The rain didn't bother Sean as much as he thought it would have. Plus the mile-long walk to his house gave him a chance to think about everything he had just learned. Cody, the most normal guy out of anybody, was a merman. An actual, real live fish boy. He played the conversations through his head over and over, looking for a way to disprove it all. But he couldn't. Cody had spoken using his mind, and then there were the scales and webbed feet. Sean couldn't help but think about how he would freak out if one day he discovered he wasn't human. Heck, he was slightly impressed that Cody hadn't gone nuts.
Or maybe Sean was the one who'd gone crazy. Telepathic mermen who could shock you? He needed a nap.
Shivering, he walked up to his front door. It was still relatively early in the day. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised to realize it wasn't even noon yet. Inside he began to remove soggy clothes as he made his way to the bathroom. The shower water was nice and hot and he relished the feel of it pounding over his cold skin. The longer he stood there, the more exhausted he felt. The water relaxed his tight muscles and he stifled a yawn. He could sleep all day with the way he felt.
Turning off the water, he wrapped himself in a towel and wiped down the mirror. He mussed his hair and frowned. It was getting long. He'd have to ask his dad to take him to get a haircut, whenever he saw him next. Sean ran a towel over his head, getting his hair somewhat dry, and then shuffled to his bedroom.
His room was a mess and he sighed. Clothes lay scattered on his desk and piled in corners. He picked up a pair of sweat pants, gave them a sniff, then chucked them towards the laundry basket. It would probably be a good idea to put a load of clothes in when he woke up. Digging around some more, he finally found a pair of shorts that smelled somewhat clean. Grabbing some boxers, he quickly dressed then collapsed on top of his unmade bed. Yawning, he grabbed his phone from where he'd tossed it near his pillow.
Nothing interesting was on his feeds and he set his phone back down. Closing his eyes, he tried to will himself to sleep. He was exhausted, but it's like his brain wouldn't shut up. He kept replaying last night and this morning over and over again. Cody shocking him and then the fuzziness of waking up in the water. Cody's silver and blue tail and his voice echoing in his head.
Sean opened his eyes and stared at his wrists. The red welts shaped like hand prints were looking a little better, but it still ached. The skin was cracking in places and he grimaced. It was probably going to leave some weird scars.
How did Sam not get freaked out by all of this? Did she really like Cody that much?
He shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind. Yawning again, he rolled onto his side, careful with his arms, and tried to think about something else. Anything else. Finally, he felt himself drifting off.
Deep, blue green water filled with forests of kelp surrounded him. In the distance he could see a light. It tugged him forward and he eagerly swam toward it. Not once did he feel the need to go up for air, and he slid through the water as easy as walking. Stroke after stroke brought him closer to the light, where he noticed a figure, blacked out against the glare.
He had just reached them when he jerked awake, coughing heavily.
Sitting up straighter, Sean tried to clear his throat, but the coughing continued. It hurt to the point that he couldn't help but wince and moan as his lungs burned. Struggling from his bed he tottered towards the bathroom, nearly doubled over from his coughs.
He filled a glass with water and gulped it down greedily. And again. Then a third time, struggling to not choke on the water as he coughed between mouthfuls.
His lungs eased and he wheezed as the coughing subsided. Sean's whole chest was aching in pain and his throat felt raw. Gripping the edge of the sink, who focused on his breathing, waiting to see if he was going to be overcome by another fit. Seeming to be fine for the moment, he gave a deep sigh of relief and looked up at his face.
Dark bags circled his eyes and his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. Turning on the tap he splashed water on his face, rubbing it over his forehead and on the back of his neck. He turned his wrist to check the time, and paused.
His welts had cracked even more, now angry and blistered with dark red veins poking through broken skin. However, it was the weird sheen of the blisters that grabbed his attention. Carefully, he poked one and hissed in pain as it popped. Fluid emptied from the skin and he grabbed some toilet paper and dabbed at it. The skin peeled back as he dabbed and he paused - the exposed skin underneath almost looked…silver?
