Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


Chapter 24

"Actually, today is the 17th of January 2015…", Dani mumbled. "That explains why you have difficulties moving your body. Former comatose people like you need to get used to using their muscles again if you have been in a coma for one year and eight months", she reasoned. Finn paled instantly. "I have been in a coma for almost two years?! For me, it only felt like two weeks or something…", he murmured, shocked. Dani's eyes widened. "And how the hell could you survive without eating or something?", she gasped. Although Finn looked too skinny, he didn't seem to be starving. The merman just shrugged, perplex. Elliott got up and turned to his female companion. "We need to get him to a hospital or something", he said to Dani. "But how? We are in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is nothing but water here. And he is still too weak to swim to the next coast even with our help", she answered. "We don't have any phones to call someone, even if we had, there would be no reception here on that island", Elliott thought out loud. "And what if one of us swims away and gets help?", Dani suggested. Elliott shook his head. "The ocean is too large, there is no way you can find this tiny island again. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack", he reasoned. "And what are we going to do now?", Dani asked. "We don't have another choice; we have to wait until he is strong enough to make it to the next coast with our help. Then, we will take care of the rest", the male selkie suggested. "My sister is a physiotherapist; I always assisted her at work with people who learned how to walk again. Maybe I could help Finn to make his muscles work again…", she offered. Elliott beamed. "That would be awesome of you! What other hidden talents do you have?" Dani blushed slightly. The male selkie took her by the hand and dragged her over to Finn. "Listen, Finn, we will get you out of here. But for that, we need to work together", Elliott explained. Finn nodded. "Good. First, we need to work on your muscles, but don't worry, I will help you with that…", Dani winked.

Finn got stronger day by day. While Dani helped him with the physiotherapy, Elliott explored the ocean, trying to find a shorter way to the next coast, but he never swam too far away, and also caught some food for them on his way back. Although Dani was a little experienced after she had assisted her sister at work and her methods made an impact, they were aware that they needed to bring Finn to a hospital as soon as they arrived at the coast. "So, Finn, tell me about yourself", Dani said to him while she was giving him a massage. "To be honest, I don't remember much. There are only some blurry memories in my head", he admitted. "Tell me about them. The more we know about you, the better we can help you. You don't have to if you feel uncomfortable, though", the female selkie assured him. Finn frowned. Those people were nice to him all the time and he could tell that they really were on his side. He knew that he could trust them. "There was this woman in my dreams…her eyes were brown like hazel and so was her hair. She was stunning. She somehow helped me wake up…", Finn remembered. "Do you know her name?", Dani asked. "Yes, yes I do. She told me right before I woke up. It's Rachel", he answered. Dani's eyes went wide and she stopped massaging Finn's limbs. "Hold up. Rachel…as in Rachel Berry?", she asked carefully. Finn scratched his head. "Yeah, that really sounds familiar to me", he admitted. Realization dawned on the selkie. "It's you! You are Finn Hudson, the guy who went missing after that tsunami!", she exclaimed. At this moment, Elliott surfaced in his human-form. "Dani? Why are you shouting? Everything all right?", he asked apprehensively and quickly went over to them. "Elliott, this is Finn Hudson! You know, Finn, as in Kurt's stepbrother!", Dani said excitedly. Elliott gaped at him. "No way! Why didn't we realize that sooner?", he gasped. Finn frowned, confused. "Kurt? I know that name from somewhere…", he mumbled. "Of course, you do! He is your bro, man!", Elliott laughed. "Our world really is a village", he muttered to himself. Dani sat down next to Finn. "When Santana and I were a couple, she used to talk about you a lot to overcome your apparent death. Sometimes, she was even crying herself to sleep because she thought you were dead, she even broke down in your high school's choir room after she sang If I die young", she recounted. Finn cocked his eyebrows. Slowly, his memories came back to him. Santana was that Latina with anger problems, right? "Santana? Are you sure you are talking about Santana Lopez?", he asked incredulously. Dani nodded, sad. "She may be rough on the edges but is soft inside." Finn frowned. "And what about the others? What about Rachel?", he asked. "They were all devastated, but Rachel still refuses to believe that you are dead", Elliott explained. Finn got up with shaky legs. "I have to go to her", he said, but his legs gave in and he fell back to the ground. Dani patted his shoulder. "You are too weak, Finn. You need to be strong enough to swim some miles, in the worst case without a pause. Even though I have super strength, I can't carry you the whole way, especially not as a seal", she said softly. Finn sighed deeply. "But Rachel…" "Rachel wouldn't want that you overstrain yourself", Elliott supported Dani. "Only a few more days intensive physiotherapy with the best therapist in the world and then we will leave, okay?" Dani playfully boxed Elliott in the shoulder. "Best therapist in the world, heh? Don't exaggerate, dork!", she laughed. "Don't hide your light under a bushel, Danataya", Elliott teased her. Dani snorted, feigning annoyance. "You know how much I hate my atrocious full name!", she chuckled. Finn amusedly looked back and forth between the two selkies. They had been doing that a lot, lately. Was there something going on between those two? He loudly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to disturb you two lovebirds, but we are getting off talk", he said. Dani and Elliott quickly jumped apart. "Lovebirds? No offence, Dani, but that's gross! You are like a sister to me, and besides, I prefer men and you prefer women", Elliott stammered, laughing nervously. "Yeah…", Dani agreed halfheartedly. Finn eyed them. That wasn't really convincing. "A few more days, okay, Finn?", she said, changing the topic. Finn nodded. "A few more days", he mumbled to himself.