Not even a Lannisters Send their Regards

[fadingspark]

The thing about winter is that the sun still sets early, leaving a person to leave their job in darkness. The parking lot outside of Stilinski Designs was lit only by one street lamp. Stiles, having worked later than normal, was jiggling his keys as he stood with Bill and Lyle for 20 minutes, working out a coding problem they were having before he finally left the office for his car.

"Of course the day we have code issues is the first Monday of the year," he muttered, shaking his keys as he tried to find the right one for the jeep. Just as he finds it, there is a shadow from the light that falls over him, making him look up.

Someone stood there, all in black down to the mouth-less ski mask. The gun aimed at him made Stiles gulp, and he went to raise his hands. "Okay, just take it easy... I'm not going to..."

The gunshot rang out, and Stiles shut his eyes a moment before he felt the impact in his stomach. Time seemed to slow down as his keys slipped from his fingers, and then he fell to his knees He looked back up at the masked person, and they just watched a moment.

"What... not witty line?" Not even a Lannisters send their regards. The masked person just walked away moments before the door to the building opened and Billy and Lyle came running out. Stiles tried to call to them, but he instead looked down at where one of his hands had gone to touch the sore part of his stomach and it came back red.

"Stiles?" Billy took a few steps forward, looking to see if there was anyone else there but the parking lot was now empty. "Stiles!" At that, they both ran to him, and Billy pulled Stiles into him as they knelt beside him, hands going to press into the bleeding wound. "Come on, buddy, stay with us."

Lyle was calling 911, and then while he was talking to them on headset, his fingers were playing on his phone and he knelt down to show Billy the wiki-how on treating gunshot wounds. Billy nodded, going through the checklist and doing his best to keep Stiles conscious and talking to him.

But as the pain started to overcome him, even as he heard the sirens approaching, Stiles gripped Billy's arm. "Tell Dina... and Cora..."

"Nuh uh, you're going to tell them anything themselves," Billy said as he nodded for Lyle to wave the ambulance down. "Just hang on, Stiles."

"Tell them... I love them..." he said, and then he just passed out to the pain.

-------------

Once they were at the hospital, Billy and Lyle were on their phones calling the others. But first, they make the calls to the emergency contacts: Sheriff Stilinski, and Talia Hale. They are both told the same thing: Stiles was shot. Stomach. Didn't see who did it. He's in surgery. Doctors won't tell them anything more. Santa Clarita Midtown Hospital. The cops are coming to talk to them, so they will wait.

And the two will wait, shaken to their bones as they wait for someone to arrive who can get more news.

They had all thought this was over. Was it? Or was it just Stiles being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Comments

[impetere]

Lydia gets there first.

She'd been hearing the jangling all day, just out of the field of her vision. She was constantly turning to see who was jangling her keys and it was grating her last nerve. Halfway through teaching a class on Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems when she realizes what it is, and she quickly finds a way to excuse herself.

She needs to head back to Beacon Hills, she needs to get to Cora, but the banshee has other plans. The next thing she knows, she's standing in the hallway of Santa Clarita Midtown Hospital, staring at Billy and Lyle and the blood on their clothes with a certain kind of affected air.

"You. You're Stiles's friends."

[fadingspark]

Lyle looked up first, seeing Lydia and recognizing her instantly. She was the hot redhead in all the photos Stiles had on his desk from back home. "You're Lydia." He got up, going over to her as Billy turned to watch.

"He um... he's back there somewhere. They won't tell us anything."

[impetere]

Her head tips to the side, still distant and detached. She's listening to something far, far away, something only she can hear and babbling in front of strangers is certainly frowned upon but she isn't sure she could stop herself.

It's not jangling anymore, however. It's the steady rhythm of a solid cardiac rhythm.

"He's fine. For now." For now. She looks at them, the state of them, and she sees the blood. "Is that his blood?"

[fadingspark]

Lyle looked at his shirt, then nodded and wiped his hands on his pants nervously. "He uh... he was bleeding pretty badly. We donated some for him. The doctors say that winter is a hard time to get donors."

[impetere]

"Mmmmm." She moves to sit in the seat next to him, manicured nail tapping lightly against the arm of the chair. A silent, steady rhythm to match the one her head.

Beep ... beep ... beep ... beep ...

[fadingspark]

"We, um... we didn't have Cora's phone number. He'd probably want us to call her. You didn't call her on your way here, did you?"

[impetere]

"No. But she's coming."

She's not wrong about that. Talia had called Cora the moment she found out what happened. Cora is the first one through the door when she and Talia arrive, peering through the crowd to find Lyle and Billy, and as her eyes fall on Lydia, another finger joins Lydia's and the rate of the taps increase, the look on her face contorting to something of concern, her breathing starting to increase.

"Lydia? What are you ... ?" Cora's voice trails off as she puts two and two together, her breath catching as she surges closer. "No. No."

"It's too fast," she replies, her eyes finding Cora's as the other woman drops down in front of her. "It's going too fast I can't ... I can't think ... "

"No. Please. Please don't ... "

She doesn't get the chance to finish. Before she can, Lydia's head falls back and she lets out a high pitched shriek just as the beeping in her head hits asystole.

Talk with Talia

[cunningwolf]

After Stiles was transferred back to Beacon Hills Medical, Peter went to visit his sister with the plans he had drawn up to tighten security out at the office building down in Santa Clarita. Peter had put in some of his money to help support the start-up - it was an investment that he expected to pay off in multiple ways - so the security was an issue he could deal with as the others helped take care of Stiles.

He had the plans laid out on the kitchen table, standing back to look at them and if there were any adjustments to make before his sister came to join him. Once these were done, he could apply for the permits he needed to make the changes.

