Chapter 80,"A Credible Threat"
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Stiles sits beside the hospital bed, his hand grasping onto Katherine's, as he watches her desperately. Hoping for her eyes to open, for her chest to rise and fall, for her to move. And when he realizes, for yet another time during his stay, that she won't, he begins to cry. Stiles' heart surges in his chest and he feels his breathing constrict as if something's winding around his throat. He hangs his head low, touching his forehead to Katherine's cold hand while his still remains locked on her.
"Come back, Katherine. Please come back." He sobs, his tears dampening her skin.
As soon as the heart monitor was detached from Katherine, the doctors allowed her family and friends a day to mourn and say their goodbyes. Then they would take her body to the morgue where it would be decided what they would do with her. However, everyone else had a different plan.
"We're moving her into a different room," Melissa says softly upon entering the silent room. Stiles lifts his head up while sniffling back tears. His red eyes remain on Katherine as he nods once. "it should give us enough time to figure out how to bring her back before they realize she's not in the morgue."
Stiles' phone buzzes in his pocket, yet he makes no move to answer. His whole body feels numb as his mind runs haywire. Melissa walks up behind him before gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He flinches.
"She's coming back, Stiles. Katherine's too strong to go this way," she tells him while eyeing her daughter with determination. "but right now she isn't going anywhere except into another room, so in the meantime you need to go help Scott."
The confidence in Melissa's voice gives Stiles enough strength to move. He takes in a breath while standing himself up, still holding onto Katherine's hand, before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll be back." He tells her quietly. And when he finally finds the strength to let go, he places Katherine's hand gently on the bed before turning towards Melissa. His second mother.
"She's coming back." She states and Stiles forces a small smile before urging himself to leave the room. To help his friends keep track of Parrish.
When he makes it down to the lobby, he finds the three girls sitting in their seats anxiously. And when they spot him, all three bolt up onto their feet immediately.
"How is she?" Malia asks even though the answer is obvious.
Stiles fights the urge to state the truth. "She's...she's moving rooms," he tells them. "Melissa thinks it'll buy us time to bring her back."
The girls exchange a look between each other, all thinking the same exact thing. Katherine's the only one who could bring people back from the dead. Will she let them bring her back?
"We'll help Melissa watch her," Lydia speaks up, refusing to voice her thoughts to Stiles. "go help keep an eye on Parrish."
"Yeah, alright." Stiles says before nodding his thanks towards the girls and exiting the building.
Once he's gone, the three begin to make their way up to Katherine's room. Each of them fidgety and entirely anxious to see her lifeless figure. The thought of seeing her causes their stomachs to churn with nausea.
"Is it even possible for us to bring her back?" Kira asks fearfully. Malia and Lydia stay quiet, unsure how to answer.
"There has to be a way, right?" Malia says before both girls turn to look at Lydia, dumping their fears on to her.
Lydia gets lost in her thoughts, thinking of any solutions that could solve this horrible problem. So many different ideas pop into her head, but each one leads with different outcomes. The majority of them not even ending with Katherine alive.
"Of course there's a way," Lydia says. "we're going to bring her back."
Malia and Kira exchange a look once hearing the uncertainty in the strawberry-blonde's tone of voice. They'll fight for Katherine just as she has done for them, but this time it may not end with a good outcome.
Once they make it to the door of the room, Lydia takes a step back. The other two girls notice immediately and they turn to look at her, their eyes full of concern.
"Lydia, what's wrong?" Kira asks.
"I don't think I can do this." She responds quietly, her eyes glistening.
Malia and Kira exchange a look of understanding.
"It's not your fault." Malia tells her.
Lydia shakes her head. "She was protecting me the whole time. She brought me back to life--"
"She chose to do that," Malia interrupts. "Katherine would do that for any of us."
"Yeah, and there was nothing you could've done." Kira adds softly.
Lydia goes quiet, her eyes attached to the room's door as if trying to force it open.
Malia takes the silent hint and knocks on the door. A few moments later Melissa opens it. She smiles sadly towards the girls as they file into the room, all of their eyes immediately landing on Katherine's still frame.
Bile rises in Lydia's throat but she immediately pushes it down, forcing herself to remain calm. Kira grabs onto the girls' hand, holding it tight to show support and comfort. Malia sucks in a breath, her emotions confusing her.
The Hale girl isn't known to show such emotions, but seeing Katherine lifeless and cold makes her feel utterly devastated. They may not have liked each other upon first meeting, but they've slowly warmed up to the other. And just like most of the Hale's, Malia knows she would always defend the McCall girl.
The Hale's are always drawn to the Evers' girls.
