"Ree?? Ree are you ok???"
Can he hear me?
He's shaking.
I rush to turn the tv on.
He's muttering to himself, is he breathing?
"T-Ted"
"Henry what do you need??"
I started to panic.
Something to remind him of home.
The only thing of his I have.
I run upstairs, fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Where the hell is it.
It's not at the bottom of the closet.
Shit.
"FUCK" I can't help but shout out, what do I do now?
And just as I thought that, I saw it.
I grabbed it and sprinted downstairs.
"Henry??? HENRY"
Shit I've never seen him this bad.
Shakily he tries to grab it, I pass it to him.
And he buries his face into it.
He's breathing now, thank god.
But he's crying.
Sobbing.
My poor boy.
Goddamnit why did we hesitate.
What upset him?
Shit.
I sit here and wait for him, I slowly rub his back so he knows I'm here for him.
It was Dylan. His ex-boyfriend, but he said they were just friends? It was a mutual break up.
Why did Dylan walk into the river? He never would've come across as someone who would do that.
Unless, he didn't have control over his body.
That sounds weird.
I wonder why his pupils were blue.
"T-Ted I-I'm sorry. I"
"Ree no no, you don't have to be sorry. It's ok I'm here. Breathe. Come here."
I pull him on my lap so he's sitting across me, I wrap him in a hug and rest my head in his shoulder. Can I hear his heart? Are you supposed to be able to hear a heartbeat from a shoulder?
I did biology for god knows how long and yet all I know is that leaves have chloroplasts and animals don't.
His breathing is regulating, but his cheeks are still red and puffy.
Those bloodshot eyes kill me in that moment.
A small tear trickles down his face, I wipe it off for him, he won't look at me.
"You're still the prettiest guy even when you're upset."
It's true.
I kissed him, his lips are so soft, and it was such a delicate kiss I felt like I'd just kissed an angel.
Oh wait, I have.
I'm trying to change the subject but I can't stop thinking about what's going on.
Is it not weird the group of identified people.
None of them have anything in common.
Or do they?
"Greg and Stus pupils had gone blue before they jumped."
He was staring off into nothing.
Fuck.
That's what upset him.
Wait.
Greg, Stu, and Dylans pupils all went blue?
That's, not normal.
Even normal drownings, their pupils don't go blue.
"Oh Henry, I'm so sorry. I just assumed"
"Shush. Please. I just need you here. Not the thoughts of them."
I've got it. Ok.
"Okay" He buried himself in my chest again.
We could stay here all night.
Or I carry him home.
But I'd prefer to keep him here so I know he's ok.
I text Emma:
*asap: get to henrys, spare key under the white flower pot, grab his bear on bed or desk: puddles, comes straight here dont talk to anyone- especially if u don't recognise*
Almost instantly:
*ur fckin lucky i was dropping shopping off already. ill be 10 mins*
And she was, with Paul.
I was carrying Henry bridal style, they looked a bit startled, but it was easier carrying him since he was clung to me like a sloth to a tree.
"Thank you so much, lock the door and check the back, quick."
They were obviously confused, looked at Henry and shrugged and checked.
I'm not letting Henry be in a room on his own.
I sit on the sofa and manage to weave myself off him.
Paulkins met me in the main room and both seemed to be looking at me unsurely.
"There's something going on. We listened to the radio, bodies have been appearing on land. Witnesses claim the pupils are a cold, bright blue."
I need to get the facts out.
"And why did you need the bear?"
"Let me finish. Dylan Rossi was found. First identified body. Henry started to have an anxiety attack, I mean, I think that's what it was. It was like he couldn't hear me. And then when they mentioned the blue pupils he started shaking and stopped breathing. I didn't know what to do. Gave him a hoodie that smells of his, sounds weird. When he had stopped crying, he said Greg and Stu had blue pupils just before they jumped in the river."
Emma was shocked, she looked at Henry.
"He mentioned that before."
"Not to me he hasn't."
"He said, they went blue and," in sync we both said, "like mindless zombies."
"The news said"
"Shit fuck Ted what're we gonna do?"
Paul just looked at us as though we were crazy.
"We need to go."
"We can't, I saw the bridge raising yesterday! Fuck... Ted do you think they new something might happen?"
I shrugged.
I don't fucking know.
Paul grabbed his phone and called Bill. He seemed relieved that Bill was ok, and future baby Alice, "Sally can fuck off though." Which made Emma laugh a bit.
Though she seemed sad when he said Alice would be ok.
Oh well.
Paul tries to hug her but she just stands with her arms crossed, resting on her stomach.
"Lilia. Let's call Lilia Rossi. She was there when they found Dylans body! We'll see if she saw anything weird."
And we did.
He lightly snores on the sofa, he is moving a lot. I'll wake him in a minute.
