I as usual apologize for my lengthy absence. I always love reviews so please indulge with a few words or maybe even a complete sentence. Thank you all and please enjoy.

My life is a mess. That's not true, just part of it. The part where I haven't seen my family in forever because my ex-boyfriend lives in the same town and is always with my family. The same ex-boyfriend who has been hovering over me in this hospital for days. Its painful and awkward and I have better things to do than lay here in emotional turmoil.

Jinora had woken up in the hospital, quite unhappily. First off, she felt quite ill and exhausted. She also hadn't been sure how or why she was there. Bolin had explained to her that she had suffered alcohol poisoning and consequently dehydration. The healers had a difficult time getting her to wake up when they had brought her to the hospital; they suspected powdered cacti had been used to spike her drink at the bar. That explanation had eased her mind enough at the time.

She'd been there for a few days now and was getting thoroughly tired of spending her days with the rotation of Rei and Bolin. He kept her company while Rei was in classes and brought dinner back for the three of them while Rei caught Jinora up on her homework. They had told all of their classmates and professors her food poisoning had become severe enough to need medical supervision for an extended period. She truly appreciated their attention and care, but spending time with Bolin was awkwardly tense as they stuck to polite conversation and tried to ignore their emotional animosity.

I don't want to know the exact details of your training schedule, Bolin. Please stop talking. You're rambling again.

"I'm boring you again, aren't I?" Bolin questioned intuitively.

"I'd say no, but I'd be lying." She placated him with a grimace. "I'm just exhausted with being in here. It's not all you I promise. Why aren't they letting me go home?" She slammed her arms exasperatedly against her bed to punctuate her sentence.

"You know they aren't sure entirely what happened to you and the long term effects of it and want to keep you for observation. Which of course you find ridiculous and makes you feel trapped." They had already discussed this especially since she turned the room upside down trying to bend her way out as she woke up. Her constant presence was becoming quite grating.

Jinora glared at her ex-boyfriend. She hated that he knew her so well and could read her emotions. "This whole thing is ridiculous and its a pain in my ass. I know you could let me out of this hospital if you wanted to. My parents gave you medical permissions. Something I disagree with." She sassed. "But it did keep them from traveling out her to fuss over me for nothing. Still I need to get back classes and I have a evaluation to present to the Dean about the Air Nomad program next week that I need to prepare for. Why can't I just rest and wait at home? And besides I'm keeping you from home and your work."

"The Academy can wait. I have an intern taking care of my classes while I give guest lectures. I'm actually set to be away from Republic City for a few months." Bolin said sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "They really don't need me at this point in the year, as long as I am back for yearly evaluation and promotion. I'm also supposed to sit in on a few classes at the university while I'm here."

"Oh, really?" Jinora accused. "So you came to the city that I live in to work at the University I go to without giving me any warning even though you knew you would be staying for months?" She fixed her stare at him with raised eyebrows and tight lips.

"I was hoping our interaction would be limited to say the least. I know that sounds awful, but this has been really hard on me too Nora. I've moved past 'us' in my life. And I'd like to keep my life intact." His whole face was flushed. His voice cracked on his last words. Bolin avoided eye contact with her for a few moments as he reigned in his emotions.

"So I'm at fault for leaving your life in shambles?" She was picking a fight, anything to dispel the monotony. "I break up with you and leave town and you can't keep your shit together? That is not my fault! Don't try to blame that on me." She had turned her body in her hospital bed to face him.

Bolin clenched his jaw and gritted through his teeth, "You know its not like that. You broke my heart when you left. We were incandescently happy together. I was ready to settle down in my life and share my future with you. I never fathomed you would end our relationship so abruptly. I handled my emotions quite poorly and I took me some time to pull myself together and get my life sorted out. Things were just beginning to feel normal again."

Jinora was holding back tears now. She had known she hurt him but hearing it from him is different than knowing off hand. "Please leave. You don't want to hear what I have to say to you on this subject." She held her composure quite well through her statement. Bolin looked up from his fixed spot on the floor. His heart was hurting over the sight of Jinora. She was trying to be stoic with her hands clenched in fists and tears streaming down her face.

"You're right. I should leave. I don't want to hear it. I 'm sure it can't be any worse than I've imagined. But I need to hear it Jin. I need you to tell me what we're doing. So we can both move on. You need this as much as I do. We can't even have a real conversation around each other. Let's get it over with." He came to terms with the reality of ripping out all of their problems and feelings, opening barely healed wounds. It had to be done.

She wouldn't even look at him. He thought she was trying to make up her mind,probably trying to determine where to start. "Remember that I gave you a chance to leave and that you asked for this." She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her face. She sat herself up and looked away from him and began her diatribe. "I left you and tried to live my life as an adult without my childhood crush. I needed to grow up. I had to let you go. You didn't need me dragging you down. I figured you grow bored with me away or just with me at all.

"I dated boy after boy: the dinners, the drinking, the kissing and mindless groping. It was pleasurable enough in the moment. In other cases there was pushing and shoving often paired with pressuring, guilting and harassing. Those boys were real treasures." She stated in an unmistakably bitter tone. "You set the bar too high in my life, none of them compared. I've lowered and changed my standards. Never once could they eclipse my feelings for you. You're ruining my life and you're not even in it, not really. You're in my dreams and thoughts. I've spent countless hours mediating trying to expel this from my soul. My emotions drive me to drink and show off with boys at clubs that get me sent to the hospital. I can't even pretend I'm in control of my thoughts and actions any longer. You're a infection in my heart, invading my mind. I can't do this anymore!" She paused to breathe and lower her escalating voice. "I'm missing out on my life. I don't go home for holiday. I haven't seen my family in months. I can't take it. I'm not strong enough to handle your presence. I don't have the strength to keep going on like this either.

"I'm done. I'm not quite sure what I'm done with though. You, me or us. I don't know anything else except that I'm done."

She closed her eyes as if to sleep. She looked peaceful for the first time in his recent memory. It was beautiful but only for a moment before she began to shake violently, color had left her face, as she sweated profusely.

Bolin was afraid to leave her side. He gently tried to keep her still on her bed while he panicked and screamed for help. He wasn't sure what was happening or why, but only glad he had not let her leave the hospital.