Happy 2022 everyone! Wishing everyone a great year ahead. Without further adieu, another chapter. :) The usual warnings apply.
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1 WEEK LATER
Barbara hid away in a nook within the Stylophora, stock still.
She heard the voices of several crabs behind her. "Is everyone ready?"
"Bill, I know you want to go, but we only have places for five at the new retirement coral."
"If Maven dies en-route, can I take his place?"
"The journey is about 1000 yards. I'm surprised that the Council didn't find us a closer place."
She heard scurrying legs. "Say, where's Barbara? She's supposed to join us."
News from the honeycomb coral crab council had reached retirement community the previous day. Not only had the crab council accepted their offer to move, but they had secured a suitable Stylophora for them!
Barbara cursed under her breath, slinking deeper into the coral crevice. The timing could not have been worse. Her legs flip-flopped between burning and numb. It wasn't supposed to happen that way! She was supposed to be ready to leave with everyone! Her body needed to be better than this!
"Barbara?" the crab called again.
She pulled her legs under her carapace in an attempt to camouflage herself as a rock or debris. It was a very uncomfortable move considering her injury. Now, if she somehow figured out a way to get herself a little more time to heal, she could sneak after the others.
"Barbara!?" Scarlet eyes peered into the half-dark coral ridge. It was Oceania! The other crab crawled into the ridge herself to remain unseen by others. "What are you doing here? No one has seen you in days!" she whispered.
The movement of Barbara's gills quickened. Here goes by chance. She remained silent, hoping that she had not been detected by any other crabs.
Oceania approached cautiously. "Barbara, half of the elders are about to leave. I held your place for you."
"I'll catch up later." Barbara whispered. She was considering Oceania a friend more and more now. But that didn't mean that she was ready to lay her vulnerabilities plainly. At least, not in the current situation.
"There is no later. Everyone is leaving now." There was concern in Oceania's voice.
A few moments passed in silence.
"Barbara, I know why you're down here. You should-"
"Take my place then." the hiding crab said curtly, her voice rough.
The darkness of the crevice suddenly seemed consuming. Though there were fish and crabs nearly, she felt they were almost alone.
Oceania frowned. "Peat gave me the title of leader for the elders left behind. When the council finds another place close enough for the slower, crabs, we should leave too."
"Leader of the old and broken." Barbara said sourly. She moved her legs back into position. She turned her eye stalks to her friend. "You are an able-bodied crab not much older than myself. You have no obligation to accept Peat's reward. Why stay?"
Oceania seemed at a loss for words. "Because... because someone needs to guide the remaining crabs. Fred's too old. Bill's not capable. Gertrude, I'm not sure, but-"
"That's not the reason you're staying." Barbara interjected with a tired sigh. The other crab's logic made no sense to her. Crabs didn't watch out for other crabs. Especially not the sick and weak: unless Oceania was taking the retirement home rules too seriously about caring for the oldest elders. "Either explain plainly or state that you won't tell me at all."
"No, I will tell you." The crab hesitated, eyes darting to the entrance and back a couple times to ensure that no one was watching. "So, have you heard of the crab Pearlanne?"
"No." Barbara replied.
"Well, she was my mother. She lived in this very coral in retirement for a long time."
Barbara blinked in surprise. "Strange that you know that." Barbara replied. Coral crabs didn't normally know anything about their parents other than their names. Knowing what parents were doing at the end of their lives was very unusual.
"Yes it is. And it gets stranger. I have a sibling that I spoke to a year ago." Oceania whispered. "This is why I don't want the other crabs to know." She stepped closer to Barbara. They were claw-to-claw now.
"When my mother was already very old, Fred had just entered retirement. Fred cared for her and well... Fred was Pearlanne's mate every breeding season when they were younger." she said almost guiltily.
Barbara tried to gently stretch one of her injured legs. "Fred is your father." she grimaced. "We're honeycomb coral crabs. We don't do family things!" She hoped that she could somehow change Oceania's mind. But she had a feeling the damage had already been done.
