Chapter Text
Dave whistled a sea shanty, it’s merry little tune carrying like the wind upon the waves as he slowed his boat to a light trolling speed on the outer rim of the sand bar. He smiled as he slowly made his way to the bow of his boat, cupping his palm across his brow and cast his gaze out toward the horizon. It was a gloomy day, he noted; the sun tucked away beneath a vast sea of billowy clouds that undulated as they passed him by. The soft sound of waves lapping against the nearby shoreline soothed him, the dreary day mixed with the sea rocking his tiny vessel like a swaddled baby nearly lulling him to sleep.
Dave looked forward to days like these, where he could go about his duties of fishing without the constant assault of the sun burning his delicate skin. Days like this tended to be quieter, the rougher swell of the sea easily swaying casual boaters or swimmers away from her depths. He inhaled deeply, gulping down lungfuls of the familiar salty spray of the ocean, a smell he’d come to know well and love with all of his heart.
He was a fisherman, and had been since his sea legs were strong enough to follow his father around their tiny boat. It used to be just the two of them, but after an accident at sea a few years ago—a storm that had claimed his father’s life—Dave found himself manning his small fishing vessel on his own. Of course, Dave knew that his life would never be the same, his father had been the only company he’d ever known and now he was all alone. He’d never stop, though. This was his father’s dream, and as Dave grew up in his shadow, following his lead, he came to realize that being out here amongst the ocean was now his dream too. So, he went out every day in search of fish and the need to satiate his desires to be near the sea. He’d always loved it; it’s overwhelming beauty, it’s strong oceanic scent, something about being near the sea had always been comforting to him. Dave loved the way the ocean spray felt against his skin, the way the wind tousled his cropped curls, and the way the sun never failed to warm his cheeks.
Dave often compared the ocean to a siren, it’s mesmerizing calls luring him closer and drawing him in. His home had always been upon the water, and while he did love the place and the freedom it offered him and its solitude, sometimes he wished he had someone else he could share all of it with; his love of the sea, and all of its creatures held within its depths.
Fishing had been slow that day. Dave hadn’t caught anything on his line nor his nets, so he decided he would take the opportunity to troll down the coastline of the neighboring island to check the shark netting. He’d learned from experience over the years that unfortunately, not only sharks got entangled within their snares. He slowly made his way down the length of the coast. He was looking for turtles, or even little crabs, anything that may be trapped in hopes of setting them free. He was just finishing untangling the claw of a blue crab from where it had been trapped when something at the far distance of the net caught his attention.
A splash…
It was faint, the sound barely a trickle due to its distance and Dave had nearly missed it entirely, but the ripples it left in its wake still remained. He squinted his eyes trying to see what the creature may be. It must’ve been large, whatever it was, perhaps a loggerhead sea turtle, or maybe even a dolphin? Setting the little crab back into the ocean, Dave watched him scuttle away just long enough to make sure he would be okay before trolling closer to where the splash came from. As he approached, the deep metallic green scales of some sort of fish barely breached the surface.
“I’ve never seen a fish with scales that color before,” he thought idly when he finally arrived, but he couldn’t help but notice that it was beautiful. He couldn’t focus on those details right now, though. The creature needed his help.
In an effort to make the task easier, Dave carefully laid down on his belly over the port of his boat. He reached below the surface of the water, his hands gripping onto the net and tugging it up, trying to pull it closer to better his view. He was surprised by the weight on the other end, the fish really must’ve been huge. He gave another good tug, watching intently as the creature was pulled closer when the weak, terrified green eyes on a humanoid face stared back at him from just below the surface.
Dave gasped, immediately scrambling back out of disbelief. “Holy shit, it’s a person!”
He wasted no time reaching back into the water, gripping the man by his shoulders and hauling his head above the tide. Brandishing his knife, Dave frantically began sawing the man out of the netting in an effort to free him. His heart was pounding as he cradled him against his chest. The man was limp, head barely afloat above the water, his eyes hooded and features a sickly shade of white. It terrified Dave as he wondered how long this man may have been trapped like this. Given his condition, it must’ve been for quite some time.
“It’s okay,” Dave cooed in an even tone, trying to comfort the man. “I’m gonna get you out, you’re going to be just fine!”
When Dave reached the man’s waist, his sawing motion stuttered to a complete and total halt.
The man, he discovered, had no legs…
Instead, the man had a fish-like tail with a gorgeous, sprawling fin.
