Katie was not sure how long she had been sitting on the cot and staring at the wall, but she did know that she was beginning to feel drowsy. She had woken up in the evening and now it was pushing three in the morning, and she was still not feeling back up to one hundred percent.

Riley was still asleep beside her and she was glad for that. She had no idea how Riley was going to react to the collar or bracelets, but she suspected she wasn’t going to like them. As soon as Dr. Auldon had left them earlier, she’d fussed with them to see if she could even get them off, but the bracelets required a key, and Riley’s collar had some sort of magnetic clasp that Katie couldn’t pry open. She’d removed and replaced her own to test, and it seemed to be just Riley they’d taken extra measures with.

“They probably think you’d give them the hardest time about putting it back on,” Katie said with a sigh. Riley didn’t respond; she hadn’t expected her to, but it felt better to say it out loud.

Food had been brought for them, and Katie had nibbled at a little bit of fruit before leaving the plate relatively untouched. The food tasted wonderful after so long, but her stomach was shrivelled and the more she tried to eat, the sicker she felt. She’d have to take it slow, even if the food was tempting.

Katie sighed again and shifted her weight. Her back ached, but it was a manageable pain – just irritating – and her fatigue was growing with every minute she watched tick by on the clock.

She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Though she was tired and her tail was still rather a mess, she wanted to move. She wanted to swim or haul herself up some furniture or stairs, anything that wasn’t just sitting or lying still anymore.

But there was nowhere to go and nothing to do except count the scales that had regrown on her tail. Two hundred and four, but she was still missing so many.

She yawned again and finally decided to settle in for what remained of the night. Everything was quiet, she was tired, and she didn’t anticipate anyone was going to bother them until morning. She would rather get the rest now.

There wasn’t much room on the cot with Riley still sprawled at an odd angle, and Katie didn’t want to try moving her or climbing over her onto the other cot for fear of injuring her. Riley’s sides looked tightly wrapped by the brace – the straps of which just barely skirted around her gliders and had to be pinching a little – but she had still just had surgery earlier that day and Katie knew she had to be in pain from it.

It took some shuffling, but Katie finally got herself situated with her fin dipping over the edge. She reclined and found she hadn’t quite left herself enough room as her cheek pressed to the tightly-packed scales low on Riley’s tail. The girl’s limp fins were twenty centimetres from Katie’s face. She flicked her fin and sighed. She hoped Riley wouldn’t mind too much being used as a pillow. Katie was too tired to try to finagle differently, and if she shifted any other way, she risked hitting Riley in the face if she moved in her sleep.

As she relaxed, she suddenly realized why Luna loved sleeping sprawled like this. When they were back in the aquarium, more than half the time they slept, Luna would pass out with her head on Katie’s tail. The girl slept so fitfully that Katie never felt the need to disturb her when she really didn’t mind, but she had never understood until now why Luna wanted to sleep that way. It had never seemed very comfortable. But Riley’s scales were warm and almost silky they were so smooth. They were still firm, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Or maybe she was just too exhausted to care. She yawned again and her eyes began to droop. It didn’t feel like long before she drifted into unconsciousness.

***

“Katie.”

Katie’s nose scrunched and she moaned and snuggled down, pulling her tail up close to her side.

“Katie.” The voice was louder this time and Katie finally opened her eyes. She blinked blearily for a moment while trying to register what was going on. She rolled over to find Riley staring at her with mild amusement tinting her features. “You are drooling on my scales,” Riley stated pointedly.

Katie’s eyes widened and she shoved herself upright before swiping her arm across her lips to smear away some of the saliva. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized. Her cheeks flushed.

Riley laughed and shook her head. “It is alright,” she replied. “Did they put you under?”

Katie shook her head. “No, I just fell asleep,” she answered as her lips parted in a massive yawn.

Riley hummed. “You can go back to sleep if you desire; I did not mind. I just wished to learn if you knew anything about these before I began to rip them off.” Riley held up an arm and hooked her finger through the ring of her new collar, pointedly showing off the bracelet as well.

