Calculatingly Wise

49

Scott and Tessa sat in the hospital waiting room as they waited for news on Melissa. Scott had his hearing tuned to everything going on with his mom, but was saying nothing to Tessa.

The bullet had been removed from Tessa's leg and she'd insisted on joining her cousin's side.

Malia walked towards them and placed a hand over Scott's clenched hands.

Scott glanced at Tessa and they walked into Melissa's room.

The nurse said, "You have about a minute before the sedative kicks in. And let her rest."

Scott grabbed his cousin's hand. They walked to Melissa's bedside. She was pale and looked exhausted, but smiled. "Hey, kids."

Scott looked at his mom and said, "We're gonna wait outside, okay?"

Melissa shook her head and answered in a shaky voice. "No, wait, Scott. Wait. Listen to me. You didn't do this. You didn't either, Tessa."

Scott sighed. "But I'm responsible. You need to sleep."

"I just need to... tell you..."

"It can wait. It can wait. Mom..."

Melissa's breaths sounded heavier as she started drifting off to sleep. "Don't run. You fight."

Scott placed a hand on his mom's head and placed his head to hers. He kissed her forehead. Tessa stroked her aunt's hair back.

Melissa's eyes closed and Tessa followed Scott to his dad's room and they found the bed empty.

"Where's my dad?" Scott demanded.

"Transferred to San Francisco Memorial," the sheriff replied. "He's gonna be fine."

Scott nodded. "Okay. And what about Mason?"

"Already out of surgery."

"Lydia?"

"She's all right, too. Bullet missed everything that matters, thank God. Scott, Tessa, we almost died. Tessa, are you okay?"

The demigoddess nodded. "My leg hurts, but I'll live."

Scott pursed his lips. "They almost died."

"But they're gonna live," the sheriff replied. "We're gonna have two deputies posted here around the clock. Nobody sets foot on this floor without my authorization. Scott. I got a pretty good idea how you're feeling right now. But the whole sheriff's department is gonna be on this. I am gonna find out who did this."

"We all know who did this."

Scott and Tessa walked through the halls and Malia caught up with them. "Hey. What do we do?"

Scott sighed. "No more peace summits. No more warning. No more half measures."

"What's the plan?"

"We fight back," Tessa answered.

"I'm good with that plan."

"And Gerard? Monroe? The hunters? We take them all."

"Then we're gonna need more firepower."

Scott shook his head. "Not just firepower. We're gonna need an army."

Scott, Tessa and Malia made their way back to his house to see Deucalion walk in, glass crunching between his feet. "You know my fighting days are over."

Malia glared at him. "That's hard to believe."

"You once said you'd kill any living thing that got in your way," Scott said.