Separation

Part two of a fanfiction by Velkyn Karma

Disclaimer: I do not own, or pretend to own, Legend of Korra or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.

The metalbenders had been very accommodating, giving Bolin the name of the hospital Mako had been taken to when the earthbender finally managed to calm down. They'd even offered to call a taxi service for him to bring him there—it was all the way on the other side of the harbor. Bolin hadn't had the money for it, though, and declined, instead heading for it on foot as fast as he possibly could.

It took him half an hour to reach the Yugoda Memorial Hospital, which combined waterbending healing skills, medicines, and the latest advances in technology to tend to Republic City's citizens. When he finally did reach the double doors at the front he was winded and panting hard from the run. He paused long enough to coax an unenthusiastic Pabu into the depths of his coat—animals weren't allowed in the hospitals and healing centers, to judge by the sign with a big 'X' over the silhouette of a lizard-hound—and then burst through the double doors in a rush for the receptionist's desk.

"M-my brother," he stammered, gasping. "He was brought here—he got hurt—" the lump formed at the back of his throat again, and he did his best to force it back.

The receptionist looked unimpressed, which hurt more than a little—could they not understand how important it was that his brother be okay?—but after a moment she began to dutifully ask questions about the nature of his brother's arrival. Bolin answered as best as he could, summarizing the metalbenders' rough reports—he remembered everything, down to the last excruciating detail—and eventually the receptionist nodded.

"That way," she said, pointing down one of the many hallways that led off from the main alcove. "Physical injuries will be tended by waterbender healers down that wing. There's a waiting room at the end. Ask the girl at the desk there."

Bolin all but ran in the direction indicated, nearly bowling over one of the hospital's staff in the process. Pabu squeaked in alarm under his jacket and dug his little claws deep into Bolin's flesh to secure his hold. It stung, but Bolin hardly cared; he'd deal with far worse if it meant Mako would be okay.

He plowed into the second waiting room in a rush, drawing the worried, anxious, and irritated stares of a few other waiting people. Bolin winced and murmured an apology—they were all concerned for somebody too, and he probably wasn't helping matters any—and they seemed to understand, turning back to the time-consuming, agonizing task of waiting. He swallowed heavily, and headed for the desk on the far wall, where a friendly-looking young woman was busy filing a large stack of papers.

"Can I help you?" she asked brightly, as he closed in. She seemed to be trying to force as much good cheer as she could into the room, to help alleviate some of the tension. Bolin appreciated the effort, and on a better day he might've even tried to flirt with her—she was cute, and she seemed nice—but right now it just felt all so fake and unimportant.

"My brother," he rasped instead. "Mako—got hurt—Triad attack—"

She winced sympathetically. "I think I know the one you're talking about," she said. "He was brought in maybe an hour and a half ago. Young firebender, tall, black hair?"

"Yes! That's him! Is he okay?" Bolin leaned forward on the desk anxiously, desperately hoping that the answer would be something positive. Spirits, if he was hurt badly...if it was something life threatening, or hurt him forever, or made him sick...no, no. He couldn't think about that. Just the myriad of possibilities flitting through his head was enough to make that knot in his chest squeeze so tightly it almost hurt to keep breathing, to keep living; he had to hold on, especially now that his brother was the one that needed him.

As if to mock to his desperate attempt to sturdy himself up, make himself stronger for Mako's sake, the girl said, "I don't know, sweetheart. It was pretty bad. I think the healers are still working with him."

Bolin trembled. "But...but I thought waterbending healing was fast—"

"For some things," the girl said. "I'm a healer in training myself, so I should know. For an electrical strike like that? It's a miracle he lived to begin with, but the nerve damage will be pretty bad. It'll be a very delicate and time-consuming healing session, especially since he wasn't treated by a healer as soon as he got hit." She paused, shuffled through a separate stack of parchment, glanced over one of the sheets' scribbled notes, and added, "Plus, it looks like there were some other injuries—possibly from a waterbender's ice shards, since the wounds were clean." She gave him a sympathetic look. "It's going to be a while, sweetheart."

If a waterbender had been involved in the attack then it was almost certain it was the Triple Threats now; the Agni Kais rarely accepted waterbenders to begin with, and almost never used them in combat. Bolin hardly cared about that at the moment though. He found himself twiddling his fingers anxiously as he asked, "But he'll be okay, right? Right?"

The girl hesitated. "We've got the best healers in Republic City," she said after a moment. "They'll do everything they can for your brother."

