Chapter 8
Growing Pains
"How does it feel? Is it burning like Meredith's?" Lyn asked Amelia.
"No, it actually doesn't..."
"Did you feel a burning sensation when you in contact with the water with Meredith?" Lynae questioned her some more.
"No, that's the problem, I didn't feel a thing. I was scratching a few places but that was it."
"So not all of us will have the same side effects of this..." Lynae assumed.
"So Meredith felt burning sensations, I have maybe itchy skin, I hate to see what your side effects will be." Amelia wondered about these different symptoms.
"I pray to God that I don't find out." Lynae said worryingly.
"Crap, I need a drink." Amelia said while reaching for the faucet.
Lynae stopped her hand worrying she might make it worse.
"No, don't what if that will speed it up?!"
"And what? Make myself faint from dehydration like your sister over there?"
"Don't bring me into this..." Meredith intervened in the conversation.
"Let's just get her dry." Lynae sighed.
Lyn and Amelia gathered some towels and a blow dryer to get Meredith dried up to see what would happen. Amelia turned on the blow dryer and started drying Meredith directing the dryer on her tail while Lynae rubbed towels on Meredith to dry her on other places as well.
"I'm not burning you, am I?" Amelia asked in concern.
"No, it just feels like it's just blowing wind on it..."
"How long does it take for her legs to come back? Or will it ever?" Lynae asked while rubbing towels on Meredith.
"I don't know we just need to make sure every part of her body isn't damp anymore." Amelia said while waving the dryer back and forth on her lower body.
"What if I don't regain my legs anymore, then what?" Meredith worried over the possibility.
"Then we'll cross that bridge when that time comes, but right now I want to see if your tail just shows up if you just get wet." Amelia pacified over what was concerning Meredith the most.
Lynae stopped rubbing the towels on Meredith and stared blankly at her.
"Are you going to gawk all night looking at her or are you going to make yourself useful and try to help me dry her?" Amelia chided her.
"Look, Mia." Lyn directed Amelia's attention to Meredith's legs.
Amelia turned and looked at Meredith's legs for a second.
"Hey it's working!" Meredith exclaimed.
Meredith slowly lost her scales, fins, and tail going back to having two legs again. She began moving one leg at a time. Then she moved her feet.
"I have legs again! Amelia it worked! Amelia?"
Amelia nearly collapsed over with Lynae catching her.
"I'm fine, I just had a dizzy spell that's all." Amelia reassured them.
"Are you thirsty?" Lyn asked.
"No, I'm tired and could you scratch my back, Lyn?" Amelia said while showing her back to Lynae.
What Lynae saw was just like what she saw on Meredith's hands. Amelia had scaly patches on her back. The scales were black and dark purple – just like bruises.
"Oh shi..take..." Lynae's eyes were widened once she saw her back.
"Lyn, can you please scratch? I'm itching like crazy!"
"Where am I scratching? The skin or the scales?" Lyn asked.
"Everywhere please!" Amelia pleaded.
"Oh my god, Mia, your back is..." Meredith said scooting over to see her back.
"Mere, get Mia to bed on her belly, I'll go get some Neosporin. May need to get a bucket of it from the looks of it." Lynae said directing Meredith to get Amelia to bed.
"On it, come on, Mia. You just need to sleep it off."
"How can I when I am itching so bad?!" Amelia complained about the unbearable itching.
"Might need to get some of the benedryl in Mom and Dad's cabinet." Meredith suggested Lynae to get some of that as well.
"Duly noted."
Hours have passed after attempting many times to put Amelia to sleep with the symptoms she was having. Lynae and Meredith were sitting on the bedroom floor looking exhausted after dealing with Amelia's outbursts.
"God, now I want to reconsider ever having children in the future." Lynae said placing her hand over her eyes.
"I never thought she could put up a fight like that." Meredith sighed.
"Well, the big baby has been put to sleep. I'm going to bed. Got any extra blankets?" Lynae asked.
"What for? It's seventy-three in here."
"I want to build a fort, what do you think? It's freezing in here that's what!" Lynae said clenching her body.
"If you touch that thermostat, I swear to God..."
"Or what?! I dare you to say it!" Lynae shouted at her.
"Just go to bed, we had a long night." Meredith eyed her knowing that they were both tired from the night that they had.
After the earthquake incident, Hank didn't wake the girls up thankfully. Mainly because he was up all night worrying if there was going to be an aftershock after that. The girls slept soundly for the rest of the night, but this morning would not become any easier than it was for last night's encounter.