Dao and the Freedom Fighters

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑 - 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬

Third Person POV:

Dao made it through that first night. 

And the next. 

And the next. 

Somehow, by some miracle he made it.

That didn't mean it had been easy though. 

The first night, Dao's temperature spiked incredibly high, however they hadn't noticed for longer than they should have. Then again, they'd never had a firebender kid with them before so they hadn't known if that temperature was normal until way later in the night. They hadn't known until it got to the point where his fever got to be a legitimate concern.

Dao muttered and whimpered all night, begging someone to stop hurting him, but Jet had never been able to pick up on just who Dao was talking about. There were points where he'd make up a bit more, crying for his mom and/or dad, which broke Jet's heart. He moved into the bed to hold the feverish child close in hopes of getting the fever to break. As well as keeping Dao from thrashing around too much and disrupting Longshot's work on his burned eye.

They didn't know where Dao's parents were or even if they were still alive. And even if they did, there would be no way they'd be able to find where his parents were with the condition Dao was in now. They don't even know where the boy came from.

Jet sent Longshot and Bee off to bed somewhere around midnight, stating he'd keep a watch over Dao for the rest of the night, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep when he knew one of his kids was hurting. He did what he could to keep Dao's temperature down; replacing a damp cloth every couple of minutes after it was heated from both Dao's fever heat and his firebending. 

For a moment Jet was thinking he was in way over his head. But he quickly cut that off. Jet wasn't going to turn his back on an injured kid who needed his help. This injured, scared child needed a home- a family, and that's exactly what he was going to get.

So he stayed, taking care of the young boy through the night; working him through nightmares; doing anything and everything to keep Dao as calm and healthy as possible, to ensure he'd make it to the next day.

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𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐏

╰══ღ❦ღ═════❤️‍🔥══╯ 

Morning broke alas Dao's fever did not, in fact it seemed to rise despite all they were doing to fight back. Longshot slid a medication down the boy's throat hoping to help fight off the infections and fever before it had the chance to get worse, but ultimately decided that he'd need to make a trip soon to Takku to get some real medicine for Dao's fever.

Longshot sent Jet out to get some sleep while he watched over Dao for a few hours before switching off with Smellerbee and then back to Jet that night. After Bee's shift, Longshot took off to the healer for medication and was back by morning. 

They kept up with this simple rotation for a week until Dao's fever finally, finally broke with the medication's help. And after that they kept rotation as Dao continued to heal. The week after that Dao was cleared of all infections. But still he didn't wake fully.

They continued keeping an eye on the younger boy. Continued working him through nightmares whenever they hit. And just doing whatever they could to ensure the kid would make it.

Finally, after nearly three weeks since Jet had brought Dao to the hideout, the boy finally woke up.

Naturally Dao was freaked out (though he did calm down a bit holding his dragon as they talked to him). This was a completely new place and from what they got out of him, he didn't even remember much after Jet found him in the trap. He didn't know where he was or really even why he was there in the Earth Kingdom. 

The Freedom Fighters took Dao in while he healed and would be there for him after that too if he wanted to stay.