I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 41: Under the Weather (Part 2)
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[Downstairs, Dr. Holt finishes up a conversation on the house phone with another one of her consultants. Neil and Lisa wait for an answer in the kitchen, leaning against the sink. Elliot waits in the living room, leaning against the wall, playing with the glass of water in his hands.]
Dr. Holt: on the phone. "Thank you." She hangs up the phone and walks into the kitchen, talking to the rest of the household. "The Infectious Disease Unit is sending someone over."
"You got the IDU involved? Ha, this is even more hilarious than I thought," Denman laughed. The girls and a few others look at her a little confused. "IDU?" Kim asked slowly. "It's the Infectious Disease Unit that doctor mentioned. I've been around them a few times, some intelligent folks but they are much too serious to be around," Denman answered. "And if you were faking it and they found out, oh I can't wait for that reaction."
"Just how far were you girls planning to go?" Max asked. "We wanted to stop once the rain ended, but the problem was once we realized we've gone too far we tried to back out of it immediately. Clearly, that didn't work out. We didn't know they were going to contact them," Rikki shrugged.
Lisa: "That sounds serious."
Dr. Holt: "You can never be too careful with something like this. In the meantime, we must all remain calm."
"I think that's a little too careful," Annette said. "That's saying something. You're always over cleaning your restaurant," Charlotte snickered. "Well, when you have a handful of health and food inspectors getting into your business, then you would know how it feels," Annette shook her head in annoyance.
"Seems like the girls were freaked out more than anybody," Don chuckled.
[The doorbell rings and Elliot runs over to see who was at the front door.]
Neil: and Lisa run after him to try and stop him. "Elliot, don't open that!"
Lisa: "Elliot, no! Don't open-." But they were too late. Once they round the corner of the entryway, they find Elliot already has the door wide open, and see that their new unwanted guests were none other than the Sertori's. "Ok, don't, you just-." Bev takes the lead and steps forward, laying her umbrella on the floor. Kim and Don follow in behind her, with the latter holding a large bag. Elliot closes the door behind them. They drop their shoulders in defeat.
"Talk about bad timing," Ash chuckled.
"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't think about the consequences," Elliot said with a sad look. Lisa pats his shoulder. "It's alright, sweetheart. All in all, I think it was a good thing that they were there, Cleo might've needed them."
Bev: straightens up and looks at them. "Thanks for calling, Lisa. I've left a message for Rikki's father, but we all had to come straight over." Gestures to her family, talking quickly, very worried about her daughter.
Cleo couldn't help the small, sad smile that crept up on her face as she tightened her grip on her arms. She was happy that her mom showed concern for her, even for Kim, she showed it when she got the measles. But when her mom left, she wondered if she even still cared about them. When she showed back up yesterday during this whole mess, she still showed the same concern from before. But was it real?
Cleo was going to wish for her mother back, for her family to be normal. She knows she should've been happy that she was back, but all she could feel was pain, anger for leaving them. And who knows how long it was going to be there. And she knows Kim felt the same way. Even though they both wanted her back, for things to be like they used to be.
But it seems she's finally beginning to realize that they probably never will be the same. That her wish was hopeless. That maybe she should get used to the fact that her family wasn't whole anymore. Cleo knew she needed to have a talk with her, to all of them. To talk about how she's been feeling, and about this whole thing they were in. But now wasn't the right time, maybe later when it catches up, they can. Knowing the way it's been going, it'll probably show her feelings about how her mom left, and then her mom will finally see what she left behind. And that's something she needs to know.
"Thanks for the message by the way Bev," Terry nodded. Seems like it wasn't worth the time though since they were faking it.
Dr. Holt: walks into the living room and gives them a stern look. They all turn to her. "I realize you're concerned parents. I'm a parent myself. But by entering, you've just committed yourselves to isolation." They all look around at each other.
"And if I'd known that I would've never walked in that door with you," Kim sighed. "Nice to know you care, Kim," Cleo said sarcastically. "It was so boring! I didn't want to be there for that long!" Kim exclaimed. "How do you think we felt?" "I thought you guys felt sick," Lewis teased.
Don: nods in her direction. "And, you are?"
Dr. Holt: "Dr. Holt, family doctor."
"Really? Had no idea," Zane said, rolling his eyes. Rikki grinned.
Bev: "Where's Cleo?"
Dr. Holt: "Resting, that's all she needs right now." Elliot heads into the living room, letting the parents deal with the conflict and Kim follows.
Bev: scoffs. "What Cleo needs is her mother. Wet towels and salt always fixed the girls when they were little." Elliot sits down on the couch, still holding his cup of water and Kim sits next to him. Bev begins to walk forward when she turns around and points at the bag Don was holding. "Don? Bring everything to the kitchen." Don passes by them, Dr. Holt watches them with an annoyed expression.
"Thanks for taking over," Neil chuckled; Lisa smiled. "My apologies, Neil. It's your house, I should've asked for permission first," Bev said quickly. "It's alright. We know you were just concerned for them," Lisa replied.
"I don't think wet towels will work this time," Mrs. Chatham chuckled. Bev's eyes widen. "Oh, dear. Don't tell me." "Ok. We won't," Rikki bit her cheek. "But just for the record, please don't do that ever again." "Duly noted," Bev nodded, hiding a smile. Neither one noticed the sad expressions on the two sisters' faces; being reminded of their childhood sick days, where their mother would take care of them the entire time with a loving smile on her face. How they missed it.
Cleo debated on whether she regrets wanting her mother back or not. On one hand, it was great to have her here, just hearing her voice made her feel somewhat nostalgic. But on the other, she couldn't help but feel angry that she hasn't bothered apologizing or saying that she missed or loved them. It was like she pretended the past few months hasn't happened! Cleo for sure though, that she was never going to forget it.
Kim: to Elliot as the adult meeting disbanded. "This is such a joke. I bet you there's nothing wrong with them."
