This season is definitely gonna be shorter. I feel like since there were so many separate character storylines, obviously Riley can't be a part of all of them so there's less to write on.
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I wasn't sure whether the pained noise escaped me before or after I hit the ground. Either way, all I knew was that it hurt like an absolute bitch. My eyes widened as I rolled onto my side, reaching my hand down. Touching my stomach, I pulled my fingers back to see them covered in blood.
"Awesome. Just awesome," I muttered as bullets continued to ricochet around the tunnels, Monroe shouting at the hunters to stop shooting. I knew that it wasn't because I had been shot, she couldn't have cared less. No, she was getting them to stop because they were shooting without actually thinking. They were shooting out of fear.
None of them listened though, continuing to shoot at us in hopes of hitting another. Whatever this thing was had them terrified, and they were going to do their best to kill us to stop that fear.
"Riley!" I heard Scott shout through the gunfire.
Malia looked down at me, realising that I was hurt. A growl ripped from her lips as she went to attack the thing that was scaring everyone. From where I was looking I could see it only just. It was a body with no face or features and looked like it was covered in blood, or maybe had just been skinned.
It almost made me feel like my blood had chilled in my veins. The sensation was just like what I had experienced in my room earlier. This thing, the fear that it made everyone feel, was spreading and leeching, latching onto everyone in town.
Malia jumped at the thing, but just as she went to sink her claws into it, it seemingly disappeared. Were we imagining it? Or was this something worse than we had ever faced before?
Scott came to my side and lifted me to my feet. My whole body screamed as I cried out, blinking through tears as he picked me up. I had been shot before, back when Matt was holding us hostage in the Station. But this was so different to that time. The pain was burning through my whole body, spreading like a virus, not just affecting the spot that had been hit by the bullet.
The True Alpha carried me away from the hunters and to the side of the tunnel. Realising how much pain I was in, he rested me back on the ground and stood in front of me so that I wouldn't get hit again.
"Scott, you need to get out of here," I gasped through laboured breaths. I appreciated the gesture of shielding me but if they had bullets that could hurt me like this, then they no doubt had something to injure a werewolf.
Malia and Lydia retreated to stand beside Scott as they realised the hunters weren't exactly letting up. I held my hand pressed against my side harshly to try and stop the blood, willing myself to heal before I ended up bleeding out in a damned sewer. This definitely wasn't a regular bullet.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Malia asked when the gunfire finally quietened down. The hunters weren't gone though, I could hear their foot stops and feel each breath vibrating through the air. They were just waiting for us to come back out so that they didn't waste any more bullets, it seemed.
When we heard the sound of the grate to the tunnel opening above us Scott, Malia and I all looked up nervously.
"What is that?" Scott asked, putting an arm in front of Lydia and Malia to protect them also.
"Back up," Lydia answered with the smallest of smiles reaching her lips as a lit flare dropped to the wet ground.
A moment later two people dropped down into the tunnels. Slowing my breathing to focus through the pain, I saw that it was Isaac and Parrish who had arrived to help. Parrish looked up from the flare, his eyes burning orange as he roared loudly. The hellhound leaned down and picked up the flare, beginning to walk towards the hunters. When they saw the supernatural creature coming their way they began to fire once again.
While he dealt with that, Isaac came over to our huddled group. His eyes were searching until he spotted me on the ground.
"What the hell happened?" he asked, dropping to my side. Isaac moved my hand slightly, only to see my palm covered in blood. He immediately put my hand back, placing his own on top to apply more pressure.
"Nothing really. Just a bullet to the stomach," I laughed weakly.
Scott stepped aside so he wasn't in the way, "They shot her. I think it might have been a wolfsbane bullet."
"She's not a werewolf or a were coyote, Scott," Isaac reminded him. "It was probably laced with iron."
I wasn't the only one who had researched Sylphs, apparently. It was true that iron was one thing that could definitely kill a Sylph. After all, I had seen it first hand when my mother had been stabbed. That was with a pure iron knife, though. If I had learnt anything from being around Allison and her gun-crazy family, it was that iron was not a material that they used for bullets because it wasn't as accurate. Meaning that Isaac was probably right in saying that it was only laced with iron.
