I've always wanted to see a story with Aang as a soldier, and after plenty of searching, found practically zilch. So, I decided to write my own! I'll say now that most of this is definitely inspired by plot points and scenes from the war movie "Fury" (since it's one of my favorite movies and basically inspired this fic), and I'm adding my own little spice of Kataang to it, to intertwine the whole love and war aspect of this story. With that in mind, hope you all enjoy, you lovely people! I don't know if it'll make you tear up like it did me, but be warned :)

*Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender = not mine*

He stumbles out of the wrecked car, dazed and completely unable to make sense of his surroundings. His shirt is covered in blood and shards of glass, but he is almost unphased by this. The flickering headlights of the wreckage bring him to his senses, and he hears a faint cry. "Aang." He turns around and stares at the car, which looks more like a piece of scrap metal.

Again he hears the cry, but this time much louder. "Aang, please!" Instantly, he runs to the passenger seat as fast as he can. Please, oh Spirits no, please let her be alright. His mind tries to quell his drunken state of panic, but to no avail. I can't live without her, please!, he says to himself once more. He can't bear to look.

Katara, No!

Tears were running down her face, as she slumped over in the seat, unable to move. Aang dashes to the trunk and retrieves a crowbar and flashlight. Without hesitation, he runs back to her aid and pries off the door. She still stared up at him, in pain but at the same time trying to tell him not to take it too hard. Leave it to Katara to comfort Aang, even when it's her life at stake.

He sees the unspoken message in her sapphire eyes, and takes a deep breath. Now he has a level head, and he can start thinking of how to help her. "Katara, I need you to stay with me okay?" She is too weak to speak, but replies with a quiet groan. "I'm going to pull you out now, just try to relax." He puts one hand on her shoulder and another against her cheek, trying to lift her from her hunched position. He reclines her in the chair, and points the flashlight at her. Thank the spirits, he says to himself. She seems to have been spared any serious injuries other than several cuts and bruises. But Katara knows this isn't true.

"Aang, I don't want to die." His expression changes almost instantly, and they stare at each other for a moment. Her eyes tear stricken and red, Aang knows something more is wrong. He moves to check her pulse, and feels a faint and slow beat. He pulls her out of the car and into his arms, desperately embracing her while keeping in mind not to squeeze too hard. "Please stay awake, Katara, I need you!"Aang cries out uncontrollably. "I won't go anywhere sweetie, promise." is all she can say with a lazy smile on her face.

"We need to get you to a hospital, quick." He says. "Leave me here. You'll find help much faster without the extra weight." He stares at her with the most confused look on his face. "Don't you dare tell me to leave you Katara. I never have and I never will." Aang leans down to gently kiss her bloody forehead, and she gives him a weak smile. He picks her up in his arms and begins down the road, eventually stumbling upon a house and phoning an ambulance.

The ambulance arrives within a few minutes, and Aang is quick to rush out the kind strangers' home to meet them. "Please hurry!" he shouts to the medics. But as he runs to them he feels a sharp pain in his abdomen. He falls to the ground and one medic comes to his aid, while the other goes to check on Katara. The man lifts his coat, and finds a sharp piece of glass lodged in his side. "You must not have been able to feel this due to the shock. Don't worry, we'll take care of both of you." He props Aang up on the porch and examines the wound. From inside, the other medic can be heard. "We need to get her to the ER immediately!" Aang nods to the man, who returns the gesture and rushes to help with Katara. His vision starts to blur, and as policemen and more emergency responders arrive at the scene, the last thing he sees is Katara's still body being wheeled out on a stretcher. Everything fades to black.

Aang woke up in a hospital bed. His memory is fuzzy at first, but the events of the previous night quickly flood his brain. He stumbles out of bed, and falls with a sharp groan. The glass shard was removed, but the pain still lingered long after. Still, he gets to his feet and limps out into the lobby, heading straight for the receptionist. "Sir, you need to return to your room!" the nurse yells from the other end of the lobby. "Please, just tell me if Katara is okay." He looks almost like a child, lost without his mother. "Sir, I really must insist that you return to your room and rest! The news can wait until after you've recovered." Aang grabs her by the shoulders and ensures that she is looking into his eyes. "Please, I need to see her." She can see the desperation and the determination in his eyes, and nods for him to follow her.

