Torn Apart (pt. 1)

Chapter 2

"Aang....it hurts.." Katara groaned, tears streaming down her face. 

"It's ok, Katara," Aang said, stroking her cheek. "It's almost over." He gave her a reassuring smile, while trying his best to hide his own fear and shock. So much had happened to her that evening. Everything had been going fine, yet it had gone downhill so quickly that not even a fully-realized avatar could stop it. One minute he was on cloud nine, walking on the calm, peaceful beach, the beautiful sunset casting a shadow over his friends playing in the ocean with goofy smiles on there faces, all while holding the girl of his dreams in his arms. Now he was holding her quivering hand while she lies on an operating table in the emergency room with a doctor standing over her, pulling at the arrow. Aang dabbed sweat off of his wife's head with a bloody rag, and tried to comfort her the best he could. He looked into her pretty blue eyes, so full of fear and pain that it made his heart ache. He just wanted to take every bit of her pain and shove it down the throat of whoever did this to her.  

"You're gonna be ok, sweetheart. I promise," he said to her. Tears streaming down her face as she groaned in pain. 

"A-Aang.....I-I don't think I'm....g-gonna survive this....." she stuttered.  

"Don't SAY that, Katara! You ARE going to get through this. Remember what I told while you were on Appa? I told you that I'm NOT letting you go. And I'm keeping that promise," he said, with a serious tone in his voice. Katara gasped for breath between sobs and said weakly, "I-I love you, Aang,". Tears welled up in his brown eyes,threatening to fall down his cheeks. He blinked them back and whispered back, "I love you too , Katara,". 

One of the doctors, Joh Meng, looked up from the bloody wound and spoke to the Teary-eyed Avatar.  

"Ok, we managed to ease the arrow out a little bit, but if we really want to get it out, we're really gonna have to pull,and I mean REALLY pull," he said, emphasizing the word "pull". Aang looked at Katara. She was in so much pain. Tears stained her face as blood stained her side. If they pulled that arrow, it would cause her even more pain, and even though Katara has proven herself over the years to be anything but weak and fragile, he wasn't sure she could handle anymore pain. He looked at the doctor with desperate eyes. 

"Doctor, there has to be another way. She can't take it anymore," he pleaded. The young doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's no other way,". We need to do it now before it hurts her even more," . 

"No. There has to be another wa-". 

"Get it OUT!" Katara yelled, her voice hoarse and slightly weak. "Get it out NOW!" Aang took a step back,surprised at how Katara stood her ground, considering the condition she was in. "Katara-" he started.  

"NO,Aang!" she shouted. "I will be ok! I'm can handle the pain, I KNOW I can! Just get this arrow out my back NOW!"

The doctor looked at Aang. "What do you wanna do, Aang?" Aang looked at Katara once again. Despite her look of fear, beneath it was a look of determination. She was ready to face this pain. Aang swallowed and said, "Well, you heard the woman. Let's get that arrow out."