Hello lovely LOK fanfic readers and welcome to my new story. If you don't already know me, my name is Emmy and I am a huge procrastinator! What I mean by that is, I have a story going called Dragon, and I have yet to finish it, although I have the whole thing already planned it out. If you have been following that story, I apologize for the delays. I am so close to updating, I swear.
But about this story.
A lovely anon gave me a prompt about Mako getting caught up in an experiment gone wrong and turning into a dragon. Since Mako is my fav, and that sounded like a story I would love to read, I was super down for the challenge. So without further ado, I present Our Spirits Combined.
The poster read
Wanted!
Test patients for new and experimental medical research.
Seeking those suffering with chronic pain or illness, hearing or vision loss, and extensive injuries due to the recent attacks on Republic City.
Rumors were spreading about these new experiments. Ever since Kuvira had used spirit energy to build weapons of mass destruction, people became both scared and curious as to what else they could apply this newfound technology towards. Great strides were being taken in the automotive and construction industry. Lightning bending was no longer the cheapest and easiest way to power the electrical grid. Medicine was benefitting from spirit energy as well.
They were calling it Spiritual Infusion, or Spirit-Fusion for short; drawing energy from the Spirit Vines or the creatures themselves that now inhabited the human world and using it to restore ones body. There were many advances with this technique. The most common practice was to use Spirit-Fusion to replace or restore damaged nerves and tissues. Other uses included remedies for mental ailments, prolonging life, and increasing bending abilities, though mostly criminals and street gangs used that in illegal underground clinics.
Doctor Kuo was the leading force behind the Spirit Fusion movement. First used on a woman whose legs were crushed by a falling building during the battle. Initially, she was told that the damage was far too great; she would never walk again. Dr. Kuo, whom had been researching and experimenting with Spirit Energy since the portals were opened 3 years ago, sought her out and offered to test his new theory on infusing a human with harvested Spirit Energy. He had discovered that Spirit Energy had the ability to heal the damage in her body; at the very least, he would cure her of the pain she suffered every day. At first, it seemed as though the patient was getting worse. But as the weeks wore on, her health improved enough for her to discard her wheelchair and walk without it. The Spirit Energy had given her body the strength it needed to repair itself.
Some people accused Dr. Kuo of practicing dark medicine, insisting that he was disrupting the natural order by injecting Spirits into humans to cure the seemingly incurable. But others praised his work and flocked to his practice.
Mako had seen these posters floating around Republic City for months. The good doctor was bringing his practice from the Central Earth Kingdom to the city, and he was looking for new patients to continue his experiments.
The firebender had scoffed at the idea; what kind of idiots would willingly inject themselves with Spirit Energy? Mako had known first hand what that felt like, and it was not an experience he would have liked to relive.
Mako trudged up the stairs to the Republic City police station. It had been four months since Kuvira's attack, and he had been given the time off to rest and recover from his injury.
He waited anxiously in the infirmary. If he passed this medical test, he would be allowed back on the force. Finally the doctor called him into the room.
Skilled hands removed the sling and untied the bandages. Mako put on a brave face, trying not to indicate how much pain he was really in.
"Any changes since last time?" the doctor asked dryly, inspecting Mako's arm from all angles.
"I'm feeling stronger," Mako spoke carefully. "There's less pain."
"Hm," the doctor jotted down some notes. "Grip test." He held out his arm. "Grab my wrist," he instructed. Mako reached out his injured hand and grabbed the other man's wrist. "Now squeeze."
Mako gripped the other man's wrist with all his strength. In his youth, Mako would have been able to severely injure the older man by doing this. But now he was reminded of how useless his arm was as the doctor easily broke away from his grasp and continued to write notes on his chart.
"Now, firebend for me please."
Mako inhaled deeply and concentrated on his palm. He had been practicing for weeks. If he could make one little flame, just one, maybe he could convince the doctor to write him off to at least be on desk duty.
