"Hey guys, I'm going to stay in Yu Dao for a bit," whispered Sokka.
"What for?" asked Aang.
"I am going to do some spying," Sokka pulled out a cloak and dramatically wrapped it around himself.
"Okay good luck with that," said Katara.
"Thanks, and don't worry I'll find out where Mao's secret hideout is and catch him!"
"You think he will really catch Mao by himself?" asked Aang to Katara as Sokka marched to the gates of Yu Dao.
"If anyone can find Mao, Sokka will."
"This is terrible," said Sokka aloud upon seeing the state of Air Temple of Yu Dao that easily overcapacity, as patients were left exposed in the summer heat. It was an odd mixture of smells of rotten human flesh, and medicinal herbs permeated the air as flies buzzed around his head. The locals distinguished by their bright clothes would walk up to a person in priestly robes, and ask them what they can do to help. To which they would be put right to work. But most of the volunteers were able bodied refugees.
"Excuse me," said an Air Nomad acolyte who bumped into him her arms full of dirty linen, and deposited her bundle into a steaming cauldron, as another used a stick to push it down. Sokka was intrigued by the acolytes, they dressed similar to Aang when he first met him. But unlike Aang who had shaved his head bald, they shaved only the front part leaving their grow in the back and arrow tattoos painted on their skin.
"Young man, are you looking for someone?" asked Monk Kosai. "Oh, Sokka? Why are you here?"
"Oh, I'm a-well you see..."
Kosai did not answer his bright eyes now a little dull and tired, but he seemed patient with the young Southern Tribe warrior.
"Why are these people here?" asked Sokka honestly seeing that he could not come up with a cover story.
"These are refugees, they have been driven out of their homes by the Earth Kingdom."
"What? Wait, the Earth Kingdom is not forcing people out their homes-are they?" he asked nervously as he attracted stares.
"Come walk with me," urged Kosai. "So Aang has decided to come to Yu Dao to restore harmony to the world, is that correct?"
"Well yeah, that's what Avatars do, right? They're all about peace and stuff."
"It-it would be a very difficult road," Kosai said neutrally.
"Kosai-sensei, we're almost out of food in the foodline. But there are still a lot of people waiting in line, what should we do?" asked another acolyte.
"Isn't there more food in the storage room?"
"But we don't have enough people to cook it all."
"We'll help won't we Sokka?"
"Yeah sure," Sokka said uncertainly.
And so Sokka spent the whole time chopping vegetables, cooking rice and beans, and ladling food to a seemingly endless line of people. Each one pathetic as the last.
"Thank you Sokka, you were a big help," said Kosai as they sat down to finally enjoy a bowl of vegetable soup.
"I'm glad I did it," he said and meant it.
"That's good."
Another acolyte approached them, her hair was in a mess and she looked as though she had been on her feet for who knows how long.
"Kosai-sensei, we have received a request from the village nearby. They are asking for a doctor but we don't have any, all of the volunteers have already gone home," she said.
"What's the name of the village?" asked Sokka.
"It doesn't have a name," said Kosai gulping down his dinner and rising from his seat. Grabbing his satchel he asked the young woman, "Do you know what ails them?" Implying the condition of the soon-to-be patient.
"We believe it is the coughing death."
Sokka's stomach sunk. "The coughing death? Are you serious?"
"I wish I wasn't," said the beleaguered young woman.
"I will go," said Kosai walking towards the stables.
"Kosai, you don't have to go, the coughing death is contagious, and it's incurable!" Sokka said walking after the old monk.
The old monk ignored the young warrior as he saddled a ostrich-donkey.
"Xing Ying, please tell Mayor Morishita that I cannot make it to tomorrow's meeting," Kosai said to the acolyte who bowed.
"Yes, sensei."
When they reached the city gates they found it fully manned and the way barred.
"Honored Monk," the Fire Nation Guard Captain said removing his helmet. "We have heard that you intend to go see a victim of the coughing death in a nearby Fire Nation village. If you leave this city to go to tend to them, we cannot allow you to immediately come back for obvious reasons."
"Yes I know, I would have to sit outside the city walls for 21 days in complete isolation, to prove that I am not infected."
"Honored Monk, I have seen the coughing death firsthand; no one here would hold it against you if you choose to turn around and return to the Air temple. There are many sick people who need your help there."
"The young women and the volunteer doctors will help them while I am gone. But cases like this can only be handled by me. Too many are turned away for want of care because they are stricken by the coughing death* and the rotting of the flesh*."
"You would hug someone with these terrible ailments?"
"Young man, I would willingly care for them for the love of God. The biggest disease today is not flesh rot or the coughing death, but rather the feeling of being unwanted. I go where He sends me."
"But Honored Monk-"
"Please step aside," simply said Kosai. He did not yell, nor whisper, nor was it is in anger. He requested it.
