Running with the Wolves

chapter 27: questions and answers

Scott, Liam and Malia join us, realizing we are finally close to figuring out what the hell is going on with me.

And hopefully, we can find a way to make it stop.

I take a deep breath.

I explain to Deaton what happened during the ice bath. How I found my dad, and how we go separated.

"After we got separated...I saw Lydia. She was in a dress. A man was standing behind her. It was Peter Hale. I saw him attack her, I saw when he sunk his teeth into her side...and I...it felt like he actually bit me."

I search Deaton's eyes, hoping that he has an answer for me already.

"Ok. Please continue." Deaton says.

"Then I saw Scott." I say and turn to look at him. "You were fighting another werewolf. You weren't an alpha yet, but whoever you were fighting was. He took his claws and dug them into your torso."

I turn back to Deaton. "It felt like I was the one who was getting my chest slashed by the werewolf."

I stay quiet, debating whether I should say what happened next.

"Was that it?" Deaton asks.

"No."

I take a deep breath and my gaze falls to the floor.

"After that, I see Allison. She's fighting the Oni. She's.." but I can't bring myself to say it. "And it feels like I'm the one who..."

I look up at Deaton.

"Ok." he nods sympathetically. "And after that?"

"I'm on the floor, gasping for air. I was in a lot of...pain."

"Did you see Stiles?" Deaton asks.

"Yeah. At first I just heard him, he was telling me to focus. I saw him after I was able to get up off the floor, I went over to him and I tried to hug him but I couldn't."

"Why?" Deaton asks.

"Because, he was like a hologram. I went right through him."

Deaton is quiet. He's putting everything together.

"Do you know what this is?" Stiles asks.

Deaton looks around the room and then his eyes finally land on mine.

"It's called Suffering Absorption. It's an ability you gained through the ice bath. I've heard rumors about this happening, but I've never witnessed it happening."

"Suffering Absorption? What does that mean?" I ask, confused.

"There are many associations with it. It can be the absorption of physical pain or emotional pain. You absorb the pain by removing it from the source and transferring it, so to speak, into your body. Some can use the absorption of pain to their advantage, such as to heal their own bodies or to enhance their strength and power. Others can't. Some can absorb pain from a source and then transfer it to another source just by using their hands to direct the pain. Some can absorb pain from a large range, others from a limited range and some by just touching those who are in pain."

"And this all happened because of the ice bath?" I ask.

"Well, because of what happened to you during the ice bath. When you took in the pain during the visions you had in the ice bath, you came out of it with the ability to absorb pain."

"So, she's been absorbing pain this whole time?" my dad asks.

"Not necessarily. She's new to this, so she doesn't know how to control it. There's pain all around us, her body has gained this ability and doesn't know what to do with it. It's not like werewolves, who can take pain just by touch as a result of the bite, the sole purpose of one who absorbs pain, the suffering, is to take it away. There are no claws or fangs involved. Like I said, she may have a wide range, or a limited range. What I mean by that is, she might be able to walk into a building and take all of the pain there, just by entering it. Or, she may have a limited range. She'd have to go to a specific room, with a limited number of people and she would only be able to absorb their pain. And if it is just by touch, then it'd be like a werewolf in a way. It could also be a combination." he explains.