TW: In the Description
Art provided by _chooarts_ on Instagram!
Giulia POV
Giulia tore after Alberto, the rain striking the side of her face as she ran. But it was no use. She saw the end of his tail disappear beneath the waves.
"Alberto, no!" She cried, but he was gone. The men of the village had sped away in their boats towards the giant shadow in the distance. It was a massive ship, bigger than anything Giulia had ever seen.
Giulia ran down the length of the beach feeling helpless. What could she do?
Nothing.
The realization dawned on her, and she fell to her knees on the sandy beach, the rain soaking through her curly red hair.
There was nothing she could do - but wait.
~.~.~.~
The fishing boats returned hours later. The sun had not yet peeked over the horizon, casting Portorosso in an early blue light. The storm had passed, leaving behind only a light drizzle. Giulia sat huddle under a canopy with several other of the village members.
They all rushed to the docks when they heard the old fishing boats puttering home. Wives rushed to their husbands, hugging them. All the fishermen looked half-drowned. But more than anything - they looked defeated.
Giulia raced to her father as he tied the boat to the dock.
"Papa!" She cried, throwing her arms around him. He wasn't hurt, but the exhaustion on his face told her that the night did not go well. "What happened?"
"Oh, my dear Giulietta." He sighed, giving her a one-armed hug. "I told you to wait home." He said, seeing her soaked clothes and cold, pale skin.
"That doesn't matter now! What happened?"
"The storm slowed our boats. They must have seen us coming because, by the time we arrived, they were pulling up their nets and fleeing. We tried to follow, but the giant ship cut through the waves better than our fishing boats. We lost sight of them."
"So they got away!?" Giulia asked, clinging to her father.
"We called the police boats on the radio and told them which direction the ship fled. But I doubt they will catch them. I am sorry, Giulietta, we failed."
"No, papa! You scared them off! All of you did. Who knows how long they would have stayed if we just sat and did nothing!" She hugged her dad again.
"We did our best." He said, looking down.
The rain continued to trickle on the defeated town of Portorosso. Everyone was waiting for answers. But there were few to be had. Chief Fanti announced that the police fleet lost sight of the Mercenaries in the storm. Nobody knew if they succeeded in catching the Sireni in the village.
Giulia looked around the crowd as they listened to the Chief of police. She didn't see them.
"Papa?" She asked, still scanning all the faces. "Can you see Al? Or Luca?"
Massimo began looking, his movements becoming sharper as he failed to spot them.
"They did not return?" He asked her.
She shook her head. "Al went to the village. They might be hiding with the rest of the villagers."
But the longer they looked, the more frightened they became. Nobody had heard word from the Carollina village. Nobody knew if any had been taken away. Pretty soon, Massimo was gathering the already exhausted men and women to search the beaches. Giulia was the first to race to the sand, yelling as she went.
"Luca! Al!" She called over the crashing of the waves and the call off the seagulls. She ran up and down the beach, scanning every rocky cliff as she went.
"Where are they?" She said out loud, the wind pushing her hair over her face. She looked down, thinking hard. But then froze. The waves were lapping over her bare feet. But they were red. Her head shot up. A steady path of red leaked down the beach. She followed it at a run.
Giulia gasped as she arrived at its source. Two figures lay motionless on the sand: one purple and one green.
"Help!" She cried as loud as she could. "Help, I found them!" She fell to her knees in the blood-stained water. Alberto's arm lay limp across Luca's shoulders. Luca was covered head to toe in a steel net. It was wrapped around his tail so tightly that the end of it was turning blue.
She shook them both, but they remained motionless. Cold and motionless. They both had hundreds of tiny scratches all around them. Alberto's shirt clung to him in tatters. She quickly found the source of the majority of the blood. Luca's thigh had been sliced wide open. Scaled skin and muscle lay torn and exposed. It opened wide enough to reveal the white bone beneath.
Giulia couldn't stand it. She crawled away and wretched into the sand.
Footsteps raced towards her. Massimo placed a hand on her back as she threw up the contents of her stomach. He looked up and saw the boys.
"Madonna Santa!"
The villagers crowded around them. Massimo lifted Luca, net and all, into his arms.
