Fanfictions

Empty Tank - SharkMer Daryl Dixon Shark Week 2022

Daryl was struggling to say the least, the young teen shark mer was all alone in his enclosure. He wanted friends, or at least other fish to swim with, what he didn't know was he was in a quarantine tank and soon he would have new friends and fish to swim with. He had been brought in after being found trapped in a net, his tail had been injured.

Rick Grimes and Negan Smith had been called in from the rehabilitation and sanctuary center. Daryl was being treated for his injuries to his tail, and being a rare species they needed to keep a watch on him. Daryl was swimming sadly about the quarantine tank when he saw the two men who had taken him here.

Daryl sunk to the bottom of the tank watching them nervously. He didn't know who they were or what they would do to him, the last he knew he had been pulled out of the ocean by dangerous ropes that cut into his now injured tail. These two men took him from home.

That was when one of them tossed a fish towards him. Daryl felt his stomach growl and quickly reached out for it catching the sinking fish before devouring it quickly. He slowly made his way closer as they held out more fish for him to eat. Daryl finally poked his head above the surface as Rick held out a fish for him. Daryl hesitantly reached for it, as Rick pulled it back he narrowed his pretty blue eyes. "Mine." Daryl whined reaching for it once more. Rick smirked.

"What's your name and you can have it."

"Daryl." He replied holding his hand out for it. Rick obliged and gave him what he was asking for. Daryl ate it quickly before watching them. "I want out."

"We are working on that, you have to heal first." Negan explained softly. "You've been injured. The net."

"Your net." Daryl hissed baring his sharp teeth.

"No Daryl, not our net. It was a fisherman, he didn't mean to catch you." Negan replied. Daryl narrowed his eyes.

"Accident?" Daryl asked making sure he understood.

"Yes Daryl, it was an accident, he didn't mean to catch or injure you. That's why we came and got you. To help you, you're in this ta-." Negan was cut off when Daryl dunked under the water again. He was scared and nervous and he didn't know what was going on.

Rick smiled softly. "He's scared, give him time."

Daryl slowly poked back up above the water. "Not bad?" Daryl asked looking them over. "Good, safe?"

"Yes Daryl, we are safe. We won't hurt you. We brought you here to help you." Rick promised offering some more fish. Daryl snatched them up eating them happily, his tail moving back and forth as he contemplated their words.

"Why alone?" Daryl asked softly upset by his predicament, he didn't like being alone.

"This is a quarantine tank." Negan replied.

Daryl cocked his head narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brow. Rick chuckled. "It means you're in here until you heal up, you could accidently harm your tail in a tank with more fish and mers, open the stiches the doctors gave you."

Daryl peered at his tail, there were a few waterproof warps that circled certain areas of his tail. "Stiches?" Daryl sked nervously.

"The doctor sewed up your big wounds, helped you. They will scar."

"Scars are good," Daryl replied. "Shows you lived."

"We wanted to asked you about those ones on your back." Negan muttered as he offered another fish. Daryl grimaced a bit. "Where did you get those bite marks?"

"Other shark mers." Daryl replied before ducking under the surface again. Rick watched him as he swam back and forth for a moment before returning to the surface, it was clear he had been crying or close to tears.

"Were you crying?"

"You can't cry under water." He replied. "No tears, just ocean."

Rick gave him a soft look knowing very well he was most likely upset, and had been crying but wouldn't push him knowing he was struggling. "You'll be with other fish soon okay." Rick promised smiling at him while offering him more fish. Daryl happily ate food. The next few days Rick and Negan continued to talk to Daryl, give him company. Daryl was happier when they came around and his wounds were healing well. He was happy to feel better, and to have new friends in the human handlers.

Rick and Negan were happy to help Daryl into his big tank with new friends and other fish. They rejoiced in his swimming when the wraps finally came off, while he had wounds that littered his tail he was doing very well. Daryl was happy to wait every day for his meal from one or both of his handlers.

He was happy to have made friends, even if they were human.

He continued to swim and show off for them, and speak when they asked.

Maybe being 'captured' wasn't so bad, he was safer here then with his dangerous father. The bite marks that littered his back would forever stay a part of him, but he was no longer going to have to deal with him. No longer be in danger because of him.