Day two, Toph told herself the next morning. She rubbed her arm where the injection had been given last night, to make sure she was unable to bend. She crawled over to where she had left her plate of food, but the floor was bare. Feeling around frantically she crawled forward, hitting her head against the wall. She sat back and cursed.
"Why do I have to be blind?" she cried, rubbing her head where it had hit, "Why couldn't I just be mute or deaf or something."
"If you were deaf it'd be a lot harder to talk to you."
Toph turned in the direction the voice had come from. It was the same voice as the person who visited her last night.
"You're back?" Toph pushed herself into a standing position, "My mystery visitor?"
She could hear another plate of food being slid under the door, "I wouldn't be a mystery visitor if I told you who I was, would I?"
"Well, no."
"Then don't start asking again."
Toph walked forward, sliding her feet until her toe touched something cold and metallic. She squatted down in front of it and picked piece of meat off the plate.
"Are you even Fire Nation?" Toph asked between mouthfuls, "you seem too nice."
There was a pause before he answered, "I've been anything but nice," he sighed, his voice dropping to a tone of sadness and suffering, "You're the first person I've ever treated this way. You're the only one I've talked to this much, on my own. Usually I'd be forced or told to-" he stopped and cleared his throat, but the tone stayed, "Enjoy the food. I had it made special; less disgusting then yesterday's."
"Thank you," Toph said quietly.
"Don't mention it," he mumbled, "I must be going, good-bye."
She heard him turn and walk off, leaving behind a dark silence. Toph continued eating, filling the empty hole of hunger eating away at her stomach. When she was finished she downed her water and pushed the plate away, then stretched out on her back.
What do I do? she rubbed her forehead, trying to untangle her thoughts, I have to get out of here. I have to help Aang.
She flexed her fingers and turned onto her stomach. Placing the palm of her hand on the cold metal she concentrated, trying to break through the block which kept her from feeling vibrations, the block which kept her from seeing. After a few minutes she gave up; until her bending came back, it was useless.
She sat in silence, tapping her fingers against her cheek. It wouldn't be so bad if she had something to do, but they had left her with nothing. Twirling her hair around her finger she tried to figure out a way to pass the time. She could sleep, escape into a world where anything could happen, or she could try to get out of her prison.
She stuck the hair in her mouth and chewed on it. Looking for a way to escape sounded like the better of the two ideas. She strained her ears, searching for a sound; what if she wasn't alone? What if there was a guard, watching her silently, who would kill her the instant she tried anything?
Maybe that guy can help me, she thought, the one who keeps bringing me food. If only I knew who he was.
She jumped at a sound of metal scraping metal and listened intensely, but heard no more.
Her thoughts trailed to when she had first been able to bend metal; she had broken through the block which kept her from realizing that metal and earth were one. She placed her palms against the metal wall and breathed slowly, concentrating. Maybe eventually, if she waited and listened, she'd be able to fight the injections, and bend.
The next few days passed slowly, and she found herself awaiting the visits from her mystery guest. His conversations with her helped the time pass by; he would visit in the morning and at night. In the morning he would bring her breakfast, and later he's bring her dinner. But with dinner, came the injection.
When he wasn't around, she kept practicing, trying to bend the metal which encased her. After what felt like a year, a week had gone by, and her only friend was he whom she did not know.
Note: Not very Toko or exciting yet, is it? It will be, just getting past the opening chapters first.