His body was enormous. He was a mountain of muscle and looked like he could tackle a small whale without breaking a sweat. His brilliant blue hair flowed all the way down his back and stopped just before reaching his waist. He wore a crown of gold with seven peaks. At the top of each peak was a precious gem. The one in front was a large baby blue sapphire. The surrounding jewels were a pure ivory pearl, a sunshine yellow topaz, a deep purple amethyst, a blood red ruby, a forest green emerald, and an elegant pink jade.
He wore no shirt to hide his chest. Painted on his chest in an unknown language were seven symbols; each symbol’s color corresponding to the seven colored gems on his crown. He wore what looked like a royal blue toga from his waist down. The toga had gold lining and was also embroidered with sapphires.
“I am sorry, Father.” Princess Alana spoke in a shy voice as she avoided making eye contact. She gained some resolve upon wondering how the man she had rescued was doing, and looking her father firmly in the eyes, her speech took on a more confident tone. “This man was unconscious and sinking into the sea when I found him. I couldn’t just let him die in front of my eyes. I took him here in hopes that we could save his life.”
“And what of the others? You saw fit to let them die, but not this man? There had to have been others. There always are. No surface dweller is foolish enough to find himself in the middle of the Atlantic alone.”
“There weren’t any others. When I came to the scene he was sinking deep into the sea. There were other surface dwellers in the water, but all of them were floating on the surface and were kicking their legs attempting to stay afloat. I don’t know what happened to him, but he was a long way away from the others. I’d say about fifty or sixty yards.”
“Fifty yards away from the others?” King Aquarius gave his daughter a skeptic frown. “That seems very unlikely. And why would he be the only one injured?”
“It’s true, Father.” Alana placed two fingers over her mouth, an ancient Atlantian gesture meaning she was betting her honor on the truth of her words. She then removed her fingers and continued, “If you don’t believe me, then send a delegation of royal guards along with Tiger to visit the place where we found him. Tiger knows exactly where we found that man and he will be an excellent guide.”
“Alright, I will humor you.” King Aquarius turned to the lookout guard, “Go to the docks and tell two guards to have Tiger take them to the location the surface dweller was found. They are to investigate the entire area for five hundred square yards. They are to report any and all they find to me. Now go.”
The guard rushed out of the room to fulfill his king’s request. After he departed, King Aquarius turned back to Alana and continued, “Now where is the man?”
“He is in my room. I had one of the guards lay him in my bed because he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. Another guard has gone to get Dr. Algie. Please, Father,” her voice suddenly became desperate as she pleaded, “Don’t harm this man? You know how much I detest bloodshed. He hasn’t done anything wrong and doesn’t deserve to die.”
“We shall see.” The king looked into his daughter’s eyes, unable to understand her concern for a surface dweller. He then responded defiantly, “It is the law of our land that no outsider, especially surface dwellers, be allowed to enter our city without the King's permission. He has broken our law...”
Alana cut her father off. “He hasn’t broken our law. I have! He was unconscious the entire time. I was the one who brought him to Atlantis. It isn’t like he invaded the city by force. If anyone deserves to die, it’s me and not him.”
Shaken both by her disobedience and her unwavering, incomprehensible determination to take a surface dweller’s place, King Aquarius’s expression and voice softened. “Alana, my darling, I won’t kill him…at least, not yet. Whether or not he dies in the future is up to him.”
“What do you mean, Father?”
“I mean it depends on his future actions. We don’t know anything about him at this point. I would like to get to know him and his circumstances once he wakes up. Once I know more about him, I will determine whether or not he can be trusted. If I feel he cannot be trusted to keep our secret, he will die. We cannot afford to have the surface world know about our existence. If he proves to be an honorable man, then I will let him live.”
“Promise me, Father,” Alana pleaded, tears clouding her eyes. “Promise me that you won’t harm him unless there is no other choice.”
