Okay, back to Riley's POV now
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Waking up, I sat up screaming, scratching at a box I was no longer in; digging at the dirt that wasn't there. I felt like I was still breathing in the dirt, the oxygen depleting by the second.
"Someone help me!" I screamed, tears in my eyes. "Stiles!"
When I felt arms wrap around me, I panicked further, my screams becoming louder. My eyes began to glow as I choked whoever was holding onto me. When they didn't let go, I pushed my ability further.
They let go, only to be slammed into the wall. I was about to turn to the person I thought was Theo when someone else placed their hands on my face.
I raised my hand, preparing to push them back also when multiple hands were grabbing onto me, pushing me back down under the ground. I felt a scream bubbling in my throat as I prepared to get them all to let go of me.
I didn't get the chance, however, as I heard a familiar voice, "Riley, Riley, it's me. Hey's it's Charlotte," she said quickly. "It's me."
My screams faded as I tried to calm myself down. Focusing long enough to take in my surroundings, I saw Charlotte standing above me, eyes wide with worry. Glancing over, the person I had thought to be Theo was revealed to actually be Isaac.
And then all the hands pinning me to the bed, I realised was just a group of nurses. Letting them hold me down, I tried to register what was going on right now.
"What? No. . . I was. . . the Preserve. . . Theo," I mumbled, trying to rearrange my thoughts.
The nurses let go as Charlotte approached me, wrapping her arms around me carefully. "You're okay now. You're in the hospital."
"We'll give you a moment while we find Doctor Geyer," one of the nurses said softly before they all left the room.
I glimpsed over Charlotte's shoulder to see Isaac was climbing to his feet, rubbing his head slightly as he cautiously made his way back over. His steps were careful, not wanting me to attack him again.
Charlotte let me go, allowing me to sit up and look at them both. I felt that my breathing was still unsteady as I tried to think. "What happened?"
Isaac approached, giving me a moment before he took a seat on the bed in front of me, "I got your text."
His words unlocked the memory in my head of what lead to me being here. The fight with Scott, the fight with Stiles, meeting with Theo, the needle in my neck, being buried in a box, pain, screaming until my throat felt raw, more pain, and then everything going black.
Tears pricked in my eyes as I pushed up out of the covers and onto my knees so that I could wrap my arms around Isaac's neck. His arms made their way around my waist, holding me close as I sniffled into his shoulder.
"I thought no one would find me. That I wouldn't see any of you again," I whispered.
"I told you not to go out there alone," he said softly.
Pursing my lips, I nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. Thank you for finding me; for saving me."
Isaac's arms tightened around me as if just to make sure I was really there. I could barely tell myself. Being surrounded by the Earth as I had. . . I had never felt so sick. So weak.
"I've got you, Winters," he mumbled, taking a relieved breath.
Thinking back, I remembered everything else that had happened in the Preserve with Theo. "The Supermoon," I said quickly, pulling away. "How long have I been out? What happened?"
"You were only comatose for two nights," Charlotte answered, taking a seat on the other side of the bed.
She then looked over to Isaac, knowing that he was better equipped to answer the other half of my question.
"Theo did kill Scott, but Melissa revived him. He's going to be completely fine. Stiles is okay, too, he should be back soon. Lydia, on the other hand. . . she's catatonic. Theo went through her memories, and clearly messed it up, messing Lydia up right along with it."
"I'm going to kill him," I stated, getting ready to climb out of the bed.
Isaac and Charlotte immediately grabbed an arm each, not letting me go anyway. "Really, Riley?" Isaac asked, eyes wide. "Look how well that ended for you last time."
"This time, I'm just going to strangle him with my bare hands," I explained.
"No," Charlotte said firmly. "You're not going anywhere until you're better."
"I agree with your sister, one-hundred per cent," a voice said from the door. We all turned to see a man in a white Doctor's coat standing in the door way. "We haven't met, I'm Doctor Geyer."
"Riley," I responded, sitting back so that Isaac and Charlotte would let go of me. "And I feel fine."