"Any ideas on how to bring her back?" Kira asks, her voice wavering slightly.
"A couple." Melissa answers, watching her daughter thoughtfully.
The next day Katherine is situated in a different room, and Melissa tends to her every chance she gets. Despite work being on her all the time, she pushes through for her daughter. Not letting Death touch her any further. And with this new room it makes things slightly easier. The door is locked from the outside and only those with a code are able to enter. So, while the nurses and doctors believe it to be unoccupied, Melissa proves them wrong.
A heart monitor is now re-attached to Katherine, reminding them that she's still dead. But also to show that she won't be for long. The consistent beep of the machine started to bug Melissa, chill her, so she quickly turned the volume down in order to focus on other things. On the positives.
Every once in a while, Melissa will convince herself she saw Katherine breathing and her eyes will snap towards the heart monitor with her hope filling up, only to be disappointed once again when nothing has changed.
Ms. McCall falls into the empty seat beside her daughter, her confident facade slipping each moment it's just the two of them. Her hand softly grasps onto Katherine's and tears begin to spring in her eyes.
"My brave little girl," she whispers. "I'm so proud of you." Her free hand comes up to caress the side of Katherine's face.
"And I'm so sorry I failed you." At that, the tears begin to fall as she isn't able to contain them any longer.
Memories of baby Katherine surface in Melissa's head and the promise she made to her that as her new mother, she would protect her. But now, staring at her baby's body, she realizes her broken promise.
And something inside her snaps.
"We think the Beast will make an appearance at the lacrosse game tonight," Scott informs Katherine while sitting beside her hospital bed. "so, we're going to try and get it canceled."
The straight beep of the heart monitor is the only noise drowning out the silence.
Scott lets out a breath. "Things would be so much easier if you were here, Kat."
Again, the humming silence.
"Stiles found a partial clue to who the Beast might be," he hesitates from continuing further on this topic. "but, it's not like you really care about that right now."
"Lydia's doing really well, Kat. You saved her life. You've never been the monster you thought yourself to be. You're a hero."
The heart monitor falters and Scott's eyes flash towards the machine with his heart in his throat. But just as quickly as it delayed, the monitor corrects itself and continues with the constant beep.
Scott lets out a shaky sigh, forcing himself to stay calm because of course his sister will come back. It's Katherine. She has to.
"Remember when we were younger and those kids at school would bully us?" The boy asks, reaching for his sisters hand for comfort. "one day you got so angry you started throwing rocks at them," he chuckles at the memory. "you were sent to the principal's office and Mom was so mad. But you told her that they were bullying me and you were tired of it. She let you off the hook right away."
"You have always looked out for me," Scott puts his other hand over hers, cupping it between his own. "I love you, Kat."
His veins begin to bulge from his skin, black passing through as he pulls the lingering pain from Katherine's body. Giving her peace and rest. Tears roll down his face as his eyes screw shut from the amount of suffering he's relieving Katherine of.
A pounding on the door startles the McCall boy and his hands fall from hers. For a moment the horror of a doctor finding out the room's occupied worries him. So, he sits as still as possible, recollecting himself, and waits for the person to leave. Another round of knocking tells him the person is insistent.
"Scott?" A strained voice says from the other side. Argent.
The boy quickly hurries over to the door before pulling it open to reveal Chris' wide, nervous eyes.
"She's okay, right, Scott?" Chris asks, becoming worried once taking in Scott's expression. The McCall hangs his head low before stepping to the side to reveal Katherine. Her lifeless body.
An incoherent sound escapes past the man's lips as he hesitantly makes his way inside the room. The images of his wife and daughter's own lifeless bodies causes his stomach to churn.
No one could deny the bond that was created between Chris and Katherine during their time in Paris. She became like another daughter to him as he became another father figure to her.
They saw each other as such. And it helped fill their voids.
"Not you too." Chris says quietly in defeat while slumping into the chair beside Katherine.
"Not you too."
Scott looks between the two, noticing the bond and feeling Chris' pain.
Katherine made an impact on everyone's lives. It's impossible not to love her, to care for her. And if she were to remain dead, it would affect them all dramatically.
"Melissa...I don't know about this. It's dangerous and could potentially kill her even further." Deaton says in the darkness from the back room of the clinic. His eyes glance between the McCall and the Argent.
"We have to try something," Melissa says in frustration. "Deaton, I don't know what else to do and at this point I don't think there is anything else to do." Ringing takes over the silence.
"I need my daughter back." Her voice cracks and Deaton takes in a breath while hanging his head low in distress.
"You're okay with this?" The Vet asks Chris.
The man glances over at Melissa who gives him an encouraging expression. "There has to be some way to bring her back. I mean, haven't you tried this before?"
