Tenzin sat awaiting his paper one morning. It's only been a month since he's become a father. He's currently the happiest man alive. Timid face of Jinora made him so. 'The world could not be more perfect' he thought taking the paper from an acolyte and thanking him. Pema approached him with a tray of tea and sat down.
"She's finally asleep" She said in an exhausted but happy tone, earning a warm smile from Tenzin. But Tenzin's face fell as Pema watched while he read the headline of the first page.
"CHIEF BEI-FONG COLLAPSES DURING AN ARREST"
Chief Bei-Fong has collapsed during an arrest yesterday at downtown station. She has fallen unconscious to the ground right after she had delivered the final blow and tied down the gangsters of 'bending cult'. She has been admitted to the city hospital immediately.
"What's wrong?" Pema asked peeping in to the paper. Her expressions went from alarmed to sympathy to wavering. She gave Tenzin a sceptical look.
"Pema, Dear, I know things between you two are not exactly great but Lin has no family for support. We were her only family since Aunt Toph, well-" He sighed.
Pema nodded empathetically. "You should go check on her" She said gloomily.
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Healers and nurses rushed in and out of the emergency unit where Lin was said to be. They were too busy talking among themselves in hushed voices and carrying various medical equipments hurriedly to the unit, to talk to Tenzin. He grabbed one nurse from upper arm in his frustration and dragged her aside.
"I am sorry, but please, tell me what is going on? How's chief Bei-Fong?"
Nurse gave him a disapproving look. "Her blood pressure is dangerously low, so as her blood sugar." She said in a grave tone. "It appears that she's been missing her meals and working restless."
"May I see her?" Tenzin asked the nurse urgently. "Please?" He added.
"I'm afraid not, councilman" Nurse said pointing at the "No visitors allowed" sign on the door of emergency unit. "Besides, there is nothing you can do for her right now. Let the healers take care of her."
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The white lotus officer approached Katara and bowed. "There is a wire for you, master Katara"
Katara took the note from him and sent him off. Her eye brows knitted together as she read. "Oh' Lin!" She let herself whisper while she set aside Tenzin's message.
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It took two days for Kya and Katara to get to the city. By then, Lin had been moved to a normal ward. Healers still didn't let visitors stay too long with her. Tenzin and Lin's assistant kept hovering outside the ward while her officers dropped by to see her. Lin was asleep most of the time because of the powerful sleeping draughts she's been given in order to keep her rested. So Tenzin still didn't get to talk to her.
Once Kya and Katara arrived, healers agreed to let them check her. Lin felt the familiar sensation of soothing water lingering on her forehead and neck. She instantly knew who it was. Katara's hand always had this gentle touch that the other healers lacked. But Lin chose to ignore the comfort she felt and kept sleeping. She did not want to talk to any of Tenzin's family right then. They used to be her family but now she felt like none but an outsider. So, every time they visited, Lin was asleep. Kya's gentle pokes or Katara's affectionate words did not get to her.
"What happened to her all of a sudden?" Tenzin wondered out loud on the third day they visited. Katara was trying to wake Lin while he and Kya stayed outside.
"Oh' it wasn't sudden." A voice answered behind him. Tenzin and Kya turned to see a young women standing there with few books.
"Nina?" Tenzin raised a brow towards Lin's assistant.
"She's been taking double shifts continuously for a month now." Nina said heavily as Katara came out with a frown on her face. "She isn't asleep. I can tell. It appears that she does not want to talk right now."
"Sometimes she didn't mind taking tribal shifts too. I was the one to get her lunch and dinner. For the last month, her lunch had always been a donut and a glass of water. And for dinner, she'd always take a black coffee, that's it." Nina went on.
Kya's jaw dropped. "It's a miracle that she didn't collapse any sooner. What was she thinking?"
"You should ask her master Kya." Nina said. "This started with the baby's birth."
Tenzin took few defensive steps backwards. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he sighed and let his eyes wonder to Lin lying on the hospital bed.
Nina excused herself and walked in to set the books on Lin's bedside cabinet.
"I didn't think Lin would take Jinora's birth this hard." Kya whispered. "I should have gone to see her. Mom, even you couldn't meet her because of all the chaos."
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Next day they arrived at the hospital only to find Lin's bed empty.
"Where is chief Bei-Fong?" Tenzin asked a healer who walked by.
"She was discharged few hours ago." Healer said bowing to them.
"But- but you'd not discharge a patient without a family member's signature." Kya said as she stepped forward. "It's the protocol"
"We don't, but in Chief's case, we had no choice." Healer sighed. "She pointed out that she had no family to come and sign her out. We did suggest that she should probably wait until one of you come to visit, but oh well, it's hard to argue with Chief Bei-Fong. At least she agreed to come for weekly checkups. That's a win" He said excusing himself away.
"Oh' Lin!" Katara muttered yet again.
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Tenzin dropped Katara and Kya by Bei-Fong house. He wanted to go and see how Lin was doing but Kya thought otherwise. "She wouldn't want to see you right now." She said getting off the bison.
Tenzin sighed and nodded, and then he took off.
The knock on the door was answered by a very irate shout.
"Nina, if it's you again, I swear I'll fire you. Seriously! Stop trying to babysit me already!" Lin barked. The bark was immediately followed by a violent coughing fit.