Dave couldn’t help but stare at it with wide eyes as a sliver of sunlight peeked through a break in the clouds, shining down upon his scales. They were a dark green, nearly black, but now that the sun was finally making its appearance, it shone upon them and made each individual scale shimmer almost like glitter in its rays. They were mesmerizing, he noticed, unable to tear his gaze away. As he examined his tail further, Dave’s brows furrowed when he caught sight of another detail; the obvious damage he’d sustained.
There were scars that were familiar to Dave; something he knew that he’d seen before on the backs of many manatees. The marks almost resembled the pattern made by propeller blades marred into his flesh. They were old, he noticed, but as his eyes looked closer he recognized new wounds—ones that had clearly been caused by his current predicament.
Cautiously, Dave reached his fingers out to touch them when the action caused the merman's eyes to suddenly snap open. Finding a strength Dave was surprised the merman possessed, he began to fight. He squirmed against his touch, trying desperately to flee. His tail thrashing against the tides wildly, sending torrents of salt water onto the bow of his boat.
Dave released the merman, not wanting to cause him any additional harm, and held his hands up in a placating manner. “Easy,” he called, trying to calm him down. “You’re okay, I’m not gonna hurt you!”
Dave watched helplessly as the merman continued to thrash, grabbing a hold of the net and using his teeth to bite desperately at the mesh. Dave winced when he realized how badly the merman was trembling, his frail arms shaking as he tried to free himself. Dave deflated when he noticed how roughly the merman was breathing; chest heaving and left breathless and weak. His struggling began to slow as his energy continued to dwindle. After what felt like an eternity, it became apparent when the merman was clearly unable to fight any longer, and he weakly clung onto the netting with a white-knuckle grip. He peered at Dave with a sideways glance, and while he could see the slightest hint of annoyance upon his features, there was something else Dave noticed above anything else: Fear.
He was scared…
Dave knew that he needed to help him.
Not wanting to startle the merman, Dave offered him his space for another moment longer, just hoping it would give him the chance he needed to regain his breath. He didn’t sound good, he noticed, as he listened to the shuddered wheezing gasps permeating past his lips. Hands still held up before them in sight of the merman, Dave slowly eased himself closer.
“Easy,” he repeated, keeping his voice as gentle as he could. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I promise.”
The merman didn’t respond, but he did meet Dave’s gaze, and the fisherman felt his breath hitch in his throat at the sight of his eyes. He’d never seen eyes that were such a stunning shade of green, it was nearly jarring. He needed to focus though, and set this merman free.
“Look,” Dave breathed as he held his position a safe distance from the merman, keeping his stance as non-threatening as possible. “I’m going to come closer, alright?” He explained, taking slow and steady steps towards him. “I just need to finish cutting those ropes and netting away from you, it’s the only way you’re going to get free, just, please,” he pleaded, pausing midstep, his heart fluttering when the merman tilted his head, appearing to listen intently. “Let me help you.”
When the merman just continued to gaze at him, features somehow softer than before; more open, Dave decided to take his chance. Coming closer, he stooped down, lying once again on his belly across the deck of his boat and pressed the sharp edge of his knife against the netting. Brows furrowed and tongue poking past his lips in concentration, he began to saw at the line, glee filling him as he watched each twine snap and break away. The merman continued to cling onto it for support, clearly still winded and left utterly spent from the entire ordeal. His eyes were closed, Dave noticed as he watched him, trying to make sure he was okay. He needed to hurry up his endeavors, he could tell the merman couldn’t go on like this for much longer.
“Almost there,” he informed him. Gripping the last of the mesh within his calloused fingers, Dave sliced through them in a single motion. Once the line fell away, however, Dave’s heart clenched when he realized the merman’s wounds were much worse than he initially thought.
He had burns from the material on his chest and abdomen that spanned down the lengths of both arms, even wrapping around his neck. It looked like he’d been garroted, the burn was so severe. Seeing the damage, Dave wasn’t surprised his breathing sounded so raspy. He’d been suffocating for God only knows how long. The net had severed deep penetrating gashes into the delicate flesh in several points on his tail. How long had this poor creature been struggling?
Far too quickly for his liking, it began to seep a deep crimson into the surrounding waters.
He was bleeding....
And bad.
Dave knew that this wasn’t good. This particular area was well known for it’s heavy shark population (hence the protective netting at all) and with how weak he clearly was and how rapidly he was bleeding? Dave knew that he couldn’t just leave him like this, there was no way he’d ever survive. Dave peered towards the merman, eyeing him up and down. He was free now, and yet he’d made absolutely no effort to flee. He was still clinging onto the net, eyes closed, and breaths coming out in short raspy gasps, though his posture was less rigid and more relaxed. Dave knew it wasn’t because he suddenly felt safe, though. It was because he was weak, and losing his vital energy fast. Dave felt his heart stammer to a halt when the merman's grip failed him, his debilitated body sinking beneath the tides.
