The Many Regrets of a Cyborg Werewolf

How Do You Do It? - III

The characteristic slam of the front door let Mercer know Luke had returned. He left his room, briefly debating checking on Erin, before heading out into the living room. Luke was already in the kitchen, digging through his refrigerator of meat, while Mahi approached the doctor.

"How's she doing?" Mahi asked.

"The best she can on her own," Mercer replied. No comment came from the kitchen.

"I wish I knew what to do," the young mer's gaze drifted. He peered down the hallway, seemingly debating much as Mercer did. However they both knew Erin hardly acknowledged anyone.

"Same," Mercer adjusted his glasses. "The sample?"

"Oh, right," Mahi said. He held up his hand, closed to a loose fist, then seemed to focus. His hand briefly turned transparent, revealing an impurity in its normally crystal-clear consistency, only to change back to solid flesh as Mahi opened his fingers to reveal a small amount of the powdered substance.

"Good," Mercer held out a small flat container. Mahi carefully dumped the contents of his hand inside.

"I got both kinds," he remarked, "but it's weird. I think one is just regular dirt, but the other is like silt or something. It's really dry."

"I'll get to work," Mercer closed the container, "and I already have a lead on those statues. I reviewed the footage in detail and I noticed there were written characters on it. I have yet to translate, but it seems very, very old."

"I'm going to see if she needs anything," Mahi gave Mercer a pat on the shoulder. He stepped past the doctor and into the hallway, approaching Erin's door as he gently knocked. There wasn't a reply, but he entered anyway, carefully opening it to see her sat on her bed. She rested her arms on her knees, which were up to her chest, and gazed towards the window. The blinds were down, allowing only slits of light and no view outside, but it didn't seem like she was looking anywhere in particular.

"Aloha," he said softly. Erin didn't respond. Mahi gingerly closed the door behind him as he entered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm fine," she replied. Mahi nodded.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked. Even through her sweatpants and hoodie Mahi could tell she was thin, "something to eat?"

"I tried," she said, her chin sinking into her arms. "I can't. Every time I try I just think..."

"It's alright," he nodded. Mahi didn't want to upset her. "We could just talk if you want? About anything."

"No," Erin said. "There's nothing to talk about." Mahi couldn't help but feel defeated. He had no idea what to do, and so he simply gave a polite nod as he stood up and went to the door. If she didn't want to talk he wouldn't force her. Mahi opened the door and left in the hallway, only to notice Luke leaning up against the wall next to her door.

"There's nothing me or Ola can do," Mahi whispered. "If you're going to actually give a damn, now would be a good time."

"Is that what you think?" Luke asked. Mahi crossed his arms.

"I'm not going to pretend to know what your problem is," Mahi said, "I don't know if you secretly care or if you're just the bonafide, genuine asshole you make yourself out to be." Luke raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't respond, so Mahi continued. "But if you want to do something that actually matters, you'll stop just pretending to be a human being and actually act like one."

"Or what?" Luke asked. Mahi let out a slight chuckle as he shook his head.

"Only you would take good advice as a threat," he said as he strode past Luke. "Do whatever you want, bro. Just don't let her suffer. She doesn't deserve it." Mahi entered his own room, leaving Luke alone as he still leaned against the wall. He remained there entirely too long, enough that his shoulders began to stiffen, before finally dropping his arms and pushing off the wall. He reached for the door handle, ready to simply walk in, but pulled his hand back. Instead he raised his hand to the door and knocked. As before, there was no reply, and so Luke entered. Erin was still on her bed, only unlike Mercer and Mahi, she actually seemed to acknowledge Luke right away. Unfortunately her reaction was of a panicked look in her eyes and a subtle, yet damning, flinch as she instinctively moved away ever so slightly. Already Luke regretted this.