The Fool By The Seaside | mclennon

5

Chapter 5: A Violent Sea

[AN: i imagine John looking like 1965-ish, with the hair long but not too long. See the picture above.]

But he never got to ask the question, Paul woke up the next morning feeling like absolute shite. His father took one look at him and told him to go back to bed and rest for the whole day. Paul didn't even protest, he was feeling so down. He spent all day in bed, coughing up a lung by the sound of it. He was shivering and yet felt hotter than he could ever remember feeling. He was happy that he didn't have to go to work, though he did feel guilty over not being able to visit John, and it wasn't like Paul could just call him and explain to the Merman what was going on. He wondered how John was feeling.

John was feeling confused. He had shown up earlier than usual and hidden behind the rock, wanting to surprise Paul with his new look. John was practically shining, so glamorous he looked. He'd been stared at as he had swam away from the village, and his auntin had been overjoyed at his new hairstyle. He had pinned some of it up, and made the loose strands shorter than they used to be. Cyneeah, his close friend, had gifted him some of her old pins and John had to admit that they looked very good on him.

He had waited for a while behind the rock, getting more baffled by the minute. Paul was late, Paul was never late. He wasn't supposed to be. By the time the sun had begun to set, John had curled himself up in the sand, part of his tail still on the water. Everytime he heard a sound he sprung up with a grin, but it was always a seagull or a crab, never his Paul.

Knowing his Auntin would question it if he got home too late, John sadly left the beach and headed back home. Usually he would make up a story to tell 'Mimi' but he felt too blue to think of any credible one. No one knew where he was, since the first incident with Paul John didn't talk to Stu about the human anymore, he knew the Marine Man wouldn't understand.

The next day Paul still felt horrible, and his dad was very worried.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call for a doctor, Paul?"

Paul nodded at his Da from where he laid on his bed, "Yes, I'm sure." They didn't have the money to spare for such things, Paul would just ride the fever out, it was fine.

His father frowned but felt a small pang of guilty relief, having a Doctor come down would be heavy on their pockets. If only his wife was still around, she would be able to fix up their son in a heartbeat.

"Well, then." He said, "I have to go to work now, you sure you will be okay?"

Paul coughed then nodded, "Yes, da. Promise."

Jim stood up and opened the door to his son's room, "Alright, holler for Mike if you need anything, don't get up."

Paul nodded tiredly, and as soon as his father was gone he let himself be overcomed by slumber.

When he next woke up the sun was getting low in the sky. Crap, had he really slept all day? Once again, he hadn't been able to visit John. Shit.

And he felt no better than he did in the morning, maybe he should see a doctor. But with what money? He briefly thought of the stone John gave him, but people would question where he had gotten it from, also he wasn't certain that it would be worth enough. And indeed, Paul did not wish to part with it, it was special. He kept the stone under his pillow, his relaxed him when he slept. And when he touched it, he didn't feel so ill anymore. It was almost like it was magical, but John had assured him that it wasn't. John had no magic to give, he had said. Paul was tempted to disagree, everything about the merman was magical. God, that sounded queer.