Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter nine of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter has some Aonung/OC. I may do some Lo'ak/Tsireya and Jake/Neytiri smut very soon. Stay tuned for chapter ten.
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Chapter 9: Never Off
Aonung and Riri were folding blankets while standing next to two cots that had been occupied previously by injured Metkayina in a marui. They laid them down gently. They swiped their hands across them in which this rid them of wrinkles. They smiled at their work, their tails swinging from side to side three times. They came together in between the cots.
"We have another two beds ready for injured Na'vi to occupy," Aonung said warmly.
"The wounded Na'vi who occupied these beds weren't in them for very long," Riri replied. "I hope the other two are just as lucky."
"Me too," Aonung agreed. "This war keeps dragging on. Who knows how long it will last?"
"Who knows how many more injured we will be dealing with?" Riri wondered, her ears lowering. "I have never seen so many injured Na'vi in my life. Max told me the last time he saw such a high number was nineteen years ago. That sounds like a lifetime ago."
"There are days when time moves so slowly that it seems it will stop," Aonung commented truthfully. "Of course, time cannot stop. It flows like a river. It cannot be altered."
"Jake talks about what he could have done differently to save the Omaticaya Hometree from its destruction sometimes. His former clan may not hold it against him anymore, but it still pains him," Riri explained in sadness.
"The sins of the past can be hard on people, but they should not let them control their lives. If they do, they can never move forward," Aonung mumbled, sighing heavily. "I feel bad about bullying Lo'ak and Kiri, but I do not dwell on it constantly."
"You did the right thing ceasing your bullying of them," Riri said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Lo'ak's taking the blame for something I did made me think about what I did to him and Kiri. They could not help looking different," Aonung pointed out truthfully.
"Imagine if the roles were reversed. You would not like it if the Sully siblings bullied you for not looking like them," Riri said and cleared her throat.
"Who would like being bullied?" Aonung mumbled, shaking his head. "One thing is clear. No one deserves to be bullied. You do not have to be a good person to be a victim of bullying."
"So true, Aonung," Riri whispered while giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "So true."
Aonung and Riri heard voices chattering. They looked over their shoulders to see Ronal guiding Kuai their way. Mo'at and Tsireya were right behind them. The young Na'vi's ears perked up. Their tails moved up and down twice before doing the same from side to side three times.
"Aonung, Riri, take that blanket off that cot," Ronal said while gesturing toward the first cot.
"All right," Aonung said, running over there to take the blanket off. He waved his hand toward himself. "Come on."
Ronal brought Kuai over to her son's side. "Let's get you seated, Kuai."
Aonung grabbed a hold of Kuai's arm. He and his mother guided her to sit on the cot. Kuai winced in pain, and her eyes shut tightly. She breathed deeply to will it away. She opened them, swallowing hard. Riri came over to Kuai as Mo'at and Tsireya stopped next to Ronal.
"Riri, Tsireya, get the medical supplies," Mo'at said, eyeing the girls.
"Of course," Tsireya replied and headed over to a table along with Riri. "We need to…"
As Tsireya talked with Riri, Ronal went to Kuai's injured shoulder and seated herself beside her on the cot. Mo'at mimicked the tsahik's actions with the hunter's leg. The women began to unwrap the bandages. Aonung emitted a relieved sigh after coming to the front of Kuai.
"It warms my heart to see you alive, Kuai," Aonung said.
"I am glad to be home. I am so tired. I feel like I could fall asleep right now," Kuai admitted with a heavy sigh.
"You can rest once we take care of your wounds," Ronal responded in a gentle yet firm voice.
"Who attacked you?" Aonung wondered.
"It was Nekx," Kuai responded and shuddered loudly.
"The leader of the Green Spear hunters and warriors," Aonung muttered, feeling bile rush up into his throat. He swallowed it and hissed in disgust. "I remember the story of his attack on Jake and Neytiri when the tensions between our clans first started."
"I do too," Kuai commented. "One of his comrades killed Jona."
"I'm sorry," Aonung whispered in much sympathy. "I know how much she meant to you."
"I can mourn later," Kuai said, exhaling sharply. "Right now, I need to get my wounds treated."
Ronal and Mo'at finished unwrapping the bandages. They glanced at the young woman's wounds. They touched them just barely, but it was enough to make her gasp in agony.
"This wound is not deep," Ronal said softly.
