Scott and I were in the animal clinic, standing across the table from each other.

Scott was looking at his inhaler, telling me everything that had been happening. "My asthma is back. I'm not sure how, but it came back. Just as bad as it used to be. So now, I keep my inhaler on me all of the time. Just like I used to. And it's been five days. We haven't seen any new Chimeras, and we haven't seen the Dread Doctors. We all go to school, pretending like nothing's happened. But everyone seems to know. You just walk down the halls, and no one's smiling. No one's laughing. You get the feeling that everyone can sense that something's coming. They just don't know what is, or how bad it's going to be. Every time I feel like I should do something about it, I find myself reaching for my inhaler. Like, I'm going to take a hit of it, and--and come up with some brilliant solution on how to save everyone. But I don't know what to do. I don't think anyone does. Maybe that's why no one's really talking to each other. Sometimes, we don't even notice each other. But I think some of us are okay with that. Because not talking makes it easier to keep secrets. And I don't know if anyone's really lying about things. Maybe it's more like lies of omission. Maybe the worst lie to Stilinski. Because no one's told him about Parrish yet. Then again, no one's told Parrish, either. He doesn't seem to remember taking the bodies. And we think that he's only really dangerous if you try to get in his way. If Stilinski knew the truth, he'd definitely get in his way. So, Lydia and Stiles are trying to find the bodies, which means finding the Nemeton. They're driving around, searching all of the woods. But the last time that we found this thing, three of us had almost drowned in ice water. We're not the only ones looking for Chimeras. Stilinski's got everyone looking for the next target. Questioning anyone who's a genetic Chimera. Anyone who's got two sets of DNA. No one really knows what they're looking for. Some think it's a serial killer. Some probably know it's worse. The two Chimeras that we know about, Hayden and Cory? They're both doing okay. Actually, better than okay. They're healing faster and getting stronger. They don't need our help. And I don't think they'd want it, anyway. Kira left to figure out what's happening to her, to try to fix it. And I'm getting more and more worried about Deaton. I know something's coming. And all I can think about is how good am I going to be if I can't even breathe?" He looked at me curiously, shaking his head. "But you still seem to be the only one unaffected. It's like we were talking about before. You know where you stand, and how much you can take, and you know how to not let anything get to you. I guess that doesn't come much of a surprise when..."

"When I used to be a stone cold bitch that didn't even let her feelings show?" I suggested.

Scott smiled a small smile, shaking his head. "You weren't that bad."

"Yeah, I was," I told him.

Scott sighed. "But with everything that's been going on... and how you seem to be the only one not changing, and not letting anything get to you... I guess that means that makes you the smartest one out of us."

"Well, I've had a lot of practice," I told him. "Besides, I'm a Hale. It kind of comes naturally."

Scott managed a chuckle. "I guess that's the only thing that really changed about you."

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean the major personality change from the time we met to now?" Scott nodded. "You want to hear me say it? Fine." I stepped around the table toward Scott. "Love changed me. You changed me. And it was for the better."

Scott smiled a small smile, looking down, letting it fade, returning serious. "But everybody else... we've been changing for the worst."

"I know," I told him. "But, Scott, I'm with you. For better or worse."

"Is there gonna be worse?" Scott asked.

"There always is before it gets better," I told him.

Scott nodded barely, looking up. "Right now, it doesn't feel like there's going to be a better."

*****

Cory had started bleeding mercury profusely, having to be taken to the hospital.

I walked in, knowing the Doctors would be after him, and soon.

The ER was filled with injured people, bleeding and unmoving.

Scott and Theo ran in behind me.

"They're already here?" Scott asked.

We walked along, looking around a corner to see more chaos. 

"This wasn't them," I told them. "It was Cory."

We walked along.

  *****  

I ran down the hall toward Scott and Theo. "Security's still looking."

"I haven't seen anything, either," Scott told us.

The elevator doors next to us started to malfunction, trying to close, but each time they tried, they would open again. 

I looked around at the flickering lights. "Now they're here."

  *****  

We found Cory's body leaning against an ambulance truck in the ambulance parking dock, kneeling in front of him in regret.

"We better go," Theo told us.

Scott and I stood. 

"We need to find Hayden," Scott told us.

I nodded barely.

  *****  

We found Liam and Hayden at Sinema.

The Doctors were already there.

  *****  

Liam was thrown against chains hanging from the ceiling, falling to the floor.

The Doctors turned on Hayden.

"Run," Liam told her. "Hayden, run!"

Liam started to stand.

Doctor 1 stepped toward Hayden.

Hayden backed away.

Scott shifted, roaring, running toward Doctor 1, punching him in the face, making it stumble back.

I stood in front of Hayden, making her back away from the Doctors.

Doctor 2 stepped closer to Hayden and me.

I looked at Doctor 2 with glowing blue eyes.

Liam stood, shifted, grabbing Doctor 3's arm, punching him in the chest repeatedly. Doctor 3 grabbed Liam, tossing him aside.

Scott jumped into the air to come down on Doctor 1 with an extra strong punch, making him back away, landing on the floor, punching him in the chest repeatedly, trying to punch him again. Doctor 1 caught his arm, flipping him to the floor.

I kicked Doctor 2 in the chest, making him back away from Hayden and me, punching him repeatedly, spinning around to kick him back. Doctor 2 lifted me from the floor, slamming me down on my back, trying to punch me. I rolled out of the way, somersaulting into a standing position. Doctor 2 tried to punch me overhead. I caught his arm, kicking him back away. Doctor 2 grabbed me by my throat, throwing me over the bar to the floor. 

