What We Do For Love
Mistakes
How could Sokka have been so stupid? Why wasn't he wearing a helmet? The answer was obvious: Toph didn't have one so he risked everything. Sokka's body lay nearly lifeless on the hospital bed. Toph stood next to him, tears in her eyes. The door opened and Toph wiped the tears from her eyes.
She turned to find Katara. "Hey Toph." Katara said solemnly, taking no time to notice Toph's injuries, focusing instead on those of her brother.
"Hey." Toph said, her voice still choked.
Katara stepped closer to her broken brother. Tears began to well in her eyes. Toph opened her arms to embrace Katara, Katara refused. She pushed Toph's arms away and knelt by the side of Sokka's bed.
"Look," Toph said, balancing on her crutches, "I didn't want this to happen, I blame myself too. So you know what, you can give me the cold shoulder all you want. It just doesn't help the situation."
"Toph, if Sokka hadn't given you his helmet, he would be fine! So don't blame me for being mad." Katara said, her volume rising to a shout.
Toph sighed. "Katara, you don't think I go over the situations? You don't think I'm pissed at myself? Do you honestly think I don't think I'm devastated? You really don't think that I wish that was me on the bed instead of him?" By the finishing question Toph's voice had fallen to but a whisper, tears collecting in her eyes.
"Yes I realize you may be mad at yourself, but that doesn't change that my brother is unconscious and has a concussion that could terminate his life permanently." Katara said with anger pinching her voice.
"I'll just leave then if that will make you happy." Toph said. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she walked out the door.
"I think that would be best." Katara said before adding, "Drama queen." under her breath. Katara squeezed Sokka's hand in the hope that he would respond.
Toph left, tears filling her sightless eyes. Everything was ruined that day. Toph and Sokka were go to the Reflection Pool and he was going to propose. All that was ruined because of one stupid mistake.
Toph wandered the streets until late that night. Her mind went of the situation a hundred times. A hundred things she could've done different. At some point, she bought a bottle of whiskey and was draining it when her phone rang. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hi Toph? Sokka's awake!" the excited voice on the other end said in a rush.
"K I'll be right there." Toph said, ditching her bottle and running in the direction of the hospital. Everything was going to be perfect again. She bolted into a run. Why wouldn't she? Sokka was awake and they could carry out the plans they had made together.
"Everything's perfect again." Toph whispered to herself as she walked in the sliding doors of the hospital.
She crossed over to the neuro-trauma wing to visit the man he loved. Everything was going to be the way it was. Sokka would go on to play college football, Toph would be an Earthbending teacher, they would start a family together and everything would be the way they had planned.
One step into the hospital room proved otherwise. Sokka looked fine, but their relationship didn't. Sokka's face hardened when Toph entered the room. Its angry qualities were nothing she had ever seen before.
"Sokka, you're okay!" Toph exclaimed.
Sokka rolled his eyes. "No actually, I'm not. And if it weren't for you, I would be." So this is what everything was about. Did he actually regret giving her his helmet?
Toph just stood there for a moment, unsure what to do. Should she break down in tears or stay firm and unreachable? The latter, at least until she was alone. Toph ran out of the room, on the verge of breaking down into tears.
Was Sokka really that angry about a choice he made? Was he really regretting saving Toph's life?
Did Sokka honestly think it was all a mistake?