Horrified, he glanced at his other blisters, seeing the same sheen beneath most of them. What was on his skin? If he didn't know any better he'd say it looked like scales.
Sean rushed out of the bathroom and scrambled for his phone. Cody better have a good explanation for this one, or he was dead meat. Throwing on the first shirt he found, not caring if it was clean, Sean grabbed some sandals and ran out the front door.
-TSLOF-
The white van waited a close distance down the road. The few people huddled inside were dressed in rain coats to protect them from the insistent drizzle that still fell outside. They watched as Sean, who had only gone a few hundred feet, doubled over in a coughing fit. Quickly they lept into action.
Sean's lungs were squeezing and his legs wobbled. He tried to keep walking but his legs slipped out from under him and he stumbled to the ground, struggling to catch his breathe. Out of nowhere hands were lifting him up and he struggled to shove them off.
"I'm fine! Get off me!" Sean coughed out the words.
Another hand clasped over his mouth and he quickly found his mind growing foggy. Sean tried to push away again but slowly lost conciousness and collapsed.
With practiced planning, the small team shuffled the boy into the van and drove off, no one the wiser.
-TSLOF-
Bryce greeted Jess at the door in the morning to walk him to breakfast. Jess had already been up for a couple hours, having slept horribly.
The stories and data he had read the day before continued to repeat themselves in his mind. It was amazing how many people had been affected by merfolk. But he understood why they kept themselves a secret. All of them had been changed by their encounters. They couldn't be like his dad, going around telling everyone he'd seen a mermaid. For these people to say they had seen one would condemn them. A simple DNA test would be enough to reveal that something had happened to them. None of them wanted to risk it. Instead people like Abigail acted as doctors who figured out their new physiologies.
In his restlessness, Jess had repeatedly put a hand to his chest where the evidence of Cody saving his life remained. He couldn't help but be curious about how affected he really was. He had noticed his swimming had gotten remarkably better, but he'd figured it was due to practice and no longer being afraid of the water. Yet, he had gotten really good really quickly. And it wasn't like he had reason to time himself to see how long he could hold his breathe. Why would he?
The urge to swim in the tank with the others entered his thoughts. His scientific curiosity wanted answers to what his limits were.
Following Bryce to the cafeteria, Jess paid closer attention to the people around him, trying to pick out which features weren't human. He noticed the webbed hands and finned arms most easily. Some people had patches of scales along their wrists and ankles. Most everyone wore shoes, but there were a few who had braces on their legs and around their feet. He noticed that some also walked with crutches. For the most part, they all looked human. Cover up with long sleeves and pants, and he figured most people would never know there was something different about all of them.
"Where's my mom?" Jess asked Bryce, picking at his bagel.
"In a meeting. You'll probably see her at lunch." Bryce was on a tablet this morning. He looked up at Jess. "Once you're done I'm taking you to see Doctor May."
"You're going to run tests on me?" Jess lost his appetite.
"No." Bryce glared at him. "It's a routine checkup. We want to make sure nothing's wrong. You probably have parts of you that are no longer human. We have to make sure that hasn't caused any serious concerns."
Did Jess believe him? Just barely. He still didn't trust Bryce or his mom. Not after realizing he was the bait to bring Cody in. Maybe, though, he could talk Bryce into letting him go swimming. Maybe that would even be part of the tests.
"Fine," Jess said. "It's fine."
Nodding, Bryce returned to picking at his own food and tapped away on his tablet. He actually looked to be working this morning.
Jess kept up his observations, meeting the occasional glance from other people who were staring in his direction.
"Alright, you done?" Bryce was standing and gathering his things.
"Yeah," said Jess. He grabbed his tray and dropped it off with Bryce's.
Bryce walked and typed on his tablet at the same time. Jess had to hurry to keep pace as the older scientist was surprisingly quick while he multitasked. A few doors down a side hallway Bryce keyed them into a room and motioned for Jess to go inside.
