Ch 124
The mermaid was in a good mood after their fling in the tub. She was also more clingy than ever. Bob dried her off and she did her best to dry Bob off. She also had Bob dry her chest off a little more as she gazed at him. Bob got dressed in clean clothes on and carried her out to put her on the table to check her bandage. He carried her, she snuggled into him and wanted another kiss before he put her down.
She sat and watching him carefully unwrap her fluke and study it. Upon seeing the chunk out of her tail, she frowned and sniffled.
"Looks like it's healing OK," he offered. The edges of the wound were closed up. There was a bit of old blood on the bandage, but it wasn't bleeding. He carefully washed it with the antiseptic, then put a new bandage on. This one a little smaller than wrapping up the whole fluke. Just bandage in the area of the wound and a strip up to the narrow part where her fluke widened out from the base of her tail to hold it on.
Even though it was looking good, Bob wanted someone else to look at it too. He also had no idea how to replace that divot that was in her fluke now.
Going outside, he opened the door to their extra car, then brought the mermaid out to sit her in the passenger seat. He got in and drove them to the Connor house. On the way the mermaid sat up, intently watching the scenery.
Getting there he stopped by the back door and knocked.
Delilah came to the door. "Hey Bob, It's a good thing you stopped by. Grover called, your share of the pig harvest is ready for pickup."
"That's good. I got a problem," he replied. "I have a wounded mermaid ... well, just please come take a look."
"How bad is she hurt" Delilah asked coming outside.
Bob explained what happened, and he had to stitch her up as good as he could. Going over to the passenger side, Delilah opened the door and squatted down and had the mermaid turn so her tail was hanging out of the door. They talked a while using the moaning language Bob only caught pieces of. Twice the mermaid looked at him as she explained to Delilah.
Delilah giggled, then unwrapped the bandage to look at the wound.
"Can she still swim like that?" Bob asked.
"She can, but see how it's off center?" Delilah said. "If she tried to go fast, she may cause more damage. Maybe even break a bone. We need to fit something on her to fill this gap."
"That's what I was thinking, but what?" Bob asked.
"We'll figure it out," Delilah assured him. "Bring her in inside."
Delilah spoke to the mermaid, then got up. The Mermaid held her arms out to Bob. He picked her up and carried her inside. Delilah pulled a chair out sit sideways and had Bob put her down in it. Delilah moved a chair to face her and had the mermaid lift her tail onto Delilah's lap. Delilah carefully removed the bandage and studied the wound. "Very good work, Bob, this is healing nicely. Do me a favor, hon. Go in the kitchen and get the tape measure out of the drawer next to the sink and a cup."
Bob left to do so.
Delilah leaned towards the mermaid and asked in her language. "You like Bob?"
"I do like Bob. We mated and he is so gentle with me," she beamed.
Raising an eyebrow, Delilah asked, "He already has two mates. Does that bother you?"
"No. I do have to go home and say I found a mate. A two legs, but he is so nice to me."
Bob came back with the tape measure and a cup. Delilah sent him off for a sheet of paper and a pencil.
"What is your name, dear?" Delilah asked.
"Elhoan," she replied.
"Will it be All right to call you Ellen? So we can say it better?"
Ellen nodded. "That is good. Where are his other mates?"
"They are off on a task. You must know, they must approve of you mating with Bob."
Ellen frowned. "Why?"
"That is how we do things. Everyone must agree to a new mate in the family," Delilah explained.
Ellen grinned. "Females do not mate with females," she said in a giggle.
Delilah grinned with her. "No, but they must agree for you to mate with Bob."
Ellen frowned a bit, then said, "Can we go find them?"
"We need to talk to Bob first. He can call them."
Bob came back with the paper and pencil. Delilah put the paper on Ellen's fluke and said, "Hold still. I will make you a thing to replace what got bitten out."
"Good!" Ellen beamed.
"Ahh what are you talking about?' Bob asked.
Delilah told him, "Replacing what she's lost and how you're going to explain your new wife to Joan and Allison."
Bob nodded at first, then what she said hit him. "Wait, WHAT?" he cried, gaping at her.
Delilah pointed the pencil at the mermaid. "You can call her Ellen. You must be good, she wants you."
Bob worked his jaw, but nothing came out.
"I suggest letting Joan and Allison know after their game," Delilah said as she drew out the fluke on paper.
"I'm screwed," Bob mumbled.
"Apparently Ellen was, and she wants more," Delilah told him.