To be honest, Dave had never been well-versed with merfolk. Of course, he’d heard the tales of them growing up, but then again, who hadn’t? Their story was one of wonder and mystery, so it should have been no surprise that Dave, like most people, never actually believed in their existence. All his years at sea he’d never once come across one, but now here one was in the flesh.
Wounded and in desperate need of his help.
Dave lunged forward, thrusting his arms into the water and grabbed a hold of the merman’s arms, being extra cautious not to hurt him as he quickly guided his head above the current.
“They breathe air, right?” He wondered idly. Surely, they must be almost like dolphins; could simply hold their breath for long periods of time? He saw no gills, afterall.
“Hey,” he cooed, his eyes never tearing away from the merman's placid features. “You gotta stay awake, okay?”
He earned no response from the merman, but he was still breathing at least, he noticed, though raspy and faint. He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to him, he just needed him to be okay. “Please,” Dave pleaded. “Stay with me.”
He cradled the merman to his chest, gently rocking him in his arms when his eyes finally just barely opened. “Hey there,” he cooed, a smile spanning across his features when he realized he was awake. “There you are, I need you to stay awake now, okay?” The merman watched Dave silently, and he wondered if he was simply too weak to respond. That was okay, he figured he could just inform him of his plan. “Look, I wanna help you, alright? But I don’t know how,” he explained to him honestly. “You’re hurt, I don’t want you to panic, but your wounds are pretty bad, I need to treat them. Can you just hold onto my boat? We don’t have far to go, I promise, I just live in that small village just beyond that key,” he informed, pointing towards the quaint island about a quarter mile past the coast.
The merman tilted his head to follow Dave’s hand before returning his gaze to Dave. Seemingly exhausted by that small motion, the merman’s head toggled, his eyelashes fluttering weakly. He looked like he was going to pass out.
“Hey, no,” Dave murmured, holding the merman tighter in his arms, keeping him tucked safely against his chest. “Please, stay with me, I need you to be okay.”
The merman made a strangled sound; something similar to a garbled hum before opening his eyes. Dave could tell how weak he was, it was as plain as his khaki shorts, he desperately needed help. “Yes, good,” he cooed, his palm coming to rest against his cheek when the merman’s head began to droop. “I know that you’re tired, and I promise that you’ll be able to rest as soon as we get you to safety, but please, I need you to try to stay awake for me, yeah?” He asked, nodding his head encouragingly. The merman watched him with furrowed brows, seemingly studying Dave. His body language, his disposition, his kind eyes before following his lead and nodding in response. “Yes? Yes! Good! Just, here, hold onto this,” Dave said, guiding the merman's hand toward one of the numerous cleats on the boat. It bore no ropes at the moment, and Dave knew that the slender metal fitting should be easy enough for him to grasp onto.
The merman reached an unsteady hand towards it, wrapping his fingers around the metal. Dave was just thankful the weather had been dreary; the overcast sky making it impossible for the metal to heat up enough to burn his surely delicate skin. He lifted his other arm out of the water as well, lying his forearm flat against the gunwale, sprawling his palm out for additional support before curling his tail up as close against the hull of the vessel as he could manage. Dave frowned when he realized the merman’s features tugged into a pained expression, clearly the position was causing him discomfort, but he knew it was necessary. They had no other choice, he needed to be brought to safety.
“You’re doing great, I know it’s uncomfortable, but I promise to be quick, this will be over before you know it and then you can rest.” Dave watched him for a moment longer, observing the way the merman focused on clinging to the boat, on steadying his breathing. He only hoped he would be okay. He turned, making his way towards the helm of his boat when he heard a soft groan followed by a squealing sound; like flesh dragging down fibreglass ending with a splash. Dave stopped in his tracks, turning towards where he’d left the merman only to find he was gone. Panic filled his chest and he hurried over, peering over the ledge. He was still gripping the boat, thank god, but he was slipping and losing strength. It broke Dave’s heart to realize he wouldn’t be strong enough to hold onto the boat to make it to shore. He reached down, taking the merman’s hand who looked up at him with tired green eyes and he couldn’t help but to offer him a reassuring smile. He didn’t know how he was going to do this, but he knew that he had to try.
“Don’t worry,” He said to him in a gentle tone. “I have another idea, just….don’t be afraid, okay? I promised you I wouldn't hurt you, and I meant every word.”
