Chapter 8

                                    

                                          



Days pass by, and every single member in the Hale pack spends them biting their nails in worry. Stiles has not woken up yet, pale and unmoving on the king bed he usually shares with his alpha every night. They have moved him to the Hale House so he can be treated in a safe familiar space. The master bedroom is now a makeshift hospital room, facilitated with IVs, a heart monitor, and other medical equipment.
                          
Deaton and Melissa have put the pregnant human into a sleep induced coma, it was the best option at the time. The fetus was unharmed, yet restless in the mother's womb, an after-effect of the electrical stimulation. Since the baby couldn't shift in such young state, it let it's annoyance out by turning and kicking.
                          
The unusual movements had left the human mother in distress. His already injured body had taken its toll and fell into shock. The baby's heartbeat was strong, yet Stiles' was getting weaker and weaker. They had to put him on life support not only to avoid internal organ shutdown, but also give his body the opportunity to heal.
                          
That was five days ago, and it has been a total train wreck of fear and despair for Derek ever since.
                          
The Alpha barely eats, barely sleeps, spending days and restless nights lying next to Stiles, holding his mate's lifeless form in his embrace. Hands spread on his mate's round stomach as black tendrils run along his arms, constantly keeping the baby calm and accelerating his mate's healing. Chapped lips lay butterfly kisses on pale skin, murmuring soft words and love, begging for any sign of life.
                          
"Son," his father-in law would watch him from the door and say every other day, with sad yet understanding eyes. "Just take a break for a while. Take a shower; get something to eat, and some fresh air. I'll call you if something comes up, I swear."
                          
"I won't leave him," Derek said locking his attention only on his mate, "not again."
                          
"Son, it's not your fault," John insisted, "I can't stand seeing you like this, hell, if Stiles saw you right now slowly killing yourself, believe me he would be up and kickin' your ass."
                          
"Well he can't now, can he!?" Derek yelled out of frustration.
                          
Bloodshot eyes looked up and stared at the man he's failing again, so much for promising his son would be safe with him. With a broken weary tone, he said, "Please Sir, I just- I need this."
                          
The Sheriff just sighed in defeat and finally left him to focus back on his mate again. He softly kissed the pale delicate fingers he held so dearly in his rough hand, a stray tear out of a deep pit of despair in his heart trickling down his face as he whispered, "Baby please, I need you."
                          

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Stiles can feel his consciousness arise. The first thing he's aware of is that he feels like shit. Holy crap, he wonders if he's been run over by a semi-truck. All his muscles feel like jelly.
                          
But what comes second is this intense protective warmth around him, which Stiles welcomes with a content sigh and snuggling closer to the heat source. Whatever it is, it's his new pillow from now on and forever, he decided. His new pillow smells really amazing too, so he dives into it, rubbing his head into the soft garment of it.
                          
It's like his new pillow understands his need of comfort at the moment, because it moves to wrap around him. So warm, Stiles thinks.
                          
It rubs his heavily pregnant belly so lovingly. Pillows can do this kind of stuff now? Not that he minds though, he is in heaven. Stiles can't help but make a quite embarrassing needy whine.
                          
Suddenly, it cups his cheek and says, "Stiles? Baby..?"
                          
Wait, what?
                          
He blinks his eyes open to see no other than Derek's worried green ones looking back at him.