I took a shallow breath, thinking back to what Monroe had said. "She knows about all the creatures here thanks to Gerard. I wouldn't put it past her to have bullets with iron in them."
"We'll deal with the hunters. Get her out of here," Scott instructed the Beta as his eyes began to glow red.
Isaac nodded, reaching down and slipping an arm under mine to help me to my feet. He walked me over to the ladder carefully. "I can't carry you out so I need you to climb out, okay?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back a cry as I walked beside him. When we reached the ladder I put my hand on it, slowly beginning to lift myself. Each small movement was more painful than the last, my body aching as I climbed up the rungs.
"Come on, Ri, you're almost there," Isaac urged from the bottom of the ladder.
I gathered all the strength I possibly could to push through at that moment, making myself climb up the last few rungs. I had to bite back a scream of pain as I heaved myself up through the manhole, I collapsed onto the ground with a groan, eyes closing as my breaths became shallow.
"Dammit," Isaac mumbled as he quickly climbed up after me. Putting his hands on my face, he tapped my cheek lightly. "Hey, I need you to open your eyes, okay? Riley, open your eyes."
I forced myself to do what he said, opening my eyes. "It hurts so much," I said through low breaths.
"I know," Isaac said quickly. "But I'm going to get you help."
He slid one arm beneath my knees and one under my arms and behind my back. Using his strength he lifted me with ease, cradling me as he carried me through the tunnels. I could still hear the echo of gunshots and I prayed that my friends would make it out okay. I rested my head against Isaac's chest as my breathing began to slow.
"I feel like I'm dying, Isaac," I said quietly, feeling the sweat beginning to bead on my forehead.
"No," he denied firmly. "You're not going to die. Do you hear me? Now, where are your keys?"
"In my pocket," I mumbled, trying to keep my eyes open. I was glad he seemed so sure because I definitely wasn't.
Isaac began to move faster, finally making it out of the tunnels. Carrying me over to my car, he slipped my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door quickly. He placed me in the passenger seat as gently as he could and buckled me in before rushing to the drivers' side.
Starting the car up he sped in the direction of the hospital, dialling Melissa on the speaker.
"Isaac, what's wrong?" The woman asked.
"It's Riley," he said quickly. "She's been shot. It wasn't a normal bullet."
"Alright, get her to my house, and I'll be there as soon as you can," Melissa replied calmly. "I think I've got something that can help."
"Get her to your house? She needs a hospital!" Isaac shouted, eyes flickering between me and the road.
"Isaac, calm down and listen to me," Mrs McCall said in an even tone. "Unless you want to be the one to explain why a gunshot wound is going to miraculously heal, then you will take her to my house. I am going to get someone to cover my shift, get the things I need and be right there. Okay?"
"Melissa, I-"
"Okay?" the woman repeated, her voice much firmer the second time around.
Isaac's jaw clenched as he looked away from the road to me. I nodded, trying to give him an encouraging smile.
"Okay," he answered through gritted teeth.
I heard a soft sigh from Melissa, glad that she didn't have to fight Isaac further. "Just keep her as comfortable as possible and I will be there as soon as I can."
Isaac hung up and focussed on driving, his hands tightening around the steering wheel and his knuckles turning white.
"What the hell were you all even doing down there with a bunch of hunters?"
"Scott was having a peace summit. With Gerard," I laughed weakly. "Didn't exactly turn out how he wanted it to. Clearly."
"Gerard? Seriously?"
"Yep," I sighed shakily.
Isaac shook his head, beginning to drive faster. The McCall house wasn't far thankfully, Isaac hitting the brakes so hard that I would have fallen from my seat if I hadn't been wearing a belt.
Putting the car in park, he removed the keys and ran around to my door, opening it and undoing my belt. I reached my arms around his neck and looped them as Isaac picked me up carefully.
"You're going to be okay," he said, sounding like he was trying to assure himself more than me.
I didn't say anything, not wanting to give him hope. I mean, I wanted to, but it would have felt like a lie with the way I was feeling.
He carried me upstairs and into the spare room, which was now Isaac's room since he had moved in. He sat me on the bed as carefully as possible, before getting his phone out and calling Melissa again.
"Isaac, I'm in the car and driving home now. I'll be there in five minutes," she told him before hanging up.