That wasn't an answer, though. Bolin was far too used to his brother's evasive not-quite-answers when Mako was avoiding a topic for her to pull the wool over his eyes here. They weren't sure if Mako would even be okay, which meant it was bad, and the thought hit him like a lightning bolt strike of his own. Mako was hurt. Mako was hurt bad, and Bolin still didn't even know where he was, couldn't be with him in case—in case—

Another anguished, pitiful, moaning sob escaped him before he could stop it, and he felt the pressure welling up in his chest again, in the back of his throat. Pabu, worried for his master, finally poked his head up through the collar of Bolin's jacket and squeaked reassuringly, rubbing his head against the bottom of the earthbender's chin. The receptionist's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the animal, and Bolin, in a moment of panic, cupped one hand over his fire ferret's head protectively. They couldn't make him get rid of Pabu too, then he really would be alone in all of this, and he just...he couldn't do that right now. Not with the world rapidly turning into his own worst nightmare around him.

But the girl smiled tentatively after a moment, and put a finger to her lips. "I won't tell," she promised, "but hide him when the other healers or nurses come through, they won't like it."

Bolin nodded quickly, and Pabu took the opportunity to crawl all the way out of his jacket and down into his arms, snuggling close for comfort. Bolin clutched him again, like he had earlier at the site of attack, and asked, "C-can I go in to be with him? My brother? He...he doesn't really like strangers a lot, and I thought...and maybe, if he really can't..." He choked on that thought—don't think like that, Bolin, he'll be fine, it's Mako—and finished lamely with, "I don't want him to be alone." It hung entirely unspoken but all too obvious in the air that Bolin didn't want to be alone, either, not at a crucial moment like this.

But the girl shook her head. "No one is allowed to be present during the healing sessions besides the patients. We don't want you to distract the healers, especially when they have such delicate work to do." She smiled. "Have a little faith in us, sweetheart. We'll do everything we can for Mako." It was strange to hear her use his name; she didn't know him, and it didn't feel right.

He clung tighter to Pabu until the fire ferret squirmed a little uncomfortably, and it felt like his thoughts were racing at a million miles an hour. His brother was alive, but he could be dying, and Bolin wasn't even allowed to be there for him at such a vital moment. If he wan't already worst brother ever material, he certainly was now. Unbidden, he spoke up, his voice harsh and raspy and soft from sobbing and from that painful lump in the back of his throat that still wouldn't go away no matter how much he willed it to. "He's the only family I have left. He's my brother...my only brother...I can't—"

"Why don't you sit down?" the girl interrupted firmly, with forced cheer. "Just relax. Or you can visit the cafeteria on the other side of the building. You look like you could use a bite to eat, and they have some very good dumplings—or you could just sit down!" she repeated hastily, since the mention of Bolin's favorite snack had caused him to bow his head and squeeze his eyes shut to try and alleviate some of the pressure because Mako had gotten them for him and now he was here and—

"Sit," she repeated a third time, more firmly. "I promise they'll come out and let us know what's going on, one way or another, okay, sweetheart?"

He nodded numbly. Suddenly he didn't have any strength left in him for arguing; he just felt empty, cold, and very, very afraid. He staggered over to a chair in the far corner of the room, near a potted plant Pabu could hide in if the need arose, and sat down to join the other weary patients in the long game of waiting.

It wasn't a fun game. A minute went by like an hour, and an hour felt like a year. He clung to Pabu in the corner and did his best to try and stay calm and in control for his brother's sake and failed miserably at it; it just hurt too much to even consider Mako being in so much trouble, and him being unable to do a damn thing about it. Through the worst of it he buried his face in Pabu's fur, and although he knew Pabu hated getting wet, the fire ferret never once squirmed away or squeaked in irritation. Five times he was forced to hide his pet in the potted plant or under his jacket as healers and nurses passed through the room. Twice he was filled with momentary hope and dread as a healer stepped forth from the chambers they worked in, only to fall back into the same anxious, terrified waiting when he realized the visit wasn't for him. One woman, a mother, rose in elation as her daughter was proclaimed safe, and Bolin hoped desperately he would be able to share her happiness. The second time a middle-aged man had moaned and cried with horror and loss as his wife was proclaimed gone, with the healer's deepest sympathies. Bolin felt a sharp pang in his chest as his heart went out to the man, and at the same time went cold in fear at the thought of the same thing happening to him.

Just hold on, Mako. Just hold on, please. Please. You promised you wouldn't leave, don't break your promise. Just hang on, and I promise you won't have to worry about anything, I'll take care of everything, I swear, just...just don't leave me alone like this, please...

The waiting went on forever and ever, and Bolin would wait even longer than that if he had to if it meant Mako would be safe, if he knew it with absolute certainty. But he couldn't be sure now, and the time stretched on longer and longer, the sunlight outside died away into darkness, and the electric lights snapped on. Bolin hated them for no reason; the cold, emotionless lighting was nothing like the comforting, warm flames his brother would produce when they were still on the streets, lacked that feeling of safety and rightness, and that was because Mako wasn't there. Don't die. Hang on. Please.

