Torn Apart (pt. 1)

Chapter 3

Aang knew pain. Whether it was physical, emotional,or mental, pain is a feeling that Aang not only knew, but has had to learn to get used to.From fighting in a century-long war to grieving over the death of Monk Gyatso and everyone he loved, Aang thought that those dreadful experiences would help him cope with pain better and eventually overcome it. But today, he was proven wrong. 

When Aang felt pain, it could get really bad, but when Katara felt pain....it was a whole different story.  

"Aang, promise me something," Katara said. He knelt down beside her hospital bed and took her shaking hand.  

"Anything,sweetheart," he responded. She squeezed his hand. 

"I-If anything.......if anything happens to me," she began to say before her voice cracked and tears flowed down her face. "T-Tell the others that....t-that I love them.....please........." 

"NO, Katara!" Aang snapped,tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't you DARE make me promise anything like that! There is no way I am letting you die, do you hear me?!"Tears flowed down Aang's cheeks. The thought of losing Katara just broke every bit of his heart and soul. At that moment he swore to find the heartless monster who did this to her. 

"Are you guys ready?" Dr. Meng asked the married couple. Aang looked at Katara and she nodded. He looked back at the him and said, "We're ready," Then he gripped onto the arrow and began to pull.  

Katara let out a small cry in response to the pain, but stifled the next one. She didn't want the Dr. Meng worrying that he was doing something wrong, and if Aang worried anymore, that could possibly send him into the Avatar State, which was the LAST thing she needed. Dr. Meng pulled harder, and the groans and screams began harder to hold back. Aang noticed her struggling with this, and started comforting her.  

"It's ok,Katara. Soon it'll already be over," he said, hoping that he was right.  

"Ok, it's halfway out," Dr. Meng said, sweat dripping from his face. "I'm gonna have to pull harder," As he pulled with more force, Katara groaned and yelped in pain.  

"A-Aang.....Aang, I think I'm gonna th-throw up...." Katara stuttered between her cries. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, they all heard a big, sickening ripping sound, as if something had been torn inside of her.Unbearable pain shot through Katara in a split second and she let out a loud, blood-curling scream that traveled through the emergency room and echoed through the hallway. Pain surged through Aang's already-aching heart. He shot a worried look to the doctor.  

"What happened? What's wrong with her?!" He said, raising his deep voice. 

"I-I think the arrow tore through some muscles in her back. There's no way to be sure until the arrow's out of her," he said, a tone of fear in his voice. Katara's cries grew louder and louder. Dr. Meng pulled some more, blood spraying all over his plastic gloves.  

"She's losing too much blood. We need to stop the bleeding somehow," Dr. Menu said. Aang looked at all the blood and grimaced.  

"How are we gonna-" he started. 

"Aang....I-I can...s-stop the bleeding," Katara muttered between gasps of breath. 

Aang stood there puzzled, then it him. Katara could bloodbend. Aang placed a hand on her wet cheek. "Are you sure?"  

"I'll t-try a-anything," she said, her voice sounding strained. Aang looked uneasy. He had been a victim of bloodbending before, and it was absolutely horrific. The thought of Katara doing it to herself sickened him. But at the moment, it wasn't about him. It was about her getting the arrow out of her body, and if this got them any closer, then he would go with it whether he liked it or not. He gave gave Dr. Meng a small nod. "Let's give it a shot,". 

"Ok, when I say 'go', you're gonna stop the bloodflow in the area the arrow is in. Once you do that, I'll be able to get it out, understand?" Dr. Meng said, panting. Breathing heavily, Katara weakly nodded. The doctor got a good grip on the arrow. 

"Ok.....Go!"  

Katara reached her sweaty hands towards the wound and began to bend her own blood.