the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but did we ever fall?

Chapter 6 (the narrators)

"Jesus CHRIST chip."

Gill wanted to laugh. He'd heard that exact sound so many times before. Like it was on a soundboard or something.

A soundboard? Huh. Anyways.

But he couldn't laugh. Because that would hurt like hell.

"How many times are you gonna try and KILL US?" Jay shrieked, throwing her hands up in the air as she paced.

"Hey, hey can you keep it down? I'm trying to focus here." Chip said as his knee bounced nervously, trying to pour a health potion into gills mouth.

"Feed me chip, for I am baba." Gill mumbled in his half-delirious state.

"Yeah, okay bud. I'm tryin' to."

"I mean,,, what is this the SIXTH FUCKING TIME you've dragged us into an unnecessary battle and almost KILLED GILL????" Gill watched as something in chip snapped and he whipped around, spilling the potion.

"Chiip.." Gill whined.

"JAY CAN YOU FUCKING SHUT UP? OKAY? Look..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm fucking sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. But right now? Right now we have to get Gill back on his feet. Can we- can we maybe focus on that?" Chip's voice sounded weak. Upset maybe. Gill weakly tried to snatch the vial of potion for himself. Only really brushing his fingers against the glass.

"Chiiip~ jaaaaay~ my stummy hurts uunnh."

"Yeah buddy we know, we know. Here." Chip said as he pushed the cool glass into his hands, "I'm sure you'll do better than I was doing." Chip sent a worried smile his way and Gill tried to out-smile him, although it probably looked more of a grimace than a smile.

Yeah.

It turned out that orc chip had tried to rizz up wasn't a level one noob, but in fact a level 100 mob boss. And hit like hell. And poisoned like hell. And Gill was in hell.

"Guyssss. I think this is gonna be it for meee." Gill said as he chugged the remaining potion. Jay huffed at her bangs.

"No Gill. This isn't the end. Shut up."

"Okayy."

And then the world froze. Nothing was moving. And Gill couldn't move. He wasn't in pain anymore though. So there was that. Wait. Had he just died..? That hilarious.

"Uh Charlie, I'm gonna have you roll a d20 to see how. Much. Health you get back."

"Well thank god. I don't wanna *DIE* for the eleven *BILLIONTH* time this campaign."

People laughed. Who the fuck was laughing?

The voices sounded muffled and thin like they were in another room and underwater at the same time. What was going on?

"Uhh I got a tweeelve.." "Cool!"

And then the boat was rocking. The air was moving. He was blinking.

"Guys.. whatthefuck."

He meant to say it. He did, but the words felt like they were trapped at his temples. Like they wouldn't travel further to his mouth. Chip and Jay were chatting, back to normal. It seemed like they hadn't noticed anything at all. But it might also be like Gills issue. Where they can't say anything. Gill searched his friends' faces as well as he could.

"No, I swear, I'll be fine!" The words left his mouth. But they were never in his brain. He hadn't even been following the conversation. What the fuck was going on? And on top of that, he was feeling better. Like he could keep his eyes open.

"Gill." Chip put his hands on the side of Gills head. "You're dry. So dry."

"Yeah, that's abnormal."

"Nuh-uh."

"You're like sandpaper."

"..."

Gill sat looking at chips face. "Ugh, fiiiiiiine." He rolled his eyes and pushed his feet out of bed, heading for the upper deck.

"Wait Gill where are you going?" Jay asked as he walked past.

"I'm gonna go regain my moistness."

"How?"

"Ocean Mom."

"Oh my god- Gill- wait." Jay turned around to follow Gill up the stairs, rubbing a hand down her face.

"Gill, you were just knocked out cold, do you really think you're fit for a swim?" Jays words were laced with worry.

"Mhm, I lived in the water Jay, I'll be fine." Gill noticed that his armor wasn't anywhere that he had noticed. He clambered over the railing, sitting for a second. The breeze was soft and salty. Gill let it lift his hair as he closed his eyes. He could feel the boat creak underneath him. Something about the back-and-forth motion felt so... Right. Even when they stopped on an island Gill was always lagging behind, tripping over his own legs. It was frustrating, but on the boat, he could feel the ocean. He could feel at home. To be honest it felt more like home than the undersea ever had. But at the same time, no matter how much this boat felt like home, something was changing. And Gillion wasn't sure if it was for the better. What had happened below deck? And now that he thought about it, it had happened before that too. Right before they fought that orc, and even before that. Everything stopped for a second, became too still. Gill resurfaced, letting the air cool his face. Wait. When had he jumped off the boat? Why was he in the water? Had he been too lost in thought?

"Gill?" Jays' voice rang clear, coming from the boat. Her orange hair peeking over the side.

"Hey Gill!" She hopped over the rail, sitting where he'd been until now.

"Hey, Jay.." Gill righted himself in the water, feeling a strange sense of deja Vu. "You feeling better? That was quite the uh, scuffle back there."

"To be honest, I only remember kicking ass and then uh, falling unconscious so."

"Yeah," Jay let out a tired laugh. "That's pretty much what happened." Gillion shot himself out of the water, landing next to Jay.

"Yeah I'm feeling better. But..." He looked up to the clear sky, "I don't know Jay. I just want to keep you guys safe! But lately, I've been- I've been weaker, just- not... Strong? I keep making the wrong choices and you both have to pull me back up." Gill cringed at his own words, remembering his 'childhood'. that he couldn't remember the elders' vague voices, berating him. But the memory was strange. A third person view. A story someone else was narrating. He laughed at something Jay said. But he wasn't in the conversation.

He heard the ocean He heard the wind And he heard the narrators.

-and Gill... Gill puts his hand on jays shoulder and says-

"Thank you, Jay. It's nice to know someone else sees the same."