Okay, came up with this short little oneshot last night. Hope you enjoy! Read, enjoy, review as usual :)
Frantically, he checks his watch. Still no train. Heart thumping, he paces the platform, breathing in the dank, stale, warm air in shallow, panicked gasps. The screech of brakes, the grinding of metal on metal. The subway car finally pulls into the station, idling to a halt as Aang almost rips the door open to get inside.
As the train pulls off, his mind reels off a list of insults, to the entire subway system for not being a damn sight faster, to the mechanic who still hadn't fixed his car yet, to the traffic in the city being gridlocked. On today, of all days.
He had received the heart-stopping call at work, crammed into his cubicle. His phone rang. His answer, as always, had been the same. Only this time, his knuckles whitened, his voice cracked, and his heart stopped at the cold words from the receiver.
"Are you sure?" Were his only words. Slow, croaky. Heavy.
The tinny reply echoed from the end of his speaker.
Aang gulped, and replied. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
With a brief explanation to his boss, Aang ran out of the building. Diving through traffic, he began to run home. A block later, he remembered about his car. Swearing and pulling off his tie, he switched direction and headed to the nearest subway station. He can hear the rattle of the train pulling in, and desperately throws some money at the cashier. Slowly, ever so slowly, the ticket prints out.
A beep. A flash of red light. A roll of the eyes and a sigh from the cashier. The ticket jams in the printer. Dismayed, there is nothing Aang can do as he watches the train pull away. The cashier finally hands him his ticket, and he trudges towards the platform.
Every delay, every second, could cost him.
And this brings him back to the present. A speeding train, swaying as it rockets into darkness. For Aang, at this moment, it simply isn't fast enough. Wringing his wrists, head in his hands, tearing his hair in unbearable frustration. His thoughts churning, his stomach turning.
Desperate to get there in time.
The tension built in the centre of his body. His hands gripped the seat until his knuckles turned whiter than the snow that coated his shirt.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the subway car rolled to a stop. The doors pinged open. Like a sprinter, Aang was out of his seat, out of the doors, and up the exit stairs before most people had a chance to react to their stop.
Within 30 seconds of the train stopping, he was through the hospital doors.
"Katara Yangchen's room please!" Aang almost shouted at the receptionist.
She took five painful, long seconds to sort through the information on her computer system, idly tapping keys like he didn't have a god damn emergency to get to!
"Oh, ok, who are you please?" She curtly replied.
"I'm her husband for Christ's sake!" Aang banged his fist on the desk, the sharp sound shocking the receptionist into some kind of life.
"Oh, of course sir. Room 303, Jephson Ward."
"Yeah. Thanks." Aang hurriedly replied as he eyed the complicated signpost. "I need the quickest way please..."
"Two left turns, two right turns and another left, sir."
"Two left, two right, one left." Aang repeated. "Thanks a lot"
He took off at breakneck speed, sliding and skidding over polished floors. People cluttered his way, but he pushed them, shoved them, did whatever he could to get past. Natural instinct told him to be polite, but pure willpower drove him through the crowd. Bursting through the door to Jephson Ward, he could hear screams echoing down the corridor.
Katara's screams.
Using the last reserves of his stamina, his legs carry him to the end of the corridor, through the door of the room without any hesitation as to what may be awaiting him. The only thing ringing around his ears were Katara's screams.
He entered. Surveyed the scene. Rushed to Katara's bedside. Grabbed her hand.
Reassured her. He was here. He was finally here. Beside her. For the most important occasion in their young lives so far. Better than their wedding day, better even than their honeymoon.
Katara growled curses at Aang, and they were water off a duck's back as the event finally unfolded. With a huge gasp, Katara collapsed back from Aang's shoulder.
A nurse held a still life form cradled to her shoulder, patting it gently on the back.
Two beats, two heart stopping moments.
A wail, a cry.
Kissing Katara's forehead with relief, and pure happiness. Unaltered joy.
When Aang looked back on his life, there were two stand out moments. When Katara looked him straight in the eye, and said "I do", and that cry. That scream.
The sound of his first born son.