The man nodded, "I'm sure you do. But even if that's the case, you will need to talk to the police about just how you ended up in this state. I've worked in medicine long enough to know what an accident looks like, and this wasn't one."
I glanced to Charlotte, who only nodded. Sighing heavily I nodded. "Fine. But I want to talk to Sheriff Stilinski."
"I'm afraid that that's not possible."
My brows were immediately pinched, confusion hitting me. "What? Why?"
"Someone attacked him," Isaac explained. "That's why Stiles isn't here. He's out trying to find out what happened. They think they found it though, and he's on his way back here now."
"Chimera?" I said quietly enough so that the Doctor wouldn't hear me. Isaac nodded, confirming my suspicion. "Where's my phone?"
Charlotte shook her head, "It's flat, I didn't stop at home to get the charger. I'll get it when I get you some clothes. You don't need it though, Stiles is on his way back now."
I felt my fingers begin to tap at my sides anxiously, but I nodded anyway, before turning to my doctor. "Well, I'm sorry, but I won't be speaking to anyone unless it's the sheriff. Otherwise, I don't really think you can make me talk to someone. I don't want to press charges or anything, so yeah."
"Miss Winters, you came in here with a fractured skull, dirt in your throat which I imagine made it to your lungs and something injected into your bloodstream which we still haven't been able to identify. If a person tried to hurt you, then you need to talk to someone," the doctor said as calmly as possible.
"The sheriff," I nodded. "Who is in actual need of your help. I promise you, doc, I'm fine. I'll be good as new in no time."
Which wasn't a lie, I could feel my body slowly repairing itself.
Doctor Geyer looked both worried and frustrated, looking over to Charlotte. When she gave a nod of approval, her being my guardian, the doctor finally sighed. "Very well. I'll be back to check on you."
As the doctor left, Iris returned with a smile on her face. "Glad to see you're awake, Riley. I heard you were up, so I called your dad back to let him know."
She walked over, putting an arm around Charlotte who was still sitting on the bed. "We might go and grab some food and an overnight bag for you. Anything in particular that you want?" my sister asked.
"I would kill for a pizza," I said, feeling my stomach growl.
Charlotte laughed, nodding, "Got it. I was more referring to from the house though."
After listing a few things like my charger, toiletries and some of my more comfortable clothes, Charlotte and Iris headed out. Isaac had moved onto the chair beside my bed at this point.
"Does Stiles know that I'm awake?" I asked as I stared at the door patiently. I knew his dad was here also, so I wasn't expecting him to be with me every second. But after seeing nothing but the inside of a box for hours on end after our fight, I just really wanted to see his face. Even if just for a few minutes.
Isaac shook his head, "I thought it might be a nice surprise for him when he gets here. He's on his way; they found what is poisoning his dad, so they're removing that now. He said he's coming to check on you while they operate on his dad again."
I felt a giddiness in my gut, biting my lip as I smiled. I couldn't care less what was said that night on the road, I just wanted to feel his arms around me, holding me and keeping me safe.
"What about Malia?" I asked, thinking about the rest of the Pack and my family. "Where is she?"
The boy gave a small shrug, "She knows you're here. She was helping Scott and Stiles. But I think she went home; you know how she's been since the Desert Wolf started coming after her again."
"Of course," I said quickly, not wanting to sound as if I wanted her prioritising me.
"And what about, uh, Peter?" I half-mumbled, attempting to play it off like I didn't care.
After the hallucination though and everything that happened in the Preserve, part of me really wanted to see him and just talk to him. I wanted to know more about what happened between him and my mother.
"Riley, Peter's still in Eichen House," Isaac reminded me.
"Right," I nodded quickly. "Right, of course. Sorry."
Isaac was watching me closely, confused. I hadn't told him about the hallucination, of course, he would be slightly confused as to why I was asking about Peter.
He knew he was my biological father, but that was as far as it went.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked me.
I nodded, generating a smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine."
We sat talking for a while longer until I finally heard his voice.
"So they're just finishing the surgery now?" He asked. "Thanks, Melissa. I'm just going to check on Riley and then I'll be back."