Mako's arm shook as he tried to flex the dormant muscles. He could feel all of the twisted up energy swirling around and around with nowhere to go.
"Come on," Mako grunted, straining harder to produce any kind fire. His arm was burning with exhaustion, but he kept pushing past his limits. Finally the pain was too much. With a small yelp, Mako gave up on trying to firebend and cradled his ruined arm into his chest.
"I swear, I've been improving," Mako rambled desperately. "I'm doing my exercises, and just last week I was able to – "
"Mako," the doctor placed a hand carefully on the young officer's shoulder. "I know that this is disappointing for you. Believe me, we were all rooting for you to make a full recovery."
"I'm not going to be allowed back on the force, am I?" he asked quietly.
The doctor sighed. "As of right now, I can't advise it, no."
Mako quickly averted his eyes. He didn't want to break down, not here in front of a former colleague. He would save his anger and frustration for later, when he was alone.
The doctor redressed Mako's wound and tied the sling around his shoulder. The firebender mumbled his thanks and hastily left the station.
As he waited for the next trolley to come by, Mako's gaze wandered over to the posters plastered all over the shelter. He rolled his eyes. It was such a ludacris idea. He impatiently stuck his hand on his hip, his mood getting more sour by the minute. Where was that damned trolley?
The poster caught his attention again. He lingered on it, reading all of the information slowly. Still stupid, he thought to himself. In the distance, the bells for the trolley chimed. Mako sighed, ready to go back to his apartment and be done for the day.
Sirens suddenly wailed behind him as two squad cars came rushing from the police station and zoomed down the street. Mako watched them drive away with wistful eyes. Where were they headed? Why did they need two cars? Were they sending the Rookies or the Veterans out this time? He quickly tore his eyes away from the scene, unable to watch others do the job he had worked so hard for.
As the trolley came barreling down the street, Mako looked at the poster one last time. He had heard of Dr. Kuo's success rate, and there were no recorded incidents of people sprouting wings or dying. Chewing his lip, Mako weighed his options. It wasn't as if he had anything to lose at this point. Before he could change his mind, Mako quickly tore a poster off the wall and stuffed it into his coat.
Mako called the number on the poster and was put on a list for evaluation. Once he arrived at the clinic, a nurse handed him a stack of forms and ushered him into the waiting room. Mako took in the other people. There was a woman sitting across from him, a tiny infant in her arms. The mother looked exhausted.
"He's very quiet," Mako offered. The woman smiled sadly.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. That's why we're here."
Mako gave her a puzzled look.
"I wasn't due for another few months," the woman explained. "When Kuvira attacked the city, my home was caught in the destruction. I was trapped in the rubble for days. The terror and stress put me into premature labor. Little Ru was born with an very weak heart." She clutched the child closer to her chest as tears fell onto her cheeks. "I'm hoping that Dr. Kuo could help us. I've been praying to the Spirits for a miracle, but maybe the Spirits themselves could be the solution."
"Do you really think what they are saying about Dr. Kuo is true?" another patient chimed in. Mako turned to face the person speaking. A small woman sitting two chairs down from him had joined their conversation. "Do you really think that Spirit Fusion works in the way they say it does?"
Mako quickly looked her over. She didn't seem to be harmed in any physical way.
"What are you hoping for?" the young mother asked.
The tiny woman bit her lip and pulled her coat closer to herself, as if trying to hide.
"Bending restoration. The posters say that the doctor is only looking for people who were somehow affected by Kuvira's attack, but maybe he could help me too."
"Why?" Mako moved to a chair closer to her, fully engaged in her story. "What's wrong?"
The small woman nervously tugged on the hem of her coat. "The equalists took my bending," she whispered.
"Oh. I'm sorry," Mako paused. "Why didn't Avatar Korra give you back your bending?"
