You know the italics/plain text drill.


Chapter 7

Patient #1002 was silent. Dr. Noatak stared at the young woman, whose face was turned away from him, toward the wall that her bed was pushed up against. Her legs were folded up beneath her in a defensive position. She seemed to be aware, but resentful about it. Nurses reported that, the night before, she had fallen into a screaming fit. She had kept shouting about how she "needed to get back" and how "Republic City needed" her. The nurses said that she had eventually worn herself down into this silence; he had ordered them not to sedate her, as he wanted to see where this new awareness would take the patient.

"Korra?" He clicked his pen. She turned her head to look at him for a moment before returning her focus to the wall. Dark bruises had formed under her eyes, and there was a small scratch on her cheek. "Korra, I need to know how you're doing today."

"No." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Did you sleep last night?"

"No." The same whisper, but slightly louder.

"Did you go to Republic City last night?"

Korra whipped her head around, her eyes bearing into Dr. Noatak's. "No!" This time, her voice came out ragged and rough.

Dr. Noatak took note. "Can you tell me why you're so angry about this?"

"I trusted you," she muttered. "But then you took my city away."

"Weren't you always in danger there?" Dr. Noatak leaned forward, setting his pen down for a moment in order to give her his full attention.

"But I liked the danger; I always took care of it. Everything always works out in the end, in Republic City." She leaned her head against the wall, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"You don't think that there are good endings in this world?" Dr. Noatak tried to give her a reassuring smile. It felt awkward on his face, so he let it fall.

Korra opened her mouth, and then closed it. She inhaled audibly; Dr. Noatak watched as her back rose and fell with her breath. "In Republic City, I'm the Avatar. I'm special there; important. Here, I'm no one. No one is special; there are no Avatars."

"People can be special without bending, or without being the Avatar. There are lots of special people in this world." He didn't try smiling again.

"But I'm not one of them. Here, I'm just a girl." She must have been holding back tears, as she swiped a finger under her right eye. It came back wet.

"I think that you're special." Dr. Noatak tried to sound encouraging. He was preferred listening to trying to give pep talks.

"Of course you think I'm special!" Korra began laughing. It was a heart-wrenching and desperate laugh; the kind of laugh that comes from a person who is coming out of disbelief and being overwhelmed with hopelessness, but still able to find sarcastic humor in her surroundings. "You must think I'm special, or else I wouldn't be here!" Her laughs turned into sobs.

Dr. Noatak dropped his clipboard and pen to the floor and approached the girl. He sat at the edge of her bed and took her shaking form into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. He could tell that she still wasn't eating right; he could feel her bones jutting out from beneath her hospital gown.

"Of course I think you're special. You're creative, and clever. Who else could create an entire world the way that you have? And Republic City Korra isn't the only strong Korra; you're just as strong as her. I've seen it. The Korra in this world is just as special, if not more so, as any other Korra in any other world."

It wasn't working; Korra continued to sob.

"And- and you'll still be special and unique once you aren't in this hospital. You aren't here for forever, you know." He rubbed his thumb in the small of her back.

Korra continued to cry, but her guttural sobs had paused. She was listening.

"Once you're completely better, once you no longer need to rely on escaping to Republic City to feel happy, you won't have to stay here. Your godfather Tarrlok will happily take you in, and then you'll start a new, normal life outside of the hospital."

Korra brought her head up from his shoulder. "Tarrlok?"

Dr. Noatak took a tissue out of his pants pocket and wiped Korra's wet face off with it. He held it under her nose. "Blow." She obliged. "Tarrlok hasn't been to visit very recently, has he?"

"No." She sat back against her pillow, eyeing him. She seemed to want to believe Dr. Noatak's words, but remained wary of them.

"Well, he's been pretty busy lately. He needs a new job." He held the tissue in his hand awkwardly.

"Did something happen with one of his women?"

Dr. Noatak fought back a laugh. "His what? How did you know about that?"

"I heard Mom complain about it once. About how Tarrlok's women were going to get him into trouble, one day."