Kya opened the door and ran to the living. Lin was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, a bowl of porridge in hand, coughing hard. Kya sat down besides her taking the bowl off her hands while rubbing her back soothingly. Katara poured a glass of water for Lin and sat on the other side of the couch, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Lin took few deep breaths to steady her, took the glass from Katara and stood up. She walked to the pantry, drinking the water slowly and set down the empty glass on the table sitting down to the table. Katara and Kya followed.
"How are you feeling?" Katara asked walking towards Lin and placing her palm on Lin's sweaty forehead.
"Radiant!" Lin said gloomily.
"oh' Lin" Katara said giving her a one arm hug. "You gave us a fright."
Lin stayed immune to the nostalgic hug. Katara felt the coldness. She exchanged a glance with Kya.
"We visited you everyday at the hospital. But suspiciously you were asleep, every time!" Kya said crossing her arms. "What's the big idea Lin? Leaving the hospital on your own when you can't even talk with out coughing? I didn't cross the south seas just to be punched on the face by your grudge."
"It was just a faint. I don't see a reason for you to be so pissed Kya." Lin said indifferently.
"JUST A FAINT?" Kya boomed. "JUST A FAINT? Who are you kidding? Are you trying to kill yourself? Missing meals, working your guts out! Why can't you just le-"
"Kya, that's enough" Katara said sternly.
"Seriously! Your grumbling is starting to give me a headache" Lin said getting up once again. She took a serviette and walked to the couch again. "How did you know I fainted anyways?" She asked cleaning the bits of porridge on the couch with the serviette.
"FAINT?! FAINT?!" Kya started again only to be silenced by a glare from Katara. "Tenzin sent us a wire." She said following Lin with her eyes.
Lin did not say anything to that. An awkward silence fell between them. Thankfully, the phone rang just then. Lin took it gratefully.
"Yes?" She said to the mouth piece. "Saikhan! Yes, I was discharged this morning. No, it's fine. Well, they took in the circumstances and bend the protocol. I'm perfectly alright now, thank you. I'll be heading down to the HQ this evening. Mhm! OK." She hung up, not daring to look at the water-tribe women in her home.
Finally, Kya exploded. "Who are you trying to punish Lin?" She asked advancing on poor Lin with clenched fists. "You are not going anywhere for another fortnight. I'm staying right here and making sure you are well fed and well rested."
Lin raised a brow, taking few steps backward. "It's not that I don't appreciate the concern, Kya. But I'm a big girl and I can handle myself." She said in the same even voice she answered Saikhan.
Katara stepped forward and grabbed Lin by upper arm. She gently leaded Lin to the couch and made her sit. Then she got her bag and dug out a package. Lin watched, not saying the word as Kya stormed out to the balcony. Katara untied the pack to reveal a bowl of sea prunes. Lin's stomach heaved at the sight. "There is no way I'm going to eat that!" She said with disgust.
"Oh' you will!" Katara said giving her a stern look. "It's very nourishing and energizing. If you are going to work this evening, you are going to finish the entire bowl."
"Look, aunt Katara, I'm not eating that even if my mom was to play Melon Lord on me!" Lin said. "I am sorry you two had to come here all the way from South Pole, but I didn't plan any of this. It just happened."
"Just happened? JUST HAPPENED?" Kya stormed back in. "You assistant told us what just happened. A donut? Really Lin? For lunch and a mere coffee for dinner? For an entire month?" She breathed fire. "Did little Jinora hurt you that bad? That you had to take double shifts continuously to keep her off your mind?"
"Kya!" Katara barked.
"It's alright aunt Katara. She's right. I was pathetic." Lin said sitting on the couch more comfortably. "But when I lay on the hospital bed doing nothing but mulling over the past, I realised that I was never the addition your family needed. Who was I kidding?!" Her voice was even and devoid of any emotion as if she was analysing a case. "Now I can finally get on with my life and not worry about airbenders and balance of the world."
Kya listened with her mouth gaping. Lin had always been so rowdy and touchy about this topic, but there she was, talking about the very topic as if it was nothing but a petty crime she handled everyday at work.
"All this yapping had made me a bit tired. I need to have a snooze." Lin said getting up. "Take my Satomobile for a ride back home but make sure to return it before you leave the city" She told Kya rubbing her eyes lazily. "Keys are on the corner-stand." With that she walked in to the bed room before either of the others could say another word.
Katara understood that she was little too late to fix things up. Lin had changed for good. Jinora had made many changes, many irreversible changes. A part of Lin had died with her birth. A part of Bei-Fongs' and the Avatar's family's relationship had died as well. They'll be always in each others' lives but there would always be this feeing of disconnection between them. As much as it stung, Katara realised it was for the best, for them and for Lin. She stood up and walked to Lin's room. Lin was already on the bed, buried in blankets.
"You are the next biggest blanket hog I've seen after your mom." Katara said running a hand through Lin's unruly hair. "Sleep tight, sweat heart! I'll still be around when you wake up. I know you wouldn't say no to Jiaozi"
Lin mumbled something in her sleep which sounded like 'nice pick'. Katara smiled to herself. She realised that what's left between them is way too precious to lose, and she vowed to herself that she wouldn't, not again.