Todd thought for a while, and realized that his friend Emma had a pool in her back yard. He decided it would be best to take Jess there while they come up with a plan on how to deal with her situation.
Jess layed in the tub, she had calmed down a lot, but had an exhausted look in her eyes. This transformation really took a toll on her.
"Jess", Todd said, "I understand that you need water, and I'm thinking I should take you to Emma's pool so you can have more space there until we come up with a plan".
"Thank god", Jess said with release, "It's really bothering me that I can't fit my tail in here, but there's one problem. How am I going to get in the car with you? I need to be in water at all times, but how will I do that in the car?"
She made a good point. After thinking for a bit, Todd came up with a plan. It would be painful for Jess, but there was really no other way.
"Alright", Todd said, "I can fill a bucket with water and put it in the front seat. I have a 30 pack of water bottles that I can dump on your fin as I drive to keep the rest of your tail wet".
Jess looked frightened at the idea. She knew that it would be an incredibly painful, dry experience for her, but she knew there was no other way.
"Alright" Jess said, "but please for the love of god get there quickly".
Todd scooped Jess out of the bathtub and carried her to the car. He then set up the bucket in the front seat and started up the car. Jess was already starting to feel dry, despite the fact that her fin was in water. 30 minutes ago she was a human, and now she had been reduced to a creature that couldn't even walk and barely survive outside of a bathtub. She knew Todd's idea of a "plan" was futile, she wasn't going to turn back into a human. The change was permanent, and she knew it in her heart.
After about 10 minutes of driving, every part of Jess' body felt dryer than ever before. It was almost too much to handle, and she balled up her fist to try and ease her suffering. On top of this, with the water in the bucket it felt incredibly hard to "breathe" through her gills.
"how much longer?" Jess squeaked out in a hoarse whisper.
"Stay strong, Jess" Todd pleaded, "Only about 5 more minutes and we're home free".
By the time they pulled up to the house, Jess could feel the craving for water in every inch of her body. She had toughed out the car ride. Todd scooper her out of the bucket and threw her into the pool. A cool sense of relief washed over her as she landed in the brisk water. The easy part was over. Now she was going to have to figure out how to deal with being a mermaid from here on out. She could see Todd pointing at her through the window while talking to Emma, who had a shocked expression on her face.
Emma rushed outside to see if what Todd said was true. She looked at the helpless mermaid in disbelief. Jess looked back, trying to choke back the sobs. She knew that Emma didn't know how to react, but she hated being looked at like a freak, as it only reinforced in her mind what had just happened to her. Emily reached out to the naked mermaid and hugged her tightly.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Jess" Emily said, "Whatever you need, I'm here for you".