts," Isaac says propping himself up on his elbows to look at me. I sigh, "I know, but I wish it didn't." He caresses my cheek, and the pain fades but doesn't disappear, "That really hurts. I don't want you to feel that, babe." "Did you just call me babe," I giggle but cringe, "Ow." "No giggling," Derek yells from outside of my room. I look at Isaac, "I don't think he realizes giggling is apart of life." Derek walks into the room, "Growling used to be all you did, so don't give me that crap." I growl then whimper, and Derek says, "And now you can't even do that." "I don't need your sass, sourwolf," I say softly, and Isaac caresses my face again. Derek chuckles and mocks him, "Please stop hurting yourself, babe," then says, "Just start dating already. It is going to happen anyway. I mean, Isaac, man up and do it." "Go away, Derek," I say feeling my face becoming warm. He chuckles, "Okay." He walks out still laughing. Isaac says and grabs my hand, "I did hold your hand when you asked me to. I held it the entire time we moved you, and you don't understand how nervous I was. You looked so peaceful, but I was still scared." "Thank you," I say stroking his cheek, "Thank you for everything. I'm not used to needing someone. I'm not used to any of this." "I'm not used to being so close to someone," he says putting my hand on his heart. Ethan barges in, "Will you guys stop with the lovey dovey crap. It's grossing me out." "And watching you make out in the kitchen with Danny while I eat doesn't make me want to vomit," I question. He chuckles, "Okay, but I'm trying to watch TV, and Scott is on his way with the rest of the family." "Rest of the family? Do you mean all my family? Like to have family time," I ask nervously. Scott yells, "Is she awake?" "Precisely," Ethan says.

I shake my head at him scared because I don't want them to see me like this again, but Ethan yells back, "Yes. Wide awake." Isaac stands up quickly causing me to wince and hiss. Scott comes in, "Are you okay?" "I'm perfect," I say smiling then stop, "No smiling." "Do you want me to take the pain," Scott frowns and steps toward me. I firmly say, "No, Scott." "No, what," Stiles asks as he walks in with my parents. "I don't want Scott to take my pain," I answer. Mom tries to defend Scott, "He only wants to help, Steph." "I know, and I need to heal as fast as I can. Knowing my brother, he would take all my pain. Pain is how we trigger our healing," I explain myself, and she shakes her head. "No, he wouldn't because he knows pain is how you heal," she says. I grimace and carefully sit up, "Because he is your perfect child, mom." "That isn't what I was saying," she says. I look at her, "But it's true. All you ever talk about is how proud you are of him. His lacrosse games or whatever he does, mom. You don't talk about being proud of me. My show cases or concerts or what I do. None of it, mom. You act like you are embarrassed of me." "Stephanie, your mother would never be embarrassed of you," dad says. I look down and ask, "Then why doesn't she say that herself? Why does her breath hitch when I tell her these things? Why does her pulse spike as I tell her what I believe?" "I am not embarrassed of you. I struggle with you, yes, but I struggle with Scott too. Sure, I say that I'm proud of Scott, but that doesn't mean I'm not proud of you. I am very proud of you because I see how much you struggle with everything, but you never ask for help because you have so much strength to take on the world. Honey, I'm sorry I don't say it, but I'm so proud of you beyond belief," mom kneels next to my bed, "I'm telling you I don't have perfect children, but I do have perfectly imperfect children that I am so proud of." "Are you proud of me, dad," Stiles asks choking on the words a little. "More than you'll ever know. I'm proud of both of my kids," dad says. Scott asks, "You thought mom was more proud of me, Steph?" "Yea," I breathe out. He chuckles, "You know how many times I've heard her say, 'You have to be strong like your sister. Strong like Steph, Scott.' Too many to count."

I chuckle but wince, "Ah. No making me laugh." Isaac gingerly lays me down supporting my head, and he takes some of my pain. I sigh, "Really, Isaac?" "What," he says looking away me. I roll my eyes, "I told Scott no, and you take some anyway." "I did it earlier too, and you didn't tell me no," he says shrugs. Derek walks in, "See? This is what I was talking about earlier." "Derek, what did I tell you earlier," I say. He pretends to think, "That you didn't need my sass, and that I was a sourwolf." "No, after that," I say. He act like prissy little girl ad he says, "Go away, Derek." "Still stands on the subject, and I don't sound like that," I sass. Liam walks in and asks softly, "Is this a bad time?" "No, you are fine," I say, "What do you need?" "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he says quietly. I giggle at him then hiss. I say, "You don't have to talk quietly. I need to stop laughing though." "Yea, you do. I don't like seeing you hurt yourself even if it is on accident," Isaac says as he grabs my hand. Derek yells from outside of my room, "Exactly what I mean." "Exactly why you should be quiet," I whisper blushing. Liam asks, "What is Derek talking about?" "He is talking about nonsense," I say feeling my own pulse spike, "Scott, can you hand me a mirror?" "Yea," he says looking at me weird as he gives me one. I gasp looking into it and see my hair parted down the middle. The stitches start from the top of my head going to right above my nose and another set of stitches crossing at the top of my forehead. Yellow and purple bruising surrounds the stitching. I start to tear up. "Stephanie, it's going to heal," Isaac says trying to comfort. I turn to my side and whisper, "How can you even look at me?" "Because I still think you're beautiful," he says, and Scott speaks up, "I think you should rest." "Scott is right. I love you, honey," mom says grabbing Stiles and dad leading them out. "Bye, Stephanie," Liam says and follows Scott out of my room. "Bye," I say. Isaac starts to follow, but I sit up quickly, which hurt bad, and say, "Don't go." He looks at me, "Why?" "I need you," I say, "Will you hold me?" "Of course I will," he says staring into my eyes. Isaac lays next to me, and I cuddle into him laying my head on his chest. He wraps his arm around me making sure to be gentle, and I feel safe. "Thank you," I whisper. He whispers back, "Anytime." As I start to fall asleep, he whisper, "I don't know what you did to me, but I don't care. I'd do anything for you." I want to tell him that he has me wrapped around his finger, and I'd do anything for him, but I'm am too close to sleep that I can't.