So I was pretty inspired by MerMay, and I've been kinda obsessed with PnF lately. ( _) I know it's pretty much the end of May but this still counts! And it's much more lighthearted than my other stuff. XD Sooooo enjoy!

For the record, everyone is younger than in canon.

Disclaimer: I don't own aaaaaanyone. Just in case this needs to be said.

Broken

It was so cold when the little merfry stirred. His head pounded and his tummy felt so sick and empty. Curling up, he clicked and whistled for Father. Father always knew how to make him all better. He would warm him up and bring him clams to feed on, maybe even a rock so he could break the clams himself. It was messy and fun, and Father would clean up the pieces so the meat was safe to eat. The thought of fresh clams made his mouth tingle.

But Father didn't come. Was he not loud enough? He clicked again. Nothing. Father should have heard him by now. He never went very far while he slept.

Far… far…

He shot up. It came back to him.

There was a storm. It was loud and fierce with bright blinding light. The waters had tossed them so roughly that his hands slipped a few times. Father managed to hold onto him for a while, but something happened. He only remembered Father shrieking in pain before he let go. Everything after that was a blur and black.

And now he laid in a dark cave, far too big for the tiny merfry. He called out to Father, hoping he was nearby. No answer. His eyes quivered in fear and sadness. He was all alone. Slowly, he swam to the mouth of the cave and whined. He didn't dare leave. It wasn't safe. It was so dark that he could get lost.

He was still so tired, too. Maybe it'll be brighter after he sleeps again, and he can go find Father. He knew he was out there. He wouldn't give up. Neither of them would. Squeezing himself into a tight spot, he could almost believe Father was hugging him right now. If he hugged his tail, he could pretend it was Father's arm.

But he knew Father wasn't there. Scared, tired, lonely; he cried himself to sleep. He was still so little, he's not ready to be by himself yet.

He missed Father.

Cold… Hurts… Storm…

Son…

These words had cycled through the merman's mind ever since he came to. Each time he came to the last one, he would shiver. Earlier he thrashed, but he had tired himself out. His tail felt broken and something heavy around his body kept him from moving as much. Not that it ever stopped him from trying to squirm back into the waters. He simply didn't have the strength.

But he couldn't just lay there. He had to find his son, make sure he was alright. The furious waves had forced them apart. How far had they been from shore?

If anything happened to his little fry, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He should have had them take shelter as soon as he felt the storm coming. If he hadn't been so confident they could reach the reef, they wouldn't be in this mess. Now he was trapped on the surface, drying out, having no idea where he and his son were. He couldn't even be sure that he would survive this night.

What happened to merfolk who faded away? Would he be allowed to watch over his son, if he lived? Or would he fade and simply never see him again?

That broke him. Never mind that he was cold and in pain. His little one was out there, all alone. He would never find his father's body. The dying merman could only hope that the merfry could remember how much he loved him, that he didn't want to leave him. He wished so badly that their last memories of one another hadn't been of fear.

"Ey." Something small and warm brushed away his tears.

When he opened his eyes and his blurry vision cleared a little, there leaning over him was the strangest little angelfish he'd ever seen. Colored like fair skin with spots and a red tuft at the dorsal fin—no, this was a child with the head of an angelfish. A human child. That means grown humans were nearby.

His end was near. To be found by humans meant a fate worse than death.

The child made flustered noises as his tiny hand brushed the merman's face again. "Ey. Ey. Ssh." Dark blue eyes, full of innocence and so like his own son's, creased in helplessness. He paid no mind to the tears turning solid and colorful on the ground and in his hands. "Ah!" The child clapped his hands and made more sounds at him before turning and running away, kicking up sand as he went. "Mom!"

Perhaps the gods decided to be merciful and give him time to escape. He moved his tail, only to groan when searing pain shot through him. It had definitely broken in the storm. Sand shifted cruelly into the unseen wounds so that they burned and added to the agony. He couldn't tell if he should feel blessed or cursed that the darkness of the night kept him from seeing the damage in full.

Oh, he shouldn't have tried to move. Now he felt lightheaded.

The waves sounded so far away, he hadn't touched them once. His foam might not even make it back to the ocean. He could only take solace in knowing he will not fall to humans.

A surprised shriek was the last he heard before all faded away.

Splash!

Linda grimaced at the water in the tub already changing colors. She made sure to avoid looking at the torn up giant black-and-white fish tail partly hanging out the edge. Even now, she expected to wake up and find it being either a strange dream or at least the tail being a hallucination.

In hindsight, maybe calling the paramedics would have been preferable to lugging this man home, though that would raise questions on what hospitals did with mermen. They certainly couldn't be equipped to take care of someone who had the bottom half of a fish. Not to mention how expensive it would get, and don't get her started on documents. It might be too much trouble for the poor man.

Phineas peered over the rim of the tub at their impromptu guest. "Is he gonna be okay, Mom?"

"I don't know, sweetie." Linda lifted her son and settled him snugly in her arms. "We won't know until he wakes up, but I'll take care of him."

"We'll take care of him, Mom."

She chuckled. "Yes, yes we will."

A leathery bill nudged at her leg. "Ngkrkrkrkr."

Phineas giggled and reached for the teal block of fur below. "Perry wants to help, too."

Maneuvering her child easily to one arm, she soon had a free hand to pick up the platypup and deposit him into eager arms. "And we can have Candace help once she comes back from the sleepover. Now…" She gave Phineas' nose a light tap. "You need to go to bed, mister. Don't think I didn't see those drooping eyes."

"But I can't sleep." He yawned. "I wanna see him wake up." Bless his heart, he's so worried that he was defying bed time. Not that it was ever easy, but he never made a fuss about it.

Linda gave those stubborn little eyes a kiss. "I'll get you when he does, okay? Otherwise, you might doze off waiting." She carried him and Perry away; they were already snoring before she left the bathroom.

Only after the two were tucked in did she survey the house. A dark red trail littered with sand and scales led from the front door all the way upstairs and to the bathroom. It had been such an ordeal untangling the merman from that net and dragging him from the shore to the car and finally to the tub. Men were heavy, after all. Her son's wagon was only helpful for the first half of the trip, and all the while the tail bled through the towel she tried to provide for him. She might be up all night cleaning it all. Maybe she should start outside so nobody saw and asked questions.

It's all so surreal. A live merman! In her house! He wasn't supposed to exist, but he did! And now what? Linda wasn't prepared to take care of a creature so mythical! Should she treat him with human medicine or fish medicine? What foods could he eat? How long would he have to stay before he had to go home?

Light splashing pulled her from her thoughts. Now with a clear head, she can figure out a plan. First things first, she needed to clean and dress those wounds.