#waves and riptides

[wannabecatwriter]

On the way home, Therese drives across at least three red lights, all the while filling Jeremy in on anything she might have missed. She isn’t sure what Serena wants with their family, but she suspects it has something to do with the strange resistance Jeremy and Thomas show to her spell. 

Come to think of it, Jeremy’s resistance caused her to lose out on the opportunity to sing with the orchestra, which would have exposed many more victims to her charms...

Jeremy: But what’s her game? Didn’t she think people would eventually notice how presence leads to all these deaths? What about the women who are immune to her?

Therese: I know, I’ve thought about all of that too. Maybe that’s why she left Isla Paradiso - because people started noticing. Hell, maybe that’s why no one warned us about the dangerous jellyfish - because the proper people knew what the danger really was. And they were just happy to be rid of her.

Jeremy, glumly: And they probably didn’t think anyone would believe there was a dangerous siren hunting men...you know, after all that craziness with the gemstone, I’ve always wondered how much supernatural we simply disregard because we don’t think it can exist.

They arrive home as it’s dawning, only to discover the dogs barking from the bathroom and their house flooded again. Rushing upstairs, they catch Serena in the middle of trying to break down their kids’ door.

[wannabecatwriter]

Therese looks at him with piqued interest.

- You didn’t like Rena’s singing? I thought she was pretty good.

Thomas groans: Are you joking? She sounds like a shrill harpy. Or like a cat with its tail stepped on. Which, I suppose, is rather fitting, considering the name of her workplace.

He leans back, obviously tired. Therese doesn’t like the look of him. Even though he is talking to her, wide awake and conscious, she is pretty sure he did suffer a concussion from what happened to him, plus he spent hours in the water and she has heard plenty of horror stories of people ignoring exposure to the elements and then paying the price.

Therese: Thomas, let’s get you dressed and go to the hospital. I really think you should get checked out by a doctor.

Thomas: But it’s so nice and warm here. And I’m exhausted.

Therese: It’s warm at the hospital too. And the doctor will give you something for that headache. I don’t suppose you have any medications for that, do you?

Thomas: Ah, you got me there. Ok, let’s go.

[wannabecatwriter]

About a week after the previous events.

Therese felt annoyed with how long it was taking for those scratches to heal up. She thought they would be gone by now, but that wasn’t the reality.

After the four of them, plus the terrified dogs, showed up at the hospital, Dr. Compton, still on shift for another two hours, looked them all over. The kids weren’t hurt physically, just scared. Jeremy had several bruises from the fight, but overall, he was alright. 

The doctor looked over her cuts, but he determined that the scratches weren’t deep and, after hearing Sol’s information about the venom, thoroughly disinfected them. According to him, she just had to make sure the affected areas weren’t irritated further by anything for the next few days, and everything was going to be fine.

On top of that, after hearing what happened at their home, and putting a face to their local killer, the good doctor wordlessly sent a special cleaning unit to their home. When they came back, the body was no longer there.

The people affected by the siren were slowly but steadily getting better. Both Maurice and Ernie woke up feeling much better, but confused about the past events. Darian, who felt less of the siren’s power due to his heavy usage of his favorite plant (which turned out to be a good antidote against her charms), was feeling much clearer in the head, and enjoyed Jenelle’s extended presence by his bedside. It turns out, before he misfortuned to meet Serena, he was planning to ask out the shy pianist, after all.

Thomas was still at the hospital. As it turned out, he did have a significant concussion, and the doctors wanted to keep him under their watch a bit longer.

Leaving the bathroom, Therese plopped herself down on the couch. The scratches aside, things were looking up. The kids weren’t feeling any serious after effects of that night, like she feared they would.  And after the initial shock of the night, she realized that she had to act in self defense. 

Therese: Hey! Come on, we don’t want to be late!

Jeremy, from the bedroom: Coming! Let me just grab the car keys!

Thomas was getting released from the hospital today and they wanted to make sure he got home safe and sound.