Katie’s gaze cast down and she nodded. “Yeah. Dr. Auldon put them on when he came back. You were still asleep. I should have stopped him, but I…”

“Do not blame yourself,” Riley scolded. “I am not hurt and I will remove them myself.”

Katie shook her head. “I already tried. They’re locked shut and unless you can chew through metal, there’s no way to get those cuffs off. But he said you had to wear them.”

“I have hardly ever done anything simply because someone said I must,” Riley argued. She tapped a finger against the surface of the bracelet as if testing it. “Given some time, I probably could get through this substance.”

Katie nodded slowly, but her gut clenched into a knot. “Before you do that, you should know that Dr. Auldon said you have to wear them because Lemuria is concerned about the higher risk you pose. They want better control over you and were just as content to pull your spines from your arm altogether. Those were the compromise. I don’t know what will happen if you take them off.”

Riley’s features warped as Katie spoke and she bared her fangs. “They would regret the attempt,” she snarled. Her frustration seemed to die as quickly as it surged and she shrugged. “I will tolerate these…decorations for now,” she relented. “You have one as well.” She pointed at Katie’s collar.

Katie nodded and winced, and her hand came up to brush over it. “I had hoped I would never have to wear one again,” she admitted.

Riley hummed in agreement. “You should not have to, and we will not for long. Let me get a better look, please.”

Katie leaned forward and tilted her chin up. “What did you mean ‘we won’t wear them for long’?” Katie inquired. There was a slight waver to her voice as she spoke. She trusted Riley, but feeling the girl’s fingers near her throat made her shudder. She had been pressing a few of them back, but more of those instincts she had been wrestling with before falling ill were beginning to surge again.

“This is not your name,” Riley commented absently as she toyed with the tag on Katie’s collar.

“I know,” Katie agreed. “They wouldn’t have used my real name when everything happened. This is what they called me.”

Riley hissed loudly and Katie started. With all her lingering discomfort at having her neck exposed, she couldn’t stop the warning growl that rumbled up in her throat.

Horror swept through her at her actions and she clapped a hand over her mouth. She had just snarled at her friend. “I’m so sorry.”

Riley only grinned and her pale blue eyes almost seemed to twinkle. “It is alright,” she replied. “I am the one who should apologize; I should not have spooked you. I forgot that you are struggling with instinct and behaviour. I will be more cautious of it in the future.”

Katie flushed and focused intently on her tail. Her hand came up to rub her throat. “I didn’t mean to…It was just…”

Riley reached over and folded her fingers over Katie’s hand. “Katie, I know. I am a Mer too, remember? I have the same instincts, and I am glad that yours are working well. It is natural for us to want to protect our throats and other vulnerable parts of the body. You do not need to feel ashamed that you do not yet know how to control them; that is what time and education are for. We will help you.”

Katie nodded. “Thank you…for understanding.”

Riley grinned widely and tilted her head back a little. “I cannot see the one on mine,” she stated. “Did they keep mine or have they concocted some silly false identity for me as well?”

Katie chuckled and leaned forward to look. “Carmen,” she reported as she read the name on the tag.

The silence stretched for a moment before Riley snorted and shook her head. “Well, I suppose I have myself to blame for that one.”

“How do you mean?” Katie inquired.

Riley grinned and shrugged. “When I first got here – while you were still unconscious – I figured it was best he not know who I was right away. I did not know you would need me for survival, I just knew you were sick and that you and Sophie were in danger. I pretended to be one of Lewis’ interns and I introduced myself as Carmen.” She shrugged and shook her head. “I guess it was taken literally.”

Katie quirked a brow. “You pretended to be an intern?” she inquired. That was a bit of a surprise.

Riley’s grin widened. “I adore Lewis, but the man babbles a lot. When you are trapped motionless for a moon, you learn a few things, whether you intended to or not.”

Despite everything else going on, as Riley made the statement, she crossed her eyes and poked her tongue out, and Katie burst into sputtered laughing. It was true; Lewis could get very passionate and fixated on conversations and often lost his audience halfway through. “You have my sympathies,” Katie giggled.

Riley’s smile was bright as she hummed in agreement.

“I have to admit, you’re taking all of this a lot calmer than I was expecting,” Katie sobered.

