Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twenty-two of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter features the first appearance of High Camp. It also introduces Norm and Maureen in their human forms. I felt it was time for all of them to make an appearance. Max and Mo'at will return in the next one. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-three.
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Chapter 22: Just Thinking
Polyphemus hung just above the Hallelujah Mountains. A banshee flew past it. Its silhouette looked just about ready to meld against it. It came upon High Camp and flew downward. It landed on a large floating rock not far from the first link shack. It opened its mouth and let out a quiet squawk. It bobbed its head three times before chirping loudly.
Norm looked out the shack's window while sipping cream-filled coffee from a mug. He spotted the banshee. He observed it standing erect and flapping its wings to air them out. It folded them and placed its wing claws on the ground. It flicked its tongue twice. He walked over to his desk near the door and seated himself. He placed his coffee near the microscope.
He let out an exhausted sigh. He knew it had been a little over a week since he and his assistants tended to eight patients in a single day. He did not expect three of them to be seriously wounded, let alone one battling an infection from his wound. He felt grateful to Max for watching him alongside Ronal and Mo'at. He, Maureen, and the Avatar Team were ready to enter their avatars if they got word new patients had been brought in. He believed it might not happen as treating them at nighttime was rare.
His thoughts shifted to Lo'ak. He was impressed with how the boy got the needle into Keye'txon's vein on the first try. He considered him a very quick learner, even with difficult tasks. He knew Lo'ak had to be as he was expected to be the caretaker of his siblings after Neteyam died. He found it ironic his best friend's son had this responsibility when Spider and Kiri were older than he was. He had no doubt it went to him because he was able to protect them better, especially since Spider was rather fragile due to his size. He was aware Kiri never wanted the job as well.
Norm snapped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps and laughter. He looked up to see two scientists walking out of the link room. He watched them go out of sight as they talked about avatars and linking. He ran his hand over his face three times. He saw Maureen coming his way with a coffee-filled mug in her hand.
Maureen sipped a tiny bit of her black coffee. She happened to be Asian and came up to Norm's chest. Her skin was so pale that she appeared to be a sheet. Her long black hair was straight and was tied up in a bun. A few strands stuck out. Her eyes were hazel. They contained bags underneath them. She came to his side, a small smile forming on her face.
"Hey, Norm," Maureen greeted.
"Hello, Maureen," Norm responded as she seated herself in the chair next to him. He heard her clear her throat. "You needed some coffee, huh?"
"Yep," Maureen admitted, taking a long sip of her coffee. She placed it next to his and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. "I am not ready to go to bed yet."
"I am not ready for bed either, though today was quite busy for us," Norm admitted, stretching his arms above his head.
"You're telling me. I felt like we were running all over the place while caring for patients," Maureen said and made a funny noise.
"Me too," Norm agreed while landing his hands in his lap. "We thought were done after stabilizing the seriously injured patients. Then five more patients were brought in. Keye'txon came not long after. He looked so sick."
"It has been a long time since I've seen a wound look so infected. Keye'txon was lucky he did not develop sepsis while he was stranded on that island. He could've died quickly from it if he did," Maureen mumbled, fear showing in her voice.
"I know," Norm replied in much seriousness. "I imagine he was scared when the pain in his wound became worse alongside increased swelling and redness. Then pus began to leak from it. He became ill with a fever."
"The penicillin should do its wonders on him," Maureen whispered hopefully.
"Even if his fever breaks tomorrow, it does not mean he is completely out of the woods. He will need to be on the penicillin for several days. The infection needs to be out of his system completely. Otherwise, it will flare up again," Norm pointed out truthfully.
"After he is off the penicillin, it will take him a while to regain his strength. No one recovers from being immobilized from an infection overnight," Maureen added.
"That's right," Norm agreed.
The duo picked up their coffees. They took long sips of them and laid them down. Maureen folded her hands and laid them in her lap. She rubbed her nose before letting out a small yawn.
"It does not feel like four months since this war started. It feels like only yesterday," she said honestly.
"I was not surprised when Jake called me for help because injuries and deaths kept mounting, despite he and many others were pitching in with medical care. He knew our medical skills and technology would save more lives than they could alone," he explained.
"Many people think surgeries should be performed inside only. Performing them outside can actually be safer because there are less pathogens. There is more space to move around too," Maureen commented.