[impetere]

Talia makes her way over with a cup of tea, looking over the plans for a moment. This isn't why she brought him here, but she's sure it's good to ask about them all the same.

"Improved security for the building?"

[cunningwolf]

"Yes." His arms were crossed in front of him as he looked them over. "I don't have a good bedside manner to sit with Stiles, but I can at least help him with this so it won't happen again to him or any of the other nerds in his employ."

[impetere]

"Good. I do not want to receive a phone call like that again." It's terrifying enough when it's one of your own children. It's worse when it's your daughter's very human mate and you need to prepare her for the worst.

[cunningwolf]

"I can only imagine." He knew the fear from the events a long time ago now regarding Jennifer, but he would hate to have it be Isaac and try to console his daughter. It was a reason he was grateful the boy had asked for the bite.

Peter showed her the plans, laying out the angles of the cameras and the lighting to make sure that there were no blind spots. He needed a second opinion on it to make sure he wasn't missing something.

[impetere]

No, it seems as though he was very thorough. Talia double checks his work, making sure there's no visibility issues before nodding. "That should cover it. I think they'll all feel much safer."

Waking up in Beacon Hills Medical

[fadingspark]

It was another two days after Stiles had woken up the first time for him to wake up again. Obviously, his body needed the rest. He woke up in a different room than the last one he remembered, and for a moment he was nervous until he felt his hand was being held and he looked over to see Cora sleeping next to him in a chair.

He smiled a bit, reaching over to run his hand along her face. "Hey, wake up."

[impetere]

She shifts a bit at the touch, humming softly at the sensation before her eyes blink open and she looks back at him. She blinks, then a slow smile breaks across her face. "Hey you." It's nice to see him awake and conscious with the rest of them again.

[fadingspark]

"What day is it now?" he asked, taking a deep breath and giving her a small smile.

[impetere]

She gives him a small smile back before getting up and moving closer. "Saturday," she says as she brushes a hand over the top of his head. "They moved you to Beacon Hills Memorial so you'd be closer to home."

[fadingspark]

"That's why it's not the same room." He nodded, and then he groaned as he shifted. "What happened to me again?"

[impetere]

"You were shot, honey." Her fingers just keep threading through his hair, though her face is turning a bit concerned. "Still don't remember?"

Two Weeks after Being Shot...

[fadingspark]

The entire staff of Beacon Memorial may have debated on throwing a party when Stiles was given his discharge. Maybe it was because it meant Melissa's stepson could go home, removing some stress for a beloved coworker. Or maybe they were just glad not to have to listen to Stiles and his constant pleas for real food and in the last day, trying to steal a wheelchair and roll himself to the vending machines.

No, everyone was just happy for Stiles to get to go back home. With Jason warning him not to walk for more than a trip into a chair or the bathroom for the next two weeks, and a good prescription for pain meds in a plastic bag in his lap, Stiles was rolled out to be loaded up and driven back home to the Hale house.

He had heard that Talia had made it so he wouldn't have to worry about the stairs, but he knew the Hale House inside and out, so he wasn't sure what to expect. He did refuse to let Scott or Cora carry him up the front stairs though, taking his time with one arm around his brother as he carefully climbed onto the porch before he walked in the front door.

"Home, sweet home."

[impetere]

Talia's spent the past week getting the room ready for him. The Hale house never really had an effective guest room after her children graduated and moved on, but there had been one in the past, since turned into a storage room, that just needed to be made livable again. It hadn't been especially difficult - clearing out the assorted debris, cleaning it up and making sure it had everything Stiles would need to be comfortable.

She doesn't have to ask to know that Cora would be taking Stiles's room while Lydia slept in hers. It seemed to be a statement that went without saying. Possibly because most nights when Cora wasn't at the hospital, that's where she was anyway.

Talia gives him a small warm smile as he comes in. "Welcome home, Stiles." It really is good to have him back and on the mend.

[fadingspark]

Stiles gave her a bright smile back. "It's good to be home." Because this was his home now. The house he grew up in was his home home, and would always be it, but the Hale House was home too, and walking back over the threshold after being gone for two weeks was a welcome relief.

"Hi Daddy!" Dina was in the living room on the couch, bouncing up and down but not jumping off since Thomas had a good hold of the back of her shirt.

"Hi baby," he said, then nodded at Thomas in silent thanks. He wasn't up to having to dodge the speeding cannonball that his daughter could be.

[impetere]

Cora comes up behind him with his bag from the hospital and gives her mom a smile. "The old guest room?"

Talia nods, gesturing for them to follow her. "I tried to make sure we got everything we needed in there, but you should be set for however long you need to be off your feet."

[fadingspark]

Scott helps Stiles walk as they follow Talia, and in the time it takes them to just cross the room, he's really ready to be back down in a horizontal position again. Of course, he's trying to keep the pain from his face.

"You know, if this room is bigger than Derek's room, I may not move back upstairs," he joked as they got to the doorway.

[impetere]

Talia hums at that, amused, before opening the door to one of the side rooms. It's not a small space, but considering how much stuff she managed to fit in there, it seems that way.

There's a sizable bed in the middle, made to sleep two. On one side of the room is a desk, for when he's feeling more up to sitting at one, and the opposite side is a dresser with a TV and DVD player, angled so that they're facing the bed properly. Right next to the head of the bed is a small night stand with an alarm clock.

"No closet space, but I doubt you'll be needing dress clothes." She steps in and moves to the side so that Scott and Cora can get Stiles inside and settled. "Not too far from the bathroom or the kitchen in case you need anything."