Twenty minutes later, Sokka and Toph were sitting in a hospital waiting room at Republic City Healer's Center, on Fifteenth Street. Sokka was sitting in one of the chairs lining the wall, his arms crossed. Toph was pacing back and forth, her hands behind his back. She was still wearing her metalbender's police uniform. They had gone straight to the hospital in Katara's Satomobile; she hadn't had time to change. Occasionally she stopped and looked furiously at the operation room door, before going back to pacing.

"If you keep that up much longer you're going to wear a hole in the floor, you know." Sokka said, breaking the stunned silence in the tiny room. Toph stopped and slammed her foot into the ground. Sokka's chair jumped about a foot in the air, and he landed with a yelp, the chair crashing into the floor. Sokka stood up, rubbing his sore back.

"Will you please be serious for once in your life!" Toph shouted, her voice breaking. "Lin's in there, she's in an emergency room, she's been attacked…" A sob escaped her lips, and she buried her head in Sokka's shirt, tears streaming from her eyes. Sokka put his arms around her and held her as she cried into his chest. "I don't know what to do." She said quietly. Sokka just held her close to him. After what seemed like hours, Toph stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Sokka pulled away.

"Listen," Sokka said. "It's going to be alright. Katara's in there, remember? Best healer in the world? If anyone can help Lin, it's Katara. It's going to be alright. I'd bet my sword on it." Toph smiled.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said quietly, brushing a lock of hair from her face. Sokka smiled.

"Don't sweat it, Chief Beifong." Toph punched him in the arm, laughing.

Sokka was almost asleep when the doors to the waiting room opened. The sound of the twin doors banging pulled him away from the edge of unconsciousness. Toph was asleep as well, her head resting on Sokka's shoulder as she snored. He looked up slowly, blinking sleep from his eyes.

There was a man in front of them, looking down on them. He was about six foot two, with no hair and a dark brown beard. He wore a red and yellow robe, and he was smiling.

"Aang!" Sokka said. He nudged Toph, waking her up. He stood up and shook Aang's hand. The airbender pulled Sokka forward and hugged him fiercely.

"Sokka!" He said cheerfully. He voice was much deeper than the last time Sokka had seen him, but that had been a long time ago-five years? Six? The affairs of Republic City kept Aang very busy. "Good to see you, my friend. It's been much too long."

"I'd know that voice anywhere." Someone said from the corner. Toph stood up, smiling slightly. "How you doing, Twinkle toes?" Aang walked over and hugged Toph as well, lifting her up in the air.

"Chief Beifong." He said, smiling before setting Toph back down on the ground. "I'm sorry this meeting couldn't be under better circumstances." Sokka frowned.

"Yeah, well, there's not much choice in that." He said quietly. "Do you know anything? What's going on?" Aang shook his head quietly.

"I'm afraid I'm as much in the dark as anyone else." He said gravely. "I got the call during the City Council meeting, and Katara left to come here. I was caught up in a meeting with the Northern Water Tribe ambassador and couldn't make it over until now. How is Lin? What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure ourselves." Toph said worriedly. "Katara and the rest of the healers have been in there for the last few hours." Aang nodded.

"I'd better go in and talk to Katara." He said gravely. He walked through the emergency room doors, a gust of wind blowing behind him. Sokka looked at Toph and nodded reassuringly.

"She's going to be okay, Toph." Sokka said. Toph nodded.

"I know, I know. I just…" Toph shook her head angrily. "Sokka. When I find out who did this…I'll kill them." Sokka just nodded and put his arm around Toph's shoulder.

"I know."