The merman looked at Dave with a curious expression, but didn’t fight when he bent down, pulling him into his arms. He groaned at the pain he felt when Dave began to leverage him up and out of the water, the weight of the world crashing down on him. Dave held his breath, his features screwing up into his own discomfort as he cradled the merman in his arms in a bridal carry, tugging him onto the safety of the boat. He had to sit for a moment to catch his breath.
He hadn’t been able to tell from the water, but the merman was bigger than he anticipated. While he was slim and slender, Dave quickly found that he was also long and elegant, easily 8 feet long from the top of his curls to the tip of his tail. And he was heavy; dead weight from being so weak. Dave hugged him close as he caught his breath, and the merman relaxed within his arms, his head coming to rest on Dave’s shoulder. Dave could tell by his breathing that he was losing his strength. He cupped his cheek within the warmth of his palm, and the merman’s tired green gaze met his striking blues.
“You’re safe now,” Dave promised, offering a gentle grin. The merman’s lips tugged into the faintest smile, before his eyes drifted closed, his energy thoroughly spent. Dave took a moment to just hold him, admire him, and make sure he was truly okay.
He still couldn’t believe this was really happening. He would have pinched himself to make sure it was real, but he had his hands quite literally full with a real life merman. Dave’s features softened as he listened to him breathing, the steady rise and fall of his chest doing wonders for calming his nerves. He watched as rivulets of water beaded on the tips of his curls, dripping from the ends onto his toned physique. As the saltwater dissipated, his curls tightened, bounding to life like tiny springs. He was absolutely beautiful, Dave noticed. He was enraptured, fully caught up in the moment, when the merman groaned, his ragged breathing becoming more pronounced.
Right, he was hurt.
He had to focus, and get him to safety.
Not knowing what else to do, as he hadn’t thought this far ahead, Dave decided it best to lie the merman down on the deck of his boat. He was curled on his side, the end of his tail dangling over the ledge and just barely kissing the surface of the sea. He was drying out though; his skin becoming parched and his scales curling up around the edges. He needed to rehydrate him, and fast. Dave went to the bow of his boat. There, within the flat surface was a cubby where he would keep towels, life jackets, and small necessities for his numerous trips. Quickly tugging all of the towels into his arms, Dave returned to the merman's side, dipping each individual towel into the sea before laying them over his prone form. He hoped this would work; damp towels were better than nothing, after all, and they really didn’t have far to go. Plus, he hoped the added weight from them would help comfort the merman, make him feel safe and at home.
Dave returned to his position at the helm, guiding his tiny vessel away from the netting and back towards his home. He would cast the occasional glance at the merman, making sure he wasn’t struggling or in too much pain. He did stop once to re-dampen the towels, just to make sure he would be as comfortable as possible. The voyage was rough; the water choppy due to the weather, but he was thankful the merman never stirred. He only hoped he would be okay.
Dave docked his boat right off his property. It was a cute little place; about a half an acre of land that pushed right up against the sea. His dock was spacious, offering him plenty of room to safely traverse its length with the merman cradled within his arms. Dave quickly discovered that picking him up from the deck of his boat, while easier than hauling him out of the sea, was still rather difficult. He was heavy, an awkward package that he kept bundled safely against his chest. The merman's arm draped over Dave’s shoulder, his head securely tucked beneath his chin as he carried him inside.
Getting the door unlocked and opened turned into its own special challenge, but Dave approached it like a champion, balancing the merman with one arm and propping him against his hip as he slotted the key into the keyhole. He knew it must be a comical sight to see, but what else was he supposed to do? You try carrying a merman while opening a door. Dave could now say from experience, it was much easier said than done.
Once inside, Dave stood within the cool air of his living room for a moment when a thought hit him like a tail to the face - what the fuck was he supposed to do now? The merman needed to stay wet. Dave didn’t own a pool, and there was no way in hell he would survive if he just left him in the channel. He would have no way to escape from sharks or any other predators who may swim his way. Not to mention, while Dave’s home was the only one on the peninsula, he still had nearby neighbors who would troll past his place every morning and evening. Surely someone would notice a severely wounded merman just chilling near his dock. But what else was he to do?
That’s when an idea finally hit him.
While Dave’s house may have been quaint; just a measly 950 square foot bungalow perched upon the sea, one of the perks he was now thankful for was the fact that it was a two bedroom two bath. While the bedroom details were unimportant, the bathroom details were. The master bathroom was merely a basic stand up shower in need of desperate renovation, but the guest bathroom lived up to its name since it sported a large clawfoot tub. A tub Dave had never personally used in his entire life, but now knew would make the perfect resting place and makeshift medical unit for him to nurse his new friend the merman back to health.
