[DEACON] take a breath.

[colton denada strosteven]

Colton gasped softly, stumbling for the pool room as he pressed a hand to his chest. He had learned recently that with all their poking and prodding, he could breathe under water. But as the days had passed, Colton had felt sicker every moment he was out of it, and he didn't know why, and they had yet to seem to care.

He threw open the door, coughing softly, moving for the pool as he yanked his shirt off, tripping on half undone jeans and collapsing near the edge. He reached out, a hand touching the water as he tried pulling himself in. But he was far too dizzy and breathless, vision spotting before everything went dark.

[deacon reid rudman]

The last morgue patient he'd gotten had the coroner puzzled. Two patients, both dependent on water, somehow suffocated. And as far as he could tell, there wasn't anything in their throats. So aside from foul play, he didn't have an answer. So he decided to take it upon himself to reopen the old file. He didn't have a body anymore, but he was aware of two people who were just like the two dead- Colton and Ace. The latter wasn't as far into testing as Colton was, so he wasn't really worried.

Deacon had persuaded Perseus to come to the pool with him, promising him candy bars and coffee credits if he would take Bandit swimming. He sat on the edge of the pool, watching the two of them play in the water together. All he could do was hope the boy would come swimming. He looked over as the boy stumbled in, carefully standing up.

[colton denada strosteven]

Colton shuddered, shifting his weight. He needed the water so bad...they had said he could breathe in both atmospheres, but he was so close to passing out right now. All morning his chest had ached with every breath of air. He tilted his head to the left side so he could actually see out of his could eye, curling up as hands found his chest and throat.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon wasn't sure if he was allowed to help him. He bit his sore lip, walking slowly so he was across from him. He didn't want to tell him to get in the pool, not if he suffocated like the rest. "Strosteven?" He asked, slipping his hands into his pockets. He couldn't breathe, could he? 'I'm doing their job for them..' He thought for a second.

[colton denada strosteven]

Colton looked up with his mismatched eyes, tilting his head so Deacon was in full view of his left one. "Y-..yeah.." He choked, trying to move for the pool with a wheezing breath. But he couldn't, too dizzy and disoriented, breathless. He rolled onto his back, eyes closing as he struggled. He needed help, he knew. What was wrong with him?

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon pulled his phone out of his pocket, putting it on the poolside. He shrugged out of his jacket, knowing it would just drag him down once he jumped in. His shoes were already off, so he just dove right in, swimming over to the boy's side of the pool. "You want in?" He asked, reaching over for his hand.

[colton denada strosteven]

Colton opened his eyes, nodding. He took the coroner's hand and hauled himself forward with the help of Deacon. His body met water and he coughed, panicking a moment, worried he couldn't breathe here either. But as soon as it filled his lungs he opened his eyes beneath the water and relaxed. He resurfaced so he was above water to the start of his lips, which remained parted beneath the water.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon pulled him carefully into the pool, watching him intently. He couldn't help thinking he was like a beached fish or something, dying for water again. He looked back at his brother and daughter, then towards the boy again. "It's getting harder to breathe air?" He asked, pulling his pants back up under the water.

[colton denada strosteven]

Colton leaned against the wall, raising his head above the water finally and nodding. "Yeah..." He mumbled softly, coughing. "Especially today." He swallowed, sighing shakily. They had dragged him to the pool and held him under after the first test. "They said..." He paused to draw in a weak breath. "I could breathe..both ways." Ducking back under he drew in several breaths.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon nodded slowly, chewing on his lip. He pushed his hair back out of his face, lacing his hands together behind his neck. "Well, I don't think having you and Endlsey walking around with fish bowls on your head is going to solve much.." He mumbled, looking him over. "You don't feel like your chest is tight? Or your throat's closing?"

[colton denada strosteven]

"It..hurts. Makes me dizzy. Like..." He had to pause again. "Like a normal person breathing in..water." He rubbed at his face, ducking back under again for a few moments. Yesterday, though a bit of a struggle, he had at least been able to last several hours.

[deacon reid rudman]

"When you're in or out of water?" He asked, taking his daughter from his brother. Perseus climbed out of the pool, running off somewhere. "Have they done any scans of your chest and lungs? Water's denser than air.." Maybe their lungs couldn't handle the pressure. Or the water was wearing away on the tissue. Or they weren't getting oxygen in their blood like they were supposed to..

[colton denada strosteven]

"Out of water.." He ran his fingers through the water, smiling at the little girl before watching the other male take off. Then he shook his head. "Only during..their testing. I've tried telling them. They said I'd...get-" He coughed. "Get used to it."

[deacon reid rudman]

"Him fish man." Bandit told Deacon, looking up at him. He nodded, watching her swim over to Colton and pat his head. Deacon chewed on his lip, bringing his hand to his mouth as he thought. "And they haven't said anything's odd about your scans?" He asked, making a mental note to go steal them from the records later.

[colton denada strosteven]

"Like they would tell me what they've fucked up in my body," He mumbled, smiling at the girl again and poking her nose. He slipped back under the water, tickling her little feet before surfacing again and leaning once more against the wall. "Think..you can figure it out.?" Because he doubted he could survive the night if they didn't let him stay in the pool.