Riley nodded. “I am trying to be in better control of my hostility,” she replied solemnly. “Too many people commenting on my rash tendencies.”

“Oh, I see,” Katie replied. “And how’s that working out?”

Riley drummed her fingers on the cot and bared her fangs in a menacing grin. “I am going to tear out the throat of the next scientist to walk through that door.”

Katie snorted and covered her mouth again to smother more laughter. “Good job on the calm and rational thing,” she teased. Then she sighed. “But that might not go well.”

“Probably not,” Riley conceded.

“If you’re going to go the bloody route, try to make it Dr. Patron, okay?”

“Dr. Patron?” Riley echoed.

“Yeah,” Katie sighed. She gritted her teeth and flicked her fin, and her chest tightened at the thought. All traces of lingering humour vanished. “He’s…the one who hurt Luna for all those years. The one who enjoys our pain.”

A growl rumbled low in Riley’s throat and her pale eyes darkened like an icy storm as she showed her fangs to no one in particular. “Yes,” she agreed. “Perhaps I will reserve my aggression for that one in particular.”

“I’ll be sure to point him out,” Katie stated dryly. “Are you hungry, by the way? I haven’t had much appetite back, but they left us some fruit and fish last night.” She pointed to the small stand with the platter of fruit pieces and the bowl of ice and fish strips. It looked like it was starting to melt now, and Riley probably already knew it was there, but Katie didn’t think the injured Mer could get over to it by herself.

“I would not refuse,” Riley agreed.

Katie grinned and twisted to reach over and grab the plate of fruit, which she passed over to Riley, who’s eyes lit up. She licked her lips and hummed in appreciation before popping a plump orange slice into her mouth. “I had forgotten how much I missed fruit,” Riley admitted.

Katie nodded. She understood Riley’s craving. After months of being kept primarily on raw fish, she had been determined to get her hands on as many different flavours as she could, but her body seemed to naturally crave fruit the most. Luna had been equally delighted with the opportunities. She practically worshipped mangos and was quite pleased with many other pieces of fruit as well.

A wide yawn split Katie’s maw as she continued nodding. “Fruit is good,” she agreed.

There was a knowing twinkle in Riley’s eyes. “You do not have to remain awake for me, Katie. I woke you earlier; you should get a little more rest while you can.”

Katie shrugged and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she refused, even as she raised a hand to cover her mouth as she yawned once more. When she noticed Riley’s pointed look and quirked brow, Katie flushed. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “Besides, there’s not a lot of room and you shouldn’t be moving. I’ll be alright; I’ve done enough sleeping lately, don’t you think?”

Riley shook her head. “I do not think that counts as rest and you are tired. Just lie down, what is the problem?”

Katie shrugged. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or kick you in your sleep.”

“How would you make me uncomfortable?”

Katie shrugged again. “I don’t know,” she mumbled.

Riley clucked her tongue and grinned. “You were already sleeping on me,” she teased.

“That was an accident!” Katie protested. Her cheeks tingled as she blushed and looked away.

“You do not have to defend yourself, Katie. I am not upset by it. You fell asleep, there is no harm in that. You are tired and for now, things are silent. Rest and I will keep watch while you do.”

Katie wanted to protest, but that had not worked out well for her the last few times she’d tried. Riley was annoyingly relentless. With an exasperated sigh, she caved and lowered herself down into a prone position. She rolled onto her side facing away from Riley and tried to gingerly adjust her tail so that she wouldn’t unintentionally nudge the other Mer. Riley’s breath was hot on her shoulders, and Katie shivered.

“Are you cold?” Riley inquired.

Katie swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn’t cold, but she felt awkward. Luna was always quick to cuddle up when they were back at Lemuria, and even a few times since, if her dreams were sour, but Riley had always seemed more solitary, and Katie felt like she was invading her privacy. But she was ashamed to admit it, so she just shrugged. “A little,” she lied.

She heard Riley shift, but she jumped a little when she felt one of the girl’s large gliders slide up over her shoulder and side. Riley had only draped it loosely, but it radiated warmth and Katie shuffled beneath it. “Umm…thanks,” Katie whispered. She heard Riley hum in response.

