Prompt: phobias *cue glitter*

Wednesday Addams never admitted to not knowing how to do something. Everything was always straightforward and she could figure it out. So when she had agreed to go swimming with Enid, Bianca, Yoko, Ajax and Xavier late one night, it hadn't rolled around in her head that all of them were extremely experienced swimmers. However, it probably should have clicked when Enid talked about her swimming lessons or the fact that Bianca was a damn siren! But no, she just took a quick detour to the store and bought herself the most covering and simple swimsuit they had. It was a one-piece, seemed like the only one in store, and still managed to have some ugly black ripples and wired holes on the sides just above the waist. Less fabric needed to make it? It also should have clicked when she put a simple airy black dress over it while everyone else just went in their swimsuits, and most importantly, it should have clicked for everyone else when she explained she would just watch.

The words 'just watch' had no effect in Enid's dictionary. That was how Wednesday ended up thrown into the water. Enid had picked her up, told her not to be a wimp, and flung her. The pure chill of the water was shocking. Wednesday had never been fully submerged before, just waterboarded and showered, so as water rushed into her ears and her eyes stung she did the only thing she could think to do. She held her breath.

Slowly she felt her body go back up again, just as her lungs were about to explode after only thirty seconds under, she was almost at the top...and then...she was down again, water pulled her under deeper. Wednesday flailed her arms and tried to push herself up, but the water made her feel weightless. Another thirty seconds of whipping. Her lungs were gasping for air on nothing. She tried to slow her heart rate but she was panicking, she hated water, everything about it, and now it was all around her, deep deep water. She was going to drown. The air left her lungs and she almost cried. Her head slammed against something hard and she felt dizzy. She gasped but no air came, instead it was water. Her brain fogged over and she felt her arms stop moving. No, no, no-

Strong arms wrapped around her and she felt water tred past her face than cold air. Her body thrashed and coughed, she was thrown onto rocks and someone started compressions on her chest. The water left and sprayed over her face, but her lungs still burned wickedly, and they still felt full. More water came out and finally, she could breathe again. Wednesday opened her eyes, ignoring the salt burning, and looked at the people around her. Enid was sitting just above her, worry coating her face, a giant gash over her leg that was dripping blood over the smooth grey rocks.

"Your leg," her voice came out weak and raspy, it burned and sour saliva coated her mouth.

Enid looked down, seemingly shocked. "I must have hit it when I dived in to grab you, how's your head, it's bleeding."

Wednesday almost responded, almost, but instead, she turned to her side and vomited. Twice. Enid grabbed her hair and pulled it back. Finally, Wednesday collapsed down again. "I can't swim," she mumbled.

"We noticed, I'm sorry for throwing you in, but now that you are covered in vomit and two people's blood I think it may be time to head back and shower, the salt water would burn your cuts."

"I'm not cut."

Enid frowned. "Look down."

Wednesday sat up and looked at her arms. Her bathing suit was ripped, her stomach covered in minor scrapes, her arms ripped up and her thighs already bruised. "How-"

"When we realised you were stuck down there we dove under, you were throwing yourself against a rock over and over, so I dove down and grabbed you, my leg must have hit the rock."

"And my head?"

"Thrashed it too."

Wednesday tried to stand up but her legs screamed at her to lie down again until she recovered. "I can carry you," Xavier offered, his hair pulled back into a bun.

"It's fine, I'm stronger than you, I can carry her."

Enid scooped her up and started walking towards the school. As much as Wednesday wished to protest, she leaned her head against Enid's neck, shivering against the cold wind as it hit her, cuts stinging and head still throbbing. A shiver trembled through her body and Enid speed up, everyone rushing behind her with their towels. She noticed Enid's course before it was complete, tensing up.

"We are not going to the infirmary."

Enid's hands tightened on her arm, fresh blood coming from the devices. Wednesday did everything in her power not to flinch. "You need medical help, and you are getting it, end of the story."

She pushed open the doors to the medical ward and walked in. The nurse, who had been fiddling with medication bodles, stood up and rushed over. It took a total of 'way longer than Wednesday wanted' to get patched up but eventually, she was returning to her room, covered in white bandaids.

"So..." Enid paused. "I learnt one thing today..."

"And what is that."

"You need swimming lessons, and I can give you them."

"No, I don't need to know how to swim I-"

"Wednesday come on! It's a life skill! What if you fall in the water when no one is around!"

Panic about entering the water again twisted Wednesday's gut. "I...I don't like the water, it's so deep, so so deep, and you don't know what's down there, I don't know what's down there! What if I get grabbed or get too far out from shore or get touched by the water or almost drown again? What if I get hit by a wave or an animal...-"

Enid's mouth dropped open. "No way..."

"What!?" Wednesday snapped.

"You have Thalassophobia..."

"I have no such thing! I have no phobias, those are stupid."

"Thalassophobia...fear of being in deep bodies of water, fear of the vast emptiness of the sea, of sea waves, aquatic creatures, and fear of distance from the land..."

Wednesday paled a little but shook her head. "No, I refuse to have that."

Enid looked at her plainly. "You can't choose your phobia...for example, I can't choose that I have Autophobia...I just get scared when I'm alone."

"Autophobia?"

"Fear of being alone in the moment, or fear of being alone forever. Being alone, even in a usually comforting place like home, can result in severe anxiety for me. People with autophobia feel they need another person or other people around in order to feel safe," Enid explained, pushing her fingers into her pockets.

"Can you cure a phobia?"

"Only one way to find out..."

Wednesday sighed. "Fine."

"Tomorrow morning we can head to the pool, it isn't deep so it should be simpler."

"Okay."