It was increasingly difficult to get a team together after the merman was sedated for transport- everyone had already gone home after work, and grumpy voices resounded on the phone when Bluff called them all back. Their disdain was instantly lifted, however, at the sight of the creature that was now their duty to help.

With great luck, the tide was at its highest peak by the time everyone was ready to transport the beast. His thick tail was in the waves now- the water reached up to his skin. Bluff instructed Brent Marx, their captain, to back into the water behind the creature while they tied straps around the sedated, big body. Then, gently, the boat putted forward, pulling the 8 ton leviathan all the way into the water.

With the aid of the water that made most everything weightless, the lab team was able to wrap a stretcher around the merman and pull him onto the boat. It was a short trip to the lab's dock, and the boat was again backed into the indoor "boat garage".

Zelda watched from the concrete sides (she wasn't part of the rescue team- she was the veterinarian) as Bluff instructed the team who walked along the sides, pulling the stretcher off the boat and through the channel that was built for moving sea creatures into the lab.

It was a difficult process, but the team was specialized in the act and they were equally energized by the sight of the aquatic humanoid.

Link was now fully lying on the cement of the lab, under the large ceiling where the rehabilitation too place. Still quite deep in sedation, Zelda could now excitedly examine him. Just what exactly was he?

The now helpless rescue team looked on as Zelda and the other biologists went to work. Making sure he wasn't going to wake up during the examination, which would be disastrous, they injected a small dose of the tranquilizer into him to be safe.

Wires were stuck onto his chest area with suction cups to monitor his blood pressure. Zelda used her small stethoscope to hear his large heart beat. She pursed her lips, however, realizing something.

Zelda was a veterinarian, not a doctor.

"Professor." She said, making him look up from his thoughtful stance. "I'm not trained in medicine in human bodies… maybe we should find a doctor for him instead?" She said as she put her stethoscope around her neck.

Bluff laughed. "No doctor will come around this late for something other than an illness. They wouldn't believe us anyway, if we told them what we wanted them to help. Human bodies aren't entirely different from the aquatic mammals you've been studying, Zelda." The girl bit her lip. "But… what if I do something wrong? I-I don't want to give him the wrong treatment or something…" She stuttered, looking at the shallow breathing of Link's chest. It was mesmerizing, seeing his large body, just living.

"You won't. Just give it a try." Bluff smiled, looking at Link as well. "It's not like you're performing surgery on him."

Zelda nodded with slight approval. Well, that much was right. But if surgery was necessary, the merman would be in trouble.

She began looking over him again, focusing more on his fish tail than his torso. Running her hands on his smooth blue scales, she whisked some water away from his skin and pressed her hand to him. He felt slightly warm- not like human skin, but not as cold as fish. Intrigued, she ran her hand up his body until she felt human skin.

No temperature difference.

"He appears to be a mix between warm and cold-blood." She said softly, though Bluff could hear her. "Yes…" he mused, putting a finger to his skin as well. "Well, he IS mammal and fish combined. It's only natural that his blood type is a stable mix." Zelda nodded.

Stepping over his big arm, she now focused on the wounds that dug deep into his skin. She traced the open tissue across his torso, noticing that it ran under him, onto his back. Another line accompanied it, a couple meters down his body. Zelda gasped.

They were bite marks.

She stood in the middle of the jaw's outline, gulping at how large the mouth was that bit him. "Farore…" she mumbled. Whatever did this was bigger than anything she could think of. Heck, it could eat her in one gulp.

Zelda was on one side of Link, while Bluff and the few others were writing down notes together on a clipboard, a ways away on the other side. She didn't want to call them over yet, until she was sure that the wound was indeed from teeth. She bent down next to him- his body completely hid her from the others with its great size, and she stuck her fingers in his wounds.

Immediately, the humanoid's muscles rippled as if he was electrocuted. Zelda withheld a scream; she was completely startled. Whoa… she didn't expect him to move when he was….

…sedated…

Wobbling to her feet, all she could hear was the sound of his breathing. Warped voices barely reached her as she turned slowly to her left, towards his breathing. Her gaze was met with two of the fiercest eyes she ever saw.

He was awake.

Zelda didn't dare alert the others. With her eyes locked on his, (uncontrollably, really- she was frozen in his stare) the girl held her breath and began backing away from him. Link's eyes narrowed. He meant to move his hand out of the way, but-

Zelda fell backwards, her heel hitting his wrist. Link saw this and quickly lifted up his hand so that she leaned on him, and he tilted her back onto her feet.

Astonished, Zelda became stiff. She felt a little dizzy, and almost fell over again save for that the merman again held her up effortlessly. She heard a small chuckle elicit from him, and she smiled a little as well.

"Uh, thank you…" she said quietly, still trapped in his gaze, which was softer now. Then he looked away, at the ceiling, at the walls, a look of concerned puzzlement on his face. Before Zelda could react, Link suddenly ripped off the wires on his chest, making the others look up in startlement.

"Whoa! He's awake!" Professor Bluff yelled, backing away when the powerful tail started lashing, the merman flipping onto his front and pulling himself up on his arms. Everyone started shouting excitedly, gaining distance from the wild beast as he took in his surroundings and displayed threats at the same time.

