Towards Love

44.healing

Neteyam pov

When Neteyam woke up, the first thing he felt was pain. It was less intense than the day before but the burns on his legs were tugging, he could feel the blood pounding in his black eye and his lips were still very dry, creating painful chapping. He ran his hand over the space beside him but felt nothing. He opened his eyes (or rather his right eye) suddenly and found that it was indeeod empty. Lola was not there. He sat up hurriedly, ignoring the pain in his back and ribs, to look around the room. There she was, with her back to him, dealing with something in the kitchen area. 

Her black hair, braided in places, cascaded down her back and moved with her movements. Hearing some noise, she turned and gave Neteyam a big smile. She was so beautiful that he still couldn't understand how she could agree to spend the rest of her life with him. "Hello sunshine." She unfolded her long legs to stand and join him. "You said you'd be here when I woke up." His throat hurt less when he spoke. She looked up at the sky. "Hey, I'm here. I was just making you a little something to eat." Neteyam huffed with satisfaction and thanked her as she placed a plate full of fruits on his lap. While he ate, Lola applied the same oitment as the night before to ease the pain. "I'm going to go help your dad with the patrols today."

"No, I want you to stay with here with me." It was not a command but rather a plea. Looking at his mate's face, he knew she could read the concern in his eyes. She smiled and took his hand. "Jake needs help. You're hurt and Lo'ak isn't here. We've contacted him, but until he gets here, I'm going to keep watch over the clan. Kiri and the kids will be here to nurse you and keep you company, don't worry."

"It's not the loneliness that worries me, it's more Quaritch. He could be anywhere, I'm not even sure the explosion hit him." The three of them had had a hard time dominating him despite his weakening so now that he was really angry, Neteyam suspected that the ex-marine was capable of anything to get rid of his family including Lola. "Well if I run into him and he attacks us, I'll have one more reason to kill him." The young man understood that there was nothing he could do to convince his mate to let someone else go on patrol with his father. So he resigned himself and watched her get ready. She strapped her knives to the strap around her chest at her right thigh and left ankle, slung her bow over her shoulder and took a few arrows to put on Hapi's saddle. Noticing that he had been staring at her for a moment, she froze, suspicious. "What is it...?" 

"Has anyone ever told you that you are super sexy and super badass?" She laughed at Neteyam's saying. "This is the first time. How am I both sexy and badass?"

"You look like you're ready to exterminate the first person who pisses you off and at the same time this warrior look suits you veeeeeery well." He saw her blush in embarrassment and laughed as well. "Come here." She got to their bed and crouched next to him and even if his lips hurt, he captured the young woman's lips and kissed her with avidity. He wanted her even if he knew that it was not possible at the moment. She broke the kiss and pecked his lips a few times. "I know what you're trying to do young man but you're not healthy enough for that." He pouted disappointed. "Okay you'll have a little something tonight but I really have to go now."

"A little something?" She winked at him getting up and went out.

***

The next days went like this. Neteyam stayed in bed as his burnt legs didn't allow him to get up, he asked from time to time how Spider and Noxus were doing. The young man was much better but Norm kept him in the lab for more exams on his ear. Noxus on the other hand was still in a coma and that worried the clan a lot. Lola patrolled every day with Jake, looking for any sign of Quaritch. They wouldn't rest until they found him. Secretly, Lola hoped that she would be the one to finish him off. He had caused a lot of pain to her people and this was unacceptable to her.

***

Lo'ak got home four days after the accident. He felt guilty about what happened. He had been locked in Neteyam and Lola's hut for hours talking with Jake and his brother. They had certainly tried to convince him that it was not his fault and that his presence would not have changed anything. On the contrary, he would surely have been hurt too.

Him being there, Lola was now able to stay with Neteyam more often. He was finally starting to recover. His back's scratches were gone and he could now see with both his eyes. His lips were fine as well and the cough had largely diminished. Only the burns on his legs remained but he could at least walk now.  He visited Spider every day. They worked on their physical therapy together to give each other strength. At noon, Kiri and Lola brought them something to eat before resuming their exercises. On the seventh day, Norm and Jake came into the lab with a closed face and a sad look. "What is it?" Neteyam couldn't imagine what was the problem now. "It's Noxus." Norm ran a hand over his tired face. "She didn't make it."

It was a sad day for the Omatikaya clan. The farewell ceremony for the young Na'vi took place on the same day. Jake and Neytiri took her to Eywa as was the tradition. She joined the ancestors as an outstanding hunter who would be missed by all. Lola squeezed Neteyam's hand as the ceremony went on. "We can't keep doing this, we have to find him and kill him."

Author's note
Shorter chapter but the next ones will be longer, I promise :) Dont forget to vote and comment!