Aquata Cove Chapter 83: Undermined Fortune
"Mh..." Merrick slowly awakens, feeling some sort of stale softness pressing on half of his face. He opens his eyes a little more, to see Adam's mended face and bandaged head sleeping peacefully. Shifting a bit and rising up, Merrick feels something else. His weary eyes look on the hand on his bent elbow, a hand leading from Adam's arm...
Merrick moves himself down onto Adam's hand, letting it slip down his arm, until his face rubs against Adam's knuckles. "Mmmhhh..." Merrick nuzzles gently on Adam's hand, giving a soft kiss onto his fingers before tucking his arms under Adam's arm.
Nothingness...
Suddenly, Merrick stopped. He sighs as he moves himself up, and sits upright in his chair, his back feeling very stiff. His eyes drift from here to there, along Adam's dormant state.
Why does he think he can allow himself to think that there's a chance things can work out? As soon as Adam wakes up, he's just going to forget Merrick was even here; he'll be a nice stranger who can't stop crying in front of a hapless patient.
"It's no use..." Merrick muttered as he gets up, "I'd rather shut the world away than let it kill me again and again..."
He gets up slowly, looking out the outside window of the room, and seeing the orange-cyan sky. It's probably 6 or 7AM by now. It's best if... Merrick leaves now, before Adam asks him who the heck is he...
Merrick's eyes stare at the floor as he walks around the bed, and exits the door.
"Mmmnn... Hm?" Adam blinks awake quietly looking turning his head a little as he sees no one here. "Doctor... Hello...?" He asked silently, having the very distinct feeling that there was someone here at this hour...
In the morning with the nurses and doctors bustling, Jessica strides through the hospital, walking as fast as she can as her heart pounds. She must go to see him, see Adam. He's finally awake from his coma! God has given him a second chance at life! Her insides flutter madly with hope as she holds her large bouquet of flowers with both arms. Just as she turned a corner, a big frame bumps right into her! "Whoa- Ah, hey, sorry about that." Says a tall black man as he staggers back. "I-It's fine. I-I just need to hurry-" "Hey hey hey, whoa whoa whoa, hold up there..." Jamal said as he halts her. He looks down on her, frowning down a cold glare, as he blocks her way with a lean on the corner, crossing his massive arms, "Where you think you headin, lil lady?" "I'm going to see Adam." Jessica answers, returning an innocent look as well as a hint of a scathing air, "He needs me right now..." "Hm, nah-uh." Jamal shakes his head and unfurls his arms, "You don't need to see him right now. Yah need to turn right around, and head on out." "No! I have a right to see him!" Jessica protested, taking a moment to walk around him. "Nah, no you ain't," Jamal reaches his arm out behind him, and blocks her again, driving her back around in front of him like a shepherd's crook to a sheep. "Wh- Hey!" Jessica pushes at his arm, to little avail, "Why are you doing this??" Jessica ducks under his arm, but he's still to quick. Jamal turns around, and blocks her again, "Stop! D-Doctor!" She called out for support. "Aight, right now, you need to leave. Go. Now." Jamal said. He glares down at her with a sullen stare. His gaze feels as cold clay, pushing her attempts down as he easily towers over her, keeping his strong arms crossed as those thick lips kept their frown upon her. "Don't..." Jessica glared back with her wiry angry eyes, "Don't test me, sir. I will-" "Don't." Jamal said solidly, "Fuck. With me, Jessie." His voice carries darkly, "I know what you on about. I know JUST what you are all about. And if you weren't a girl, I woulda beat you to a fuckin pulp by now for comin after mah best bud fo'slong as you did." "What on earth are you talking about?" Jessica accused. "Are you threatening me??" "Naw, I'm warning you." Jamal said, "You know what the fuck I'm talkin bout. Back at Dream Waltz bout a couple months back? Don't pretend ya don't." Jessica looks rather offended at him. Just what does this big, drug-toting gorilla know?? "Yall run along now... Last thing we need here is some bible-swingin vulture." "Oh, go to hell..." Jessica retorted deeply. "Ladies first, aight?" Jamal retorted. "This was meant to be, and you know it." Jessica said with heightened emotion, "And even if you don't know, this has nothing to do with you. If you have ever cared for him, cared for his soul at any given time... Then step aside." "Is there a problem here?" Says a random doctor beside them. Jessica turns to him, and then to Jamal, trying to find some reason to get Jamal out of her way, and on to Adam- "Naw." Jamal said, still giving a stone-faced stare down at her, "Miss Jessica was just on her way out. Aren't ya, Jessie?" "... I came to see a patient... Who is a dear... Dear friend of mine." "Doc, this woman has been stalkin the patient she talkin about for a long time now." Jamal reported, "And I know fo-" "Fine!" Jessica said, before shoving the big wrap of wild flowers into Jamal's chest, before he grabbed them by the chest, "Kindly see that Mr Bryant gets these." With