A cool sensation went up and down Tikani's arm as his eyelids fluttered open. He blinked a few times before gaining full consciousness, noticing someone hunched over him and a gleaming pool of water around his arm. Tikani grumbled lowly as he tried to wake up.

"Looks like he's finally waking up," Katara's voice said softly.

Tikani then felt a warm hand smooth his messy hair. It felt comforting and familiar.

"Thank goodness, I was getting worried," then came his mother's voice just as softly.

"About time," echoed his father's voice somewhere in the background.

Tikani blinked a few more times before everything came into clear view. He was laying in a bed with his mother and aunt sitting on either side of him. Suki and Katara looked down at him with different expressions; his aunt with a small, relieved smile and his mother with a concerned frown. Tikani then noticed his right arm was in a sling and his Aunt Katara healing it with her water bending.

"Wha…what happened?" the ten year old boy asked. He tried moving his arm. Terrible idea. He winced and choked back a swear word he once heard his father use while watching a Pro-Bending Match.

Suki cupped his cheek gently, running her thumb along the bone. "You broke your arm, sweetie," she explained quietly.

"Apparently you took quite a fall down a tree. Good thing Bumi was there to call for help," said Sokka. He hunched down by his wife, his arm around her. He used his free hand to ruffle his son's hair. "How are you feeling, buddy?"

Tikani took a moment to think. He noticed his head and whole body ached but not as much as his arm. His aunt's healing was certainly helping, though.

"Crummy," he answered in a tired voice.

Sokka let out a few chuckles as Suki continued to wear a frown, smoothing back her son's hair where her husband had ruffled it up.

"You'll be feeling better in no time," said Katara, still healing her nephew.

"Do you remember anything from the fall?" Suki asked, trying to hide her concern but was doing so quite poorly.

Tikani took a moment to think. It suddenly all came back to him. He furrowed his brows with an annoyed scowl, resembling his father.

"One of the new lemur bats took something of mine…I can't really remember what." He scratched the side of his head with his uninjured hand. "It climbed up one of the trees and I chased after it and got in the tree. He was on a branch I think I remember reaching out to the grab it from the lemur and then…yeah, then I fell."

"Oh, Tikani," Suki said with a sigh and a disapproving shake of her head. "You know better than that."

Tikani gave his mother a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Lemur bats are sneaky little creatures, Tik," chimed in Sokka, trying to make the situation light. "I guess you had to learn that lesson the hard way."

"Yeah," Tikani scoffed. He glanced down at his sling. "No kidding."

Katara bent the water back into her water skin. "This is enough for now." She turned her attention back to her nephew. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay on the island for the night so I can do more healing."

Before Tikani could respond the door to the room burst open loudly. His youngest sister, Sakari, practically came bouncing into the room with his oldest sister, Atka, following quickly in suit. The eldest girl wore an exhausted and annoyed expression as the little one galloped over to the end of Tikani's bed.

"Tiki!" Sakari squealed, a huge smile on her face. "You're finally awake!"

Suki glanced over to Atka with her own annoyed expression. "You couldn't watch your sister for five minutes?" the mother scolded quietly.

Atka put up her hands in defense, now going from resembling her mother to her father. "She went running and I couldn't catch her in time!" she explained. "It wasn't my fault. Besides, Bumi was supposed to be helping me and he–"

Bumi came strolling into the room then, laughing in his usual thunderous way.

"Damn, Attie, looks like you couldn't catch her in time after all!" Bumi exclaimed, walking over to nudge his cousin in the ribs. Atka rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

Katara turned to her son with a threatening look. "Language," she scolded.

"Sorry, Mom. I've never seen this kid run that fast before! She really wanted to see your patient!" He pointed to Sakari, who was scooped up by Sokka. Suki opened her arms and Sokka placed the little girl in her lap.

"Look what I got you, Tiki. They're 'Get Better' flowers!" Sakari presented her brother a bouquet of yellow flowers no doubt picked from the Acolytes' garden.

Tikani pushed the flowers out from his face with his uninjured arm. "Gee, thanks, Kari."