The woman let out a self-pitying laugh and shrugged. "I wasn't important. I'm not a dignitary or political leader. Just a no-named bender working a blue-collar job. So when they discovered that the Avatar's ability to give bending back was straining her, they put a restriction on who to give bending back too and who gets to stay equalized." She shrugged again. "The small compensation they gave me ran out a long time ago, and my husband says he won't support the household by himself anymore." She stopped there staring gloomily into her lap.
Mako looked around the room at all of the worn down people, all of them hoping for a miracle. He suddenly felt like an imposter. These people needed the Spirit Infusion. It was a matter of life or death. And here he was, some big crybaby with a sore arm. Mako swallowed his pride and stood up, briskly making his way towards the exit. Before he could leave, the nurse called his name.
"We will see you now. This way please," she gestured to the door behind her. Mako walked back through the waiting area. As he passed the two women, they offered smiles and good wishes. He half-heartedly smiled back.
…
"What brings you to see Dr. Kuo today?" the nurse asked Mako once they were in the office. Mako quickly summarized his story, cheeks flaming with his embarrassment.
"I see," she mumbled, scribbling notes onto a pad and then placing it down beside her. "May I?" she pointed to Mako's bandaged arm. He nodded, staying completely still as she removed the wrappings carefully.
"Huh," she examined his injury very closely. Gingerly, she traced the red patterns twisting up his arm. "This must of hurt." Clearing her throat, she got right back to her clinical probing. "There is extensive damage here. Not just superficially, but down to a cellular level it seems. You mentioned pain, lack of muscle strength, and the inability to bend with the left hand, correct?"
Mako nodded.
"Any other symptoms? Shortness of breath, chest pain, or irregular heartbeat?"
Mako nodded again. He hadn't mentioned any of this to his other doctors because he knew they would immediately take him off the force.
"And the exit wound?"
Mako wiggled his right foot. "Doesn't bother me as much." The nurse jotted down some more notes.
"Firebend for me please."
"Um," Mako's eyes darted towards her chart.
"Lets see what we're working with here," she encouraged.
Mako sighed, holding his scarred palm open for display. He gritted his teeth as the energy built up beneath his skin. Heat was building, but he could no longer control its direction. His arm spasmed. Mako felt as though he was going to explode. With an agonized cry, Mako clutched his throbbing arm to his chest, falling back onto the examination bed behind him.
The nurse was silent for a moment, than quickly scribbled more notes.
The firebender rubbed his arm awkwardly. "I know what this looks like, but I don't really need-" he coughed. The nursed raised her eyebrow at his strange behavior. "I mean," Mako started again. "There are people here with real problems, you know. And I'm just-" he gestured towards himself. "A firebender who shoots themselves with their own lightning isn't really that uncommon. And I still have one arm that works. I'm sure I'll be fine."
The nurse stood suddenly. "Please wait one moment," she instructed as she left the room. Mako watched the second hand on the clock over the door, waiting for the nurse to return. Less than a minute later, the door opened again. This time, a tall older man with slicked back grey hair strode in.
"Mako," the man stuck his hand out. The firebender in question reached out and shook his hand. "I'm Dr. Kuo."
"Sir," Mako greeted.
"So, it seems like we have a very unique case on our hands," the doctor picked up Mako's chart and scanned it briefly. "I'm sure you have heard of what I specialize in, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'm aware of your situation. You were zapped full of Spirit Energy then, were ya?"
Mako nodded.
"Well, than Spirit Vines won't be the correct approach for your treatment. We're going to try a different method. We are going to try using energy from a Spirit creature to – ".
"Wait," Mako cut the doctor off. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I think you would be an excellent candidate for my practice." Dr. Kuo placed his hand on Mako's shoulder and squeezed. "Let's see if we can get you back up and bending again."
Tada!
lots of medical jargon there. I like world building. Makes me feel more grounded in the work.
I hope this doesn't turn into a 'Frankenstein and his Monster' kind of story. Probs won't.
I love feedback, so if you liked what you read leave a review and check out my other works (especially Dragon!).
Emmy