As far as Barbara was concerned, the best way for honeycomb coral crabs to live was every crab for itself: no family, no special privileges except those that were earned by the individual. Other species of crabs like hermit crabs were much more social.
But her species couldn't be social if they were to survive. For one thing, if newborn larvae crabs stayed at a parent's Stylophora instead of drifting in the ocean, there wouldn't be enough zooplankton by the coral to support them; they would starve. It was better for honeycomb coral crabs to not know their parents. After all, what was the point of getting to know family for a heavily preyed upon species like themselves? Mourning a family member would only distract crab children from focusing on their own survival. At least, that was what was pounded into Barbara's head in school.
"I know we don't do family." Oceania said. If it was possible, her voice dropped to an even quieter whisper. "My sibling, Blip... if he is still alive from when I last spoke with him two years ago, is due to retire next year. I hear there aren't many suitable retirement Stylophoras nearby, so the Council might send him to our coral."
Barbara glared as Oceania continued timidly.
"...I know well it's against our nature. But um... as you've noticed, we don't follow the normal rules of nature in this retirement community. We forage for the most frail. A crab council makes deals with other species, so we don't have to defend our home from predators or other crabs often." Her eyes shifted to the crevice entrance and back to Barbara again. "The rules don't apply as much here."
Barbara gawked. How could Oceania say such a thing? It wasn't how things were supposed to be! Dangerous mindsets like that are what caused a breakdown in the food chain! They were what caused chaos!
"Since you know well. You know this is wrong. So why stay behind to care for Fred?" Barbara asked.
Oceania honestly seemed scared: she kept clenching her legs close to her body before catching herself. Her eyes shifted about. Barbara knew that Oceania had plenty to lose if others found out. She, Blip, and Fred would be kicked out and likely fall victim to predators.
"Like I mentioned, I don't feel the rules apply as much here." Oceania continued, seemingly finding her confidence again. "They are... open to interpretation. Normally, it is counterproductive for crabs to care for each other. Taking care of the weak just leads to less food for the strong." Oceania whispered so quickly that Barbara's exhausted brain had a difficult time taking sense of all of the other crab's logic. "But there is plenty of food here. Plus we have survived much longer than most of our species. It would be nice to have an opportunity, not as the norm for retirement, but as an exception to a little family around. I have thought about it for months after I learned that I had coincidently retired to the save Stylophora as my father. I didn't know before."
"So it's like a kind of reward then? That's your logic?" Barbara asked. She deliberately skipped asking about how Oceania had learned Fred was her parent. Maybe some social convention was broken there too, but that could be for another time.
"Yes." Oceania seemed relieved. "A reward for living a long time. A reward for the individual. All the things that we do in retirement that are ... unnatural for our species are rewards for beating the odds."
Barbara frowned. She still didn't like this. Oceania was twisting words about their own species to justify her own actions. "And you don't think this will cause problems?"
"I won't let it. Just... please listen. Don't tell anyone or I might get voted out and ejected from the retirement community." Oceania sounded unusually desperate. It was not often that another coral crabs let strong emotions show so visibly.
Barbara pondered it for a long time. If the familial relationship was kept secret and younger crabs didn't take up the same habit, what harm could this do? Fred would be die from old age soon anyway. And Blip could have been eaten since Oceania last spoke with him. What were the odds of him joining this exact coral? There were hundreds of Stylophoras nearby. Surely Oceania was mistaken that none were retirement-worthy.
"Your secret is safe with me." Barbara finally replied.
"Thank you so much Barbara!" Oceania practically hugged Barbara with her claws.
The other female was normally so calm and collected. Receiving affection from another of her species felt strange.
Suddenly, Peat's called loudly from the top of a nearby Stylophora patch. "We're leaving. Last call! Barbara, wherever you are, Terra is your place if you don't come out now!"
"Go Barbara!" Oceania said a little louder than Barbara thought necessary. "This is your last chance. If you have the strength, go now."
