A/N: Sorry I didn't elaborate more at the end of the last chapter, but this should do it. And sorry it's shorter than usual, couldn't find a better stopping point, but please, R&R! As one of my favorite authors has said, you lurkers, those who read but don't review, please review! Even if it is just a hello, I love hearing from you and will respond as soon as I can.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Chapter 9

Katara rushed to Zuko's side and she barely caught him as the prince crumpled towards the ground, unconscious. She eased him as gently as she could to lie down as she shouted to Aang.

"Aang! Call Appa! We need to get him to Kalaya, now!"

She knelt and saw a gaping wound in his side pouring blood. She pressed her hands to it, trying to staunch the flow as Aang rushed over to her with a bag of water, trying to hand it to her.

"I can't heal him," Katara said as she felt tears start in her eyes. "Aang, you have to stop the blood flow."

"What?!" he cried. "I can't. I can't heal like you can."

Katara looked up at him and into his grey eyes and saw he was confused and didn't know what to do. Her heart went out to him because she felt helpless as well, but they needed to help Zuko.

"I'll talk you through it," she said, trying to stay calm as Toph reached them and picked up Zuko's hand as she sat next to the firebender. "Bend the water onto your hand and concentrate. You need to heal. Then press it to his side."

Aang nodded and followed her instructions, but the water didn't change color like it did with her. Instead, the blood started mixing with the water, changing it to a light red.

"Concentrate Aang, you need to heal, to fix it, or at least stop the blood. Use the water as a shield, don't let the blood mix."

Aang nodded again, his face hardening as he concentrated. The water turned a brighter blue for a second before changing into clear water again, but the blood was no longer in it, or tinting the water.

"Stupid, stupid, you just had to fight the assassin," Toph was saying as she held the princes' hand.

Katara noticed tears falling from the earthbenders' face as Appa landed next to them. Sokka jumped down and helped Katara pick up the prince as Toph earthbended a platform that raised them up to the level of the saddle. Aang stayed at the prince's side, holding the water, as they carried the unconscious firebender onto the saddle.

Toph refused to let go of Zuko's hand as they set him down gently and Sokka hurried back to the reins.

"We'll get everything here," Bumi called up to them, "Get him to the healer at once."

Aang nodded once, still keeping his concentration on the water at Zuko's side as Appa lifted and flew back to Omashu. Kalaya and a handful of women were waiting when Appa landed. Kalaya climbed onto the saddle and moved next to Aang with blue healing water already on her hands. She ran her hands around the wound and Aang's water shield before taking that water and turning it into the glowing blue of healing.

When she finally removed her hands, all the water was gone, but Zuko's side was whole, with a small line the only trace of his wound. She leaned back and sighed.

"He'll be ok now, but he may be out for another day or two. He lost a lot of blood and the wound was deep. Also some of the poison got into his system. His body still needs to heal itself, and he has a broken arm. I'll set that and heal it once he's in the infirmary. Good job, Aang."

Aang gave her a half hearted smile, and airbended Zuko onto a stretcher that was waiting as Toph jumped down to follow the healer. Katara sighed and sank to the ground after she jumped off of Appa. Kalaya and the women started taking Zuko inside, Toph still at his side, holding his hand. Aang sat next to her as Sokka came up to them.

"What now?" the warrior asked, looking from Aang to Katara, obviously worried.

"Take Appa and see if you can help bring any other wounded in. We'll be ok here, we just need a minute to rest," Aang replied.

Katara barely heard Sokka and Aang, and didn't respond to her brothers' worried look before he climbed onto Appa and the bison lifted off again, heading back to the earthbenders.

"Are you ok?" Aang asked her.

Katara became aware of her surroundings and noticed he was sitting right next to her and very close to her and that they were alone in the courtyard.

"Yeah, it's just…I could have healed him. I feel useless."

"It's not your fault," he said as he edged closer.

"But I could have…"

He wrapped her in a hug as Katara felt herself start crying. She cried for a while into his shoulder, but he just held onto her and rocked her gently. Katara held onto him until her tears started to subside and separated herself from him, looking into his eyes.

"We'll find that specialist and get you you're bending back once Zuko's ok, sound good?" Aang asked, smiling gently at her.

"Yeah," she said as she felt a smile tug at her mouth. She leaned towards him and he leaned down as well, and they were soon kissing, deeply and passionately. They separated as the need for air became more important than being together and smiled at each other.

"Wow," Aang whispered.

"Yeah," Katara replied, smiling at him.

He smiled back and she was about to lean in again for another kiss when she saw Appa heading towards them.