Link meant to scare them away with his antics. But he didn't think of the surface he was on- the rough, hard concrete. In fact, he had never felt a surface like this before- certainly, he never laid on something so hard. Evidently, he was bleeding; his wounds ruptured from his sudden movements- scraped on the rough cement surface.

Zelda was backed against the wall, trying to avoid the powerful, lashing tail. Link had forgotten about her, or at least ignored her, while with fresh cuts and anger, started lashing out with his hands at the other people, who were shouting. "Stop it, we're trying to help you!" One yelled. The words blew over Link's head.

Link was blinded by instinct. He was trapped in a walled place, surrounded by noisy little people that had stuck small lines into his skin. He remembered blacking out not too long ago, realizing that he had awoken in this place afterwards. They had brought him here- and their intentions were grave. They were going to torture him to death, for sure. He had already tried scaring them away- it didn't work, because they were still bunched up in the far corner, making noises.

He smelled water. If he couldn't scare them off, then he'd just have to leave.

Turning onto his back, he brought his tail up towards him, then threw it down on the ground and launched himself forward. He ended up diving headfirst into the water in front of him, his belly painfully smacking the side of the surface as he dove under with a splash.

He didn't know that the water had walls, however.

Professor Bluff and the others stood up, still shaking. Bluff sighed in slight relief, looking into the wavy water. "Well… that takes care of the problem of getting him in the water." The others looked at him with crazed puzzlement.

Zelda noted the blood on the cement where the merman just was. "Oh no…" She murmured, creeping forth from her secure place next to the wall. "Fresh blood." She looked toward the large saltwater containment pool where the merman disappeared into, and shivered.

Link thrust forward with his pained tail, brow furrowed. He aimed to keep swimming, but there was something blocking the way. Something HUGE.

He slowed down, placing his large hands on the surface. Bubbles erupted from his mouth in angered surprise. It was the same material that cut him up before jumping in here! What WAS this place?

He swam along the wall, looking for a break to escape through. The wall just kept going and going, all the way around, save for a thick metal grating that evidently was closed off after the humans used it to bring him in from the boat. It seemed to be the only way out.

With new determination, the aquatic beast had grasped the grating in his hands and tried wrenching it free. It was surprisingly strong, for human-make.

He looked around again, despaired, at the saltwater prison. He was completely closed in. He couldn't pull himself onto the surface, because the ground cut up his belly. Frowning, he looked down at his body that oozed crimson into the water. He swallowed. What a cruel place. Now he wished he had tried harder to scare those humans off before they shot him and brought him here.

He sensed a presence on the ground above him. Looking up, he saw the silhouette of a person, looking into the water at him.

Link breathed out a growl. Those little bastards… looking down at him as if they owned him. Perhaps that was their motive- they wanted to keep him as a pet in this aquatic chamber.

As if that would ever happen.

Furious, the merman sped for the surface, breaking through with a terrible splash, his snatching the person lightning fast. He aimed to drown the human right then and there- at least drag them under for a little bit and allow them to experience the prison themselves. Even though he always avoided hurting people…oh, just a little drowning. Until all the air was squeezed out of them. Perhaps he could go the whole nine-yards and eat them.

Well, no, that would be gross.

He got a good look at them before he attempted to drag them under. He looked, then looked harder. Then he gasped.

He was holding the innocent girl that had so cutely fallen over him earlier. Her long hair was a little spiky with wetness, her clothes damp. She looked…terrified. Link gulped. Well, of course she would be… anyone would be scared in her position. But… there was something about her that told him she was pure. That she had no bad intentions- in fact, everything about her leaked goodness.

"Zelda!" People were yelling. Link turned away from her (rather reluctantly) and saw them all worried for the girl. Zelda… that was her name. Strange- it was familiar. More importantly, he could see how concerned they were for her safety. He sighed. Perhaps people weren't all that bad…

Link looked back at his captive, who pleaded him with her gentle eyes. Oh goddesses, she made his heart melt.

Lip quivering, the merman sighed gently, then lifted her out of the water and placed her on the concrete. His ears were drooped- all the energy suddenly drained out of him. The shouts had stopped, and everything was quiet now.

Except for the sweet song that rang through the air.

Link stared at her with newfound intrigue, eyes wide. The girl he was previously going to destroy was smiling her innocence, her light fingers clutching a small, golden flute, her fingertips dancing on the instrument as she blew into it and played an ancient tune. The humans who looked onward were even affected by it, even though they had no knowledge of the song.

But Link did.

It was the Song of Healing.

He shut his eyes amidst his striped face and listened, his breathing calming. The ancient melody swept the room, perfectly played, not a note missed. Zelda, steady and graceful, played the melody a couple times over on the little flute. Bluff and the others were enraptured by it.

When it was over, Link trembled a little. He felt numb- but strangely fresh. He breathed out a sigh, then opened his eyes, meeting them with Zelda, who smiled at him and placed the flute in her pocket.

The room was silent for a little, the two Hylians' gazes unwavering. Something seemed to pass between them during the time of silence. Then Zelda spoke.

"We're helping you." She said clearly. Strangely, Link could almost fully understand it. He nodded gently, looking down, away from her. "What is your name?" She then asked, and he looked up at her with his deep, blue eyes.

"I'm Link."