Unspoken - Book 4 - S.S.

117

"Wow..." Deaton mumbled, as soon as Scott, Stiles and Lydia brought younger Derek to him in the animal clinic.

"Wow?" Stiles repeated. "Wow, as in, I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do-kind of wow? 'Cause that's the kind we were hoping for..."

"I think you might be overestimating my abilities." Deaton said, as Lydia reached a hand out to place it over Derek's as the boy laid across the operation table.

"He's cold." She said. "Really cold."

"Do you think this is permanent?" Scott asked, turning to look at the vet as Deaton sighed.

"I'm not sure a medical diagnosis is even adequate." He said. "This is well beyond my experience."

"So, what do we do with him?" Stiles asked.

"Until he wakes up? Probably not much." Deaton shrugged. "It might be best to leave him with me. He'll be safe here."

"You mean, from Kate?" Stiles asked.

"If she's alive and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate." Deaton nodded.

"Why would she want to do this to him?" Lydia wondered.

"Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her." Deaton said.

"And bad for everyone else." Stiles said, as Deaton nodded, before smiling a little when he noticed the kids all yawning, clearly tired.

"You guys should probably go home." He said. "He doesn't look to be in any danger... So, maybe the rest of you should get some sleep? It is a school night, and you all need to start taking care of your own lives again."

"Someone should stay with you..." Scott said.

"I'll stay." Lydia offered, her hand still over Derek's as both boys turned around to look at her. "My grades are fine, despite missing a few classes."

"I'm so not okay with this." Stiles shook his head, having grown about a hundred times more protective over Lydia ever since Diana died, seeing in her the little piece of Diana that he had been missing for so long.

"Guys, go." Lydia insisted, resisting the urge to roll her eyes because she did appreciate it - having Stiles looking out for her like that, because, just like him, she had in him a little bit of Diana that she almost needed to stay alive.

"No." Stiles shook his head, but Scott didn't seem all that keen in arguing with Lydia.

"Text us if anything happens." He said, as Lydia nodded.

"Nope! Still not okay with it. Not going anywhere." Stiles said, only to groan loudly as Scott practically dragged his best friend out while Lydia just chuckled. "All right, just 'cause you're stronger..."

***

"I think she knows we're hiding something." Stiles told Scott as the two of them walked together down the hallways of the school.

"Who?" Scott frowned, a little lost considering he hadn't slept more than three hours last night and Stiles had just opened the conversation without really giving him much context.

"Malia!" Stiles sighed in exasperation. "Every time we study together, she notices I get a little fidgety."

"You're always a little fidgety." Scott pointed out as Stiles sighed.

"Yeah, and I told her that and I think she bought it the first few times. Especially the first few weeks after... Well... But now... I don't know." Stiles frowned quietly, as Scott sent his best friend a worried look. "It's just... Sometimes, the way she looks at me... I think she knows I'm not telling her something."