Scott stood, punching Doctor 1 in the chest. Doctor 1 grabbed his throat, headbutting the metal mask against his head, making him back away, pushing him into the pole behind him. Scott pushed Doctor 1 back, spinning to kick him in the face, making him turn away, kicking him in the chest. Doctor 1 caught his legs as they made impact, flipping him backward to the floor.

Theo grabbed Liam from the floor, shifted. "Get Hayden out of here. Go!"

Theo ran to join the fight.

Liam stood. "Hayden!" Doctor 1 swung toward Theo. Theo caught his arm. "Hayden! Hayden!" Theo elbowed Doctor 1 in the stomach, punching him, spinning to kick him. Doctor 1 pushed Theo to the floor. Liam ran through the chains toward where Doctor 2 was injecting Hayden. Hayden screamed, her eyes turning completely silver, filling themselves with mercury. Liam yelled in despaired rage. "No!"

Doctor 2 let Hayden go, walking away.

Hayden fell to her knees. The mercury faded from her eyes. She held a hand to her neck in confusion.

Liam ran to Hayden's side, kneeling next to her, holding her.

I jumped onto the bar, crouching, growling. 

 Doctor 1 pinned Theo to a pole by his throat, tossing him to the floor.

The other two Doctors walked away, leaving.

Scott and Theo started to sit up weakly.

I stood, jumping down from the bar, hanging my head.

We walked through the chains toward Hayden and Liam.

Hayden and Liam were both standing.

Hayden nodded. "I'm okay. Really. I think I'm okay."

Liam was relieved, turning to face us. "I saw the needle go in, and her eyes just filled up with mercury. They turned completely silver."

"She looks okay," Theo told us. "Maybe she'll heal."

"Or maybe she won't," I told them. They looked at me. "What if something's happening to her on the inside?"

Scott sighed, nodding. "Get them to the animal clinic. I'll meet you there."

Scott walked out, leaving.

I turned to Hayden, Liam and Theo.

  *****  

I drove the Camaro through the pouring rain toward the clinic.

Theo was in the passenger seat.

Hayden and Liam were in the backseat.

Liam was holding Hayden.

"Keep her awake," Theo told him. "I don't think it's a good idea for her to fall asleep."

"Hayden?" Liam asked. "Hayden, you gotta stay awake."

"I'm so tired," Hayden told us.

"Yeah, I know, but you can't go to sleep," Liam told her. He looked at me. "How do we help her?"

"I don't know," I told them. "When it's wolfsbane poisoning, you burn it out. But I don't know anything about mercury. Especially a kind that's probably been altered by them."

"Is she going to heal?" Theo asked.

"The problem is, she's not really like us," I told them. "None of them are. They're more like--like cheap knockoffs." Theo looked at me. "She might not be as strong as we are. Or heal like we do. She's not a real werewolf."

"What if we turn her into one?" Liam asked.

"Nice idea," I told him. "Except we can't do that."

"But Scott can," Liam told us.

I nodded barely.

  *****  

I got us to the clinic.

Liam carried Hayden in.

Hayden was weakening, barely able to stay awake.

Through the pouring rain outside, we could hear Scott's bike and Stiles' Jeep pull up.

"Hey, sorry," Stiles told him. "I had trouble starting the Jeep again. That thing's barely hanging on. I couldn't get in touch with Malia or Lydia. Scott? Where did you get that?"

"This is yours?" Scott asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to," Stiles told him.

"No, but why didn't you tell me when it happened?" Scott asked.

"I couldn't," Stiles answered.

"You killed him?" Scott asked. "You killed Donovan?"

"Well, he was going to kill my dad," Stiles told him. "What? Was I supposed to just let him?"

"You weren't supposed to do this," Scott told him. "None of us are."

"You think I had a choice?" Stiles asked.

"There's always a choice," Scott told him.

"Yeah, well, I can't do what you can, Scott," Stiles told him. "I know you wouldn't have done it. You probably would've just figured something out, right?"

"I'd try," Scott told him.

"Yeah, because you're Scott McCall!" Stiles told him. "You're the True Alpha! Guess what? All of us can't be True Alphas. Some of us have to make mistakes. Some of us have to get our hands a little bloody sometimes. Some of us are human!"

"So, you had to kill him?" Scott asked.

"Scott, he was going to kill my dad," Stiles told him.

"But the way that it happened..." Scott trailed off. "There's a point when it's--it's not self-defense anymore."

"What are you even talking about?" Stiles asked. "I didn't have a choice, Scott. You don't even believe me, do you?"

"I want to," Scott told him.

"Okay, all right, so..." Stiles trailed off ."So, believe me then. Scott, say you believe me. Say it. Say you believe me."

"Stiles, we can't kill people that we're trying to save," Scott told him.

"Say you believe me," Stiles told him.

"We can't kill people," Scott told him. "Do you believe that?"

"Well, what do I do about this?" Stiles asked. "What do you want me to do? Okay, just be... Scott, just tell me how to fix this, all right? Please, just tell me. What do you want me to do?"

"Don't worry about Malia or Lydia," Scott told him. "We'll find them. Maybe... maybe you should talk to your dad." 

Scott walked inside, drenched.

I shook my head, looking away, toward Hayden.

"She's getting worse," Liam told us. "I think she's dying."

I looked at Scott. "It's got to be some kind of mercury poisoning."

"Scott, remember what you promised me," Liam told him. "You said you'd do everything you could to save her." Hayden moaned in pain. "You gotta give her the bite."

Hayden breathed heavily, trying to hold on.

Scott looked as if he was thinking about everything at once, making his decision. "No."