I'll Always Come Back To You

We Could've Lost Everything

"Is she dead?"

"Yes."

I heard a thump and a muffled curse.

"She's not dead. She's just asleep," said a gruff voice.

I started to hear these murmuring voices as I left the dark warmth.

I blinked my eyes blearily as they came into focus, taking in the canvas ceiling above me and the fire making shadows dance throughout it.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Mo'at said.

I yawned and sat up. Ralu must've brought me to the Sully's tent with their grandmother.

"I was out for a while, wasn't I?" I asked, looking down sheepishly.

"It's alright, dear. You needed the sleep anyway." She gave me a warm smile. "It also made patching you up easier."

I smiled softly.

Mo'at had always felt like a grandmother to me. I never told her, but she never rejected me for wanting to help her or just sit and listen to a story. It's never verbally been acknowledged, but that's just how it felt. Though, honestly, I don't have many other grandmothers, do I?

I glanced down to my ribs, where I saw dapophet bandages wrapped tightly around my chest.

Now that I thought about it, they kinda stung.

I scanned the tent, looking for everyone.

Neteyam was being tended to by Mo'at because he, like me, got injured.

Unlike me, though, he was whining about it. And Lo'ak was teasing him for it. I decided to join.

"Who's the mighty warrior now, Neteyam?" I smirked, referring to his grumbling. He feigned an injured look, trying and failing to hide his smile. I beamed at him and laughed.

Kiri was helping the tsahík, as was Tuk. She mentioned a different type of medicine as she gave the prepared herbs to the elder Na'vi.

Mo'at doesn't particularly like to change her ways, so she acted annoyed with Kiri, but I could see the smile she was trying to hide. She was very proud of Kiri and all that she had learned. I also knew Mo'at was hoping she'd be the next Tsahík, after Neytiri. She handed me some herb leaves to crush, as well as a mortar and pestle. 

I took them silently, lost in thought.

I glanced towards the tent entrance, spotting Neytiri.

She watched us for a minute before turning back and going over to her mate. Probably to talk about the raid. And his habit of treating his family like a warrior unit.

I know it's because of his earlier warrior training before he joined the Na'vi, but still. It's kinda annoying to watch when he's giving his children "orders" instead of directions.

He's also very hard on Neteyam and Lo'ak. They're trying their best and it's almost like he doesn't see it. Sometimes, I wish I could take some of the burden off their shoulders, but Jake insisted on focusing on them. I wasn't 100% sure why, either.

"I thought we lost them,"

My ears pricked forward, and I stopped crushing herb leaves to listen.

I heard Neytiri sigh softly, and I turned away slightly as my ears flicked back.

I didn't realize how dangerous it was for all of us until now.

I looked to the back of the tent where Ralu was trying to sneak underneath the flaps and Mo'at was chastising him to use the entrance. I don't know what I would do without Ralu, Lo'ak, Neteyam, or anyone else for that matter. If they were gone, I'd probably just break into pieces and...drift away.