It was a sweet gesture and Katie had to admit it was comfortable. She yawned again and felt her muscles fall slack. She was still exhausted and it wasn’t long before she began to drift off once more.

Just as she was starting to cave to slumber, the door swung open and startled her awake once more. She jerked upright in time to see Dr. Auldon walk back in. He stared at them over the rims of his glasses and pursed his lips for a moment. “How cute,” he mocked. “This is a much better attitude on you, Carmen. Crowds much prefer happy, playful little mermaids all cuddled up like puppies, rather than snarling beasts.”

Riley hummed, but it was a more sinister-sounding rumble that sent shivers down Katie’s spine. “It is a pity I am not very concerned with what will appease your park guests.”

“You will,” Dr. Auldon assured. He strode forward and tapped Katie’s half-empty IV bag. “We can train a sense of pride in your existence into you. It is about to become your main sense of purpose in life.”

Riley snorted. “I doubt that. I believe my primary sense of purpose will be to escape with my family. Failing that, it will be to claim a flesh trophy from each of you,” she growled.

Dr. Auldon tutted his tongue and made his way around the cot to regard Riley with a disapproving frown pursed on her lips. “Things will be much easier if you choose to cooperate. Surely we can reach a compromise?”

“Release my family,” Riley stated flatly.

Katie kept silent during their verbal sparring, but she flinched when Dr. Auldon’s hands plopped down on Riley’s shoulders and squeezed. There didn’t seem to be any malice, but it was condescending enough that Riley growled in warning. “I think you know that wouldn’t be possible even if I wanted to.”

“Take your hands off of me,” Riley warned. “And while you are doing that, take these off as well,” she demanded as she thrust an arm out towards him with the limb angled so that the flat surface of one of the long mental bracelets was in his face.

Dr. Auldon took her hand and patted the bridge of it. “You don’t want me to do that,” he advised. “Those are the compromise with those above me who make the decisions. Without them, they’re going to rip those fins from your arms altogether. Would you prefer that?”

Riley muttered something under her breath and hissed as she tugged her arm away. Katie’s gut seized at the sight of her distressed friend. Riley had come here to help her – and while there was a chance she would have wound up here regardless – it made Katie feel incredibly guilty. Riley was not cut out for captivity. None of them were, but it felt especially bad for Riley.

The blonde took a breath and then leaned forward to glower at the scientist. “Let us imagine that it is impossible to escape your aquarium; I refuse to wear these the rest of my life.”

Dr. Auldon nodded. “Of course not,” he agreed. He patted her on the head and Riley ducked away with a growl. “Just until I can trust you without them.”

Riley scoffed and splayed a hand over her chest. “You do not trust me? Well, that wounds my feelings. Here I was believing we were friends.”

Katie snorted and covered her mouth to smother a chortle. Dr. Auldon remained impassive and Riley’s grin only widened and she tilted her head towards Katie. “At least she thinks I am funny.”

“Very humorous,” Dr. Auldon agreed in a flat tone. “A regular clown. Perhaps it can be your gimmick. Now, if you would both like the opportunity to rejoin the others of your group, I am prepared to take you both down the hall. But you’ll need to be on an IV for painkillers first,” he stated, directing his attention to Riley.

Katie felt hope flutter in her chest. She had been frantic about Luna and her mother and Lewis, and everyone’s well-being. She wanted to see them again. She met Riley’s gaze and could see similar longing shimmering there.

“Just the IV?” Riley inquired when she pulled her gaze away to focus on Dr. Auldon. “There is no other condition or trick?”

Dr. Auldon shook his head. “At the moment, Carmen, we are at a standstill. We cannot transport you all back to America until you’ve healed and the aquarium has had time to prepare for your arrival. My primary concern is keeping you all healthy and contained in the meantime. Behave, and there’s no need for us to interact further than that.”

Riley flicked her fins and drummed her fingers on the bed. “They will not force me to sleep?”

Dr. Auldon shook his head. “They’re just to numb any pain after the surgery.”

“Alright,” Riley yielded. She held out one arm for him. “Take us to our family.”

