A week later, I'm back, don't ask how cause I don't know. No sleep and caffiene I think.

Summary: Things seem to look up, but when is anything as it seems?

The first time Rita woke up was something she couldn't remember exactly. There were feelings of stinging pain and light but she couldn't place anything for certain.

It was disconcerting, to say the least. It was all rolling darkness, with occasional lifts, accompanied with pain. Burning pain that tore across her whenever she managed to shift.

It was lonely. She was dimly aware that there was someone there, but they were like a ghost, disappearing when she tried to focus on them.

The darkness eased off again, like a blanket being pulled away, and Rita could finally think to move. She tried to move onto her side but the pain, tearing and burning that dragged across her chest was enough to stop her.

She couldn't understand the pain. Why was it there? Why was she hurting? She just wanted it to stop.

That was the one good thing about those stretches of blankness; she couldn't feel anything.

Sometimes feeling nothing was the best thing.

Yet another morning broke out and Zac dragged himself from his bed and blearily set about the morning routine. Another day of life at Suncoast High, another day of hearing the rumours about Ms Santos' illness, rumours that grew wilder each day. All the while Zac sat there knowing the full truth and feeling the weight of it grow ever heavier.

He forced the demons out during the walk to school by blasting music over his earplugs and focusing on the lyrics. He didn't dare think about how many more days he could be doing this. He didn't want to think about how long this heavy feeling would press on him and how many nights he would struggle to sleep knowing what he had caused.

It was eating him alive.

Everyday Cam asked how things were. Everyday Zac had to tell him he still didn't know. Everyday Evie eyed him suspiciously. Everyday Zac had to lie to her.

It would be so much easier to just tell her everything.

But then could he really afford that risk? And not just to him, to the other Mermaids. Like it or not, he was tied to them and right now they all had one big shared trauma.

And it was all his fault.

The murk lifted and she could breathe again, just like surfacing from a dive. The water parted and she was finally able to open her eyes to the light.

Someone was beside her, a hand was placed on hers. She was in the grotto, that much she could see; the smooth sandstone ceiling, the chandelier. They vanished as her eyes drifted shut.

She woke what felt like only seconds later, her point of view shifted. She was looking into the grotto now, at the 'someone' beside her, a Mermaid with copper blonde hair and the most beautiful eyes in the oceans. She sat with her head down, hair partially obscuring her face.

"Veridia," Rita's voice came out a little more than a whisper, her throat was so dry she was surprised she could even make a sound.

Even still Veridia heard her. Her head snapped up and her face, so tense and serious, broke into a smile that lit up her whole face and made her eyes shine so brightly.

"Hey."

"This isn't real," Rita couldn't stop her eyes beginning to drift shut again. It was a dream, she'd wake up again and Veridia would be gone. Veridia was with the Pod. The Pod was far away from here. This couldn't be real. Veridia wouldn't have come here.

"It is. I'm here. I'm really here." Veridia laced her fingers into Rita's. Shs missed that. A simple gesture that always made her feel safe. Veridia always made her feel safe.

The mind plays such cruel tricks was her last thought before she gave into her tired eyes and let the wave of darkness wash over again.

The intense relief Veridia felt at seeing Rita's awake couldn't compare to anything she'd ever felt. It was like the ice melted and she felt free to move again and the tears - she couldn't stop them.

They were tears of happiness. Tears that she didn't even bother to wipe away as Nixie entered the grotto with a tray. Nixie had taken to bringing food in for her to make sure she actually ate.

Nixie's face fell as she saw Veridia, tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" Nixie asked.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Veridia hurriedly assured the Mermaid, "she woke up."

The tray in Nixie's hands crashed to the ground as Nixie's body sagged. The mermaid looked close to collapsing.

"Really?"

Veridia nodded, "really."

"How is she?" Nixie asked, slowly moving to come down the stairs, gripping the railing until she ran out of wood to hold.

"She was only awake for a few seconds but she spoke."

Veridia didn't think Nixie could smile any wider.

"So she'll be okay?"

"There's still a way to go but I think she will be." As long as she continued to wake up and wounds continued healing, Rita would be fine.

"Thank tides."

Nixie sat down on the bench at Rita's feet and looked down at the Mermaid.

"About what happened yesterday," Nixie began slowly.

Yesterday? What happened yesterday? Oh right, Rita stopped breathing and she healed her. Then basically ran out. That.

"We don't need to talk about it," Veridia said. It came out sharper than she wanted, but Nixie didn't seem bothered.

"Not that, just that Rita's lucky to have you here, someone who knows what they're doing.'

"If she was really lucky, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

And it was true. Rita wasn't 'lucky' to have her, luck doesn't get you people, who you are and your actions get you people. People choose to be with you. She chose to be with Rita. No luck about it.

