"Repressed memory is a condition where a memory has been unconsciously blocked by an individual due to the high level of stress or trauma contained in that memory. Even though the individual cannot recall the memory, it may still be affecting them consciously."

.

"Amnesia is referred to any instance in which memories stored in the long-term memory are completely or partially forgotten, usually due to brain injury. According to proponents of the existence of repressed memories, they may sometimes be recovered years or decades after the event, most often spontaneously, triggered by a particular smell, taste, or other identifier related to the lost memory, or via suggestion during psychotherapy."


Prologue-Who You Were Before


Memory is a funny thing.

We can choose to savor the good moments, and regret the bad ones, all the while, each tiny fragment fabricates our lives, blured together in time and makes us who we are. Each bit and piece, no more important than the rest, and, if you take one instance away...who is to say you aren't the same person as before?

We can suppress the bad memories into the back of our minds; when something so horrible and painful threatens us, our defense mechanism kicks in- almost like our own personal Avatar State- and switches it like an 'off ' button, as if it never happened.

But it did happen. You just can't recall it at the moment, but it's there. Always lingering in the back of your mind until it all comes back to you in a flash. Like waves crashing onto you. Like the earth crushing you, and the wind sucking air from your lungs. And you think, how in the world did I forget all this? How did I lose this part of me?

Memory is a funny thing. Always changing, blurry, never certain. Yet it makes us who we are.

But one thing is for sure.

You can't miss what you don't even remember.

.

Bolin knows this all too well.


Mako's POV- watching from the audience.


"BOLIN!"

It's a freak accident- or they would like to assume so—two stray shots, both from the rival Earthbender, whizzing faster than any rock should go. You watch in barley contained paranoia as the first knocks off his helmet with a slight shatter of glass, and before the ref can call foul, another one whips around and strikes him on the side of the head. He's out instantly, unconscious before he hits the metal floor of the arena. The last thing you see before you and Korra give each other a panicked look and bolt down the isles to the field where he lay, is his new teammates trying to warn him about the second disk that cracks against his head so loud that you can practically hear it.

"Ohhh...and he's OUT COLD, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer calls,"Look's like Bolin's down for the count, folks! That had gotta hurt! How will the Fire Ferrets ever-"

"-Would you just shut up and call the darn hospital?!" Korra growls, sending a typhoon of water on top of him.

Before you can rush to his side, you hear,"Is...is he gonna be okay?" a timid voice.

You look up to see all the players staring at you both, and it takes Korra to hold you back from nearly strangling their Earthbender.

"What the heck is the matter with you?!" You scream at the boy, your hands heating up, "You could have killed him!"

"Mako, stop! Calm down!" Korra grunts, locking her arms around you.

But you can barely breathe, going slack and slumping down next to him. You hold him there as the red runs downs his hairline, and across his jaw and- oh, thank the Spirits he's still breathing...

His face is an eerie pale with closed lids, having somehow been spared the bits of glass from the broken helmet. You cradle him to your chest and murmur whispers of love in his ear that you know he can't hear, clenching his hand in your own and blocking out the sound of his scream right before the silence.


The rest of the day is a blur of watching the other team timidly leave, waiting for the hospital to arrive with stretchers as they carry him away from you, and you being forced to sit for hours in a waiting room that smells like vomit and blood and antiseptic and death.

Korra's hand on your shoulder makes you look up. A balding man in a white coat and wire glasses is standing over you, holding a clipboard with way too many papers and scribbles on it.

"You are..." he checks the clipboard, "'Mako' correct? Bolin's brother?"

You swallow and nod, "Yes."

The man nods curtly, flipping idly thought his papers.

"H-how is he?" you breathe out.

The man sighs and takes off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I'm not gonna lie to you kids; so far, it doesn't look very good." you're painfully aware as to how he averts his eyes from you, "He hasn't woken up yet, and while we have managed to stabilize him and stop the bleeding, he has some pretty severe head trauma. He's lucky not to be in a coma right now."

You let out a shaky breath and slump down in your chair, bones slack.

You try to control your breathing. The air in the room is thick and humid. The beeping down the hall blares in your ears like heartbeat.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to Bo. No, he has to wake up, he-

"So...so what does that mean, exactly?" Korra speaks for you both, "Can we go see him?"

The doctor looks at you both, the crease between his furrowed browns thickens as he rubs his face.

"As I said, he is still not in a very good condition. He is in room 214, you may go visit him, but...We won't know the...side-affects, until he wakes up. There are many things that can go wrong from a head trauma like his. Lack of memory, blindness...I just want you to be prepared."

You stare at the man with a white-knuckled grip on the chair, and try to look for any signs that he is lying. But, no, his gray eyes are tired and hold the brutal honesty of a man who has seen too many of his patients suffer and has had to give this speech more often than he'd like.

Through your daze, you sense Korra bow next to you and thank the doctor. You feel her grip your arm and allow her to lead you down the hall until the number '214' bores into your mind with its gleaming black paint.

"He's going to be okay, Mako." she whispers in your ear, but you don't believe her.

You turn the handle and hold your breath. The next thing you see is everything you are, dangling on an IV with a stained bandage wrapped around his head.

"Bo..."


Next up, Bolin's POV! Thanks everyone! :)

PS, warning you now that this is going to be a very angsty and emotional story, so bring tissues!