"Get Alberto! Veloce!"
It took two other villagers to carry Alberto's heavy unconscious form. They ran down the beach, where a van stood waiting for them. They gently lay them on blankets while the van raced to the hospital.
Giulia crouched beside her brother in the van, too shocked to cry. She clung to his hand.
"Please be ok."
Alberto POV
The last thing Alberto could remember was battling the storm and being surrounded by Luca's blood.
The deepwater where the rest of the villagers hid was close, but Luca needed a hospital. And fast.
Luca cringed and cried out as he tried his best to swim, one leg dangling uselessly at his side. Alberto held him, half dragging him through the water.
"It's going to be ok, Luca. I've got you. It's going to be ok." He kept saying over and over.
It wasn't long before Luca's kicks became week and feeble. Then he went slack in Alberto's arms. He had lost too much blood. Alberto sped up his already exhausted body, his muscles screaming with agony. The waves crashed around him, forcing him to fight harder.
Then..... it was over.
The next thing he knew was pain. Everywhere. His entire body hurt. Every breath was torture. Slowly the memories came back to him.
His eyes flashed open only to be blinded by brilliant light. In a panic, he thrashed, lashing out with his talons only....he didn't have talons. He flexed his hands to feel very human fingernails.
"Eh basta Alberto! Calmati, calmati!" Someone shouted nearby. Alberto heard the clatter of metal instruments hit the floor.
Blinking furiously against the hospital lights, Alberto's eyes focused on the room around him. A doctor with shoulder-length curly brown hair held one of Alberto's arms down. He wore a long white lab coat and had a slightly unshaven beard creeping up his face.
"Easy, Alberto, you're safe."
"Where am I?" Alberto asked, feeling the pain ringing all around his body.
"You're in the Portorosso Hospital. I am Doctor Romano." Alberto did his best to focus on the man before him. He was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, with copper skin and a sharp jawline. His golden-brown eyes reminded Alberto of someone. Who was it?
"Luca!" Alberto shouted, trying to stand as memories flooded back to him. Dr. Romano held him down.
"Your friend is fine!" He grunted, battling Alberto's strength. "Now calm down, or I'll sedate you!"
Alberto froze, then suddenly became light-headed and fell back to the bed.
"See? You're too hurt to be causing this much ruckus." Dr. Romano said, pushing his long hair from his face.
"Where is Luca?" Alberto croaked, his eyes lolling from side to side.
"He is recovering from surgery right now. He should wake up in a couple of hours."
"Surgery?" Alberto asked.
"Yes. He had a very substantial laceration on his right leg. It was a five-hour surgery, but we have him put back together. He is doing just fine."
Alberto relaxed a little. Then the door to his room opened.
"Al!" Giulia screeched. She slammed into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.
"OW!" GIULIA!" Alberto yelled.
"Sorry, sorry!" She backed away. "I'm just so glad you're finally awake."
"How long have I been out?" Alberto asked, slowly sitting himself up.
"About ten-ish hours. You were in really bad shape."
"How banged up am I?" He asked.
Dr. Romano cut in with a reply, "Other than close to fatal exhaustion; you weren't that hurt. You have over a hundred small lacerations all over you, but none of them required any stitching. The deepest ones are in your hands and feet, but I've bandaged those pretty tight, and as long as you don't reopen them, they will heal on their own."
Alberto looked at his hands and saw them wrapped in tight white cloth. He felt the same for his feet.
"You guys are fortunate Dr. Romano was here," Giulia said, gesturing to the man beside them. "He is the only doctor in all of Italy able to treat Sea Monsters.
Alberto squinted. "How is that?" He asked suspiciously.
"By legal means, I can assure you." Dr. Romano snapped, sensing Alberto's skepticism. "Since Portorosso was the first town in all of Italy to take in your kind, I came here straight away to begin my research. With the help of volunteers," he put extra stress on the word, "I learned a lot about your kinds' physical functions. They even graciously offered me a few of their deceased so that I could completely familiarize myself with your internal mechanisms. If not for those studies, I would not have been able to repair your friend's leg today."
