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Xisuma had been captured by a deep-sea fishing boat that had some out to catch squid.
He wasn't even supposed to have been near the surface.
His brother had long warned him of the dangers of humans, of the surface.
He'd been naively swimming up to watch the final threads of day vanish, having spent at least an hour zooming upwards, and snagged himself on one of their hooks.
He'd been hoisted up and tossed into a vat of cold water without a bat of an eye.
Then it was only a matter of time until he was sold to Mercury, transferred into the deep-sea ward.
The other mermaids or Tritons in their care were scared of him, their selkies refused to go in the room, even their octopus mer, much meaner than X could ever even dream of being to the staff, refused to stay in a tank remotely close to his.
It made a painful sort of sense, though, being a siren, and a deep ocean siren no less, put people off pretty quickly. Even if they hadn't even met him yet, they could just tell somehow that he was dangerous.
So, Xisuma swam round and round in his tank.
Alone.
...
Doc had watched scientist after scientist quit from the deep ocean department.
He didn't exactly know what was making them quit, but it was at the very least surprising that people who had witnessed interns drowned by mers on accident quit at the sight of whatever was in there.
First it was Zedaph, he'd been formally assigned once they got their newest creature, but he'd been helping out in that area for years. The second week of it though? Asked to transfer departments.
The next Joe had done a week's test run and asked not to be assigned outright to the promotion officer.
Followed by the duo of Etho and Tango, both profound scientists for their inventions and pretty good skills with the intelligent life they had contained in here. They even got double the normal salary. But no, even they started to crack, blur around the edges, stare off into the walls at meetings, eat slowly and absently at lunch, flinch away from harsh lights. It was all terrifying for everyone to watch. Especially since the two both had bonds with one of the other "more dangerous" species. Etho with a Kelpie-like thing named Bdubs and Tango with one of their cuddle fish mers, one that had nearly drowned most of the staff at some point. (Though in Jimmy's defense, it was almost always on accident, he'd been brought in very young and didn't have the best control over his bottom half.) They, too, had asked after only a month to move departments for emotional and mental reasons.
Which led to the most recent hires, Fwip, only lasting a week, and Cub.
Cub was one of the most collected researchers and scientists Doc knew; he had volunteered to fill in for Fwip after he'd quit on such short notice, and the department had sorely needed a lead scientist, so they eagerly agreed. Doc had watched Cub walk in through the doors the morning he started, thinking that the man would finally be the one to finally take the position permanently. But no. He lasted two months, a record, slowly deteriorating mentally to the point he took a vacation. A vacation. Something Cub would never have done unless he was seriously messed up by whatever was in there.
Now the department was freaking out because they had no one to watch or properly care for the creatures in that wing, and every intern they sent in either came out crying or asked to never be out on the job again.
So they turned, desperate and pleading, to Doc.
The manager of the whole compound had stopped him in one of the hallways, which was no small feat since Doc made a point to not use main hallways at work at all and stuck to the "back roads" in a sense.
"Hello Mr. Um- M77." The man said clearing his throat, he was a selkie, one of the many who worked here. Mr. Shujustri as his name tag read. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Doc had nodded, the mechanical eye whirring softly as it attempted to read the man's expression. Worried. Nervous. Slightly unnerved. "Great. I won't take up much of your time. But I have a proposition for you."
Doc scratched the back of his human hand, looking at him with a level expression. "Okay..."
The man clears his throat. Taking a breath. "The deep sea wing. You're familiar with it, right?"
"Only by name," Doc said, his creeper ear twitching.
"Great." The man smiled, sounding actually relieved that Doc hadn't heard anything. "Well, as you probably know, we are missing a head scientist for that sector of the facility. We sorely need one with the qualifications to really take care of the specimens in there, and you've had experience with dangerous mers. So-"
"Ren isn't dangerous." Doc corrects, blinking at the man, "He just gets excited and doesn't realize how strong he is."
"Right. Right, sorry." The man stutters, sounding both annoyed and a little embarrassed. "Well, that aside, we have a mer variant in that department, and it is in serious need of a proper physical and mental assessment. Plus a feeder. So I was thinking, just maybe you could fill in as head scientist. We'll pay you triple, quadruple what you're getting now. You can still work with the other mers. It'll be a great promotion if you take it."
Doc took in a breath and exhaled softly. He couldn't very well say no. And he lived on the premises anyway... "What times will I need to work in that department for?"