Katie sat up and perched on the edge of the cot while she waited as Dr. Auldon inserted an IV tube into Riley’s hand and hooked up to a bag of painkillers. He then handed Riley a connected injection button. “You’ll have control over it,” he told her. “Press the button if you feel any pain, but don’t take more than what makes the area feel a little numb. If you get tingly, you’ve taken too much.”

Riley nodded her understanding but merely set the injector aside instead of utilizing it. Dr. Auldon hooked her bag up to the rails of the cot and then moved Katie’s beside it. Katie sighed and rubbed absently at her own IV insert. She was more than ready to be off it now, but the people she loved had gone through an awful lot to get her better and she wasn’t willing to toss that sacrifice away by insisting on release from medical constraints early.

When Dr. Auldon was finally ready, he began pushing the single cot towards the swinging doors. Katie twisted her tail so it would not get bumped as the end of the bed pushed the doors open. It felt strange to be guided down the very halls she grew up in, by one of the last people she’d ever wanted to see again. She remained silent during the trip, however, and within a few minutes, they were being pushed into another room. The setup of the quarantine room felt a little sloppy, with a temporary fence and open gate wrapped around a pool of water, a large temporary tank set up by the doorway, and a cot with a mattress on the floor beside it. There were more Mer in the room than Katie had been anticipating, but her attention zeroed in on her mother.

Sophie was perched on the cot and her head had snapped up as soon as the door opened. She shot to her feet and surged forward. “Katie!” she exclaimed.

Katie felt a lump rising in her throat and tears well in her eyes as she lurched forward, nearly toppling off the cot into her mother’s arms. “Mom!”

Sophie’s arms squeezed her tighter. “You’re awake. You’re awake and breathing on your own, and coherent…I thought you were going to die,” Sophie whimpered.

“I did too,” Katie admitted. She squeezed her mother tighter. “You weren’t supposed to do this,” she whispered. “But thank you for not giving up on me.”

Sophie shook her head. “Never, Katie. Never. You’ll understand that one day.”

“I understand already,” Katie replied.

Sophie gently guided her back upright onto the cot and cupped her face in both her hands. It squished Katie’s cheeks up, but she chose not to protest. Her mother looked exhausted, but the joy sparkling in her eyes was all that mattered right now.

After a moment, Sophie finally pulled away and turned to face Riley. “Are you okay?” she inquired as she reached out to cup Riley’s left cheek.

The other Mer nodded and nuzzled into the touch. “I am glad that you are,” she replied. She reached out towards Sophie’s throat and a frown creased her features. “Why?”

Katie frowned too when she noticed the orange-red leather that was wrapped around her mother’s neck. Riley may have needed to ask, but Katie didn’t. She twisted to glower at the scientist. “You are not serious,” she snarled.

Dr. Auldon lifted her chin. “We spoke already about compromises, Katherine. The board wants her dead; this is the compromise.”

“But-”

“Katie, it’s okay,” her mom interrupted. “I’ve already agreed to it. So long as Rebecca consents as well.”

There was a green-scaled Mer lying on the ground next to Luna – who was limp and fast asleep – and she looked up when her name was said. “What does it have to do with me?” she asked.

“They’ll need your spinal fluid,” Lewis stated. He was standing by the fence barrier and straightened up as he spoke. There was a bitter tone to his voice that didn’t surprise Katie at all. “Like they extracted Luna’s for Katie.”

Rebecca pursed her lips and drummed her nails on the floor. “Yes,” she agreed. “I would not say I am overly pleased with the notion of using us to force humans into a form not their own, but I would rather it than the loss of your life.”

Dr. Auldon cleared his throat. “You will all have plenty of time to catch up, but for now, I want to get things settled. This one here is not to move, under any circumstances,” he ordered as he gestured to Riley, who immediately made a sour face, crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Katie laughed.

Sophie shook her head and rolled her eyes, but a grin was tugging on her features too. “We’ll make sure of it,” she agreed as she focused her attention on the scientist. “Anything else?”