"Chris? Abigail's son is here," Bryce called.
A gray haired man poked his head from behind a computer screen and smiled. "Great. I'll let you know when we're finished."
Bryce gave Jess a nudge a little further into the room, then let the door close behind him.
"Hey, Jess. Why don't you have a seat for a moment. I just need to finish typing something up." Dr. May gave him a kind smile then ducked back behind the computer, his fingers tapping away furiously.
The room was furnished like the waiting room of your average doctor's office. A few, slightly uncomfortable chairs lined the wall with the door, old magazines on a small side table. Dr. May sat at a large, wooden desk covered in stacks of papers and folders. Behind him was a large painting of the ocean and a quirky coo-coo clock.
A couple other doors connected to the room. One was labeled 'Exam' and another 'Pool.' Jess had to stop himself from standing and opening the pool door.
"So, Jess," Dr. May stood up from his seat. "How are you feeling this morning?" He walked to the front of his desk and leaned back against it, a folder in his hand.
"Good," said Jess, hating the way his voice cracked in nervousness.
"Good, good. This is all going to be pretty much routine at first. I'm going to check your blood pressure, reflexes and basic vitals. From there we'll do the more, ah, unique tests, if you will," said Dr. May. He gave a jovial grin. "Nothing to worry about, trust me."
He set down his folder and motioned for Jess to follow him to the exam room. Jess stood, unable to keep his heart from racing a little. His mom telling him he was different was one thing, but the doctor was going to give him actual proof. If he walked through that door, there was no turning back. He would be a different person.
"Jess? Do you need a moment?" Dr. May gave him a concerned frown.
Steeling himself, Jess shook his head. "No. I'm ready."
Nodding Dr. May led Jess into the exam room.
-TSLOF-
"So far everything is looking great," said Dr. May. He slung his stethoscope from around his neck. "Your reflexes are all normal and your blood pressure is right on target. I'm going to listen to your heart and lungs now. Will you remove your shirt, please?"
Jess nodded and pulled his shirt off over his head.
Dr. May paused, staring at the marks on the boy's chest. Ten spots, the size of fingertips, stretched over his heart.
"I drowned," said Jess. "Cody used his charge to restart my heart."
"You were very lucky," said Dr. May. He lifted the stethoscope and placed it over Jess's heart.
The beat was strong and rhythmic. "Sounds good."
Dr. May moved onto his lungs, first listening to the left side front, then the right. He moved the stethoscope to Jess's back and listened to his lungs again.
"Lift your right arm for me please," said Dr. May.
Jess complied. The stethoscope moved from just under his armpit to his abdomen.
"Great. Lift your other arm please." The doctor listened to his other side. "You can put your arm down now."
Jess readjusted on the exam table. "I've never had anyone listen to my sides before."
Laughing, Dr. May jotted some notes down in the file open on the table by his stool. "I don't suspect you would have. But I did find what I was looking for. I want to do an ultrasound next. Are you okay leaving your shirt off?"
"An ultrasound?" Jess was confused. "Aren't those just for listening to for a baby's heart beat?"
"Most commonly, yes. But we can also use it to get a picture of the organs in your chest. In this case, I would like to see your lungs a little bit closer." Dr. May made another note. "If you'll lay flat on your back, I'll go get the monitor and machine."
Jess lay back as the doctor left him alone for a minute. If he wanted to take a closer look at his lungs, then that meant something was out of the ordinary. At this point he could only imagine what it could be. But it did mean he was different. His mother had been right.
"Alright then," said Doctor May. He pulled a monitor on a stand with him. "I'm going to rub the gel on our side." He held up a wand looking device. "Then I'm going to pass the transducer over your skin and take a look at pleural space and see what we can't find."
Even though Jess considered himself pretty smart, he only understood half that. "Can you explain that to me again?"
Smiling, Dr. May nodded. "This device will send waves into your chest. The pleural space is kind of that weird place between the lungs and the inside of your chest. The sound waves from the wand will bounce back and we'll get an image on the monitor of what's there."
