ahappylie | Appointments & Messages

[She's leaving and Souji almost goes after her, but damn his chest hurts and he still isn't breathing normally. He takes a shaking step and falls to one knee, keeping his eyes on Toph as she goes.]

...Not over... It's not--

[Your teacher is a dumbass, Sokka. He doubles over, coughing again.]

[Which is why Sokka is going to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from trying to run off.]

Don't be stupid, Souji! You're going to get yourself killed like this!

[Meanwhile, ~~back at the ranch,~~

Toph swings open the door of Avatar house and shouts inside.]

Hey, Katara! KATARA! I need you!

[Ugh. She can't believe she has to do this. Can't Sokka just ship him off to the Battle Dome doctors and be done with it? If he didn't want to get hurt, he shouldn't have fought. She's not gonna cry over the sizable bruise forming on her arm, after all.]

[And Katara sticks her head out of the laundry room.]

What is it?

[Rushing out.] What's wrong?

[What's wrong? Well...good question.]

There's this guy at the barracks. Sokka's teacher. The sis--Okita Souji. He's hurt. Sokka told me to come get you.

[She'll conveniently leave out that she was the one who hurt him.]

[She reaches for her waterskin where she keeps it hanging at the door and slides it on as she moves out.]

How badly was he hurt? What happened?

[And Toph follows, keeping pace with Katara.]

Well, I...was kind of sparring with him. It's not like he's dying, or anything. But...Sokka was pretty mad.

[Okay, there's a lot of things there that don't quite match up, so Katara will just... nod and see for herself. Fortunately, the barracks are quite close by, and she will pick up the pace and get there as soon as she can.

What does she see when she opens the door?]

[Sokka managed to calm Souji down enough so he's sitting on the floor and not trying to keep being a moron and go after Toph, but the coughing isn't easing much. He's left the cracked sword at his side and he has some tissue that he's using to clean the spots of blood off his hands.]

...I'll be fine, Sokka-kun. I just need to rest.

[Sorry Souji but Sokka is not buying it. He's about to tell him to stop being stupid, but he spots Katara and Toph.]

Katara! Over here, quick!

[And Toph is just...going to stand over here, out of the way, not really talking. She doesn't have any reason to feel bad about this. She doesn't!]

[Katara moves quickly, streaming water out of her waterskin as she goes.]

What is it, where is he wounded?

[He's coughing, and he's cleaning off the blood so she doesn't see it just yet, busy scanning him for any sign of drastic injury.]

[A few bruised ribs and some bruised pride, but the coughing comes from elsewhere. He waves Sokka off and tries to climb to his feet, noticing Katara and Toph. He'd been hoping to get out of here before they showed up.]

Sokka-kun, you...

[He sighs, tucking the used tissue into his sleeves.]

A cracked rib maybe, nothing more. Your friend is an impressive magic-user. I should train more to learn to combat that.

It's more than that, Master Souji. [He figures if Toph is even paying attention, she'll know he's lying, so there's no point in trying to hide it from her. Or Katara. So he looks up at his sister, his concern very evident.]

He's sick, Katara. I don't know if your waterbending can help, but... [He doesn't want this to be how Souji goes out. Even if he will come back, it's just not right.]

[And yep--Souji's lying. Poorly. And...well, it's something to do, at least. Reinforing Sokka's assessment of the situation.]

He's...in bad shape, Katara. Don't listen to him.

[Her voice is quiet.] All right, Sokka.

[Sickness. Something he's lived with for a long time, maybe? And he fought anyway... She doesn't know Souji well, but she remembers how kind he was to her when Sokka had been taken for their 'infiltration.' Add that to the wounds Sokka had received in sparring with him over the past - year? - and she begins to get a general sense of the man. Whatever was happening, he deserved her respect.

Even if fighting with Toph like he had while he was sick was an idiotic, bullheaded thing to do. And had anyone even told Toph that he was sick? What had Toph done to make this so much worse?

She kneels across from Souji, but though the water is still on her hands, she doesn't place them on him yet.]

Will you let me try to help you? I don't know if I can. But I'd like to try. At least I can fix your rib.

[Sokka...the one thing he never wanted to tell anyone and you-- There's a flash of anger, but it gives way when he realizes how futile it is to be angry. It was his fault it got this bad and if he can stop himself from coughing worse, perhaps he can still keep it from his friends back at House 40 and 50. They can't be allowed to know and that means he has to accept the help here, as much as he doesn't want it.

He lets out a shallow breath and nods, smiling faintly.]

I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. If you fix my rib, I'm sure the rest will take care of itself in time.

[No. It won't.

It's Haruhi's fault he even knows as much as he does and he's kept it quiet for Souji's sake. But he can't keep it a secret when it's come down to this. And frankly he's disappointed that Souji has let his pride come before his health. If this kills him, it won't do anyone any good...

As much as he wants to angrily snap that the rest won't take care of itself, he keeps quiet for his teacher's sake. Though right now with the way he's trying to act carefree about it, that's becoming really hard to do right now.]

[Wait...he was sick? Sick sick?

She doesn't...have to feel bad about this. No. She didn't. So why couldn't she get this knot out of her stomach?

...But how bad was it? And how much worse had she made things?

...She should just leave. She didn't need to be here. She was just...]

[Katara may just take that as permission to do all she can, instead of the obviously limiting use Souji may be implying. >>

But he's not her only concern right now. Sokka's about two seconds away from exploding and Toph's silent. Neither of these things are good.]

All right. If you lay down, it will be easier to set the bone. Sokka, will you help him?

[It's a question for Souji's sake, not Sokka's.]

[He glances at the others and then drops his gaze. Oh, it's time to be serious then.]

It isn't anyone's fault but mine.

[He winces slightly as he leans back and starts to lay down.]

[Darn right it's your fault. But he can't bring himself to blame him, anyway. He's just going to do as Katara instructed and help him lay down, providing a small bundle to rest his head on.]

[Why...why didn't Sokka tell her she was fighting someone sick?

Maybe a sick guy had an excuse to be a little sissy. He certainly shouldn't be fighting someone who can throw rocks at him.

Do something, Katara...]

That's good, thank you. [And now she lays her water-coated hands directly on Souji's chest, one by his heart, one by his ribs. Souji will feel a cooling, comforting sensation spread out from those hands, like aloe on a burn or stepping into shade on a hot summer's day.]

Sokka, why don't you and Toph go keep anyone from coming into the barracks for now.

[That is not a suggestion, for the record. She's just going to give Souji some privacy while she tries to figure out what's wrong and what she can do, and give her very upset companions something to do while she's at it.]

[And once they're gone, Okita sighs slightly, trying not to cough anymore as Katara works her magicky thing.]

...She shouldn't blame herself. Can you tell her that for me?

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