"Yes," Deaton answers. "on a Werewolf, many years ago, who was partially alive."
"Werewolves are always on the defensive, their bodies are healing them twenty-four seven. Katherine is currently dead," Melissa flinches at the word. "if we do this and her magic isn't keeping her protected, her body won't be defended against the shock waves and she won't come back."
Again, silence.
Melissa's mind spins as her thoughts run wild in her head. Only two outcomes to this one solution. What else could possibly bring a Witch back to life if not herself or another?
Chris watches Melissa rack through her thoughts, trying his best to read her expressions as she tries to finalize her decision. He already knows what she's going to say, but for something like this, he wants the woman to be sure.
He would have also done anything to bring back his daughter. And he would be lying if he said he didn't try by helping Katherine learn her magic. To see if she could bring Allison back.
"Let's do it." Both Chris and Melissa say in unison.
"None of the kids will be coming, right?" Deaton asks while setting things up.
"They're all at the lacrosse game." Melissa answers as her and Argent gently lower Katherine into the tin basin full of water.
Their whole operation to steal Katherine out of the hospital worked greatly. There was barely any doctors in the halls. And with Melissa knowing the building inside and out, they were able to dodge any trouble.
They needed to bring her to the clinic.
"Good, because they might be opposed to what you're making me do." Melissa clenches her jaw while releasing her daughter.
Katherine's lower half is completely submerged in the lukewarm water and her head rests against the side of the tub. The water sways against her body, brushing up against her chest and dabbing droplets along her face and neck. Melissa stares at her with tears in her eyes, desperately hoping for this to work.
While Deaton continues to make sure thing's are in order, Chris kneels beside the tub holding Katherine's hand in the water. He looks at her with many mixed emotions. Sadness, worry, and pride being the top three. He always thought he was drawn to Katherine for comfort from losing his own daughter, and maybe it's still that, but he does love the girl as if she was his child. He will always look out for and protect her as such.
He left her back in Mexico to search for his sister, Kate. But him and Derek switched up the mission and were out for May Evers, her biological mother, instead. It was no secret the woman wanted her daughter dead. Derek and Chris were sure to not let that happen. But once Katherine died, Derek immediately messaged Argent about May's sudden disinterest.
Derek has left many voicemails and texts asking about Katherine since her death. He knew something was wrong.
Chris couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth. He assumes he already knows. He's secretly waiting for Derek to make an appearance.
Melissa's phone begins to ring. She pulls it out to see that Stiles is calling her. She lets it go to voicemail.
"I think we're ready." Deaton speaks up suddenly. Melissa and Chris look over to see him holding up two thick wires.
The two immediately begin to feel anxious.
Melissa's phone buzzes with a message. Stiles texted her.
Stiles: Where's Katherine?
He left the lacrosse game early. Of course.
Melissa leaves the question unanswered.
Chris stands himself up and moves to be by the McCall who steps closer beside him for comfort as Deaton takes Chris' place by the tub.
"This will work." Chris tells her, ignoring his slight doubts.
"I know it will," Melissa answers. "because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."
The three then go completely silent as Deaton focuses entirely on the charged wires in front of him. They spark to life, spitting out light in the space around them. Melissa holds her breath as the Vet slowly lowers the wires towards the water on either side of Katherine's figure, forcing himself to follow through with this knowing it most likely won't work.
Just as Melissa's about to shout out her sudden refusal, the wires submerge below the surface and the electricity brings the water to life.
The clinic, still in recovery, loses its power once again as the lights flash out. The only source coming from the wires which burn brightly under the water. Deaton holds them down for what feels like forever until Melissa and Chris both speak up fearfully.
"Stop!"
"Enough!"
Deaton throws aside the now dead wires and immediately steps back with a gasp, his eyes wide as if something horrible has just happened.
The three exchange nervous looks, unsure what exactly to do now.
A hazy red light catches Chris' attention and he takes a hesitant step towards the tub, hoping to catch it again.
Suddenly, a red shield emanates off of Katherine's body and shoots out towards the three, throwing them backwards into the walls of the building. They all groan in pain and discomfort as the lights flicker back on. Melissa grasps onto the table beside her and struggles to pull herself up onto her feet. Chris rolls onto his side, pushing himself up into a standing position before he helps Deaton.
Wide eyed glances are shot between each of them before they finally decide to dare a look at Katherine.
Hesitant steps are taken towards the tub, none of them wanting to confirm their fear.
Melissa gets to Katherine first and kneels beside the tub while watching her carefully. Her eyes immediately snap towards the girls' chest. And that's when she sees it rise and fall with a breath.