"Gotch ya." Jess lay his head back and raised his above his head, shivering as Dr. May spread the cool gel on his side.
Placing some gel on the transducer, the doctor ran the device up and down along Jess' side. He started just under his armpit, then moved downward towards his abdomen. Ocasionaly he paused, letting the machine store images of Jess's chest. After he had done both sides, he wiped the gel off and told Jess to sit back up and put his shirt back on.
"So…" Jess didn't even know what to ask. "Am I okay?"
"You're healthy, Jess. No need to worry there." Dr. May was making more notes. "I don't see any need to take any x-rays. Why don't you go sit out in the waiting room and we can talk there in just a moment?"
"Sure," said Jess. He hopped off the table and walked back out of the exam room.
Sitting back down in a chair, he tried to guess at what Dr. May had seen. His face had been neutral while he did the ultrasounds, but he hadn't looked concerned. That was good, right? Jess didn't know. He was starting to freak out a little bit when the exam room door opened again and the doctor joined him.
"Scoot closer, Jess. You're going to want to see the images," Dr. May said.
The doctor clicked some things on his computer and then turned the monitor to face Jess. There were four pictures on the screen but the teenager had no idea what he was looking at.
Dr. May walked around the table and gestured at the top right picture. "This is the pleural space on your left hand side. Normally, this space is rather small and only holds cushioning liquid for the lungs."
Jess sat closer, sliding his glasses farther up his nose. "It looks like something's there."
The doctor nodded. "That's because there is. We call this organ our secondary lungs." He pointed at the close up image just under that. "You can really think of it as a sophisticated internal gill system. Water enters the lungs and is filtered down into the secondary lung, where the gills remove the oxygen from the water and send it back out into the lung and then back out with each breath. We're still learning how it works exactly," he said. He pointed to the other two pictures. "It looks like you have your own functioning set."
Jess was speechless. "Are you saying I can breathe underwater?"
"Possibly. We will need to do an observed swim test to know for certain. It may just act as a secondary oxygen reserve that allows you to hold your breath much longer. This is the case with your mother and most others with secondary lungs. There are a few of us who are able to breathe underwater for short periods of time."
To say Jess was shocked would have been an understatement. "I have extra lungs," he muttered.
The impact of what he was learning was becoming very real. He'd never be able to go to a normal doctor again. They'd do their exam with the stethoscope and know something was up right away.
"Other than that, everything is perfectly fine," said the doctor, returning to his seat. He turned the monitor back towards him. "Why don't we call it a day, huh? It's nearly lunch time and I forgot to grab breakfast."
He might have said something more, but Jess nodded, barely hearing him.
It only took a few minutes for Bryce to come and collect him. Jess followed him to the cafeteria in a daze. He wasn't fully human. He wasn't fully human. He couldn't seem to get the phrase out of his head. Bryce lead him through the line and he grabbed his food on autopilot. It wasn't until his mom sat down at the table across from him that he paid attention to what was going on.
"Jess? I've been calling your name for the last minute," said Abigail. She was frowning again.
"Sorry." Jess looked down at his hamburger, untouched and slightly cold.
"Did the exam with Dr. May go alright?" Abigail took a bite of her own salad.
"He showed me pictures of my extra lungs." Jess pushed his tray away, hardly hungry.
Abigail nodded, chewing her food thoroughly before responding. "Did he schedule you for a swim test?"
Did he? Jess couldn't remember the last few minutes from their meeting.
"He did," Bryce chimed in. He was on his phone this time.
"Good. I'll catch up with him later today and make sure I'm there." Abigail pulled out her own phone and absent mindedly ate her lunch.
It was so weird. Jess looked at everyone around him. All of these people were like him. All of them had something weird going on with them. The fear of the outside world hit him like a pound of bricks and he lay his head in his hands, trying to take in some deep breaths.
"Jess, come with me." His mother was at his side and helping him up from the table. "Let's take you back to your room so you can lie down."
