The doors of the emergency room opened.
Melissa stepped out, peeling off her gloves with trembling hands. Her face was pale beneath the harsh fluorescent lights — not grief-stricken, but… bewildered. As if she had just witnessed something she couldn't explain.
Scott was the first to move. "Mom!" He rushed forward, his voice cracking slightly. "What happened?!"
Stiles stood right beside him, his usual nervous humor gone, eyes wide and anxious. "Is Asher gonna make it?"
Allison clung to Scott's arm, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Y-Yeah… he'll be fine… right?" she said, though even she didn't sound convinced.
For a moment, Melissa didn't answer. The sound of beeping machines and muffled voices from behind the ER doors filled the silence. Then she finally exhaled, slowly, like she was trying to convince herself of what she was about to say.
"He's alive," she said softly.
The three teens froze.
And then—relief. They all exhaled at once. Shoulders sagged. Allison's eyes glistened as she clutched Scott's sleeve tighter. Stiles even let out a nervous, half-laughing breath.
But then Scott frowned. Something in her tone didn't sound right. "Wait—if he's alive, then… why do you look like that?" he asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"
Melissa's lips parted, but no words came for a second. She looked from her son to his friends, uncertainty flickering across her face. Finally, she spoke — slow, deliberate, each word feeling heavier than the last.
"I-It's a miracle that he's still alive," she said, her voice almost trembling. "He lost more than half of the blood in his body. His liver was torn apart. Both kidneys damaged… one of his lungs completely shredded." She shook her head in disbelief. "He shouldn't have even made it through the ambulance ride."
Scott's eyes widened. "What—?"
Stiles took a step forward, his voice hushed but stunned. "How is that even—"
"Possible?" Allison finished for him, staring at Melissa like she was hearing something out of a fantasy novel.
...
The night air outside the hospital was cool and heavy, the faint hum of passing cars the only sound breaking the stillness. A single streetlight flickered above the bench where Noah Stilinski sat beside Erica Reyes.
For ten long minutes, he'd tried to calm her down. Ten minutes of sobs, shaking shoulders, and hoarse apologies that broke his heart to hear. Noah Stilinski was, above all things, a good man — and watching a girl this young cry like that… it tore at him.
Now, finally, the storm of her sobbing had lessened to soft, uneven breaths. Her eyes were swollen and red, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap.
"Erica…" Noah said gently, leaning forward slightly, his voice calm, reassuring. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"
She swallowed hard, trying to steady her trembling lips. A hiccup escaped her, followed by another quiet sob. "I… I did—" she started weakly, but before she could finish, Noah's phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Sorry, Erica." He gave her an apologetic look as he reached for it. "Just a second."
He answered immediately.
"Yes?" he said, his tone professional again.
Erica sniffled softly beside him, trying her best to hold back tears, but her attention drifted toward him when she noticed the sudden shift in his expression. His brows furrowed, eyes widening slightly in disbelief.
"…Laura Hale?" he repeated, stunned.
Erica blinked, confused.
'Asher was… right?' the thought flashed through Noah's mind like a bolt of lightning. He straightened up. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," came the voice on the other end, firm and urgent.
Noah didn't waste another second. "I'm coming immediately," he said, then hung up and turned to Erica.
"Sorry, Erica," he said quickly, standing up. "I have to go. Go inside, okay? Be with your friends. We'll talk another time."
Before she could even respond, he was already walking briskly toward his car, his face set in grim determination. The car's engine roared to life and disappeared down the road.
Erica stood there for a few seconds, watching him go, her mind a blur. Her chest still ached, her eyes still stung. Slowly, she turned back toward the hospital doors and walked inside, each step heavy and hesitant.
The moment she entered the waiting room, she barely had time to breathe before someone wrapped their arms tightly around her.
"Allison?" she gasped, startled.
Allison pulled back just enough to look at her, tears glistening in her own eyes — but this time, they weren't from fear. They were from relief.
"Asher's gonna make it," she said softly, smiling through the emotion in her voice.
For a second, Erica didn't react. The words felt unreal. Then her lips parted, her breath caught in her throat — and the tears returned. But this time, they were warm, trembling, joyful tears.
"Asher…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
She buried her face against Allison's shoulder, crying again, but now it was different. The weight on her chest lifted, just a little.
Because he was alive.
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter? Liked it?
Also, I uploaded this same story on Wattp@d (I don't know if I'll get banned if I write its name properly). There's a much larger Teen Wolf fanbase there. If you wanna help me out, check it out there. Thanks.