Chapter Text
It was about a week into their new cohabitation in Scotland that Martin noticed it. Jon hadn’t had a statement since they had left the institute, and was having an increasingly difficult time of it. Martin was really doing much better, probe to snapping, and getting overwhelmed as he fought off the lingering effects of spending so much time in the Lonely. Thankfully they had discovered that there was one thing that seemed to help both of them. And that was cuddling. Martin laying on top of Jon, the pressure helping him resist the urge to go out and hunt- he Knew in the local village there were three people he could take a statement from, but if he was physically unable to get up and take them, he was able to relax.
Martin on the other hand had found physical contact in any degree comforting. It was during one of the lazy afternoons that they found themselves in the favourite position that Martin noticed it. He had laid his head on Jon’s chest, listening to his heart beat, but there was something wrong.
“Jon, are you ok?” Martin could feel the vibration through Jon’s chest as he hummed.
“Yes Martin I believe so, why?” Martin looked up at him, growing more concerned.
“Your heart doesn’t sound right. Either it’s beating way too fast and out of time or you have two of them.” That got Jon’s attention, he started to push himself up, and Martin rolled off of him and the couch to sit on the ground beside him as Jon pushed himself up.
“Well, that’s, thats probably not a good thing.” Jon said after a while. “I don’t think it’s beating overly quickly either” he added cautiously. “So I suppose, it must me the later.”
“I’m getting Daisys first aid kit.” Martin said after a pause. Daisys first aid kit was perhaps better thought of as an emergency triage kit. It was probably better stocked then the standard ambulance. Which meant it included an old heart rate monitor; and a stethoscope. Upon listening intently to Jon’s chest for a few tense moments, Martin silently passed the stethoscope to Jon. After listening to his own chest a while Jon sighed.
“I always figured if the Beholding was going to change me it would be to grow extra eyes or something. This doesn’t really make sense, unless the Flesh got a hold of me when I wasn’t paying attention.” But Jon already Knew as he said that it wasn’t the case.
“I mean, what do we really know about what being an avatar means? There could be all kinds of changes on a biological level that we aren’t aware of.” Jon sighed again and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Just one more thing to prove I’m not human I suppose.” Martin took Jon’s hands in his.
“Hey, I don’t love you any less cuz you’ve got two hearts. But we should probably try and figure out if there are any other differences- better not to have any more surprises.” Jon took a deep breath and nodded.
“Your right, but but can we do it tomorrow?” Martin smiled.
“Yeah tomorrow sounds good.”
***
The trouble was, neither of them really knew anything about human biology, let alone what Avatar biology was supposed to be. So the next day saw them walking down to the towns tiny library and checking out as many anatomy books as they could find. Thankfully as the librarian of a small town Judith knew better then to question what someone was checking out, and she knew better then to go around gossiping about it. But she did wonder about the two strange Englishmen that had taken up residence in her town. The 12 books on human anatomy they checked out did nothing to stop her wondering either.
Jon and Martin didn’t actually get to reading the books until halfway through the afternoon. Having been distracted by a few calf’s playing in the field on their way home.
Jon has no problem diving directly in, and consuming the books at, what Martin though was a frankly ridiculous speed, Martin had never been a fast reader though. Watching Jon reading was interesting. He read with the same intensity that he recorded statements with. Actually he even seemed to look a tiny bit healthier when he was reading then he had before.
“Jon, does reading help with the-“ Martin waved his hand in a vague pattern he hoped conveyed that he meant the “all powerful eldritch being that we are bound to” Jon hummed.
“Not exactly. It’s a bit like, like when your hungry but you drink water to feel full.” Martin nodded. That he understood, having done so enough times growing up in a single income household. He reached out and grabbed Jon’s hand. Jon smiled slightly before looking back at his book and continuing to read. Martin couldn’t help the find smile watching Jon get so absorbed. It felt like a secret window into the Jon from before, before the institute and the Fears. Martin could admit as far as anatomy textbooks he was very little help. But with Jon’s hand in his, and the slight wrinkle that Jon got between his brows when he was focusing, Martin couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
***
They didn’t actually get around to testing anything until a full day later. Martin suggested they start with the easiest thing. Seeing how long Jon could hold his breath. At 5 minutes, Martin was impressed. It was still within theoretic human range- so no cause for concern yet. At 10 minutes Martin was concerned. Jon was honestly relieved when at 13 minutes he began to feel a familiar tightness in his chest, and a mild panicky feeling demanding he take a breath. It may not be human to be able to hold his breath for nearly 14 minutes, but it felt good to have a firm limit. Jon wondered what it said about him that he was clinging to such a fragile hope of humanity, and decided he probably didn’t want to know.
Martin noted the time down in a notebook, they had mutually decided that recording the results on one of the 23 tape recorders that had so far appeared would be a bad idea. Though, as soon as they had started the experiment Jon had heard one of them click on and begin its gentle whirring.
There really weren’t a lot of experiments they could preform without proper equipment, though, they did hook Jon up to the heart rate monitor- which promptly displayed an error message.
“Well I guess this explains why you didn’t appear to have a proper heart beat when you were in a coma.” Martin offer while they stared at the angrily beeping machine.
“It’s really too bad I never got to know any of the sectioned staff at the hospital. I suspect this would be a great deal easier with a doctor we could trust.”
“Yeah, not like we’d be able to call them out here anyway though, not in daisys murder cabin with no phone service.” Jon smiled.
“You just miss being able to watch cat videos on YouTube.” Martin put a hand to his chest in mock offence.
“I am shocked you think so little of me! Just for that I’m making mild curry tonight instead of spicy!” The two continued on like that as Jon followed Martin into the kitchen. Good natured ribbing it felt nice, safe somehow. Jon’s hand found its way into his pocket and he fingered his lighter absent mindedly while basking in the joy that it was to watch Martin cook- if he was lucky Martin would start singing as he chopped the vegetables.