Yawning, Julie placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat as she walked down the hall. She was on her way to collect scans and results, however, she was making no effort to rush. She'd get there and they'd tell her they were backed up and to go back later.
It happened every time.
Walking through the lobby, she slowed down upon seeing a certain someone sprawled over several seats.
"Yes, just like that... No, you first..." he ended up giggling in his sleep, and she tilted her head as she watched him out of confusion.
"What's going on?" A voice asked, and Jules looked to the side to see Melissa. The pair of them were staring at the sixteen year old boy not knowing what to make of it.
"Oh, me first?" Stiles asked, continuing to giggle and snort, his hand falling off of the chair as he did so.
"I think he's having... a sex dream?" Julie offered, although she didn't want to believe it. Melissa sighed as she grimaced at the thought, that meant her son would be having sex dreams.
Neither of the two women heard the door opening, as Mr. Martin stepped out from his daughters room. He caught the nurse and doctor both staring at the boy and took a glimpse himself.
"He's been here all night?" He asked.
"All weekend," Julie sighed, crossing her arms as she did so.
"You're dirty..." Stiles said.
"Oh, ew, not on my watch," Julie scoffed, having the confirmation she didn't want. She walked over to him, shaking him awake, "oi, evil spawn. Get up." When he didn't arise, she thought for a moment before she began to smirk, "oh my god, she's just said she really wants to kiss you as a thank you!" She urged.
He immediately bolted up, looking around confused, "really?" He asked, looking up at his sister who's smile only twisted into a smirk.
"Nope."
"You're evil!"
"Here, go get yourself something to eat," she said, taking a couple of dollars out of her pocket and handing them over to him.
______
"Paging Dr. Stateman. Dr. Stateman, please..." a voice over the PA system called, knocking on a door Julie waited a second before entering.
"Hi there, James, I heard you had some questions about your surgery tomorrow morning?" She asked, as she held the chart closer to her. "Did you read through the information you were given?"
"Yes, I wanted you to clarify a few things if that's alright, I know I left it a bit late...I was hoping to figure it out myself. I didn't want to trouble you, you're all so busy."
"Don't you worry about it," she assured, "offering explanations and information is apart of the job. Besides, if I read through one of those information sheets I wouldn't even be able to tell you what surgery you were getting if it didn't tell you. They're complicated enough for us, never mind the patient." It was something she'd learnt to say to encourage the idea of no stupid questions.
"Well, I was just wondering. You've said all of these things like risk of death, this that and the other... you never explained how high these risks are."
"Oh, well-" she was cut off by an incredibly loud scream which drew their attention outside. They watched through the window as the nurses ran towards one of the rooms. Julie's smile dropped, that sounded an awful lot like Lydia, and it was coming from the right direction.
Clearing her throat to rid herself from distractions, she walked over to the blinds moving to shut them, "why don't I just hide us away from those distractions. Now then let's get back to answering those questions of yours. How about I take you through the procedure in layman's terms, and then take you through those risks you're questioning?"
"That sounds like a much better idea," he admitted.
______
They'd spent ages looking around the hospital, but Lydia was nowhere to be seen and so the police had to be called leading for a conversation with their dad.
Julie had just finished her shift and so with her bag over her shoulder and her coat slung across her arm, she walked over to meet both her father and brother.
"Naked? As in nude?" Noah asked, a small notebook in hand so that he could write all of the important information down.
"I'm pretty sure they mean the same thing, but yes-- as far as we know, she left here clothing-optional..." Melissa explained, her arms crossed as she did so.
"All right. You checked the whole hospital, right?"
"Every last corner."
"Nothing suspicious?"
"Nothing. She just took off."
"All right, let's get an APB out on a sixteen-year-old redhead. Any other descriptors?" He asked, turning to look at Lydia's father. However, before he could get a chance to speak Stiles but in causing Julie to roll her eyes.
"Five-three, green eyes, fair-skinned, and her hair is actually strawberry blonde."
