This story is part of my event, Shadow's creative exchange.
I am absolute over the moon to be able to publish the first collaboration for my small event!

That people actually wanted to participate brought tears to my eyes! Later today another collab will be posted, but for now, the very first one is brought to life by SaniMay (AO3)!

Thank you for participating and making the stunning drawing for everyone to enjoy and see its beauty of! I hope you and everyone else will love it together with the story!

Even as a heavy storm travelled over the city of Paradise, Marco's job as a doctor didn't stop. So, as he admired the lighting through the window of his practice, he helped anyone that called or was able to actually visit as best as he could.

When the storm ended the next morning, he took one of his beloved walks to the beach to see how nature had changed last thing he thought of to see after a storm were mermaids. Yet... that's exactly what he came across.

Tags

Modern AU
Doctor Marco
Merman Ace
Minor injury

Marco POV

It was storming a lot in the city of Paradise. Yes, their city was called Paradise because that's what people thought it was. Not only did they have a flourishing city, they also had well-maintained parks and activities for every age to enjoy. Besides that they not only had a breathtaking mountainrange, they also had a beautiful beachfront right next to the attached forest, the sand immensely soft to walk on and the water was even clearer than the sky. It made for pictures that literally seemed from Paradise...

Even more what made it Paradise, actually Paradise to some, is that Mermaids were often spotted at their beaches. Even though it was a well-known fact that mermaids, and even mermen were real, they weren't spotted too often close to shore. Afterall, they needed deeper waters to be able to swim freely. Which is where their beaches are special, there's places that immediately reach deep waters, dangerous for human as they would suddenly loose footing, but for the mermaids this made for nice spots to relax and bathe in the sun.

It was however these days that showed their little paradise wasn't always perfect and could even look like a scene from a horror movie.

From the window of his doctor's practice, he could see lightning hit the sea in the distance. The booms of thundering ringing loudly and even making the windows shake. A little off to the side, the immense winds were making the forest edge look alive as the trees swayed more than any tree should be able to.

The once calm and pretty sea was now seemingly pitch black in colour as waves hit the beach as hard as they could. Getting bigger and harsher as the storm neared its peak. The fall of the sand that made mermaids come to their beaches helped break the waves that came towards the city, it protected them even if it made the water seem to splash and fall over dangerously. He didn't want to know what current would be there in those places. One would certainly be pulled down into the depths instantly.

Luckily the mermaids that bathed there seemed to be able to feel when a storm would come and the day before one, you would never be able to spot them. The city also had sensors all round, deeper into the sea and high up in the mountains to feel oncoming storms and warn their citizens. Big storm didn't happen too often, but they could still be devastating if people didn't heed the warning. Luckily with modern technology getting better and better, the warnings came earlier and earlier and gave people time to find cover, it's been a few years since they had a death in their city from a storm like this.

Tearing his eyes away from the waters he picked up the phone that had been ringing behind him.

"Doctor Newgate speaking. Hmm, yes, yes. Sniffing. Flushed. Have you taken her temperature? Please do that and tell me how much it is."

As he waited for the other person to take their child's temperature, he turned back to look at the storm. It looked nighttime from how dark the storm made it be, yet it was only the after noon. Still a couple of hours left for his practice to be open. He didn't expect anyone to come in physically with this weather and was mostly doing consults over the phone, but he will still be here for maybe that one person that needs help.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm glad, that's not a dangerous fever. For now do..." He gave and explanation of what to do, sending a prescription online for pick up once the storm was over before the call ended. Looking back over the sea. He always found the storms mesmerising and would be sure to make some time in the morning to take a walk around the area. It intrigued him how nature could change the look of their beach in one day. The slopes the mermaids bathed could change places, or new spots could be form while others disappeared, their white sands would be littered with little seashells and seaweed. Something the coastguard would clean up through the day, but he wanted to see it before it was gone.

The next morning he was up early as he always was and for once forego his lazy coffee at the breakfast table in favour of heading out the door earlier. No worries, he didn't not drink coffee. But instead of sitting down to sip, he took a thermos-bottle with him and filled it to the brim.

Once packed in a thick jacket, he made his way outside his home and crossed the road and pavement that separated his home and practice from the beach. At the edge where the sand began he already stood still, taking in the sight before him.

Like he expected the sand was littered with little items, though unlike usual a lot of branches seemed to be there too. It looked like the wind was harsher than usual.

He stepped down, the sand not swallowing his feet like usual as it was soaked from the rain. It made for an easy walk to the waterline. He slowly walked to it, taking in the sight around. He made sure not to get too close to the water as the sand could be unstable after a storm and he did not want it to crumble under his feet.

If one looked at the water, you would never expect the storm of yesterday had ravaged through here, now the water was calm and small waves caressed the sands.

After looking at the orange horizon for a bit he started to walked across the shore, picking up a pretty shell he found here or there and putting it in his pocket. As he was nearing the forest edge that led to their mountain range, he had to do a double take at the spot their river usually flowed into the sea. It wasn't there? Or it wasn't as big, there were tiny streams running in, but nothing like how it usually was. Usually, a person could easily swim from the sea up to the river.

Usually he didn't go into the forest, it was a bigger danger after the storm as branches could still fall down. But... he had to see what was going on.

Thus he followed the path he knew the river usually took and entered the forest, making sure to shy away from creaks he heard and form trees that were snapped yet still being held up by trees around it.

"Oh wow." He voiced out his own surprise as he saw the cause that no water was flowing down. A bit deeper into the forest, a decent sized tree had fully fallen down, right over the river and blocking its path. Small streams were flowing around and underneath it through little cracks, but the bigger part of the water was stuck behind it, forming a tiny pool.