"And I won that bet. So, pay up!" Kim beamed. "But we never shook on it," Elliot grinned. Kim looked at him, mouth agape in shock. "What! But you agreed on it!" "You agreed on it. I never spoke a word about betting," Elliot remarked. Emma smiled at him proudly. "That's my little brother," she said as she rubs his head. Kim crossed her arms, pouting away.
Elliot: takes a sip of his drink and looks at her. "The doctor said we're sick."
"Uh, correction. The doctor said they were sick, not you," Lewis pointed out. "I did turn out to be sick though," Elliot countered.
Kim: "It's a scam, Elliot. They're trying to get out of that exam."
"How did you know about the exam?" Emma asked. "I'm in the same school as you. Word is going to spread. Besides, Cleo was whining about it the night before," Kim shrugged. Cleo narrowed her eyes, forgetting about her inner conflict. "I knew I heard footsteps."
Kim: "I'll prove it." She takes the glass away from Elliot. Elliot tries to grab it back, but Kim keeps ahold of it.
Elliot: "No, you'll get the virus."
Kim bites on her lip, trying to hide a smile. She found it really sweet that Elliot cared so much for her that he didn't want her getting sick. Even if the virus wasn't real. Well, not the virus they were thinking about at least. Stupid measles. Ruined everything.
Kim: "There's no virus." She yanks the glass out of his hands, gently, and takes a sip of Elliot's drink. She hands the drink back to Elliot and smiles smugly.
"Ew," Bella gagged. "Why would you drink after him?" Charlotte said with a disgusted look. Kim blushed, either from embarrassment or shyness, she wasn't sure. "I don't know. I guess I just trusted him enough to prove a point. And he's my best friend," she said quietly. "A point that got backfired," Cleo smirked as she saw the blush on Kim's face. Kim, Kim, does someone have a crush on little Elliot?
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[Upstairs, the girls sat on the bed staring out the window, wishing for the rain to end so they could stop this madness before it got even worse. They turn their heads to the door once they hear rapid knocking then quickly scramble back under the sheets of Emma's bed, getting in their sick positions once again. The door opens and they find Lewis sneaking in and shutting the door behind him quietly. They sigh in relief and get out from under the covers, sitting up in the bed.]
Emma: "Lewis, how did you get in?"
"That's what I would like to know?" Neil asked in shock. "A scientist has his ways," Lewis grinned. "Not very good ones," Rikki muttered.
Lewis: steps forward. "The back door."
"But we were all downstairs, how would you have sneaked by us? There were so many of us!" Neil said, still not understanding how it was possible. "It's not that hard when you're all distracted by Dr. Know-It-All. I literally just walked up the stairs while you guys were chatting away in the living room," Lewis chuckled.
Lewis: "What's going on? Is everyone alright?"
Cleo: "Well, it started to rain so I fainted."
"Great explanation, Cleo. Totally didn't freak me out or anything," Lewis said, full of sarcasm. "I explained it way too much at that point," Cleo shook her head.
Lewis: looks up at them seriously. "Now you're in quarantine." The girls nod in response. "You guys do things the easy way, don't you?" They grin at the sarcastic remark.
"The sarcasm is appreciated, Lewis. At least somebody found the situation humorous," Rikki laughed.
"It's never the easy way. Not when your life is full of magic," Mrs. Chatham said, a sad smile on her lips as she thought about Gracie.
[A knock comes from the door and the group freezes.]
Bev: on the other side of the door. "Are you decent? I'm coming in." Lewis quickly crawls up under the bed as the girls get back into their sick position, covering themselves up once more. Bev opens the door and walks in with the towels and a humidifier then closes the door behind her. Looks at the girls in bed. "Cleo, ah, poor sweetheart. Everything is going to be alright."
"You were in there the whole time?!" Don and Bev shouted. Kim's mouth was once again agape, this time in amusement instead of shock. Sure, she was surprised but she found it hilarious that he was in there as well, hiding under a bed.
"That is totally not creepy at all," Zane blinked. "Why didn't you just go in my closet?" Emma asked. "It was the first thing that my eyes landed on," Lewis shrugged. "And you thought hiding under a girl's bed was a good idea? What if they saw you?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Then he would've been a goner," Neil glared at the blonde. "That better have been the one time, boy. I'm only letting it slide this time because they needed your help." "Dad!" Emma exclaimed, a blush rising as well. "Yes sir," Lewis said quickly. He didn't plan on being under any beds anyhow.
Cleo winced, the pain from earlier returning for just a moment.
[Bev lays the steamer on the nightstand then grabs the folded towels and starts tossing them on the girl's head, starting with Rikki.]
Cleo: "Oh no. Not the towels." Throws one onto Cleo's head and she closes her eyes.
"Guess you had too many for your liking when you were younger from the looks of your reaction," Bella chuckled. "I got sick a lot when I was a kid. Wasn't fun," Cleo answered. "Why not chicken noodle soup? That always seems to help me," Charlotte suggested. "It was better than the towels," she shrugged.
Rikki: frowns and takes it off her head, holding it up. "Oh, what are these? They stink."
Emma: eyes widen in realization as she feels the moisture on the one that was put on her forehead. "And they're wet!" The girls quickly sling the towels to the end of the bed and pull the sheets up to their neck, hoping to hide their soon-to-be tails and the bikini tops that come with them.
"Took you long enough to realize it," Ash laughed. "Hard to tell when they're warm," Cleo said.
"I'm guessing the stench was the salt?" Rikki questioned. "Yep. It always worked when they were younger, no matter how much they complained," Bev nodded. "The home remedies sucked," Kim pouted.
"Nice reflexes. You girls worked pretty fast," Will nodded. He always appreciated speed, it was something he and his sister had in common, and why he agreed sometimes to the diving competitions.
Bev: turns around while they do so, not noticing their actions. She tries to plug the humidifier into the wall and lays it on Emma's vanity. "And I brought the humidifier. Now, where's a socket?"
"What was the humidifier for?" Will asked. "In case any of them had a cough, it could've helped them breath better," Bev answered. "Even though it wasn't needed," Cleo muttered, looking down.
