"You're doing good," Marina commented to Bennie as the two of them went through some basic movements in a large Olympic style pool, "Very good."
"There's a lot to get used to though," Bennie commented as he looked to the female Orca Animalian.
It had been clear that the process of transforming as part of Project Phoenix had worked with regard to all of the issues that Horizon Labs wanted to see they could cure with the Animalia Virus. Blood tests showed that the cancer cells in Karen were gone and the auto-immune white cells typical of Type 1 Diabetics weren't present in Simon's blood anymore, but the first group of Project Phoenix volunteers were presently still in Animalia to acclimate fully to their new bodies. It'd been a big thing for Bennie as he was getting used to having his legs again, not to mention the long and muscular tail that extended behind him and ended in the typical flukes that one would find on a mundane Orca. Bennie had found he had basic control, but he was still getting used to walking again. Horizon then figured a pool might be the best thing for him to fully practice it as it would let him be able to relax if he got tired, and to Bennie's surprise, Marina was more than willing to help him.
"Yes... legs can be an interesting appendage to master," Marina answered, "Just about all of us that were in the Lyre Zoo's Oceanic Exhibit had to adapt to all this... being able to stand and walk... but we did learn, and in a way it means that being on land ISN'T the death sentence it normally is for whales and dolphins."
"Which is good," Bennie said with a weak smile, "though... it's more like trying to remember how to ride a bike. It's not like I forgot... but... after I lost my legs... I sorta fell out of practice. The prosthetic legs I was given worked to let me stand and balance, but I needed a cane to walk as I'd essentially lean on the cane to swing one leg at a time."
"I can't imagine what it'd be like to have something and lose it," Marina commented, "It'd be like losing my tail... I wouldn't able to swim like I used to."
"Well... it's not something anyone ever wants," Bennie admitted, "I took the risks that cost me my legs for reasons that made sense to me... Protecting my country and freedom and all that. That, however, doesn't change that I'm having to get used to truly walking again and balancing out this tail."
Bennie then paused and twisted his body to look down at the long tail behind him. It fit through a specialized hole in the swim trunks that he was wearing and set fairly buoyantly in the water behind him. It moved slightly as he focused on moving it side to side and up and down. He could easily feel the movement pushing him forward in the water, which in the part of the pool they were in came up to his chest. He had to brace his legs just to keep from falling over, though soon found Marina catching him and giving him a very close look at the bikini top that she was wearing as the water was easily clear enough to let him look down into the water and see the bottom of the pool and the female Orca Animalian in the pool with him.
"Careful," Marina said with a polite smile, "your tail might be the biggest thing to get used to. It'll help you swim... In fact, it'll be best to use your tail only when swimming... But in situations like this where we're just walking... you want to keep your tail relaxed. It'll prevent you from suddenly diving forward."
"Thanks," Bennie answered and straightened himself out, "it is strange... for me, anyway, to suddenly have a tail... an additional appendage. I suppose, it's like how you felt when you grew legs."
Marina nodded, "and with continued practice we'll get you used to it. And once you're ready, you can make your decision on returning to Florida... or you could stay here."
Bennie nodded and a part of him wondered if by "stay here" Marina meant "stay with me," but he wouldn't say that out loud. He wanted to be a gentleman and he didn't know if Marina was already seeing someone. This was getting tougher as the more time he spent practicing with her to walk again and using his tail for swimming the more he found himself attracted to her and that him feel rather shallow.
"Let's take things one step at a time," Bennie said after a few moments.
"Okay," Marina nodded, and came up beside Bennie, "Let's start again with walking back and forth across the pool. Remember to keep your tail relaxed."