"Do you want me to help...or do you want me to stay with Betelgeuse? I know how he is. He's a wreck unless I'm right there with him--he gets nasty, and violent." It was something Honeydew could never understand. She turned Betelgeuse, in a sense, into a slightly more bitter Léan. It was insane.

"You do what you think is best," Glory replied. She was fairly sure she'd be able to get Léan home, though the trip probably wouldn't be the smoothest.

Honeydew nodded. Better safe than sorry...she headed off to fetch her mate.

Léan slowly budged himself up, carefully sidling out of the cave. He swam well enough...he was just a little off-balance, since he couldn't use his arms for balance.

Gently, Glory tucked herself under his good arm.

"Lean on me," she said softly.

Léan did so, and felt much more balanced. He rested his head on her shoulder, and grudgingly waited for his mother to return with the object of his anger.

Honeydew did return after a minute or so, with Betelgeuse in tow.

He was quiet, and calm. It was an eerie change in his usual behavior...

Glory was still annoyed with Betelgeuse, and was just glad he wasn't being an asshole at the moment. She wasn't in the mood for it.

Léan slowly started to move, helping to lead the pack back home. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't see Betelgeuse, and was constantly tense. It was a good thing, though--being too relaxed could warrant disaster.

Glory went with him, supporting him. It would be a long trip home, but she would help as much as she could the whole time.

((Want to skip forward?))

((That's what I was planning on))

Léan was all kinds of exhausted when they finally reached their beach, and he collapsed in the sand, breathing heavily. He didn't move. He didn't want to move, and probably wouldn't for a while.

Honeydew and Betelgeuse had gone out for a swim together as soon as the beach was in sight, to catch up.

Glory was exhausted as well, and laid with him on the sand. Though she didn't want to move, she knew she'd have to get up soon. Even though she didn't see her parents around, she knew they had to be back by now.

Léan was almost praying that Archie, Damon, and Eden hadn't returned yet. He didn't want Archie to leap on him and end up causing him great pain. "...My arm...what are we going to do about it?" he asked, after a while.

"It's easier to answer that question now that we're home," Glory said. "It's not exactly as if we're isolated out here."

Léan frowned, then shifted. "...Perhaps...there are Doctors in Utzi...we can go there..." He didn't feel like traveling again, but he would if he really needed to.

"That's what I was thinking," Glory said. She didn't want to go anywhere, either, but they needed to get his arm taken care of. "We might as well go now before anyone realizes we're back."

Léan unwillingly budged himself up, holding his arm close to his stomach and chest. He felt terrible, and really didn't want to get up. But the thought of having his arm fixed up by a doctor was enough to stir him forward.

Glory tucked herself under his good arm again to support him. She mostly remembered the way to Utzi, so he didn't have to lead her.

Léan, somehow, wasn't surprised to meet Lleu along the way. He'd been waiting for them at the blusih coral that bordered the outside of Utzi.

Lleu took one simple look at Léan, and that was all he needed. "The services of doctors in Utzi are free."

"Thanks," Glory said. She wasn't sure if it was good or not that she'd actually counted on him knowing they were coming.

Lleu quietly led them into the city, and to the nearest hospital. It was an old building, with typical sterile white walls and floors. It was creepily similar to a human hospital. Lleu bowed his head to them, and then left.

Léan didn't have to explain his issue to the secretary at the front desk, who immediately ducked back to fetch the nearest doctor. He situated himself in one of the seats to wait, sighing and holding his arm.

"After this, we can go home and relax," Glory said to him softly.

Léan smiled, but frowned when the doctor finally stepped out to fetch him. He didn't like hospitals, or doctors. But his arm was killing him, so he sucked it up and followed the man back to one of the rooms.

Glory didn't move, ready to wait for him. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to follow him, or even if he wanted her there.

Léan returned after about a half-hour, with a cast on his arm and a relieved look on his face. The secretary, also the pharmacist, handed Léan a small bag. There were probably pills or some kind of other medicine for him to take in there. He thanked her, and then swam back to Glory, looking blissfully painless, now.