Lyla surfaced in the canal beside Zac's house. It was the third time today she'd come and everytime Zac wasn't there. He should be home by now and she had news he would want to hear.

The whole 'Moon Ring Incident' had cut Zac up, it cut her up too. She hadn't shown it, she didn't need Sirena's sympthaties or Nixie's attitude and comments. She didn't want to see Veridia either and so had kept her distance.

She'd tried to help but Nixie pushed her away and did it all herself. That had hurt. She would never admit it but it had, she still felt like the loner even now her Pod was gone. Nixie and Sirena still had each other and she wasn't part of it. She thought maybe she'd have Zac, once she realised he wasn't just some land boy who grew a tail, but he had Evie and Evie hated her and Zac would do anything to keep Evie happy.

Lyla ducked back under the water and waited, treading water on the spot. She didn't want to hide under the dock. That was the dock she sat waiting for someone to come while she looked after Rita right after she got hit with the Moon Ring. Something that was partially her fault.

She surfaced again just as Zac disappeared into his box-house-thing.

Sighing she dragged herself out onto the shore and dried off.

She crossed the grass to Zac's door and knocked twice. Knocking was weird. Hitting yourself against solid wood to announce you're there. You don't knock in the sea.

"Yeah?" Zac called out.

Lyla opened the door and stepped in.

Zac looked terrible. He looked pale and tired, his eyes red.

"I bring good news?" Lyla offered.

Zac just raised an eyebrow.

"Rita woke up."

Zac's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor.

She had tried to wait until Rita was awake again before changing the bandages once more but the Mermaid remained asleep. At least it was just 'asleep', sleep was something you wake up from, unconsciousness can last an eternity.

Veridia unwrapped the kelp bandages and removed the gauze across Rita's shoulder. Her stomach turned as the gauze came away with a dark red patch .

The thin vein like marks had opened and bled, and were marked in bright red the entire length of them. Veridia's chest tightened.

She grabbed the sponge she had beside her and wiped the blood away. She swore she almost fainted in relief. The blood was dried and the wound was shallow. No fresh blood leaked out where the dried blood had been removed.

Veriida gingerly unwrapped the rest of the bandages and gauze.

It was the same across Rita's hip and across the bottom of her ribs. Small superficial bleeds that caused no ill effect. Rita's skin was a healthier colour, still on the pale side but not a shade to cause alarm. Her breathing was much stronger but the incident yesterday made Veridia wary of pinning too much hope on that. Her breathing had been fine yesterday until she stopped.

Veridia re-wrapped the bandages, applying extra gauze across the areas that had bled. Things were going well but sustained bleeding no matter how small could still cause a lot of problems.

This was such a delicate stage of recovery, it wouldn't take much to cause a major setback and with time running out until she had to return to the Pod - it was a risk she couldn't take.

It was the fifth time Nixie went into the grotto that Veridia was finally asleep. Ever since Rita had woken up Veridia had refused to leave her side. Not that she would ever say it to Veridia but she looked terrible.

There were telltale signs that Veridia hadn't been in the water, her skin was dry and cracked and there was a constant catch in her voice, like even her throat was dried up. Not to mention her hair. Veridia, like most council members wore their hair in elaborate styles. These last few days Veridia's hair was left loose and tangled, and getting more tangled every day.

Nixie descended the stairs quietly not wanting to wake Veridia, and took a seat on one of the other squishy chairs that she still didn't know the name of, they were comfy though and would make the long night of sitting slightly easier.

She supposed it wasn't too bad, Veridia had been the one sitting up at nights, making sure Rita kept breathing and that nothing bad happened to her.

Bad stuff happened anyway but at least Veridia knew what to do when Rita stopped breathing or when her wound started bleeding. The latter began happening far more frequently once Rita was conscious enough to move.

It wasn't until Nixie felt eyes on her that she looked down at Rita. The Mermaid was awake but her eyes were unfocused staring at the floor.

"Hey," Nixie said softly.

"Hi," Rita looked up at Nixie.

"How you feeling?"

Her skin was still too pale but better than it was. Her eyes were still unfocused. But she was awake.

"Tired."

"Go back to sleep."

She'd been sleeping for days yet Rita's eyes closed again and Nixie slouched back.

It was progress at least.

Hope you enjoyed chapter nine, chapter ten will be a while away, I have literally only written five words and they're notes for the first scene.

College has upped the work load, I have tests every few weeks, projects due in and work to do on my graded unit which is the whole point of my course.

I have no intentions of leaving this fic unfinished though, I've written too much not to complete it. I am still aiming for ten chapters but depending how chapter ten works out there may be more.

Until next time :)

(I'll try not to take too long)