(Totally didn't upload this on the wrong story >.>)

Fri-

Waking up wasn't something I thought would be possible for me. Granted, I'd been conscious off and on for what felt like days, but I could never find enough energy to make that final push beyond the firm barrier in place before my mind.

I had a feeling that the medications I was being given by the humans were at least partly to blame, as I had never experienced such a force before when trying to awaken. For some reason, the barrier was beginning to thin as I pushed against it. I didn't expect to be allowed through so easily, but after only a few moments the wall vanished, drawing a gasp from me as I startled awake.

"Ah, there you are. Finally." A familiar voice chided to my right.

I remembered it as being connected to one of the doctors that had come and go over the time I'd been asleep, but I couldn't place a name to the blurry face my eyes tried to focus on and an unsettling feeling began to swim in my belly.

"Micah sure had you on some strong stuff. No wonder you took so long to wake up, even with such a heavy cocktail of drugs."

Unsure of what he meant exactly, I didn't bother trying to respond. Instead, I blinked repeatedly, trying to clear my vision as I did my best to get my limbs to respond. I didn't feel very well, but that wasn't a surprise.

"Now then..."

My lips curved into a frown as my vision finally began to clear. I thought that his voice was just familiar because he was one of the doctors at the hospital, but when his face formed before my eyes, I caught my breath. One of the metal machines near my bed made a strange sound, drawing a chuckle from the man as he turned back to me.

The director... how is he here?

I had only seen him a few separate times back at the lab, but I rarely forgot a face. He didn't look quite the same, but I would never forget the sight of his icy eyes.

"Good, you remember me. Now, get up, we're leaving." He stated as he stabbed my arm, pushing something into my skin before pulling back and throwing the item he'd used somewhere behind him on the floor.

I was used to not disobeying him, as the consequences were normally severe, but I was hesitant to leave with him. "I am sick, I cannot leave." I slurred, hoping that I was understandable. I truly did not know what was wrong with me, but I did know that humans went to the place I was to get better. I wanted to get better.

"Sick? You are dead, you just haven't stopped breathing yet."

What? But then... why does he want me to come with him?

Fearing for my life would have likely been more logical a thought right after the information he had given me, but I did never think quite like other mers or humans I had met. I've known that I had not been well for a long time, and if my life were to end because of it, well, that was the way it would be, even though I did not want to die.

A faint sound met my ears as the man began speaking again, but I couldn't focus. Hice. My eyes rose to the ceiling and I had to fight not to close them and begin to sing back. The director did not like singing, not one bit.

"Get out of that bed, right now!"

The man's shout had my head jerking back down so that our eyes met. He was clearly furious, but I could also see stress and worry on his face, too. Is he not allowed to remove me from here on his own? Do I have to walk out? The thought to be difficult surfaced, but I knew that he would hurt me if I tried to resist.

Forcing myself not to look back up toward the ceiling, I hesitantly began to get my legs over the side of the bed. It took a lot more effort than I thought it would. I felt like I had all of the energy in the world surging through my body, but at the same time, I felt my body's exhaustion and fought to perform simple motions.

I knew that it would be impossible to stand, but I couldn't not try. My body was already terribly weak and I still did not feel all too well. Any punishment at this point would only worsen my current condition.

The moment my bare feet touched the floor, my weight dropped. I yelped as several things that were fastened to my arms pulled out abruptly, but my throat was so dry that it came out as a gruff whimper before I landed on my hands and knees, then crumbled down against the floor trying to catch my suddenly-lost breath.

"Dammit, get up!" The director yelled, though I could do nothing to accomplish what he wished. My body hummed but refused to move as numbness began to spread over my cold limbs.

My vision started to blur as I fell to the side, finally letting out a relieved breath as my weight was taken off of my tired body. I could faintly see his blurry form moving in front of me, but I couldn't see what he was doing. It would have worried me, but as I lay on the cold floor, all I could think of was the growing throbbing in my head and the fact that I could no longer hear Hice's song.

"Get out, now. I let you stay on the roof to keep those annoying other fish out until something happened, and you couldn't even do that." The man said. There had to be someone else in the room now, but I couldn't see much of anything anymore.

The low growl that came soon after the director's warning warmed my aching heart instantly, though. Hice! I would have shouted his name if I could, but it came out as merely a squeak on my dry lips.

"Get out, Hice. You do not want to cross me again."

There was silence for a minute before I heard the faint sound of footsteps coming closer. When a rough hand settled against my face, I nodded my head just enough to rub against Hice's palm. His familiar scent washed over me, calming some of my more erratic nerves.

"You know that he's dying. Don't tell me that he's going to get better now. We made a deal. I let you try to save him with that pathetic doctor who is dying nearly as quickly, and if he fails, then I get the mer's body."

There was a loud snarl as Hice's hand vanished from my face, cooling the skin instantly. "He has a name!" He roared.

"Do not threaten me, Hice. We had a deal! A corpse needs no name!" The director yelled back.

Several more growls filled the room before I felt myself being lifted. "Hice!" The sudden burst of air against my exposed skin, as well as the subtle motion of being moved up and down slightly but frequently let me know that he was running.

He's trying to get away. To get me away from the director.

In all honestly, I didn't want him to, but I was unable to speak. There were always consequences when you opposed the man, and I didn't want Hice to be punished for my sake. If what the director said was true, then I wouldn't be alive long enough for the punishment to Hice to be worth the risk.

I tried to speak in order to tell him to leave me behind, but I couldn't even get my lips to part any longer. Without much else to do, I resigned myself to waiting until we stopped. It took quite a while, too.

"Hice, what in the world?"

Oliver?

"Fix him!" Hice snarled as I jerked in his arms, then felt warmth begin to heat my shivering body.

Several people could be heard around me within a matter of moments, but I didn't focus on any other voices besides Oliver and Hice as I was being laid down on something soft. "Hice, I-I don't think-"

"I don't give a damn! Fix him! You are a doctor, you must fix him!"

Silence took over but I could hear shuffling feet and faint pressure against my skin every few seconds. I wasn't sure what was being done, but when the warmth tripled, I sighed with relief.

"The heat blanket will make him more comfortable." Oliver said before Hice cut in. "The director was there. I saw an empty needle device on the floor."

"So he gave him something, on top of what Micah was already putting in his system." Oliver mumbled. "I can't, in my right mind, give him anything else."

"Why? Surely you have something?" Hice said, his voice actually sounding close to begging.

Another short bout of silence, then a snarl and the slamming of what I could only assume was the door leading out to the pool, as it sounded like it slid. It hurt to know that he was in so much pain because of me.

"I'm sorry, Fri. I wish I could do more right now. Try to get some rest and I'll be here all night if you need me. I just can't safely give you anything more until at least tomorrow."

I appreciate it, Oliver. Please don't worry over me, I will do my best to get better.

I knew that it was unlikely to happen, but I wasn't too good at giving up. As long as my aggressively protective friend was willing to wait for me, I would keep trying.