It seemed to stretch out even longer, too, because the entire time Bolin couldn't help but berate himself, over and over, on what he could have done differently to prevent this. It was his fault, somehow, he knew. He wasn't sure how, but he was always the one getting into trouble, even if he never intended to cause the mess to begin with, and Mako was always the one getting him out of it. He had to have been responsible for this, somehow. If he'd just gone with his brother...or not gotten in a fight with him...or met up with him at the dumpling vendor's stand...or something. Anything. It was cruelly unfair for things to turn out like this, not when they'd been through so much already, not when they had finally made their break thanks to Mako and gotten off the streets and snatched a chance at a real life out of thin air. It wasn't fair, he couldn't be left alone like this, he didn't know what he'd do if he didn't have his brother, it hurt too much to even think about it—

"Sweetheart?"

Bolin glanced up in a daze, noting slowly that Pabu had disappeared into his coat jacket, and that the girl from the desk was standing in front of him. Belatedly, he realized there was a healer behind him as well, an older woman of maybe forty years with dark brown hair sprinkled liberally with gray, and the icy blue eyes common to most Water Tribe folk. Those eyes were focused on him, and he shot upright as his exhausted, anxious mind finally put two and two together. "Mako! Is he okay, my brother's not—"

The woman raised her hand, and Bolin cut off with more than a little fear as she answered. "He's alive. We've done what we can for him and we think he has a decent chance, but it's all up to him now. His other injuries we were able to treat relatively easily with healing, but the lightning..." She shook her head, looking a little disgusted. "Such a dangerous art, and it's so difficult to predict the outcome. Your brother is lucky he's alive; his heart stopped." Bolin's eyes widened in horror, and the woman continued, "We managed to get it started again, but his heart will definitely be weak for a while, as will the rest of him. He definitely won't be doing any bending or physical activity for a while. And..."

The healer hesitated, as if considering how to best phrase the next part. Bolin felt his heart drop into his stomach, and his whole body seemed to turn to ice. "And...and what? He's just...he's just gonna be weak for a while, right?"

The desk girl gave him a sympathetic look. The healer sighed, and shook her head. "I wish I could say for certain, child," she said. "But this isn't the first time I've seen lightning damage, and I doubt it will be the last. Those ridiculous jobs at the power-plant...even with all the safety gear, it's still..." She shook her head again, and then said more calmly, "But there's always different symptoms, and some of them simply can't be spotted until the patient wakes up. Lightning has a strange way of damaging the spirit and the mind. I've seen some people acting like they've only taken a bump to the head, while others forget things or change into whole new people or just lose heart with living. And some of them don't ever wake up at all...they just sleep for the rest of their lives."

Bolin felt a sick twist in his stomach, an unpleasant churning that, combined with the lump in his throat, made him feel vaguely like throwing up. It took him a long time to process exactly what the healer had said. Forget things...lose heart with living...never wake up. After an infinitely long time—or at least, it felt like that to him—he managed to choke out softly, "But...but my brother...that won't happen to him, right? He'll wake up, won't he? He'll be the same as always. He'll be Mako. My b-brother. He can't...he can't—"

"I wish I could promise for certain that he would be perfectly fit," the healer said, not unkindly, "but I also am not in the habit of lying to my patients or their families. What I can tell you is that your brother hasn't woken up yet, but it's still early. Anything could happen. We must just be patient."

Anything could happen. Bolin swallowed hard—the lump in his throat constricted painfully—and found the phrase repeating in his head over and over. Anything could happen. Anything could happen. He tried hard to focus on the positive, that Mako could wake up and be fine, but somehow his mind dropped bitterly back to all the negative possibilities time and time again, and he couldn't seem to pull away from them.

Anything could happen.

Spirits, Mako, don't leave me alone like this.

"You can go see him now, if you want," the desk girl added, cutting into his thoughts. "Family members are allowed to stay with their relatives. It's not the most comfortable stay, but if you want—"

"I'll do it," Bolin said. Sleeping in a chair was still infinitely more comfortable than sleeping on the cold, wet ground of a dark alley, and Mako needed him to be there, for support even if he couldn't do anything else. "Where is he?"

The healer offered to take him, and guided him through a series of passages to where the patients stayed when they weren't being treated. It was a slow night at Yugoda Memorial, although Bolin supposed vaguely that was a good thing; although the room the healer led him to had room for three occupants, only one of the beds was filled.