I laughed lightly at the woman, glad she was at least level-headed, considering that Isaac was struggling to do so. The laugh turned to a groan as my eyes pinched closed.
"This isn't funny, Riley," Isaac said gruffly.
"You're right," I nodded. "I'm bleeding all over the sheets. You're probably gonna have to throw them out."
"Riley-"
"It's okay, Isaac," I interrupted.
"No, it's not," he replied, sitting on the bed beside me. "You can't die."
"Healing doesn't equal immortal, Lahey," I sighed, trying my best not to fall asleep. The pain only felt like it was getting worse.
"I can't believe you're joking at a time like this," he said, shaking his head. "You've clearly been spending too much time with Stilinski."
This made me genuinely laugh, immediately cringing in pain and curling up a bit in the bed. I just wanted the pain to stop; it might've been worse than anything I had felt before.
"Make it stop. Please. Just kill me or something," I cried softly.
"I'm not killing you, Winters," he scoffed.
Isaac reached over and grabbed my hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze as his veins began to go black as he took some of my pain. My breathing began to slow as some of the pain began to drain away.
The sound of my phone ringing almost gave me a heart attack. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out to see that Stiles was calling. "He must have finished his classes," I mumbled to myself.
"You can't answer," Isaac told me.
"What? Why?"
"Ri, you sound awful. He'll know something is up, and if you don't want him involved, then you won't answer."
"Okay," I said slowly. "But if I don't answer, he will definitely think something is wrong."
Isaac nodded, "So either way, he figures out something's wrong."
I pursed my lips in thought, "Not if you answer the phone."
"What?" Isaac scoffed.
"You need to answer it," I told him. "Just tell him I left my phone at Scott's house or something. Then he won't think anything's wrong and I can just call him back tomorrow morning."
Isaac took a breath before agreeing and taking my phone from my hands. He hit the answer button and put the phone on speaker.
"Hey, Ri. Sorry, I was going to call you on my lunch break but I've just been doing a lot of studying. How was your day?"
"Uh, hey, man, it's actually Isaac," the beta beside me said, scratching his head.
If I wasn't in so much pain, I probably would've laughed. He and Stiles were friends now, but hearing them have a conversation on their own was quite funny.
"Isaac?" Stiles repeated. "Why have you got Riley's phone?"
"She was over at Scott's earlier and left it behind in the kitchen. She's coming back tomorrow, so I'll let her know as soon as she gets here that you called," Isaac assured him.
"Alright, man, thanks," Stiles replied. It seemed like he was about to hang up when we heard his voice again. "Is everything okay down there?"
"Just the usual. Why?"
A sigh came through the speaker and I could almost feel how tired Stiles was through the phone. "I don't know. Riley. She's just been acting a bit weird since she got back to Beacon Hills. I mean, she called me in the middle of the night the other night and tried to tell me it was nothing."
Any pain I felt by the bullet was immediately overshadowed by the pain of having to lie to Stiles and making him feel so concerned. Isaac gave me a sympathetic look, catching on to how I was feeling. Most likely from chemosignals.
I wanted so badly to say something, but Isaac quickly shook his head.
"I don't know what to tell you, sorry. Everything's under control here. I'm sure she just misses you."
"You're probably right. I might be overreacting," Stiles mumbled. "Thanks anyway. Just- just let her know I called?"
"Sure thing, man," Isaac confirmed, before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.
"Well," I said slowly, feeling sick to my stomach. "Now I feel ten times worse."
"Hey, don't do that," Isaac said gently. "You're just trying to look out for him. He'll understand."
I nodded, pinching my eyes shut as the pain began to grow once more. "Okay. Let him know that for me when I'm dead soon, won't you?"
"Stop saying that, you're not going to die."
"Tell that to the hole in my stomach that isn't healing, Isaac," I snapped.
"This doesn't make sense. Even if the bullet had iron in it, you should be healing. I don't get it," Isaac said more to himself than anything. "Ri, I need you to sit up so I can get a look at it."
"I really don't wanna do that, Isaac," I laughed through a groan.
He put his hands beneath my arms and began to lift me to a sitting position. "Come on, slowly."
