Lin needed to think quickly. This was one of those emergency situations. She had to act before things get any worse.
"Tenzin!" She said taking a look at her armor on the floor.
Tenzin's eyes darted from Lin to Katara to Lin, his gaze extremely nervous and frightened. "Wha- what were you talking about? Was It-?"
Lin let herself smirk, confident and believable smirk. "Your mother just learned that Flopsy died." She said giving Katara a look.
"Flopsy?" Tenzin mumbled dazedly.
"My pet pig-rabbit. She was rather fond of It." Lin explained, earning a disapproving look from Katara.
"I didn't know you were mothering pet pig-rabbit". Tenzin mumbled yet again.
Lin swallowed. "I- I was very fond of it, Very adorable, that Flopsy. But, couldn't take very good care of it because of work. It's been few years now" She babbled.
Tenzin wasn't persuaded, but he did not press the subject. He gathered the parts of the armor and took them to the wall cabinet. Lin watched as he silently stacked them inside.
"I'm sorry about your pig-rabbit. How are you feeling now?" He asked in a far-off voice, walking towards the bed where Lin sat with Katara.
"Fine" Lin said quickly. "Thanks for repairing my armor."
"It was the least I could do." Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rest, Lin!"
Katara watched as Tenzin walked out of the room. "You should tell him. He should know this!"
"Aunt Katara, it's been fifteen years. Just let it go" Lin said.
"No! This is about a child Lin." Katara insisted. "Your child, and His!"
"It never was born." Lin said in frustration. "It died."
"Tell me how!" Katara demanded.
"I'm tired." Lin said. "Can we not discuss this?"
"No" Katara was at the verge of tears. "I know I'm fifteen years too late, but I want to know what happened to you"
Lin sighed and stared out of the window. "It was already three months due when I knew I was pregnant." She started, keeping her voice steady and emotionless. "Mom was the first to notice a second heartbeat in me. As soon as I knew, I came running to- to-" Lin stammered.
"To tell Tenzin?" Katara helped as she moved her hand to rest on Lin's knee.
"When I knew about 'It', I thought 'It' would turn the tables around, that we'd have a fresh start. 'It' was what Tenzin always wanted." Lin kept going, not betraying any emotion still. "But when I got to the Island, well…"
"Lin…" Katara mumbled.
"They were already together and Tenzin ended things between us before I could say anything." Lin said shrugging her shoulders.
"How did-?" Katara swallowed her question as Lin threw the blankets away and got off the bed. Her left arm snaked around her ribcage as she slowly dragged her feet to stand near the window.
"One week later It died. Cause of abortion, mother's depression, lack of meals, lack of rest, and excess strain of muscles." Lin said as if she was reading out of an Autopsy Report. "I threw myself to work because I wanted to- to-… 'It' paid for it. Mom threatened to fire me from the police force if I did not take some time out from work. She dragged me to Goalin. It died just the night we reached the Beifong estate. It was my fault."
Katar walked up to Lin and drew her in to a hug. Lin let Katara hold her. She needed that hug badly. It had been fifteen years. Yet, the memory still fresh and bleeding. A muffled sniff made them break apart. Pema was standing under the door frame this time, one hand covering her mouth and the other holding a bundle of clothes, apparently for Lin.