She fumbled as Dr. Auldon tossed something at her, but managed to catch it. Katie blanched when she saw it was the same foul-smelling jar of medical cream from last night. “Katherine is going to need another application of that anywhere she is missing scales, and every eight hours from then on. She can go in the water, but not for half an hour after the coating is applied.”

Sophie nodded. “I’ll handle it.”

“Good,” Dr. Auldon replied. “You can take those mitts off Suzie and I’ll even sign off on unchaining the younger male. However, he will remain in the pool area at all times or I will have him secured again.”

Katie wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but Lewis, Rebecca, and her mother all seemed to wince. The silence stretched for a moment, before Sophie’s chin dipped. “I think we can accept that…for now,” she stated carefully.

Dr. Auldon grunted his agreement and Katie saw him set a key down on the edge of the bed.

“What about Karina?” Rebecca called as the scientist turned to leave. “She cannot stay in there, there is not enough room. Space is crucial and she does not have much longer.”

Her statement prompted Katie to inspect the holding tank by the door. There was a young woman curled up in it. She had soft blonde hair and wide brown eyes, and her tail was lined with rich sunset orange scales. She was shrunken in on herself and her fear-filled gaze was fixated on the scientist. She had one hand curled around her heavily swollen belly. Lemuria had access to a pregnant Mer and – by extension – her baby. It filled Katie with a rancid sense of dread.

“I’m petitioning about that, but I don’t make that call. My superiors want her separated from the rest of you and they make the final call. There is only so much I can do,” Dr. Auldon stated plainly.

Rebecca’s gaze darkened dangerously and Katie felt the desire to curl into a defensive ball despite knowing full well that the rage was not directed at her. “And what would your superiors have to say if the baby died? Because if she goes into labour trapped in that tiny tank, we will lose them both.”

Dr. Auldon didn’t immediately reply and the silence that followed Rebecca’s dire statement made what few scales Katie had regained begin to crawl.

Finally, he grunted and stuffed his hands in his coat. “Then I’ll convey the urgency of the situation, but ultimately there’s nothing more I can do at this time. I’ll be back this evening to check-in.” He turned to meet Katie’s gaze. “I’ll want another look at your back then; if the swelling hasn’t gone down, I’ll take you for an x-ray.”

Katie chewed the inside of her cheek and nodded. Her back still ached – even more than it had last night after she was able to sit up – and the pain was beginning to radiate down her spine rather than remaining concentrated between her shoulders, but she wasn’t keen on being back on an examination table. “I understand,” she consented after a moment.

“Dr. Patter, you can cap her IV when that bag is empty, but don’t remove it just yet. I want to see how Katherine does off of it for a few hours before making any final decisions about her recovery.”

He didn’t wait for Lewis to confirm before he left, but Katie was glad to see him go. As soon as he was gone, she found herself wrapped back in her mother’s embrace. “What’s wrong with your back?” she asked in a hushed tone.

Katie appreciated that her mother’s arms were encircling her waist loosely to avoid hurting her. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just been sore since I woke up,” she admitted.

“That is an understatement,” Riley stated dryly. “Her reaction was quite extreme. The scientist still had her secured down and she was almost in a frenzy. I had to cut her loose.”

“I still appreciate that,” Katie replied. “Dr. Auldon thinks it could just be a rash or bedsore. He put cream on it last night and it felt a little better for a few hours, but it’s stronger now.”

Her mother broke the hug to stare at her with that worried, inspective look she always got before she became overprotective. “Well, we have to get some of this applied anyway, so I’ll take a second look,” Sophie insisted as she held up the bottle of cream.

Katie winced and scrunched up her nose. “Do I have to?”

Sophie frowned and nodded. “Yes, and you know better than to argue. Now turn around, I’ll do the back first.”

Katie sighed and twisted on the cot so that her tail flopped over the edge and she was staring at Riley, whose lips had pulled into a sly grin. “What?”

Riley shrugged. “Just amusing to see someone else getting fussed over and scolded for once. And you were the one who told me not to resist and just let her fuss.”

“I am standing right here, you know,” Sophie retorted dryly.