“You have my word, daughter.” King Aquarius held out his arms and embraced his daughter kindly. “I won’t hurt him unless I have no other choice. Now dry those tears.” He wiped her eyes with his finger and a perfectly round pearl fell to the floor. “You should go to your room and meet with Dr. Algie.”
When his daughter had left and the door closed tight, King Aquarius bent down and picked up the pearl. He held it tight in his fist and worried about his daughter's wellbeing should he be forced to kill this surface dweller.
The King's Decision
Alana hastened from the throne room, each step quickening until she was running down the corridor which led to her room on the far end of the first floor. She found herself to be uncharacteristically anxious. She was usually such a calm person but something about this situation had her on edge and she couldn't figure out why.
Dr. Algie waited outside her door, agitated and worried, impatiently tapping his foot next to the guard assigned to protect Thomas. Dr. Algie was a middle-aged man whose body seemed exhausted from overwork. He slouched when he walked and hunched when he stood, as if he were getting too old to hold up the weight of his responsibilities. His clothes were stained with a dark crimson liquid that resembled blood.
“There you are, Princess,” Dr. Algie reprimanded in a stern voice when she arrived, shaking his finger at her. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting? That guard of yours barges in while I’m in the middle of my dinner and scares my whole family senseless. Even made me spill my wine. Look at my shirt! It’s a total mess. I rush down here because he says ‘it’s an emergency’ and end up waiting outside your room without any details. I was worried to death! The guard was in such a state you’d have thought either you or the king were dying, but no! He won’t tell me anything; just stands there in shock.”
“I’m so sorry you had to wait, Doctor,” Alana managed to gasp out between each pant for air, leaning her palms on her knees to help catch her breath. “I ran here as fast as I could. My father had to talk to me and it took longer than I expected. Please, come in.”
As Alana opened the door, Dr. Algie’s jaw almost fell off at the sight before him. They stepped through the entrance-way into a lavishly decorated room with an enormous clam-shaped waterbed centered against the far wall, just opposite the door.
Thomas was spread haphazardly on the bed on top of the covers, the guard having unceremoniously tossed him on the bed. He was in a very peculiar position, crouched on his knees with his head pressed into the bed, his neck at a strange angle, his legs spread apart, his arms flopped in a knot, and his rear-end sticking straight up.
Dr. Algie had to choke back a laugh while Alana hurried to Thomas’ aid, carefully repositioning him. It took a little while for Alana to untie the mess that had been Thomas. In the end, Thomas lay properly on his back with his hands at his side. Alana’s bed was drenched in blood from the holes in Thomas’ hands. His blood loss was immense and the color was draining fast from his face, leaving him with a blue-white pallor and tinges of grey in his skin.
Dr. Algie took out his medical supplies and began his examination. The minutes felt like hours. Time seemed to be punctured occasionally with Dr. Algie’s questioning hums and grunts. Dr. Algie packed a strange green paste into the holes in Thomas’ hands and bandaged them and continued his examination mostly in silence. He rolled Thomas onto his side and examined some bruising and swelling at the base of his neck. After what felt like ages to Alana, Dr. Algie put his supplies away and turned to her.
“What
’s wrong with him?” Alana asked with the sincerest concern.
“Well now, I’m not sure how to tell you this Princess,” Dr. Algie began, a rather grim tone in his voice, “but it seems that this young man is sleeping.” He grinned mischievously at Alana. She gave him a return glare that would have speared through any man. “I’m only joking,” Dr. Algie piped in, trying, yet failing to swallow. “Just trying to lighten the mood a bit.
“The truth is that I can’t tell much about this man’s condition at the present time. He doesn’t seem to respond to anything at all. He doesn’t seem to have any wounds except for that large bump on his head, the bruising on his neck, and the injuries to his hands. The seaweed ointment I put on his hands will stop the bleeding and help the wounds heal faster.