[wannabecatwriter]

Sabrina: I don’t know what excites those two more - the train station or the prospect of seeing their Grandpa? You know, he should visit more often. I mean, surely, he’s got some time now, being retired.

Robert laughs, knowingly. 

- Well, you know my old man, he’s got a million friends all over the place. I can never catch him at home when I call, and even if he’s there, he’s got company. He may be old, but he’s still the life of every party! I really hope we can be like that when we’re his age.

Sabrina: You aren’t still angry at him, are you? I know he wasn’t home as much as you would’ve wanted him to be when you were growing up.

Robert sighs. His wife’s words have certain truth to them.

- Not any longer. But when I was younger, I was. He always made sure Mom and I had money and food on the table. He didn’t throw his income on trinkets and entertainment the way many of his mates did. But sometimes, it really would’ve been nice to have my father home, instead of sailing the seven seas. But I don’t think he could stay home. That just wasn’t his nature. Much as he loved our family, he always needed to be out at sea. It lured him worse than any siren.

Sabrina: I wonder what that’s like. I can’t even go near a boat without feeling dizzy. Living on one for months sounds like a perfect nightmare.

Robert: I know, honey. I know! I still remember how terrified you were when I tried to propose to you on that boat!

Sabrina: Not my most graceful moment...

Robert: All your moments are graceful, beauty.

Sabrina: Hmm? What are we having today, King of the Kitchen?

Robert: Just some ratatouille. I know you love it. 

[wannabecatwriter]

Thomas: This train set is the coolest thing ever! It’s supposed to be modeled after the real-life Sunset Valley, did you know that?

Jeremy: It’s not completely accurate, then.

Thomas: Oh, come on! Look at the level of detail! 

Jeremy: I suppose it’s pretty neat for a recreation. I wonder when Grandpa’s going to get here.

Thomas: I hope it’s soon. He always tells the best stories! I wish I could be a sailor, like him. Then, I could sail the world and see all the cool places and people, just like him.

Jeremy: Me too. I wish Mom wasn’t so scared of letting us go boating with him.

Thomas: She thinks it’s not safe and that he’s too old to properly operate a boat. But I know he’s not. He’s livelier than all of us.

Jeremy: And he tells really good jokes. Almost better than Mom - don’t tell her I said that!

[wannabecatwriter]

Hillary walks in, motioning for them to come in. She emerges from the bedroom, with a baby who looks so much like Thomas, there is not a shred of doubt he is his son.

Hillary: I was so afraid I was going to lose him when the accident happened. But he’s a little fighter, yes he is.

Almost as if in recognition, the little boy waves at his dad.

Thomas: Ah! I...

Behind him, Jeremy is already busy making faces at the little guy. Whatever happens now, he knows his brother is spoken for.

Thomas: May I hold him? What’s his name?

Hillary: Here you go. Jeremiah, after my grandpa and your brother. Please don’t drop him.

Almost as if he knows him, the boy happily climbs into Thomas’s arms.

Thomas: He’s so small and warm. I’m sorry I disappeared the way I did. Really. 

Hillary: I know.

[wannabecatwriter]

It is a new day. The sun rises and the night’s fears and worries seem to dissipate. 

Therese knows that her family is safe, that the threat that hung over the island is stopped, and that things will now go back to normal.

And she’ll be fine. A mother always does what's necessary to keep her family safe.

[wannabecatwriter]

Despite Therese rushing to the rescue, Qiana is still hysterical. 

- This is all my fault. We were fighting and I went crazy when he started ogling that singer chick. But what am I supposed to do? These pregnancy hormones are making me extra sensitive to everything.

Thomas: There, there. She’ll get him out, Therese is a good swimmer.

Qiana starts wailing again.

- Ernie is a good swimmer too... But look at him! It’s all my fault... No wonder he said he wanted to leave me for her...

Thomas: For who?

Qiana: For that singer...

Therese: Hey you two! Help me out, he’s freaking heavy! Phew. I’ve never seen anyone else who was so set on going under.

Qiana: Is he?

Therese: He’s alive, he’s just out of it. Say, does he use any recreational substances? Because he’s really not in the best of states right now.