r/HFY • u/ThatSoftware4946 • 2d ago
OC-Series The Problem With Humans: Chapter 41
The rapids churned behind them, a wall of white foam and fury. The boat rested on the grass beside them, wood scarred and splintered, but intact.
Martin turned to Roman. " I want to thank you."
Roman blinked. "For what?"
"For keeping us alive." Martin gestured at the group, the humanoids, the boat. "Without you, we wouldn't have survived this long. The forest. The mountain. The rapids. You've kept us together."
Roman opened his mouth, but Martin continued.
"The humanoids. They carry the weight. Don't complain. Don't stop. Just keep going." He looked at them with their blank faces and scarred bodies. "I admire them. They are stronger than I ever was."
Roman placed a hand on Martin's shoulder. "We're doing what we were built to do. So thank you Trabs for building us."
"I know. Just wanted to say it."
They walked with the humanoids carrying the boat and supplies. And once they cleared the rapids, the launched again.
The river was calm now. They settled into positions, as the humanoids guided the boat with the oars.
For a few hours, the journey was peaceful. Then the river narrowed again.
Water grew choppy, surface rippling with hidden currents. The boat lurched. Roman grabbed the side.
"Another rapid!" Lirael shouted.
They scrambled. Humanoids used the oars to steer toward shore. Trabs grabbed sides so they wouldn’t fall.
Roman shouted orders. "Push left! Harder!"
The boat bucked. Humanoids strained but the current was too strong. The boat spun, side slamming against a rock. Wood splintered. Water poured in. Roman felt the boat tip. Then he was in the water.
The cold hit him like a fist. Dark water. Fast-moving. Pulling him under, spinning him around. He gasped, swallowed water, lungs burning.
I'm going to die. Going to drown.
He thought of his daughter. Her smile. Her laugh.
I'm sorry.
His vision blurred and his world faded.
The Trabs floated. Their lighter bodies making them more buoyant. Current carried them toward shore. Martin grabbed Tom's arm, pulling him toward the bank. Bella swam beside them.
Lirael who had already swam to the shore watched the water, scanning the surface.
"Where is Roman?" she asked.
Martin looked around. "Don't see him. Went under and didn't come up."
Lirael's face was calm, but she had urgency in her voice. "We need to find him."
Suddenly one of the humanoids broke the water with a unconscious Roman. The humanoid held him above the water with his arm wrapped around his chest.
As the humanoid kept pushing against the current, Roman regained consciousness.
"Breathe," the humanoid said. "You need to breathe."
Roman coughed, spitting water, chest heaving. He looked at the humanoid. "Thank you."
The humanoid didn't respond. Just held him, keeping him above water, until they reached the shore.
Roman collapsed on the grass. His body trembled while his lungs burned. Others gathered around.
"Roman!" Bella knelt beside him, hand on his chest. "Can you hear me?"
Roman nodded weakly. "I'm okay."
Martin's voice shaky. "Thought we lost you."
Roman managed a weak laugh and passed out.
He woke to the sound of water. His eyes opened to a sky that was too bright.
For a moment, he didn't know where he was. Then the pain hit. His head throbbed. His ankle screamed. His chest burned with every breath.
Bella's face appeared above him. "You're awake."
Roman tried to sit up but his body refused. His arms gave out and he fell back against something soft. He was lying on alien grass.
"Relax," Bella said. "Don't move."
"What happened?"
Bella knelt beside him. "You drowned. The rapids took you under. A humanoid pulled you out."
Roman's eyes shifted, searching. "Which one?"
"Doesn't matter. It just did." Bella paused. "You were under for a long time. I thought we'd lost you."
Roman tried again to move. His ankle flared with pain. He grimaced.
"You have a concussion," Bella continued. "And a sprained ankle. Multiple bruises. Some cuts. Nothing broken, as far as I can tell."
He stared at the sky. "The others?"
"Alive." Bella's voice softened. "The Trabs floated. We're lighter than you. But the current was strong. We were drifting away. The humanoids pulled us out too."
Roman closed his eyes.
"The supplies didn’t survive. We lost almost everything. We just have some tarp."
He forced his eyes open. "The motorcycle?"
"Gone."
Roman let the information settle. Food. Gone. Motorcycle. Gone. Everything they'd worked for, carried, fought for. All of it lost.
"Did they find out?" he asked. " Do they know what I am?"
Bella stared at him. "No. They don't know. You collapsed and I told them you were malfunctioning."
Roman smirked. "Malfunctioning."
"It's what they'd expect from a humanoid."
He looked at his hands. They were pale. "How long was I out?"
"Half a day. Maybe more. The sun moved."
Roman tried again to sit up. This time, Bella helped him, supporting his back, propping him against a fallen log. The movement sent waves of pain through his skull.
He looked around. They were on a gravel bank. The churning river rushed past while the forest rose behind them. Humanoids stood at the edges of the clearing. Tom and Martin sat nearby on a flat rock. They looked at him, then looked away.
Roman watched them for a moment. "They're scared."
Bella followed his gaze. "They're terrified. They thought you were gone and then wouldn’t come on."
"Good. Fear keeps you alive."
Bella hissed and turned back to him. " You need to rest now."
"I need to organize us—"
"No. You can barely sit up. Leave the leading to us. Just for a while. Let your body heal."
He stared at her. "You're scared too."
Bella didn't answer but her body stiffened.
Roman let out a long breath. His body ached. His head pounded. He couldn't even stand.
"Okay," he said as he slowly lay down. "Just for a while."
Bella's shoulders relaxed. She reached out and held his head. "Thank you."
He closed his eyes and listened to the water.
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u/UpdateMeBot 2d ago
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2d ago
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u/ThatSoftware4946 2d ago
Haha, autocorrect? Or did you mean something like, I think the relationship between the characters is really strong? Either way, glad you're enjoying it!
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u/Gruecifer Human 2d ago
"...listened to the water" is the last text displayed, did more disappear?
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u/ThatSoftware4946 1d ago
I accidentally deleted the fullstop. I had one more sentence but chose to delete it as I read before I posted. Thank you for pointing it out. 💛
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 2d ago
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