Although it didn't make a sound the sob chocked her hard, as if she could no longer stomach dry air. Marina had tried to stop crying before she even started, and tried again now but it still did no good.

"Oh no. Ah no Marina-?" Phones started. Marina shook her head (though her shoulder shaking worse). And tried to wipe them away with the back of the hand.

I'm fine, I'm fine I don't know why I'm crying nothing's wrong I'm fine-!

"she's crying. Marina's crying, really crying, what do we do?"

It was the first time all day she'd heard panic in captain tempests voice.

Despite everything Marina suddenly found herself more afraid of being swamped with attention than anything else. Even Fisher closed in on her.

Marina stepped back again, this time bumping the wall. Then made to push them away and run and hide. Taking off like a sting missile, she ducked under the open arms. Her only thought being escape. Vision blurred with tears, Marina turned and ran even as her friends called her name. Only, she wasn't made for sprinting like humans. And footsteps caught up with her easily. Heck, Marina didn't even make it down one corridor. In her haste she tried to push a pull door and then the weight of the heavy fire door swung back, causing Marina to stumble. Stumble back into arms outstretched to catch her fall. Humans were too strong and fast; they already blocked her trying a second time.

"Are you hurt?"
"gee, don't scare me like that!"
"Marina what's the matter?"

"let's not add any more injury to the list." The commander said as he caught up in his chair. "what's got into you? Someone say the wrong thing again?"

"No, don't cry Marina, you're safe now." Troy agreed now. He hovered awkwardly about her now unsure what to do now they'd caught her and set Marina back on her feet.

Unable to run Marina tried to hide, hands pressed to her face and tears welling between her fingers. And ended up burying her face Atlanta's shoulder as Marina was pulled into another of Atlanta's hugs. Other hands were there too.

Marina struggled at first, still fighting them and her own sobs. Then admitted defeat squidged between her friends. And sank into it, her legs not strong enough to hold her. Instead let herself be held in the centre of this odd group hug; pressed between Troy and Atlanta's epilates, Phones at her side brushing her long hair out the way.

"Oh honey! There, there." Atlanta said. "Oh, you poor thing."

"Yeah, no need to get upset" Fisher put in.

And Phones added. "Easy Marina. We got you. It'll be okay, it'll all be alright-!"

Marina nodded into her own palm, one hand now clutching on to the uniform; not certain or really caring whose it was through her tears. She clung to them, all of them, like a child might after being lost and found. Marina hadn't wanted to let them see her weak but was now more afraid she might just be asleep, and she would wake up back in Titanica.

This is real. I'm sorry. I don't know what is wrong. I'm sorry.

Troy took a different approach than the other's soft words.

"don't just stand and stare. Get the girl a blanket, will you?!" He said, snapping at a hapless somebody passing by.

"Who gives the orders around here?" The commander barked. Troy admitted the commander did. Shore grumbled something then told the cadet, "Well? You heard the captain. Get the girl a blanket or something."

Then Marina heard the whir of his gadgets. And the commander's chair drew to a hover. Higher than normal so as to pat her on the shoulder.

"it's okay kid. It's over. Let it out." He said gruffly, giving the same shoulder the briefest of squeezes before setting his seat back down. The commander seemed to know she didn't have a choice about crying. She didn't have a choice. She didn't think could keep it in.

Marina nodded again.

"Atlanta, she's been shaking like a leaf the whole time." Troy said, over the top of her head.

"I know, I can feel it!" Atlanta agreed. "But she's not cold, Troy. Least not for her."

"I think it's shock?" He frowned. "What do you think Phones?

"I was thinking she was actually pretty warm." Phones pressed the back of his hand to what forehead he could reach, but Marina flinched away. "Maybe she's got a fever?"

"She was a bit out of sorts while at sea." Troy said. "Yeah, maybe she is sick?"

"Or fatigued. I mean it was a week and a bit she was down there, right?" Fisher supplied.

A week?

That stunned Marina. Shocked her out of crying so hard even. Marina stilled, rigidly so. Then slowly raised her head.

"That would be enough for most- huh?"

Fisher paused. And Marina blinked up at him, scrubbing her still leaking eyes.

"What is it, Marina?" Troy asked.

Marina didn't quite know what she wanted to say or remember any asl right now. Her breathing was still hard and a struggle, so she blamed it on that. Instead, she flapped a hand at Fisher, gesturing and trying to convey.

A week. A week Fisher said a week. I was gone a week, is that true? That's too long. Is that all? Is it true what Fisher just said?

"Oh." Fisher said, thankfully catching her drift. And confirmed what he'd said. "Yeah. It's been a week and then some. That's how long you were gone Marina."

"a week, two days and another half day." Phones agreed. "We left at dawn. Give or take a few hours, however long it took you to reach Titanica swimming. Maybe she's just overwhelmed? Or tired?"

"But you're back now?" Troy reasoned. "It could be happy tears too I guess."

"Yeah. You are just happy to be back, Marina?"

"Or all of it mashed up?"

A hanky was offered out to her, and Marina took it to mop at her face.

"Is that it, Marina? Is it a whole mix of everything?" Atlanta asked, rubbing Marina's back in what might have been a soothing manner some other time.

Marina nodded, turned her head down, cheek still pressed to their epilates. Her thoughts were going too fast for her to catch, and she was now feeling embarrassed by her outburst. And, mildly aware she was ruining someone else's jacket.

"Anyone got a notepad or some paper she can use?" The commander asked. But none of them had anything to hand, bar Fisher's paperwork. "Well, I'm beat, so I can't imagine how worn-out Marina is feeling."

