everyonelives | you're gonna love tomorrow, i'm making it my personal guarantee

Well, not going to sugarcoat it. I'll be your Apt Pupil. Vampirism, it amplifies everything, so, hello vampire ADHD.

( Which doesn't preclude him to pulling himself forward and off the bed to pull Lydia out of her chair and into his arms. )

Hey. I died. But, I didn't di-iiiie. But, fuck if he doesn't mar her breathing as he clings. ) I'm okay, Lydia.

[Elena and Caroline share a look over Elena's shoulder and Caroline shrugs.

"I'm still an overachiever. I will make it work somehow."

But with that, they'll leave Stiles and Lydia to their moment. Elena will head off to text Jo about them needing an extra blood bag, presuming she got her phone back at some point, and they'll disappear behind the curtain.

Lydia, on the other hand, pushes up on her toes and curls into his shoulder. It's good to actually be able to speak with him again, to have him hold her like this, but last night was a very long night and she's still feeling a bit fragile.]

You're not out of the woods yet. I'm not sure that counts as okay.

Unless I'm kept from human blood, I'm as good as good. Just keep me away from any windows. And, don't bleed.

( What! He has jokes. )

You heard Caroline. I'll have the best vampire tutor.

[And the Winchesters. But she doesn't want to put that kind of pressure on him right out the gate.]

Caroline's really nice.

[That's all she really knows about her so that's all she can comment on.]

I'm sure you're in good hands.

Hey. Lydia. Breathe. I know, it's not optimal, but haven't I been through worse? Just - don't cry for me, okay, Argentina? I'm okay. Promise me. When Scott and Allison get here? And just - make sure no nurses come in for any turndown service or shade opening.

( All that. )

Don't worry, Caroline's got that covered. She's been compelling people all night.

[She looks up at him with a small half smile.]

And I know, you're right. It's just ... been a really long night.

Yeah. You were in the car, too. You are? Okay? No internal bleeding? Because I've seen that episode of Grey's Anatomy at midnight.

( He cups her face, too, just to make sure. )

[She nods.]

Caroline gave me some blood too, but I'm okay.

[She just needs some sleep. Maybe a good cry. We'll see what she'll have time for.]

( This is ... not the time to kiss your ex, right? He ignores that impulse and steps back, shielding himself from the sudden brightness of the room's fluorescents. )

Do you mind flipping off the lights?

[Probably not the best plan, especially not when she's having complicated feelings about one of the local vampires.

But that's not a problem for Stiles to worry about. Instead, she nods and goes dim the lights.]

Are your senses starting to adjust?

Struggling, but, yeah. Trying to start.

( One hand grasps the bed behind him as he squints and tries to reorient again. )

They won't. Unless I feed. It'll be Haywire without Gina Carano and Channing Tatum.

Well, hopefully Scott and Allison will get here soon. They were supposed to have a fairly early flight, then Sam was going to pick them up.

[A lot happened while Stiles was ... sleeping.]

I'm drinking whether they get here beforehand or not. I'm doing this, Lydia.

( A beat, though. )

Sam Winchester?

I think it's more he was concerned he wouldn't see you before you died, if you decided not to. But I know, Stiles.

[She wasn't one hundred percent sure while he was out, but seeing him now, of course he was going to. Why wouldn't he?]

Yeah. He and Dean are in town.

( He knows about he and Dean, he did play surveillance suit.

"Scott can't save everyone."

Outside, someone got Elena's message, but they were pulled away. Since Ezra is now an ally, sudden or not, he's sent back to Elena's room only to -- )

...Elena.

Ezra, hey.

[She sits up a little more and offers him a smile in return. She looks a lot better than she was when he last saw her.]

Thank you. Caroline told me what you did - I really appreciate it.

Yeah. Well. We look out for one another. ( Doctors. He looks down at the blood bag in his hand, stepping further in so tha the can close the door again, like most people have been doing. ) Dr. Laughlin says Stiles decides.

( "That's me," Stiles says, stepping out from the curtain. )

Both of you are - okay.

( He holds it in his hand a minute longer before finally offering it to Stiles, letting Caroline step in if she wants to walk him through the -- sucking. But, his eyes stay on Elena because -- )

Close call.

[Caroline will step in, taking the blood bag from them and usher Stiles back to his side of the room, so they can walk through what he might experience, all the pros and cons, et cetera et cetera. The big so you want to be a vampire speech.

But while they're doing that boring part, Elena and Ezra can talk.]

Yeah, it was.

[A beat.]

One of the students at the high school is a healer. I'm going to have to play patient for a little while longer, but I'll be okay.

Healer. That's -

( Powerful. He doesn't ask further. Witch... something more. He doesn't know what Elena is - shouldn't. )

- a lucky break. Caroline told you. About my secret.

( He needs to play this off just right. )

She did.

[But she holds up her hands.]

Secret's safe with me, I promise. My life's been ... pretty far immersed in the supernatural for a while now.

Thanks. But, I wasn't worried you would out me to our rotation.

( His smiles always come with ease around Elena. It's one thing he's never had to fake. )

I'm just lucky I drove by at the right time.

( She is? They are? He doesn't know. They have enough power on their side to save the doppelganger who took the cure. That's something to take note of.

Stiles' phone rings on the bedside table as he and Caroline have the talk. Scott and Allison are trying to find them. )

How are you feeling? Anything... lingering?

Edited 2021-01-03 10:34 (UTC)

[Lydia will notice that and will excuse herself to go find their friends. Elena shakes her head.]

No, nothing at all. I feel good. I just need to lay low long enough that people don't want to study me for science.

We have a few hours before we have to round. Just act weak enough for the staff to believe you made a miraculous, but possible recovery. I could also take over your case. Then I'll be the one doing rounds.

( Nurses stay away from the room, which must mean Caroline did her part. )

You're going to miss graduation.

( If they want to keep up appearances. )

If you can work it out with Jo, that'd probably be good. That way Caroline won't have to compel everyone in the hospital.

[Not only is that a lot of messing with people's free will, but if Ezra's a witch, who knows how many others are hiding in plain sight.

Her face does fall a little at missing graduation.]

Can't be helped, unfortunately. But I'm sure the girls will forgive me.

( Not many, Elena. He is very unique, thanks. (Apparently, not. Jo was right there, too.) )

They'll get over it. They're graduating. What was your graduation like?

( Like he doesn't at least know the circumstances behind it. )

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