[While Bev was distracted, the girls ten seconds were up and soon their tails appeared under the sheets, making the bed look bigger than it normally would. The three of them look at one another in worry, then Rikki looks down, feeling her tail shift and fall off the side of the bed hitting Lewis in the face. He flinches then scoots up and pushes her tail back under the covers, hiding it from Bev's view. Emma looks at them, freaking out about their current situation.]
The crowd bursts into laughter, whether from the girls' fishy situation to Lewis getting slapped in the face with one, they weren't sure what was funnier. "Yes, yes, very funny. Not something that happens to you every day that's for sure," Lewis said, rolling his eyes playfully.
"I can't believe that just happened," Kim gawked. "I was in the room with you girls! How did I not notice?!" Bev said, feeling like a complete idiot for not noticing. "That's what I would like to know," Denman muttered, disappointed in how many people should've known by now if they paid attention. There were too many to count. Though she had nothing to say; she was one of them.
"Well, we did cover ourselves up. The only thing you could see was our faces," Cleo pointed out. "Unless you went to the other side of the bed where not only you would find Rikki's tail, but Lewis hiding up under the bed," Zane laughed, wiping the tears out of his eyes. Gosh, the image of Lewis getting slapped by a mermaid tail. He was never getting over that. "True. Thank goodness you didn't go on that side, otherwise, that sick day would have been for nothing," Emma said, smiling. "Uh, it was for nothing. We still had to take the exam," Rikki complained.
"Mom, this is one of the rare times where I wish you were paying attention," Kim giggled, shaking her head. "I wish I was too, Kim. I wish I was too," Bev sighed, smiling slightly at the comment. It's a start.
Bev: turns back around, having the humidifier turned on, and smiles at them. She drops her hands to her side. "There, now you can breathe the air in here."
"But we could breathe fine before," Rikki frowned. "That's just mom in her overprotective mode. Her and dad's are a little different. With dad, it's mainly when there are boys around. But for mom it was whenever one of us was sick," Cleo said gesturing to her and Kim. Something we don't have anymore.
"No parent wants their kid to be sick," Annette said, the other parents nodding along.
Bev: "Now, who would like one of my special foot massages?"
Emma, Rikki, and Cleo: shake their heads, eyes widening, and force a smile. "No, no, no thanks."
"I think that was a no," Sam chuckled.
"Can I get one of those foot massages?" Lewis asked, holding his hand up. He turned to find the Sertori's, the girl's, Bev, and Charlotte giving him weird looks. "Or-or not."
"What about a tail massage?" Will joked. "Please stop," Rikki sighed.
[They look over to the door where they find Dr. Holt entering and closing the door behind her. She notices the towels laying on the end of the bed.]
Dr. Holt: "Oh, I didn't think those towels would work." She holds up a few thermometers, getting ready to check their temperatures again. She was about to sit down on the end of the bed when Cleo stops her.
"I don't think she liked us very much," Don muttered to Bev. "What gave you that impression? The fact that she practically sent us death glares every time we went by her or the comment about my towels?" Bev sarcastically asked. "Well, we didn't follow her rules, so there's that as well," Don pointed out.
Cleo: "Don't sit there." Dr. Holt startles and stands back up. "Um, I spilled a drink earlier, and it's still damp." Emma looks at the doctor with fear in her eyes.
"Not a bad excuse, except she could've felt it to see if it was damp or not," Ash thought. "The towels were at the end of the bed which made them damp, plus she never felt it, so we didn't have to worry about that," Cleo stated. "And I didn't want her to sit on my tail, not only would that have exposed us, but that would have definitely hurt," Emma winced.
"Have you ever had someone sat on your tails?" Elliot asked curiously. "No, but I have had someone step on it before. And that hurt," Rikki glared at Lewis. "How many times do I have to say that it was an accident," Lewis rolled his eyes.
[The door opens once more, and Kim and Don come in with Lisa standing in the doorway watching them. Lewis scoots further under the bed, trying to not be seen.]
Don: and Kim look at them in the bed. "You okay, darling?"
Cleo: "We're fine, dad."
"I should've taken your word for it," Don chuckled.
"I bet you girls' were terrified when more people showed up, especially with all of them being family," Max laughed. "We were as calm as we could be ... but on the inside, I was freaking out," Emma said truthfully.
Bev: moves past Kim and reaches over to feel Cleo's forehead. "Hm, she feels normal."
Kim: "See? She's faking it."
Don: puts his hands on her shoulders. "Oh, Cleo's sick, Kim. Anyone can see that."
"Hm, yeah, can definitely see it," Bella snorted.
"Clearly I don't know what sick is anymore," Don shook his head. "And I was right the whole time," Kim grinned. "I could be blindfolded and be able to tell that she wasn't sick," Rikki scoffed. "You were too," Cleo argued.
Emma: to Lisa. "Ah, mom, could we please have some privacy?"
"That was my way of asking if everyone could leave so we could dry off before our secret was exposed in front of so many people," Emma breathed out.
Dr. Holt: looks to them. "Emma's right, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all to leave." The girls look at one another, a bit disappointed that she wasn't going to leave with them. "Excitement can be detrimental to recovery."
"How was that excitement? I was worried, anxious," Bev spat.
Don: points out into the hallway as Dr. Holt shoves him and his family gently out the door. Talking to Cleo. "We'll just be outside, love. Just call if you need anything." They all leave out the door, except for Dr. Holt who shuts it behind them.
Emma: perks up, a bit hopeful. "Thank you, doctor. So, um, you'll be staying then?"
"I think her closing the door behind them was the whole point, Emma," Rikki said, stating the obvious. "Why else would she be in the room alone with you?" Charlotte asked.
Dr. Holt: "Mm-hmm." Puts a thermometer in each of their mouths. "Now, I don't suppose any of you have been in contact with chickens or pigs in the last few days?"
Rikki: talks with the thermometer still in her mouth. "I had a ham sandwich."