that, Jessica turns, and leaves, once again, foiled. `You won't be here forever...' She thought to herself, `On the first chance I have, I will save his soul... God has given me this chance to free Adam from his condemned life... That you can't see that for yourself, is your own fault. But I will not allow you to drag Adam down with you any longer...' "Yeah, keep walkin, bitch." Jamal mumbled as he turned around. Upon walking next to the custodial cart, Jamal opens the red biohazard bin, and threw the bouquet in with the used tubes and needles, and dropping it shut. "You know, those are strictly for contaminated and/or used medical waste." Yuri said as she came up beside Jamal. "Yeah. What'cho point?" Jamal asked. "Ugh, just never mind." Yuri said, "You here to see Adam?" "Yeah, I wanna see how he's doin, maybe watch a movie wit him. Got his laptop here." Jamal said as he holds up the satchel for Adam's portable computer. "Not a bad idea. He's not as forgetful as he was..." Yuri said before she catches sight of something sticking out of the side-pocket of the carrier, "Hang on, what's that?" "Whoa- Nuthin! It's just his stuff, ya know." "Yeah, I don't think so hand it over." Before Jamal can dodge her, she snatches them from the laptop carrier, and takes a look at them. "... Puss-Puss-Kitty and Cock-A-Doodle-Doo?" Yuri asked with blaring eyes looking up as she held two magazines, one depicting a woman on the front, naked instead of a few purple veils covering her breasts and her pelvis, and the other magazine shows a man chewing on a wheat plant with a glistening physique, also nude save for a farm hat and pile of white and yellow rose feathers covering his crotch. "You want to tell me why you're smuggling pornography into my hospital?" "It ain't for me," Jamal chuckled, "Just wanted to show Adam, and... Ya know... See if he can still tell the difference, ya know?" "Uh-huh." Yuri taps the magazines with her thumbs before she gestured to him, "Come here, I want to show some origami." "Wha- No! You just gonna hit me!" "Jamal, if I was going to kill you, I'd do it immediately. Now come here." She took him to the nearest counter. "Ok, so first, we fold the first magazine hot-dog style -- which I am sure is in one of these." She said as she demonstrated, "And then, we take the other one, and fold it in half too..." "Yeah..." Jamal said, keeping his guard up, "What next?" "Next, we put one of them, on top of the other -- knock on wood -- like a plus sign, see?" "Ah, ok." Jamal said as he observed. "Oh, you makin one of those ninja star things?" "You COULD say that." Yuri answered, "Then, we put our thumbs on the middle, while holding the middle tightly as we pick them up." Yuri said as she did so, hold one end of the magazine with her hand, while keeping them together. "Aight." "Now, watch closely, because this next step is very important." She instructed. "Got it." "Ok... Now... We take the first piece, and then..." WHAM! "OW, shyit!!" Jamal yelped as his right cheek suddenly feels aflame! BAM! "OW!" Now the other cheek is slammed! "You are a perverted idiot, do you know that?" Yuri said bitterly, holding a magazine in each hand. "Shit, Yuri, you fuckin- ahhhh," Jamal grunted, "I think you made me cut my fuckin lip, oooww!" "Good!" Yuri said before she tosses the porno mags into a nearby trash bin, and turns back around and crosses her arms, "Anything else in that carrier I should know about? A vibrator or a popper, maybe??" "No! Nuthin! A-A-Owww" Jamal staggers as Yuri grabs his ear, and drags him forcefully away. "Right. Now I'll take you to see Adam right now." "Let go of mah fuckin ear!!" "Watch your language, dumbass!"Merrick watches over the waves and surf of the sea. He has walked a few miles from the hospital, so some random spot where he can view the ocean, smell the spray of the nautical salt from all around, watching the sun's rays shine and glimmer on the ever wavering surface.
He's so sick of crying. Every time he goes into that damn hospital, he can't stop himself from breaking down. As he gazes over the rippling sea, he rubs the small velvet pouch in his fingers, tracing around the circular shape held with in it. He also holds his own engagement ring. The white gold and platinum welded into curve and curled in a symmetrical design, embedded with tiny diamonds, with one medium diamond in the middle. And he can't stand that he just can't seem to man-up already.
Wake up, Merrick. So his fiancé was beaten to a bloody pulp and the first moment he wakes up from a 3-week coma, he doesn't remember the first thing of his own life. His parents are devastated, his friends are in a gloom, and everyone has shown their support. Why is none of that good enough for him? So many people have it so much worse. Why is it so hard to be strong?
Why does gratitude elude him, Merrick ponders. He is very lucky; his mate could have died... Adam could have been lost forever, in the physical sense. Some people don't even have the good chance of having their mate alive after such an ordeal.
You can make new memories.' A thought tugs in Merrick's mind, You still have the times of gone by in your own heart, all isn't lost.'
