When Zuko´s coughs turned into suffocating, Sokka felt the other boy grabbing his arm. He patted his friends back, hoping to help in any way. "Come on, Zuko, breathe!", he told him, although he was sure that was exactly what Zuko was trying to do. Suddenly he heard footsteps announcing Aang and Katara getting to the scene. Sokka looked at them in panic. "Do something!", he cried out. "He can´t breathe anymore!" His friends knelt next to him, not knowing what to do either. Or? "I have an idea.", Aang said thoughtful. "I just don´t know I it will really work." Thus, having said, he started to bend some air and tried to push it down Zuko´s throat in his lungs. It was harder than he had expected, and he had to concentrate a lot so that he wouldn´t hurt Zuko´s lungs accidently. However, it seemed to work, as Zuko suddenly coughed for another few seconds and remained then panting and shivering in Sokka´s grip.
"Holy cactus juice, that was… fascinating and scary at the same time.", Sokka commented. Aang nodded exhausted. The bending had been a hard piece of work. "What even happened, Aang?", Katara asked. "Was there a training accident?" The airbender shook his head. "Actually, I don´t know. He had shown me a new move and watched me, then he kind of collapsed and started coughing." Aang sighed. "I should have noticed. He seemed a little off the whole day, but I didn´t expect him to be so sick…" Kneeling next to the firebender, who seemed to have blacked out, Katara laid a hand with water on his chest and tried to use her healing abilities to find out the problem.
"And?", Sokka asked when his sister frowned. She looked at the boys in confusion. "I don't know.", she admitted eventually. "I feel that there is something wrong, but I can´t really explain it. There is no injury, but his lungs seem odd. He just seems to be sick." "Can you heal him?", Aang asked fearful. Katara shrugged her shoulders. "How am I supposed to heal something I don't understand?" She placed her palm on Zuko´s forehead. "We should get him out of the sun, his temperature is way too high. Therefore, Sokka lifted the other boy up in his arms and carried him inside.
When Suki and Toph came back from their trip to the market, they were surprised to find the courtyard empty. "Where are they?", Suki asked confused. Toph concentrated to feel the vibrations of the floor. "They are in the house.", she realized. "And something´s not right." The two girls hurried inside and left the grocery basket standing next to the door. They reached the others, who were in one of the bedrooms. Aang, Katara and Sokka were standing at the bed, where an unconscious Zuko was lying. "What happened to Sparky?", Toph asked. She could sense his breath going too fast and too shallow, and his heart beating at a dangerously high frequency. "We don't know.", Katara said frustrated. "He seems to be sick, and as long as he doesn´t wake up, we can´t do anything."
Heat. That was the first thing he felt. A burning, terrible heat in his body, which was aching terribly. Zuko opened his watering eyes to a dimly lit room, and the tears mixed with sweat running from his face. Something cold was suddenly touching his burning forehead, and someone wiped the hot water from his skin with a cool, wet cloth. He looked up and his eyes met Sokka´s, who was sitting on a chair next to his bed. Until now, he hadn´t even realized he was lying on a bed. Sokka smiled at him.
"Look who´s alive! How are you feeling?" "Terrible.", Zuko admitted with a croaking voice. "Well, that´s how you look like. Could you get more specific?" Zuko tried to sit upright, what costed him a lot of energy. When he started to speak, he had to hold back a cough that was stuck in his throat. "It´s hot.", he choked. "And my lungs are on fire." As if it was his headword, the cough escaped his mouth, leaving him coughing for nearly a minute. He felt Sokka´s hand on his back when he was bending from the pain the fit caused in his lungs. When the attack subsided, he was panting and shaking violently, tears running uncontrollably from his face. His mouth felt terribly dry, and he was more than glad when Sokka placed a cup of water to his lips.
"Hey, slow! You don´t want to choke on it, do you?" When Zuko had emptied the cup, he felt a little better. "What´s wrong with me?", he asked drained. Sokka, who had planned to ask Zuko the exact same question, hesitated. "Well, I don´t know either. Actually, I don´t know anything. Since when were you feeling bad?" Zuko flinched when a hot pain went through his head. "I… I woke up this morning and felt a little under the weather. That was why… why I chose not to spar with Aang." The heat in his body was exhausting him. Sokka, who was wiping Zuko´s pale, sweating face with the wet cloth, looked at him in concern. He couldn´t help but wondering how anyone could survive such a high temperature, but as a firebender, Zuko was usually a little warmer than the rest of the group. Just not that warm. He tried not to show his worry when Zuko continued, his voice was just a raspy whisper. "I thought I could just… lay down a little bit later, but then suddenly everything started to hurt so much… and I was so cold…" How he wished being that cold again! His body felt as if he was thrown into boiling water. He coughed harshly and was relieved that it didn´t turn into a painful fit again. A pained groan escaped his mouth. "I´m sorry.", he said. He felt so embarrassed, lying useless on the bed, forcing Sokka to take care of him while he should be teaching Aang… Sokka´s voice interrupted his thoughts.
"There´s nothing to be sorry about.", the water tribe boy assured. "It´s not your fault you´re sick." "I should be a help, not a burden." Zuko´s body cramped, and he grabbed the sheets of the bed. "Where are the others?", he said through gritted teeth. "Aang is practising earthbending with Toph, and Katara and Suki are preparing some food, I think. Katara told me to get her as soon as you wake up, so is it okay if I leave you alone for a few minutes?" For some reason, the thought of being left alone stressed Zuko immensely. He felt his heart speeding up, but took a deep breath and forced himself to nod.
"Ok fine.", Sokka said. He swiped the sweat off Zuko´s forehead again and walked for the door. "I´ll be back as soon as possible.", he promised the shaking boy on the bed. Zuko didn´t seem to hear him, he was just breathing heavily. Concerned, Sokka closed the door and started running to find his sister.