The Start of Everything New

•4•

Zuko was soon lying down again, surrounded by the worried faces of his companions. Water had been forced into his body by a passive aggressive cup thrust from Toph and help from Sokka sitting up to actually drink it. Zuko let his eyes scan the room as he tried to ignore the pounding in his head, taking in Aangs nervous smile and the way Toph kept flexing her hands at her side.
"Why d-does everyone look like I just d-died or something? I'm fine."

Sokka made a higher pitched squeaking noise from Zukos right, face turning bright red as his cheeks puffed out.

Zuko blinked as he looked at him, brain fogging a bit as he tried to understand his reaction.

Katara was the one to grip at his wrist, inhaling as she calmed her inner rage.
"Zuko you almost did die. I thought we might end up needing water from the spirit pond. You're so stupid! How could you do that?"

Zuko yelped in surprise as Katara swung her fists at him, trying to scoot out of the way as she beat at his arms and upper chest with blows that stung like he had rocks thrown at him. Not painful, but stinging from the lasting lightening damage in his body that sent little jolts through him.
"Hey wait I'm sorry!"

"Katara! Stop it!! He's already hurt!"
Aang moved over in a quick movement, grabbing her arms and pulling her back at the same time that Sokka was pulling Zuko off and closer into his lap. Toph just let out a snort, resting her cheek on her knee as she stared at the group.

Katara huffed as she struggled against Aang for a few movements before going limp against him, blowing her hair from her face.
"I'm fine let me go Aang...I'm sorry I lost my temper."

Sokka huffed at his sister, holding Zuko a bit tighter.
"Yeah Katara what the hell was that for anyways? You literally saved him to try and what. Kill him again?! Have you gone crazy!?"

Zuko squirmed some, his body still sending little shocks as Sokka moved him around and squeezed him.
"Sokka please let me go. This hurts."

Sokkas eyes went wide as he instantly opened his arms, forcing Zuko to drop a little from where he had been being held up. Zuko scooted into an easier position for himself, rubbing at his arms and shoulders a bit.
"Shit I'm so sorry I didn't mean too!"

"I know Sokka you're fine. I think I still have lightning in my system. Aang she's fine let her go. I deserved that..."

Aang looked unsure, slowly letting the sulking alpha go and sitting beside her.

Katara pushed her hair back behind her ears and sighed as she looked at Zuko.
"I'm sorry for hitting you. I'm just...you act like nothing happened! You took lightning to the chest. Your heart. I felt you dying beneath my hands Zuko. You've been asleep for a day already. I felt like I was going to fail as a healer, fail you if I couldn't get it out. You were seizing so much Zuko. But you act like nothing happened. You scared all of us Zuko. I thought I was going to have to tell your uncle that you were dead. Why did you do that!? Why did you save me?!"

Zuko stared at Katara in stunned silence, watching as tears started to drip down her face as her voice got louder and louder until she was basically shouting at him. He swallowed some as he let her finish her ranting, feeling nervous as she kept crying, curling into Aangs side.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just...I moved without thinking. All I remember was that I couldn't let Azula hurt another person. I couldn't stand around as someone else got hurt around me without me doing something. And I couldn't let a friend get hurt. You guys have helped me so much and I knew that if one of us was dying that day, I'd rather it be me. Katara you're so young and you have so much to live for. Your family, your tribe. I knew you were going to do amazing things and if one of our lives was going to be cut short, I was going to be Azulas last kill. You were more important."