Just Breathe

Chapter 45

"Emma" Stiles's voice echoed around in her head. Emma shifted her body slightly, realizing she was still in wolf form. "Emma wake up" Stiles's voice pleaded, his hands running through her fur. She groaned, nuzziling her head under a blanket. Allison is dead. Its all my fault. Emma thought over and over again. The picture of Allison's face before she died seemed to be plastered to her eye lids. "Emma you need to shift back" Stiles soothed. He's right. But once I shift back, I'll have to clean up the blood. Blood. Allison was covered in blood when they took her body away. Emma groaned as she shift back. Her skin burned, her insides turning. Slowly, the fur dissolved, leaving a small frame of a pale, broken girl. Stiles pulled his hand back, shocked. Emma's skin was ice cold.

"I'm going to g-go take a s-shower" Emma trembled. Emma pushed herself up, her arms trembling. She looked down at herself, wincing. Her body was bruised, and there was blood. Dark blood that stood out against her white skin. Her bones poked through her skin, causing her to look weak and frail, which at the moment she was. She pushed herself up, so she was standing on her feet. Her legs began to tremble, giving out. Stiles jumped up from the bed, catching her. She gripped onto his shirt, as if it was the only thing holding her up. Stiles looked at her, worried. Emma's eye became glassy. "What's happening to me?" she whimpered, a single tear streaking her face.

"I don't know" Stiles said, pulling her into a hug. He held her so tight, because he was afraid if he let her go, she might break. Emma cried into his shoulder. She cried out of fear, she cried for the death of her friend, she cried in pain, and she cried because she knew she was going to die. "Emma I promise it will get better" Stiles said, brushing her hair out of her face. Emma pulled away.

"Don't say that because it's not true" Emma said, her voice stone cold. Stiles stared at her, hurt in his eyes. "I'm dying Stiles. And I think today is the day I die" Emma said, mustering a brave fast. With that, she used the wall to guide herself to the bathroom. The door slammed shut, leaving Stiles alone to listen to the sound of the water running.

Derek walked into the room a minute after. "I didn't mean to, but I overheard" Derek said. Stiles sat on the bed, staring absently at the ground. Derek walked over, sitting down next to Stiles.

"I don't want her to die" Stiles whispered. "Its not fair" he sniffled. He felt childish saying it but it was the only thing he could think to say.

"I know Stiles. I know" Derek sighed, patting Stiles's back. "The rest of the pack is downstairs. We think we have a plan. And maybe if we do it in time, we can save Emma" Derek offered.

"Remember? We need Malia for that plan. No way that coyote is going to risk her life" Stiles laughed bitterly.

"No we don't need her anymore. Void isn't a werewolf anymore. So Scott can bite and change him" Derek said. Stiles perked up a little bit. Stiles looked at the bathroom door, the hot water still running. "Well you want to come down stairs and here the plan? We'll need every person we can get" Derek asked Stiles. Stiles nodded, standing up. The room went quiet for a moment, the bathroom door opening up.

"I'm in to" Emma said, wearing one of Stiles's flannels which looked huge on her small frame along with a pair of baggy jeans which used to be skinny jeans. Stiles and Derek exchanged glances. Emma rolled her eyes. "I want to help. I don't want anyone else to die because of me" Emma said, clinging to the door frame for support. Stiles nodded, extending his hand. He knew Emma wasn't able to really walk by herself. She was took weak. Emma took it, pulling herself close to him. If she was going to die, she was going to die fighting.

+

That night, they arrived at the school. They had split up. Emma, Stiles, Lydia, Kira and Scott were heading towards the school. As they arrived at the doors, everyone paused. They were scared. Not so much about fighting the nogitsune, but about losing their friend. Emma inhaled the air, immediately smelling their anxiety and greif. "I don't care if I die. If it means defeating the nogitsune, and no more people dyeing, then I dont care. Just stick to the plan" Emma said forcefully.