Aang, Katara, and Toph heard Sokka's cry for help and looked up (Toph looked towards the sound, of course.) Sokka was running to them, waving his arms around in panic. He kept on shouting about Zuko not breathing, not knowing what was wrong, and that they needed to help him. Toph brought her heel down and tripped Sokka, making him fall to the ground.
"Chill," she said simply.
After a moment, Sokka stood up. "Okay, okay, I'm calm now, but Zuko still needs help."
"I'll go." Aang said.
Sokka nodded and looked to his sister. "Katara, we may need you too."
She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine."
"I'll come just so I won't be left behind." Toph said.
Sokka nodded and all four went back to the clearing. Aang went over to Zuko's side when they got there and checked his breathing again. Still nothing. He then gently rolled Zuko onto his back and felt for a pulse. He had a pulse, but just wasn't breathing. Aang then lifted Zuko's chin up, closed his nose, and gently started bending air in and out of his lungs. Everyone else pretty much waited to see if he would breathe again. After a few more rounds of bending air, Zuko started coughing. Aang stopped and looked at him. He then woke up and looked at Aang with blurry vision.
"Hey Zuko. Can you hear me?"
He narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding.
"Do you know where you are?"
Zuko nodded again. Aang sighed in relief. Zuko then propped himself on his elbows, staying on his elbows when his head began to swim. He then looked to Aang and then to the others and realized what had happened. His eyes took on a look of fear. He began to shake a little as he got himself into a sitting position, not because his head was still swimming, but because of what had just occurred.
"Are you okay?" Aang asked.
Zuko did not answer. He was scared to. The one thing that kept him feeling whole was gone, the secret. He felt so alone….so….vulnerable. He had lost control of himself because of this "life line" being taken away from him, and now he was on thin ice. He gave a shaky sigh and hugged his knees to his chest, looking away.
"Zuko, answer me. Are you okay?" Aang asked again.
'No, I am not okay. I have never been okay, Aang. Isn't that fucking obvious?' This was the response Zuko wanted to give. Instead, he took in a breath before finally dropping his head to his knees and shaking it back and forth. He curled up tighter and was silent. Aang sat patiently, waiting for Zuko to say something. Sokka and Katara watched this in silence. Toph noticed Zuko's heart beating hard with anxiety. She knew that he would not be okay after what she had said, but what else could she do? She wasn't going to let him get away with what he was doing; it was going to eventually kill him.
'It's not too surprising that Sokka would have believed Zuko's lies, but to have not said anything and have ignored it? That was wrong. Of course, what Aang did was good, even though he only told Katara. At least he told somebody.' She sighed with thought.
Zuko looked back up again, still seeing Aang next to him and the others nearby but not close. He trembled more with anxiety. Aang saw this and rested a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Zuko, we only want to help you. We know that you are feeling scared right now, but we promise we will try to help you."
'What's with this we stuff? I do not want to help our enemy. This was his mess, and he should be able to clean it up without any help.' Katara thought bitterly.
At this point, one tear went down Zuko's face. Another followed it, and another. And another. And another. Zuko bit his lip and brought his head down to his knees again, crying. "You don't get it," he whispered between sobs, "You just don't understand what I have been through in my life." He looked up this time. "No Aang, scared is a damn understatement. There is much more than just fear, but you wouldn't get it." He brought his head back down. "You just wouldn't."
Aang looked to Sokka, Katara, and Toph and gestured for them to leave. Sokka put his hand on Toph's shoulder and lead her away, Katara right behind them. Aang stayed sitting next to Zuko as he cried.
