𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"Dr Gardner's not back until next week" My mom tells Stiles as we stand at the front desk "Do you want to try waiting for one of the urgent care doctors or..."

Stiles shakes his head, looking really overwhelmed as he backs up away from the desk with tears in his eyes.

"Stiles" I speak, grabbing his arm in worry.

"Are you all right?" My mom asks, jumping up from her seat.

"I don't know" Stiles answers shakily "I guess- I guess not really"

"All right, kiddo" Mom nods, placing a hand on his shoulder "All right. Come with me. It's okay"

She tries to usher him away but before he allows her to navigate him through the hospital, he turns his head to me and grabs my hand.

"D'you want me to come with you?" I ask and he nods, tugging me next to him "Okay"

Mom shows us to an empty room on one of the less busy floors and tells Stiles to sit down on the bed as she runs out to get a notepad. The Stilinski boy squeezes my hand, reminding me that he's still holding it and I look down at him, noticing a pink tint to his cheeks.

"Are you hot?" I ask him in concern.

"I don't know. You tell me" He jokes and I crack a smile, shaking my head.

"Shut up, dork" I huff, pressing the back of my free hand against his forehead.

The heat radiating off his skin causes my eyebrows to shoot up as I drop his hand and he frowns at me.

"Why'd you let go?" He asks.

"Stiles, you're boiling" I state, pushing his hoodie off his shoulders.

"Whoa, at least buy me dinner first" He says in surprise as I pull his hoodie off him, throwing it onto the chair in the corner of the room.

"Stop with the jokes. You're ill" I warn him and he rolls his eyes.

Mom reenters the room and smiles warmly at the boy, stopping next to me as she places her notepad down on the table.

"Can you tell me about your symptoms?" She asks him.

"Blackouts. But not for that long" He starts and she begins writing it down "And sleepwalking, which I used to do a lot as a kid"

"That pesky sleepwalking of yours" I hum and he smiles, nodding.

"Um...Also having some really bad anxiety" He states.

"Panic attacks?" Mom questions.

"Yeah, a couple" He answers "Oh, and I temporarily lost the ability to read. But that might have had more to do with this giant magic tree and a whole human sacrifice thing"

Mom chuckles and I shake my head at his tendency to make sarcastic jokes in every situation.

"I recall something vaguely about that, yes" Mom replies in a joking manor "How many hours of sleep are you getting?"

"Eight" Stiles answers.

"A night?" Mom queries.

"In the last three days" He elaborates before he looks down at his hands and starts counting "Yeah, definitely eight"

"Been feeling irritable?" Mom asks him as she walks over to a bunch of drawers, opening one.

"Yeah. Possibly to the point of homicide" Stiles agrees.

"Inability to focus?" She continues.

"No, the Adderall's not working" He replies.

"Impulsive behaviour?" She asks, pulling on gloves.

"More than my usual? Hard to tell" He shrugs.

"I'd say yes" I add and he pinches my leg, causing me to slap his hand away.

"Vivid dreams during the day?" Mom hums.

"Okay, basically all of the above" Stiles declares "Do you know what this is?"

"I think so" She nods with a small smile, walking back over to us with a needle in her hand.

"Uh, what's that?" He asks her nervously, eyeing the object.

"Do you trust me?" Mom replies vaguely.

"When you're not holding a needle" Stiles answers, making her laugh as she pulls up his t-shirt's cap sleeve.

"It's Midazolam. A sedative" She explains, pushing the point into his arm and injecting the substance into him before disposing of it in a waste bin.

"Why'd you give me a sedative?" He questions in confusion.

"Because you, Stiles, are one profoundly sleep deprived young man" Mom tells him "You need rest and you need it now. Lie down"

"Okay, how long's it take to.." He drawls off as his eyes flutter closed before opening again sleepily "Oh. Not long at all"

My mom lays him down and tucks him in before grabbing the waste, walking to the door.

"Natty?" Stiles mumbles, reaching out and grabbing my hand for the second time.

"Yeah?" I whisper, using my free hand to brush his hair back soothingly.

"Stay, please" He murmurs, eyes closed as he drifts off "Don't wanna be alone"

"I'm gonna be right here, dork. I'm staying" I assure him and he smiles slightly.

As his body goes limp and his grip on my hand loosens I sigh, intertwining my fingers with his to keep a hold of his hand.

I hear moving behind me and I turn my head to see my mother bringing in a chair, placing it down next to the bed so I can sit down.

"Thank you, Momma" I smile, sitting down.

I gently place my elbows on the bed, leaning my weight on them as I toy with the sleeping boy's hand.

"Sweetheart?" Mom speaks up.

"Mmhm" I hum.

"Is Stiles the mystery boy that you told me about?" She asks me.

I glance up at my mother before moving my gaze to Stiles' sleeping face and I nod just barely.

"Oh, baby" She sighs.

"Stupid dork" I breathe out.

"You love him?" Mom questions with a warm smile.

"Yeah" I sigh softly "I think I do"