"Why?" asked Sokka.
"Because God sends him," said the beleaguered acolyte but behind her fatigue her grey eyes were clear.
"What? That's a stupid reason! He can die!" Sokka said outraged.
The acolyte stared at Sokka without betraying any emotion but her eyes seemed to be filled with pity. "I didn't understand any of it myself when I first started the Yu Dao Chapter of the Avatar Aang Fan Club. I thought I understood what it means to be an Air Nomad devoting hours to meditation, studying Air Nomad philosophy, and mastering Airbender-like forms. I even shaved my head and tattooed myself in Arrows. I thought that being as authentically Air Nomad as possible, I would be closer to my idol Avatar Aang. And then Kosai-sensei came to our chapter and completely changed my outlook. My so-called training is a pale imitation; accepting these tattoos, accepting the clothe means devoting yourself to God."
Sokka turned away from Xing Ying, "He goes to help an ashmaker because God sent him? Just when an ashmaker finally kicks the bucket, God sends to help him?" asked Sokka in a low voice.
"Good sir, that it is not what I meant-"
"SCREW THAT!"
Xing Ying hung her head staring at the ground and said before leaving, "I cannot imagine what pain you must have suffered. And you must be a strong man and fought bravely during the Great War. But know this, God does not want us to suffer and so He sends us."
When Kosai arrived a small child in dirty clothes ran to him sobbing from the small village gate.
"Monk, monk! Help me my mommy monk! She's really sick, no one will help her! Help my mommy I don't wanna her to die!"
"Come here child. You must be very brave to come all this way. Show me where mommy is."
When they arrived at the house there was a handful of villagers loitering. "Do you think that the children are infected?"
"Maybe we should burn down the house."
"With them inside, are you out your minds?"
"And let others become infected, it's bad enough the husband died and my children play with them. What if they all catch the coughing death?"
"But the children are surely not infected."
"We don't know that for sure, do you want your children to die?"
"No, of course not."
"Then we agree?"
"Agreed on what?" said Kosai startling the villagers as he rode past and enter the house.
"Lord Monk!"
Inside was sickening sight as the mother was on her side coughing up phlegm and blood into a clothe.
"Bring me some water and clean towels child," gently said Kosai as he sat beside the ailing mother. The child bring a bucket of cold water. Kosai soaked the water in the bucket and wrung it out. He then placed the wet cloth on the woman's chest and another on her forehead. "Relax and breath slowly," he said before turning away to boil fresh water with herbs from his satchel.
The mother somehow complied but her breathing was labored and her voice raspy. "Chi, where is my Chi?"
"I'm here mommy! I'm here mommy! Monk is here to save you!"
"Good girl, you made mommy proud."
"Drink this," ordered Kosai once the remedy was ready. And began to clean the woman of the blood and phlegm and helped her change. She was so weak that she could stand and take care of herself or her children. After cleaning and dressing the children he cleaned up the house and cooked a meal for the children. But he was forced to burn the old clothes and towels deciding not to chance an infection.
"Here, remember to boil this in hot water before giving it to your mother. I already put them into small packets for each meal. Once in the morning, once for lunch, and once for dinner," said Kosai to Chi who has a baby in her small arms.
"A thousand blessings on you monk," said the mother clearly, who managed to sit up and clasp her hands in prayer.
"Thank you Monk for saving mommy!" said Chi.
"I will be staying the village for the next few weeks, send for me if something happens, can you do that?" Kosai asked Chi.
Chi nodded cheerfully and Kosai left who was greeted by a lone Sokka.
"I can't believe it, you actually did it. But I thought that the coughing death was supposed to be incurable," he said.
"No, it is incurable all I did was make her feel more comfortable," Kosai said brushing past him to the ostrich-donkey and led it away to the main village.
"Then why did you come? Why did you come all this way, just to comfort her when you can't even save her? All you did was lie to them."
"I did it because God called me. No other doctor would treat her, they would have shirked at the sight of the phlegm and blood spilling out of her."
"Then it made no difference, and you can't go back to Yu Dao because you could be infected, what was the point? In fact I shouldn't be talking to you."
"The point is, is that I did make a difference for them."
"So you them a happy for a little bit, big deal."
"Look Sokka, it is about compassion. Not alll of us is not called to do great things or create miracles with love everyday. But we are all called to do small things and small miracles with great love everyday. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
The next morning, Sokka and Kosai were aroused from their sleep by the villagers. The mother had died in her sleep the night before, leaving the small children parentless. None of the families in the village would take the children for fear that they may carry the coughing death. Such is the tragedy of the world. But Kosai decided to take the children with him and raise them at the Air temple in Yu Dao. And then they would decide their own future when they became of age.
Before they left Kosai held a funeral service for the deceased, but sadly no one showed up so the only ones who performed the last rites was Kosai, Sokka, and the children.
