~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

Mama just killed a man.

Jake lifted Neteyam's head a bit and tilted the bowl into his mouth. Neytiri placed her hand beneath Jake's and tilted the bowl farther, so that the liquid slid down his throat quicker. "Hold him up so that it does not go into his lung." she instructed, eyeing Jake.  

Jake wrapped his arm around Neteyam's back and sat him up, cradling him in his elbow to keep his head tipped back. Neteyam grimaced but swallowed the substance down anyway, tears rolling down his face. He sputtered, before Jake held him up more. Clearly this liquid tasted awful, and Neteyam was not liking it. 

Once he began to gag, Jake took away the bowl. "Sorry, kid."

Neteyam just took a deep breath and looked around the room frantically, his one good eye open. 

Ronal proceeded to move her hands along Neteyam's ribs, feeling the pressure or the joints, Jake had no idea. But as a marine he knew that she would eventually pop the dislocated ones back into place, which wouldn't be a pretty sight. 

Mirroring his thoughts, Jake heard a sickening crack that broke through the air, overlapping a pained scream from Neteyam. 

Neytiri closed her eyes briefly and held her son's hand. "Neteyam, hush. It will be fine." 

"This bleeding needs to stop. Someone close this wound before he loses more blood!" Ronal snapped, pressing her hands across Neteyam's sides. The way he cried and yelled; Jake assumed she was doing it wrong, but he knew she wasn't. Viper scrambled close to Neteyam and pulled a wad of thread out of his pocket--like magic--and began stitching the bullet wound shut, his forehead beading with sweat. 

Neteyam writhed and wailed as he was being worked on. Jake tried to console him, stroking his thumb across his cheek, but he wasn't able to stop the overwhelming pain his eldest was in and that broke his heart.   

After maybe thirty minutes, it was over. The only noise that filled the marui was the pattering of raindrops and Neteyam's labored breathing. 

Linayin pressed her butterfly shaped ear against his chest. "He needs a chest tube," she clarified, "I carry one with my supplies. Wait here!"

She scurried to her feet and raced out of the pod.

"Dad, what is that?" Neteyam groaned, glancing about feverishly. 

"Just calm down, son, you'll be fine." Jake looked desperately at Ronal, who was examining the fifteen-year-old's skull. Her eyes were laced with worry as she spoke, "There is something wrong with his head. His shoulder bone is broken from the impact of the bullet, along with other things."

Linayin jogged back into the pod holding a small portable medical device. She held it up--"We should sedate him for this."

Jake and Neytiri immediately looked at each other, their eyes full of concern. 

"Isn't that dangerous?" Jake questioned. "In his situation? He's too weak to be sedated."

"We can use a light anesthetic." Ronal shifted on her knees and grabbed another bowl--this one full of a leafy herb. "He will be asleep, but not for long. So, we must work quickly."

Ronal placed her webbed hand over Neteyam's eyes and held the stash of herbs under his nose. He tried to move away, and his breath quickened at the scent, but eventually his movements slowed, and his muscles went lax. When the Tsahik removed her hand, his good eye was now halfway open but unseeing.   

"Is he asleep?" Neytiri asked, her voice gentle. She never let go of his hand.

"He is now." Ronal looked at Linayin, her mouth tight like she didn't want to say anything. But she sighed in irritation, "I do not know how to work these human devices. You will have to operate this."