Courting

Part 4

Neteyam hardly had time to turn his head towards the sound before a splash came from below, and then a second one followed. Neteyam almost fell in promptly after, as Ao'nung was no longer supporting him. Actually, Ao'nung wasn't on the branch at all anymore. Looking down, Neteyam's brain finally comprehended what had happened; Tuk had fallen, and Ao'nung had jumped in the water after her. As he was trying not to feel sick at the darker shade of water suddenly forming below him, Neteyam's emotions finally caught up.

"TUK!" a simultaneous scream from Neteyam and Lo'ak tore the air as they both leapt in the water too. When the bubbles cleared, the Neteyam spotted Ao'nung hoisting Tuk over his shoulder as delicately as he could while swimming as fast as possible towards the shore, where he could stand. Made difficult by the lack of sand in this specific section of the beach, Ao'nung eventually stood up, and carried Tuk onto land. Neteyam and Lo'ak were right behind him, and Tsireya had already prepared a section of moss for Tuk to lie on; free of sticks and any discomforts. Ao'nung set her down gently, and any protests from Lo'ak and Neteyam died when they saw Tuk without Ao'nung crowding her body.

Blood had made a trail from the water - scarlet on ivy, a scar on a sanctuary - leading to where Tuk was now set. Tuk's torso was almost completely covered in blood, with the two largest gashes on her left hip and the right side of her lower back. Blood was already leaking onto the moss under the young na'avi, and Ao'nung was working furiously with Tsireya to cover the wounds with something, to wrap them and staunch the blood-flow.

"Neteyam, please hold her arms down and legs," Ao'nung directed, not pausing in his efforts. "Lo'ak, go as fast as you can back to the village and find my mother. Do not waste time talking to anyone else, not even your parents." Neteyam's brother was flying down the beach with sand spraying up behind him as he pounded his feet as fast as he could. Neteyam hesitated, frozen. "Neteyam!" Ao'nung snapped, taking a moment to click blood-slick fingers at him. Neteyam came out of his terror and tried to grab his sister's flailing hands. His heart shattered a million times as - now out of his stupor - he heard every crack and sob in every scream as the salt made its way into her open wounds. Her legs were still kicking, and Tsireya was struggling to wrap the makeshift leaf compression bandage under her back while she was moving so violently. Neteyam moved and kneeled over Tuk's legs, so she was restrained but not trapped. She repeatedly kicked his thighs, but he didn't move or flinch.

"STOP! NETEYAM IT HURTS!" Tuk screamed, tears flowing like more blood down her face. Ao'nung shook his head at Neteyam, warning him not to listen. Trusting his boyfriend and hating himself, Neteyam didn't move. He held Tuk's hands to his face, whispering into them meaningless assurances and promises that were only broken immediately by the continuous pain Tuk was shaking with. She continued, screaming with the anguish of a dying ikran, and calling for parents who couldn't hear her. Ao'nung rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Tuk, I need to take off your tweng to dress you legs properly. Can I?" Ao'nung asked gently, while making sure to raise his voice and talk in between shrieks. Tuk shook her head violently, not even understanding, and screamed again, calling for Neytiri in hardly comprehensible sobs. Ao'nung glanced at Tsireya, and then Neteyam.

"Tuk, please, he needs to take care of you, try to listen properly this time," Neteyam pleaded her, feeling selfish for making demands of her right now.

"Tuk, can I take off your tweng to dress your legs and clean the blood off?" Ao'nung asked again. Tuk's screams paused just long enough for her to nod. Ao'nung snapped the string around her waist, not wasting time with unknotting it. Tsireya pulled it from under her and took the leg closer to her, while Ao'nung took the other, and they used more of the large leaves from the bushed surrounding them to tightly press on the still-exposed wounds. Ao'nung then ripped moss off of the ground and pressed it to Tuk's legs to absorb some of the blood.

Though it was cool and damp, the moss was also soaked with sea water from the four dripping na'avi currently huddled on it. The sea water clearly wound its way to Tuk's open flesh, as she screamed anew, and Neteyam realised that her volume had been dropping, settling at a consistent howl, but now it rose back up to a heart-wrenching shriek.

"I'm so sorry Tuk, please.... I'm so sorry..." Neteyam apologised repeatedly, over and over, whispering into Tuk's clenched fists. He gave his hands for her to grasp as if they were her lifeline, and felt his own tears continue as her knuckles turned white.

"TUK!" An unmistakable cry rent the air as Neytiri came sprinting down the beach. She was directly behind Lo'ak and Ronal. The three were sprinting faster than Neteyam had seen anyone move, sand flying everywhere.

"It's okay now Tuk, mother is here, she's here Tuk. You'll be okay, everything will be okay," Neteyam insisted, praying on his own life he was right. Ronal quickly approached Tuk, kneeling beside her daughter.

"Mother, she fell from a high branch and hit two others on her way down and landed in the water. She has two wounds here and here," Tsireya pointed to the two large gashes now covered in dark green opaque leaves. We have cleaned some blood with moss but it is salty so we cant clean too close to the wounds without hurting her too much."

Ronal nodded. Neytiri kneeled next to Ao'nung, and went to hold her daughter's head in her hands. Ronal hit her hands away.

"No, please don't touch her right now. She cannot be distracted or overwhelmed in such a vulnerable state," Ronal insisted, pulling a long leaf from a pouch at her waist - similar to the kind used to weave baskets.

Neytiri's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Be very careful telling me what to do when my children are hurt, Tsahik." Neytiri hissed, but refrained from touching Tuk.

Lo'ak was leaning over Ao'nung's shoulder, braids dangling in his face, and tears shining in his eyes.

"Ao'nung, lift her gently and carry her swiftly back to my marui, but don't jostle her too much. She is in no state to walk."

Ao'nung went to slide his arms under her legs and shoulders, but Neytiri pushed him back and hissed. She gingerly lifted her daughter up, and began quickly making her way back to the village.

Ronal sighed "that works too, I suppose," and followed quickly. She procured a flower out of another pouch, and pulled off the petals, handing them to Lo'ak. "Feed her these and make sure she chews them; they will block some of the pain," she explained. "I will go ahead with Tsireya to prepare the marui for her. Come, Tsireya." Ronal and her daughter hurried at a run onwards to the Tsahik's marui.

Neteyam and Lo'ak flanked Neytiri, and Ao'nung walked next to his boyfriend.

"Thank you, Ao. I couldn't have done that, you saw how I-" Neteyam was breathing fast and still crying, but Ao'nung held his hand, and pulled him a bit closer to his side.

"You didn't have to, Tey. I was there. I'm yours, which means you and your family are now mine also. If I wasn't there, you would've had to act, and you would've done just as well," Ao'nung whispered softly, squeezing Neteyam's hand.

Neteyam's breathing didn't slow, and his tears continued dripping off his chin as Tuk continued crying and intermittently screaming at the pressure on her wounds.