I Have No Excuse

Chapter 5?! No Way!

Blaster and I had decided that our mer friend needed a place to go during the day. Being trapped in the cove and swimming in a tight circle around the rock wasn't the best place to swim. There was no room to stretch and the water was only up to our waists if we stepped in. His injuries were healing rather well and it was painfully obvious he needed more space to move. Thus we set off one afternoon in search of a good spot along the shore. A little trekking through some light brush, grass, and some long stretch of beach littered with so many shells our steps crunched no matter where we stepped we found a little place far enough from the town it was unlikely anyone would head out here. The little cape was void of any garbage or evidence that anyone had been around the area. Even if there were some people who came out there were plenty of rocks and patches of seagrass to hide in. So early the following day we coaxed our mer friend out with some m&ms.

"Come on."

We were running along the coast, our mer easily keeping up. We'd give him an m&m every once in awhile to keep him from turning back. However he didn't appear to be thrilled that we were only giving him one at a time if that glare he gave us every time we threw one was anything to go by. Blaster and I on the other hand were laughing like we were having the time of our lives. Once we got to the slope that separated from the water our mer hesitated, giving out a few quiet sounds as he watched us as he lifted his head from the water.

"We'll meet ya on the other side." I reassured as I made the motion of going around something though he just gave out another noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine. "We'll call ya if you get lost. I promise."

Off we went again. Once we made it to the cape I stuck my hand under the water and snapped my fingers like I did to call him so many times before as Blaster called for him. Thankfully it didn't take long. All in all the discovery of a safe place with more space had put our friend in a better mood. We'd still feed him in the cove on weekdays, but on the weekends we'd head down to the cape where we'd talk and watch our mer stalk the wildlife there. Either creeping around the rocks or hiding in the seagrass. The fish in the cape were small, but it wasn't like he needed it to survive with us feeding him. I'd whistle little tunes every once in awhile and Blaster would watch as our mer gave me questioning looks. And one day I had my inspiration. Sunday at ten am I had it.

"Prowl."

"Huh?"

"That's what I'm going to call our mer." I answered as we watched him.

"Prowl..." Blaster tried out the name. "It fits. You can only hope he thinks so too."

"Eh, he's a fish with-"

Blaster gave me a mildly disappointed look and I just grinned. "Mammal."

"Ok, he's a mammal with an attitude, but I doubt he'll care too much what we call him."

"Fair enough... Please tell me you haven't been referring to him as a fish this entire time."

"In my defense I assumed so because he lives in the ocean."

"So do dolphins."

"Oh whatever that's one example."

"Whales." My friend was grinning smugly now.

"Shut up, Blaster."

Blaster just laughed and I shoved him over onto the beach where he just continued to laugh much to my dismay.

444444444444444444 Even more fours!4444444444444444444

"Jazz! Finally! I've called you like twenty times!"

"I'm kind of celebrating my sister's birthday right now."

"Oh please you're in the corner with your headphones eating all the sweets."

"I'm outnumbered and last time they locked me in out in the backyard and ate all of the cake in front of me because they thought it was funny."

"It was."

"Blaster."

"And it was good cake. Ice cream and oreo."

"Blaster!"

"Ok, ok so I went out with Gaven and you're never gonna believe what happened."

"What did you find a giant squid? Did you fall in?"

"No. Prowl helped us fish. He herded them into the net. Gaven nearly fell off the boat the way he was leaning over the side. Kept yelling at me to get the camera."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. He must've seen me leaving with Gaven and followed. We got a ton of fish and Gaven even shared some with Prowl afterward."

"I bet he was happy to have some live meat for once." I couldn't help, but laugh.

"You have no idea. He seems to be doing much better. I didn't realize how much those wing fins helped. He can take some pretty sharp turns no that the right one isn't torn."

"Maybe if he can keep helping ya and your stepdad he won't leave."

"Jazz, if his pod comes I doubt he's gonna stay and settle for a fishing boat. Not exactly a good pod member to befriend and bond with."

"And what if they don't? What if they're dead? Maybe herding fish for ya guys will be enough to make him stay. I mean that's basically what he did when he hunted with his pod, right?" I fidgeted in my seat as the girls laughter in the next room erupted.

"Possibly... But he can't just stay in the cove."

"And why not? If they're dead he has nowhere else to go. What is he going to do out there alone? I don't want him to just die out there."

"I don't either, but if he does decided to leave what then?"

"I don't know... I just don't want him to go. I mean we've made some great progress. He stopped growling at me. He twitches an ear fin when we call his name. I think we've bonded."

"I know what you mean, but... Just... Prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best. Maybe they'll come."

"Is it really that wrong that I kind of don't want them to?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't want him to go either, but he misses them."

"... Is there a possibility that he could be accepted into another pod? You know if they are dead and he still leaves?"

"I have no clue. I doubt he'd want another. They're his family. Pods may mingle from time to time during a breeding season, but I don't think they join unless they absolutely have to."

"So that's a no." I let my head fall back in my chair as I blindly reached for another treat.

"Certain types are different and have different ways. I only have the barest knowledge on mers. For all I know they could be completely accepting of new members."

I sighed and silence reigned for a time. In the end Blaster was the one who broke the silence.

"Sometimes there's just nothing you can do, Jazz, no matter how much you want to."

"I know... See you tonight at the cove?"

"I'll be there."