A/N: I did some research about what makes ammonia gas so dangerous. Apparently it likes to combine with water to form an acid. And as humans are mostly made of water it can be deady if there's prolonged exposure, or cause any number of damages to the eyes, throat, etc. My theory is that there wasn't enough concentration of ammonia in the atmosphere to cause serious damage to Jake's organs during the time he was without a mask. It was only enough to hurt like hell when he was without the mask and keeping him from getting oxygen into his lungs.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. But if Mr. Cameron wishes to give me his share of the rights, from one Canadian to another, I'll be more than happy to accept. So far he has not.

He felt the familiar pull of the tunnel, his vision swimming from the forest, to the tunnel, and the link chamber then suddenly back to the forest. He struggled to remain in the Avatar, but he could hear the warning bells clanging away about the air safety breach. Without warning, he found himself lying on his back surrounded by green light.

His throat, nose, and eyes burned. He fumbled with the chamber's inner lock, pushing it open and haphazardly pushed off the head and chest braces, desperate to get to a mask. He blindly grabbed for his chair, accidentally pushing it out of reach instead. In a blind panic he threw himself to the floor, forcing his eyes open to locate the emergency mask area.

The opposite side of the tiny hall-like room never seemed so far away, the emergency box never so high.

Jake dragged himself across the metal floor. If he'd had enough energy to scream he would have. The exercise forced him to breathe more deeply, thus causing the ammonia to further injure his system. He no longer could smell anything apart from the hospital smell, his nose and throat feeling more and more raw as the seconds ticked by. But the ammonia was too much for his system. It was pure adrenaline that had gotten him thus far, but his already overworked body could only do so much. He fell to the floor with a thud, the mask clanking down beside him.

But it was too late.

All Jake could do was lie on the cold grating, his body hyperventilating as a last frantic attempt to get the much needed oxygen. He heard Neytiri outside calling his name. He never got to find out what she thought of his human body, he thought fuzzily. In a way maybe that was better. He felt his vision blurring and he slowly drifted to unconciousness.

The next thing he knew was he could breathe a little easier. Not much, but enough to allow his brain to alert his body it was close to much needed oxygen and allow it one last push. As his senses came back to attempt to locate the source he realised there was a mask on his face. It wasn't sealed properly, hence the small ammount of breathable air. His arms spasmed in pain as he desperately searched for the vaccum lock button, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as instinct and muscle memory guided his fingers. Breathing got easier as the mask moldedto his face, the clear hard plastic fogging up with his gulping breaths. As he presses the button that will clear the fog the light ache in his eyes is forgotten as e comes face to face with what he is sure is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen.

She is there, holding him.

That's when he realises she must have been the one to place the mask on him. He takes a few more deep breaths to clear his head and ensure his body has enough oxygen again. Then he sluggishly reaches up, touching her face.

"I see you," he rasps out weakly, exausted from the day's adrenaline overdrive. It's important for her to know he still thinks of the the same way in this body, though somehow he doubts she'll feel the same. To his relief she replies in kind.

And for a moment, nothing else matters.

A/N: There! Jake's POV of the shack scene! :D What d'you guys think?