25. Release me from this curse I'm in/I've been trying to maintain/But I'm struggling

[voluntaryapnea]

[Open Spam]

[Hours after being returned to the Barge, Stiles is still trying to pull his thoughts together and struggling to do so. Physically he feels fine. But every now and then he catches a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Any time he turns to look and see who or what it is, it vanishes quickly. He wants to chalk it up to the lack of sleep at the port.

Truthfully he's worried. Fleeting as it is, he's familiar with this sensation. This things aren't quite right feeling that's settled into his chest as he goes to check on Lydia in the infirmary, and then Dean at his room.

He checks in with Kira on the network, thankful she's now awake, and then goes to check in on the still coma'd Allison. Goes to check in on Scott and Liam. He makes his rounds on the Barge, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

The feeling doesn't leave him as he grabs food from the cafeteria, sitting alone at a table because he doesn't feel like looking for someone to sit with.

Something isn't right.]

Comments

[voluntaryapnea]

[His mouth goes dry. This isn't a coincidence. It can't be. Dean, Lydia, him. Now Scott. Everyone he knows for sure who didn't make it back to the Barge in time.]

Yeah. Just -- glimpses of movement and when I turn my head to look there's nothing and no one there. I thought...[He blows out a breath, leaving off because he knows Scott will get it from there. I thought I was losing it again.]

[semifreakingnormal]

It's not just you.

[That, first; then he repeats it to himself: It's not just me. He lets out a long, shaky breath. For a moment he's relieved.]

What if it doesn't go away? You think the Admiral can fix it? Or one of the magic people?

[voluntaryapnea]

[Truthfully Stiles is relieved, too, even if he feels sort of guilty for being relieved that the people he cares about are suffering.]

Yeah. I mean anytime there've been side effects from a port, they go away right? They'll go away.

[They have to go away.]

[semifreakingnormal]

They always do. [He nods like he's positive. He's not as positive as he thinks he should be.]

I mean, in all the time I've been here - I can't think of anyone having something left over like this. Not like, permanently.

[They're bad at thinking of their friends suffering with them. They've always been better at trying to take things onto their own shoulders, but the truth is they're stronger holding burdens together. Scott smiles over at Stiles, and pops another fry into his mouth. He'll pretend he's certain until he feels it.]

[voluntaryapnea]

[It's reassuring to hear that confirmed. Scott's been here even longer than he has, and he knows his best friend wouldn't lie about that.]

Then we'll be okay. We'll just -- ignore it until it stops.

[Sounds like a valid plan, right?

They're always stronger together than separate, even if all they ever wanted to do was protect each other.]

[semifreakingnormal]

Yeah. Exactly. What are those things horses wear when they're racing? [He makes a motion, imitating blinders with his hands sticking out from his temples.]

We just need some of those.

[voluntaryapnea]

Blinkers, I think. Or blinders. I think they call them both things. [Thanks, random Wikipedia spiral #89102.]

Or we could just try and sleep until it's over, but -- no. You've done enough sleeping, so no sleeping for you. [He picks up half a fry and flicks it at his best friend with a knowing look.]

[semifreakingnormal]

[He tries to catch the fry in his teeth and just misses. No wolf powers for now. Instead he grins and snatches it off the table.]

Yeah, okay. No more sleeping. Do you think if we just lock the door and play video games for a week, it'll pass us by?