"Rikki, there was no need for the sarcasm," Terry sighed. "I wasn't. Mrs. Gilbert made us one for lunch," Rikki said, gesturing to the kind lady. "I thought it would be better if they had some food in their system to help them keep their strength up," Lisa shrugged.
Dr. Holt: "Has anyone recently returned from the tropics?" They all shake their heads no.
"Yet you all go swimming nearly every day," Lewis chuckled as the girls smiled proudly. Bella let a small smile slip.
Dr. Holt: sighs. "I suppose the Infectious Diseases Unit will tell us more."
"She must've really liked them," Denman mentioned. "Oh, she did. She even applied for them before. But when this little mishap happened, they declined her offer," Harrison explained. "Oh, poor Miranda," Lisa said sadly. "Maybe when this is all over, we can send in a good letter about her efforts. Surely, they could give her a second chance," Neil told her.
Rikki: and the rest look at her shock. "What?"
"You didn't know?" Ash asked, a bit surprised. "How were we supposed to know? We were locked up in my room most of the time," Emma said.
Dr. Holt: takes the thermometers away from them. "I'm sure the tests will tell us everything that we have to know." She looks at the tempers and her smile falters slightly and nods. "Exactly where they should be. That's odd."
"The tests told us nothing except that you were faking it," Don chuckled. "We tried to tell you guys," Cleo said with a slanted grin.
"It did tell us about Elliot though," Lisa said patting his head.
Emma: looks at her, still worried. "That's good. So, um, we're getting better then."
Dr. Holt: nods, smiling. "Possibly good. Possibly-." Her smile falters once more then she nods quickly and walks towards the door. "Just get some rest." She opens the door and walks out, closing it behind her.
"Sounds like she wasn't very hopeful in our conditions," Cleo frowned. "She gave a whole speech about it downstairs," Kim groaned, remembering the long and boring talk.
[Once he hears the door close, Lewis begins crawling out from under the bed. The girls let out an exhausted breath and remove the covers from over them, revealing their mermaid tops. They look up at Lewis as he stands up straight, giving him a look that said they were clearly wore out.]
Lewis: holds a finger up. "Liars never prosper."
Cleo: "That's cheats, Lewis."
"And we didn't cheat," Rikki said. "What about on your exam?" Terry asked suspiciously. "Not on that one either, dad. I promise," Rikki said proudly.
Emma: shakes her head. "Lewis is right. We shouldn't have lied."
"No, you shouldn't have. But you did it for a good reason," Lisa said with a small smile. "Just don't do it again," Neil chuckled.
"Sometimes it's questionable whether a treasure is worth protecting or not. Even the smallest of secrets can be very stressful to keep and protect," Mrs. Chatham said quietly. Something we learned about quickly, especially Gracie.
Rikki: nods her head quickly, gesturing around the room. "Ok, quick, please, some dry towels." Lewis huffs and searches the room for some towels.
"Too bad we didn't go back in at that time," Kim pouted. "No, but knowing you, you probably thought of something else," Cleo said, giving her sister a knowing look. "I always find a way," Kim smiled smugly. "It just turns out I was right about Lewis being in there."
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[Dr. Holt gathers the rest of the group back in the living room to discuss further the girls' problems. Holds a few tests bags in her arms. Bev and Neil sit on the couch while their partners stand beside them.]
Dr. Holt: "I don't want to alarm you, but there are various possibilities. Dengue fever, malaria, bird flu. I assure you, whatever it is, we will find it out."
"It wasn't that serious," Cleo scoffed. "No but you made it out to be that way," Bella countered. "We didn't mean for it to go that far."
[A knock comes from the front door.]
Dr. Holt: "That'll be the nurse." She turns and walks over to the door to answer it. Opening the front door, a nurse comes in, wearing a mask and holding a small ice chest and umbrella. "Ask pathology to fast-track these. I need the results asap. And bring them back personally." The nurse opens the ice chest, and the doctor places the test bags inside and closes it shut.
Nurse: "Yes, Dr. Holt." She walks back out into the rain and Dr. Holt closes the door behind her.
"Why didn't she just stay? That way she didn't have to worry about getting out in the rain again," Sam stated. "She was already in it once, ain't gonna hurt her to go in it again, unlike us," Rikki answered. "And since we were basically on lockdown, she couldn't stay unless she were to risk getting exposed to the, well now fake virus," Lisa mentioned.
Kim: to Elliot, the both of them sitting at the dinner table. "This whole thing is fake."
"You guys really should have listened to me more when I was younger," Kim laughed. "First I was right about the mermaids, and now this." "Don't forget the wedding," Rikki mocked, making Cleo's smile falter. "No need to bring that backup."
Elliot: shakes his head. "Emma wouldn't fake it. Besides, we have a family policy. We don't lie to each other." Kim looks away from him, finding it a tad disbelieving, and sighs.
"And yet I broke every single one of those rules," Emma said a bit sadly. "Honey, it's alright. You did it for a good reason. We already forgave you for it and we completely understand why, now," Lisa said, giving her a genuine smile, her father and brother joining along with her. Emma returned the smile. "Thanks, mom." But it still doesn't ease the pain and the fact that I still lied to you all.
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[Back upstairs, the girls rub themselves with towels, trying to dry themselves off as much and as quick as they can while Lewis points a blow-dryer at them, trying to quicken the pace.]
Rikki: to Lewis, shouting over the loud noise of the blow-dryer. "Can you go a little faster?"
Lewis: "Just hold still. I'm nearly there."
"Where was I going to go, Lewis?" Rikki said, gesturing to the screen. "The blow-dryer can only blow so much air," Lewis shot back.
[While they were in the process of drying off, Kim sneaks up the stairs, hearing all the racket. She quietly walks over to the door and leans her head against the doorframe, trying to hear what all the commotion was about.]
"You little rat," Cleo scoffed. "You should know by now that when there's something fishy going on, I'm going to find out," Kim smiled smugly. "And that backfired on you, real quick," Rikki muttered, grinning as she remembered the measles.
