Page 54 of Dark Awakening: New World

"We need to test it." The medic took off his coat and toed off his shoes. "Let's start by just putting our feet in the water."

He led Ell-rom to the edge and helped him sit down on the floor, which was much more difficult than sitting on a chair.

"Do you need help taking your shoes off?" Julian asked.

"No, I can do it." Ell-rom copied what the medic had done with his own shoes and used the leverage of the floor to pull out his foot from one shoe and then removed the other with his toes.

Next to them, Jasmine pulled her shirt over her head, but Julian paid her no attention.

"You can keep your robe on if you are cold," Julian told him. "Pull it up if you don't want it to get wet." He scooted to the edge and put his legs in the water.

Ell-rom wasn't keen on removing the robe and letting Jasmine see the stark difference between his and the medic's physiques. Julian was covered with lean muscle, while Ell-rom looked like a deflated version of that. His skin wasn't stretched taut over his muscles, and he was gaunt and sickly-looking.

How could Jasmine be attracted to him?

If not for the scent of her desire, he would have thought that she had only pretended, but that enticing aroma had been unmistakable even for an inexperienced male like him.

Some things were innate.

Now was not the time to think of those things, though, and if he didn't want to embarrass himself, he needed to keep his eyes off Jasmine, who had removed her pants as well and was sitting at the edge of the pool with her legs dangling in the water.

Ell-rom scooted forward, imitating the way Julian had done it, and when he got to the edge, he scooped the robe behind him and put his legs in the water.

"How does it feel?" Julian asked.

"Strange. My legs feel as if they weigh less, and they float up."

The medic grinned. "That is why exercise in water is easier than outside of it."

Jasmine leaned forward so she could see Julian on Ell-rom's other side. "Do you know if Anumati's gravity is the same as Earth's?"

"It should be stronger by a good measure, I would think," Julian said. "The planet is much bigger, and gravity is directly proportional to mass. That should also explain, at least in part, why the gods, and by extension the immortals, are so much stronger than humans."

"Like Superman," Jasmine said.

"Who is Superman?" Ell-rom asked.

"He is a fictional character." Julian hopped into the water, which reached only to his waist. "You seem to have gotten used to the chemical smell, and your skin looks fine. We can proceed with the exercises."

"What about the teardrop?" Jasmine asked. "I meant to ask you if it was waterproof but given that you jumped into the pool with it around your neck, it must be okay."

"It is. The earpieces are waterproof, too, but we need to keep the teardrop out of the water for it to broadcast sound. That's why I shortened the string. I suggest that you do the same once you join Ell-rom in the water."

"I will."

Ell-rom had no choice but to remove the robe, and he dreaded the moment Jasmine saw him like that. Was there any way he could ask her to leave without offending her?

That was so cowardly that Ell-rom was ashamed of even thinking it. Jasmine was kind, and she had feelings for him. She wouldn't make comparisons between him and Julian and find him lacking. She knew he was still recovering and wouldn't always look like an animated skeleton.

As he untied the belt and shrugged off the robe, Julian offered him his hands.

"Grab on to me, and I will pull you in."

Reluctantly, Ell-rom followed his instructions and used the medic's hands to balance, but instead of waiting for Julian to pull him in, he slid into the water.

When his feet touched the bottom, the sensation was unlike anything he could remember experiencing. The water embraced him, supporting his weight in a way that immediately eased the strain on his muscles.

"Congratulations!" Jasmine clapped her hands. "One more step toward victory."