Using his hip, Dave nudged the guest bathroom door open and gently lowered the merman into the tub. He was surprised that he fit rather nicely, his slight frame easily sinking deep within the basin, his tail curled around the inner edge. Luckily, Dave loved all things to do with the sea so he just happened to have a 55 gallon saltwater aquarium in his bedroom; it’s soft ambient lighting the perfect thing to sooth away his nightmares. Dave went to his hallway closet, pulling out one of the bags of ‘Instant Ocean’ salt before hauling it towards the bathroom and pouring it into the tub. He knew the tub was roughly sixty gallons, and knew exactly how much salt to add in order to create a healthy and familiar environment for the merman. Dave put the plunger down in the tub, turning the nozzles to a lukewarm temperature and finally filled it with water. He smiled as he watched the salt dissolve as the water swirled around the merman’s body, his scales unfurling and relaxing back down against his tail as they gulped up the nutrients.
While he waited for the tub to finish filling, Dave took the opportunity to dig in the cabinet below his bathroom sink for his medical kit before kneeling beside the tub and examining the merman. Truth be told, he didn’t know how to do this. He’d only ever treated minor cuts and abrasions on himself before, never anything this serious, and certainly never on a merman. But, looking at his sickly pale complexion he knew that he at least had to try. Starting with peroxide, Dave dabbed a tiny bit onto a cotton pad before pressing to an unwounded section of his skin to test it, making sure it didn’t cause some kind of a reaction. When his skin appeared fine; no redness or irritation, he deemed it okay to apply it to his wounds. He was sure to be as gentle as possible, starting at the hideous rope burn around the merman’s neck. He couldn't believe he’d been forced to endure such an injury and was just thankful he’d found him when he did and not a moment later.
It terrified Dave to realize that had he not found him in time…
He shook that thought from his head, he couldn’t think that way. He was okay, and safe, being treated in his tub. He was alive and would continue to be alive because Dave had been able to save him.
When the tub was full, Dave turned off the water before continuing to treat his wounds, moving down his chest and abdomen before working his way down his arms. The cuts on his forearms were deeper than he first realized, some he worried may even require stitches, but Dave didn’t have anything for that. But, surely he’d never had stitches before anyways? He did have old scars littering his body, so he only hoped he would be fine. Dave did decide, however, that leaving them open wouldn’t do. He didn’t want to subject him to some kind of an infection, and while he was definitely treading on unfamiliar territory with this being a merman, he did know enough about basic wound care. So, he treated him with some triple antibiotic ointment and wrapped the wounds with gauze and self adhesive tape.
Dave smirked in satisfaction as he admired his work. He looked like a warrior, his arms wrapped from wrist to elbow with black dressings. He was proud he was able to at least treat his upper body, but that pride bled out of him as he examined his tail. With it being under water, Dave was at a loss for what to do. He couldn’t wrap it, the dressings would never stay on, and what could he even apply to the wounds to medicate them and help initiate the healing process? Nothing. It broke his heart to realize there was nothing else he could do for this poor creature. He was just glad to see that his bleeding had slowed down to a moderate rate. He only hoped it would continue to slow more.
Dave exhaled an exasperated sigh, leaning back on his pockets and wiped the back of his hand across his brow before setting his gaze upon the merman. He was still sleeping, he noticed immediately, and didn’t know whether to be happy he was finally able to rest or worried that his condition hadn’t improved. He couldn’t help but notice how absolutely wrecked he looked. His expression was soft, yet strained behind his discomfort. He was still far too pale for his liking, even with the golden glow of the evening sun filtering through the window, and his brow was slicked with a fine sheen of sweat. Did mermen run fevers? Dave didn’t know, but what he did know was that at this point in time there was nothing else he could do for him. So, with the day drawing towards its end, and his tummy beginning to grumble, begging him for food, Dave decided it best to leave the merman to sleep.
Dave slowly rose to his knees, propping his forearms on the ledge of the tub, his hand coming to brush against the merman’s brow before cupping his cheek. He smoothed his thumb over the prominent bone there, focusing to see if he found any heat. He smiled, just thankful when there was nothing alarming that he detected. Slowly, he retracted his hand before pushing himself to his feet. Dave opened the bathroom door before peering back towards the tub, fixing his gaze upon the merman's slumbering features.
“Just sleep,” he cooed, hoping the merman could hear him. “You’re safe now, okay? And don’t worry, you’re not alone, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be back to check on you soon, I promise.”