“As for his blood loss; there wasn’t much I could do. A transfusion between merfolk and humans could be more dangerous to him than staying as he is, so I gave him a saline solution injection. It may not be of much help as he's lost a lot of blood, but it may help him to replenish plasma so that his body can create more blood cells. In the absence of a blood transfusion it was the only thing I could think of. At the very least, it will add to the liquid flowing through his veins so that his veins don't run dry.”
Dr. Algie took out a notepad from his bag and began to write as he continued his assessment.
“I also made him drink a special concoction of mine; a sort of energy drink.” Seeing Alana’s confusion, Dr. Algie explained, “To help him replenish his blood supply. It has glucose, water, and liquid protein in it to help his body create new blood cells and plasma. It’s a long shot and I have no idea if it will even work, but if his body is still functioning properly, it may be the only thing that can help him. It is the best I can do for him as I've never treated a surface dweller and do not know anything about their physiology.
“I’ve never had to work on someone from another species before…except for Tiger. We’ll just have to wait until he comes out of his coma, that is, if he comes out of his coma.”
“What do you mean ‘if he comes out’?” A lump rose into Alana’s throat, clenching until she became unable to swallow; leaving her queasy and short of breath. “You mean he may never wake up again?” Alana couldn’t hold herself upright any longer. She had to sit on the end of the bed to brace herself.
“That is one possibility,” Dr. Algie continued, sitting beside her and taking her hand to comfort her.
He watched her hand for a moment and then looked her in the eyes. “There are a few likely possibilities we should consider. First, he could wake up from his coma as if nothing happened; although it may take a while. Second, he may wake up with some serious problems such as memory loss or other physical problems I can’t determine from this limited exam. And third, he may never wake up and die in his sleep from his current blood loss, unseen complications like internal bleeding, or he may just lose his will to live. It is very possible that he may stop breathing or his heart may fail while he is in this condition.” Dr. Algie noted Alana’s chest rapidly rising and falling. He stopped talking.
She had tears watering her eyes again and was hyper-ventilating. With each tear she cried, another pearl fell to the floor with a gentle clatter. Once she had calmed down he continued, “I’m sorry. I know not what this boy means to you, but it may not be possible for him to avoid death. Take this list. It has instructions for his care. Someone will need to stay by his side around the clock in case he stops breathing.” Dr. Algie handed her a sheet from the notepad he’d been writing on.
“I will do it.” Alana’s unwavering resolve glistened through her tear-stained eyes as she quickly read through the instructions.
“Alright. I am attaching this Air Alarm to his chest. It’s an invention from my late father. Put this pad on your skin somewhere. The Air Alarm will send a signal to the pad on your body if this man stops breathing. The signal will cause your pad to heat up. When the pad on your skin starts to get hot, then you will have to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or possibly CPR. Do you remember how to do those?”
“Yes,” Alana replied. “I still remember everything you taught me about medicine when I was a child. I was glad when you offered to teach me and father thought it was an excellent idea as well. He said it would be great to have a queen who could help look after her people through medicine as well as through her governing duties.”
Dr. Algie smiled tenderly at Alana, took one last look at Thomas and whispered, “Good luck, boy.” He turned to leave.
“One more thing.” He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “I’ll have one of my assistants send over more of that concoction of mine. The boy will need to keep drinking it every day for nutritional purposes. Make sure he drinks from it twice a day. The amount is on the list I gave you.”
After Dr. Algie left the room, Alana turned her full attention to the sheet of paper in her hand. She needed to make sure that the patient didn’t catch a fever, so she had to check his temperature often. If he did start feeling feverish, she should apply a cold, wet rag to his forehead. Alana ran to her bathroom, which was adjoined to her room, and gathered up a large porcelain bowl of cold water and a hand towel. Upon her return, she laid them on the bedside table and sat down on the bed next to Thomas.
She turned her attention once more to the note Dr. Algie had left. She should change the bandages whenever they became blood-soaked or at a minimum of twice a day. She needed to make sure the bed sheets were clean, changing them once a day. All of the instructions were simple and straight-forward which left her plenty of time for other forms of nursing.