"You were making so much noise up there, of course somebody was going to hear," Will shook his head. Sophie would've done the same thing.
Lewis: "And-." Back inside the room, he cuts the blow-dryer off, seeing that they were as dry as they could be and can change back at any moment. He shrugs. "That's it." The girls finish drying themselves off with the towels.
Cleo: looks up at him, smiling. "Thanks, Lewis. You're a legend."
Lewis: "Don't mention it." Kim's mouth drops wide-open as she realizes Lewis was inside with them and could hear him. She turns around and makes her way back downstairs to tell everyone the news.
"He is. To be patient through all of this mess was spectacular. You were amazing and were there for us every step of the way," Cleo said proudly, gazing at him with a big smile. Lewis returned it. "Aw, thanks. It was nothing." "Yeah, nothing like getting thrown out of a volcano," Rikki mumbled to herself, feeling guilty about it, and knowing full well the other two girls did as well.
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[A few minutes later, after the girls have changed back into their human form, the rain finally stops, the clouds disappear, showing nothing but a rainbow in the clear blue sky. The girls scramble out of bed as Lewis turns around and peaks out the curtains to find that the rain was gone.]
Lewis: "Guess what. It stopped raining."
"It's about time. That felt like it lasted forever," Zane said. "Actually it was only about a few hours," Cleo corrected. "The longest few hours of our life. Let's never do that again," Rikki huffed. "Agreed," the other two mermaids replied. "Good. Cause I don't ever want to see that happen again," Terry chuckled.
Lewis: cracks open the door to make sure that it was okay to go. He opens the doorway wide open and looks down both ends of the hall, finding that it was empty. The girls stand behind him, waiting for his response. "It's all clear." He turns around, faces them, and points towards the stairs. "Look, I got to go if I'm going to make this exam. So, good luck with the plague." He leaves them and heads for the exit. Cleo combs her hair and puts it back in a ponytail.
"It wasn't the plague, but it sure felt like it was being treated like one," Sam laughed.
"It didn't even start yet?" Ash asked surprised. "Nope, unfortunately, that was the last class of the day. I would've preferred for it to be done and over with," Rikki complained. "Would you still have studied for it?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, but at least I would've enjoyed the rest of the day with that out of the way," Rikki shrugged.
"So what was the point of skipping out on the exam if it was at the end of the day anyway?" Harrison asked. "Because we didn't know how long the rain would hold out. We didn't exactly have any other option," Rikki mentioned.
Emma: arms crossed, looks back at the other two. "Let's get out of here. Are you ready?"
Rikki: looks back at Cleo then at her and shrugs. "Ready as I'll ever be." Emma nods and they walk out of her bedroom.
"Ready for everything except for that exam," Rikki admitted. "We had to face it eventually," Cleo sighed. "It wasn't that bad," Lewis grinned. "Easy for you to say, science geek. Biology is your best subject," Rikki scoffed. Cleo shrugged. "She's not wrong."
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[Kim comes running down the steps and into the kitchen where everyone else was scattered about in the living room. Elliot was sitting down at the counter next to her, leaning against his hand with a small frown, clearly not feeling well.]
Kim: to everyone. "Proof, I knew it. They've got a boy in there. I think it's Lewis. They're having a party." Don and Neil look at each other surprised. Lisa sits down on the couch looking at Bev who scolds her. Dr. Holt looks at her, her eyebrows furrowed.
"You heard my voice, you knew it was me," Lewis tilted his head. "It's not always easy to tell behind closed doors. Especially since I couldn't see you," Kim admitted.
"Just because there was a boy in there does not mean we were having a party," Cleo shook her head. "Yeah a party requires fun people," Rikki teased; Lewis rolled his eyes. "Hah, hah."
Bev: "Kim, do you think it's fair to play these games on your sister when she's obviously very sick?"
"Describe obviously," Charlotte laughed.
[Right then, the girls come downstairs, no tails, and no actions that make them look sick. They walk into the kitchen, where they see the families together, talking away in the living room.]
Cleo: in the lead and crosses her arms, all three of them with a smile on their face. "Is everything alright? I hope so. Because we're feeling fine."
"What a coincidence," Max chuckled.
Emma: next to Cleo, with Rikki coming up right beside her. "It was those hot towels, Mrs. Sertori."
Rikki: "Yep, a miraculous recovery." Bev and Don smile widely, feeling relieved while Neil and Lisa look at them, obviously confused about how it happened so fast.
"Thank you for the false hope girls," Bev laughed lightly. "Sorry, Mrs. Sertori, but we didn't know what else to fall on," Emma winced. "It's alright, girls. And I guess I can't use them anymore if you girls ever do actually get sick. With the tails and all," she said, looking down. "We'll figure something else out," Cleo said quickly.
"You two look like you didn't believe us," Rikki said, looking over at Emma's parents. "We just found it rather, odd, that you three recovered so quickly. Now we know why," Neil laughed.
Emma: "So, we'll be heading off to school now. See ya." They wave goodbye to them and turn around, taking a step towards the exit when Dr. Holt steps forward and calls out to them.
"Did you really think it was going to be that simple to just leave?" Harrison asked. "Well, we didn't know what else to do. What did you expect?" Rikki asked. "You could've at least waited it out the rest of the day, then slowly get to feeling better instead of a 'miraculous recovery.' Or just wait till the test results come back, confirming you were fine," Zane answered, his father gave him a strange look on how he knew how to answer that. Oddly enough, we did have to wait for the test results, Rikki said, hiding her giggle.
Dr. Holt: "You can't leave." Points towards the direction of the door. "Walk out that door, and I'll have to quarantine the whole street." The girls turn slowly back to her.
"Which isn't necessary," Rikki sighed.
"Okay, that's just going too far," Ash shook his head. "Oh no, that's not going too far," Rikki chuckled, thinking about the men in the suits.
Okay, Rikki, if I do ever come to Australia, remind me to make sure that she is not my primary doctor, Bella thought, eyes wide.