"Is that right?" Noah asked.
"Yeah."
"Oh-oh, someone's in trouble," Julie sang as she walked into their small circle.
"Uh, come here," Noah urged, gesturing for Stiles to get in whispering and private conversation distance, "what the hell are you still doing here?"
Stiles looked to his sister for help but she was only staring at him with a smirk, "um...providing moral support?"
"Uh-huh. How 'bout you prove your ass back home, where you should be?"
"Okay...I can do that, too..."
"Yeah."
"Mmm...."
"Come on, I'll walk you to the car park," Jules mused as she grabbed onto her brother's shoulders and began to guide him out of the hospital.
______
Pursing her lips, Julie studied the variety of chocolate and candy in front of her. Scratching the back of her head, she took a deep sigh as she tried to figure out which one she wanted. Humming, she moved to grab onto the reeses but realising she wasn't in a chocolatey mood, she took another step back.
This was one of the hardest decisions she'd had in a very long time.
"How do you tell someone they're dying?"
Scrunching her face up confused, she looked to the side of her to see Derek Hale stood staring out at the same aisle she was.
"Did you stalk me to the candy aisle of a gas station to ask my a really deep psychological question?" She asked, not understanding what was going through his head when he chose to do that. He looked at her confused causing her face to pull even more, "my god, you really are crazy." She scoffed.
"I am not-"
"For that," she began, grabbing onto the reeses and slamming them into his chest, "you're paying for my candy."
Rolling his eyes, the pair walked over to the till. "Seriously, not even hi Julie, I have something really important to ask you can we go somewhere and talk?" She scoffed, "no, you just open it out in the middle of the candy aisle."
"You're a pain in the ass," he huffed.
"Says you, you scruff."
The pair went out to the cars, and she leaned back against hers waiting for him to ask again. If he really needed the answer, he would.
"I assume you have history and experience telling people they won't make it much longer," he said, and she shrugged.
"Not really, interns don't usually do that. However, I've seen it done. Why?"
"That doesn't concern you."
"You made it concern me," she countered, crossing her arms as she stared at him. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything."
Narrowing her eyes, she stared at him trying to figure it all out. "You're lying. What did you do?"
"Look, it's just information I'll need to know. If I'm to survive I'm going to need to build a pack and the bite... the bite doesn't always work."
"What happens... if it doesn't work."
"The bite either turns you or it kills you. There is no other option," he explained, and her face fell at the words.
"Meaning what you're doing could very well kill someone..."
"It's rare, it likely won't happen. But just in case," he said, and she looked at him curiously. It felt like such a lie. Like there was someone out there who was rejecting the bite this very minute.
"Alright, well, you take them somewhere private. You sit them down, and you say it in the most polite possible way. If you're telling someone someone's died, you have to specifically use the words they are dead otherwise they don't always... well they don't always process what you're actually saying. However, I feel like that would be harsh to say, so... perhaps, just stick with not much time left. You're not sure how long, but not long."
He thought on it, "that sounds a bit sensitive."
"You're telling someone they're dying, Derek. Not asking them what they're favourite milkshake is."
"I suppose."
"Who is it?"
"I'm not telling you."
"So there is someone?"
"Wha-no,"
"Derek, I'm not stupid," she scoffed, "you know I'm kind of offended," she added on as she moved to unlock her car and get in. She just wanted to go home and sleep, she'd been so tired and after picking up an extra shift or two, she was ready to collapse and knock herself out.
"Why?"
"You never asked me."
"You'd be a pain in the ass if you were a werewolf," he scoffed, he could already imagine the heightened cockiness and dramatic sense. Although, he would be a liar if he said that he hadn't thought about it, if he hadn't taken a long time questioning whether he should, but he denied the idea over her age. He didn't like taking risks with bites, there was no reason to put people's lives at risk more than they already were when becoming a werewolf.
"Oh come on."