Mesmerised by it he stayed looking at the different aspects of it before there was suddenly a splash not too far away. His head swept over just in time to see a tail disappear under the water. A very big and bright orange tail.

He had seen enough creatures with that shape and size to know what it was, a mermaid. But what was it doing here? They should be in the ocean, where it's deeper, not in this river with a rocks and sticks all around where they could easily hurt themselves.

"Hello-yoi?" he called out, stepping a bit deeper into the forest to a small clearing next to the water. He looked around the water source and saw a different colour in the water pressed to the bottom. The shape easily visible as the water wasn't really that deep. It made it clear that it was also a merman, not a mermaid. Interesting, even living at the beachfront he hadn't seen males that often. And even than he didn't go out of his way to go bother them. He would after all find it annoying himself if people were to come to him and take pictures when he was just trying to relax on the beach.

"Are you okay?" The doctor side in him irked him to ask that question, something about the posture of the merman underwater didn't seem perfect to him.

It stayed quiet and he wondered if he would respond, he moved his head and the creature flinched. Weird, he hadn't flinched before. He made to scratch his head and felt the big fur around his face form his jacket. Oh did he look scarier with this on maybe? He decided to take off his jacket and put it aside, thermos safely on top of it.

He kneeled this time to be smaller in size. "Are you hurt? I am a doctor, I can help you-yoi."

It took a minute before the shape moved up and a raven head popped out of the water, inspecting him before swimming closer.

"... You... Can help?"

Barely, but he caught the soft voice and smiled, "Yes. I'm a doctor, I help people everyday. Are you hurt?"

A small nod was there and Marco shuffled back as the merman beached itself next to him.

Marco could now see several scratches on his torse and tail, nothing too worrying, only the gash that the mer pointed out worried him as it seemed deeper. A longer deeper line on his forearm that now he was out of the water, was bleeding almost immediately.

"Can I see? Touch?"

At the nods he took the arm, carefully examining the wound. It was on the verge of needing stitches, but he didn't have any equipment for that here. The most he had would maybe be a roll of bandages, he had that stuffed in far too many of his pockets together with band aids.

"There's sand in it, I'll need to clean it so it won't get infected." he spoke looking it over "I would also like to put on some special tape to keep it shut." that should be enough instead of stitches, no need to hurt the other more than necessary. But once again.. He didn't have those things here... but he should atleast stop the bleeding.

"Give me a minute-yoi." Standing up he went to get his thermos, taking a big sip before pouring it out in a bush not too far away. He then cleaned it out with the water from the river and filled it before he was back to the mer's side. "I'm going to pour this over your wound while holding it open, it may hurt a bit, I'm sorry."

The merman didn't look happy but didn't pull back, so Marco did just that, filling up his thermos a second time to get the last particles of sand out. "Okay, looks clean."

"Good now?"

"Hmm, no it's not yet better. Wait." he wanted to rummage in the pockets of his jacket and was able to find a small roll of bandages, long live his doctor side always being prepared!

"I'm going to wrap this around it, it will make it so no more sand will go in it. This doesn't hurt, can I put it around it?"

Nods followed and the arm was presented again, very carefully he wrapped it around it and ended it with a bow.

"There we go. I would really like to keep the wound shut more, but I don't have any of my equipment here."

A silence followed and it made Marco go to an earlier question. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the sea?"

The mer that had been feeling the bandage looked to him before frowning and turning to the big tree blocking the way to the beach. "I took cover. From strong water. Wanted to return home... but..."

"It's blocked-yoi." Marco said himself looking to the big tree. And it would probably be blocked for a while longer, yes the city would come clean, but that big tree wouldn't be simple to move.

Marco hated the look on the other's face, helplessly looking at his only way out that's blocked...

"I... I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" Marco suddenly spoke, trying to make the conversation a little lighter. "My name is Marco."

"Marco." the merman seemed to try the name for himself. "Ace... I'm Ace."

The blond at the mer pointing to himself, "It's very nice to meet you Ace-yoi."

A few nods were there before Ace spoke, "Marco... help me?"

"Hmm? I did?"

"Help home."

"Oh" ooooooooh right! He would want help with that of course. He certainly couldn't move the tree, but he could move Ace. Carry him down to the beach. But the edge of the beach was dangerous now, and while Ace seemed nice he doesn't know if he would save him if he fell in either...

Grrrrr

Blinking he looked to mer and saw him holding his stomach. "Are you hurt there?"

"Hungry."

Marco sweat dropped at that, here he was stuck from home and almost the first thing said was that he was hungry.

"Do you want to grab some breakfast together?"

"Breakfast... food? Yes."

It was now the blond remembered he was speaking to a merman, he couldn't simply go to an café now... Nothing would even be open now either...

"Ehm... Is it okay if I take you home. My home. I will make you some food and I can also treat that gash on your arm and the other gashes too." May as well properly disinfect everything if he was going to his practice.

The merman seemed to think for a while before he nodded. With this Marco went to put on his jacket again, gave the mer his thermos to hold before picking him up in his arms. Somehow able to keep in his surprise at how smooth his scales were and resisted to pet them more then necessary as he made his way out of the forest. He hoped it was still early enough for no one to be out for he didn't know how to explain that he was taking a merman out for breakfast.

The accompanied drawings made for stories that are part of Shadow's creative exchange, can be found on my Wattpad and AO3. (Author name: Shadow22739) A link to information regarding the event can also be found there. Feel free contact me on here too through comments or DM if you want information about participating!