Elliot: still at the bar, leaning against his hand, looking very pale. "I'm not feeling very well. I'm feeling hot."
"Poor, Elliot. We were so caught up in the girls' problems, we didn't even think about how he felt," Lisa said, feeling guilty. "Yeah, sorry kid," Don said, patting his back. "It's alright, mom. And thanks, Mr. Sertori," Elliot responded.
Kim: "Don't bother faking, Elliot." Looks over at her sister and friends. "No one's really sick."
"I was," Elliot shrugged. "I didn't know. You thought you were sick the whole time, and you weren't until the end," Kim said, feeling bad for not believing him.
Dr. Holt: takes another step forward. "We have to follow this through. We need a lot more tests: tissue biopsies, detailed blood analysis-."
"Yeah, she's definitely going too far there," Harrison stated.
"Couldn't she just wait to see if the other tests come back normal," Ash scoffed. "She took her job very seriously," Emma sighed.
Rikki: eyes widen and gestures to the counter. "Leave a few specimen jars, and we'll send them to you later." Emma smiles at her as Rikki forces a big smile on her face.
Cleo: they all wave at them once more and turn to leave. "Bye." The girls make a dash for the door, the rest of the household getting up from their seats and fixing to go after them.
"Again, did you really think it was going to be that easy?" Zane laughed. "You try being stuck in a house all day with nothing to do," Emma said, narrowing his eyes at him. "Uh, hello, does the word grounding ring a bell? I have plenty of experience," Zane countered, gesturing to himself.
[The girls reach the door and sling the door wide open, only to find a bunch of people in hazmat suits with masks and face guards on. They yell in shock and take a few steps back, frightened by what they just ran into. The group of hazmat people takes a step forward into the doorway, the leader of the group staring at the girls as he speaks.]
The rest of the audience, aside from the girls, jumps in shock, not expecting the jump scare. Denman stared at the group on-screen, jaw dropped as she realized who they were. She actually called them? She chuckled as her heart begins to calm down from its racing and leans back, crossing her arms. "Well, this is a whole lot more interesting than I thought it would be."
"Who are they?" Charlotte asked quietly, holding onto her mother's arm. "That is the Infectious Disease Unit," Emma said, wrapping her arms around herself as she gets reminded of them once again. Every once in a while, they showed up in her nightmares. They will always be a reminder to her of how they could've been caught and how she almost blew the secret, again.
Professor Gorman: to the girls. "Please remain calm."
"How do you expect anybody to remain calm when you're dressed like that?!" Will yelled.
Emma: in front of the girls as they stare back, eyes widen in terror. "Who are you?"
Professor Gorman: walks further into the house with the others behind him, still eyeing the girls. "Professor Gorman, Infectious Diseases Containment Unit." The rest of the household finally makes it to the entryway where they find the girls talking to the professor in the hazmat suits. "We're here to escort everybody to a specialist hospital facility." The girls continue staring at them, wary of the situation. Emma gulps.
"Well, this has taken a turn for the worst," Max said, a bit worried for the girls.
"I must say, even on rainy days, you girls still had different adventures than us. Our sick days never turned out like this," Mrs. Chatham laughed to herself. "Yeah, it's not what we anticipated," Emma laughed with her.
"A hospital? Come on, can nobody wait for the other results?" Ash scoffed. "The sooner, the better," Emma sighed, rolling her eyes at the situation.
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[A few minutes later, the girls hide themselves in the bathroom, locking the door behind them so they can talk about the problem. They whisper as they do, so that no one, Kim, can eavesdrop on them.]
Emma: leans against the door, arms crossed. "We can't let them take us. They'll find out we're mermaids in no time."
Rikki: hands on her hips. "Then they'll really start running some tests."
"You're not wrong there," Denman muttered.
"That was a part of our no doctor rules. No going to a hospital, unless absolutely necessary," Cleo told them. "And by absolutely necessary, we mean we better be on our death beds," Rikki continued.
[A knock comes from the other side of the bathroom door, where the rest of the families try to cope them to come out.]
Lisa: "Emma? Girls? Come on, open up please."
"Not a chance," Rikki shook her head. Not yet at least.
Emma: waves them away from the door, and they walk further into the bathroom next to the tub, talking quietly. Emma looks back at them. "Anyone got any ideas?"
Rikki: rubs her chin. "Let me think ... nothing."
"That must've hurt," Lewis snickered, earning a glare from Rikki.
[Another knock comes from the door, and they look over to the door, very worried as the pressure adds on.]
Bev: "Cleo? It's going to be okay. Please open the door." Cleo steps closer to the door, looking back at the girls, a bit scared, with her arms crossed.
"No thanks," Cleo muttered, looking down. Rikki sighed and patted her shoulder.
Emma: shakes her head, feeling defeated. "What are we doing? This is hopeless."
"That's a question we should've asked a long time ago," Rikki laughed.
"What do you mean? Are you giving up?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow at them. "What else could we do? We had nowhere else to go, we were trapped in a bathroom. We had no other options left," Emma sighed.
Cleo: turns back to her, walking back to the two. "Emma, don't say that. I was counting on you."
Emma: looks at both of them, sighing. "We can't get out of this. There's only one thing we can do." She walks over to the bathroom door and opens it. The other two girls watch her, shocked that she was just giving up. It sounded like she was accepting that their secret was going to be revealed.
Emma takes a deep breath and looks down, feeling the eyes of her family on her. They had never seen her so defeated, never seen her give up just like that. All that pressure of that day, of the past few months from the moment they became mermaids, it must have been building up on her, like she couldn't bear to handle it anymore. It sounded to them, like giving up was the safer option than just letting it all explode out at once.
But this day was several months ago. If they were mermaids for that long and kept the secret for that much longer, then how much pressure and stress did Emma keep inside of her?
Lisa watched her daughter, seeing how tense she was at the moment, knowing that this was going to be a hard moment for her. It wasn't just about the lies anymore, it was about the secret. That's what Emma felt horrible about the most because the secret was what caused this whole catastrophe in the first place. And their family policy was what caused all that pressure to begin with. Neil and Lisa glance at each other, a bit sadly. Was this partly their fault?