"she's bone tired, bless her." Atlanta said, her father agreed. Although Marina wasn't sure what it meant exactly, she felt it. Her face felt wet. And it stung. And to her horror the handkerchief came out pink.

Phones very very calmly told Fisher, "Nip back to the jetty and borrow a first aid kit, would you?"

"Easy." Troy winched in agreement. And firmly steered Marina to a small side desk in the corridor; Atlanta clearing space of union leaflets and the like. "You caught that scratch again. Hang on. Up we go."

Before Marina could protest Troy had picked her under the arms and sat her on the table her flippers didn't touch the floor. Fisher disappeared momentarily. He came with a requested first aid kit. Along with the ensign Troy and the commander had snapped at. He gave them a big silver sheet which he unfolded. The commander then sent them to go chase up the doctor. And pulled Fisher aside giving him new instruction in a low tone.

"it's a shock blanket. Get that around you." Phones explained as he wrapped her up in the scratchy tinfoil like blanket. Marina did so. For something so light in its small bundle, it was very big.

"There." he smiled at her. And winked, "now you really are a fish dish."

"Phones!" Troy admonished. Atlanta scoffed, rolling her eyes at the awful pun.

"Oh, shush and pass me one of them antiseptic gel salves!" Phones said back; telling Marina, "This might sting a little…"

It stung. A lot. Worse than just water and pressure back on the submarine had. Marina flinched, twice. Troy held her shoulder to stop her going backwards and Phones dabbed at her face with a wipe blotting her face with gel. Marina hated it. It felt like the jelly tory liked that was grape, not jellyfish. Only it was cold with tiny jellyfish stings. But Marina stayed still as she could, to get it over with.

"Nearly there. Can you hold your arm out?"

"let's roll the sleeve up." Atlanta said on his other side. She clucked her tongue pinching the fabric. "we'll get this rip seen to as well." Then stilled while pulling it up. Marina looked to her confused. But Atlanta was staring at her.

" Phones, can you put some of that on her hands?" Atlanta said softly, reaching across and tugged up the hem of Marina's other sleeve. And turning her hands over. "And her wrists… Marina…? Have you been tied up?"

"What did you just say?!" The commander thundered from behind the trio. But Atlanta waved him off.

Marina cringed away as Phones and Troy looked over the grazes. Atlanta crouched to check her feet too. Marina jumped at the touch, skittishly pulling away. But thankfully Atlanta only complained about another tear she'd found on the skirt.

"Aw gee Marina. I'm sorry I didn't see these earlier." Phones said, spreading more of the cleaning salves over the marks.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Troy frowned.

Marina shrugged, looking down. They didn't hurt. Not really.

It wasn't the first time she'd been tied or chained up. Wasn't even the worst. It had only been when she first returned to the city. And her hand had only the grazes from hard work Titan had put her too.

Troy did not stop frowning though and stomped over to the commander to talk in low voices throwing glances back at her. Marina wanted to follow; to make sure he wasn't going to sulk or ask to go back to sea again. But Phones wasn't finished, so Marina had to wait uneasily, rubbing her fingers back and forth over the blanket pooling at her side.

"I think that's everything. Just need to get the doc to take a look at that eye." He said, capping the bottle.

Marina nodded, staring at her hands, feeling ashamed. And then felt silly for being so. It was silly. These were her friends, right? Why should she not feel safe now she was- well not home but the home of Marineville. And her friends were alive. And still her friends? Marina had worried they wouldn't want to see her, wouldn't want to come help her much as she didn't want them to get hurt or caught. It was all her fault after all.

She'd been scared running back to Titan would have made them angry. But the commander hadn't ordered she be left behind. He hadn't sent her back into the sea. Marina had worried in particular if Atlanta didn't like her anymore? They'd been rivals at first sure, but it always had been friendly at least. Instead of being cross she kept hugging Marina close and fussing over her like Marina imagined an older sister must be like. And Phones. What if he was actually disappointed in her? And just not wanting to say anything? Fisher too? Troy was angry about what happened and that was very clear. Troy could have died-

No. Troy was alive. Phones alive too he hadn't fallen into Titans trap. And they still had stingray?

"All done. That better?"

But if they kept getting upset about her face...well then, she couldn't tell them how she'd gotten such a bruise or what really happened. Could she?

She'd been bound before the king. Thrown on the floor. How she'd constently had to hear Titan boasting and proud… oh.

He explained his plan to her, hadn't he. But said he'd broken his word.

Titan said Troy would die, and many would be injured from his missile, regardless of treaties. That was how she'd been hit. Because Marina had lunged at him, even with her hand behind her back.

A swing and a rifle butt had knocked her back. And then she'd been pushed about until she'd calmed down, broken down, enough to not fight back. It had left her chest sore down one side. Her nose stung and had done for a few days. When she'd been alone, she gently pressed her fingers along the hurts. At least she was sure she hadn't broken anything. Then there had been more. She wouldn't bow to Titan. But if she had it would have saved her a split lip and a cut on her temple. She'd grazed her palms, and knees as well from scrubbing and working. Her shoulder hurt from being yanked around.

Titan in a good mood was far more terrible then she remembered his bad moods being. The aquaphibians would scuff sand in her face as she was made to scrub the floor. And kick out their feet as they went by, sometimes catching her. Then Titan would tease that Troy had been sent the antidote. Teasing that tempest might be alright after all.

He might have survived, he might not. But either way the second part of Titan's plan was to use Marina as bait. Bait for Phones, Troy if he was alive and the others to rescue her. He had terror fish lined up ready to take out stingray.

"They will come, slave. Fools that they are." He'd jeered. "It is only a matter of time-!"

They did come. But they won. You're safe. They're safe. It's fine it's okay. Tell them tell them everything.

"That okay, Marina?... Marina?"