Chapter 52: No Compromise
Adam squirms and thrash horribly as every cell of his body screams in pain. His muscles flex involuntarily as they feel a surge of invasive energy race throughout his body, and spike in the deepest reaches of each limb.
His eyes clench as his jaws dig into the rubber block in his mouth, while his body thrashes in his tight constraints.
~~~
Merrick's ravaged tailfin curls as thin lines of blood seeped from within the white tissue. The merman looks with desperate, begging eyes at the nearby white-masked faces and glasses, reflecting his terrified expression, before closing shut as a rush of water pours over him.
He squirms and whines harshly through his gag as the imported seawater stings his many cuts and rips along his blue tail, freshly harvested of many of his own fins and scales.
~~~
Adam's chest jumps up and down as every cell of his body screams in pain. His muscles flex involuntarily as they feel a surge of invasive energy race throughout his body, and spike in the deepest reaches of each limb.
His eyes clench as his jaws dig into the rubber block in his mouth, while his body thrashes in his tight constraints.
A pair of glasses over a half bandaged face leers down as Adam endures the lingering twinge and pulses of lightning inside his body. As Adam's body thrashes against the binds that hold him in place, he glares with hatred up at the old, frail man.
~~~
Dead eyes and a hidden sadistic grin peers upon Merrick as his blue eyes looks to the side of his head as a pair of scalpels lower down. Merrick's throat screeches as the small blades start to carve into his gills!
~~~
"What do you think you're trying to prove?" The man said as he walks to Adam's side on the table. "All you're doing is wasting my time and energy trying to protect a species that you're not even associated with. You're only punishing yourself, young man. Not me."
Adam breathes loudly through his nose as he trembled from head to foot, fear and pain dancing in his body.
"I really don't like having to do this," The man spoke, "Truly, I don't." Those glasses gleam with the man's cruelty, "But I don't have much time left. So... What do you say?"
Adam glares at him with his red and brown eyes giving indignant breaths as he tightened his fists. The old man sighed as he turned, and waved his hand up.
Adam can feel a pair of cold gel pads press onto his temples. He whimpers and moans vocally as he heard a distinct sound wiring from several feet away. He starts to voice his fear as he can feel the electricity coming. He clenches his eyes shut as the initial preemptive wave of energy signaled his brain.
~O~O~O~
"GHHAAAHHHHH!!" Adam screamed as he shot up in an upright position. He pants loudly as he looks quickly around in the endless darkness of the cabin. He finds himself drenched in sweat, his heart racing against his ribs, shaking terribly as he feels an imitation of the electric tingle still twinkle inside him.
Adam gulps and pants as he turns on the light, and shakily got out of bed, and staggered to the wall. "Uuuggh..." He puts a hand over his forehead and covering his eyes, taking a few minutes and a few deep breaths, "Jus a dream... Jus a dream..." He whimpers before he walks to his bed, and sits down. With trembling fingers, he picks up the phone, and dials a number.
"... H-Hello, roo-roomservice? U-Uh, hi, um..." Adam tries to steady his voice, "C-Can I get some... Sh-Shaved ice, please? A-And a small sundae, please..." Try as he might, he can barely contain the emotion in his voice, "... Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." He whimpered, "I-I'm ok, I'm fine, please just..." He sniffled as he wiped the moisture from around his eyes, "... Ok, Room 134... Thank you..." He hangs up, and bows his head as he puts his fingers into his wet hair.
~~~
"Easy there," Came a calm, cold voice, "We're almost done here..."
Merrick cries as pain bites all around his body, while nearby rubber hands hold many vials to collect streams of blood and tears alike. He screams more as he can feel the sharp metal drive into his right arm!
He tries to thrash his head, but another pair of hands hold him down so other vials can collect the free-falling tears from his eyes.
"Now now, lets not make a fuss," Said the soulless voice, "I hate messes. The more you hold still, the sooner you can go back to your room."
Merrick tensed and clenched his bloody, gashed fingers as he tries to break himself from his restrains. Finally, the cuff on his left wrist broke right off!
"Quick! Hold him down!" Just like that, several hands seize Merrick's arm, and pin him back down, "My, but aren't all fish such a hard thing to reel in?" Merrick rumbles and growls pitifully as he is helpless to escape, "Douse him. He is starting to dry again." The merman whines as he can see the bucket again to turn over above him.
~O~O~O~
"HHHH!" Merrick gasps awake. He does not sit up, but merely shiver terribly as he lies there on the same roof he's been sleeping on. The cold wind wisps over his mostly exposed body, which does very little to ease his anxiety and solitude.
Carefully, he moves up and slides himself down along the roof, and lands with a soft grunt on the uppermost deck. He clears his throat, and calms his emotions as he walks by the occasional passerby.
His anger hasn't been as severe as it was a couple of nights ago, but he still hasn't forgiven Adam. And to be perfectly honest, he doesn't even know if and when he can forgive him.