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[Downstairs in the living room, Emma takes her shoes off and begins stepping into the hazmat suit. Cleo and Rikki come down, and she pauses her actions as she looks at her best friends. They were surrounded by the IDU team and their families, all watching as Emma takes a step closer to revealing their secret. Elliot leans against the living room wall, looking exhausted and pale as he begins to feel even worse. Kim stood behind him.]
Cleo: points to the suits. "You are not putting me into one of those hoods. I'm claustrophobic."
"Which is true, and why I have sliding doors on my closet," Cleo pointed out, trying to lighten the mood as it begins to dawn on everyone on how much pressure Emma felt.
Rikki: "And-and I'm completely recovered now. I don't need to go to the hospital." Emma looks down, taking shallow breaths as she begins to feel even more anxious.
"Which is also true. I did feel better," Rikki commented. "You were never sick to begin with!" Lewis exclaimed.
Lisa: "Rikki, I'm sorry, will you please just do what they say?" Emma looks around her, the situation starting to get to her.
Dr. Holt: stands behind the professor with Neil and Don behind her. "Just relax, this will be all over soon."
"No, no it won't be," Emma barely whispered, feeling the guilt from the whole thing piling on even more.
Emma: finally had enough and silences everyone. "Stop! There's something I've got to say." They all look at her, as she looks at the floor once more. "We should have known we would get into trouble by lying. It never solves problems. It only causes them."
The crowd looks at her, stunned by her outburst. They knew she had cracked a couple of times, with the Miriam incident being as one of them. But it never went this far, and it never involved a room full of doctors as well. This time, it was even further than just telling one person or even a few people. This would cause it to spread word to the whole world.
"Emma?" Elliot asked as he looked over at her. "Are-are you okay?" Emma took in a deep breath, crossing her arms as she still stared at the screen. "I will be."
"You're going to tell them that you've been lying? That you were fine the whole time?" Will asked a bit hopefully, but even he knew that it meant more than that. "No. I was going to tell them everything," Emma quietly admitted, but with the silence from everyone, it sounded like it echoed throughout the whole theater.
Rikki: and Cleo's eyes widen as they realize what she was doing. They could sense the dread in the air. "Emma?"
Emma: "No, Rikki, I'm coming clean. I'm telling them everything."
Cleo: their eyes widen even more, understanding what she meant and clearly not agreeing with it. "Everything?"
"You didn't agree with it," Bella theorized. "Why? Why would I agree with her telling them everything? Everything that we worked so hard on keeping quiet about those past few months. Especially to a room full of doctors," Rikki shouted, furious about it. Cleo whacked her arm, getting her to hush. Rikki glares at her as Cleo glared back, the latter tilting her head towards Emma, where she was currently staring at the floor. Rikki looked closer and sees a small tear sliding down the blonde's cheek.
Rikki sighed then looked at everyone else. "But, maybe it did need to come clean. We did take it too far. Looking back, it was a lot of pressure, and I don't blame Emma for needing to let it out. If-if it was to our parents, then, maybe I would have agreed." Emma slowly turns to her and gives her a small smile. "Thanks, Rikki." Rikki nodded and returned the smile. "No problem. But if you ever need to talk about this stuff. You know you can always talk to us," she said, whispering that last part. "I know I can. And I'm sorry for almost blabbing. It wasn't my place to tell unless we all agreed to it," Emma whispered back.
"It's okay. It's all in the past, where it belongs. I probably would've done the same thing," Cleo answered.
Emma: looks back to the professor, ignoring their pleading looks. "You should know, we were never really sick." In the background, the nurse from earlier comes inside, closing the door behind her. She walks over to the edge of the entryway, behind everyone, this time she wasn't wearing a mask as she held the test results in her hands. Everyone, however, paid no attention to her as all eyes were on Emma as she began to unveil the whole thing. "We just faked it to get out of an exam. We never meant it to go this far." Cleo and Rikki slowly nod. "I'm, I'm sorry."
"Please tell me that's the negative results in her hand," Ash muttered, his foot tapping the floor in anticipation.
"I thought you said you were going to reveal everything," Sam asked, confused as to why she just revealed only the exams. "I was. I was just telling them about that first so they could understand why we had to miss out on the exam. That it was because of the rain. I needed to tell them slowly," Emma answered.
"Can't exactly blurt out that you're a mermaid without any proof or the story," Rikki said, glancing at Cleo. "How many times do I have to say sorry about the pool party incident?" Cleo scoffed as she saw her look. "She showed me instead of telling me," Lewis chuckled.
Kim: smiles smugly. "I knew it. See? I was right."
"And yet no one believed me. No one believes a preteen," Kim shook her head.
Dr. Holt: smile, clearly not believing them. "Nice try. Zip them up." Rikki and Cleo look at the doctor, shocked that they didn't.
Nurse: "Dr. Holt?" They all look at her, finally noticing her. "She's right. I've come straight from the lab. And the tests, all the tests are negative to any known viruses." She smiles at them as she hands the results to the doctor, the latter looking at them, completely clueless. "There's nothing wrong with them." Emma hands the hazmat suit back to the professor behind her. Rikki smiles in relief, glad that they were saved from the disaster that was soon to become.
"Thank goodness, she came in at the right moment. Otherwise, everything would have been blown to bits," Emma chuckled as she let out a breath, trying to relieve the tension in the room. "And if you ever do that again in a room full of doctors, I will murder you," Rikki joked, the room laughing lightly, forgetting the negativity.
Mrs. Chatham gave them a small smile, glad that everything turned out alright, and that the secret remained safe, for now. It's not easy in the life of a mermaid.
Dr. Holt: looking at the results, mind blown at the fact that she was wrong the whole time. "I-I don't understand. Uh-." Waves the results around, a frown on her face. "This is a major outbreak of, something."
Nurse: "There was one test result that came back positive. Elliot Gilbert." Everyone looks at him, as he raises his head up.
