The Blues of Atlantis | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Four

"H-here," Wade said, teeth chattering from the cold. With stiff and frozen arms, he laid the girl on the couch. "Y-your turn."

The young child's lips were blue, her skin pale. Nerina sat on the edge of the cushion and quickly removed her clothes, wrapping her in their towels. She placed her palm on the girl's forehead, but quickly removed her hand. "She's so cold."

"You'll have to warm her up slowly."

"How?" She looked up at him.

"Do you remember how you healed me earlier?" he asked.

Nodding her head, she let out a long breath as she turned to look at her patient. She placed her hand on the young girl's chest and closed her eyes. As she connected with the girl, there was only a suffocating darkness. As her vision adjusted, she noticed a small pulsating light in the distance.

That light was all that remained of the girl's life force. She willed her own light to reach out, but it fell short. The light grew dimmer with each passing second.

"Wade, I can't do this," she cried out, her heart racing, as she shook with exertion.

"Use me." He placed his hands on her shoulder, providing her with his own strength and light. His warmth spread through her, exactly as if she stood directly in front of a fireplace.

Returning her focus to the young girl, Nerina's light spread out in tendril patterns, and followed the veins leading to the child's heart. The pulsating light grew brighter, slowly forming the pattern of a human. First the torso, then the head, followed by the limbs.

"Keep going, sweetie, it's working," whispered a faint voice in her ear.

The girl gagged and coughed, breaking Nerina out of her trance. She quickly rolled her onto her side, as water bubbled out of her mouth like a fountain. The child's eyes flickered open. As she became more aware, her eyes widened and she scrambled to get away from them.

"It's okay, sweetie. No one's going to hurt you," Nerina said softly.

"Where's my mommy?" she asked, her bottom lip quivering.

"Wade, can you throw her clothes into the dryer?" Grabbing the throw blanket off the back of the couch, she handed it to the girl. "It's okay. You accidentally got separated from your mommy, but we're going to take you to her once your clothes are dry, okay? What's your name?"

"Chrissy," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hi Chrissy, I'm Neri."

The girl blinked rapidly and tilted her head, tapping her finger on her chin. "Like the mermaid?"

Nerina smiled as she helped the girl wrap the blanket around herself. "You've heard of me?" After saying that, she clasped a hand over her mouth. Shoot. Wade was not going to be happy with her.

The child nodded. "You're my favorite mermaid."

Warmth trickled inside her at the young girl's words and her hands went to her belly. Hopefully, she'd be her child's favorite, too. Chrissy no longer looked scared; instead, she sat bouncing on the couch, her color returning to normal. "Why do you have red hair now?"

Hoping to divert the topic, she asked, "Would you like some hot chocolate?" A grin spread across Chrissy's face and she nodded her head so fast that Nerina thought her head was going to pop off her neck.

"Just wait right here and I'll get you a cup."

The girl cautiously peeked over the back of the couch and watched as Nerina moved about in the kitchen.