"Good bye mommy, Chi will become big and strong so that the meanies from the village can't pick on me anymore," said Chi as she tearfully hugged her mother one more time.
"Chi, mommy doesn't want you to be angry. She wants you to be happy."
"No she doesn't! She's dead she can't hear me!"
"Yes she can, she's in heaven. See look," Kosai pointed to the clouds. "Right now, mommy must be saying that you should be happy, because you will grow up to become a big girl. A big girl who is strong and brave, and is kind, and have lots of friends."
"Okay."
Kosai lead the prayer chanting the verse of the chariot as he had done in Yu Dao as the body was cremated. This was done in order to help the mother's good energies to be released from their fading personality. As they were leaving the village gate they found a pile of food and candles.
Kosai leaned to whisper in Chi's ear, "Look Chi, the villagers are not meanies. They left gifts for us and for mommy. Goodwill is created by these gifts and they help mommy go to heaven."
As the left the outskirts of the village they were soon followed by a pair of armed rough looking men. Sokka sensed their presence and tensed.
"We're being followed," said Sokka.
"Indeed we are. Hearts have grown hard throughout the land. Those fellows who are following us will rob us in our sleep, or worse."
"What would they do to the children?"
"If they do not kill them they would sell them."
Sokka stopped in his tracks, "Go on ahead, I'll lead them away somehow and I'll-"
"There are other alternatives to fighting you know," said Kosai implying the ostrich-donkey.
"That old nag?" half shouted Sokka, "No, I'm going to buy you some time." He turned drawing his steel sword from his scabbard and stood his ground. The rough men stopped momentarily and drew their swords and skulked toward him.
"Very well then," said Kosai running and leading the ostrich donkey and the children further down the road.
"Hmf, young fool. Thanks to you we won't be able to make money. But that's a nice looking sword you got there, you'll do fine!" shouted one of the rough looking men and they broke into a run.
Sokka readied himself sinking into a fixed stance, waiting for when they were in striking distance. He imagined them continuing their headlong charge into him, and then he would cut them both down with one swing. It would so fast they would not know what hit them. But the men did not foolishly charge into his sword range. Instead they stopped and distance themselves apart from each other so as to not cut each other.
He panicked as one stutter-stepped just barely within reach, the other holding firm watching their victim intently. The ploy was obvious for Sokka now expecting an attack from the man standing firm. But the stuttering man swung at him hoping to catch him off guard. Sokka swung wildly to block and stepped back just before the firm man came down with an overhead strike. Just as he was cursing himself for his stupidity at taking on two foes someone shouted, "Hey!" from behind a bush. Causing both men to look away and the firm was hit with a mud pie. Sokka first struck down the stuttering man and then struck down the other who was blinded.
"Thank you," said Sokka who was panting from exhaustion.
"Your welcome," said Kosai as he got out of the bush.
"Hey did you get there so fast? Wait, are you an-"
"An Airbender, yes I am."
"Besides you and Mao, how many more are there?"
"Not many unfortunately," said Kosai as he gathered up the swords.
Sokka chuckled and started laughing, "Well, I guess we can't call Aang the Last Airbender."
When they settled down for the night at a riverbank, Kosai began cooking congee as Sokka sulked. Evidently he had time to reflect the past few days.
"I'm sorry I was, cynical, earlier. It was rude of me to belittle what you were doing."
Kosai did not reply as he continued to stir the congee.
"I should not have gotten into that fight. I killed two men. I want to feel that I was in the right, but I feel awful."
"It's good that you realize your mistake," Kosai finally replied and ladled congee for Chi who began feeding her baby sibling. "You see over there," he pointed at a hillside that had evidence of a recent natural disaster. At the foot of the hill were grave markers. "The last time I came by this way, there was a fine village here. The land teems with the twittering of angry spirits and bitter ghosts. Countless died from war, sickness or starved and fallen where they stood. We live in such turbulent times."
"Aang will set thing right."
"And if he doesn't what will you do then?"
"You starting to sound like-like a friend I knew. I went to Yu Dao with so much hope, that somehow things would work out. But now, I'm not so sure. The more I know the world, the more dark it seems. The Harmony Restoration Movement will set things right, and we'll have peace. I know it will work if we just try hard enough. It has to work."
"But would keeping the nation separate really bring peace to the world? If you ask the Fire Nation colonials to leave Yu Dao, would you also ask the Air Nomads?"
"Well, yes."
"And the Water Tribe?"
"Well..."
"And what if they refuse?"
"..."
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."
Author's Note:
The "Coughing Death" is a reference to Tuberculosis, a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects your lungs. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including your kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may give you back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.
"Rotting of the Flesh" or "Flesh Rot" is a reference to Leprosy: A chronic disease that mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and also the eyes. If left untreated, leprosy can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.