Shadow [Stiles Stilinski Fanfic]

|Chapter 2|

|Chapter 2|

            The second time Stiles woke up, he was absolutely sure he was in the hospital. The very first sign was the signature hospital smell. It was hard to describe, but everyone knew what it was. It smelled clean and sanitary like you'd expect. The second sign was the object he felt clasped around his finger. He also felt a soft, cushioned bed underneath him. That was the third and final sign that he was surely in the hospital.

            "Stiles?" His best friend piped up from a seat beside him. Stiles turned his head weakly to the opposite side in order to get a better view of his friend.

            "Hey, Scott," He greeted, trying to sound cheerful although it was nearly impossible with his scratchy voice and parched throat.

            Scott smiled, getting up and pressing the call button on the side of his bed, then reaching for a glass of water on the bedside table. Stiles reached for it, but his hand was shaking so terribly that he couldn't get a grip onto it.

            Scott held the water up to his lips and tilted it slowly. Stiles drank greedily even though he felt completely vulnerable and weak with someone having to help him drink water from a plastic cup. Either way, the water tasted amazing, helping soothe his itchy throat.

            A minute later, Ms. McCall came through the doors. Stiles gazed up, glad to see her again. After all, it seemed like she was Stiles's mom ever since his real one died. He winced the slightest when she gave him a gentle hug, but she didn't seem to notice to his relief. That, or she chose to ignore it for everyone's sake.

            Melissa asked placidly, "How are you feeling, Stiles?" She ran a thumb down the side of his face. Stiles shuddered into her touch, loving the feeling of knowing he did have a mom, even if she wasn't by blood.

            Then, he realized even he didn't know the answer to the question. Now that she mentioned it, Stiles wasn't feeling too amazing. His stomach was killing him. It felt like he was burning it in a volcano. His head felt heavy, and it throbbed dully. The rest of him just ached badly; however, he didn't tell them that.

            "Fine," Stiles lied fluently, a skill that he had picked up but wasn't proud of in the least bit. He shrugged slightly. "A little achy, but fine."

            Ms. McCall eyed him suspiciously, then kissed him on the forehead. "I'll tell your dad you woke up. Trust me, we had to literally pry him out of this room to get back to his job. He's only left a couple of times." Then, she left, and the two best friends were alone. It was silent for awhile with neither of them knowing what to say.

            In the end, it was Stiles to break the silence. Even in his weakened state, his ADHD got the best of him. "So, Scotty...what exactly happened while I was gone?"

            Scott shook his head back and forth and said, "It's a long, long story, Stiles--and I don't even know half of it. I was hoping you knew. What's the last thing you remember?"

            "I remember the nogitsune taking over my body again at the mental hospital. Then, it was mostly fuzzy for some reason. I-I don't know why. Then, I remember feeling pain. I remember being stabbed and bleeding out. I was dying. I was dead. Suddenly, I woke up again in a completely different place still bleeding and still in pain. I have no clue how I'm even alive, Scott. I have no idea."

            "Yeah, I remember the stabbing. The thing is, though, they took your body. She took it! We had no clue where your dead body was, but your pulse was gone." His best friend frowned, eyebrows furring together. "Stiles, when we found you in the forest...you were shot, not stabbed. It was a different wound."