"Fine," he groaned, rolling his eyes, "Juliette, would you like to be a werewolf?" He half expected her to say yes, it was most people's dreams. Staying young for so much longer, living for longer, having better senses and strength and agility. Creating the perfect predator.
She snorted at his question, "no, don't be ridiculous. I don't want to be a dog," she mused as she got in, "see ya!"
She waved at him through the window before she moved to drive off. He watched her, rolling his eyes at her drama as he did so. However, he found himself unable to stop himself from smiling. Shaking his head, he moved to his own car set on going home himself.
______
The evening, after a long shift she found herself, as always, passed out in bed. It never took her long to fall asleep, it was something she was quite skilled at. Always had been. It helped that she never got the chance too sleep. She was already dreaming of her retirement, how nice it was going to be. How much sleep she was going to have.
Hearing the horrific intrusion of her phone ringing, she groaned out of annoyance before slamming her hand onto the object to grab it.
"What?!" She shouted, seeing the name.
"I need your help."
Frowning, she pushed herself up confused, "what do you mean? What's happening?"
"You know the old railway?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Go there, walk down the alley way between the boutique and the sweet shop. You know where I mean?"
"Vaguely, i'll phone you if i get lost," she assured. Once he hung up. She rolled her eyes before collapsing into her bed. Making an annoyed wail, she gave herself a moment before throwing herself out of bed. If she didn't get up fast, she knew she'd end up falling asleep again.
______
"What the hell did you do?!" She shouted, as she ran over. Crouching down, she pressed her fingertips to the man's neck to see if he was live although she could tell he wouldn't be. "He's dead... how long has he been down for?"
The man had slashes all throughout his body, and she was surprised if he had any blood left in him at all with the pool of it surrounding him. His skin was pale and cold and she knew that there was no way this man was being revived or saved. She could tell it was all fresh, and whoever had done this had done it quickly and mercilessly.
Both Derek and Isaac were stood with the younger being much more nervous and scared as he watched her work.
"About an hour, now," Derek explained, and she sighed shaking her head, "it had already happened when we got here," he admitted glancing at Isaac but Julie did not catch the glance as she was too focused on the body in front of her. "Is there anything-"
"Anything I can do?" She asked, as she looked at him as if he was ridiculous, "did you really go to ask me that? You want me to sellotape shredded paper back into the receipt for you, or somethin'?" She scoffed, "I'm a doctor, not a magician. He is gone."
Derek cleared his throat before gesturing to the boy beside him, "that's his dad you're talking about."
Her eyes went wide as she looked over at Isaac who was just staring at his father horrified, "right, well... that would have been helpful information a long time ago, Derek!" She snapped, "god you're unbelievable," she hissed before clearing her throat and turning to look at Isaac, "hey buddy..."
"Isaac-" Derek cut in, but she reached out pressing her hand against his mouth to prevent him from speaking again.
"I'm afraid, even if we tried to resuscitate and close his wounds... he's not coming back, he's... well, unfortunately he is dead," she explained, and Derek rolled his eyes before pushing her hand off.
"So what do we do?"
"Well... we can't just leave him here, but we have to get him to have a death certificate somehow... with these injuries... we're going to have to phone the police. Unless there is a reason I shouldn't be?" She asked, as she looked between the two.
"We don't know what did this, all we know is that it wasn't human," Derek explained.
"So... we phone the police then, that's all we can do," she droned, "I'll do it."
"No, it's fine I can manage that-"
"You're still a suspect. You may have been cleared for it all, Derek, but you're still attached. You're still classed as someone who ran away from the law and hid from all authorities... you cannot be attached to this as well, Derek. Otherwise next time they have even a suspicion of you? Well, you're screwed."
Derek narrowed his eyes as he stared at the woman before nodding, "fine."
"Now take Isaac home, and look after him. Everyone needs a support system."
Derek patted Isaac's back, "come on," he urged, "and Julie?"
"Yeah?" She asked, as she pulled out her phone.
"Thank you."