Setting the sheet of paper down by the porcelain bowl, she turned her attention to the man whose head was resting next to her thigh. This was the first time she had gotten a chance to really look at him. The events of the day were so hectic that she’d never really paid any attention to his appearance.
Alana was amazed by the man lying next to her. She could tell from the curvature and solid appearance of his muscles that he wasn't a frail being. He wasn't monstrous like most of the palace guards, but he didn't look weak and he appeared to be in excellent physical health. He looked around her age and was quite dashing in her eyes. She couldn't help but think about him.
Questions abounded in her mind as she watched the rising and falling of his chest and his eyes darting about underneath his closed eyelids. He was dreaming, but about what? What could have possibly happened to cause such a state? Why wouldn't he wake up? Did he have a partner on the surface?
Alana blushed furiously and shook her head to reassemble her thoughts and force them down a far less embarrassing path. Part of her wanted this man to wake up quickly so that she might talk to him. The other part was fearful and wanted him to remain asleep at least until the guards returned from their search with Tiger. She was terrified that her father might break his oath to her and have the young man killed should he wake before they could retrieve their answers.
Alana’s thoughts scattered everywhere for the rest of the day. One moment she would be thinking of her father, the next of Tiger and the guards, then of the man she was gazing at. She had decided that she would stick the pad from the Air Alarm on the inside of her left breast, directly over her heart.
“Let our hearts be one. Let my heart guide you back to this world. May it bring you good fortune and protect you as it does me,” she whispered in his ear. This was her prayer for Thomas; the prayer she made at least five times a day as she held her hands over her chest. If her strength could be his strength, then that was all she could have asked for.
Over the next few days, Alana rarely left Thomas’ side. She ate all her meals while sitting on her bed, fed Thomas the concoction Dr. Algie had left her along with warm soup, letting it run down his throat while dabbing the residue with a napkin, read stories to Thomas while he lay sleeping, stroked his hair gently while she sang graceful, melodious lullabies in his ear, and dabbed his forehead with the cold cloth from time-to-time to avoid fevers.
It was a beautiful sight. As awe inspiring as a mother caring for her sick child. At nights, when she slept, it was either sitting against the wall leaning her head on the bed or kneeling, holding his hand between both of hers as she rested her head next to his.
***
“King Aquarius!” Captain Orion, the leader of the Royal Guards, came rushing into the throne room early one morning a week after Thomas had arrived. He was a young man in his mid-twenties. He, like every other citizen of Atlantis, had blazing fluorescent blue hair. His hair was cut short and befitted his militaristic personality. His build was incredibly muscular, though no comparison to the mountain of muscle that was King Aquarius, and he had a stony face. It was the face of one who has witnessed too much violence in far too short a time, a soldiers burden.
His urgent tone caught the king’s attention instantly. He rushed to King Aquarius’ side and dropped to one knee in one practiced motion. “The guards you sent with Tiger have returned to the city. They are on their way to see you as we speak.”
“It’s about time! They should have been back a long time ago. It’s been a full week! Thank you. Send them to me as soon as they arrive at the palace.”
The guards arrived in the throne room only a few short moments later. Captain Orion ushered them in and stood next to King Aquarius, awaiting their report. One of the guards was holding a newspaper clipping in his hands. “We apologize that it took so long, Sire. We did as you asked and investigated thoroughly.”
“And what did you find out?” The king asked with mixed anxiety and enthusiasm.
The guards surveyed each other, unsure of who should speak first. Finally, the guard without the newspaper began, “Sire! We searched the entire area where Tiger brought us and found nothing of importance. There were two halves of a surface dweller’s airplane under the sea, but no bodies to be found. We spoke with the local sea creatures and they con-firmed that there were no bodies at all. According to witnesses, the two halves of the plane landed in the ocean amidst a large...witnesses described it as an explosion on the ocean surface. As the pieces began to flood, all of the surface dwellers inside the plane started floating to the surface while holding on to some type of padding.”
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