Hakoda's Father
Hakoda finally cracks- and tells Bato about his father. Something he's never talked about before. Hopefully this will have more than one part.
Kanna bent down and placed a damp wash cloth on her son's forehead, frowning when he sucked in air through his teeth, his face eventually relaxing in something like relief.
" Try to rest." She commanded, wrapping yet another seal skin blanket over him. "You should sweat the worst of your fever out soon."
Hakoda turned onto his back and tried to relax. This was one of the worst fevers the 16 year old had had in his life, as well as he could recall. He tossed and turned and moaned , that awful gurgling in his chest had at least dissipated, thanks to the medicine his mother had brought him. After what felt like about an hour, an anticipated voice floated into the room.
" Hey, look at you. " Hakoda lifted his head and trained his glassy eyes to a young man standing in the doorway. Tall, thin, longer hair, and he was smirking. Bato.
Hakoda groaned and pressed the palms of his hands over his eyes " G'way." He whined.
"Hey," Bato countered, " I just wanted to check up on you. Your mother tells me you haven't been doing well. Seriously. You wanted to chase an arctic shark and tame it so badly, you felt jumping into the water was a good idea? Now you have a bout of pneumonia to teach you a lesson."
Bato walked over to Hakoda's bed and helped him sit up, pouring him a glass of water and placing it into his friend's hand.
" Dad was trying to tell me you'd want some rest, but I'd figure you'd want some company." He raised an eyebrow " I don't think you've slept at all."
Hakoda sipped the water before answering " Not really." His voice hardly more than a whisper.
Bato swallowed. Hakoda never spoke of his father, and neither did Kanna. Would it be so wrong to pop the question now? Any mention of fathers left Hakoda's eyes darting about the room, uncomfortable. But now he just stared his dull eyes at his friend, waiting for him to continue speaking.
"You've never mentioned your father." Bath stated bluntly, hoping he would get some kind of response.
Hakoda raised his eyebrows slightly, the flush in his cheeks deepening " My mother always told me he died before I was born."
" I know."
"Well then why did you-" Hakoda began, before interrupted by a harsh fit of coughing. He couldn't raise his handkerchief to his mouth quickly enough, but brought his elbow up to his face, cautious not to infect his friend.
Bato winced in sympathy,rubbing Hakoda's back until he could get his breath. He took a few more gulps of water.
"Whenever," He paused to clear his throat roughly " I ask my mother about it, not only does she give me a short answer but she gets this dark look on her face." His fever -addled brain allowing him to spill details he normally refrained from telling anyone.
Hakoda felt his eyes suddenly go damp , and thin streams of tears spilt over his sharp cheekbones " I keep wondering if he really is dead , or if my mother was ever married at all."
Bato's eyebrows flew up in surprise , but before he could say anything hakoda quickly amended " Not that I would hold it against her…I just wish she would tell me something about him."
As if on cue, his mother burst into the home " Bato," She barked, "What are you doing here? You'll catch what he has, not to mention, he needs to sleep. Go back home before I tell your father!"
Bato left without saying a word and Kanna turned to Hakoda, who was polishing off the last of the glass of water.
"What is it?' She demanded, noting her son's troubled face.
"Nothing." Hakdoa rasped back " My chest hurts." As if to prove his point, he coughed a few more times, more painful-sounding than before.
Kanna took some menthol root essence and added some drops to the pot, before setting it to boil over the fire. Soon, the room filled with warm, menthol-scented vapor.
" This should help you sleep, " She assured the young man, as he settled back down. She bent forward and kissed his burning forehead, before leaving him to breathe in the pungent vapors and sleep.
Let me know what you think. My own water tribe head canons are included in this story, including the menthol root. I believe the water tribe had it's own non-bending "healers" who worked with medicine. The reason Hakoda is ill is because I feel like he would need to be ins some kind of uninhibited state before he discussed his father. I love the daddy issues! Hakoda concept. Hakoda is so adorable and under appreciated and I just…mmmmfff.