"So, you were the only one sick?" Ash laughed. "Yep. The irony. He thought he was sick the whole time, turns out he was," Neil laughed along with him.
Elliot: to Kim, sounding tired. "See? I told you I wasn't feeling well."
Nurse: gives him a smile. "He's got the measles."
"Oof, measles. Bummer, kid. I've had those before when I was younger. Not fun," Max informed him.
[Dr. Holt looks down at the results once more. Professor Gorman looks at her in surprise, a bit annoyed that they came down there for nothing. He takes a step towards her and takes his helmet and mask off, revealing the annoyed yet stern look he gave her as the rest of the team follows his lead.]
Professor Gorman: "The measles? Do you think you can look after that one on your own, Dr. Holt?" The doctor nods slightly with an aggravated smile. They begin to leave as Cleo and Rikki give Emma a look of their own. Emma shrugs, a guilty look on her face.
The room bursts into laughter, any negative feelings from earlier, completely gone. "He clearly does not like having his time wasted," Annette laughed. "As I said earlier, they take their job very seriously, and do not like being messed with," Denman smiled.
"She did take care of him well, though you could tell she didn't like the prank that they did," Lisa shook her head, laughing at the memory.
[Lewis walks in the door with his backpack on, seeing the IDU team walking out after him. He walks over to where everyone else was, standing next to Bev who looked a bit peeved off.]
Lewis: smiles at the whole group, hoping to make things better. Everyone looks to him as he announces his arrival. "Good news. Ah, everybody at school was so worried about you, they decided to postpone the exam. And they're holding a candlelight vigil instead." Rikki and Cleo look like they're dying on the inside about finding out that they do have to end up taking it. Emma smiles in delight.
Rikki: "Great." The other two girls walk off, Rikki was about to follow them, but Lisa calls her back and she turns around.
"Please tell me you were joking about the candlelight vigil," Terry groaned, not liking the sound of that. "He was joking dad, don't worry," Rikki smiled.
Lisa: to Rikki. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused. Are you telling me that there was nothing wrong at all?"
Rikki: looks to both her and Bev and winces. "I guess we'll never know. Medicine is a tricky business." Rikki slowly turns around and grimaces as she sees the annoyed expression on Dr. Holt's face then walks off.
"They had just said that there was nothing wrong. What else did you need?" Don asked. "Well, I couldn't understand with the thermometers and their rashes," Lisa explained. "Later on, they just told me they used makeup and then claimed weak batteries on the thermometers." Ash looked amused and gave the girls a thumbs up. "Well done."
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[Later that night in Cleo's room, the girls get ready for the afterschool party.]
Cleo: "I'm not going to do anything but dance for the next four hours." They walk out of the shared bathroom, all dressed for the party. Rikki takes the lead into Cleo's room.
Rikki: "Me too. No rain, no excuses. A dance is perfect. I really need to get out." They walk over to the bed and put on perfume and grab their things, ready for their night out.
"Another party? What for this time?" Ash gawked. "It's a tradition our class has to always have a party after a big exam," Cleo smiled. "Sooner or later, you are going to be partied out," Will laughed. "I thought your exams were postponed," Bella said. "They were, for afterschool," Lewis said deadpanned then looked over at the girls. "Thanks, girls," he sarcastically said. "You're welcome," the trio said, smiling smugly at him.
Emma: "That was close today."
Rikki: "Too close. We were an ambulance ride away from being exhibit-." Cleo shushes them and holds a finger to her lips. She looks at the door as the other two look at her.
"I knew it was too quiet in the house," Cleo smirked as Kim's smile faltered. "How did you know?" "My sister senses kicked in."
[Cleo drops her perfume and walks quietly over to the door. She glances back at them as she twists the doorknob and yanks the door open, where Kim suddenly falls to the floor.]
"Busted, again," Elliot laughed. Kim reddens in embarrassment as laughter fills the room.
"Did you really think you could get away with it after the whole marriage thing?" Cleo grinned. "I thought I said not to bring that back up again," Zane groaned.
Cleo: to Kim, looking down at her on the floor. "Caught you." Kim stands up as Cleo crosses her arms, bent down a little to her level. "You are in big trouble." Rikki and Emma grin at her as the former puts her purse back down on the bed.
"Says the one who was grounded once she got back from the party," Kim grinned. "Grounded for what?" Charlotte asked. "For faking being sick," Kim mocked.
Kim: "I dropped something." Doesn't notice the red spots that cover her face, neck, and arms.
"Nice try," Ash laughed. "Never works," Cleo shakes her head.
Cleo: "Liar. I've warned you about snooping around." Cleo huffs but then squints once she notices the spots and leans in closer to get a better look. "What's that? You're all spotty." Kim frowns then touches her neck, feeling the bumps.
"No way," Ash cackled. "It's the measles!" The room once again bursts into fits of laughter at the irony. Kim reddens even more. "Why oh why did it have to show this?"
"You didn't tell me you got the measles," Elliot turned to her. "I didn't want you to find out. It was embarrassing enough as it is. I even made Cleo and them, and the rest of the family promise not to tell you. Though I had to wash dishes for a month," Kim complained. "There goes that secret."
Emma: smiles widely as she figures it out. "It's the measles. She's got Elliot's measles."
Kim: eyes widen at the sudden realization then runs over to the shared bathroom and looks in the mirror, touching the spots that cover her face, and begins freaking out. "The drink. It was the drink!" Kim runs out of the room to go tell her parents as the girls laugh at the little girl's misfortune.
"Now that's what I call karma," Cleo laughed. "You're the one who deserved the karma. You were the ones faking it the whole time!" Kim argued. "We got our karma, I was grounded, remember?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Our karma comes later on," Rikki muttered, looking down.
"Alright, what else we got?" Zane asked, clapping his hands together. "Let's find out," Emma sighed as she and Cleo look over to Rikki. The said blonde rolls her eyes and snatches the remote away from Mrs. Gilbert and pressed play. "Let's get this over with."