"Tch." Merrick grits his teeth, "I don't want new memories... I want the ones that we had..." He sniffs as he rubs his eyes. "Just fucking stop crying..." He tells himself, "This is beyond ridiculous..."
He takes a deep, harsh breath as he stares out into the shining ocean, before his cellphone starts to ring in his pocket. He pulls it out, and holds it to his ear, "Hello? ... Oh, yes, hi Mr Umiyama... I know, I haven't forgotten. I was on my way to the institute right now... Alright, see you in while."
He ends the call and pockets his phone. He holds his hand up to see the small pouch. His chest pounds with emotion, bitter, heavy punches in his insides as he remembers the little treasure inside. The wedding ring made with the purest natural ocean pearls he could find. Him, a Coshiton, a rogue from his kind, taking the risk of seeking out his own Mother, to make a gift, a wondrous promise, out her own life force, and his own soul to give to his own true love, his own mate... For his Adam...
Merrick closes his fingers over the pouch, letting it push into his palm, before his empty eyes look back to the ocean. He digs his finger into the pouch opening to widen it open, before putting his own ring into it to join the other, and sealed it back shut.
He is finished with this life... So tired of trying to be happy when the world itself wants him to suffer... He is sick of feeling as if he is alone...
Merrick takes a quick breath before he throws his arm back, and launches it forward! He watches with eyes full of quiet rage and pain as he sees the pouch fly though the air! His breathing becomes erratic as his eyes tear up again, the tiny back rapidly shrinking, before disappearing completely into the sea.
His fists clench as he stands there, almost seething with emotion, sniffing and smearing his eyes again before shaking his head. He turns his back to the bright day, and walks away, leaving behind so much more than just the ocean view.
Adam fiddles with the magnetic links and metal orbs on his lap. He's made a cube and a pyramid so far... He's been reading from a set of directions from the kit next to his bed. He sighs as his head gives a few throbs again. Ever since he's been awake... Or at least from how long he can even remember. All he has to go on is a calendar attached on a post with X's crossed in the squares. As he tries to connect the links again, he hears a soft knock on his door, before looking up to see Dr Yuri, the only person so far that he's been able to recall so far. "Hi Adam, how are you feeling today?" "Ok, I guess..." Adam answered, "Am I... Supposed to play with these things?" He asked, holding up the magnets. "Once again, yes, it's something to exercise the memory. Which reminds me, I'll need to take away the instructions at some point during the day." "What? Why?" "It's part of the program, in order to see if you can remember which order to build them." Yuri takes his chart, and marks down a few things. "I uh... I need to have some kind of medicine... Right?" "Not just now," Yuri said, "You're set to relax and sleep." "Ennhhhh..." Adam whined, "Have I even gotten to walk around yet? I can feel my feet, you know..." "Adam, you have sustained some very bad injuries." Yuri said, "We need to keep you full of pain-killers and off your feet for a long time yet. Your ribs are still healing, your right arm still needs time, and your left kneecap is still busted." "Hhhhoohhhhhh..." Adam groaned, "I don't even know what happened..." Yuri stopped, and cast her eyes down, "Doctor... Can you at least tell me how I got here? I've been here for a whole month, right? What happened?" "I... I have told you, Adam..." Yuri said, "And I know you're curious because you keep forgetting, but..." She sighed as she shook her head, "I honestly don't have the heart to tell you again, and... Your psychologist advises against it -- the residual shock and anxiety is not good for your well being at this time." "Wait... I have a psychologist?" "Yes, but she comes AFTER you're well enough to actually begin physical therapy." She puts his chart back down into its slot at the end of his bed, "On the plus side, you have a visitoy today." "Oh... Did I meet them again a few days ago too?" Yuri sighs before she takes a seat next to Adam's bed. "Adam. I know it's hard." She said softly, "I understand you feel a sense of guilt because you're having memory problems that may or may not be permanent. But you need to cut yourself some slack; it is not your fault, and they are here for you." "..." Adam stares sadly onto the magnets on his lap, before looking at her, "And how many times have you told me that before I forgot?" "Just the once," She said before giving a gentle slap to his cheek, "And don't be a sad smartass. Hey." She then turned his chin to face her, "You and I have been very close friends for a very long, long time. I'm not afraid to give you a hard time when I feel like it." Yuri told him with a smile. Adam sighs and nods. "Alright, I'll send him in right now." Yuri stepped out, but stepped right back in with the door mostly closed, "Oh, and if he starts showing you naked pictures, slap his face, and look away." "Wait, what? Naked pictures of who??" "Just trust me, ok?" "Ok..." Adam looks curiously as she leaves, and in enters a big African American man. Adam blushes as he sees his thick, bulging muscles under his shirt. His face tingles... As well as a couple of other places in him, as this dark, handsome man walks in. "Hey, Adam, what up?" "Nah-Nothing..." Adam's voice went high for a split second. "How's yo head, ya crazy bastard?" "Um, what?" -KNOCK KNOCK- They both turn to see Doctor Yuri leering at them with a shrill sense of suspicious anger... The newcomer in particular. She puts her index and middle fingers under either of her eyes, before they turn and point to the room, and she crosses her arms. "Is... Everything alright?" Adam asked, "Does she not like you?" "On a good day." The hot chocolate man smirked. "Name's Jamal, by the way." He turned to look at Adam, "So how you feelin anyway? You doin any better?" "I... Guess. My head keeps hurting. It just keeps being sore and heavy..." "Yeah, you took some bad hits, man." Jamal said as he pats Adam's knee, "Plus the docs gotta keep you all doped up so you don't feel all the broken stuff inside you." "Mhm..." Adam nods before taking a breath, "So. Where do I know YOU from?"In a makeshift hut hovel in the middle of a clear river amongst water-borne trees and branches reaching around, Atarah tosses and curls about a large sea turtle shell, mixing and tossing about various powdered and scattered ingredients. "So the problem is with Merreek?"
