Not the same

it was like a fever dream

chapter fourteen.

After Za'nara's brush with death, she remained in the Sully hut to get some rest while she recovers from the recent events. Kiri stayed with her as the rest of the family gave her some space, so she wasn't overwhelmed, that way another seizure couldn't be caused.

Kiri passed Za'nara a bowl of water and she sipped it slowly.

"Thankyou." Za'nara thanked Kiri.

"How are you feeling?" Kiri asked, pressing her hand on Za'nara's forehead.

"I'm okay Kiri, I'm not going to break." Za'nara replied.

"I'm sorry." Kiri apologised. "I was just so scared Za."

"I know." Za'nara replied. "I promise you, I'm okay now."

Kiri grabbed Za'nara and pulled her into her embrace. Hugging her tightly. Za'nara relaxed her body and hugged Kiri back. It felt good that they were close again, just like when they were kids.

Lo'ak appeared at the entrance of the hut.

"Knock knock." Lo'ak said to the girls.

"Go away, Lo'ak." Kiri replied.

"I just want to talk to Za'nara." Lo'ak explained. "I promise I won't cause her any stress."

"Please, you've been causing people stress since the day you were born." Kiri replied.

"Haha." Lo'ak laughed sarcastically.

"It's okay, Kiri. I want to talk to him anyway." Za'nara said to Kiri.

"Okay, I'll be back to check on you later." Kiri replied before heading out of the hut.

As Kiri left the hut she pulled Lo'ak's tail on the way out. Just to piss him off a little.

"Hey!" Lo'ak yelled.

Kiri and Za'nara laughed.

Lo'ak walked over to Za'nara and sat down next to her.

"How you holding up?" Lo'ak asked cautiously.

"I'm okay." Za'nara replied.

"I was really worried about you." Lo'ak expressed. "I- I."

Za'nara reached her hand out and grabbed Lo'ak's.

"I'm right here, and I'm okay." Za'nara comforted Lo'ak. "I'm safe."

Lo'ak took a deep breath in and out.

"Glad to know you care about me though." Za'nara chuckled.

"I don't." Lo'ak replied, quite clearly lying.

"I bet." Za'nara replied.

Lo'ak pulled Za'nara into his embrace and hugged her tightly. Feeling like a weight had fallen off his shoulders. Za'nara snuggled her head into his chest and relaxed her mind. They sat like that for a while.

~

Later that day when Za'nara was feeling better she headed towards the water. Neteyam was standing down by the shore, throwing shells in the water. Za'nara approached him to thank him for saving her.

"Hey." Za'nara greeted him.

"How are you feeling?" Neteyam asked.

"Better, thanks to you." Za'nara replied.

Neteyam nodded his head and continued throwing the shells in the water.

"I wanted to thankyou, for saving me."

Neteyam turned to Za'nara.

"Your welcome." Neteyam replied.

Za'nara walked over to Neteyam and wrapped her arms around him.

Neteyam froze for a second but embraced the hug and hugged her back.

"I was scared, Za." Neteyam whispered in her ear.

"I know Tey, I wouldn't be here without you." Za'nara whispered back, hugging him tighter.

Neteyam took her hand and walked her over to the shore and they took a seat on the sand.

"Do you remember what you saw?" Neteyam asked.

"My parents, Tey." Za'nara confessed. "It was like a fever dream."

"Za'nara." Neteyam uttered. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm glad I got a chance to say goodbye, I'm glad I got the chance to see them again." Za'nara explained. "It's all I dreamed about. Then everything went wrong and I felt my connection to them slip away... I didn't want to leave."

"Za'nara you are so strong." Neteyam complimented. "You survived. Your parents would be so proud of you."

"Neteyam?" Za'nara asked looking up at him.

"Yeah?" Neteyam asked.

"Will you hold me? Just for a little while." Za'nara asked.

"Of course." Neteyam replied, allowing Za'nara to lay her body on his and rest, looking out at the ocean.

They laid like that for a while.

"Thankyou." Za'nara whispered as she shut her eyes and rested.

Neteyam placed a kiss on the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep. He held her tighter and stared out to the horizon.

~

That night Neteyam and Za'nara walked back to the hut. As they entered the hut, the whole family were already sitting down eating, waiting on Za'nara and Neteyam.

"Finally, I thought I was going to have to send Kiri and Lo'ak to find you guys." Jake greeted them.

"Sorry we were just relaxing on the sand." Za'nara apologised. "Lost track of time."

Lo'ak looked up of them and his smile turned neutral. He was confused why Za'nara and Neteyam were together for so long.

"Well come, sit down, dinner is ready." Neytiri announced, pulling them to the ground to sit down.

"How are you feeling now, Za'nara?" Jake asked Za'nara.

"A lot better, thankyou." Za'nara replied, smiling at Neteyam.

Neteyam smiled at her and ate his food.

"I went riding with Tsireya today!" Tuk announced to everyone. "It was so cool!"

"That's great, Tuk." Za'nara replied.

"I'm so proud of how great you have all been at adjusting to the reef, I know how much you all miss home but I'm glad your making the best out of this." Jake announced to everyone.

"We're a family, dad. As long as we're together we're happy." Neteyam told his father.

Jake smiled at the kids. Neytiri grabbed Neteyam's hand and smiled at him.

end of chapter fourteen.