Jess leaned on his mom, his head spinning. At his room she tucked him into bed, flicking on the beside lamp.
"Get some rest. That always helps." Abigail brushed a slim hand through Jess's hair and then left him alone.
He wasn't in shock, Jess knew that. He was just… trying to process everything. His breathing steadied and his eyes drooped. An hour later he was just about asleep when a knock came at his door.
Bryce rushed inside, a look of concern on his usually bored face. "Come with me."
"What is it?" Jess sat up slowly, a little disoriented.
Bryce rushed forward and grabbed his arm, pulling Jess to his feet. "Come on!"
They dashed down the hallway and toward a stairwell outside the observation lab. Up a flight of stairs, they went through another set of wide double doors.
It was the pool deck. Jess was amazed with how recreational it looked. There were bleachers and the occasional lounge chair. A few people stood off to the side, dripping wet. A central group of five people were in the water, the source of the commotion. One of them was shouting and obviously panicking.
"Sean?" Jess stared at the swim star.
Sean turned and glared at him, held mostly in place by the four people in dive suits around him. "Get off me!" Sean was churning the water trying to break away.
"What's going on?" Jess looked at Bryce.
"Something we haven't seen before," said Abigail, walking up behind them. "Cody did this. He needs to be stopped."
"What did Cody do?" Jess stared at Sean, floundering in the pool.
Then he saw it. Sean's arms were scaled and it looked like fins were growing on his wrists.
"Sean? What happened?" Jess called out to him and walked along the deck to get closer to his classmate.
Sean screamed and tried to lunge at him. The divers pulled him back, struggling to keep him in the water.
"What did you guys do to me?" Sean yelled and continued to fight the divers.
"Bryce," called Abigail, 'do you have the sedation ready?" She held a gun in her hand.
"You can't shoot him!" Jess tried to pull the gun away, but his mother easily pushed him back.
"Right here." Bryce rushed back over and handed her a dart capsule.
"It will sting a little, but it's better than him hurting us or himself." Abigail loaded the dart into the gun.
"Jess!" Sean looked panicked now.
Jess didn't move as his mom pulled the trigger. The little dart hit Sean in the chest and he yelped. Within seconds his body went limp and he was pulled from the water.
"I want him placed in an observation tank. Make sure it's deep enough for him to stand, but put him in the tall one so he can't climb out." Abigail handed the tranquelizer gun over to Bryce.
Her colleagues nodded and the unconscious boy was carried away.
"How did he get here?" Jess stared at his mom. "Same way I did?"
Abigail sighed and shook her head. "Yes, Jess. We kidnapped him. You saw him. We reached him just as he was collapsing on the sidewalk near his house. He was changing out in the open." She rested a hand on Jess's shoulder. "We're not the bad guys, Jess. We're here to help him. If you want someone to point an incriminating finger at, it should be Cody. After all, this is his doing."
Looking around, Abigail motioned another young woman in a lab coat over.
"Lindy, take Jess back to his room please," said Abigail.
"Sure thing," said Lindy. "Come on, Jess. You look tired."
"Why did Bryce bring me here?" Jess wasn't done with the conversation. "I didn't do anything."
"You needed to see this," said Abigail. "You need to start realizing how dangerous Cody is." She shoved her hand in her lab coat pocket and pulled out her phone. A couple taps and she handed it to him. "Look at these pictures and tell me it's safe for him to be around humans."
Jess swiped thought the photos, shocked at what he saw. It was Cody and Sean fighting on the beach. One of Cody shocking Sean. Sean unconscious on the sand.
Abigail took back her phone and tucked it away. "Right now I need to help that young boy. Get some rest," she said, then walked out the door Sean had gone through.
Lindy led Jess back to his room and he entered without a fuss. It was calm in there and he was grateful for the space and rest and think. He lay back down on the bed, turning off the lamp. One thought repeated itself like an echo as he drifted off to sleep. What had Cody done?