Bob went over to a chair and sat down hard. "I ... didn't have much choice. I was in the bath, she climbed in on me and ... I couldn't move!" he explained in a weak voice.
"Never the less, it is what it is. I'm sure you can think of something better, than say you found a wounded mermaid and tried to make a baby with her." Delilah said, then chuckled.
Bob eyed her. "That sounded so wrong," he grumbled.
"What's this?" Cameron asked coming in. "Bob?"
Bob looked up at her. "It wasn't my fault," he pleaded.
"It will be your responsibility if she has a baby," Delilah sang.
"Ughh," Bob grunted and dropped his head on the table.
Cracking a grin, Cameron said, "You had to have gotten hard, and it had to go in her. Tell me you had nothing to do with that."
"What's going on?" John asked as he came in.
Cameron pointed to Bob and said, "He's screwing the mermaids."
"I am not!" Bob cried.
"Just one, Ellen here," Delilah said and put her finished paper on the table. She then took the tape measure and measured Ellen's fluke and got a diameter on the base of her tail.
Jackie appeared out of the living room. "Did I just hear Bob's screwing mermaids?"
"Just one," Cameron said.
"BOB!" Jackie cried. "Joan and Allison only left a few days ago. If you can't wait, then go visit them!"
Seeing Bob looking lost and cringing, Ellen asked, "Is Bob in trouble?"
Delilah replied, "That depends on how his other mates, Joan and Allison will react."
"Bob! Don't tell me you'll be just like your father!" Jackie spat.
Bob's face firmed up, he shot out of his seat to glare at Jackie. "I'm nothing like my father!" he stated heavily. "This was an accident! I was in the bathtub, the mermaid got in with me pinned me down and ... had her way with me! Don't EVER compare me to my father!"
Not catching what he yelled, Ellen asked Delilah to explain.
"Oh, so you got raped by a mermaid?" Jackie asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Essentially, yes," Bob stated.
Jackie eyed him. Her stern face dissolved into a crooked grin. She clapped a hand over her mouth and ran into the other room. They all heard her burst out laughing.
"What was I going to do?" Bob asked with a flap or his arms at the adults watching him. "She's hurt, I was more concerned about her and I didn't realize what was happening soon enough, OK? As far as anything else, I hadn't even thought about having sex with her!"
"You need to," Delilah told him. "Ellen here is counting on being your mate. You need to get things straight for all your sake. I suggest calling Joan after their game and telling her the full story."
"Before someone else does," he agreed as he sagged in place.
"There is another question," Cameron said. "If she is pregnant, what will it be?"
Delilah eyed Bob. He looked ready to crawl into a corner. "Bob? Maybe you should go see your mother for a bit. We'll take care of Ellen."
"Yeah, OK," he conceded. He left with a wave. Ellen tried to get up, Delilah held her in place. "Ellen, Bob is upset, give him some time alone. We need to talk anyway."
"Did something bad happen?" Ellen asked.
.
Cameron and Delilah talked with Ellen for a while, and found out what their mating and family structures were like. During this, Derek and Jesse came in and gaped at Ellen.
Cameron said, "Hi Derek, Jesse, this is Ellen the mermaid. She was bitten, and we're taking care of her so she can heal."
"They're real, " Derek whispered.
"This is a step beyond," Jesse said vacantly.
"Staying for lunch?" Kaede asked as she came through.
"Ah no," Derek said, watching her walk by. "Just came to ask John about something."
"aroow," Ellen said and waved.
"She means hello," Cameron translated.
"Hi," Jesse replied with a wave as she stared at the mermaid.
"They speak too?" Derek asked.
"They are all but us," John told him. "A few think we descended from them," John told him. "Like I said before, their DNA is extremely close to ours. We even have the exact same skeleton, except for our ankles and feet."
"Can we talk someplace?" Derek asked John.
"Up in my office," John replied and waved for them to follow.
.
Joan and Allison had a good game. Nashville had improved tremendously. Their line was sharper, and they had been practicing jumping. They also ran harder and played smarter. Joan noted they even got a 'jump and flip over their linemen' play that gained yardage for their team. They still got beaten 50 - 13, but their effort was notable. After the game, they all went to their bar off the main drag to eat and suck down some beers. Joan happily told them they were getting much better, and their quarterback was actually proud og their team now. So far this year, Nashville had won two games. They didn't expect to with against Austin and 'miss dynamite', but they had played their hardest and were pumped up to win against Denver next week.
Joan's phone rang. She looked at the number and answered it. "Hey Bob! How's the gimp doing?"
