"You know what would've happened if I hadn't followed you?" To say Hizashi was angry didn't do the emotion justice. He swore violently as he struggled to carry his motionless friend up into the safety of the shallows. "And you're freshin' heavy," he complained in a lower tone.
As he neared the reef Yagi met him. He exclaimed in shock upon seeing the dark-haired, limp body covered in round, gaping wounds.
"Oh no!"
"I'm taking him to the human," Hizashi grunted, shifting his weight around. "She treated him before."
"Let me," Yagi offered. "Your English is good, but you learned it from watching television shows. It's a bit... colorful for the situation. Plus, she knows me."
"Fine. I'll carry the mola head to the stream thing. You shove him the rest of the way."
"Agreed."
Aizawa woke up enough to tell them about his encounter with the sea monster guarding the wreck and was about to tell them about the mer girl, but his consciousness was spotty and he was out again by the time they reached their gateway to the human's world. Hizashi handed him over to Yagi at that point, who had to puff up to push the shark mer past the gate.
Elly was seated at the desk tapping on a computer keyboard when they arrived.
"Aizawa!" She rushed into the pool with her clothing on and splashing wildly towards them. "Yagi, what <i>happened</i>?!"
"From what I heard, he got into a fight -"
Elly was checking him all over, her hands gentle but urgent as she spun him about. The enormous sucker marks and holes all over his body were still bleeding, though not as much as before. "With what, a kraken?!"
Yagi coughed uncomfortably. "Um. Yes, actually."
"Hold him, hold him... I've got to get some supplies." She splashed up the steps and ran over to the door, calling out before it was even open. "Medical emergency! I need my A team in here, quick!"
The next room over was the medical bay, in fact, so most of the team that had been with her the first day were working. Team "A" were the only ones that knew about Aizawa, so they weren't fazed by his existence but rather his injuries as they strode quickly in with various medical kits.
Yagi hid in the tall seaweed while they rushed in.
It took longer than expected due to a shattered orbital socket, but his wounds were finally stitched, glued, bandaged and otherwise taken care of. When she could finally relax she noticed the shiny object still clutched in his fist. That arm and hand had been the one part of him uninjured. "What the hell..?"
Aizawa coughed weakly, coming around. "I got this for you." He opened his hand and the pearl and amethyst necklace sank into her outstretched palm.
She stared at it, mystified, then back to him as he lay in his friend's arms, barely able to move with one eye swollen shut and stitches underneath from her hasty surgery. She placed the jewelry on the edge of the pool and shakily embraced him.
"Huh." He tried to wrap an arm around her but was too weak.
"I didn't need that," she told him in a trembling voice. "Don't <i>ever</i> put yourself in danger for something so -"
Yagi interrupted quickly, having resurfaced when the others left. "If I may, I think you need to know why he went to such trouble to get that bauble."
"I'm not done scolding him yet!" Elly ran a hand through her soaking wet hair, pulling it back.
"He's asleep. Or passed out again."
"Damn it." She crossed her arms after compulsively checking to make sure he was okay. "All right, let him rest. He needs it."
Yagi nodded and set Aizawa's beaten body gently down on the sand under the water. He popped back up again to find Elly sitting on the edge with a towel, her eyes hard. "Now tell me why he risked a fight with a giant <i>freaking</i> squid to get this." She pointed at the glittering jewelry and started to dry her hair.
"It wasn't <i>my</i> idea!" He hastily raised his hands up to placate her.
She let the towel drop over her face in exasperation. "I know. You seem like you'd be one to warn him not to do such a thing. So. Why <i>did</i> he do it?"
He sighed and folded his long arms on the concrete. "Our kind exchanges what we call Gifts to prospective mates." The emphasis on the word was not lost on her and she slowly dropped the towel to stare at the blowfish mer. "Yes," he murmured uncomfortably. "Similar to your engagement rings. Each of the mers involved finds the most unique item they can to be displayed prominently in some fashion - either on their body, or in front of the couple's home if they accept the offering."
She blinked, remembering the shell necklace. "I didn't mean it that way when we first met."
"From what I hear, he'd already been interested in you for some time. He knows you didn't mean it that way but wanted to give you something special." Yagi paused, then went on softly, "I believe he's going to sacrifice his chance at a mate to stay with you. He's made up his mind by giving you this."
Elly's fingers brushed the necklace. Her brow was creased in a frown as she picked it up. "That's why he risked his life to get it?"
Yagi shrugged, then nodded.
"And if I wear it..?"
"To us, it means you're - how you say -- engaged. We're a simple people, and after that your first, ah, mating, signifies your ..." He stopped, searching for the right word. "Wedding."
She swallowed hard and eyed the jewelry as if it might bite her. "Oh my god."
"I've given you a lot to think about. I'll, uh, just stay here and help watch him if it's okay."
She nodded, not really listening to anything but focused on the incredible piece of sunken artifact she held.
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