The wrong star

Air

"It must be the breather, fuck. There's none on the island," he says.

"What the hell is a breather?"

"Something he usees to breath, it's not only the mask. He also needs that. Is he breathing right now?" Miles rushes to ask.

"Kind of, I'm not sure how to help him, Miles," I admit.

"You can't do anything. I'll have to talk to Jake, see if his friends can pick Spider up if not... I don't know for how long that battery will last him and you know-"

"He can't breathe this air," I finish for him.

"Well, let me know what Jake says. I'll keep and eye on him," I say.

"Talk to you soon," he says and a weird noise tells me that right now we're not talking.

"Do you know what a breather is?" I ask getting close again. He nods slowly.

"Do you think that's the problem?"

"I- I- I don't know," he stops to cough a little.

"Spider... please try not to run or do anything that might require you to breathe too much, Miles is trying to find a solution," I tell him.

He honestly looks a little off, maybe he heard me, maybe he didn't.

"Can you please help him get to our tent? I need to check on some things for the trip and I'll be back soon," I say to Neteyam.

He nods and hands me back Nakoa.

"Bye warrior," he tells Nakoa and offers Spider an arm.

I carry Nakoa with me around the island as I supervise.

There's nothing too weird, everyone has something to do. I go look for Ronal and find her feeding Kerenisi.

"Hi,"

"Hey, come in," she tells me.

"Where do you think they are?" I ask sitting down in the sand.

"They mist have already covered all the water tribes if they split, they must be more to the south. With the mountain clans," she says.

I nod and stay silent, my fingers go over Nakoa's hand.

"You're worried," Ronal says.

"Aren't you?" I enquire in a whisper.

"Worrying won't change anything. I mostly stick to the plans and... to talking to Eywa," it makes sense.

"And what does she think?"

Ronal sighs and examines her own baby.

"She's restless... our own energy is filling her up and... I don't know, it could be good or bad but she's strong. Very strong," she says.

"I hope she helps us again," I say.

"She probably will, she won't let this planet die," she says. I nod and after a moment we change topics.

"I want to go back home so my mom can meet my baby," I say, a smile grows on my face when thinking about home.

"Tell me more about your home," Ronal asks kindly.

I start telling her about the forest, the tress and all the different animals we have there. My family... I go on and on until I hear Miles on my earpiece.

"Anatuat,"

"Hey!"

"Hi, Jake told me that Norm is coming to get Spider. They need to take him back to the lab now. Are you with him?" 

I look around taking in his words, I kind of say goodbye to Ronal and walk back to my tent. Nakoa wraps his hand around a piece of my hair and I hiss gently removing it.

"Anatuat?"

"I'm going to see him," I answer.

"Where are they gonna be here?" I ask.

"They'll be there late at night, how's Spider?"

Neteyam and him are talking, he looks calm.

"Hi," I tell them.

"I'm fine," Spider hurries to speak.

"He's good enough to lie to me," I say to Miles over the microphone.

Spider and Neteyam chuckle.

"Please keep an eye on him, if that thing runs out- I don't think there's much you're gonna be able to do," he tells me with a hoarse voice.

I wish I was there to take his hand. My eyes go over Spider in preoccupation.

"I'll stay with him," I say.

"Thanks, tell me if anything happens,"

"I will," 

That's the last thing I say before the communication ends.

Nakoa starts to wiggle and complain and I know he must be hungry. I rock him a little because I need to speak to Spider first.

"Norm is coming to get you,"

"But-"

"Spider, you need to go back to Hell's Gate, this is very dangerous for you," I shut him up.

"I'm okay!" he complains.

"Bro, I've never seen you like that before," Neteyam says. Spider turns to look at him annoyed.

"Spider... this is for your own good. If you don't go we don't know how to help you, I don't even think there's a way to help you," Neteyam swallows when the truth of my words hit him.

"I want to fight," he responds.

"And maybe you will, but maybe you shouldn't. Anyways, you need to be alive to do so and if you don't go back to the lab with Norm we can't guaranty that,"

"Why can't he just give me a new breather?" he asks.

I can't explain that sort of thing to him, because I don't even know how the technology to keep him alive works but, I can tell him this.

"Spider... you look bad. Very bad, before Miles was gone we talked about it and... you can't go on living like this. You need your own air, you need to run and talk and do the things you normally do. You barely even eat or sleep with that thing," I say pointing to the mask.

His lips quiver.

"All we want is for you to be okay, okay? You need a rest from all of this," I say and extend my hand to his shoulder.

"You think so too?" He asks Neteyam. Neteyam scratches the back of his neck and takes too long to answer.

"I mean, you can't do anything without the mask... and you do look tired and a little skinnier,"

Spider shake his head in anger.

"Hey, hey! don't be mad. Don't be mad okay? just go back with them, we'll also be back in a few days, we just need the crew to be back,"

Nakoa starts crying and I can't insist anymore.

"Help me look for the others," Spider tells Neteyam.

"You can't go!" I tell him raising my voice, Nakoa starts crying now.

"I need to say goodbye to them," he responded annoyed and gets up.

"Please, don't let him leave," I beg Neteyam before he goes after Spider. I know my cousin will be a good keeper.

They leave the tent and I can finally feed Nakoa. All we have left for today is keep an eye on Spider and make sure he gets up on that ship to go back to Hell's Gate with Norm.