there's a light twinge of disappointment as stiles hears their plans interrupted in real time. it's alright though, the so-called ‘plans’ had only really come together in the last three minutes. not a huge loss. he’ll see what the others are up to. “oh -- yeah. no worries. tomorrow night, it is.” he hangs up, shooting a text to the group. fortunately scott’s in a similar position; his mom on night-shift. they decide on seeing a movie to pass the time.
the credits roll and mindlessly stiles turns his phone back on. eyes widen in HORROR as message after message, phone call after call comes flooding in . . . from melissa. from the station. from unknown numbers. each message sending him deeper and deeper into himself in attempts to avoid the inevitable. the panic. the panic. the panic.
the texts in summary: it’s your dad. there’s been an accident. call back.
scott’s phone pings to life with its own rounds of messages searching for stiles.
he’s not even sure how they made it to the hospital; stiles himself falling in and out of reality, dissociating in and out of himself just to keep from collapsing.
it’s all a BLUR. every moment between receiving the texts and days later finding himself curled up in the guest chair of the hospital room, clinging desperately to hope.
the sound of struggled attempts at speaking from the bed sends him to his father’s bedside -- puffy, tear-stained eyes welling and pouring over with fresh tears. these one’s happier, dripping with relief. “shhhhhh, dad. don’t speak.” he presses the call button a couple times, “we’ll get you some water. it’ll be okay.”
he repeats, “it’ll be okay.” once more for his own benefit.
his father had looked so much like his mom just . . . laying there all this time.