I had climbed out of the bed and ran out the door before Isaac had gotten the chance to stop me. My legs felt stiff, but I pushed through it. Glancing down the hallway, I saw Stiles walking towards my room.
When his eyes landed on me, he slowed to a stop. I could hear the relieved sigh escape him as he looked at me. Biting my lip, I rushed down the hallway towards him. People stepped out of my way, slightly surprised to see someone running in the hospital. But I didn't care.
As soon as I was close enough, I threw my arms over his shoulders and around his neck. He immediately wrapped his around my waist, lifting me off of the ground slightly as he held me to him.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, removing one arm so that he could place a hand on the back of my head, not letting me go. "I'm so sorry," he repeated.
Shaking my head, I held him tighter, "Don't be. I don't care about that anymore. Just don't let me go."
Being locked in that box for hours on end surrounded by nothingness left me with only my thoughts. We were tempting death every day, and if I was going to die, it would be in this boy's arms, not alone in a box.
"Never again," he assured me. Stiles pulled his hand back slowly so that he could guide my lips to his own, bringing all of my senses to life. I could feel a slight breeze chill my skin as it filtered down the hallway, lifting my hair like leaves in the wind.
Stiles chuckled against my lips when he noticed, pressing his forehead to mine. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too," I replied softly, closing my eyes and just being in that moment. We stood in the middle of the hallway just in each other's arms for what felt like forever. Eventually he lowered me back to my feet, and I saw he was looking over my shoulder.
Glancing in the same direction, I saw that Isaac had followed me out after all.
"Thanks, man," Stiles said as Isaac walked closer. "I know I already said it, but just. . . thank you."
I felt his hand tighten around mine, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
Isaac nodded, "You don't need to thank me. She's my best friend."
His words made me smile. We had been through so much, so to know we had made our way back to each other in a way after the break up meant a lot.
Stiles sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Dude, I'm trying to extend an olive branch or whatever. Just- come on."
Seemingly considering the boy's gesture, Isaac eventually nodded. "You're welcome," he replied, somewhat awkwardly.
My boyfriend glanced down at me, pointing over his shoulder. "My dad is out of surgery. I was just going to go and stay in his room. Unless-"
"Stiles," I said, quick to cut him off. "He's your dad, I get it. Please go to him. Charlotte is coming back soon anyway and she will no doubt force me to get some sleep. I'll come visit you both in the morning."
The side of his mouth quirked up in a smile, before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead, "Thank you. I'll see you in the morning."
He seemed to hesitate as he began to walk away, glancing down at our hands. I gave him a nod of reassurance, reminding him that I wasn't going anywhere. Stiles nodded, before heading in the direction of his father's room.
I began to walk back to my own, Isaac falling into step beside me. When we made it back, I climbed onto the bed, the boy sitting in front of me.
"You know I'm happy for you, right?" He asked after a moment of silence.
My brows pulled together as I looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"You and Stilinski," he clarified. "I mean, you could do better, but I'm glad he makes you happy."
I reached forward and took his hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "I am."
"And if he hurts you, I'll just have to rip his throat out," he added on non-chalantly.
My mouth gaped open, before I started laughing. Dropping his hand, I shoved him lightly, shaking my head. "Stop, that's not funny," I said, choking down my laughter.
"Good, because I'm not joking," he chuckled, continuing on. "What do you think? Claws or teeth?"
Covering my mouth, I had to bite my cheek to stop from laughing, but I couldn't help the smile on my face, "Stop!"
Isaac's face softened as his laughter quietened, "There you go, finally smiling again."
My laughter died down also as I smiled at him. The only thing I had smiled about today was seeing Stiles' again, but besides that, I had felt pretty grim. Even if it was for just a minute or two, Isaac had managed to help me forget about everything that happened.
It had been a while since we had just laughed together; it was refreshing. Even if it were at my boyfriend's expense.
"There hasn't exactly been a lot to smile about lately," I admitted, looking down.
"Hey, you know you can always talk to me," he reminded me. "Besides, if anyone can relate to being locked in a box, it's me."