My teeth clamped down as I sat up, a few more tears running down my cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Isaac mumbled. "I'm sorry. But I need to have a look."
Isaac lifted the hem of my shirt, dragging it up over my head and down my arms as carefully and slowly as he possibly could. No matter how slowly he did it though, it didn't lessen the pain.
He handed me my shirt and pressed it against the bullet hole to slow the blood flow. As I focussed on holding it in place, Isaac leaned around to look at my back.
"Riley, I thought you said it went straight through."
"I thought it did," I replied, my eyes barely open.
"There's no exit wound." Isaac ran a hand roughly through his hair, "That's why you're not healing. The bullet - it's still in you."
Right on cue, Melissa came rushing into the room with her medical bag hanging from her shoulder. When she saw me sitting there in my bra, stomach covered in blood, I heard her swear beneath her breath.
Walking over she sat her bag down as she knelt in front of me. "Alright, let's take a look," she said as he moved my hand enough to get a better look. "It hit you more to the side, so it doesn't look like it actually punctured your stomach. You're lucky."
"Definitely feeling it," I groaned.
"The bullet is still inside her," Isaac informed the woman. "I think that's why she's not healing."
"Alright," Melissa nodded. "Then our next step is to get that bullet out."
"That doesn't sound fun at all," I said as Melissa got me to lay down again.
The woman cocked her head to the side, "Yeah, it won't be. But you're gonna be okay."
Melissa unzipped her medical bag and pulled out the items she needed. Gloves, tweezers, gauze, rubbing alcohol and a small dish.
After slipping the gloves on, she poured the alcohol over the tweezers above the dish, which made me laugh lightly. "I don't think you need to worry too much about sterilising that stuff."
"Well, if you're not healing, I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Fair enough."
Moving my hands away from the bullet hole, she brought the tweezers closer as she instructed Isaac to hold my hand. He did so, allowing me to squeeze it tightly as I awaited the pain.
As soon as Melissa inserted the tweezers, I let out a short gasp. As she dug further my grip on Isaac's hand tightened as I shook my head, "Fuck, stop. Please, stop."
"I've almost got it, just hold on a bit longer," Melissa said using her firm, yet calm, nurse voice. "Almost there."
The tweezers went deeper and at that point, I couldn't hold back my scream any longer. Isaac and Melissa were beginning to struggle to breathe as I screamed in pain. I tried to rein it in, but I couldn't stop my ability from leeching from the air.
Melissa managed to focus on her mini operation even though my ability was a bit out of control. I felt when she finally managed to grip the bullet, beginning to pull.
I was wrong when I said I had been screaming, that was mere yelling compared to what happened when she began to pull the bullet out. Anyone would've thought that I was the Banshee in the pack.
Finally, Melissa got the bullet out and dropped it into the small tray, the bullet clinking as she did so. I let out a relieved sigh, both Melissa and Isaac managing to take deep breaths also. The woman then proceeded to apply some green paste-like stuff to the wound.
"What is that?" I asked, pushing up onto my elbows.
"The nine herbs," she answered as she finished applying the paste. "Something Argent taught me. It helps heals wounds and even though I know you can heal, I figured it couldn't hurt."
Running my free hand through my hair, I tried to even out my heavy breaths. "That is the second time I've been shot, and I can't say that it was any more enjoyable this time around," I stated.
"Well, I'd appreciate if there wasn't a third time," Isaac sighed.
"Duly noted."
"Okay, I need to get back to the hospital," Melissa stated as she began to pack up her things. "Riley, just be careful and if it's still not healing let me know."
I nodded, giving her a quick hug, "Thanks Melissa. I appreciate everything you've done."
Once we parted, the woman collected her things and left the room. As I sat back down, Isaac handed me one of his shirts. "Here. Yours is kinda covered in blood."
"Thanks," I smiled, taking the shirt from him. As I slipped it on, I heard the sound of footsteps walking up the stairs.
"Hey, we need to go to the Sheriff's station right now."
We both turned to see Scott standing in the doorway.
"What happened?"
"There's a girl here," Scott stated. "She's a werewolf, and she said that a Deputy shot her."
"They have the police on their side?"
Isaac ran a hand roughly through his hair, "By the sounds of it, they have everyone."