I see you, Tsu'tey

Chapter 20

Awa spent the night in the infirmary, shaking in the aftershocks of the pain she felt during the linking. Grace and the other technicians there had rushed her to the doctors after she stopped throwing up and the worst of her seizures stopped. The doctor had no explanation for why she got the pain, any reasons to do with her of course. Awa was very vocal about her concern for her Avatar body though she knew it was mostly fine, the Na'vi was taking care of it, but she couldn't very well tell the doctors there that she knew it wasn't the Avatar body's fault.

Grace had marched in early the next morning with her bright white lab coat with a plethora of stains varying in size and color.

"Are you ready to try again?" Grace asked with a lit cigarette placed between her thin lips and her eyes displaying the worry she felt. "It was probably just a bug." She continued but Awa knew that's not what bugs did to you.

"Sure" She replied with a tired nod. Even though she was tired she was eager to prove to the people on Hell's Gate that she was strong and she hadn't destroyed her body in a fight they didn't know about. Come to think of it, no one knew exactly where her body was, except for her. "Can you help me stand?"

Grace nodded after taking a deep inhale of the cancer stick that was held loosely between two fingers. "Of course"

The older woman reached down and grabbed Awa's outstretched hands and pulled Awa into a sitting position with a low groan and then a sigh. "Do you need help standing or can you make it from here?"

"I need the help" Awa sheepishly admitted with a small blush that almost went unnoticed grew on her cheeks. She was ashamed to need help standing up but her pride wouldn't allowed her to stand up and fall down again. Sometimes there is strength in asking for help.

"Okay" Grace nodded and grabbed Awa by the hands again, this time with a firmer grip and a concentrated face. "Up you go" She said and gave a strong pull that shakily brought Awa to her feet. After making sure Awa was steady Grace dropped her hands and fell back on the bed, taking a new inhale of her cigarette and then a heavy exhale that painted the air in a thin veil of grey smoke.

"Thanks." Awa thanked the dramatic woman and then turned towards the open door. "Shall we?"

The doctor rolled off the bed with a dramatic groan and then stood on her feet. "We shall"

...

"Are you worried?" Grace asked Awa after strapping the younger woman in the linking unit. "It was probably just a glitch and this time it'll be a fast travel."

"I'd be the biggest liar ever if I said no" Awa chuckled but the sound came out shaky and nervous. "What if it wasn't a glitch and there's really something wrong with my body"

Grace waved off her concerns with a snort. "Don't worry so much, Awa, glitches happen. Now clear your mind of everything, we've given you the least glitchy one."

Awa nodded and tried to force a smile to her lips but what was supposed to be a sign of happiness came out as a grimace of discomfort and worry. She whispered a "sure" before laying her head back on the soft jelly like filling with shut closed eyes. 'You can do this' she thought to herself and then after a few tries she finally managed to clear her mind of everything.

When she opened her eyes again she was in her Avatar body and by Eywa did her body hurt. Her head pulsed with a sort of aching pain while the rest of her body sent flashes of pain that made her back arch and her toes curl through her veins and bones. She let out a throaty groan as she sat up with her hands grabbing the ends of the table so hard she could feel it breaking.