Dr. Varrick, the orthopedic surgeon did get them in that day and scheduled surgery for the Wednesday after next. It was the day fall break started, so Asami wouldn't have to miss class. Neither Korra nor Asami was planning on going anywhere for break—Korra didn't want to go to Tenzin's and Asami had told her dad she needed to study—so it was a perfect solution.

Asami wasn't nearly as nervous for surgery as she had been for the doctor's appointment. Korra assumed it was because no one had questioned her story, and also maybe a little because she had a good chance of getting full use of her arm back. Korra was a little freaked out. Even though she knew Asami would be sedated, she was rather squeamish about the idea of the surgeons having to re-beak Asami's arm.

On the morning of the surgery, Tenzin drove the two girls to the hospital. Korra had asked to borrow a car and when he found out why, he insisted on driving them himself. He said Korra didn't need to sit alone in the waiting room. Which, now that Korra was in the waiting room, anxiously waiting to hear about Asami, she was very thankful for.

To fill the time, Tenzin asked what had happened to Asami and Korra found herself spilling out her roommate's secrets once again. She really didn't know how Asami had been able to keep her mouth shut for all those years because Korra couldn't handle more than a couple of weeks, and she just suspected the truth. When she finished talking, Tenzin rubbed his bald head. "It's hard for me to imagine Hiroshi Sato as the kind of person who hits his child," he admitted.

Korra had been lounging in the waiting room chair, trying to find a comfortable position, but now she swung her feet down to the floor. "You know him?" she asked.

"Not well, but I do know him. Our paths have crossed a few times. This is a small town, you know. He's always come across as calm and unshakable, if rather distant. With the amount he talks about Asami…" Tenzin trailed off and shook his head. "I just can't believe it."

Korra grew indignant, and in a hushed voice told him all of the weird behaviors Asami had adopted just to survive. Then she said, "Mr. Sato abused her whether or not you believe it. You need to deal with that reality."

Tenzin watched her, amused at the loyalty she was showing her roommate. "You misunderstood me, Korra. When I said I can't believe it, I meant it colloquially in that it's difficult for me to comprehend. Asami, should she ever come to me about this, will have my full support. I can't speak for the rest of the community, however. If Asami ever wishes to report the abuse, she'll receive a great deal of backlash. Hiroshi is well-loved in this town."

"That's fucking bullshit!"

"Korra! Language! There are children here." Tenzin looked like he was about to hold his hand across Korra's mouth to keep her from saying anything else offensive.

Korra took a deep breath to calm down and nodded. "Sorry. I shouldn't have cursed, but it's just so wrong!"

"It is," Tenzin said simply.

"I guess it doesn't matter," Korra mused sadly. "It's not like she'll ever accuse him. She still hasn't even told me the truth even though she must know I know."

Tenzin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She will confide in you. Just give her time."

They lapsed into a companionable silence after that. It was another couple of hours until a nurse came out to get them. The woman with long gray hair and an intense manner informed them that her name was Lily and that the surgery had gone well. She seemed entirely too upbeat when she very quickly said, "They put a pin in her radius to hold it together. She's in a cast, but she'll have to have it replaced in two weeks when they remove the stitches. Asami refused to pick a color for her cast, so we put her in black. She'll need to take pain meds every four hours and anti-inflammatory meds every six hours. Don't worry. I've written it down for you and I'll have the hospital pharmacy fill the prescription for you. The school's insurance is pretty comprehensive, so the co-pay should be minimal. Any questions?"

Tenzin and Korra looked at each other. They were both too overwhelmed by the onslaught of information to answer right away. Tenzin recovered first. "When can she go home?"

"As soon as she's awake and can keep down some liquids! I'm guessing it will be about an hour. Would you like to go see her?"

They followed Nurse Lily to the recovery room where Asami was stirring groggily, but still very much out of it.

Korra grinned and rushed to Asami's side, while Tenzin went to get her prescriptions. He told Korra he'd cover whatever they cost. This was the opportunity she was hoping for, but didn't think she'd get. Asami was in no way the kind of person who would ask people to sign her cast, so Korra thought she would take advantage of her unconsciousness. Out of her bag she pulled a pack of Sharpies, thankful she had sprung for the twelve pack that had the silver marker. None of the other ones would show up on the black cast. She drew a halfway decent picture of her dog Naga whom she'd had to leave behind in Alaska, and signed her name in big loopy letters. When she was finished, she looked up to see Asami's sleepy eyes watching her. "Oh. Hey!"

Asami gave her a slow smile and Korra knew she was drugged out of her mind. "Hi," she said, her voice hoarse from surgery. She looked down at her casted arm now covered in Korra's artwork and glanced back at Korra. "What is it?"