Bob didn't sound happy when he asked, "Is Allison there?"
"I take it you need to talk to us," Joan said.
"Yeah, I knida do," he said, sounding sad.
Joan got up and tapped Allison on the shoulder. When Allison looked at her, Joan motioned for her to follow. They left the table. "Bob, what is it?" Joan asked as they went outside. She put the phone on speaker.
Joan, I ... really screwed up," Bob said. "If you hate me, I understand."
"Whoa, hold on," Joan said. "What happened?"
"You know I was taking care of that Mermaid..."
"Yeah go on," Joan coaxed.
"Something happen to her?" Allison asked.
"No, she's at your parent's house now, Joan. Your moms are designing a fluke for her tail so she can still swim after she heals." Bob said. He then blurted out, "I am so sorry!"
Confused, Joan and Allison looked at each other. "About what?" Joan asked.
"You know I was told she had to soak in the bath at least twice a day," he began. In a stilted voice, Bob went on and told them about the whole encounter of the Mermaid, Ellen, wanting him to get into the bath, then everything that happened after.
Joan and Allison stared at the phone, jaws agape.
" ... and getting her to your patents house, Delilah found out that Ellen now wants me as a mate."
Bob sounded down. Allison got out, "You fucked a mermaid?"
"I didn't mean for that to happen!" Bob cried. "I though she was like, you know, returning a favor for washing her. I had no idea she was going to jump in with me and want sex!"
"You do now," Joan said dryly. "Bob, you need to convince her you're not her mate. Ensure she understands you were just being kind to her because she was injured. I don't hate you, but you did show poor judgement."
Allison added, "and no more humping the mermaids."
"I feel terrible about this," Bob said.
"I can tell. You need to fix it," Joan said firmly. "I am glad you told us, but fix it."
"Yeah, I will. Promise."
"K, Bob. I need to go get a drink. Talk to you later."
Joan let Allison get her see you later' in, then closed up her phone.
Joan went back inside with Allison. She went up to the bar and ordered a triple whiskey. Allison got a double.
Sitting down, Joan stared at nothing and gulped down a portion of her drink.
On the other side of her from Alison, Karen nudge Joan. "Bad phone call?" she asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Joan monotoned.
Leaning over, Karen asked, "Allie?"
Allison let out a snort. "Let's just say it was a call we never in our lives expected to hear."
"Mood killer?" Karen asked.
"Yeah, a big mood killer," Joan agreed.
"So, what was it about?" Karen prodded. "Want to talk about it?"
Joan had half her glass drained. She then giggled. "It's totally unbelievable."
"You got a double whiskey?" Karen asked. "It must be bad."
"Triple, Allie's got the double."
Looking into her glass, Allison said, "Joan, one of us has to be at home from now on."
"That won't solve anything, Allie," Joan told her.
Leaning into Joan, Allie said in what she thought was a quiet voice, "It'll keep Bob from fucking the mermaids."
"Didn't you hear him? I doubt he'll do that again," Joan said firmly.
Karen watched them and listened intently. "What's this?" she asked.
Joan took another drink and said, "Something I don't even want to think about."
"It's that bad?" Karen asked.
"Totally UN-fucking-believable," Joan replied. She drained her glass. She looked at it then grabbed her partially full beer and took a swig.
"You'll get sick mixing drinks like that," Karen told her.
Joan shrugged.
Karen waited a while. Sure enough Joan went to get up and stumbled. She was really sloshed. Alison got up to steady her and nearly send both of them to the floor. Karen managed to stand up and stabilize them. "OK, girls slow me to your rooms."
They stumbled out together. Karen asked for a cab. The bar keep got on the phone. Karen got Joan and Allison to wait for the cab. When it arrived, she guided them in, then got in herself.
Returning to the hotel, Karen got out and made sure her drunken team mates didn't kiss the sidewalk on their way in. She got them into the elevator. Joan and Allison leaned against the back wall, gripping the rails to hols themselves up.
Karen got close to Allison. "Tell me what it's about. Maybe I can help?" she offered.
Allison grinned. "You lived in Driftwood. What do you know about the people who live there?"
"There's all kinds of different people there," Karen replied.
"Allie!" Joan said in a slur. "We can't talk about the mermaids!"
Allison frowned. "And what did you just do?" she asked.
Joan eyed her then spat "Fuck! I did, didn't I?"
Allison giggled a drunken laugh. "No, you're not the one who fucked a mermaid."
Joan face planted with a moan. The elevator dinged, the doors opened. Karen prodded them out and on their way to their room.