Katie ignored her and scowled at Riley. “Just wait until you learn why,” she hissed back. She imagined Riley wouldn’t like the smell any better than Katie did. It was incredibly satisfying to see Riley’s nose wrinkle up and her lips part with disgust as Sophie uncapped the jar, but then the odour hit Katie too and she blanched. “I hate that stuff,” she complained.

Riley coughed and shook her head. “What is that?” she demanded.

“It is rather pungent,” Rebecca added.

Katie said nothing, merely pinching her nose and pressing her lips together as her mother began to smear the cool gel over her tail. It made it harder to breathe, but at least it was minimizing her exposure to the foul scent. “It’s not as strong once it dries,” she whispered to Riley, who nodded and then stuck her tongue out at Katie.

She seemed to regret the action because she then sucked it back in while gagging. “By all means,” she wheezed. “Protest all you like, I do not blame you.”

“It’s not honestly that bad, is it?” Sophie asked. Katie could not see her mother’s face, but she could imagine the woman rolling her eyes.

“Yes, it is,” she replied. She dug her fingers into the cot as she wrestled with the urge to shift and pull her tail away.

“Well, just sit still for a minute,” her mother instructed.

Despite her urge to wiggle, Katie remained still while her mother coated the front and back of her tail in the goop. She winced and bit back a whimper when she rubbed more over her back.

“It’s really irritated,” Sophie commented with a cluck of her tongue. “Maybe those x-rays might be a good idea.”

“It already feels a little better,” Katie replied. The cool cream did make it sting less, but the pain ran deeper than just the superficial itch and still radiated strongly down her spine.

“We’ll keep an eye on it,” Sophie decided finally. She set the jar aside and then picked up the key that was still sitting beside Katie. “I’ll be right back.” Her mother’s voice was strained as she looked between Katie and Riley as though she was reluctant to leave them again. Part of Katie didn’t want her mother to ever step out of arm’s reach again after everything that had happened, but she swallowed her sorrow and offered a small smile instead.

Sophie squeezed her shoulder before taking the key and heading over to the pool where two male Mer were floating. Katie didn’t get a chance to focus on them before Lewis stepped into her vision and stole her attention away.

He scruffed Riley’s hair and bent to wrap his arms around the girl. Riley hummed as she returned the hug. “How’s the hip doing, kiddo?” he inquired. “Are you in much pain? They set you up with painkillers by the looks of it; do you know how to use it?”

“Yes,” Riley replied with a grin. “Be at peace, Lewis; I am fine. The pain is far more manageable than the last few times. Despite the surface discomfort, I feel better. I suspect movement is going to be far easier from now on. I do not feel the need for the medication.”

“Just don’t overwork yourself,” Lewis warned. He ruffled her hair once more before turning to look at Katie.

She offered him a beaming smile and leaned forward for a hug. There was no hesitation from him as he squeezed her close. “You gave us quite the scare, Katie.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just glad you’re up and doing okay,” he murmured as he kissed the crown of her head. She hummed in response.

When he pulled away, he took a seat on the edge of the cot and sighed. “Well, I guess some introductions are in order. Katie, this is Rebecca – Luna’s mother – and her father is Ixion over there,” Lewis began.

Rebecca smiled and dipped her head in Katie’s direction. “I have heard much of you the last few turns. It is pleasant to finally put a face to the name. At a more opportune time, I would talk with you further; you have done much for my daughter.”

“I’d like that,” Katie agreed. Then she turned to examine Luna’s father. He was pulling himself out of the water. His skin was a dark, duller shade of grayish brown, and brown hair clung to his neck almost down to his shoulders. Slate scales coated a tail that was framed by trailing green-gray fins. He was rather burly and Katie was almost surprised Lemuria had been willing to mess with him; his weight looked like it could be a deadly asset in a fight. But she supposed she should not be too shocked that the scientists hadn’t considered that when forcing these Mer into captivity. They hardly seemed to consider any of them much of a threat and just ignorantly expected obedience. It was incredibly frustrating. He met her gaze and dipped his head. She smiled and returned the gesture.

“Beside him is Nero,” Lewis continued. “Luna’s brother.”