"Preferably early mornings or late nights." The manager smiles, probably hearing it in Doc's voice that he'd already decided. "You'll start tomorrow."
With that, the man strolled away.
...
Doc walked into the shark mer division, still a bit confused about what he'd just agreed to, picked up the two, twelve-gallon buckets of food for his charges, and continued down to where the two tanks he was in charge of sat waiting.
The place was almost like a warehouse in structure. Huge tanks sitting in the giant space made perfectly for the mermaid or triton inside. He climbed up the stairs to the first tank and was greeted by a splash to the face.
"You're late." The shark mer inside complained. Glaring at the Brunette as he wiped the water from his eyes and turned around to place the first bucket in the tanks feeding clamp, watching the fish slide into the dispenser mechanics of the tank. Most were still alive, and the dead ones were deposited into the bucket again. "You know how I feel when you're late."
"I know, I'm sorry, Martyn." Doc hummed, tossing a bit of dead fish his way. The blonde caught it in his mouth, chewing viciously and swallowing the whole thing down in a matter of seconds. "I was stopped by my boss."
"You know I get hungry." The mer complained, lashing about his tail, the black tips on his fins hard to see with the rippling water. "I'll eat Scott one of these days. That'll wake you up."
Doc chuckled softly at that, looking around the tank for the little siren. He was a tide pool siren, tiny compared to his tank-mate. "Where is Scott? he's not usually one to neglect to say hello."
"Asleep." Martyn shrugged, tracing a line across his stomach. "But that just means I get more food, so I'm not complaining."
Doc hummed, unamused as he crossed his arms. "Martyn."
"Doc." The shark smiled back, slyly, cheekily.
"Where's Scott?"
"He's in his little cave."
"Right." Doc deadpanned.
"I'm can I eat now? I'm hungry."
Doc sighed, rubbing his temples. "Martyn, I swear to the actual void I will have your stomach pumped."
"Stomachs." Martyn corrected. "And I told you. He's in the cave sleeping."
"I don't have the mental strength for this today." The scientist sighed, moving to grab the bucket. Turning around as he locked in the code.
He heard a few bubbles rising to the surface of the tank and a short wave being made, but not much else. He grabbed the bucket and walked back to the rim.
Martyn sat there innocently with the small form of Scott in his hands, the little siren blinking a few times before squirming around fruitlessly in his captor's hands.
The mer smug as ever, showing off his teeth as he grinned. "See? Scott's fi~ine."
Doc rolled his eyes and knelt down next to the edge do the tank, smiling at the little teal-haired siren as he swam up to him. "You're sure I can't go in with Jimmy?" The little thing sighed, sounding exhausted.
"Sorry, rules are rules." Doc sighed, handing Scott a sardine and tossing a salmon towards Martyn, pouring the rest out between them in the water. "Alright then. Goodnight."
...
The next day, Doc arrived for his shift three hours early. He took care of Ren while the mer was still waking up, Martyn and Scott while they were still dozing off, and prepared to head into his new ward.
The manager met him at the large double doors.
"Are you ready for your debrief?" He asked, sounding relieved that Doc had even shown up.
Doc barely had time to nod before the man had turned on his heel and pressed a card to the keypad on the wall, the double doors slid open just a crack, just enough for them to be shoulder to shoulder with the edges of the doors and squeeze through.
"Right, so there are only two tanks in here currently." He starts, looking back at Doc as he motions to the normal-sized tank to his left and the very oversized one to his right. "We're working on getting a few more hadal zone species, but it's complicated."
"Right," Doc responded, trying to peer into the two tanks and seeing complete darkness in one and nothing but water in the other. "And they're both... occupied?"
The man nods, looking nervous. "Yes, they both have a mer in them, but the one in the huge tank is microscopic. Very small. It won't cause you any trouble, though. Just make sure to feed it."
Doc blinks at him. "Of course."
The man started towards the exit, waving at Doc. "Anyways, this is all. Just don't fall in to either tank and you're golden."
Doc barely got time to open his mouth before the man had left.
"Well." He grumbled to himself and looked around for the feeding tanks that usually held all the fish they'd feed the mers. "Let's at least make a good impression."
It took him five minutes to find them, up against the wall. He took two buckets, one for each tank, and starred back over simply preparing himself mentally for whatever it was that had psyched out half their most composed scientists.
