(Warning Cringing Content and Ahhhh more lore, Medical Content-Not joking you've been warned. Unedited cause I'm motivated to upload lol)

[Previously: His eyes well up and he apologizes, “If you promise to keep them out of the room…m, maybe but I don’t think I’ll get to that point. I believe in you.”]

He holds out his arm as I concede with a long sigh. I check his vein before and after applying the tourniquet. Donning gloves I sanitize the spot by wiping it with an alcohol wipe. I remove the needle cover and warn him, “You’ll feel a pinch.” Inserting it, I’m amazed that muscle memory still takes control. Seeing a flashback of blood in the hub I push the cannula a little further then fix the needle, advancing the rest of the cannula into the vein. 

“Don’t move yet” I warn reaching up to release the tourniquet. I apply pressure and remove the needle fully. I cap the end of the cannula. “Don’t do this,” I tell him, showing him the needle,  I put the needle down carefully on a cloth. “I’ll dispose of it properly later.” I apply the sticker to hold everything in place.

“Is that it?” He asks, looking.

“Not yet.” I say filling the syringe with saline and flush it through the cannula to check for resistance or a blockage. “How does it feel? Any pain?” No swelling. 

Andreas shakes his head. “It only hurts when you first stabbed it in.” I stand adjusting the bag and then attach it to the cannula. I set up my phone to record today's date and the drip rate.

“All done, I can add the pain killer directly into the bag now too.” I say with a relieved sigh. 

He lifts his arm looking at it, “Good thing it’s on wheels, it’s going to be easier to bring it to the bathroom.” He laughs weakly.

“About that…well.” I awkwardly lift the catheter kit. “You’re staying in bed for at least two weeks before you’re allowed to get up to pee.”

He looks confused and then realization kicks in and he flushes.

“But first,” I say, leaving to go wash my hands thoroughly. I return with his broth. “It’s really hot so I have time to put in the catheter,” I say happily and he’s hiding his face in the blanket. I’m amused and immediately start prepping the supplies while he’s still beside himself. 

I sit down and lean over him, “We don’t have to do it right away.” He pulls the blanket down a little bit to show how violently he’s flushing.

“It’s just you’ll have to s,see and touch it.”

“There are some other options.” I shrug.

“Like?”

“A pee pan.”

He looks unsure then sighs cringing. “Let me eat first.”

“Good I can talk you through the process so you have plenty of time to mentally prepare.” I then traumatize him with extreme detail and visualizations. He looks at me awkwardly as he sips the broth, “So how come you know so much about this stuff?”

I knew the question was coming yet it still causes me to freeze. “I, I studied to be a doctor before becoming a marine biologist and vet.”

He looks at the equipment calculating and considering before he asks, “Last I checked it’s hard to get medical equipment.”

“Expensive but money can buy anything.” I lower my head.

“Did you buy it for yourself or someone else?”

“I bought it for myself.” I say looking away from him.

“Did you used to be sick?” His voice spikes.

“I still am.” I laugh, “No not in that way, I’ve used the equipment on myself though if you’re worried.”

He’s looking at me confused and concerned. “Why’d you stop training to be a doctor?”

“Flunked out.” I lie with a laugh, “So I chose second best.” 

“You were an extremely talented marine biologist. I recognized your face from a magazine once you shaved. They called you a prodigy-”

“Well, what happens when the prodigy never wants to be one?” I shut him down making my face stern, “Nobody ever asked me what my wants and wishes were, I showed talent and everyone started telling me all the things I had to be or I was wasting my life.” I stand.

“Finish your broth. I have other patients to check on.” 

The mercreature is sitting listlessly at the kitchen table. “Hey don’t be jealous I have another patient now. Don’t mope,” I pull down his hoodie a little and see that his ears have turned back to fins. His eyes have a little third eye showing like a cat. I lift his hoodie a little to check if he’s bleeding and he winces. Angry red and sickly liquid leaks from around his stitches. “You’ve been moving around too much as well.” I lift him and he whimpers. I can see his gills. “How long have you been drying out?” I ask bringing him to the lab. Honey has been having the time of her life running from the lab to the docks to the lab again playing with the seals there. The seal is gone. I let out a frustrated sigh, I guess it’s for the best.

The mercreature is hyperventilating, clawing a little at his neck. I carefully start undressing him so I can put him back in the tank. But the mercreature whines, “No I don’t wanna go back, I want to be human.”

