Drowning Beneath The Waves

Chapter 13

I swam to Aunt Nerissa, my heart aching for her. She shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks, body shaking with the force of her sobs. I hugged her tightly, feeling the stress, worry, and grief slowly drain from her body. The emotions vanished quickly; the tears slowed gradually, sobs becoming sniffles.

When we finally broke apart, I gripped her hand, scanning her face. Dark circles had taken up residence beneath her red-rimmed eyes; there was a hollowness in them that I hadn't ever seen before. "Can we see her?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Uncle Jay swam to his wife, putting a gentle arm around her shoulder as she nodded and took a deep breath. Drew gripped my hand as we swam to their bedroom door, pausing as Uncle Jay knocked. "Isadora? Can we come in?"

There was silence on the other side, then a small voice spoke up. "Dad?" Her voice was broken, filled with grief. He gently opened the door, ushering us inside. My heart broke clean in half as I glimpsed the mermaid nestled underneath the covers. Her face was pale, her normally bright dark-blue eyes red-rimmed and hollow. Uncle Kai floated by her side, gripping her hand.

The next thing I noticed was her distending stomach, covered only by a blanket. A sob rose in my throat, but I quickly shoved it down. Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Jay swam to their daughter, the latter brushing a stray curl off her head. The former gently took her hand, eyes filling with tears.

"How are you feeling?" Uncle Jay asked, his voice heavy with worry. Aunt Izzy glanced at her mother, tears filling her eyes as a sob escaped her. She shook her head. When she looked at me, my heart stopped dead in my chest.

The aforementioned hollowness in her eyes was something that I was all too familiar with—I'd had that same expression in my eyes too many times to count. I could all but feel the emptiness inside her, fueled by the depression. More than anything, I wished that I could take all that pain, hollowness, and emptiness away.

"Tired," she finally responded. That's when it happened. I knew that, looking back on the moment, I would examine it from every angle, try to find a cause. Without warning, she suddenly clutched her stomach, an ear-splitting scream bursting from her lips. Everyone flinched, Uncle Jay's eyes widening with horror and fear. She swayed in the bed, Uncle Kai clutching her shoulder to keep her steady.

"What's happening?" Uncle Jay called out over the sound of Aunt Izzy's screams. Mom and Aunt Nerissa shared a glance and a heartbeat later, Mom disappeared out the suite door. I knew that she was rushing to the infirmary.

When Aunt Izzy's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed against the pillows, my heart simultaneously lurched and stopped dead. What felt like hours later (but, in reality, had probably only been a few minutes) the suite door opened again, revealing a middle-aged merman with a concerned expression. Mom was behind him, face pale and eyes filled with tears.

I didn't recognize him, but it was clear that he knew Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Jay, because he nodded at them. Drew came to float beside me, clutching my hand. I didn't dare tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me. Her screams were almost deafening. The doctor hurried to the side of the bed.

Glancing at Uncle Kai, he hastily issued orders, his voice deep and calm. "Are you her husband?" He asked, glancing at the ring on his finger. Uncle Kai nodded, taking a sharp breath. "You can stay. Everyone else, I need you to please wait outside."

It was clear how shaken all of us were when none of us protested his orders. We simply left the room, closing the door gently behind us. Aunt Nerissa collapsed in Mom's arms, her sobs filling the silence that had settled over the water. None of us said a word.

Uncle Jay swayed out of the corner of my eye, Dad rushing to catch him. Drew held me in his arms as silent tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew I would never be able to get the sound of Aunt Izzy's screams out of my head. When the door finally opened, I flinched. The doctor's hands were clenched, his eyes filled with grief. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly. He bowed before excusing himself, leaving us alone in the hallway.

Aunt Nerissa let out a sob, rushing inside the room. We all followed, hearts heavy with grief. Aunt Izzy's sobs broke my heart clean in half as she clutched her husband. Uncle Kai was holding her tightly, one hand stroking her curls. His face was pale, eyes blank.

He pressed a kiss to her head, voice shaking as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, Izzy. I'm so, so sorry." When his voice broke, I faltered. Drew tightened his grip on me, not saying a word. There were no words to be said.

I vaguely remembered that, years ago, Mom had explained to me the dangers of a mermaid becoming pregnant. It was after she and Dad had told us the story of Aunt Nerissa giving birth to Aunt Izzy. After everything the four of them had been through... I didn't know if they'd survive this. I was numb as I watched them grieve, my heart broken.

When we finally returned to Pelathas—hours, months, years later—no one spoke. I knew we were all grieving in our own way. When I heard my name, I flinched. "Faye? Is everything okay?" Jonah's voice was filled with exhaustion and worry.

If my depression had been bad before, it was at rock bottom now. The shock and grief inside me had been replaced with numbness, a pit yawning open before me. I turned to him, my eyes red-rimmed and blank. I had retreated into a place deep inside me—a place where no emotion could penetrate. Even as I spoke, my voice was flat—emotionless.

"It all happened so fast..." I trailed off, unable to continue. He scanned my face, obviously recognizing the hollowness of my eyes.

Jonah glanced behind me, glimpsing Drew, his heartbroken expression. Aunt Izzy's screams played on a loop in my head and I knew I'd never forget them. When I got back to my suite, I closed the door and swam into the bedroom, stared at nothing. I was drowning in a sea of numbness, unable to so much as take a breath. And this time, I didn't know if I even wanted to.

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