Title/Prompt: Thirst

Rating/Warnings: G
Word count: 759
Summary: Ma-Ti and Red Elk have been staked out in the desert, left to the mercy of the sun.

Notes: Unbeta'd. Set during the episode No Horsing Around during season two.

There was a nerve jumping in Ma-Ti's arm. He tilted his head back and watched his skin flicker slightly as his body twitched without his permission.

He closed his eyes. The earth was scorched and rock-hard against his back, and the sun beat down relentlessly. His skin had tightened slowly and was starting to burn. Any slight movement pulled at him and reminded him that the hot sun in the sky above was slowly cooking him.

Sweat ran down his temples into his hair. Beside him, he could hear Red Elk's rasping breath. Ma-Ti wanted to offer a word of encouragement to his friend, but his mouth felt like cotton and it was an effort to breathe.

He kept his eyes closed. Opening them was only painful, and reminded him that he was ridiculously dizzy.

Thirsty.

He let out a soft whimper as the thought occurred. He knew he was dangerously dehydrated, but until now, he had been too focused on his other discomforts to notice how desperately he craved water. The ropes at his wrists and ankles were rubbing his skin raw, there was a sharp rock digging into his back, his skin was hot and tight, and sweat was making his eyes sting.

But nothing compared to the need for a drink. He had sudden, achingly-clear visions of Greedly holding up canteens of water, letting the liquid roll and spill freely through the air so it splattered to the ground and was quickly swallowed up by the thirsty soil. What Ma-Ti wouldn't give for just one sip of cool, clear water.

A lizard ran across the sand by Ma-Ti's arm, watching him warily with one large, round eye. Ma-Ti blinked at it tiredly, the world slowly spinning as he tried to focus.

"Ma-Ti?" Red Elk's voice was just a whisper.

Answering his friend was impossible. He tried – but his voice had long-since been beaten away by his thirst, and his chest ached and quivered with each tortured breath. He offered a small sigh in return and closed his eyes again, images of rainstorms and sweeping floods behind his eyelids. It was a strange thought – such sweeping devastation would be paradise if only one sweet, cold drop of water made its way into Ma-Ti's parched mouth.

For the first time ever, he had doubt in his mind regarding the other Planeteers. He was suddenly certain that they would be too late to save him, and they would find his body days later, stretched and crackling in the desert sun, the ants crawling over him.

If he'd had the energy or the hydration, he'd have cried.

"Ma-Ti?"

"Give him some water, Gi."

The voices bounced around the edges of his brain violently, making his head pound. He felt a cold, wet cloth being held against his mouth. Slow, clean, wonderful water trickled its way into his mouth. He gasped softly and tried to open his eyes.

"Careful, little buddy. You okay?"

His eyes simply would not open. He sank back into the earth again, but became aware that his hands and ankles had been released from the ropes. Somewhere, he could hear Kwame and Linka talking softly to Red Elk.

"We'll get you to a hospital, Ma-Ti," Gi whispered. "It'll be okay."

In the back of his mind, he argued that Greedly was still out there, and he needed to be stopped, but he had no energy to voice his concerns to the others. All he wanted was water and comfort and he didn't care how he got there. A soft bed and something cool and soothing on his burnt skin. Tall glasses of icy water that were always within reach.

"Come on, Ma-Ti..."

He heard Wheeler's voice, close and friendly, and he tried to return the comfort, but he was too weak and parched. His head lolled tiredly and he remained limp and useless as Wheeler lifted him and started to carry him. His skin screamed and burned at the lightest touch, but he was unable to offer any indication he was in pain.

He could hear Linka worrying as Wheeler carried him.

"They are both so burnt..."

His skin felt tight and hot and he knew parts of his face had started to blister. He wondered how much longer he'd been able to stand the heat. An hour? Half an hour? Minutes?

He cracked his eyes open and looked up into Wheeler's face. The Fire Planeteer grinned down at him.

"You okay, man?"

Ma-Ti sighed softly and closed his eyes again.

He'd be okay.