Under the Roses

52 - If Human Beings Are Not Drowned

HANS

Don't breathe don't breathe don't breathe—

It was so cold. It felt like ice.

Don't breathe don't—He breathed in, and everything exploded into pain. Choking—burning—breathe—

There was nothing.

And then there was singing.

Everything turned white and blurry. Something shapeless flitted across his vision. Everything burned. His chest hurt.

He coughed, and it felt like he was coughing up his throat. He might have vomited.

The singing stopped. "He's alive!"

He was alive? Why did it hurt so much to be alive?

"Hello?"

Why couldn't he see anything? Why couldn't he breathe? He was breathing now, but why couldn't he get any air? Breathe—

"Stop it!" It was a female voice. Why couldn't he see who was speaking? "Don't hyperventilate! You're breathing, just breathe normally..."

What did breathing normally feel like?

"Are these yours?" Something cold and wet slid onto his face. He blinked, and all of a sudden everything was too sharp. Nothing was blurry, but nothing looked clear. There were two identical faces swimming in front of him, then another pair of identical faces.

He shut his eyes.

Breathe.

"What do we do?" The female voice. "Wait, don't die again..."

Hans opened his eyes. His vision seemed to have settled to normal. The sky was so blue it hurt. The ground felt soft beneath him. And...grainy.

A freckled face leaned in above him. The end of a bright red pigtail brushed against his face. "Keep your eyes open!" she said. Why was her voice so...high? It was accented, too, but not with the usual Phirish accent he was used to hearing.

Hans wiped his mouth and tried to sit up.

"Wait!" she said. "Just lie down. You might die again!"

"...Again?" The word forced itself out, scratching against his throat. It hurt so much. His tongue felt numb in his mouth.

"Yeah." The girl moved out of his periphery, and he stared at the sky. It hurt to breathe. "Min found you in the water, and he pulled you out, but you weren't breathing."

In the water? What was he doing in the water? Where even was he?

His lips felt so dry for just being out of the water. He wanted to lick them, but he could barely move his tongue. "...I heard singing." His voice didn't sound right. Or maybe it wasn't his voice. Maybe there was something wrong with his ears. Why couldn't he ask the important questions?

"Oh," she said. "We had to find the right beat for your heart. Are you all right? Did Min hurt you?"

Who was Min? "I'm cold." The words felt like they were ripping open his throat.

The girl gasped. "Oh!" she said again. "Right—Min got you dry, but of course you're still cold! Min, I'm going to get him another blanket or something. Make sure he doesn't die again, okay!"

He didn't hear her footsteps as she ran off.

Hans lay there for a while, seeing nothing but the sky. He rolled over onto his side and coughed. It was nothing but air, but it felt like there was water in his throat, in his lungs. He coughed violently until his throat burned so much he had to stop.