Rekindle The Flame || Stilinski || Book Four || WATTY's 2022

Nine

EICHEN HOUSE.

As many trips as Sierra and Stiles had taken to the mental hospital, it never got any easier. It could be due to the unsettling gazes of the orderlies, or the horrors Stiles witnessed during his own stay. Not to mention, nearly every time they stopped by, the former couple faced attempted murder or threats.

They stayed close together on their way to visit Lydia, having to give up their cell phones and throw away the food they brought in. As they headed to the stairs, Sierra muttered, "Twenty bucks down the drain."

Stiles bit back a smile, but didn't verbally respond. He just grabbed her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. He knew she hated being at Eichen, and the idea of Lydia being there was simply unsettling.

When Sierra first laid eyes on her friend, she felt herself getting choked up.

Lydia laid atop a worn mattress, her dull green eyes boring into the ceiling. Her pale skin flushed, and matched the plain walls. She didn't blink, nor make a sound when the two walked in.

If Sierra hadn't been able to hear her heartbeat, she would've sworn Lydia was dead.

They took a seat at her bedside, Sierra sitting closest to the banshee's head with Stiles on her left. Neither of them spoke at first, not knowing what to say. Sierra just clung to Stiles's hand, too afraid to let go.

Then she rested her other hand on top of Lydia's motionless fingers, and swallowed hard.

"Hey, Lyd," Sierra forced out a quiet greeting. "It's me, Si, with Stiles. We just wanted to come here and check on you."

Stiles nodded once, whispering, "Hey, Lydia."

He motioned for Sierra to go on, sending her an encouraging smile.

Sierra let out a deep sigh, but she knew Stiles was right. "Our teachers, uh, gave me your copies of what we've been working on. They wanted us to hold onto it for you." Her lips parted to add more, but she quickly choked on her words.

Seeing Lydia so lifeless, hurt. It was a reality Sierra never wanted to come true--especially since Sierra had already lost Allison.

Seeing Sierra get worked up, Stiles took over. "I saw something about the, uh, Riemann Hypothesis," he said, glancing at Sierra to see if he pronounced it correctly. She managed to nod, so he continued. "Um, things like, nontrivial zeros...zeta functions and a lot of stuff that goes totally over my head."

Sierra shared a soft smile with him, before she glanced down at Lydia. "Maybe you can wake up and explain it to him?" she suggested hopefully. "I barely understand the material myself, and you used to always help me out."

Sierra's optimism faded as her friend continued to stare at the ceiling, locked in a catatonic state. Her grip on Lydia's hand tightened, causing Stiles to move his to rest on her back as an act of comfort.

"Oh, come on, Lydia," she begged, her eyes watering as she stuttered. "You, you have to come back to us. There's no way we're getting through this without you."