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Sokka couldn't do anything except stare blankly and let the world pass around him.
He tried to get his breathing under control, but he just couldn't.
Sokka tried to remember the steps his father taught him, how he can try to calm down before anger would take over him. His fathers voice followed softly through his head. Keep breathing Sokka. Calm down. Just breathe, in…and out. In…and out. In…and—before his fathers voice could continue, an ear piercing scream tore through the air.
It took him a while to realize it was Katara. Sokka turned his head slowly and saw his sister burst into the tent, running to the bloody corpse which was their mother.
The cries wouldn’t stop. The heart breaking sobs continued for what seemed like hours. Sokka couldn’t move, he couldn’t talk or blink. The only thing that he could do was stand there frozen and watch his dear sister mourn over their mother. He didn’t know how long he stood there before tears started falling…down his cheek and onto the pure white snow. They just kept falling until they were pouring down.
It took a while before Sokka could regain control over his body. He took slow steps toward their mother, until he was kneeling down by her head. Sokka gently took his mother’s head into his hands, then onto his lap.
Her eyes weren’t full of light anymore. They weren’t the bright and joyous blue they always were. So carefree and full of happiness and adventure. Always ready to start the day with taking care of her children. Now they were dull. A blue so dark, as dark as the deepest parts of the ocean. It was only then when Katara’s cries subsided to small sobs and hiccups. It was only then when Sokka fully started to understand what was happening.
His mother was dead.
Dead. Gone.
He lifted his hand to touch her cheek, though now it was ice cold. Cold as the snow on the ground, where he and katara would play around in the mornings and be so at ease. It was no longer warm and full of life.
Just then did Sokka start to feel grief. Grief and despair so deep, it felt as if it stabbed him in the heart.
His sobs grew heavier, heavier and heavier until they tore at his throat. Gut wrenching sobs that were loud enough to be heard in the deep below, in the deepest vasts of the ocean that cracked through the ice caps that made their home.
Sokka didn’t know how long he sat there, crying for his mother, for her to wake up and tell him everything was going to be alright. That this was all just a scary dream. A nightmare.
— — —
Sokka flinched violently when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He whipped his head around and saw his fathers solemn expression. “Dad?...”
“Son?” Hakoda’s face slowly went from a look of concern to a look of sadness and sympathy. “Come on bud, let's get you to bed.”
“Dad…what—what are you talking about—” Sokka then realized couldn't feel the heaviness of his mothers head in his lap.
Sokka quickly whipped his head to the front and realized his mothers body was no longer there anymore. His breathing started to quicken and his heartbeat roared in his ears.
“Dad! Where is she? Where's mom? She was right here!” Sokka exclaimed as he patted frantically around his lap.
Hakoda pulled his son in for a hug, “She…” It took a couple of moments for him to compose himself, “We gave her a proper burial. Kya—your mother, is with the spirits now.”
Right, Sokka thought. She's dead. His mother, gone. With the spirits. He still felt as if he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. Sokka didn't think he had anymore tears left to shed. Turns out he did because as soon as it hit him, he started sobbing again. Right in his dad’s arms.
The last thing Sokka heard before he eventually cried himself to sleep in his father's arms were the soft words of him comforting Sokka. Telling him everything was going to be okay. Sokka even thought he could feel his dad crying himself, too.
Sokka sniffled and hiccuped as his eyelids eventually got heavy. He pressed his ear up to his dad’s chest. Sokka heard the beats of his dad’s heart thudding under in ears. Everything's going to be okay. Nothing is wrong, everything is fine. Mom’s fine…shes with the spirits now.
Those were Sokka’s last thoughts before his dad’s heartbeat lulled him into a deep sleep.