Barbara tried to flex her numb legs. They barely moved. "I don't. I.. I can't."
There was a pause as the two old females glanced at each other in a wordless exchange. Barbara felt some kind of mutual understanding forming between them.
"Then I'll do my part." Oceania declared. "I'll keep the others away from you while you're healing and I won't put you on foraging duty for Fred."
Barbara stared at the other crab, surprised by the act of charity.
"Terra has taken the place of the fifth crab. Off we go." Peat called.
Oceania shot her friend a determined look. "You risked your life twice with the clownfish, even after it hit you. If you ever recover enough to be able-bodied again, as leader, I will make sure you get the second highest rank in the social hierarchy."
Barbara shot her friend a rare smile. She could scarcely believe her change of fortune.
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The next morning, Barbara rested in a shallower, less hidden nook in the Stylophora. Her legs felt better today. Maybe they won't fall off after all. She greatly preferred keeping the three legs than to lose them and spend many months waiting for them to regrow.
But just then, she felt the swishing of water above her. A fish was there. She opened her eyes and barely stifled a groan of annoyance.
Two orange eyes outlined by age and worry lines were peering at her. "There you are Barbara!" It was Marlin. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Of course you are disturbing me." she shot back. Can this fish just leave me alone? Talking about problems goes nowhere with this fish.
"Well, I'll make this quick then." the sounded apologetic.
Barbara nestled herself as deeply in the nook as she could and looked away, a clear go away signal. If the fish really wanted to, he could grab out of the coral nook. But even as unhinged as the crazy fish was, she doubted he would do that.
"I came to apologize." Marlin continued uncomfortably. "I realize that uh... some unkind words were said. But I also understand why you crabs are so... unhappy. I was yelling in my sleep and-."
Barbara's eye stalks shifted to the clownfish. He looked better rested and a little less anxious than the last time she had seen him. But for carp's sake, she just wanted him to get to say as little as possible and get away from her! The clownfish continued stammering an explanation for a few minutes. Barbara tried to drown out his words. She sincerely felt bad for the little clownfish, Nemo.
"...so I'm remembering more now. I slapped your legs with my tail and..." Marlin said sadly. The fish took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about that." The fish stopped, perhaps finally realizing just how much she wanted to be left alone.
Barbara turned to face away from the clownfish to drive home the point. She always had to make everything super obvious to this fish! She ground her legs into the coral in anger.
"Look, if there's anything I can do to help, uh... you know... to make up for what I've done... tell me." the fish continued as if he sincerely regretted his actions.
There was a pause as the fish waited for her to respond. She had no answer for him.
Marlin sighed. "I wish you would respond... But I understand that you're upset." There was a tense pause. "Well, I guess I'll be on my-"
But Barbara found herself at a tipping point. The move to the retirement community where the customs were strange. The weeks of sleepless nights. The continuing pain. "Don't you understand leave me alone?" she yelled. "I'm a coral crab, not a fish. I don't understand clownfish. I don't form family bonds like a clownfish! I'm practically at the bottom of the food chain!" As she stood there, panting, she realized that what she said wouldn't make much sense... at least to a fish. She sighed loudly. She couldn't bring herself to care who heard her.
"I guess I don't understand coral crabs either." the fish replied emphasizing her species. His voice was more sad than angry.
Again she failed to respond.
"Look, I'll be going." The fish turned tail. "This was a terrible idea. What was I thinking? ...Clearly I'm not welcome here." he murmured dejectedly, seemingly more to himself than to her as he swam away.
But something inside of Barbara switched on. Suddenly, she thought of the little chubby clownfish. Of being a tiny crab larvae trying to capture phytoplankton. Of fishy mouths nibbling at her underside as she pleaded with them to spare her eggs.
"Wait!" she yelled. The fish stopped, turning a bit as if he wasn't sure he heard her. "Come back!" she called to Marlin. "I... I want to learn more about fish.