"We have not had to perform any surgeries so far," Norm admitted as he touched the back of his neck. "That could change."
Maureen touched her throat. "Lo'ak said his father told him there was a first time for everything after he mentioned you would have to give Keye'txon penicillin."
"Jake has said that to his kids many times," Norm commented, holding out his hands. "So has Neytiri."
"We heard it all the time from our parents," Maureen said with a smile.
"Our parents heard it from our grandparents and so on," Norm added as he moved his hand in a circle.
"It'd be weird to say the word great many times when it comes to great-grandparents," Maureen said and smacked her lips.
Norm blinked. "Yes, it would."
Maureen leaned back in her chair. She placed her hands behind her back before crossing her left ankle over her right one. Norm leaned forward somewhat. He bit his lip.
"If there is one thing this war has taught us, it's that Na'vi can be just as brutal toward their enemies as humans can. They have never been a peaceful civilization," Norm said in a serious voice.
"The reef clans practice the tulkun way. It forbade all killing, even in self-defense. The tulkuns would not fight back at the RDA because they feared violating it. Payakan was determined to do so after his mother was killed," Maureen said.
"I cannot blame him. He was enraged at her death," Norm whispered in much sympathy.
"He gathered tulkuns and their spirit siblings to fight the RDA off. It did not work. The RDA killed them all. He survived with a severed fin. He was shunned by both tulkuns and Na'vi. It took his heroism to make them reconsider killing in self-defense," Maureen commented while stroking her chin.
"The mainland Na'vi frown on killing unless it is in self-defense or to protect their territory. They have never practiced any pacifism," Norm said, propping his head up with his elbow on the arm of his chair. "I could never live a life where I could not do either, especially since humans are in their nature to destroy themselves."
"Being unable to do either can make anyone of any species with the concept of morality and responsibility go crazy. Then their loved ones suffer greatly," Maureen murmured.
He emitted a sharp exhale. "We must always expect the unexpected. Life can come at us so fast that we do not have time to blink."
She nodded in agreement. "That is so true."
Norm and Maureen grabbed their coffees and sipped a little bit of them. They proceeded to talk about the start of rising tensions between the Metkayina and the Green Spears.
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Lo'ak sat on a medium-sized boulder on the beach at Awa'atlu. He had his hands folded in his lap. He twirled his thumbs around at a slow pace. He kept his eye on Polyphemus. Four small clouds began moving over it. The wind began to pick up a bit, pushing his hair back some. He pulled it behind his neck. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
Lo'ak licked his lips. He wondered what Payakan and La were doing at Three Brothers Rock right now. He was glad his spirit brother had a friend with him there. He believed they went well together, as did Tsireya. He hoped they got a good night's sleep. He recalled Jake telling him whales slept with half their brains shut down at a time. He was amazed when he learned tulkuns did the same thing.
His thoughts shifted to Jake and Neytiri. He was glad they decided to take a walk in the rainforest. He liked he had been left in charge of his siblings as it gave him a greater sense of responsibility. He told them not to worry if their parents did not come back after a while because they needed time alone due to assisting in caring for so many patients today. He was glad Spider, Kiri, and Tuktiery understood this.
He started thinking about Keye'txon. He felt fortunate to have inserted the needle for penicillin without any trouble. He understood Norm's instructions for that very well. He recalled Max's revelation that he was not sure when Keye'txon's fever would break or when he would wake up. He felt very bad for the patient. He had a feeling the warrior ended up on the island after a Metkayina injured him when he or she killed his skimwing.
Lo'ak snapped out of his thoughts when he heard squeaking. He spotted an ilu and a white-spotted dolphin swimming side by side in the ocean. They lifted their heads and emitted a series of clicks and whistles. He observed them diving underwater. The dolphin slapped its tail on the surface. He heard footsteps approaching and looked over his shoulder to see Tonowari coming his way.
"Hello, Tonowari," Lo'ak greeted.
"Hello yourself, Lo'ak," Tonowari responded, stopping at the boulder next to him. "Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," Lo'ak said, shaking his head. He watched him sit down and heard him grunt. "What brings you out here?"
"Kiki and Kipling were settled down, so I thought I'd come out here. I left Aonung and Tsireya in charge of them. I told them to come get me if they woke up and needed me. I did not expect to find you here," Tonowari said.