Bolin felt his heart stop when he caught sight of his brother, and seconds later the tears were flowing hot and thick down his face, from worry, relief, fear, or maybe even a mixture of all three. Mako looked deceptively healthy. He wore one of the thin, clean white robes provided by the hospital, and since it was a warm night the covers had only been pulled up to his waist. Only his arms, neck and head were really visible, but other than his skin being a few shades too pale and a few bandages there were no notable signs of injury. He just looked like he was asleep, and that made it all the more frightening for Bolin. Because his brother looked almost peaceful, laying there like that, like he could drift off and sleep forever. And Bolin knew he really could, that Mako could slip away and never come back and Bolin would be alone for the rest of his life, and he was terrified of that ever happening.

He was at his brother's side before he'd even realized he'd moved, wrapping his hands around one of his brother's as he half whispered, half sobbed, "Mako, bro, I'm here, I'm so sorry I'm late—I wanted to come sooner but they wouldn't let me—I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, bro, and I'm s-sorry about the fight, I'm not mad at you, I never was...you gotta wake up, bro, come on...wake up, Mako, d-don't leave me alone, okay?"

Mako did not answer. He didn't even stir, or react to his brother's voice in the slightest, and Bolin felt another agonized, horrified moan starting to claw its way out of the depths of his throat at the absolute lack of his brother there. Like it was just a doll wearing his brother's skin; like Mako himself was gone forever.

The healer coughed quietly, and said, "Remember, it's still early. There's always a chance. For now, try not to stress him, and don't disturb the bandages. The gashes from the ice shards are mostly healed, but I plan to give him another session tomorrow to deal with the last of the scarring, and until then it's best not to disturb the injuries too much."

"Okay," Bolin said quietly, only half-listening as he watched his brother's face and squeezed his hand.

Abruptly he realized his brother wasn't wearing his usual pair of fingerless gloves, or anything else he usually wore, either. Suddenly frantic, Bolin cast his gaze about the room, searching for the familiar flash of red that was so dear to his brother. "His clothes," he said loudly. "Where are his clothes from earlier?" If the scarf had been lost on top of everything else—no. He'd find it for Mako, even if he had to tear apart the entire stupid hospital and every street from here to the attack site just to do it.

But the healer gestured to a small cupboard next to the bed, and when Bolin peeled it open he sighed with relief; everything was stacked inside, with the scarf folded neatly on top. Mako's old coat and shirt looked shredded and stained beyond repair from the icicle shards and blood, and there was a frightening-looking burn stretched across one section of the fabrics. The scarf had a few tears in the end as well, and Bolin winced at that, but it looked like it had been lucky enough to escape the brunt of the damage. He slipped it carefully from the pile and closed the cupboard doors.

"Feel free to call us if you need anything, or if something changes with your brother," the healer said. Bolin nodded absently, and she turned on her heel and left the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as she had left, Pabu clawed his way out of Bolin's jacket, trilling and chattering in agitation from having been hidden for so long. The fire ferret paused when it caught sight of Mako, and leapt lightly over to the bed, scurrying over the unconscious firebender once or twice before finally licking his face. Mako didn't respond with his usual good-natured complaints at the pet using him as a jungle gym—he didn't respond at all. Pabu's ears flattened, and he cocked his head in confusion, nudging the older brother once again with the same lack of response.

Bolin felt sick watching it, but tried to say as bravely as possible, "He's not feeling so well right now, Pabu. It's okay. He'll...he'll get b-better." Please let him get better.

Pabu seemed to accept his master's assurances at face value, and climbed back up to the earthbender's shoulders to settle comfortably around his neck. Bolin gave him a weak scratch on the head, and then returned his attention to his brother's scarf. Mako had a few bandages near his neck, and the healer had said not to disturb them, so Bolin did the next best thing and folded the scarf carefully, slipping it behind his brother's head like an extra pillow. There. Mako always said it felt like the scarf—and by extension, their father—kept him safe. Hopefully it would keep him safe now, as well.

With that all-important factor taken care of, Bolin separated from his brother only long enough to drag a pair of chairs over to the bedside. He shucked his jacket over the back of the farther one, and then sat down in the closer chair at his brother's side, taking Mako's hand again. Mako still didn't stir, but that was fine; Bolin would wait as long as he had to for his brother, and do whatever he could for him, just like Mako always did for him. Even if it only meant being there for him during a long night in a lonely hospital. He'd do whatever it took.

"Don't worry, bro," Bolin said softly. His voice was still raspy, and the lump was still there, but it felt a little more controlled now; still a threat, but a threat he could do something about, now that he didn't feel helpless in the situation. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. So...so don't you leave me alone here, Mako, 'cause I'm not going to leave you alone here, either."

And he didn't. He stayed awake for hours, talking to his silent, unmoving brother until the exhaustion and the worry and the sorrow finally took its toll on him and he slumped against the bed, still holding his brother's hand. His loyal little fire ferret curled up quietly at his side, and none of them were alone.

Last part should be updated soon.

~VelkynKarma