"Wow," Alberto said, impressed. "I guess I am lucky to have you here." He said. Then, feeling guilty for judging him, he extended a bandaged hand.
"Alberto Scorfano." He said, introducing himself.
"Oh, I know who you are, Alberto." Dr. Romano said very gently, taking his hand. "I am Doctor Mattias Levici Romano. But you can call me Mattias if you'd like."
"Mattias, it is," Alberto said, shaking hands. Immediately after, he asked, "When can I go see Luca?"
Mattias hesitated. "He won't be awake for a couple more hours, and even then, he will need some time before the anesthetics wear off. He might not be ready to talk much later.
"I want to see him," Alberto said, already raising himself.
"Slow down." Mattias chastised. "Since I can see there is no stopping you, I'll arrange for a nurse to get you a wheelchair and go to his room.
"Thank you," Alberto said, relaxing again.
"But," Mattias said, turning to Giulia, "I'm afraid visiting hours closed over thirty minutes ago. Head home, get some rest, then you can come back tomorrow."
She didn't reply at first. She stared at Dr. Romano unblinkingly as though in a trance.
"Giulia?" Alberto said. She shook herself from her stupor
"Ah yes. Sorry." She walked to Alberto, taking his hand. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Me too." He replied, smiling at her. "I'll see you home."
"For sure." And she left the room.
A nurse came by sometime later and helped Alberto into a wheel chair without putting too much pressure on his torn-up feet. She wheeled him into a dark room. The only sound was the steady beeping of a heart monitor. And there in the center lay Luca, eyes closed with a blanket pulled to his chest. The nurse parked Alberto beside him and then left.
Alberto looked at Luca. Then and only then did all the tension in his body finally relax. Listening to the steady beeping of Lucas's heart, he repeated the exact words over and over.
"He is alive. Luca is alive. Luca is ok." He chanted these words until his mind believed them. Alberto stared into his face. Dozens of tiny red marks covered his skin. He reached out and gently stroked Luca's face.
"I am so sorry." He pleaded. "I should have been there sooner."
Alberto reached his hand under the covers until he found Luca's. He gripped Luca's hand tightly. It was warm. It was so wonderfully warm. Suddenly he realized that tears were streaming down his face. He pressed Luca's hand to his face, letting the silent sobs shake his body. Letting go of all that fear.
With tears rolling down his face, he pressed his lips to the back of Luca's hand. He held that silent kiss for a long time. Reminding himself over and over that Luca was okay.
He fell asleep, his chest resting on Luca's bed, his hand still tightly holding on to someone he came so close to losing. His consciousness slipped away to the sound of Luca's steady heartbeat.
~.~.~.~
Alberto woke to someone flicking him on the eyelid.
"You should sleep in your own bed." Mattias chided.
"No." Alberto sat up, yawning. "I want to stay."
He eyed the doctor standing beside him. Mattias was wearing the same white lab coat from before but had his hair pulled in a ponytail. But he was way too chipper for so early in the morning. Alberto squinted at him, half irritated, half amused.
"You know, you're way too pretty to be a doctor." He said, eyeing Mattias's tall form. He was about the same height as Alberto.
"Ha!" The doctor laughed, "I would say that's the first time I've ever heard that - but it isn't."
Alberto grunted. "Humble too."
Mattias raised his arms. "If being both beautiful and intelligent is a crime, you can wheel me off right now."
Alberto rolled his eyes and turned back to Luca, then looked at the clock on the wall.
"He should have been awake by now," Alberto said, concerned.
"Your boyfriend just went through a very traumatic event and came out of a major surgery. His body might need some extra time to recover." Mattias answered.
"He isn't my boyfriend." Alberto corrected.
"You sure?" Mattias said, looking at their clasped hands then back to Alberto.
(Credit to _Chooarts_ on Instagram)
Alberto ignored him.
"But you do need to eat and shower. I have a nurse ready to give you an assisted shower when you're ready."
"I can shower myself!" Alberto said defiantly.
Mattias rolled his eyes. He really didn't act like a doctor. "She isn't going to scrub you. Just help you onto a chair in the shower. You can stay in your underwear if you'd like."
"I will." Alberto retorted.
