A Lot Like Pompeii

Chapter Two: Fall of the Quarterback

"McCall! Stilinski! Hurry up and get on the field!" Their coach shouted as he walked out of the locker room. After an entire day of classes, Stiles was more than excited to finally have football practice at the end of the day.

"Sir yes sir!" Scott said as he started putting on his pads and grabbed his jersey. "So are you excited for this season?" he asked as he watched Stiles get ready for practice. "Yeah, as long as I get out of class i'm extatic." Stiles said as he closed his locker and they walked onto the field together.

"Gentlemen!" Their coach said as everyone joined him on the field. "Meet your new team mate, Derek Hale, Scott McCall's cousin." Stiles groaned and looked over at Scott. "What the hell man? He's everywhere." Scott sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't relalize he would follow me everywhere I went." Their coach blew the whistle causing Scott and Stiles to jump. "McCall, Stilinski, shut the hell up." He said. "We're going to run some play snow boys, everyone from McCall o the left is going to be on team one! Everyone from Stilinski to the right is going to be team two! Derek," he said as he turned to the boy, "You're going to be on McCall's team."

Derek nodded and walked over to Scott's side as he placed his helmet on his head and Stiles laughed as he looked over at Scott. "Have fun with that buddy." They broke into their two teams and started to assign placements when Stiles hear the coach call his name. "Stilinski! Head or tails?" He shouted. "Heads!"

The coach flipped the coin and caugh it. "Heads it is, team two has the ball, we're doing play 29!" The two teams got in their positions and Stiles stood behind one of the other players. Stiles expected nothing but the best from his team mates, and since he was the quarterback, Stiles was completely ready for this season. Stiles called out the numbers and yelled hut and felt the football slide into his hands. He ran back looking for an opening, raising his arm he threw the football to one of his teammates. Just as the fooball left his hands Stiles felt someone ram into his right side causing him to fly sideways and land on his left arm. As he connected with the ground Stiles heard a pop and then a loud ringing in his ears.

For a split second, Stiles felt nothing but emptiness, then all at once his arm sent shards of pain through his body and Stiles cried out in pain. "Oh my God!" he yelled as he sits up and looked over at the person who had hit him and came face to face with Derek Hale. "What the fuck dude?!" He exclaimed as he tried to stand, only to fall down on the ground in pain. Scott ran over and knelt beside him, "Stiles are you okay?" He asked a look of worry crossing over his face. The coach ran up and knelt on the other side and helped Stiles sit up, "It looks like it's dislocated, you're going to need to go to the hospital." Stiles groaned. "God no please, just make the pain stop."

"I can take him."

Stiles eyes flew open as everyone heard the first words uttered out of Derek Hales mouth. "You'll what?" Stiles asked as he looked over at Derek. "I said I can take him, I have a car I can drive him to the hospital." Stiles looked from Scott to his coach and shook his head. "You're not going to let some stranger take me to the hospital are you?" Their coach shook his head, "Stilinski you have to go, let Hale take you to the hospital and i'll call your folks, we'll meet you there after practice." Derek helped Stiles stand and they started walking to his truck, Stiles looked over his shoulder at Scott, "I'll be there before you know it!"

Derek's car was small, a 2005 Acura to be exact. Stiles leaned against the passenger seat in pain as Derek spead out of the parking lot and towards the hospital. "This better not fuck up my chances at getting into a good college." Stiles hissed through the pain. Derek glanced over at Stiles, "Hey man i'm really sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I guess I just don't know my own strength." Stiles sighed and winced in pain, "It's not your fault, It's part of the game." He sighed as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. Derek got out and helped Stiles into the emergency room.

"We need help! He dislocated his shoulder!" Derek called out as Stiles stumbled into the emergency room. Scott's mother Melissa was a nurse at the hospital and she ran over to Stiles and helped put him on a bed. "Alright Stiles we're gonna get you to a doctor soon." She said as she wheeled him away from the emergencry room into the back. Stiles looked over the side of the bed as they turned a corner and saw Derek run a hand through his hair in worry and frustration.

-

It was four hours later and Stiles was still in pain. They had given him medication to make it less noticable but Stiles wanted more than anything to get out of that room and enjoy his own bed. Just as he was about to doze off the door to his room opened and Stiles father, Victoria Argent and Allison his step sister all walked in. Well at least my dad can't kill me in a hospital. Stiles thought to himself. "Hey guys!" he said as cheerful as he could muster in all the pain he was in. He looked to his side to see Derek Hale still sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, he hadn't moved for four hours and Stiles was beginning to think he was some sort of statue.

"Dammit Stiles, what the hell happened?" His father asked as he walked over and stood next to his son. Stiles could tell he looked like a mess, he didn't really care about his apperence, he just wanted to go home. "I got hit during practice today. The doctor said it's popped out of place and I just have to have you guys sign a paper and they can pop it back into place and I can go home in a matter of minutes!" He said. Victoria shook her head, "Stiles, football is a dangerous sport..."

"Oh don't lecture me Victoria, just sign the paper so I can go home." Stiles said rolling his eyes. Allison chuckled and shook her head as Mr. Stilinski sat on the bed next to Stiles, "Stiles we need to talk." He said. Stiles sat up and sighed. "Alright let's hear what you have to say." He mumbled frustrated.

"Football is a dangerous sport, and we don't want you to get hurt anymore than you already are, so your mother-"

"Step mother!"

"...Your mother and I have decided that you need to pursue something else." He pulled out three brochures and handed them to him. Stiles took them and opened one of them up. "Law school? You want me to be a lawyer?" He asked. "We want you to be safe, and being a lawyer is way safer than you being a football player."

"Maybe he doesn't want to be a lawyer."

Stiles froze and looked over at Derek, forgetting that the boy had been in the room the whole time.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Stilinski asked as he looked over at Derek. Stiles dad was intimidating, but even Stiles had to admit that he was more scared of Derek Hale than his own father.

"I'm just saying that Stiles has shown interest in football, not in being a lawyer." Derek said. Stiles chuckled and looked over at his father. "Dad, don't worry about it okay? Just sign the slip so I can get out of here." He said.

Mr. Stilinski sighed and stood up, "Alright, we'll go and get those papers signed." He took Victoria and Allison and walked out of the room. Stiles looked over at Derek and smiled, "Hey, thanks for that. I could never stand up for myself against my father."

Derek smiled and looked over at him, "Life is already filled with choices, no need to add another choice that you've already chosen into the mix." He got up and walked to the door and looked back at Stiles. "I'm really sorry again about today, i'll make it up to you." He opened the door and walked out.

As Stiles watched him leave he couldn't help but be in awe at Derek. The guy who usually never said anything was brave enough to stand up to Sherrif Stilinski and Stiles couldn't help but want to get to know him a little better.

I need to get out of this damn hospital first. He thought first. He sighed and lied back down and started to close his eyes. I'll ask Scott about him tomorrow.....