“Her brother?” Katie echoed. “Wasn’t he supposed to be-”

“I did not know,” Riley interrupted. “I ran into him first upon returning to my pod.”

Katie nodded. Nero actually looked quite similar to Ixion, with a powerful gray tail and dark skin, but he also had a protruding dorsal and darker hair. Katie couldn’t get the best look as Sophie had him tilting his head down so she could fuss with the metal collar clasped to his neck. He didn’t seem to have heard their conversation – or just couldn’t look – so Katie supposed she’d meet him properly later.

“And this is Karina,” Lewis finished with a nod towards the bright Mer in the tank. “She is Nero’s mate, but she doesn’t speak much English,” he advised.

Katie nodded her understanding and offered a smile to Karina. The young woman still looked quite petrified and Katie didn’t blame her. She was going to have a baby, and the infant was going to be far from safe in Lemuria’s care. “Hello,” she chirped. She surprised herself at how fluidly the dolphin clicks came to her this time. “It is nice to meet you.”

Karina held her gaze for a moment before her features softened and she returned the smile and nodded back. The fin framing her head flicked in the water and her tailfins tapped the floor of the tank. “Your family has worried greatly for you. I am glad you are well now,” she replied. “I merely wish it were under better circumstances that we meet.”

Katie sighed and nodded in agreement. The pregnant Mer seemed friendly and welcoming despite her fear, and Katie had a million questions dancing on her tongue about the woman’s pregnancy, but she bit them back. She didn’t want to pester Karina. Instead, she found her gaze drifting over to where Luna was still lying prone on the mattress on the floor. She had a strange tangle of wires capping her head and hadn’t moved the entire time they’d been speaking, which was incredibly unusual.

“Is she okay?”

Lewis reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Luna’s exhausted. She’s scared and stressed. There was an incident earlier, but she’s alright. Do you want down?”

“Please,” Katie pleaded. She appreciated the offer, it would save her figuring out how to dive off the cot herself. She wanted to get over to her little sister. She’d worried Luna so much the past few weeks and she needed to make sure the younger girl was okay.

Lewis stood up and fiddled with the IV bags before unhooking Katie’s. He handed it to her and then scooped her up off the bed and silently carried her across the room. He stepped around Rebecca and crouched to set Katie down on the edge of the mattress before clipping the IV bag up to the rail of the cot.

Katie pulled herself forward to Luna’s side. Her sister was rolled on her side facing her mother, and her hair was strewn about her face. Katie carefully reached out and pulled some back. Luna’s nose scrunched up and she stirred for a moment before falling still once more.

Rebecca sighed and her shoulders slumped, but she offered Katie a wry smile anyway. “It pains me not to know my daughter better, but I am glad that she had you.”

Katie glanced back down at Luna and hummed. “I’m lucky to have had her. Did she tell you that she saved my life? They threw me in a tank with no idea how to swim or use my gills. I would have drowned if she hadn’t found the courage to jump the barrier between our tanks and help me. She got in trouble for it and she shouldn’t have.”

“It sounds like you needed each other,” Rebecca forced through a pained smile.

Katie nodded. “We did. But she needs you too, a lot.”

“I barely know her now,” Rebecca admitted.

Katie shrugged. “You’re her mother. She needs you. We talked about you a lot when it was just the two of us in the aquarium.”

Rebecca’s eyebrows dipped forward into a puzzled crease. “I thought she did not remember me.”

Katie nodded. “She didn’t really, but she wanted to. She talked about your scales though, she never forgot those. We’d play a game to see how many different things she could compare them to. And she used to make me tell her all about living with Sophie and then imagine out loud about what you must be like,” Katie explained. She sighed softly and looked down at Luna. “It was her biggest dream, to get to see you again.”

Finally, a genuine smile pulled onto Rebecca’s face, though tears sparkled in her eyes. “I never imagined I would get to see her again, but I will treasure every heartbeat I can get with her now. Perhaps I will live up to her imagined version.”

“You already have,” Katie assured her. All Luna had ever wanted was to be accepted by her family. Katie didn’t need to know her parents long to know they were exactly what she needed.

The tender moment was broken seconds later as Luna began to scream.