voluntaryapnea | 21. Oh brother I can't, I can't get through

[Video -- Private to Dean]

[Stiles looks tired, like he hasn't slept in awhile. He hasn't. If Dean's ever seen the inside of Scott's cabin, he might recognize it as being where his warden is currently. He's sitting on the bed right beside his unconscious best friend, in fact, even if the feed focuses mostly on his face and the wall behind him.]

Scott's in a coma. [He figures Dean may have heard the announcement from Abigail the night before, but he isn't sure, either.]

So if you need me for something I'm in his cabin. [Not that Dean will need him for anything. Dean pretty much never asks for anything from him. But still. He wants to make sure Dean knows in case something comes up.]

[Video -- Clementine]

[As soon as he's done talking to Dean, he starts the feed once more, this time with Scott's inmate. He draws in a breath, arching his eyebrows and lifts his hand in a wave.]

Hey. I'm sure you probably heard about Scott by now. Hopefully he's not gonna play Sleeping Beauty for long, but uh -- until he wakes up, if you need something. Or want to talk or anything. I'm staying with him. You can just come find me or...you know, call on this thing. I mean obviously there are other options if you don't want to talk to me or whatever, but just -- putting that out there.

[Spam -- Open]

Over the next few days, Stiles can mostly be found only in Scott's cabin. Even with the rest of the pack coming in and visiting, offering to stay for as long as necessary, even with Isaac occasionally living in the other room, Stiles has a difficult time leaving his best friend's side. He feels more anxious than usual, like the end of a fraying wire. For as long as he can actually remember, Scott McCall has been his solid ground. And sure, he's physically fine. He even looks peaceful. These things don't keep him from feeling Scott's forehead regularly to make sure he's not running a fever or anything. He isn't. But he's in a coma and no part of Stiles is okay with that. He knows it happens all the time. He hadn't liked it when it was Dean, either, but this is still worse. This is his brother. And his unresponsiveness makes Stiles feel like he's constantly on the edge of having a panic attack. The only way he could have felt anymore anxious about the scenario is if someone had insisted Scott be in the infirmary while he's out. Hospital settings make nothing better.

So like he had when his inmate was comatized, he spends a great deal of the time reading Harry Potter to Scott. Occasionally he works on his laptop, which he's brought to Scott's for the duration of the time. Making himself right at home here isn't an issue. The McCall house has been his second home since he was four.

But he leaves the door open just a bit in case someone wants to visit, because Scott is a friendly kind of guy who doesn't turn down company and so Stiles isn't going to turn down people who want to visit unless he thinks they're going to be a danger.

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I guess.

[Has he? Apparently. It's not like there's any other reason to be here. He hasn't exactly avoided Stiles, any more than he's purposefully avoided Dean, but he certainly hasn't done anything to seek either of them out since his last confrontation with Stiles' inmate. He folds his arms uncomfortably now, debates the merits of trying to smoke in here, staring at the prone body on the bed.]

How long's he been down for?

Three days.

[It feels like it's been a lot longer.

He's not even aware that Mickey and Scott are friends, but he guesses it makes some sort of sense considering Mickey is Isaac's inmate. He considers Mickey for a minute and then glances at Scott.]

You wanna sit? [He nods toward Scott's desk chair.]

[He shakes his head, still tense. It doesn't make sense for him to sit, to stay -- he and Scott aren't friends either, not after the Mirror Barge.]

Surprised there's not a line out the fucking door.

[He made the offer at least. Scott better be proud when he wakes up.]

It's been a revolving door.

[He shrugs. Mostly it's just been the pack from Beacon Hills. Plus Bucky and Dean. And now Mickey.]

Figures.

[And it does. He doesn't totally get the Scott McCall thing, but half the people he knows are crazy about the guy, to say nothing of his own warden. He's half surprised the bed's not covered in flowers or something equally ridiculous. He bites his lip thoughtfully.]

You still doing that dumb lacrosse shit without him?

Edited 2015-01-28 02:29 (UTC)

[He shrugs a shoulder at that. It's kind of funny, really. Scott used to be one of the most unpopular kids in school. Growing up the two of them hadn't really had other friends outside each other. But since becoming a werewolf, Scott really has become the hot girl. Everyone wants to be around him. Everyone wants to be his friend. The guy has more friends than Stiles probably even knows about these days. But he's earned it, as far as Stiles is concerned. He's paid his dues.]

Nah. It's on hold til he's back in the game. Hopefully he won't be out much longer.

Mm.

[He lets out a sound that's half acknowledgement, half begrudging agreement. Even if he and Scott aren't close... well, he's here, anyway. He'd told Mira at the memorial after the Mirror Barge that this is what people do in his part of town: something happens in the community, something happens to a neighbor, and you show up. He's showing up. Scott's worth that much, apparently.

He seems to be mulling over the lacrosse thing, too. Mickey had come to the practices too, once upon a time, but only to watch. He'd honestly seemed to prefer it that way. He hasn't been back since the Mirror Barge, but begrudgingly, he admits:]

Might have a recruit for him when the season starts back up.

[Stiles lifts his gaze to look at Mickey at that. He arches his eyebrows.]

Finally decide to join? [He's not sure that's what Mickey really meant, or if he meant he's got someone else that might be interested in joining the lacrosse teams.]

[He gives him a skeptical look. Lacrosse? Him?]

Fuck no, man. I haven't done any of that team sports crap since I got kicked out of Little League.

[But he was happy on the sidelines, watching, sort of part of the group and sort of outside of it. Ian, on the other hand...]

Fucking Energizer Bunny I live with, though -- he gets into shit like that.

[Despite his best effort, a smile quirks his lips upwards. Mickey doesn't seem like a team sports guy. Then again, most people probably wouldn't think Stiles is, either. So he shrugs.]

Okay I'm assuming you don't mean the actual Energizer Bunny.

[Mickey rolls his eyes.]

Ian. Tall-ass redhead son of a bitch? Built like a Goddamn tree?

[He can't help but say it with a little pride. That's his tree. And despite himself, he finds himself opening up just enough to explain a little more:]

I dunno -- he's, like, one bad movie away from going stir-crazy up here sometimes. I figured maybe screwing around with those dumb sticks some might take the edge off.

[Hey. He's from Beacon Hills. Plus around this place? You can never be too sure.]

Haven't met him. [He shakes his head a little. He definitely identifies with going stir-crazy around this place, though.] But when we start back up, definitely send him our way if he's interested.

Mm. Maybe.

[He glances back at Scott lying still on the bed; he can't help but wonder if when is really more of an if.]

Guess, uh, Isaac'll probably tip me off or something.

[And Stiles won't allow himself to go down that line of thought. Even though it dwells on the edges of his mind almost constantly, he forcefully and continually pushes away all thoughts that Scott won't wake up. Not pushing it away will result in the world's worst panic attack.]

Yeah. I think he's staying in the other room more often now. [He gestures toward the door.] So he'll know when Scott's awake again. [He pauses.] Or I could send you a message.

[He shrugs again, giving a quiet, non-committal sound. He doubts Stiles really will. He knows he's not holding his breath for it. He wouldn't, if it was him.

Then again, he doesn't play fucking lacrosse, either.

He clears his throat and fishes his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, nodding towards the door.]

Gotta...

[Smoke breaks: the best excuse for escaping awkward environments.]

Guess I'll see you.

[He would. Probably. If Mickey wanted him to. But he watches the other boy remove the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and nod toward the door.]

Yeah. See you around. [He nods.]

21. Oh brother I can't, I can't get through

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