"That's the first time that you've casually mentioned your mother since you got here." He stood up to return to his chair.

Korra jerked her head up at him, her eyes wide with shock. Her body began shaking. Dr. Noatak dove for her as her body suddenly went limp, catching her head before it fell against the metal bedframe.

"Korra!"

She was unconscious, and her breathing had become regular. She was finally asleep.


It was early in the day, and the farmers market was relatively uncrowded. A sticky humidity seemed to linger over Republic City this morning.

Korra frowned up at the large man who walked beside her.

"What?" Noatak shifted the large bag of fruit that he was carrying from one arm to the other. He still walked with a slight limp, but no longer needed any assistance in his mobility.

"I don't like it," she said. They stopped in front of a melon stand.

"Don't like what?" He picked a melon up with one hand and sniffed it. Both Noatak and Korra could tell that the seller was trying not to stare at Noatak's scars. He set the melon down, and the two headed for the next booth.

"I'm far too comfortable around you." She chewed on her lip. "You threatened my own life and the lives of my friends several times; why am I comfortable around you, now?"

"You probably should have asked yourself that when you were healing me."

"I don't feel as if you're going to hurt me, and it bothers me."

"Well, I do owe you several debts for what you've done for me. So, there's that. Also, I gain nothing from hurting you now. I can't go back to the equalists; they won't have me. Honestly, if anyone should be worried about one of us hurting the other, I should be the concerned one. After all, I did do all those things you listed. I need you here more than you need me." Noatak shrugged.

"I ruined your entire career; you have just as much reason to want revenge as I do." Korra lowered her voice as the stall owner asked her if she needed any assistance. She bought ten of the small, red vegetables that he was selling.

Noatak snorted. "My harming you would only result in my own death, especially with Mako watching my every move."

The firebender in question was sitting on the edge of a fountain that stood in the center of the plaza, watching them. Korra smiled at him and waved. Mako nodded in response. Korra jerked a few of her fingers, laughing as water in the fountain rose up and doused Mako's backside. He jumped up with a yelp and glared at her. Korra tugged at Noatak's arm, indicating that they should move to the next stand.

"Mako's harmless." Korra shrugged. They watched him for a few minutes as he tried, and failed, to dry his wet pants with fire. "If he keeps that up, he's going to have trouble sitting down for a few days."

Noatak laughed, and Korra looked back up at him.

"You have a nice laugh."

"Should I be flattered?" He took the vegetables she had just bought in his unoccupied hand.

Korra considered. "Yes." She smiled. "There's a seller over there who sells delicious Water Tribe candy. I want to get some for the airbabies." She pointed across the plaza, leading him in the direction of her finger. "Also, have you thought any more about a job?"

"None of the listings in the paper were incredibly appealing."

"I've heard that the Pro-bending Arena is looking for new management." Korra grinned at the former revolutionary.

"No." Noatak rolled his eyes.

"Narook's is often hiring."

"Great, I could serve assholes such as Tahno and his moronic groupies."

"Awe, he isn't that bad, you know, ever since you... yeah. He's been humbled." Korra picked up a taffy stick and chewed on the end of it, tossing the seller a coin as she did so.

"Because my sole intentions were to reform the Wolfbats. I'm so glad that my revolution had such marvelous results." Acerbic sarcasm dripped from Noatak's words. Korra stuck a candy stick in his mouth, his hands being full.

"Eat candy; be happy." She paid for a bundle of the stick taffy, watching as the merchant wrapped it up for her. She signaled for Mako to join them to leave.

Noatak brushed past her, leading the way to the docks and the ferry back the Air Temple Island. He wouldn't join them, of course, but it was helpful to have him carry their purchases to the boat. He was still reluctant to get on boats; Korra had practically had to knock him out to get him to the Republic City mainland several weeks ago. The skin of Noatak's arm made contact with Korra's shoulder, and a shiver went up her spine. She felt a sudden fluttering sensation in her abdomen, and felt heat rush to her face.

What the hell?