"Tuk had fallen asleep, so I decided to come out here for a while. I left Kiri and Spider in charge of her. I instructed them to come get me if she woke up and needed me," Lo'ak explained.
Tonowari smiled. "You are a very responsible brother."
"It's a dirty job being a brother, but I got to do it," Lo'ak commented truthfully. "I know Aonung has similar feelings."
"He always has. The difference is his two youngest siblings are toddlers who can be quite the handful," Tonowari admitted with raised eye ridges.
Lo'ak chuckled in a soft way. "Mom and Dad dealt with three toddlers at the same time. Neteyam, Kiri, and I could be quite the handful ourselves. Kiri called me 'penis face' when I fought with her over a toy once. She learned that language from Dad."
Tonowari emitted a quiet sigh. He recalled all the times Aonung and Tsireya fought over toys and called each other names. He caught a few swear words from them as well. He knew they learned them from him. He tried not to curse around his children, but he couldn't help himself sometimes.
"Aonung and Tsireya said you told Nastelane's story to them, Rishi, Rotxo, and Riri earlier this evening. They explained what it was. It was very interesting," Tonowari commented.
"It is a story I hold close to my heart. I felt it was time to share it with the others. Mom and Dad found out when I spoke excitedly with Spider, Kiri, and Tuktiery over the Metkayina kids' fascination with it," Lo'ak explained. "They were glad I was sharing details about Native American tribes."
"Tsireya said the story contained a prayer that brought Blackfish to life. It is—how do you say it?" Tonowari asked.
"'Salana-ayun-iaisis. It means 'Give this animal strength' in Haida," Lo'ak responded, smiling.
"Salana-ayun-iaisis," Tonowari said softly.
"Nastelane had no idea this prayer would bring Blackfish to life. That orca was the reason he was able to make it back home and regain leadership of his tribe," Lo'ak pointed out. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a Haida orca carving. "Norm gave this to me as a gift when I was ten. He wanted me to have it because I was the most interested in Native American lore of all my siblings."
"That is amazing craftsmanship," Tonowari whispered in awe as Lo'ak gave it to him. He looked it over carefully. "I had no idea humans could be this talented."
"The Haida were known for being amazing woodcarvers. They spent just one day a week gathering food due to the plentiful salmon. They spent the rest of the time carving and painting totems. They made music. They told stories. They made babies," Lo'ak said, snickering under his breath.
"That sounds a lot like us," Tonowari replied. He tried to hold back a laugh, but he could not help himself. "I am sorry. I find that funny."
Tonowari handed the carving back to Lo'ak. He rubbed the back of his neck with both hands before laying them in his lap.
"I am sure you showed this to Aonung, Tsireya, Rotxo, Riri, and Rishi," Tonowari suggested.
"Oh, I did," Lo'ak admitted while putting the carving back in his pouch. "They were amazed at its designs, especially the big circles that represented its eyepatches. They did think the teeth looked a little weird."
"Tsireya said skaana was the Haida word for orca. I find that to be a fascinating word. What other words did they use for animals?" Tonowari wondered curiously.
"Taan is the Haida word for bear, xa for dog, xunts for wolf, k'aat for deer, kagan for mouse, and so on," Lo'ak responded.
Tonowari breathed deeply. "I never thought humans could have so many names for animals in various languages."
Lo'ak smiled. "You learn something new every day."
Tonowari and Lo'ak glanced toward the ocean. The ilu and dolphin came to the surface. They squeaked in a playful way. The dolphin turned on its side and slapped its flippers against the water. The ilu stuck its body halfway out of the water. It wiggled its front flippers.
"It is wild how animals can be quite playful at night," Lo'ak whispered, his voice showing much awe.
"I know," Tonowari said with a soft chuckle. "At least it takes our minds off Keye'txon's condition." He cringed a bit. "He did not look good when he was brought in."
"I have seen many infected wounds in my lifetime, but his wound was the worst I had ever seen. Blood was seeping through the bandage. The area around the wound looked very red. A bit of pus was coming out of it," Lo'ak commented and swallowed hard. "Norm is right. It will take a lot of penicillin to counteract the infection. Who knows how long he was stranded on that island?"
"I am not sure, but it seems the infection set in rather quickly. He became ill a while later," Tonowari suggested.