"Yes," Belinda said, almost completely naked except for a sash or two, "Something has been happening to him, sun by sun, his being seems less visible."
"It's like Merrick is there, but he doesn't feel like he exists until I actually talk to him or something." Syrinx said, also nude save for her usual sea gear and equipment.
"Very... Very strange..." Atarah noted as she puts the shell down, sitting herself down, and interlacing her fingers.
"I've seen it happen before in my own pod before I was exiled." Syrinx explained, "She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't talk, she was just drifting with us."
"She vanished, you say now?" Atarah asked.
"No, she didn't. In fact, she uh..." Syrinx huffs, having to think about that horrifying day again, "Eventually, she suddenly went into an uproar. She yelled at us and cursed us, she killed a couple of our members, and then she killed the Adra Noita of the pod. The Triton had to kill her, even after he tried to restrain and reason with her. She just acted like some kind of demon."
"Hmmmm..." Atarah pondered.
"I see him cry," Belinda said, "Tears, all of us, when we cry, our light shows in tiny stars in are tears. But with Merrick... When he cries..." Belinda looks to the Ancient with worry, "His tears have no light. They are as a human's tears..."
"Does that mean he is become more human then?" Syrinx asked.
"No..." Atarah said, "No merfolk can eva be human... Even I, am not of that existience."
"Then what..." Syrinx said, "When I ran into him, it was like he didn't have any spirit anymore."
"Why?" Atarah asked, "When has Merreek gone... And why did teh mermaid in your pod lose herself, and took away the lives of others?"
"I... Guess it has something to do with heartbreak," Syrinx said, "In my pod, Galatea changed completely when her own child was swallowed by the Ghost Whale, and she lost her mate when he tried to get their child back."
"And Merrick's mate was attacked almost one moon ago," Belinda added, "He was severely injured and ill, and was under a long sleep until several suns ago. And as well, he no longer has his memories of his own life..."
"..." Atarah's eyes linger down into the shell full of shifted elements. They shimmer very slightly in the light -- mixed ash, crushed fish scales, dried leaves fragments, dried jellyfish essence, and other various trace particles. What she sees in this dust mixture does not set her at ease. "I hab met mermaids and mermen who have lost their way..." She finally said, "Them eyes do not show themselve, for dey no longer wanted dis world..."
"They didn't want the world?"
"Hurt... Sorrow... Hatred... Anger... Pain... Hopeless..." She continued, "Dey let them existance vanish... Dey turn them hearts into a setting sun, dat will never rise again."
"This is awful..." Syrinx says as she covers her mouth gently.
"Is there no way to bring them back?" Belinda asked, "Merrick can still... Will he ever find his light back?"
Atarah closes her eyes for a moment, trying to think back in her long, long, long life, trying to remember those few and hollow, those who have the eyes of apathy, those who have given up...
"Atarah?" Syrinx asked.
The Forbidden Ancient opens her eyes, still gazing down into the powder in the shell, "I do not know how and why merfolk lose dere light... And I do not know how dey can ever come back..."
"There... Has to be something." "Atarah, you are the wisest being in this world," Belinda said, "Do you truly not know what will happen to Merrick? What can be done?"
"Dough I open my arms to all who come to me and dere words... I do not know all of what has become of your kinds... But..."
"Dose who forsake dis world... Also forsake deir soul..." Her eyes look up to the two young mermaids before her, "And become a shell of who dey were supposed to be."
Yuri smiles softly as she watches Jamal and Adam, both of them laughing as they watch a DVD on Adam's laptop. Despite everything that's happened, it's indescribable to feel how good it is to see Jamal being his goofy self, even deeply grateful that he brought those filthy pornographic magazines. He just has to be that stupid, sex-crazed idiot... Yuri has no idea just how much she missed that sort of behavior... And Adam... Finally able to laugh out loud, at a movie he's supposedly never seen before. Jamal even brought some Oreos for them to snack on -- in Adam's condition, it's ill-advised to have much of anything to eat, but just this once, he can enjoy himself, he can forget that he's blaming himself for no reason, or that he's missing something, even while still unable to retain his memories for more than a couple hours... Yuri's smile faded... Soon, maybe in about half an hour or so... Adam's memory will fail, and... She sighs, before her pager rings out, prompting her to leave her post as Jamal's chaperone."Hahahahaha, man." Jamal said, the end credits of Bad Grandpa rolling along.