Joan and Allison had a room with double beds. Joan tried to hit the key card slot and kept missing. Karen did it for her. Once inside, Karen shut the door and asked, "There really are mermaids in Driftwood?"
Allison flopped down on her bed. Joan did a nose dive onto hers.
"Fucking mermaids!" Allison announced and let out another drunken laugh.
"not funny," Joan grumbled softly into the bed.
Karen made sure they both laid on their sides so they didn't drown if they puked, then left. Putting pieces together she got the picture. Their husband Bob had sex with a real mermaid, and they weren't happy about it. Then again, she wouldn't be happy about it either if it was her husband. It also got her wondering how he did that. Mermaids didn't have legs to part.
The next day, Joan on the field throwing passes. Karen noticed Joan 's windup looked more intense. When Joan threw in blur of motion, she had to snap her head to track the ball. There was no arc to the ball. It hit the padded backstop to punch another hole in it. Yup, Joan was seriously unhappy. It was good no one was trying to catch those rockets.
.
It took a while but Delilah made Ellen understand that Bob was being kind to her because she was hurt. He didn't want another mate, and his other mates were sure to be angry with him. Down in the mermaid cave, it wasn't unusual for partner swapping to happen. If a girl wanted a guy, she took him. Here it was considered 'cheating', a very bad thing. By the time she got done explaining, Delilah had a design for a decent prosthetic to put over Ellen's fluke.
The rest of the day, Ellen sat while Delilah made and test fit a plexiglass support on her fluke. Two pieces, back and front were connected to the base of her tail with a scrap that Ellen could take off if she wanted to. The only way to know if it worked for sure, was to try it, and Ellen couldn't get her tail wet yet.
Getting on late afternoon, Delilah called Bob to come get Ellen. He was her care taker after all.
.
Bob arrived just before dinner. Ellen wanted Bob to sit by her, Kouta, Mayu and Nana just stared at him, Jackie chuckled her ass off, as did Louise. Everyone else was either smirking or staring at him. Great, everyone knew. Bob wanted to hide.
"How is your mother and Duncan?" Cameron asked.
Looking at his plate, Bob shrugged. "I just went out and parked someplace. I didn't go see them."
"Why not?"
In a dull tone, Bob said, "I don't want Mom to know."
"Did you at least talk to Joan and Allison?" Delilah asked.
"Yeah, they aren't happy with me. Not enough to come beat my ass, but they let me know Ellen can't be mated with us," Bob explained.
Delilah told this to Ellen who frowned and began leaking tears. That made Bob feel worse.
.
Ellen was devastated. In the home cave, if someone was injured, sympathy was shown. She remembered when a hunter came back missing most of his arm. He got much sympathy and petting, but he still died, leaking his blood out. There was much sorrow for his loss, then his body was taken out and returned to the lake.
Bob was a two legs. He wasn't even one of them, but took her into his big dry cave and tended to her. He called for help, and they arrived. She went to sleep and woke up to find she wasn't going to die, but the wound was closed up. It was hard to move around out of the water, but Bob carried her. He gave her that nasty tasting white pill that made her feel better. He let her lounge in water that was safe from and predators and stroked her gently. mating with him was really nice. And now Bob brought her here to have a thing put on her tail she she could swim as normal. Ellen felt special here. She wanted to stay and keep mating with Bob and knowing he was going to keep taking care of her.
That wasn't going to happen. Bob had two other mates, and they were being territorial. They didn't want her with Bob. She imagined they wanted his kindness just for them. That confused her. If they wanted him so much, then why were their off someplace else, and not in Bob's cave? She was a bit angry about that. If they had to go someplace else, they why hold onto Bob like they were? Sometimes, two legs made no sense at all!
Ellen didn't eat much at the nice dinner. After dinner, Bob picked her up to take her out to the moving cave and return to his big cave. She clung to him when he picked her up. He got her inside and made more water for her to lay in. Even knowing he could not be her mate, she decided she would be his mate until his other mates returned. Males needed their mates as females did.
As usual, Bob held her injury above the water as he gently stroked her up and down. She liked that. She liked when he stroke her back as she went to sleep. She really liked mating with him. Again, as usual, when she relaxed and relieved herself, he got her out and then petted her all over with a cloth. For some reason, she burst out crying.
Bob held her and she cried harder into his chest. He petted her hair and made soft shushing sounds. She gripped him tight, sadly knowing that some time soon, this would end. The gentle care and happiness she'd felt would be over. Although she thought about being angry at him for rejecting her, he hadn't. It was his other mates, who weren't even here that told him to reject her. Even though part of her wanted to just go back to the lake and home cave like she was, she didn't want to leave Bob willingly.