“You need to rehydrate.” I tell him. When I remove the loose sweatpants and hoodie his scales have rapidly spread over his body continuing to climb as I watch. Picking him up I climb the ladder and gently place him up to his gills in the water. I hold onto him under his arms watching for any sign of coming too. He slowly lifts his arms holding onto the tank. I don’t let him go waiting to at least see his gills flair. He’s starting to scare me. I slosh the water on his gills a little and then go to rub them only for him to stop my hand, squeezing my wrist, looking up at me with inhuman eyes. “Stop.” He grimaces. Then he lifts his arms around my body holding me. “I’m not sure how to grow it back.”

“You mean your tail?”

“I’m scared.” He holds me tighter looking up at me. “W, what if I can’t, what if I-”

“It’s already happening naturally. Just relax.” I look down to see that the scales continue to regrow all over his body. “Just relax.” I repeat. He bears sharp teeth in pain. I adjust on the ladder so I can lean over and hug him. He nuzzles into my neck. Panting and whimpering.

I watch long beautiful fins grow and float transfixing in the water then he screams.

I hold him tighter as he thrashes, he arches his back and beats my chest with a hand, looking panicked before his legs start to fuse back together and he goes limp crying. His wounds are bleeding. I grit my teeth, now feeling his claws dug into my back. Slowly he lets go sinking into the water. I move a little lower on the ladder and lean against it to catch my breath.

‘I didn’t realize changing back and forth would be so…painful.’

I watch as he sinks to the bottom of the tank and continues to writhe a little in pain finally his gills open. He lets out a mouthful of bubbles. He grits his teeth and then appears to cry. I want to comfort him startling myself and then remind myself it’s because he’s an animal in distress right now. Going down the ladder carefully I ignore tending to the newest wounds to sit against the glass.

He covers his eyes and lets out a bubbly scream. I place my head against the tank and he looks over gills flared angrily then relaxes seeing it’s me. I watch him roll over holding himself and then reach out to put his hand on the glass. I place my hand against my side of the glass.. He closes his eyes and starts sobbing again. I stay as long as I can before finally he seems to exhaust himself. I lean away from the glass not wanting the vibrations to stir him.

I go over to the cot to sit. I stare at nothing for a little bit and then whistle for Honey. I hug her for a little bit and she sniffs me, not understanding. 

Putting on my music, I scrub my arms and hands. I need to clean and put something over the claw punctures, some gauze and tape should cut it. I force myself to disassociate because after taking care of myself I need to finish setting up Andreas. ‘I’m exhausted.’ I procrastinate locking up the house and lab.

I peek into the room at Andreas to find that the medicine had kicked in and he’s sleeping. I’d have to wake him up to apply the catheter. That's not something you want to wake up to. I sit on the side of the bed and call his name tiredly. He peeks open an eye. I’m pleased to see he ate all his broth. He must be feeling a lot better. He makes a sleepy noise but wakes up the rest of the way wincing as he stretches. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. I think you were right, he lifts his arm, I needed to stay in bed for a little while.” He touches the scratches, “are they supposed to feel hot?” 

I nod. “They’re healing.”

“Are you going to put in the catheter now?”

I nod again, “If you’re ready.”

“You look tired.” He yawns, patting the bed, “It's my turn to get cuddles.”

“Maybe after you heal a bit more.” I say too tired to protest or even care.

I give him a brief explanation of what’s going to happen again and then sanitize my hands and put on gloves. 

“Are you allergic to latex or iodine?” I look up. He shakes his head no but looks uneasy. 

“I have Epinephrine just in case.” I gesture to the shot and he relaxes a little bit.

I’m silent, focusing on sterilizing the table. I turn to him and with utmost professionalism start narrating what I’m doing starting by removing the blanket. “You’ll get it back after you’re set up.” I make sure not to smile. He reacts better as I keep a monotone tone of voice as well. Though he takes a sharp breath as I go to remove his pants, “Do you want to undress yourself? I’ll throw a sheet over you.” I watch him search my face. 

“Yeah I’ll do it.”

“If you’re too uncomfortable we can figure something else out. You’ll heal slower with more movement but-”

“No it’s, it’s not that.” He flushes and then requests, “Stop second guessing yourself, just do it and you don’t need to narrate everything.” He snips almost angrily. I nod slowly and then remind him that, “though not a lot, a paper cloth will soon cover everything but the site necessary for the procedure.” He nods. I grab the disinfectant wipe. “You can do this part as well, if you choose to do so remember I will be watching to make sure you do it right and you need to be very thorough since you are at risk of getting an infection. 