My teeth sunk into my lip as I looked at him, wincing. "I can't believe I'm sitting here complaining about one night in a box when you did that for years."
"Well, at least mine wasn't underground," he shrugged. "And it was pretty roomie with a solid air supply."
I knew he was joking to try and make me feel better, but it wasn't really working. When my chest began to feel tight, I noticed my fingers tangling in the hospital bed sheets as I tried to focus.
"You okay, Winters?" Isaac asked quietly, looking over his shoulder as the curtain around the bed shifted slightly.
Taking a deep breath, I drew back the current of air, keeping myself in check. Theo was wrong, I could control it. I knew I could.
"I'm fine," I responded just as quietly. "Just focussing."
When the curtain stopped moving, the tenseness in his shoulders seemed to melt away. I would've been slightly offended if I hadn't thrown him against a wall those few hours ago.
"Sorry about the whole-," I imitated throwing him against the wall with my hand, flicking my wrist.
He looked confused for a moment before he finally put it together. "You were scared, completely understandable. I mean, I might have to go and see a chiropractor, though. I'll just forward you that bill."
"You're a werewolf, you idiot," I reminded him with a laugh.
His head fell to the side in faux thought as he made his eyes glow, before he nodded, "That's right. I totally am."
We both laughed before we heard someone entering the room. Isaac was quick to make his eyes stop glowing as we turned to the door.
Thankfully, it was just Iris and Charlotte. "Your pyjamas are in this bag with your other things if you want to change out of those god awful hospital clothes, and then I've got pizza."
My face split into a wide grin as I climbed out of bed, accepting the bag gratefully. "You're amazing," I thanked her.
"Don't you know it," she grinned, hugging me a bit before I went into the bathroom to get changed.
I went to shut the door, but as soon as I looked around the room, I couldn't do it. My chest felt tight again and I thought I might suffocate if I locked myself in the small room. Therefore, I ended up leaving it open a couple of centimetres. Charlotte and the others either didn't notice or didn't care.
Either way, I was thankful.
I got changed into my own clothes as quickly as possible so I could get back into the room. Stepping out, I immediately felt better, the wide room allowing me breathing space.
"That pizza smells amazing," I said, trying to distract myself from the feeling I had experienced in the bathroom.
Looking around, I noticed they were all standing over by the door, talking to someone. When Charlotte turned around, she gave me a small smile, "We'll leave you two to talk."
I was confused for a moment, before she left with Isaac and Iris in tow, to reveal Scott. My jaw automatically clenched when I saw him. I was tempted to go back into the bathroom and lock myself away from him, but I didn't want to be in such a small room.
"Hey," he started awkwardly.
I just rolled my eyes, walking over to my bed and sitting down on it. He walked over but didn't sit down, just stood by the end of the bed.
"I'm glad you're okay," he said quietly. I didn't reply again, more focused on plugging my phone into its charger.
"Riley-"
"I'm a bit busy, Scott," I snapped, holding up my phone. "My phone went flat while I was buried in a box, so forgive me if I care more about seeing all the messages I got while I was half dead."
He winced at my words, nodding slowly. It might've been harsh, but it was true and he needed to hear it. He couldn't just throw us aside for Theo and expect that we'll immediately forgive him.
"Riley, are we going to get past this?"
"You tell me," I muttered beneath my breath as I finally got my phone plugged in.
"I hope so," he said honestly. "You're one of my best friends-"
"Then why did you choose him over us?" I asked bitterly, tears pricking the backs of my eyes.
His mouth gaped a couple of times, before he eventually shook his head, "I don't know. I don't know why, but believe me when I say that I regret it, Riley."
"I'd fucking hope so," I scoffed. Running my hands through my hair, my fingers stopping at the side of my neck where my veins had turned black.
Glancing upward, I finally made eyes contact with him, "It's just, every time I look at you, I see him, and I just. . ."
The boy bit his cheek, nodding slowly. He was hurt, but he understood. "I am sorry, Riley, and I will regret it every day for the rest of my life."
"I know," I said softly.
Without another word, he left the room.