"I guess we'll have to continue this later," she said, sighing as she got up.

"Yeah, you're right," Aang sighed. "We should see if they need help."

Katara nodded as Appa landed. An earthbender jumped out and created a series of steps that led up to the saddle. Several men limped off as Aang and Katara rushed to help the more critical.

"This way," a woman in a simple white dress said as she came out and helped a young man with a limp inside.

The men followed, helped by Aang and Katara as Sokka took Appa back to the meeting place. Katara gasped as they came into a large room with elaborate carvings and murals of earthbenders on the walls. But what surprised her most were all the people. At least a hundred men were on simple beds throughout the room, being attended by women in white, and the room looked like it could easily hold another hundred more.

Katara caught sight of Kalaya and Dr. Drake attending several of the men as another woman came forward and directed the men to empty beds. Katara saw Aang pale at the sight of a burn on one of the men they passed and flashed a smile at him.

"Why don't you go see if you can help Sokka and Bumi," she told the Avatar once the men they were helping were all seated or lying down. "I'll help here."

Aang flashed her a thankful smile and hurried off as Kalaya came up to her. Katara turned to the healer and smiled.

"I wish I could heal, but I can bandage as good as anyone else. Where do you need me?"

Kalaya smiled in thanks, looking exhausted and gestured to a woman in white just behind her bandaging a young man's arm.

"Ask Hina, she's in charge here or at least under Dr. Drake."

"Thanks," Katara said as she went to the motherly attendant, and apparently, head nurse.

Kalaya hurried off to heal the more critical as Hina had Katara assist her with bandaging and setting breaks once she had washed her hands of Zuko's blood. They worked through the night and Katara would have worked longer had Hina not stopped her after they had bandaged a burn on a general's leg.

"It's past midnight dear, and you're exhausted. You need to eat, and I think you'd like to see your friends."

Katara looked up in shock at Hina as the attendant smiled.

"They're in the next room, through that door," Hina said, gesturing with her head to a door on their right. "There's food in there, and then I recommend bed."

"Thanks," Katara said as she got up.

Hina smiled at the waterbender as Katara left her side and headed to the other room. When she entered, she saw Zuko sleeping peacefully on a bed with his left arm bandaged and kept in place by more bandages. Toph was in a chair next to him, still holding his hand and sleeping with her head resting against Zuko's shoulder.

Aang and Sokka were in the far corner, talking quietly with King Bumi. Aang grinned when he caught sight of Katara and went to her. She met him halfway and wrapped him in a hug, feeling drained. Aang hugged her back before leading her to where Bumi and Sokka were.

Bumi moved, and gestured to a chair behind him which Katara sank gratefully into. Sokka handed her a bowl of soup which she dug into hungrily.

"Is there any more?" she asked her brother quietly as she handed him the empty bowl.

He chuckled lightly and went to refill her bowl.

"How is everyone?" Katara asked Bumi and Aang, glancing at Zuko.

Bumi understood her glance and smiled kindly at her.

"The young prince will be fine, though he may be asleep for another day or so," the king said. "And the earthbenders you helped in were the only injuries we sustained today. The siege is still in place, though our scouts report that there is more chaos in the camps."

"Here," Sokka said as he handed her a full bowl. "The earthbenders now have a way to block the poison, and I have a few ideas that should help with the balloons if they show up again, but we should head to Gaoling once Zuko's up."

"Oh, and Sokka's messenger hawk came back," Aang said. "Shawn Lin is your specialists' name and he is in Gaoling. He's met with Suki and is helping Liz out."

Aang's face fell as he handed Katara a letter with the flying boar insignia on the wax seal.

"And this came for Toph with Hawky, but I haven't had the heart to give it to her while Zuko's out."

Katara took the letter and saw that the seal was broken, cut actually so as not damage the image. She sent a scowl at her brother, but Sokka shook his head and looked at Aang and Bumi. Katara turned to them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why did you look at it?" she asked them, getting angry.

Aang made hushing noises as her voice rose while Bumi's smile faltered and he looked like a child caught with his hand in the sweets.

"I opened it," Bumi said. "To read it to her, but found her asleep when I arrived, and could not bear to give her the news when she was so distraught."

"Why? What news?" Katara asked.

"Just read it, and please be quiet," Aang said, sending worried glances towards Toph and Zuko.

Katara saw that he was really worried and sad. She looked at the letter and opened it gently. She gasped as she read the letter.

"This is terrible," she said as she looked up at the boys and the king. "Her dad commands her to come back, to meet her fiancé."