The bed Bob carried her to was not his. He laid her down and went to kiss her, then paused and kissed her forehead. He also didn't lay down with her, but left. At first she was confused, then realized his other mates had told him that she couldn't be his mate. She fumed in place for a while, then got down on the floor and on her hands and knees, and went looking for him.
Ellen found Bob in his other bed sleeping. She climbed up on and laid against him, her head on his shoulder. His arm went around her. She was going to have her mate as long as she was able to.
.
Delilah found the material she needed, a stiff rubber. She cut it out into fluke shapes with an extension up to the base of the tail. The strap was going to be sewn into the extensions. She took her device down to Bob's house for a fitting and final adjustments.
Bob greeted her at the door in a T-shirt and shorts. "Hi Delilah, I was doing some wall papering. Come on in. Is that Ellen's new fluke?"
"It is, I need to see how it fits on her, and see if the nanite milk healed her wound," Delilah said as she came in.
Ellen was kneeling on the floor by a pan of water with rolls of wall paper by her. Delilah waved, Ellen waved back.
"Ellen is helping me wall paper," Bob explained. "I cut it to length, she soaks it and I put it up," he said.
Delilah nodded. "And no more trying to get her pregnant?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, we've been good, but she did crawl in bed with me last night," Bob explained.
"Right now, get her up on the table so I can fit this to her."
Delilah explained to Ellen what she was going to do. Bob picked Ellen up and set her on the table. Ellen said up as Delilah first made sure the rubber fluke matched Ellen's. Delilah took the bandages off and smiled. "Look, Bob, she's healed up."
The wound was a little ragged at the edges, but it was completely healed. "All right!" he said happily.
Ellen watched as Delilah put the thing on her and the strap, then made some marks on the strap. Delilah explained, "Ellen, this will let you have the full thrust of your tail. When you're not using it, take it off. After I get this together, I'll show you how." Delilah then took the thing off her and sat down to sew.
"I'm going to keep working at the wall," Bob said.
Bob put up wall paper and Delilah sewed the strap onto the new fluke for Ellen. They were working when Joan walked in. "Hi everyone!" Joan beamed.
"Joan!" Bob said happily. They met in a long hug and kiss. Parting, he asked, "I thought you had a game in Chicago?"
With a wry grin, Joan said, "Their team sucks, Allie can handle it. This was more important."
Ellen also recognized Joan, one of the pretty tails their men lusted after. "Ouan!" she greeted and waved.
"Elouan!" Joan replied and came over to sit on the table in front of her. Joan glanced at the big chunk taken out of her fluke. "What happened?"
Ellen told her about getting bit and racing to the dock to get out of the water to escape whatever had bitten her. Bob finding her, and treating her so well. Ellen then asked where these absent mates of Bob's were.
Joan's face firmed up. "Right here in front of Elouan. I have seen Elouan as a friend, someone I like to be around. We have fun when we can. That is why I have not broken most of your bones by now."
Ellen gaped at Joan. "We are friends, but you would hurt me?"
"I have not because you are my friend. A two legs tried to mate with my Bob, I left her alive, but hurt her badly. I know our ways are different. Understand, Bob belongs to me. I will badly hurt or kill anyone who tries to take him away."
"But Oan is so friendly. And, why isn't Oan here for Bob?" Ellen cried.
"Me and Alee need to do jobs away from home to support our cave and Bob. I don't like it, but we must. Elouan must understand that is how we live. Mers leave the cave to go hunt for food. We are the same, but must go much farther away."
Ellen nodded. "That must be hard for you."
"I need to find my mate at home when I can return, and know he is still mine," Joan agreed.
In a pleading tone, Ellen said, "I did not mean to take Bob away! I will not do that, especially to Oan! Oan has a very nice mate, he treats me so well and is making sure I can swim. Won't Oan share?"
Joan shook her head. "I already share with Alee, who is my best friend from birth. Bob is kind to everyone. He helped you because he is kind. Friends we accept. Another mate, I will not. If this hurts you, I am sorry but that is how it is."
"Joan, move, I have to test fit this," Delilah said firmly.
Joan got off the table and stood by as Delilah put the prosthetic fluke on Ellen, scrutinizing it. She then showed Ellen how to take it off, then put it back on again. She then had Ellen do it. Once Delilah was happy with it, she said, "Good, now for the final test. Ellen, see how you can swim with it."
