Walk The Path

Chapter Fourteen

Empty, never-ending blackness. Can't make a sound. Time always was and always would be. No awareness and no consciousness. Blinding light burst through the darkness, sending a jolt of electricity to his heart. Worried blue eyes belonging to a tan girl with flowing brown hair crying out, "Aang!" "Katara!" I shout but she can't hear me. The girl fades away as his name echoes in his mind. A blip of life before darkness spreads again. Everything returns to black.

The steady beeping of the medical equipment fills his mind as he startles awake. Grey eyes slowly opening to the sterile, white room around him. He tries to move his limbs but is met with resistance. Panic sets in as he squints at the fluorescent lights and bare white walls. His breathing quickens as he scans the room for any sign of familiarity. His head turns to the right in excruciating pain. The girl fumbling through her back seems familiar. Instantly he recognizes her. He struggles to speak but nothing comes out of his mouth. After a few minutes, his vocal chords finally vibrate together and utter a weak sound. "Katara?"

Aang's heart fluttered as he saw her turn around, an ecstatic look upon her face. He was so relieved to see her, his waterbender. Something seemed wrong about her as she came close to him in a blur. She looked haggard. The love present in her hug and kiss was brief before pain shot through his entire body. "Oww," he managed to murmur. As she pulled back, apologizing for nearly crushing him, his heart sank. She was not only thin but looked frail, as if she could collapse at any minute from the weight of her joints. Dark circles plastered under her eyes made me feel sick. "Something bad happened," he thought.

His belief was unfortunately confirmed after searching his mind. He knew what had happened but asked Katara to fill in the blanks of how he ended up in the hospital. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he died briefly. After hearing everything she told him, the set up planted in the email and his coma, the familiar weight of shame came crashing down on him. He had to look away from her. His mind began to race. "I did this to her. I let her down. I let everyone down. I should've checked with the White Lotus. I'm a failure". Aang swallowed hard as he sank further into self pity. The gentle squeeze he felt on his hand returned his thoughts to the room. She always brought him back.

With all of his energy, he squeezed her hand back. He couldn't protect her, or even protect himself, but he could let her know he loved her. The shock of everything he was told slowly fell away as he laughed at Katara telling him about Sokka being jealous of his beard. The lightheartedness was replaced with more shame. "Poor Sokka. My friends fought for me and I let them down. I need to set this right," he thought. A surge of energy flowed through Aang in this instance. No longer feeling despondent, he was now enraged.

"Where's Ozai?" is all Aang could think to ask at this moment. His question was met with confusion and stuttering from Katara. "Uh, well, no one really knows. White Lotus is tracking Zhao but so far..nothing." He felt his strength coming back to his muscles as he vigorously shook his head. "No! No, we have to find him. I have to find him. I need to fight him!" Aang was trying to push himself off the bed but was met with numb limbs that wouldn't listen to his command. "Katara, I need to go! I need to get up!" She reached out her hands and placed them on his shoulders trying to calm him down. Talking through tearful eyes, "Aang, you will find him but you're injured and we don't know where he is."

"NO! Let me go, Katara," he yelled as he shook her hand away. The monitors were beeping rapidly as Aang clenched his jaw, using every last ounce of strength to try to move his body. A nurse ran into the room suddenly, "Mr. Bensen, you need to remain still. You're still seriously injured!" Aang arched his back as he winced in pain, turning his head from side to side. His yells quickly turned into sobs. He leaned his head back on his pillow, crying as tears rolled down his cheeks. Rest was imminent as the drip of the morphine took control of his muscles. His chest heaved slower and slower until his breathing returned to normal. He was no longer angry or sad. He blinked as he looked at a scared Katara who was pushed aside by the nurse. She was standing a few feet away from him full of emotion while he laid in his hospital bed physically and emotionally numb.