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Joshua sighed when she called him a liar. 'Why can't she just leave me alone?!' He knew his thoughts were snappy only because of the pain in his head. Otherwise, there would have been no way he would of thought something like that. He raised his head slightly, just enough to glare at Katalina. His amber eyes were beginning to glaze over in pain. "It's nothing! Just a little headache!" Somewhere in the back of his mind, Joshua knew he was going to regret this later. He was going to regret snapping at his first real friend in who knows how long.

Normally, Joshua was a peaceful person, not given to angry outbursts. "I will go! And you can just bug off!" He replied hotly. He would sorely regret this later, but at the moment all he cared about was the pounding behind his eyes. He pushed himself to a standing position with a quick, sudden movement. He stood, weaving slightly for a moment. Then he stumbled off into the shade of the trees near the beach. Even that short walk felt like forever. With a sigh of relief, he leaned against a tree and slid so he was sitting at the base. The temperature difference was noticeable, even to Joshua. He closed his eyes, the shade being comforting.

Joshua lay in the shade, enjoying the coolness. A soft breeze blew past and rustled the leaves above him. The sound was quiet and relaxing. He found himself drifting off to sleep. He was thankful when the darkness enveloped him. It meant he wasn't feeling anymore. The headache couldn't bother him in sleep. While he slept, the headache began receding. His body and mind healed best when he was unconscious. His dreamless sleep was the best thing that could happen to his mind. It escaped into the darkness, welcoming it with open arms. There he stayed until the sun shifted and shone on his eyes.

Joshua stirred, cracking open one eye to glance around. His sight was blurry with sleep, but he could see enough to tell he was sitting on the beach. 'The beach? What in the world?' He opened the other eye and looked around properly. Yep, he wasn't in his camp and the sun was still in the sky. He began drudging through his memories, trying to figure out what had happened.

With a snap, the memories unlocked, allowing him to recall the harsh words he'd spoken. Joshua clapped one hand to his face. "Oh I can't believe I did that. How stupid can I get? Please don't let her be too mad." He expected her to be mad considering what he'd said and done. Rising, Joshua headed to the water and waded out to his waist. There, he snapped on his mask and tank, intending to search out Katalina and apologize.

Joshua slipped into the water smoothly, heading towards the coral reefs. It was the first place that came to mind when searching for Katalina. The nap had restored his strength as well as mind, so he swam with strong strokes. He began a systematic search of the reefs. He began on one side and headed towards the other, searching all the nooks and crannies he could find. 'Why in the world do I think I can find a mermaid that doesn't want to be found? She has the whole ocean to hide in!' Still, he didn't give up. Joshua had to apologize to Katalina. He'd snapped at her for the simple act of being worried. In his mind, that was unacceptable and he had to right the wrong.

Joshua sighed and drifted backwards, scanning the coral in front of him. There'd been no sign of the mermaid he was seeking. He crossed his arms, floating in the warm cove waters. 'Where is she? Where could she have gone to?' As these thoughts passed through his mind, he realized just how little he really knew about the mermaid. 'Well, if I can't find her, maybe she'll come back on her own?' His thoughts were questioning. Joshua wasn't sure how much he'd hurt Katalina with his words. With a sigh, he turned towards the shore. It seemed he would have to wait for her to come back. 'I can't very well search the entire ocean. Even if I tried, I'd be bound to miss some places.' When the waters were waist deep, he stood and turned to the ocean for one last look.