Primal » Isaac Lahey

Chapter 26.

Chapter 26

The flood lights begin to fully flicker on as they restart back up. There was still chaos on the field, as all sorts of people scrambled hectically around. Everyone was in a panic as they noticed the body down on the field. I stood off to the side still holding onto Danny' arm tightly. I could feel his heart beating heavily though his jersey as he looked down at his best friend motionlessly laying crippled on the field. I wasn't standing too close, but I wasn't that far away either, only a few feet; but I could see any sign of his chest rising and falling and that was scary. Yes, Jackson was a jerk, but in no way would I want to see him die.

"What the hell?" I heard Danny whisper under his breath. I couldn't see much of his face through his mask, but as he slowly pulled it off I noticed the visible look of anguish etched onto his face. I could empathize with him, knowing your best friend was in trouble and hurt, and you couldn't do anything to prevent or help the situation. Back in February with Lydia for example. After her attack on the lacrosse field followed by her going "naked and afraid" on some of the coldest nights of the year, I was terrified for her. Who wouldn't be? Now that I know what really lies out in those woods, I am grateful nothing harmful happened to her.

There was a high pitched scream as a name was shouted from the sidelines. I flinched as my eyes followed Lydia as she scream Jackson's name repeatedly. I looked to my left and noticed Scott jog up beside me, and I smiled as I noticed Isaac looking perfectly fine behind him. When he caught my eye, he smiled a little bit, but I couldn't feel the urge to smile back. It's not that I didn't want to, but I couldn't muster in up with all the pain and strife in the air.

Suddenly Ms. McCall weaved through the circle of players surrounding Jackson and leaned down to his body. She keeled on the ground and lowed her head to his chest for a few seconds and rose up. "He's not breathing. No pulse," Ms. McCall answered the heavy question on everybody's minds.

"Nothing?" Coach asked. He ran over here the seconds the lights flickered on.

"Nothing." She replied lifting up Jackson's tattered jersey to reveal several hideous open-wounds. About four or five puncture wounds embedded his lower abdomen, each collecting dark red blood and pooling on his body.

"Look," Scott whispered into my ear. It was loud enough for Isaac to hear, but still quiet enough that Danny, who I was latched onto, couldn't hear the conversation.

My eyes followed Scott's down to Jackson's body and I ran over the figure, until my eyes stopped at his hands and noticed the bloody mess. "He did it to himself?" I saw him nodded slightly

Lydia was practically in hysterics as she cried over Jackson's head. "Get down here," Ms. McCall called out to her as she started the CPR process. When Lydia didn't move she called up again, this time adding a sternness to her voice. "Get down here and hold his head! Tilt it up." She instructed as Lydia moved onto the ground and followed orders. Then she began pressing his chest heavily.

From the back of the crowd, a body was pushed out of the way and Sheriff Stilinski moved into the group and scanned each and every one of us. "Where's Stiles?" he shouted. I glanced around and didn't see Stiles anywhere, fret started to settle in with a sinking feeling, and it was nothing good.

"Where's Stiles? Where the hell is my son?"

☾

It was about forty-five minutes later when we all we're back in the locker room. The boys we're all out of their uniforms and players, parents, officers, EMTs, and friends all loitered in and outside of the locker room, but everyone was leaving pretty quickly. I stood next to Isaac our shoulders brushing and hands interlocked as we talked with Sheriff Stilinski. "I got to meet with the medical examiner and try to figure out what happened with Jackson. I've got an APB out on Stiles. His jeep is still in the parking lot, so that means - the hell, I don't know what that means. Um... Look, if he answers his phone, if he answers his emails, if either one of you see him..." he stuttered and looked shaken over the disappearance of his son. I felt so awful watching him knowing Stiles could be anywhere.