"Neither is this one," Mo'at added. "Both wounds should heal well."
"They will likely leave scars, though," Ronal admitted in a low but firm voice.
Kuai chuckled to herself. "I can live with another scar."
Aonung exhaled softly. "I have not gotten a scar yet, but that will change at some point."
Tsireya brought a bowl of ointment, a thread and needle, and a bandage to her mother. Riri mimicked her actions with Mo'at. The women laid the medical supplies on the cot after the girls handed them over. They got the bowls and began to put the ointment on the wounds. Kuai emitted a loud wince.
"We're sorry for the stinging," Mo'at apologized and formed a small frown on her face.
"It is all right," Kuai replied and cleared her throat. "That medicine is good stuff, though."
"I like how it minimizes the appearances of scars," Ronal said in great warmth. "Our medicines may be powerful, but they do not always work."
"That reminds me of when Lauchi got really sick with a lung infection, Mom," Tsireya said, a sniffle coming from her. "That was a year after the skirmish at Three Brothers."
"I remember that very well, darling," Ronal responded, glancing at her daughter. "The healers and I gave Lauchi the usual medicine, but she did not get better. Not even increasing the dosage put a dent in the infection. We were desperate. Jake suggested that she try penicillin. He said several Omaticaya used it when they got really sick with infections that were not helped by Mo'at's medicine. He mentioned there was a risk of a bad reaction because no Metkayina had been given it. I did not care and asked him to contact Norm. He did just that."
"Norm came with the penicillin. He gave it to her. She eventually recovered from the infection," Tsireya commented.
"Jake warned us not to use penicillin for every illness we had because it would decrease its effectiveness," Mo'at pointed out matter-of-factly. "He said to use it as a last resort."
"Too much of anything can be bad," Riri said while clasping her hands together. "We must take everything in moderation."
Ronal and Mo'at finished applying the ointment and laid the bowls aside. The former grabbed her needle and thread. She poked it through the bottom of Kuai's wound. She pulled it through completely. The latter mimicked all of her actions with the other wound. They proceeded to stitch them up.
"It was quite the surprise to learn Jake had knowledge of medicine from his time in the military. He explained marines were taught to apply medical care because there was always a chance that they could be stranded miles from camp or civilization," Aonung commented.
"When Jake said we needed all hands on deck due to the number of injured and dying Na'vi, we were quite confused. Mo'at explained it meant we needed every bit of help we could get. Only then did we get it," Ronal said, a chuckle leaving her mouth.
Mo'at smiled softly. "Many human expressions were very confusing to the Omaticaya when we first heard them. Once Jake explained what they meant, we understood."
"Some humans have the gall to call us uncivilized when they are acting as such," Aonung grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "They even say their clothes make them civilized."
"What makes you civilized is not what you wear. It is all in the attitude. If you act superior to others simply because they are different, then you are uncivilized," Riri said bluntly while crossing her arms.
Ronal huffed to herself. "Na'vi can and do act uncivilized sometimes. We are just as capable of doing dumb things as humans are."
Ronal and Mo'at finished stitching Kuai's wounds. They grabbed dagger from their sides to cut the needles free. They laid them aside to grab the bandages. They started to wrap the wounds up. Kuai emitted a soft yet agonized wince. Ronal and Mo'at eyed her more closely.
"Sorry about the discomfort," Ronal apologized.
"I don't care," Kuai whispered, looking down at the floor. "I am just grateful to have such wonderful healers tending to my wounds."
"Julay complained about how Lo'ak applied medical care to her wound," Tsireya said while shaking her head in disbelief. "Some patients are just terrible, as are some healers."
"Some people will complain about anyone and anything. They need someone to pay attention to them," Aonung said with a heavy sigh. "No one likes a complainer."
Ronal and Mo'at finished wrapping Kuai's wounds. They tied the bandages up. Kuai pushed her arm forward and lifted her leg carefully. She pulled former back before putting the latter down.
"Thank you for caring for my wounds, Ronal, Mo'at. I really appreciate it," Kuai said gratefully.
"You are welcome," Mo'at said, emitting a soft sigh. "You were a very good patient."
"I hope the others who went with me are okay," Kuai said, lowering her ears in sadness.
"We hope to Eywa the rest of your hunting party is safe and sound," Ronal said calmly yet firmly. She proceeded to straightened the young woman's bandage.