“My poor baby” Jen heard her mother say.
“Just smile, she can’t hear us” one of the doctors said, “She needs comfort”.
Jen tried to speak, to tell them she could hear them, but instead she just felt water rush into her lungs and rush out again, her vocal chords didn’t work underwater. Jen suddenly became aware of her nudity, embarrassed she covered herself with her hands and floated near the glass.
“Luckily the aquarium was happy to provide the tank” Dr Yates said, “Otherwise Jen may not have made it”
“Thank you again Mr Nichols” Jen heard her father say as he shook hands with a man in a suit with the aquarium logo on his badge.
“Not at all, the tank has been empty since we got rid of the bull sharks last week, we were expecting a new shipment next Wednesday but I think a mermaid trumps sharks anyway”
I’m not a mermaid! Jen tried to scream at them, but she made no sound.
“My daughter is not a mermaid” Her mother shouted angrily, Jen smiled as her mother stood up for her. “She’s ill and it’ll get better”
The doctors looked at each other, “Mrs Smith this may be difficult to hear but we have reason to believe this may be permanent”
Jen’s face dropped, no! No! No! She was not a mermaid, she was Jennifer Smith and she was just like everyone else.
“What do you mean?” Jen’s father said sternly.
“Well the changes were both physical and metaphysical, Jens genetics changed, we don’t know why but they are now in a fixed state, they’re unlikely to change again”
Jen’s mother smiled up at her, unaware her daughter could hear her and between tears she said, “So she’ll be like this for the rest of her life?”
“We believe so, yes”
“What now?” Jen’s father asked after a pause.
There was another uncomfortable silence, Jen shifted her arms slightly but kept them firmly pressed over her breasts and pussy.
The man introduced as Mr Nichols spoke again, “This tank is the only one suitable in the entire state”
“We can’t leave her in there!” Jen’s father shouted.
“I’m afraid Mr Smith that you don’t have much choice, there’s nowhere else she can go, unless you’re prepared to build and maintain a tank of this size in your own garden!” Mr Nichols snapped back. “This aquarium will make sure Jen is looked after to the very best standard, and we can accommodate you and the team of medical professionals.”
Jen looked at her mother, she didn’t mind being in the tank, it was actually quite a nice place to be, far better than a swimming pool, of course they’d have to close off the windows so the public couldn’t see first.
“I’m afraid Mr Nichols is right, this is the only place that Jen can really go, we don’t have the facilities to look after her anymore” Dr Yates said solemnly.
“But there’s more bad news, maintaining a tank of this size is expensive, we can’t close the tank down while Jen is in it.” Mr Nichols said dryly.
“What do you mean?” Jen’s father asked.
“I’m afraid Jen will form part of our exhibit.”
“You can’t be serious! She’s a human being!”
“I’m afraid at the moment she’s a mermaid, and the world already knows, there were news crews watching our every move, they followed us from the house and filmed Jen being taken into the delivery entrance. The public are going to demand to see her, the best we can do is play it on our own terms.” Dr Yates said.
“I’m not having her displayed to the public, she’s naked!” Jen’s father shouted angrily.
“We’ll get her a bathing suit” Mr Nichols said, his voice was menacing.
The two men stared at each other, Jen floated uncomfortably; none of them knew she was listening. Mr Nichols eyes started to twitch and he reached into his pocket for a radio.
“Security to level three please, by the mermaid tank” He put extra emphasis on the word ‘Mermaid’. He then turned to Dr Yates, “Tell them the deal you struck Yates”. Jens parent’s anger shifted to the doctor, he mumbled something but was unable to talk, and Nichols continued, “In exchange for allow Jen here to take residence in my tank Dr Yates agreed that I could keep the aquarium open to the public. This is a business that needs to make money, without the money there’s no tank, without the tank I’m afraid little jenny here won’t last very long”
“You bastard!” Jen’s father shouted as two security guards arrived, and after the initial shock of seeing the naked girl floating in the tank grabbed Jen’s father. Quickly the group on the other side of the glass descended into fighting, swearing and kicking as security guards manhandled Jen’s parents and the doctor’s from the aquarium.
Desperately Jen banged on the glass, forgetting her nudity and frantic for her parents to return she started crying out silently.
After several minutes Jen and Mr Nichols were alone and she shyly re-covered herself.