He was about five feet away from the pitch black tank when he finally looked up and into it. Finding little lights scattered about in a cluster, all in the same general area.
Doc squinted into the darkness of the water to get a better look, and he watched two of the dots blink.
Then he watched them come closer, closer, closer still.
Until he was staring not at lights but at a full, pale face with glowing purple eyes and iridescent freckles dotting its cheeks and nose bridge area.
It blinked at him again. Brown hair in a flowing mess around its head. His eyes were wide, curious. Not at all menacing. Ersas is not unlike those of an angler fish, we're mixed with the strands
He was a male mer, Doc now deduced, and it looked he was maybe Ren's age or a little older. He pressed his webbed hands to the glass. Watching.
Waiting.
Doc looked down at the bucket of fish in his hand and back at the mer.
Logically, he knew this was probably the part that scared off all the other handlers. But... something was off about it.
The mer didn't seem aggressive.
The thought of what scared the other handlers off plagued him as he trudged up the stairs with a singular bucket of fish, the other having been set down.
"Okay." He murmured, mentally preparing himself. "It's nothing. I bet it's nothing."
It was not, in fact, nothing.
Doc stepped onto the observation deck and immediately spotted two eyes staring at him. They blinked. The glowing dots in its hair having risen up and now we're positioned in front of him.
Like he was an angler fish hunting Doc. Waiting for him to get close.
The scientist simply put the fish in their slot.
"Hello."
Doc hardly flinched, turning to look at the two eyes in the water. Then his eyes drifted to the circular bulbs of the four lights fixed on him.
There were... searchlight-like tendrils on his tail, four of them, that sprouted from the tail and were just under his hips, each a foot longer than his main tail.
"You're... new." The mer says, voice a bit distorted, like many were speaking at once.
Doc felt a shiver shoot up his spine.
Oh.
Oh.
That was why.
He was a siren.
"I am, yes," Doc responds, clearing his throat.
The mer blinks, staring down at the water, and at what Doc can only assume are his hands.
"Will you leave too?" He asks, tilting his head. "Will you leave like everyone else? Leave me here alone?"
Doc expects there to be malice, anger, rage. But instead, it sounds like the mer is waiting for an answer. For the yes, he thinks will come.
For the yes, Doc almost wants to say.
"No." He states, though he's unsure if his answer is honest.
"Not afraid I'll drag you into the water and let you drown?" The mer says sarcastically, looking as though he regretted it as soon as it left his lips.
Doc blinked at him, the tendrils now had been lowered down into the water, resting idly. "Is that what you want to do?" He questions, his eyes fluttering a bit in a subtle display of his muted nervousness.
The mer shook his head. "No, I- I-I don't."
Doc stood there for a moment, thinking, while the mer slowly sank deeper into the water, looking irritated at himself. Ashamed.
"What's your name?" The scientist coaxes, a gentle smile on his lips. "I don't think calling you 'you' is a good idea."
"Xi- xisuma." The mer mumbles, watching Doc through his eyelashes as he sank back to where his nose was barely above the water.
''Right, Xisuma, if you don't want to drown people... What do you want then?" Doc inquires as he kneels down on the tank rim, staring Xisuma right in the eyes.
The mer pauses for a moment, looks shocked. Surprised. But nonetheless answers, albiet shakily. "Just... Someone who will talk to me. I'm so- so alone in here..."
The scientist felt his heart wring out, his eyes watering a little. "Ah... I see." He says, clearing his throat. "I understand that feeling. The isolation that comes with everything. The people who come and go, and you don't know why..."
Xisuma was close now, doc could reach out and touch his face if he wanted.
It took the brunette about ten seconds to decide. "Alright. I'll try to be that for you. I'll spend time in here with you each day. A little longer than i usually stay with anyone but Ren, but a little extra work never hurt anyone."
Xisuma's hair ersas perk up as he planted his hands on the observation deck and looked with wide eyes at the scientist again. "Really?"
"I mean, why not? You're alone, and the least I can do is try to ease the loneliness into maybe just a friendship. Even if it's just me. I'm sure there are a ton of interns who would think you're really cool too if they got past the rumors... But until I can find you more friends, maybe let's just settle for me coming to see you, yeah? "
Xisuma nodded, a soft purring noise coming from his chest. " Thank you, human."
"It's Doc." Doc smiled, looking at him with tired eyes. "And no, thank you for making my job twenty times easier."