𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

A Mundane Death

...

Warning: explicit description of death. 

...

"What's he doing here?" Scott comments bitterly as I walk into the dining room. I hear Chris lock the door before he joins us all in the small room.

"The same thing as you." I reply carefully lacing my voice with sincerity. Sadness fills his face at the thought and I watch as Stiles' and Lydia's does the same.

"She doesn't want to see anyone." Lydia mumbles fiddling with the handle of the cup in her hand.

"She'll see him..." Chris speaks up beside me and I place my hand on his shoulder for a second before walking down the hall to her bedroom.

My hand hovers over the handle as I prepare to open the door, only for my head to force me not to. I lean backwards against the wall instead feeling a rush of emotion pushing down on me. I wipe my hand over my face as the reality sinks into my mind.

"I can't do this anymore." She shouts with as much strength as she can, pulling out her IV in the process. "I'm tired, Dad. " She leans back into the wheelchair as I nod for the doctor to leave. "I'm tired of fighting."

"I know." Chris comments looking away as tears start glossing over his eyes. I glance between the two of them and decide to wait outside, finding the doctor making notes in the hallway.

"How long?" I ask making him look up from his notebook confused. I turn back to the door behind me, hearing her slow breathing as Chris cries. "How long does she have left?" The doctor clears his throat, placing a hand on my shoulder as I look at him.

"A month at most."

"Derek?" Her voice brings my mind back to the moment and I hear her moving behind the door. My body leads me to her presence without command as I shut the door behind me.

"I'm here." I announce and her head lifts from the pillow at the sound of my own voice.

"Help me." She commands with a fragile hand reaching out towards me. I walk over to her side and I feel something inside of me die at the sight. Her hair is pulled into a low ponytail as the oxygen tube spreads from her nose to behind both her ears. "Derek?" She questions impatiently and I smile when she huffs a piece of hair out of her face. I sit down beside her on the bed and lean forward to delicately place my hands on her back, softly guiding her body into a sitting position. She rests herself against my shoulder while I pile her pillows up behind her back.

"There." I say as I move her from my shoulder to the pillows. Her lips mouth a thank you as she lifts the blanket higher to cover her figure.

"You're late." She comments softly, breathing carefully while she looks up at me, her dull eyes scanning over my face as I try to keep myself from showing the effect this has on me. "You're never late." She adds with a frown.

I nod while allowing my lips to mimic hers, reaching into my pocket to take the bag out. I empty the bag onto the bed in front of her and she avoids looking at the contents by turning away. "I had a promise to keep." I comment dryly and a harsh silence falls between us.