The Corpse in the Creek

The World Swallowed Me Up

The woman that walked into his office was not what Nedzu expected. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure what type of person he was expecting.

Her name was Sally Blofis and she held herself high even as her eyes looked sad. She wore a blue sundress, the ends decorated with water lilies and seashells, and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, the brown streaked with grey. She wore a necklace, a leather cord with five beads hanging on it, each with different inscriptions, and she grabbed onto it every once in a while, as though she couldn't help herself.

"Thank you for coming in such short notice." Nedzu began, his usual pep lost from his voice because the discussion was not a fun one and shouldn't be passed on as such.

"I was surprised when I got your call." Sally admitted as she took a seat across from his desk with a tired sigh. "I didn't think I could come back here but... You said you have information about P- About my son?"

Nedzu fiddled with the pen in his paws for a moment, suddenly unsure how to word what he wanted to say. "If I showed you a picture, could you tell me what you see?"

She tilted her head in confusion but nodded nonetheless. "I don't see why not."

When he turned his computer screen to face her, Sally let out a strangled gasp and he knew he found her son. The picture was a recent one containing both Drop and himself. They were sitting on the principal's front porch, the two snuggled together as they watched the hummingbirds fly by. "About more than a week ago, two of my students and their teacher went to visit The Forest of the Lost Boy." He winced silently at her flinch but continued. "There, they discovered your son as he appeared in front of them from the water. He does not seem to have any of his memories, but he has been getting flashes of them."

"He doesn't remember me..." Sally's voice was soft, a sad whisper that seemed to pierce Nedzu's heart. "Can I see him?"

"Of course." Nedzu nodded. "But there is someone who would like to speak to you first if you're willing." At her nod, he pressed the intercom connecting to one of the rooms near his office. "Aizawa-kun, please come to my office."

Aizawa's frame was tense as he walked in but his eyes were kind as he looked at the woman. He had made an attempt to clean himself up a bit, his hair pulled into a low ponytail and he wore a soft sweater. Though he had attempted to smile, it came out more like a grimace as Sally regarded him.

"Ma'am," Shouta began, clearing his throat slightly when it came out as a croak. "I just wanted-"

Sally raised a hand, stopping him. "If you're going to apologize, I don't want to hear it." She stood up, her expression kind as she approached him. "What happened to my son was not your fault, do you hear me?" She raised her hand, gently placing it on his cheek with his eyes became wet with emotion, and traced his scar with her thumb. "You do so much to protect the children you teach because you've seen what the world can do. You were just a kid, you tried your best. Please, don't blame yourself because you didn't do anything wrong. You saved my life that day."

"But your son-"

"Told you to go. He saw me get hurt and he saw you there. He told you to go and you listened. The situation wasn't the best for anyone but we can't changed what happened." She cooed quietly when his lip trembled and his eyes became wet. "What do you need, honey?"

"Please, please forgive me." Aizawa pleaded, stray tears slipping down his face across his cheeks.

Sally pulled him in a hug, running her hand through his hair as he cried silently on her shoulder. "Sweetheart, I forgive you, of course I do. I never blamed you in the first place and I know my boy doesn't either. He's a good judge of people and I know he's no different now." She stepped away from the embrace but kept her hands wrapped gently on the man's biceps. "I watched your hero career, you know, during the rare times you're on tv or in the newspapers." She smiled warmly, her eyes full of parental love and kindness. "You've grown so much, Aizawa."