The Breaking ➝ Isaac Lahey

Chapter Eighty-Nine

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-three weeks ago-

Aspen winced, her fingers curling the bed sheets into wrinkles. Her eyes were shut, trying to think of anything besides the stitches lacing her skin together one last time. The snipping of scissors let her breathe slightly normal again. Melissa stood to her full height with a loud sigh. Aspen dropped her head to asses her abdomen with one eye open before she opened both, brows raised.

"Huh," Aspen looked up at Mellisa who was smiling weekly as she placed her material on a metal tray by Aspen's hospital bed. "You should get into cross-stitching. Looks good."

Mellisa let an airy laugh as she let her shaking hand fall into her scrub pockets. Aspen didn't address this and was prompted to grab her sweatshirt. Not Isaac's. His was bloodied with a bullet hole that tore the threading. "Stitching people and material is actually very different, believe it or not."

Melissa moved forward quickly when Aspen's brows pulled in a pained expression.

"Arms up---yeah like that," Melissa mumbled as she helped Aspen slip on the sweatshirt. She doted slightly, pulling Aspen's hair out from the neckline and tucking it behind her ears

"Thank you," Aspen muttered, looking at her with a closed-lip smile.

Melissa's hands linger on Aspen's cheek. Aspen wanted to melt under that well-known motherly gaze. A flash of Julia popped into her mind and Aspen blinked before she shuffled to the edge of the bed. Melissa's brows were knitted the entire time she grabbed Aspen's hands and helped her stand up. She had already practiced walking so it wasn't foreign to her anymore. She was just a little sore. But Melissa helped her anyway.

"How do you feel? Are you sure you don't wanna stay a few more days?" Melissa asked, still holding Aspen by her forearms. "I can upgrade you to a bigger room. Or--or um you can maybe come to my place? I can use the company and you know, it would be easier to check if everything--"

"Hey," Aspen said softly, dipping her head to meet Melissa's eyes. Melissa could hear the soft chastising in Aspen's tone and she took a breath. "I'm okay, promise."

"You got shot."

"And here I am. Recovered and running on Tylenol."

Aspen's attempt at a joke fell short and Melissa just licked her bottom lip. "Do you have any idea who brought you in?"

Aspen knew Melissa has been meaning to ask. And the answer was yes.

She did know who saved her that night.

Aspen shook her head with a frown, not trusting her words to lie to Melissa.

"Alright," Melissa sighed, defeated. She ran her hands firmly on Aspen's shoulders before leading her to the front desk of the hospital. Melissa walked her to the doors to watch her head to the car waiting outside.

Aspen was about to head to meet her ride when Mellisa grabbed her wrist gently. She looked at the woman for a beat longer than she was comfortable with. "Did you know?" Melissa asked tightly.

Right. That.

Melissa knows about Scott being a werewolf. She found out that night. Scott voiced how hard it's been. They've barely talked. Even Stiles and Scott were distant except when it came to visiting Aspen. Allison was grieving her mother's death. And Lydia was...well she doesn't really know. And Isaac. She hasn't seen him since the party nor had he bothered to visit. Probably orders from Derek she imagines but that's never stopped him before. This was different.

Aspen's lips part and she shakes her head slightly, not knowing how to answer. "You have to understand Melissa, we're all he had, and putting you in danger with knowing what he is wasn't an option." she amended in a whisper. "He didn't ask for this. You have to know that. He's still Scott."