Several hours later, Nick leans on the barstool, wearing only a gold jockstrap, sitting next to Merrick as the merman holds an Appletini drink.
"Look, man, I git that he was probably a jerk," Nick said, "But you gotta let that stuff go. He was drunk, people get drunk alla time."
"It's not that easy, Nick," Merrick said as he took a sip, "... You don't know what I feel..."
"Yeah, I do. Back when you and Adam were gone, me and Jamal split for a while."
"So I've heard..."
"But he and I got back together, and we're good as ever."
"Yeah," Merrick leered to the side, "Good for you."
"Tch," Nick rolled his head a little, "C'mon, man, he's sorry. Jamal says he's freakin miserable without you."
"I don't care." Merrick replied with a resentful tone as he sips his cocktail.
"You ain't even gonna give him a chance, man?"
"I told you what he said, Nick." Merrick turned his barstool around, "You just... You don't understand. You don't know how much it cuts inside me."
"Naw, I git it," Nick nodded as he got up, "You just holdin a grudge, and you don't wanna stop being angry. I was the same way, but I gave Jamal just one shot." Nick held up a finger, "Just one! That's all it took!"
"You're a human, Nick." Merrick growled, "You don't understand why I'm so angry... You just don't comprehend the gravity of what he said..."
"Aight, then tell me." Nick said, putting his hands on his hips, "Tell me what all of this is about."
"Why? So you can report to Adam?" Merrick slapped a $10 on the counter, and got up from his stool, and leered at Nick, "Forget it. If he doesn't know why I'm so hurt on his own, then he doesn't deserve my chance." With that, Merrick walked off.
"Hey! Where you goin??"
"Somewhere else. Just stay out of it already! Go and tell Adam you failed!"
~~~
"Fuck, you look like shit, man" Jamal said as he rubs a hand on Adam's back.
"I couldn't sleep..." Adam rubbed his eyelids, "I had another nightmare... Of the Agency..."
"Ah shyit." Jamal said, "It's been a month since the last one, right?"
"More like 3 weeks..." Adam moaned, "This time, Merrick wasn't around to make it easier..." Jamal tugged him to the side before he could run into a pole, and walked around it, "The bellhop for room service wanted to stay with me because I sounded upset on the phone, but I couldn't."
"Why not? He coulda made you feel better."
"Yeah," Adam rolled his tired eyes, "That's all I need, to fuck around while my boyfriend isn't speaking to me."
"I'm not talkin about fuckin around with anyone, Adam," Jamal said, "Just let off some steam and spend some time with company, make you feel better."
"Yeah, all the while, Merrick is wandering in God knows where, hating my guts while I grope and hang out in the baths or whatever."
"I had Nick hang out with him since it started," Jamal said, "He says Merrick's doin ok mostly, but he's stubborn about talkin about you."
"No," Adam shook his head, "If I know Merrick, he's not expressing what he's thinking because he doesn't think Nick will understand, if he hasn't already pushed him away. Merrick was raised on an honor-bound lifestyle," He explained, "So he thinks everyone should know what's right or wrong, and if they don't, they don't deserve to guess."
"Yeah. Nick keeps sayin stuff like, 'He don't git it' or, 'You a human, you wouldn't know', or some shit. I think he bein too hard on you."
"Yeah... That doesn't do me any good though..." Adam sighed as he rubbed his forehead, "Fuck, why did I say all of those things? Now he won't even talk to me..."
"He'll forgive ya eventually though, right? Like you said, you and he are bonded, he can't hate ya forever."
"Yes, but in the meantime, I have to live with this... Always wondering what can I do, and he can't talk to me..." He groans as they walk into the dance lobby, "I need a drink."
"Hold up, man," Jamal tugged his arm.
"God, I am NOT going to get drunk, Jamal." Adam had him let go, "I'm just really stressed ok??"
He and Jamal went to the bar, and ordered a Cosmopolitan and a Tough Puppy. Adam sighs as he drinks his sweet cocktail down in one gulp, and ordered another one.
"Take it easy, man," Jamal said as Adam tips the delicate glass down his throat.
"I know, ok??" Adam spat out. He looks as his third drink, and leans down. He takes a few deep breaths, and moaned, "... What am I gonna do..."
Jamal frowns as he looked at his friend as he plants his forehead, to the counter, and holds his hands behind his head, "He hates me, Jamal..." His voice is muffled, "He may love me, but he hates me now..."
"... You try goin after him?"
"Yes. I can't find him anywhere though..." Adam answered before moving his head, and putting his chin on his arms, "I keep trying to catch him, but I can't find him anywhere."
"Hah man..." Jamal turned on his barstool, and his eyes widened, "Oh shit!"
"What?"
"Lets go, man," Jamal got up, and yanked on Adam.