I'll go with her, let me get my spare tail," Joan said and rushed off to her room.
.
They all trooped down to the dock, Bob carrying Ellen, Joan in her bikini carrying her tail. "Let me get in first, then throw her in," Joan told Bob.
Joan got her tail on and dove in. She looked for predators. The coast was clear. She popped up to the surface and called, "Throw her in!"
Ellen smiled as Bob re positioned to hold her under her arms. He walked up to the edge of the dock and threw. Ellen managed to dive in head first. She swan. The addition to her tail did feel a little funny, but when she swam just as good, it not a little better than before she was bitten.
Ahead under water, Joan watched her swim by, then quickly followed.
Joan coaxed Ellen into going fast, doing jumps and tight turns. She tested Ellen's tail every way she could think of. From what she could see, the prosthetic was holding up well. Mid lake, Joan motion up to the surface.
"It looks to be working fine. How does it feel?" Joan asked.
"It feels a little strange, but it does work well. Better than before being bitten!" Ellen said happily.
Ellen then had a thought. "No one in home cave has seen me for a while. I better go tell them I'm fine. Come with me?"
Joan nodded. "Let's go." They went back under.
Under water, Joan couldn't speak. Mers could. Approaching the cave down deep, Mers met them and asked Ellen where she was all this time. A few feared she'd been eaten by something. Joan was in a pack of nine mers by the time they went up into the cavern.
Coming up in the cavern, mers cried in joy at seeing Ellen. Her mother hugged her with happy tears in her eyes. The whole troop helped Ellen up on a rock and gathered to hear what happened to her. Joan noticed a few males had gathered near her.
They all listened as Ellen explained about getting bitten on the end of her tail, and had a hard time swimming, but did her best to reach a dock to climb up on, then Bob taking her in, mating with her and getting her help to heal and making the thing on her tail so she could swim again.
In an angry tone, her mother asked, "You mated with a two legs?"
"Bob is wonderful, but I cannot be his mate," Ellen explained. "Bob is Oan's mate. Oan is fun and a friend. She also will not allow any other mates with Bob."
Pointing at Joan, Ellen's mother said, "Oan is right! We do not mate with Two legs!"
"What cause you to do that?" a male asked. Several other also showed loud displeasure at her.
"Listen!" Joan said in a yell. "Elouan was badly hurt. Bob made sure she was healed and took care of her until she was. He didn't let her bleed to death, he made sure she was saved. I am not happy Elouan mated with Bob either, but I can understand how she felt. Bob did more for her than any of you would have! Elouan suffered fearing she was going to die. I am happy my fiend is going to live. Be mean to my friend, and I will be mean to you!"
Silence filled the cave as they all looked at Joan. Joan swam over to a rock above the water and punched it, cracking the rock and sending bits flying. The boom echoed through the cavern. "Do not be mean to Elouan! She has suffered much. I will not allow her own people to make her suffer more!"
The males that had gathered near Joan moved back, eyeing her fearfully. Everyone noted the crack in the rock and the hole left from the flying bits. If Joan would have hit someone, they would be dead, or at least very badly hurt.
Ellen's mother said, "I am also happy Elouan is well and home. Oan and her mate are also good friend to us. I also will not let anyone be mean to Elouan."
Joan nodded. "Elouan made a mistake. Let her learn from her mistake, not punish her for it. Elouan, I will tell Delilah your tail works well."
"How did Bob heal Elouan?" and older male with streaks of gray in his hair asked.
"If you want to learn, we will teach you," Joan replied. "Delilah and Bob can show you."
.
Bob and Delilah were waiting on the dock for someone to return.
"Since they've been gone for a while, I take it Ellen's tail works." Bob said.
"By the jumps Ellen was taking, I do believe so," Delilah agreed.
Bob saw shapes in the water coming at the dock. "Here they come." He stepped back.
Joan shot out of the water to flip and land sitting. "Bob, Mom! The mers want to now how to heal. Can we help them?"
Coming close to the dock were a half dozen Mers. Ellen was one of them.
"We're opening a mer hospital I take it," Bob said. He was only hoping no other mers were going to try to mate with him.
.
*NOTE* I know that some people don't like violence, others cringe at anything political. This story is about life, and things Joan, her family and her friends encounter. Some are good and funny, others aren't. That's life. I write as the story leads me. I add what seems to demand to be added. I ignore 'Genre'. Don't be surprised if something you read takes and angle off to something else. It's all part of the story. Even boat-faced/ mermaid fucking Bob.