He leans back, dropping his pants and undies onto the floor. I offer him the water absorption pad that he then situated underneath himself.

“I’m okay now.” He turns his head away, “But I’m not going to watch.”

“I’m starting.” I say and allow myself to disassociate before lifting the sheet to disinfect the area. He tenses up and I see him flushing again as his ears turn red. Even though I don’t touch anything unnecessary he hardens quickly. I now make sure to keep my eyes down, avoiding eye contact until he’s covered again unless he says something requiring me to look up. Starting to hum though I’m unaware, this causes him to relax and peek to watch as I remove my gloves to open the foley tray pulling back the tabs to reveal the sterile tray and tools. Including the gloves I need to change into. I make sure to be especially careful not to contaminate anything. I have extra gloves just in case. 

I unfold and drift the paper cover over him again, being careful. Ripping open the iodine packet, I coat the brushes. Next I grab the syringe of lubricant and put a generous amount in the top trench of the tray leaving about half to put in the urethra since it contained lidocaine. I remove the protective covering of the catheter and dip it into the lube.

Even though he told me not to narrate, I make sure to tell him, “I’m going to clean the site again, this time with iodine. Once I put my non-dominant hand on you I’m not going to move it until the catheter is in.” I pause then add, “You can tell me to stop at any time especially if something hurts.”

When he doesn’t say anything I hold the base to apply the iodine in a circular motion tip to the base. He flinches a little. Once done with all three brushes I lift the syringe.

“This is lubricant and it has lidocaine which is going to help make you more comfortable.” I pull down on the sides a little bit to make it easier to get it inside the urethral meatus, injecting slowly.

He makes an mph of discomfort but doesn’t say anything else.

“It’s going to take about three minutes to start working,” I inform. I look away giving him his privacy during this time.

After counting for about three minutes he says, “I think I feel it working.”

“Okay I’m going to have you take some deep slow breaths, we're almost done.”

Using my dominant hand I grab the catheter, I turn it so it’s curving up the right direction then start inserting it. I listen closely to his breathing but it’s immediately obvious that he’s uncomfortable.

“Another deep breath.” He starts closing his legs. I stop and wait as he slowly relaxes again then push it in slower. He stretches out his legs, pushing at the bed and writhing a little bit.

I pause concerned, “Does it hurt?” I’m almost there. I wait until he lets out a breath he was holding and gently, slowly insert it a little further. Reaching the bladder. I comfort him, “The worst part is over.” He lets out a ragged laugh. I can now move my non dominant hand since the sterile part is over. I start slowly inflating the balloon. “You shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort.”

“I don’t.” He croaks. I pull the catheter out until I feel some resistance and he lets out a squeak. “Wait what?” 

“It’s all right the balloon is in your bladder now and it won’t come out until I deflate it so you can relax and use the bathroom without worry.” I remove the paper. Disposing of it and covering him up. “It's done, just have to secure a few things. I’m going to put this sticker on your lower abdomen.” I lift his shirt a little bit to secure the catheter with his penis facing his stomach since he’ll have it in for a while. I can feel him looking at me as I then run the tubing in a straight line securing it with a sheet clip to keep it straight and hang the bladder bag in the spot already prepared. I cover him up the rest of the way and remove my gloves, properly disposing of everything and scrub the heck out of my hands.

When I return I look at him and he’s looking at his clothes on the floor. “I guess I’m not getting those back anytime soon?” He chuckles awkwardly.

“I might be able to get you some sort of hospital gown.” I say. Bringing him the blanket and putting it over him gently. Since I’m here I’d like to change your dressing’s I gesture to his chest. He looks ashamed. “I’m guessing you accidentally opened your wounds?” He sighs there's no hiding anything from you, yes, that’s why I was in so much pain earlier.

I remove his shirt carefully with his assistance and he looks down at his clawed chest and arms as I remove his bloody bandages, damn. I patiently go get some tape to reseal the worst of it then redress them with clean bandages. I observe his shoulder bite. Thankfully it looks like not even he could mess it up too badly. I still redress it to keep it from drying out or getting infected.

I sigh, “I’m sorry.”

“About…the siren? I think he thought I was you.”