Bumi hunched over the end of the bed with a smirk. He put up a finger and a fist. "Lemur Bat: 1. Tikani: 0."

Tikani wanted more than anything to pounce on his cousin and punch him. He was about to do just that when he felt his little sister leaning over to him, kissing his face over and over again.

"Jeez, Sakari, can you ease up on the kisses?!" Tikani spluttered, falling back onto his pillow. He winced. The pain was coming back again.

"But Mommy and Daddy give me kisses when I get hurt and since you're in the hospital you're really hurt so I have to give you a lot of kisses," Sakari explains as Suki pulls the five year old back into her arms more securely.

"Okay, I think we should let Tikani get some rest now," announced Sokka with a clap of his hands.

"Yes," Suki agreed quickly. She took the flowers from Sakari and put them on the nightstand by Tikani's bed. She cups her youngest daughter's chin. "Do you promise not to run away from Attie again?" Suki asks in a motherly fashion.

Sakari nods with her usual cute smile. "I promise, Mommy."

"Good."

Suki kisses her forehead before handing Sakari off to Atka. The teenager adjusts the little girl in her arms as she gives her injured brother a small smile. "Feel better, squirt."

"Thanks," said Tikani, giving her the same smile back.

"Yeah, feel better, squirt!" Bumi called out with a cackle before leaving the room.

Tikani grit his teeth but soon relaxed as Sokka leaned over to ruffle his hair once more. "You'll be okay staying here tonight, Tik?" he asked.

Tikani nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine, Dad. You guys can go home." He lied. As much as he loved his aunt and uncle's care it wasn't the same as being with his parents. He didn't want his parents to baby him.

Sokka and Suki glanced at each other knowingly. Tikani was now ten years old and was trying to be more 'manly' as Sokka put it. Suki gave her husband a nod. Sokka nodded back, knowing his wife had no intentions of leaving their son.

"Okay, Tik. We'll check on you in the morning. C'mon, girls. Let's go catch the ferry back to the city before it leaves."

Sokka waved as he shuffled Atka with Sakari in his arms out of the room. Katara took the flowers off the nightstand carefully. Tikani was hoping she was about to do more healing but was wrong.

"I'll get a vase for these," said Katara. She left the room, leaving mother and son on their own.

"You can go too, y'know," Tikani said to his mother.

"I think I'll wait until Aunt Kat cames back so I can say goodbye to her," Suki responded, resting her hands on top of her lap.

It was then quiet for a few moments. The pain in Tikani's arm was starting to become unbearable. Tikani grit his teeth. Suki noticed this immediately.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Just twinges a little," Tikani lied, forcing a smile.

Suki frowned with concerned eyes. "You took quite a fall, Tikani. I know your arm must hurt a lot."

"I'm okay. I promise."

The pain was truly starting to get to him. He felt his mother's stare as he looked away from her. He didn't want to admit to her how much he was hurting. But it was really starting to get to him. He didn't want to be alone that night. He didn't care if Bumi gave him crap for it, he wanted his mother to stay.

"I really am sorry, Mom," Tikani said quietly, choking back some sudden tears.

Suki wore a surprised look. "For what, Tikani?" She smoothed back the boy's hair again in a motherly fashion once again.

"For falling. For chasing that stupid lemur. I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry." Tikani didn't realize then that he had tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, sweetheart," she cooed. She hated to see her children cry. "Please don't be. I'm sorry this happened to you." She leaned forward and gave her son a kiss on the cheek.

Tikani scrunched his eyes as his tears dripped down his cheek then. "It really hurts," he admitted in a pained voice.

Suki heart broke at the sight. She truly wished during times like these she was a bender.

"I know, sweetheart. Aunt Katara will be back soon and you'll feel better in no time." She kissed Tikani's sweaty forehead.

Tikani used his other arm to pull his mother in for a hug. Suki immediately squeezed him back.

"Please don't leave me tonight," Tikani begged in a strained voice.

Suki hugged him harder. "I wasn't planning to."

Tikani let out a small laugh at this. Suki smiled softly as she kissed his cheek. He was already starting to feel better. No bending needed.