The nurse brings him to Katara's room, but not before insisting that he get into a wheelchair. Even though he doesn't realize it, it's common sense that you shouldn't be up and about after being punctured in the abdomen with a 3 inch thick piece of glass. He didn't argue this with her. Whatever he had to do to see Katara, he would. As he's wheeled into the room, he instantly feels several pairs of eyes (and one pair of feet) turn towards him. To his left he sees Sokka and Suki, standing against the wall, Toph sitting by the window across from him, and to his right, Hakoda on his knees at the foot of his daughter's bed.

No words are said. But you could've cut the tension in the air with a knife. Both Hakoda and Sokka are reluctant to let Aang near Katara, but Suki and Toph prove to be more sympathetic to the young man. "Come on Snoozles! He at least deserves to see her." Toph says from her chair. Suki turns to look at Sokka and nods in agreement. Both men grunt silently and walk out of the room.

Aang stands up from his wheelchair and slowly makes his way to her side. "Katara." is all he can think to say. He gently grabs her hand and feels a pulse, weak but still beating. "She's still alive, so that should give you some comfort." The doctor walks in, continuing her sentence. "However, she fell into a coma due to the brain trauma she experienced in the crash." Aang starts to tear up, but takes a deep breath and tries to stay strong, for her. "How long will this last?" "I'm afraid I can't give you an answer to that son. Her injuries will heal over time, but there's no telling how long it will be before she wakes up, if she ever does. Take all the time you need."

Three Days Later

Aang is sitting in the Jasmine Dragon, quietly sipping his tea. I wonder why Sokka finally decided to talk to me, he thinks to himself. It had been three days since the accident, and the news of Katara's coma broke. Since then, her family had somewhat avoided the young man, trying to process the gravity of their situation. Gran Gran and Pakku were the first to contact him, assuring him that it wasn't his fault. Hakoda eventually came around too, but not without letting Aang know just how disappointed he was. And lastly, Sokka. They had become brothers over the years, and Aang hoped that he could still save their friendship. Maybe when he talked to Sokka today, he would forgive him for his failure and be embraced with loving arms. But Aang knew he deserved far less than that. If anything, he deserved a beating for letting any harm come to Katara. I failed her, and I've failed myself.

"Why Aang, you have not failed anyone." Aang brought his head up to see Iroh. He gave the old man a smile before returning to his self pity. "How did you know what I was thinking?" he asked. "The eyes are the windows to the soul, young man. And when you get to be my age, you learn to see the truth behind them." Iroh returned his smile, and sat across from him. "And your eyes tell me that you feel great sorrow." "How could I do this to her, Iroh?! I lost my senses, and because of that, Katara could never come back to me! I wish I could undo it all." "And the rest of them will never forgive me for this." He looked down to stare into his tea.

"Since Lu Ten died, I've come to take Zuko as my own, after his father abandoned him." "And you are like the same to me, Aang: a son." "Zuko is not here, but right now you remind me much of the man he was: sad, alone, thinking the world was against him, that he needed to redeem himself or prove something." Iroh was right. Zuko was not here. He had been off fighting the war against the Germans, since the D-Day landings. Aang wished he was here. He needed a brother right now, but was grateful to have Iroh's company. Just then, Iroh spoke up once more. "I will tell you what I told my nephew then: Do not dwell on the past. You cannot undo what you have done, but instead try to learn from your mistakes." "Katara's current condition cannot be changed now. But you can still be there for her, and for her family. They may show some ill will to you now, but they will forgive you with time. And so will your friends." "Thank you, Iroh. You always knew just what to say." Aang replied with a gentle smile. "I will always be there for you Aang. My door is always open." And with that he returned to his work, tending to the other customers.

Now Aang was left alone. And just as he finished his tea, the door to the shop burst open. Sokka. And by the look on his face, this was not going to go the way Aang desperately hoped it would.

I know, I know, super serious. Sadly, the following chapters will follow this theme for now

But fret not, it will lighten up soon enough, oh faithful reader.