"Ghghghghgh," Adam snickers for a moment, "Ah- Oh, fffff... Ow..." Adam feels his head as it feels a deep throb from within.
"You ok?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Adam says, "My head is always hurting..."
"You aight, man." Jamal padded his arm.
"Hey um... Something else has been hurting too..." Adam said.
"Yeah?"
"I don't think I've told Dr Yuri about it -- I uh... Wouldn't know if I did, right?" He said with a weak scoff, "Can you keep it between us?"
"Sure, man," Jamal adjusted in his seat. "What up?"
"Well... Aside from my head, and my arms and legs still kinda hurting... I feel a kind of... Weird feeling in my chest..."
"Yo chest?"
"Like... In the middle," Adam said as he pressed between his gown-covered pecs, "My head is always aching, and Dr Yuri says it's just headaches from my brain healing, and my limbs are pretty much the same. But uh..." Adam idly rubs his fingers on his chest, "I keep feeling like... Something's going inside my chest, but it's never coming out."
"Something goin in?" Jamal asked with a quirked brow.
"It's... Kinda hard to describe, like," Adam tries to gestures his hands as if he's shaping some kind of cloud in the air, "Like, some hole inside my chest that keeps getting bigger and wider and deeper. The more it goes on... The more depressed I feel."
"Ah think I get ya." Jamal nodded, "Ya feel like something's missing, and you don't know what it is."
"Yeah, it's... Honestly, it's the only other thing I can remember -- it's always there... Ever since I remember waking up meeting Dr Yuri. I..." He shakes his head and shrugs, "I just feel alone... I keep feeling like I keep losing things..."
"Aight, look Adam." Jamal said, "Lookit me, man." He said as he lightly hits the back of his knuckles on Adam's cheek, until he turns to him, "The last thing that you are is alone, aight?"
"I guess..."
"I mean it, dude." Jamal said, "Yeah, not like ev'rbody knows what you goin through, but lemme put it this way." He leaned forward a little, "You can't remember anyone, but we all rememba you." "Hm..."
"Hey!" Jamal reaches over, and gives a careful slap to the back of Adam's head.
"O-Ow!" Adam holds his head, "Ssssss!"
"Sorry, had to do that. Now you listenin?"
"Yes! I'm listening."
"Aight. Now..." Jamal gives Adam serious look, "Now, you got no idea how lucky you got it, understand? You ain't got no memory an all that, and you got no clue bout yo own life. But you are not alone by a long shot, aight? You got a Mom and Dad livin a few blocks from here, you got a Doctor whose known ya fo years workin on ya, and all yo friends are around you. Some people, who wake up from a coma wit no memories to go on? Some of them got no one."
"I see..." Adam nods, "It's still... I don't know, I still feel scared, Jamal... And I don't even know why."
"Well here," Jamal then leaned in, and traced his finger on the mouse pad of the laptop, and double clicked on a blue W icon. The W jumps up and down several times, before a blank white page appears, "Yo Mom said she wanted you to keep a diary. S'why I brought your laptop here." "Wait, this is mine?" Adam asked.
"Yep. Tha's right..." Jamal said. Donna had Yuri make a second User Account in the laptop in order to keep Adam's files separate from himself. While there's a chance that seeing all of his previous information MIGHT be helpful, having to forget it all shortly after is not exactly promising for mental recovery.
"My uh... Mom said that, my Mother?" Adam asked, his face fading with somber, "Why didn't she give this to me herself..."
"She busy with her day job. She gonna visit you later today... Like she always does, ya dig?"
"Ah, oh, ok." Adam nods.