"Suit yourself. I personally wouldn't turn down the chance to have a pretty woman help me wash."
Alberto wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I'm sure you would." He couldn't tell if he liked Mattias or not.
"Your loss." The doctor said and left the room.
"What's with that guy?" Alberto thought.
Soon a nurse came in and wheeled Alberto to the showers. He washed himself hurriedly and then ate a small meal. He didn't have an appetite, but the nurse insisted. She rolled him back down the hall to Luca's room. Alberto hated being wheeled around like a child. He was perfectly capable of walking. But Dr. Romano had ordered him to stay in the chair, and if the staff was anything like doctor, he knew they weren't above using brute force to keep him down.
He went back to Luca's bedside. Alberto thought his face had little more color in it since the night before. He found Luca's hand and gripped it tightly. Hours passed, but Alberto never even considered leaving. Mattias checked in on him every once in a while, but for the most part, it was just Alberto and Luca.
As the sun was setting on the second day, Alberto squeezed Luca's hand.
"Luca, I have to tell you something."
Silence.
"I thought I was going to lose my mind." He shook his head.
"No... I did lose my mind. When I saw you there - when I saw what was happening, I lost all control."
The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reply.
"For the longest time, I wondered why. Why do I go crazy over anything that involved you? Why do thoughts of you keep me awake?" He took a deep breath then whispered, "Why am I so scared?"
Alberto squeezed Luca's hand again.
"I think I know the answer now." He paused, then took a deep breath.
"Luca, I think I'm in lo-"
He stopped. Was it just his imagination? Or did the hand in his squeeze back? Alberto squeezed Luca's hand again. This time there was no questioning. It squeezed him back.
"Luca?" Alberto breathed, scooting himself closer to the bed.
"B....rto." A near-silent breath escaped Luca's lips.
"Luca, are you there?" Alberto said, his heart racing.
"A....berto." It breathed again.
Alberto's heart sprang as he realized what Luca was trying to say.
"I'm here, Luca!"
"Al....rto."
The door opened, and Mattias walked in.
"Is he waking?" He asked as he took a stethoscope from around his neck, placing the buds in his ears and the metal disk on Luca's chest. He listened then began nodding.
"Everything sounds good." He looked at the monitor. "Brain waves are normal. He is lucky; with that much head trauma, I was expecting a stroke the second he started to wake up."
"A stroke!?" Alberto half yelled. "He was at risk for a stroke, and you didn't tell me!?" He was furious.
Mattias shrugged. "Would it have helped?"
Alberto didn't have an answer, but he was furious nonetheless. "You didn't tell me anything about head trauma." Alberto hissed.
"Again - would it have helped?"
Alberto was about to throw some particular words in the doctor's direction when he felt a stronger squeeze in his hand.
"I'll leave you and your non-boyfriend friend alone then." He said with a mocking wink and walked out the door.
Alberto turned back to Luca, holding his hand tight.
"Take your time Luca, wake up when you're ready."
Another hand squeeze.
Alberto watched as Luca's breathes became stronger. After a few minutes, his eyelids began to flutter open. They blinked rapidly as the brightness of the room hit them. When they had adjusted to the light, Luca's golden brown eyes found Alberto.
It was everything Alberto could do not to burst into tears right then and there. He held himself back. He never thought he would see those eyes again.
Luca smiled. "Alberto."
That was all he said. But coming from Luca's lips, Alberto couldn't think of anything sweeter.
"Yeah, it's me." He said, squeezing Luca's hand again. Luca looked down at their clasped hands. He half expected Luca to pull away but was glad he didn't.
"I can't believe you're here," Luca said, his voice slightly cracked.
"I told you before," Alberto said, "I'll never ever leave you, Luca."
Italian Translations
Sireni - Merpeople (Plural)
Sirena - Merperson (Female)
Sireno - Merperson (Male)
Aspetta - Wait
Madonna Santa! - Good God
Veloce! - Quickly
Eh basta Alberto! Calmare, calmare! - That is enough Alberto calm down, calm down
Authors Note:
Guys I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support from you all! I am so glad you like my story! I have so much more ready to share with you guys!
- TaraZamir
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