Beneath The Lies (bxb)

Rearranging the Pieces

-Oliver-

I wasn't surprised when I was woken up sometime around two in the morning. I also wasn't surprised that the person doing so was Hice. What was weird as hell, though, was that he was actually hugging me. Not in a friendly sort of way, but more in an 'I'm glad you helped me but don't you dare try to hug me back or I'll castrate you' way.

"Um?" I tried, keeping my arms perfectly still so that he had no reason to misread a gesture. His arms unwrapped from me immediately, and he sat back on his heels, giving me a chance to actually glance around the room. Ocar was there, looking obviously pissed, but to my surprise, Mellac, Jayson, and Parker were also there. Parker stepped forward, probably reading the confused look on my face.

"Well, I'll start from the beginning and make it quick. Mellac let the female mer go while we were busy talking to the cops and the other darted off before we were taken. Hence why they didn't ride with either of us in the cars. She was already long gone. Second, we were all released until the case can actually be configured. They admit they were missing several hours of footage that should have been surrendered so they are currently talking with the director about getting it. He wasn't happy, if what I overheard on the phone was any indication." I smirked at that, glad that the cops aren't as stupid as they had appeared.

"So that's why we're back here and not in handcuffs. Callem and Kipper are both asleep in the other room after they had a long talk about personal space... that Callem didn't understand a bit of. But I think they'll figure things out eventually. And now we're at huggy Hice."

Indeed. Huggy Hice was the thing I was most curious about from the start.

"Anyways, we uh, have a new guest resting in the pool outside, and Hice wants you to check on him."

I looked over at Hice where he still sat on the bed and he fidgeted, looking down at his folded hands as they tightened against each other.

"You said to tell if things changed," he mumbled, unsure of himself all of a sudden. My lips tilted up into a smile and I nodded as Ocar walked around to the side of the bed. I expected him to lift me into his arms like usual, but instead he got down on his knees and maneuvered my left knee into a new prosthetic leg. I had no idea where they had gotten it from, but it fit and as Ocar helped me to my feet, I couldn't have been happier. Sure, I didn't mind being carried around anymore, but I wasn't a kid and having normal mobility back was awesome.

With renewed energy, I followed Hice as quickly as possible, only stopping when he did in front of the pool outside. I expected him to have to go in and bring his friend to the surface, but the mer actually surfaced a moment later. I hadn't expected him to be mobile so soon, but he wasn't human. Hard to forget, I know, but it's been quite a trying week.

"Hello there," I said calmly, smiling down at the young man. He still looked quite sick, but his face actually had some color now, from what I could tell by using the light coming from inside and the one they had on behind me for the lanai.

"His name is Fri."

Fri?

"I learned the word friend, but the first time I said that instead of the word correctly."

The other mer, Fri, actually seemed to look happy for a moment when Hice spoke of him. It was kind of cute. If only Hice wasn't a serial killer. Ignoring those awkward facts, I nodded and carefully got myself into a sitting position next to the pool.

"Do you understand English fairly well, Fri?"

He glanced up at Hice, then back to me before answering quietly. "Yes."