Chibaku watches on the glass bottom of his boat, his notes and various instruments placed neatly around his knees as he looks into the amazing tropical sea life. Though, his aged eyes are far more intrigued by the distant creature sloping and folding gracefully nearby. His core is still greatly shaken as he watches the merman loom in the water, holding only his weapon as he guides a large, long fish along with him. Chibaku can only guess just how Merrick is actually having his current study subject, practically bringing the specimen on a silver platter! Or that... Merrick is even this... This FISH thing at all! The Piscien swims in a slow circle around the glass bottom, his signal keeping the fish within a short distance right in Chibaku's view, allowing him to note the physical attributes of the fish. The fish itself does not even know it is being studied, or that a merman is bidding it to stay, as it probably would've left in the wake of the human-made boat in an instant. Merrick undulates slowly up and down as he keeps the fish there, until he hears a tapping from the glass. His eyes look to see Chibaku gesturing for him to come up, before his legs shift around. Merrick then stops signaling the fish, and allows it to casually idle away, as he looms up to the side of the boat, to where he can see the metal latter. Chibaku quickly hurries from the glass bottom boat, out of the cabin, and over to the ledge of the boat, with the energy and excitement of a schoolboy at an aquarium. A head of spikey fins breaks the surface in front of the boat's steps. Chibaku coos lowly with awe as he can see Merrick's strong, beautiful tail wavering from underneath, as his white and blue scaled arms and webbed hands fiddle with a necklace. Chibaku blinked, and suddenly Merrick transformed into his former blonde self, soaking wet, climbing up the attached latter as a naked man. Merrick takes the towel placed on the edge to wrap it around his waist, as a courtesy to Chibaku, and looked as Yuri's mid-aged father comes to him. "Hahahaha, it has been a couple of hour, but I still cannot be beliebe it when you go in the water. When Yuri told me you were a regular fish-man, tis is not what I was expecting." He said. "Yeah..." Merrick nodded, "She probably wasn't expecting me to just let you see me as I am." They walk to one of the benches of the boat, "I'm sure it goes without saying, Mr Umiyama, but I need you to keep me secret." "Hah hah hah," Chibaku chuckled, "Ob course, Merrick-san." Merrick sits down, and takes one of the provided bottles of Japanese-brand flavored waters, "But I also habe so many questions, you see, after seeing you." "You're a marine biologist, right? I understand..." Merrick said dully, "If you want to ask me a few questions about your research, that's fine. I'll tell you what I knoe" "Ooh, very good-" Chibaku smiled cheerfully. "BUT." Merrick turned to him, "I will not answer any questions that have anything do to my people. You understand that, right?" "Aaaahhahaha," Chibaku gives a knowing chuckle, "I hear you, Merrick-san. I understand." Merrick gives a long inhale before uncapping one of the water bottles, "So what else do we need to find...?" "Ahhh, I think we can call it a day." He said, "The rental time is about finished, on this boat." "Right..." Merrick nods. Chibaku looks at Merrick, eyes looking beyond tired, as if wrinkles of decades should be there, on such a young face. "Yuri tol me of what happened wis your fiancé..." Chibaku said, "Are you going to be ok?" "I can hold up our end of the bargain, if that's what you mean." Merrick said. "No, that is not important. She tell me you habe been habing trouble..." "..." Without much listening to what Mr Umiyama is saying, Merrick looks down into the bottle with the katakana and kanji print, along with a few fruit pictures on them. This water is supposed to be flavored, but he can't taste any difference. "I know it is hard rdight now, but we are here for yu." "I can't cope though..." Merrick said, "I don't think you do understand, Mr Umiyama... No one does. Adam may be alive, but the man I know is gone." "No, sat is not true." Chibaku said, "He may not remembrr who you are, but he remembrrs you in here," He pushes his fingers at Merrick's chest, "He know you, you see." He gives a smile. Merrick can't return whatever sentiment this man is trying to pose. The more he thinks about being on the land, surrounded by kind, naïve people, the more repulsed Merrick honestly feels. These people... Every human he knows... Well-meaning fools who find their own solutions... Merrick jerks as Chibaku claps his knee, before getting up. "Mr Umiyama." Merrick said. "Hm?" "I need to get back home right now." Merrick says as he gets up, and turns to him, "Can you do me one more favor before I go?"Adam sits there, in the dimly lit room, his arms connected to his machines as usually, his magnet toys put away and placed beside his bed, with a note on them. On his lap, is supposedly the Mac laptop that belongs to him. He reads the title of the document:
ADAM'S DIARY [Please Write]
Adam takes a breath, before putting his hands forward onto the keypad.
--- Dear Diary, I don't really know what to put here. Someone gave this laptop to me, and I guess I'm supposed to put my thoughts and feelings into it. But I don't really know who it was who gave it to me. ---
Adam takes another deep breath. He feels very uneasy.
--- Well, I guess. I feel lonely, right now. Dr Yuri is out for the night, I think, I haven't seen her for a while. I kinda feel a little safer when she's around though.
In general, I just don't feel right. I feel ---
Adam pauses. His insides squirm a little as he tries to decide what he's feeling right now. It's hard to put into words.
--- some kind of pain in my chest. I'm pretty sure I talked about it before. I feel like something is sinking down inside me. I really should tell Dr Yuri about it, but I don't want to make her worried if it's something she doesn't know how to fix. I don't think it's a medical problem.
I guess I also feel empty. Dr Yuri always tells me when I've had a visitor, but she's the only person I can really remember.
Actually, that's not true. I think I remember someone else. Someone with yellow hair, and blue eyes, and maybe they were red? I can't... Yeah, I can't remember. ---
Adam sniffs as he brings a hand up, and wipe his eyes, before continuing.
