Drown (MXM)

Chapter 11

My lip quivered a bit with the strong shiver that went through my body as I kept myself afloat on the surface of the water. Occasionally a larger rippling wave would pass over me, causing some water to slip into my mouth. I cringed at the salty taste, not ready to place the oxygen mask's guard between my lips. It felt like as soon as my lips sealed around the plastic, that my fate would be sealed as well. I hadn't been in the water since that day when the creature had nearly caused my early death. I was less than thrilled that this time, I was actively seeking it rather than swimming away from it.

A splash to my right told me Alec had entered the water, and I coughed a bit when the wave his body created led to more water flooding my throat. I was cold, wet, and despite my outward appearance, I was terrified. A buzzing in my ear alerted me that the com devices were now active, and I listened to Malcom's voice directly smoothing over my ear drum.

"Dylan, your heart rate is already high, you need to relax. Take a deep breath and hold it-- allow it to create a pressure against your chest. This will help calm you, and your pulse. I'm not letting you go under until you are down to one-hundred beats per minute, or less."

I nodded, my jaw creating small ripples and splashes on the surface of the ocean. I did as I was instructed, taking in a deep breath and jumping when a hand gripped my shoulder. Alec gave me a reassuring glance, squeezing the bundle of tense muscles to remove some of the stiffness in my body.

"You're going to be fine, I won't let anything happen to you, and neither will Malcom. Trust us." Alec urged, speaking slowly to make sure I captured each word.

"I do, I trust you, and I trust Malcom. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I promise." I tried to quell their worries, not liking that my weakness was so openly on display for the whole team. It left me feeling exposed and uncomfortable, so I continued the breathing exercise, and forced my heart rate to decrease.

"Alright, everything looks good, the waters seem clear right now, no sign of anything that seems to be out of the ordinary. Alec, your bpm is currently at 70, Dylan, yours is at 95. Both of you need to stay relaxed, but alert, and listen to everything I tell you. Once you are submerged and reach the reef, I'll ask you to verify if you can hear me clearly. Blink your light once for yes, and twice for no, okay?" Malcom dished out instructions almost as smoothly and confidently as Alec, so I could understand why he was chosen to run the show in this circumstance.

Alec and I both acknowledged his words, letting him know we knew what was expected of us. Kara and K.G. were both looking over Malcom's shoulder, speaking softly about something; probably reaffirming their role in this. I was on standby with Alec, waiting for the okay for us to place our mouth pieces and begin our descent.

I was torn from my thoughts by Alec's burly body floating in front of me, and filling my vision. He looked like a dad checking over his childs attire and supplies before their first day of school. His fingers skimmed over my vest, occasionally tightening any straps he deemed too loose, and making sure everything was up to his standards. When he seemed satisfied, he glanced up at my face, the look in his eyes letting me know I wasn't hiding my nerves as well as I thought. I looked away, feeling self conscious under his scrutiny, only to have a wet hand grip my chin and pull my face to look back at him.

"Stick with me, I don't want you out of my sight for, even a second. I know you are at least aware of the number one rule of diving, two is one, and one is none. This is especially true during night dives, everything is going to be darker, and harder to see. This..." He tapped on the glass lense of the spotlight on my vest. "Will allow you to see your surroundings, before you go anywhere, signal me. I know you haven't studied diving hand signals yet, or sign language and we'll be sure to fix that later, but if you want to go somewhere all you have to do is usher me over like you would on land. No matter where you go, I will follow unless I feel it is too dangerous. In which case I will stop you and prepare to pull the plug. Safety is our top priority. Oka-y." Alec drew out the last word, using his grip on my jaw to move my head up and down comically. This made a giggle bubble up from my chest and remove the last bit of tension from my muscles.