So Korra told Asami all about the dog she missed so badly. There were pictures hanging in their room, but Korra doubted Asami had ever looked at them. It wasn't too much longer before the nurse deemed Asami fit to leave. Asami was wheeled out, as per hospital policy, with a bag of drugs in her lap, and Tenzin drove them back to campus. Tenzin made Korra promise to make sure Asami got her medicine on time, iced her arm, and made her eat and drink. He handed her forty dollars and told her to order something for dinner so they wouldn't have to schlep to the Commons where both food places on campus were located. He then reminded her that Asami might be sick to her stomach, so it should be something gentle. Korra assured him she was up to the challenge.

They watched episodes of "The Office" they'd already seen; Korra figured Asami wouldn't remember much of the day and didn't want her to miss things in new episodes. It took some prompting, but Asami finally ate the chicken noodle soup and half of the sandwich Korra had ordered for her. Thankfully she didn't throw up. By the end of the day, she was somewhat coherent, though a little foggy because of the pain meds the doctor had her on.

It had been an early morning and a stressful day, which meant an early bed for the two girls. Korra was awakened some hours later when Asami sat up in bed with a gasp. "What?" Korra asked, trying to keep her voice to a whisper lest she frighten Asami.

"Just a nightmare, I think," she replied, panting heavily. "I woke up and a shadowy man was standing over my bed."

"Shit!" Korra quickly jumped out of bed and turned on the light, just in case it hadn't been a dream. The room was empty, however, with the door locked and windows fastened tightly. She checked her watch. "Do you have nightmares like that a lot?"

Asami shrugged. "Most nights, but they're not usually that bad."

Korra shook her head and let it go. "I guess it's good you woke up because it's time for more medicine." She handed Asami a handful of crackers, her bottle of ginger ale, and a few pills. Asami took them obediently and then got up to go to the bathroom; it was her nightly tradition after all.

When Asami got back, Korra still hadn't managed to get back in bed. She was super-disconcerted and she didn't think there was much hope of getting back to sleep unless she managed to calm down. Was this what Asami went through every night? How could she calmly return to her bed like nothing had happened? Korra shuddered and did a kind of dance around the room, but it didn't help. "That's it," she said. "Scoot over."

"What?" Asami asked, opening her eyes to watch Korra.

"Your dream seriously freaked me out and there's no way I'm going to sleep on my own. But you need to scoot over because these twin beds are tiny!" Korra looked at Asami and waited until she complied.

Eventually, Korra's message seemed to penetrate through Asami's drug-induced fog and she slid close to the wall, though she still looked confused. Korra flipped off the light and climbed in beside her. There still wasn't enough room for the two of them to lie side-by-side. Korra prodded Asami until her roommate sighed and rolled onto her left side, so Korra could throw an arm around her and curl up behind her. Asami immediately stiffened. For a second, probably because it was the middle of the night, Korra had forgotten Asami's discomfort with physical contact. Now that she was touching her, though, Korra didn't want to let go. It would feel too much like letting the demons win. Besides, she felt less freaked out when she was holding on to her. "It's just me," she said, her mouth close to Asami's ear. "You're safe with me." She brushed her thumb across Asami's wrist until she finally relaxed.

Somewhere between awake and asleep, Korra whispered, "Your dad broke your arm, didn't he?" As soon as she heard herself say it, she had to force herself to not physically react; she was astonished with herself for being so bold. Korra hoped Asami was asleep, but she felt her roommate stir and slowly nod her head, as if it took all of her strength to confirm it. "Did he hit you a lot?" Korra asked, tentatively this time. Another nod.

Korra exhaled slowly, trying to let go of how much it hurt to know for sure it was the truth. She rested her forehead in between Asami's shoulder blades, the firmness of her back reminding Korra that despite it all, Asami had survived. For a long time, she focused on breathing and holding the girl in her arms, not too tightly so she wouldn't awaken old injuries. This was the magic of darkness, she thought. It gave them the cover to expose the truths that looked too ugly in the light.

When she could take a breath without feeling like she was going to start sobbing, she remembered a conversation they'd had at the beginning of the year. "Is he the one who told you you weren't pretty?"

"Yes," Asami breathed. Korra could hear the briefest hitch in her voice and she wondered if Asami was crying.

Korra nearly laughed; the time of night plus the emotional toll of this conversation was too much. "I'm pretty sure he's lied to you a lot, but I think that might have been the biggest because you're beautiful. I meant it when I told you that before."

Neither of them said anything more after that, but Asami gripped Korra's arm and didn't let go. Korra thought it was like Asami was clinging to what she desperately hoped was the truth; if she let go, she would be pulled back into the lies he had spun. Asami fell asleep soon after, but Korra lay awake for a long time thinking about the weight this girl carried on her shoulders, a weight that until now she'd borne alone.

...

Waking up was awkward. The blanket of safety the darkness had lain upon them during the night had been kicked off when the sun rose. It started when Asami shifted as she woke and felt Korra lying behind her. Korra had been awake for an hour, so she felt Asami freeze. "It's just me," she said softly.