--- I also feel sad. I'm sad all the time. I know I can't remember just how long I've been in this hospital, but I feel like I'm sad almost all the time. I just can't feel happy, at all. I don't even know what happy is supposed to feel like, right? I just feel like... I don't want to be here. I don't know anyone, and I don't know anything, I just want to ---
Adam stops he finds it harder to breathe as he sits here. His breath shudders as he can feel his eyes start to water, "What the hell..." He croaked. He closes his laptop, and huffs as he puts his fingers to his eyelids, and look at the droplets on his fingertips. "Why am I crying?" He asked, his energy growing more intense as he starts to wallow in despair, "Why am I so upset? Aghuuhh... Ghhh!" Adam can only feel overwhelming pulses inside him that made him cry louder. The back of his head pushes into his pillow as tries not to burst out in more tears.
"Remem... Dammit..." His chest jumps up and down, as he pushes the color yellow into his head. His hand starts to hold the left side of his gown as his heart starts to throb, "He was there... He was here!" Adam's whole body begins to tense as Adam's brain overdrives on the color, as the mental images begin to shape some sort of face. A pair of very blue eyes emerge out with the abstract thoughts.
"Ga-ahh!" He cries as his other hand grips the side of the bed as he stops, huffing and groaning. He stops trying to think about the blurry figure, allowing himself to calm down, panting, before he just keeps sobbing.
Adam lies there, letting himself weep, the painkillers practically numbing his body in this brief, emotional dive. "Whoisshe..." He whines, his lip trembling, "I wanim back..." He cried, "Whereissheee..." He sobbed as his chest's sinking sensation worsens.
"What's going on in here?!" Dennis says as he comes in, looking and seeing Adam in a crying fit, "O-Oh my gosh! D-D-Doctor!" He rushes off.
"Whoisshe..." Adam groans, "Whoissit..." Moments later, a doctor comes, tending to Adam, his talking becoming too weak in the head to really understand, "Givim back... I wan him back tuh me..."
A sharp point is all Adam can feel in his sudden episode, his heart still aching horribly, in so many more ways than one. As Adam's vision becomes faint and dark, the last few things in his mind's eyes shows of a whimpering blonde male, with twin sapphires looking painstakingly at him, before fading away into sleep...
Yuri turns the flames down on the stovetop to ease the water's boil, before checking on the cheddar-bay butter mixture. She can hear the changling of Sally's leash as she and Jamal come in through the front door. "Hey gurl." Jamal said as he came in, "Good to see you back home." "I know, right? Thank you for looking after Skyler and Roxas while I've been at work." "No kidding. The cats been missing you something fierce." He sniffs the air as he hangs up his dog's collar and walk towards the kitchen, "What's cookin?" "Lobster and cheddar-bay biscuits." Yuri answered, "I thought I'd cook Merrick's favorite to try and help, you know..." "Ah I see. He hadn't been eating much." "I can tell... Ever since the whole ordeal happened, he's been looking so thin. I hope he'll eat tonight at least." "It's coo. You force feed'im, I'll tie him to the chair." "Pfff, yeah." Yuri scoffed, "God knows you've got enough leather straps and gags to force him to do anything." "You know it, bitch-cakes." Jamal smirks as he gets the plates and goes to the table. Just then, Yuri's cellphone starts to ring out from her pocket. She takes it out, and looks, "Oh it's my Dad, could you stir that for me please?" "Kay," Jamal comes over, and turns the wood spoon in one of the pots as she answers the call. "Moshi moshi, Papa..." She listened, "Ā, kare wa yoi herupādeshita ka? ... Oh? Nani desuka? ... Kare wa shita? Matte." She said before striding into the hallway. Jamal looks curiously after her as he stirs the pot -- he really wishes she wouldn't do that, she knows none of them can understand Japanese. Moments later, Yuri comes in, letting out a sigh, "Sōdesu ka. Kare wa modotte kuru tsumorida to itta nodesu ka? ... Sōdesu... Oshiete kurete arigatō... Hai, Mama ni watashi ni `kon'nichiwa' to itta... Oyasumi." She hangs up, and pauses, casting her eyes down. "Yuri?" Jamal asked, taking a step aside from the kitchen, "What up?" "Merrick's not coming to dinner." She says thumping her iPhone on her hand. "What?" "That was um... That was my Dad on the phone. Merrick told him to tell me that he's not coming home." "Wait, what?" "I just checked Adam and his room, Merrick's sea equipment is gone, along with his harpoon. His cellphone has been turned off and left on the bed." "Where's he gonna go?" "To the ocean, apparently." Yuri strode into the kitchen, and turned off the oven notches. "Shit, Yuri..." Jamal hesitated as he looked about, "Yuri, we don't need waste this. Wha- hey-" "Sorry, Jamal, I..." Yuri sighed as she goes to the table, elbows on the top, and put her hands onto her head, "I just lost what appetite I had left." Jamal exhales deeply as he shrugs, before coming over to the table, sitting at one of the sides, "Is he goin to the Kenovani?" "He didn't say." She answered. "He comin back anytime soon?" "He didn't say." "He uh... He say why we was takin off?" "He didn't say, Jamal." Yuri answered again, "But I