Chapter 8
"What happened?" Katara cried, seeing the three of them.
"Kura slipped and fell into the water!" Zuko said, pretending to gasp for breath. Sokka and Kura did the same. "Before I could dive in to save her, Sokka, who'd apparently been walking by, jumped into the water! He told me to stay above to help them both out, which I did." he continued.
"Oh, goodness, are you all okay?" Katara exclaimed, taking Kura from the boys. She laid her on the ground, and Sokka laid next to her; neither of them needed to pretend to be tired. Zuko and Katara knelt next to them. "How did you get all this cuts?" Katara asked.
"There were porcupine-urchins in the water. One of them got Kura really badly, on her left leg. I found a spike still lodged there when I pulled her out. I was wondering if you could heal the two poor things." Zuko said, pushing Kura's wet hair behind her ear comfortingly.
"I think I can get all those little cuts, but I don't know about that deep one. Can you help me take them back to our room?" Zuko nodded, and, unfortunately, picked up Kura. Katara let Sokka lean on him as he walked. Zuko walked slowly (saying he was also tired from the ordeal) and trailed farther and farther behind Katara.
"Do you now see the power that I have, girl?" Zuko hissed, "I can put you through whatever I want, and get away with it easily. In fact, in this case, I look like a hero! So next time, think twice before you try to tell someone about this." Kura glared at him, but then realized he was right, and her expression turned to one of sadness. Zuko smiled smugly at her.
"You haven't won yet, Zuko" Kura coughed out quietly, then growing louder, "I'll find a way to foil your plot!"
Surprisingly, Zuko smiled sweetly and said, "Shh. Don't strain your voice, Kura. Katara's going to heal you, but don't speak too strongly for now." Katara looked back at them and smiled. Oh. It was just more of his act.
Kura noticed out of the corner of her eye Katara mouthing, 'What did she say?'
Zuko mouthed back, "Her leg hurts and she wants to be dry." Yeah, okay! That's obviously what she said! Not!
Soon, they reached Katara, Zuko, and Kura's room. Kura was laid down on her own bed, and Sokka and Zuko's (by Zuko's own insistence, which was followed by a kiss from Katara). Katara began healing Kura first, as she was worse off. She stopped the bleeding on all the cuts, but for one: the deep cut on her left leg. Kura could still feel Zuko's knife sliding slowly and painfully through her leg.
After a few minutes, all the cuts except that one were merely scars, which would heal by themselves. The healing session had slowed the bleeding on the deeper cut, but not stopped completely. Katara sent Zuko to get bandages for Kura's leg, and fresh sheets for both beds. Well, at least he's gone.
Katara then went to Sokka. In a minute or two, his cuts were also merely scars. Then Sokka walked in, with bandages and sheets. He began to wrap the bandages on Kura's leg, rather roughly and painfully. Kura gasped in pain.
"Don't hurt her!" Katara said.
"I don't have much of a choice! I'm being as careful as I can." Zuko replied, with mock sadness.
Yeah right!
Katara went to get Sokka and Kura some food. Great. Left with him alone again.
"Sokka, I'll tell you what I told her. Let this be a lesson as to how powerful I am. I can get away with anything, so don't try anything funny." Zuko said. Sokka sighed, knowing he was right. But he didn't know about Kura's plan...
Katara returned with two cups of tea and four apples. She gave the injured the cups of tea and apples, then gave an apple to Zuko and took one for herself. When they were all finished, Sokka went to his own room to get dried off and change clothes. Zuko changed the sheets on his bed and went off to do who-knows-what.
Probably to clean his stupid dagger.
Katara undressed Kura, dried her off and redressed her (Kura didn't mind Katara seeing her down to her underclothes). Once Kura was dry and warm, Katara told her to lay down for a nap.
When Kura began to argue, Katara replied, "You'll need your strength. We'll have to postpone waterbending an hour or two, but we're still starting today! So get some sleep, so you're ready to go later!"
Kura nodded, then fell asleep within two seconds.
Kura awoke to see Katara kneeling beside her bed. Kura smiled, and got out of bed, only to frown at the sight of Zuko standing in the door.
"Is...he coming with us to waterbend?" Kura asked slowly.
"Yes. Why, is something wrong with that?" Katara said.
Kura covered quickly, "Not really. I just thought this would be...something with just us. A you-and-me-only kind of a thing, you know?"
"Oh, I see." Katara said, then turning to Zuko, "You don't mind, do you, Zuko?"
"Of course not." Zuko said, but Kura noticed his eyes flicker for a moment. He's not very happy about it. But he'd probably just spy on them! The little creep...
"Hey, Katara?" Kura ventured. Katara nodded, so Kura asked, "Can I meet you at the academy in a minute or two? I just want to see if Sokka's okay. He did save me after all."
"Of course Kura. You know, Zuko was going to save you, too. And he still did, by pulling you out." Katara pointed out. Yeah, well he was the one who pushed her into the water in the first place, so, she wasn't really going to give him any credit. "Come on, Zu-Zu. Let's take a look at the Spirit Oasis while me wait!" Katara said, taking Zuko's hand. He had no choice but to go with her. Ha ha! Now at least he couldn't spy on her conversation with Sokka.
She walked to Sokka's room to see him laying on his bed, but still awake.
"Hi, Sokka." she said.
"Hey. Feeling better after that little nap? I know I am." Sokka said.
"Yeah. Listen, I want to talk to you. I have a plan." she replied, lowering her voice a little.
"Won't he hear?" Sokka asked nervously, referring to Zuko. Kura smiled.
"Nope. Katara asked him to go hang out at the Spirit Oasis all girlfriend-like. He couldn't say no, or he'd give himself away!" Sokka smiled too. "So, here's my idea..." Kura closed the door and told Sokka her master plan to get Zuko far, far away.
"So, all you have to do for now is keep an eye on him until I go see Aang. And make sure you and him are both in the Spirit Oasis with me when I go see Aang." she finished. Sokka nodded.
"This might really work!" he said. They both got up and left Sokka's room. Sokka went off to find Zuko, while Kura went to begin her first waterbending lesson, both feeling more confident than they'd even been since they'd arrived at the North Pole!
