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Rising from his chair, the doctor sighed thoughtfully. They didn't have that much work and patients today, so he didn't know what to do with the rest of his time. The ambulance forced him to go and take a walk or rest, he decided to choose the first option, since at least some benefit would come from it. He could relax and unwind, benefit his body in the fresh air, because if he sat in a stuffy office for days and nights, he would start to get bored and demand fresh air to saturate his body with it. Although it happens that you don't want to go outside, the weather was good today, so it would be a sin not to go there and enjoy the beautiful nature and the lake. Putting all the things in their places, the doctor carefully adjusted his glasses, which kept falling off the bridge of his nose.
- I'll have to look at the glasses a size smaller, otherwise I'm tired of falling off all the time. Old age is not a joy, of course, but glasses are still needed. Otherwise, everything is bad without them, I see like an eagle in the water.
We'll have to update them soon, because unfortunately, my eyesight is getting worse and worse every year. They even tried to force him to retire, but what should he do if he does?
He spent most of his life pursuing his career and treating people. He has no one at home: no animal, no loved one, no family to give him. His whole life is one career and medical rooms, hospitals and money from morning to night. Especially the grandmothers who come at 6 a.m., even when the hospital doors are not open. Are they guarding him there? Because every time it feels like they're coming to him, even though he doesn't even work with them. Well, he certainly won't give them apple coupons for the promotion.
He took off his rumpled white coat and hung it on a hanger in the closet, straightening his clothes. He was dressed warmer, even though it was June, but they had the sea nearby, so no matter how warm it was, it was still cold. Therefore, trousers and a sweatshirt always saved him.
After leaving his office, he locked it with a key, leaving it at the reception desk. Coming down with the wind, he left the hospital. The night was quiet and cozy this time, a soft breeze could be heard in the distance, just from the sea and from the small lake that was there.
It was said that this lake used to be home to murphers, creatures with tails instead of legs that could breathe and swim underwater in a way that no human could. They lived in that lake until the humans came and the Murphers went to sea. There were caves at the bottom of this lake, connecting the sea and this very place. None of the people could get through them properly, as they are so confusing that it is easy to get lost in them if you swim into the wrong cave.
The Doctor walked slowly and smoothly along the road leading to the sea. The leaves on the trees rustled and swayed. A lighthouse was visible in the distance. The doctor came closer and closer to the shore, after which he stopped at the water's edge and sat down on the sand, peering into the depths.
- I haven't looked at you for a long time, my friend. You miss me, don't you?
Nothing happened for a couple of minutes, and there was complete silence when the silhouette of a creature swimming towards him appeared in the distance. It floated carefully, trying not to bump into anything, so as not to wound itself. More wounds means more blood, more attraction of predators, which it is not even known if it will cope with. The creature looked like a mermaid or, as they are called, a Murfer. These creatures sometimes took on the size of humans and could even attack them. But this does not apply to all species. Murphers were usually calm and kind, as long as you didn't disturb them or give them any reason to think you were dangerous.
Retchet still remembers how he was rescued, and how he saved that murphy named Wheeljack, who had just crawled onto dry land to him and, growling contentedly, lay down next to his lap and began to fall asleep while the doctor stroked his sensitive dorsal fins.
_Rememberings_
Retchet didn't know what to do. A storm had started, and his small boat was drifting further and further away from the shore into the sea. He chose the wrong time for fishing, but no one knew that a terrible storm would happen in 10 minutes.
It seemed to the doctor that his imminent death was about to arrive, and he would probably drown, because the waves, although they were not large, would not have allowed him to surface for life-saving air without a boat.
Suddenly, at one point, something grabbed the doctor's arm and pulled him down into the depths of the sea. Closing his eyes, Retchet was ready to accept death, but they kissed him and let air into his lungs. Opening his eyes, he saw in front of him something that seemed possible only in fairy tales... Murphy! A medium-sized Murphy who looked at him and blew air into his mouth with a kiss.
For a couple of minutes, not understanding anything, the doctor just dangled in the hands of the sea creature, which took advantage of this, grabbed him more comfortably and dragged him somewhere where a person did not know and could not find out, because from the overabundance of emotions and everything that was happening, he fell unconscious.
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When Retchet woke up, he didn't realize where he was. There was something warm under him, but not only under him, but also next to him, like a few small lumps that were warming themselves.
Opening his eyes, Retchet began to look around and noticed that he was in a cave, and underwater, but there was air.
Trying to get up carefully, something suddenly stopped him from below, and he saw little Murphy, and not one, but several who were sleeping next to him. There were four of them in total. They were all small and very warm. The doctor carefully reached out to one of them, poked him a couple of times, and after checking that little Murphy was fast asleep, he began stroking his back, being wary of places similar to the dorsal fins of fish.
The creature lay under his caresses for a very long time, and Retchet himself did not notice how he wrapped himself around the little creatures and still carefully stroked and examined the little creature. Others did not wake up, although they moved from their places, all wanting to get closer to the warm side.
Enough time has passed that Retchet himself did not notice how he fell asleep. What he didn't know was that when he was in the realm of Morpheus, the same Murphy who had saved him from certain death would emerge from the water into the cave.
The creature itself was studying Retchet, as it had never seen such creatures. It looked like him, but he didn't have the membranes or fins that would help him swim and quickly overcome the distance under water. But he seemed to be trustworthy, since he didn't hurt his children, and they were very fond of him.
Murfer gently began to touch the man's hair. They smelled delicious, but they tasted inedible and didn't chew well.
With a snort, Murfer looked at his tail, where there was a small hunting net, which made it harder for him to swim. The fish thinks that the person will be able to help him untangle it. Carefully approaching the man, he sniffed him again. He smelled like something Wheeljack had never smelled before, and it was just wonderful. He examined Retchet and, having roughly noticed where he was going to lie down, went over and carefully lay down, snuggling up to the doctor, after which he buried his face in his neck.
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Retchet woke up to the fact that someone was licking his nose, opening his eyes, he saw that it was the same little creature that he was stroking. When it saw that he was awake, it began to chirp joyfully, and Retchet himself moved back out of fright, but bumped into something big that was breathing into his neck. Carefully looking back, the medic saw the same Murfer who had saved his life. Docor decided to take a closer look at it, and after looking at everything from top to bottom, he saw a net that prevented Murfer from swimming.
Carefully standing up and hearing disapproving sounds from a small creature that lost its warmth and crawled towards him, the medic carefully began to try to untangle all this cacophony. After a short period of time, he succeeded, and glancing at Murfer, who was supposed to be asleep, but looked at him with a searching look, seeing that he was noticed, he stood up and rumbled contentedly, smiling at the man.
_ The present_
- You helped me out then, brother.
True, I stayed with you for a few days, but thank you for helping me get to shore later.
He gently scratched Murphy's head and looked at the sunset, which was beautiful.
Just like this fish.
He bent down and bumped into Wheeljack's foreheads, after which both looked at each other with satisfaction. The medic gently kissed Murfer's nose.