can take a pretty good guess." "Aight..." Jamal murmured, "He needs some time away. Guy's gotta think, right?" "Yeah..." Yuri covers her eyes, "Look, Jamal... If you want to leave now, you can go ahead, I can look after the pets." "Wha-" "I just remember, last time," Her voice quivered, "Last time Adam and Merrick were gone, you lashed out and shut down, and I'm telling you now that that'll be fine," She blinks her eyes several times constantly as her voice gets thicker, "I am just sick, and tired of being the mature one all the time, and so you can go ahead and just leave right now if you want, because I don't want you to see me do this, ok? S-So just go ahead and go to Nick or something-" "Hey, hey, Yuri, c'mon gurl." Jamal says as he scooted next to her as she starts to shake and her breath starts to sputter, "Hey, it's gonna be ok, aight?" "Please, just go." She waves a hand about before covering her brow again. "Aight, you c'mere now." Jamal gets up and walks around her, and behind her. "Oh don't start this now..." Yuri says as she sniffs. "Get away from me, you stupid ass..." "Come here, sista needs a hug." Jamal said as he bends over, and puts his big arms around her. "Stoooop..." She sniffs as she sighs. The one thing she could've possibly done right for Merrick, and he decides to go away. She understands that he's struggling with himself, but now her effort to try and help is just out the window. "I just wanted to make his favorite dinnerrrr..." She whined. "I know gurl... I know... You wanna hit me in the face?" Jamal asked, making Yuri scoff at him, "Would dat make you feel betta?" "Shut up, dumbass." She whimpered while shaking her head. "Aight, come on." Jamal nudged her shoulder with his hand as he gets up, "I was raised not to waste food just cuz we bitchin. C'mon, I'll help you out, git up." Yuri sniffed as she wipes her eyes, sighing as she gets up. "Oh... Get away from the stove, you don't know what the hell you're doing in there."A doctor in the hospital stands by Adam's bed, monitoring his current state for up to an hour or so. The sedative has taken its course; finally, as Adam's body seems to be resistant to most of the injections they've given him.
He checks off a few things before setting Adam's chart back down in the holder at the end of his bed, and walks away. Dennis looks as he comes in, and sits down next to Adam.
"Sorry, bout that... I woulda tried something myself, but I'm just a volunteer journalist..." Dennis said, "I um... You probably can't hear me, but I guess now is the only time I'd get the guts to ask." He said, "I really like Yuri, you know? B-But I'm not sure if she's really into me... I'm just a scrawny kid... So any chance you can help me have her like me?" He asked rhetorically, getting no response other then the peaceful breathing from the patient.
"Gotta say, I... Naw, never mind, thank you for your time." He said before he gets up, and leaves the room for Adam to rest.
()()()
The Prince looks with glee up at the sky, the ever star-dusted vastness. He puffs his chest out with joy as he turns around, and sees his mate waiting for him, facing away from him.
The Priest of the Water Heavens, a young man, and the patriarch of the marine regions, said to have once bid the water to give him wings and a tail quell with the beasts that once stormed the divine seas.
And now, they are due to be married very soon, the Prince of the Heart Life, and the Priest of the Water Heaves, a very fine match as far as monarchs or other leaders go. This is the first night they will share his bed.
The Prince smiles as he takes a few steps from the balcony, until a massive tremor happened. The Prince staggers, trying to keep his balance, before looking up at his love. He looks in terror as the Priest's toga seems to be tying itself around his neck, wrists, and ankles, the water-dancing light on his garments disappearing as the palace itself breaks apart in major parts from the outside!
The Prince breaks into a run, seeing a hole breaking out below the Priest as he takes a knowing step forth, his eyes closed as he goes. The Prince calls out desperately for the Priest to wake up, step back, come to him. The Priest can't seem to hear him, he simply allows the hole before him to grow and crumble bigger to reach him. The Prince has to jump from fragment to fragment, the huge chunks of the crystalline palace levitating out of place.
He can't even think of the King and Queen at the moment, or any of the servants or residents in his palace. The Priest's color is fading completely until he is black and white, before he dips down!
The Prince yells out for him as he makes one more flying leap! His hand fumbles for the lofty sashes that bound the Priest, until he managed to get a good grasp. His knees bash into the floor as his hand seizes the edge. He pants dramatically as he looks down into the black abyss before him, only seeing his mate hanging by several threads, like a puppet.
The Priest's sashes and garments light into some sort of monotone light as they connect and surge around his body, and lighting up to lead to the Prince's hand, and consume his arm. The Prince grunts as the light weighs him down, trying to anchor himself on higher ground, trying with all his might to pull the Priest back up, when he can barely keep himself in place at all, slipping inch by inch...