Asami didn't say anything, but she did relax, which Korra counted as a partial victory. Korra rolled out of bed and stretched, figuring it was time to give Asami her space back. Even when Korra handed her her medicine, Asami refused to meet her eyes. Korra hadn't been sure if Asami would remember admitting that her dad abused her, but that question seemed to have been answered.

When Asami got back from the bathroom, she went to the mirror like every other morning to do her makeup. As much as Korra was interested to see if pain meds would affect Asami's precision, it seemed silly for her to maintain her usual image when she was recovering from surgery. "Hang on," Korra said. "Why are you putting on makeup today? We're just hanging out here. Give yourself the day off."

Asami looked conflicted for a few seconds, but then she set down her eye shadow and smiled, not at Korra exactly, but as if she felt relieved at breaking from a tradition that symbolized the lies her father told her. "Okay. Can we have an 'Office' marathon today?"

"Duh." As if there were any other options! "Hey, if you're feeling up to it, can you look at my computer? It's kind of sucking."

"Sure. I should probably eat something first." Asami started to root through their shared snack bin to find something for breakfast. It was mostly full of cookies and Korra's protein bars that she ate after hard workouts. Asami chose one of the latter.

Korra shook her head at herself. "I'm being a terrible caretaker. First I forget to give you breakfast and now I'm making you eat disgusting protein bars. We're doing something special for lunch."

Asami gave her a sardonic look of terror, so Korra grabbed the frozen bag of peas Asami had been using to ice her arm, and threw it at her. Asami just reached up with her left hand and caught it like it was nothing. Her blasé manner made Korra burst into laughter, followed soon by Asami. "Shut up and put on 'The Office,'" Asami said once she was under control of herself. Korra saluted and they lost it again.

As they watched their favorite episodes, Asami iced her arm and shared with Korra everything she knew about them. It had become their tradition. When Asami liked a show, she researched everything about it. After their "special" lunch (which was just soup and sandwiches again because that was the only place that would deliver to them), Asami got to work on Korra's computer, while Korra borrowed Asami's to Skype with her parents.

"Hi honey!" Senna, Korra's mom said as soon as Korra answered the call. "Wow! The picture is so much clearer than normal. What's going on?"

Korra glanced at Asami out of the corner of her eye. Her roommate was smiling down at Korra's computer as she worked on it, though Korra very much doubted her stupid Dell was the source of Asami's smile. "I'm borrowing Asami's laptop 'cause she's working on mine."

"Uh oh!" Tonraq, Korra's father exclaimed as he sidled into the picture. "What's wrong with it now?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "Oh my God. Everything. It's super slow. It freezes. It shuts itself down whenever it feels like it. And now it's stopped connecting to the internet. But I think Asami can fix it."

"Or Asami might have to build you a new one," Korra heard Asami mutter.

Before she could stop herself, Korra let out a snort and soon the two girls were laughing again. Apparently it was a very giggly day. "I'm feeling rather confused as to why we're laughing," Tonraq admitted, though he and Senna had joined in without question.

"Asami said she might have to rebuild my computer." It didn't sound that funny when Korra said it aloud.

At that, Tonraq looked impressed. "Okay. I want to meet this girl."

Asami glanced up from Korra's computer, panic written on her face. "It's fine," Korra assured her. "Grab your chair and come join us."

So Asami pulled her desk chair behind Korra's and offered a kind of wave with her right arm; she must have forgotten it was in a cast or else that most parents worry when a kid (and let's face it, anyone Korra's age would always be a kid to them) is hurt. "Oh no! Honey, what happened to your arm?" Senna asked.

In the little screen that showed them what Korra's parents were seeing, Korra saw Asami's eyes widen, but she fielded the question like a pro. "I had surgery on it yesterday to fix an old injury. Korra has been taking care of me."

Tonraq and Senna shared a look, and Korra knew they were wondering why Asami didn't go home after the surgery. She prayed they had enough tact not to ask. Fortunately, they did. "If Korra neglects her duties as your nurse, you have my permission to shave her head while she's asleep," Tonraq informed her, his solemn expression belied by the twinkle in his eyes.

"Tell us more about yourself. You like computers?" Senna prompted, cutting off Korra's horrified protest.

And thus, Korra's parents so thoroughly disarmed Asami that soon the usually reserved girl was talking and laughing with these people she hadn't known before today. By the end of the conversation, Asami had even exchanged phone numbers with them. Senna wanted to check up on her arm, saying she didn't trust Korra to give her a complete update. Korra would have taken offense, but she knew her mom was just making an excuse. Tonraq wanted her number to ask her advice on tech related things both at home and at his job as a small-time government official in their Alaskan town. He also worked as a fisherman, but there was little technology on his troller that Asami could be of help with.

After they hung up, Asami put her chair back and returned to her bed to continue her work on Korra's computer. "I like your parents. They seem nice."

Just then, Korra's phone buzzed with a text from her dad. "Asami's great. Invite her home to Alaska for the summer. I can get her an internship and your mom says she could use some mothering."

Korra laughed and showed the text to Asami. "Looks like they like you too."