Absolute Zero (A Stiles Stilinski/Teen Wolf Fanfiction) [4]

Chapter 14 - Truth

"You're gonna be okay," he whispered into my ear. "Just stay awake,"

I nodded, but stayed as still as possible. My entire body was aching. I've never felt like this before. I haven't been sick in years. I shouldn't be able to get sick. Whatever this virus is, it's designed for us. It's designed to kill us, and we're sitting ducks until we find a cure.

We all sat for awhile, Malia laying across from me, Kira pacing around while Scott sat on a wooden crate. We were all in pretty bad shape. I could see the rash growing on the back of Stiles' hand. I would heal him, but that's a little out of the question at the moment considering I can't even heal myself.

"You know, this is where it all started," said Stiles. He pointed towards a safe in the corner. "That's where the money was, $117 million in bayer bonds,"

"How do you even change bayer bonds into cash?" Kira asked, examining a jar of something off one of the shelves.

"A bank, I guess," answered Stiles. "You just let it sit here the whole time collecting dust. You know bayer bonds are basically extinct?"

"Why does it matter?" Kira asked.

"Don't you know how many problems that money could solve?" Stiles asked. 

I felt an immediate pang of guilt. Eric and I have $250,000 sitting in our bank account. A $250,000 that we received because I took a life. As much as the money would help us pay rent and put food on the table, it doesn't feel right. Not only is the money not ours, we only have it because someone is dead...because of me. It doesn't matter how many problems that would solve, how do you spend money like that?

"For you?" Kira asked. 

"Me, my dad," said Stiles. I rolled my head on his shoulder so that I could look at him. "The Eichen House thing, the MRI bills are crushing him,"

"My mom does this thing, where she writes down all the items in our budget, how much they cost, and then she added it all up and figures out how long until we lose the house," said Scott.

I looked back down at the ground. I know that all of my friends are struggling. Lydia's family is in debt too, that's why they're trying to sell the lake house. I hate seeing everyone so worried about money. It's not our job as the kids to worry about that kind of stuff, but we've all grown up so fast that we almost have to. We have to take care of our families as much as they have to take care of us.

I moaned in pain as the virus began to feel even stronger. My skin felt as though it was melting, and I could feel my fingernails begin to bleed. I didn't even need to look at them to know that the blood was black. This thing was going to kill me, and it was going to do it slowly.

"Emma?" Stiles asked, placing a soft hand on my face.

"I don't wanna die, not like this," I panted out, looking up at him with a plea in my eyes. "Please don't let me die,"

I'm not dying weak and helpless. I've suffered too much to let death finally take me this easily. I don't want my death to be because of a number next to my name on a list. When I die, I want it to mean something. 

"I won't okay?" He said. "You're gonna be fine,"

I shook my head, curling my toes in my boots. "It hurts,"

"I know," he said, grabbing my hand. "Just keeping fighting,"

He squeezed my shoulder and I swear in that moment I've never felt more guilt in my life. All of his suffering is because of me. My darkness helped feed the Nogitsune, and then I let that thing get to me. I let it break us, and it turn I let myself break him.