"Possibly," Lo'ak agreed. "There is still a chance he could develop sepsis or a bad reaction to the penicillin." He let out a heavy sigh. "Things have a tendency to get complicated sometimes."
"When a situation becomes complicated, it can take more than one person to figure out a solution. Working as a team often gets more done, especially in trying times," Tonowari explained.
"Times have been trying in this war. Teamwork has been instrumental in saving so many lives," Lo'ak said, his voice showing great relief. "I am honored to be part of the team giving medical care to the patients."
"Everyone has done a great job, but your work has been exceptional. You have stayed very calm, even when some patients called you a freak," Tonowari complimented. "It is no wonder Jake allowed you to assist Norm in giving Keye'txon penicillin."
"I feel so grateful to have done that. I was a little nervous about inserting the needle at first, but I managed to get it in the vein without trouble," Lo'ak said.
"Listen, Lo'ak," Tonowari instructed calmly yet firmly. "Never let anyone get you down. You are more than what people think of you. You always will be."
Lo'ak nodded at his leader. They glanced at Polyphemus and observed two banshees flying past it.
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Aonung and Riri walked along the beach. They felt the waves come up around their feet. The waves retreated out to sea, only for more to come in. She had her hands clasped together, as did he with his. They twitched their ears and swung their tails from side to side twice. They stopped and looked at Polyphemus. They couldn't help but smile.
"Polyphemus looks amazing from here," she whispered.
"It sure does," he agreed. "I can see why humans gave that planet its name. It looks like it has one eye like Polyphemus the cyclops."
"It seems to be keeping its eye on Pandora," Riri suggested.
"Yeah," Aonung replied. "Humans call it a gas giant. It has no land mass at all. It is filled with extremely strong winds and storms."
"Lo'ak told us Jupiter looked a lot like Polyphemus, except it was red and smaller in size," Riri pointed out.
He perked up his ears. "Who knows how many more planets are out there in the universe?"
She cupped her chin in her hand. "I would say thousands. Maybe there are millions."
Aonung suppressed a yawn. He smacked his lips before taking two steps backward. Riri mimicked his movements. She put her hands behind her back. She tapped her foot twice.
"I hope I never see an infected wound up close for a while," Riri whispered in uncertainty. "Keye'txon's wound looked so bad."
"Unfortunately, there is a good chance one or both of us will see another such wound. Even worse is the patient could already be in the early stages of sepsis when it happens," Aonung muttered.
"It sucks we had to cancel our hunting trip, but Keye'txon needed our help," Riri said while moving closer to him.
"It was nice Nekx thanked us and Rotxo for getting his childhood friend back to the village," Aonung commented, a small smile crossing his lips.
"He has become less insufferable since revealing the deaths of his mate and son. He made peace with Rishi over their little spat," Riri commented. "He is even offering assistance to patients."
"It is best to make yourself useful, even if you are in an enemy's camp," Aonung said truthfully. "Some able-bodied Green Spears have lent their assistance too."
"Mm-hmm," Riri agreed.
"I saw Eli help change a Metkayina's bandages much like Nekx did earlier," Aonung said, chuckling softly. "His voice was gentle and calm. I have not seen Julay helping any patients."
"She has such a big mouth," Riri mumbled, rolling her eyes. "It was funny when Lo'ak said Nekx wanted to catch a fish and stuff it in her mouth."
"That would be a great way to shut her up," Aonung responded. "I imagine her trying to talk with a mouthful of fish, but she fails miserably."
"Me too," Riri said, wrapping her arm around his. "Me too."
Riri laid her head on Aonung's shoulder with a soft sigh. He tapped her cheek with his finger in a very light manner.
"What do you say we go Payakan and La ourselves tomorrow afternoon?" she suggested.
"That would be a nice idea. We should ask the others to come along too. That is if they want to," he replied.
"I know Lo'ak and Tsireya would. As for Spider, Rishi, Rotxo, and Kiri, I am not too sure. Tuktiery is not allowed to go out due to her age," Riri pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Let's talk to them about it tomorrow morning," Aonung said. "It is kind of late. They will all be heading to bed soon."
Riri nodded at him. "Okay."
"I am pretty tired myself," Aonung said and yawned widely.
"Me too," Riri agreed. "Let's walk for a little bit more first."
Aonung smiled. "Sure."
Aonung and Riri resumed walking. They began talking about their childhoods. The wind started to pick up a little bit.