Contingency~TW/TO~ Lahey

Chapter 14: Succorer

Fifteen hours. That's how long Allison, Scott, and Stiles have been floating in their metal tubs lifeless. With every passing second, my worry amplifies and it's noticeable the others feel the same. Especially Isaac who can't stop pacing the floors.

I tried convincing him to go home and rest, seeing this is going to take some time, but he refused. And I'm not going to leave his, or Allison's, side. Just like he isn't going to leave Scott's until he comes back to consciousness.

"Deaton, you said a few seconds," Isaac says worriedly. "It's been hours. We have exactly four hours till the moon rises."

"We can only be patient," he answers in his usual calm tone. I know he's right, but that response does not sit well with me.

"Why don't we go in here?" I suggest to Isaac. I am already pulling him down the hallway before he can protest and luckily he doesn't fight me on it. We stand in the hallway quietly while I rub my hand along the sides of his arm in an attempt to calm him down some.

"How do you do it?" he exhales as he places his hand over my own.

I look at him confused, "I'm not sure I understand what you are insinuating."

"How are you so calm?" he clarifies.

I scoff, "On the outside, I may appear calm and collected, but what lies beneath the surface is anything but." Throughout my years of living, or lack thereof, I have picked up a few tricks on hiding my emotions. Being with Kol has also been a factor. He isn't one to take off his mask for just anyone. Even with me at times and I quickly reciprocated.

It hurt to watch him suffer internally with his demons. I wanted to relive Kol of them, but I ended up harming myself by allowing them to overcome me, too. It's how we have operated for most of our life. Pretend our lives are perfect until our walls crumble and we go down with the rubble just to build them back up and start all over again.

I gaze into his eyes, "I'm envious of how open you are with your emotions." I wish I could project my feelings half as much as Isaac does. He confesses his love to me and I don't even utter a word. The only communication I'm proficient in is touch. He vocalizes his worry for his Alpha and I keep mine hidden. It took me 1000 years to finally open up to someone, and with the friends I've gained this is a trait I want to be accustomed to.

"You have nothing to be envious about," he sweetly replies while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with his other hand.

"You're just saying that because I'm your girlfriend," I imply playfully.

He doesn't smile, though. Instead, he stares at me before saying, "No, I'm saying it because I love you the way you are. You're perfect."

"That's what I have to be envious about," I point out. "You can stand here and speak those words so fluently and all I do is stay silent. Isaac, I-" I was unable to finish my sentence from the sudden sounds of gasps and splashing of water that came from the room we were in ten minutes ago. Looking behind me, I can vaguely see Deaton jump out of his chair and I knew they had to have woken up.

Isaac and I race into the room to find Scott, Stiles, and Allison all panting for the air their lungs were deprived of for hours. "I saw it," Scott shouts as he climbs out of his tub. "I know where it is."

Stiles hastily kicks his leg out of his metal bucket next, "Yeah, we passed it. There was this stump. This huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's big, though. Very big."

I look over at Allison as Stiles describes the Nemeton to us. They were all shivering from the cold air that attacked their soaked skin. I make my way over to the table that held their towels while Scott continues, "It was the night we were looking for the body."