Gill's Regret
I own nothing
As the early dawn sun lit up the water of the vast ocean, a strange group of fish stayed huddled together on the sand banks of the ocean floor, just having exited west of the EAC toward the Great Barrier Reef.
The group of fish, known as the Tank Gang consisted of Peach a starfish, Jacques a shrimp, Bloat a pufferfish, Gurgle a royal gramma Deb a blue and white damselfish, Bubbles a yellow Tang, and their leader Gill a Moorish Idol.
Gill's dark brown eyes were closed, yet twitching in sleep as he muttered and moaned in his sleep.
The rest of the group including Peach had been worried about Gill ever since they suggested going to find Sharkbait, Nemo the Clownfish.
Maybe it was the transition from filtered to treated water, an aspect Gurgle was still trying to get used to.
When Deb asked whom they were looking for, and Peach remembered the name Marlin, Gill seemed to have gotten the jitters.
"Gill…" Peach asked, crawling to him and poking him.
"Mm…no... Coral…mm"
"Gill…" the starfish looked at him, confused. Who was Coral?
"Coral…wait…no…mmm"
Peach shook her head. Whoever this Coral person was, she sure was a piece of work…
"GILL!" Peach shouted, waking Bloat and Deb up.
"HUH WHO WHA-?"
Gill opened his eyes and swam around, though the group huddled together, afraid to ask; all except for Peach.
It wasn't like their leader to have nightmares that she knew of, so what was going on?
Gill shook his head, trying to shake off the last of the dream.
Coral
He'd seen her get dragged off by a sharptooth, trying to stay alive, and not get eaten.
What, did she get a thrill out of getting herself killed?
As he watched, he shook his head. Before the fish could pass them, Gill hurried his girlfish Angel into her home.
"I'll be back. Just stay here" Angel, frightened, pulled at his fin. "I'm scared!"
Gill looked at her sympathetically. "You'll be okay." He said, stroking her cheek with his fin. "I'll be back as soon as I can"
Angel sighed as she watched him leave. She had a feeling she'd never see him again…
Gill swam off in the direction of the fish and the sharptooth.
Where could they have swum?
"Help!"
Looking up ahead of him, Gill swam off in the direction of the sharptoothed monster.
The fish was still dangling from the fish's tooth.
"Here! Grab my fin!" Gill yelled.
"I can't!" the fish cried, Gill realizing was a female clownfish. "I'm scared!"
"You have to!" he barked. Gill gasped as the fish opened its mouth again, ready to chomp them both alive.
"NOW!"
The clownfish closed her eyes, and grabbed Gill's fin. Gill in turn smacked the scales off the Barracuda which swam away.
Gill, panting heavily turned to the clownfish, who was breathing hysterically.
"You okay, miss?" he asked.
"Yes, I- oh!" Coral released herself feeling lightheaded.
"Whoa, oops" Gill smirked, gathering her in his fins. "Careful, now… are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I- "she looked at him, then looked down at the sand floor.
"I just lost my husband Marlin, and my eggs…" she sniffed. Gill looked concerned, putting a fin to her side.
"Look, I" he said, feeling bad for having left Angel alone, even though this lady fish had lost her mate and eggs…
"I'm sorry, eh- I didn't catch your name"
"Coral" she said with a tearful smile. "Coral Clownfish"
Gill smiled. "Well, Coral, It's nice to meet you; Name's Gill"
Coral smiled flirtatiously. Marlin had always talked about some fish he knew named Dorcas, so what was the harm in her having a friend too?
"It's nice to meet you, Gill"
Gill blushed when she nuzzled him and he took her fin… not knowing what danger lay ahead…
Peach looked at Gill, concerned. "Gill, are you okay?" she asked.
"What? Yeah, fine"
"Gill…" Peach said in an annoyed tone. "You know we know each other better than that. What's really going on?"
Gill shuddered at the nightmare.
He remembered sleeping with Coral, having a feeling that something wasn't right.
That was the night Phil found him.
As he was captured into the dentists fishing net, Gill noticed Coral had a small smile on her face…
She'd used him… she was crazy, and she'd used him!
"Bye, Gill" she said, waving.
"Coral? No! Coral!"
He wasn't sure what happened after that, but tried to build a new life with his new friends
It wasn't until he'd heard the name Marlin that things had clicked when he glanced again at Nemo.
Nemo was Coral's son…
"Nemo isn't like that" Peach said, shaking her head. "Coral must have been crazy with fear… she was almost eaten before you saved her life."
"Yeah, you're right… c'mon… let's go get the others and find Sharkbait."
The gang cheered, that was a great idea…