Lost in the screams of pain is a chapter story,
All the stories are about fragments out of Zuko's and Iroh's lives.
Zuko recovers from his injuries, Iroh has to inform his nephew about his banishment. Mai visits her boyfriend.
Iroh is sixty-two,
Ozai is forty-two,
Zuko is thirteen,
Azula is eleven,
Mai is twelve.
Lost in the screams of pain,
Chapter 11: Encore of love.
The next morning,
The doctor had treated Zuko's wounds, yesterday. The boy was moved to his room, he was still unconscious by the drugs.
Iroh sat next to Zuko and watched over him in silence, the boy slept restless and sweated heavily. He mumbled the whole time, Iroh shelled the boys sweat with a cloth. "It's okay; I know you can't speak at this moment."
The doctor had told him that Prince Zuko could hear everything clear but he couldn't react from the drug.
"You're in your bed now." Iroh whispered, while he watched at the boy's face. His eyes and ears were covered in the bandages. The left side had a thicker bandage then the right one. His right eye wasn't burned but there was some damage from the light and the heat of the fire.
The doctors can't tell for sure if he could see with his eyes, he can be totally blind or maybe deaf at his left ear but that's the least of Iroh's concerns.
As long as the boy survived! Iroh thought when he walked over to the window. He glared outside for a moment and he saw Princess Azula talking with Mai.
"How will Mai react? That poor girl." Iroh sighed and moved closer to his nephew's bed again.
"Zuko, I'll get some rest for a moment. I'll come back within one hour!" Iroh kissed the boy's forehead and looked silently at his nephew.
His head weighed as lead, stress filled his shoulders.
Meanwhile in the garden,
"What do you mean by banned? Is this one of your silly jokes Azula?" Mai snarled. Mai didn't knew what to think, she doubt about this whole story.
"Well Mai, if a person loose an Agni Kai, he is automatically a traitor to his nation and a weakling." Azula replied coldly to her friend.
"He's your brother! Don't you feel sorry for him?" Mai felt such compassion for Zuko; she didn't understand Azula's reaction.
Azula looked up to Zuko's bedroom window. "He's a traitor Mai, live with it!"
"And Oh Yes! Don't forget to say goodbye to my brother, you must hurry up to be on time." Azula grinned towards her best friend. "Father said we won't be able to see him again."
Mai looked eye widened to Azula."When will he leave?" Her voice sounded almost silently.
"Within one week." Azula nodded. "Well Mai, you're very talkative for once!"
Mai didn't knew what to say. She walked away, the tears streamed out her eyes. This can't be true! She thought.
Mai grabbed all her self-confidence together. "It's now or never Mai!" She spoke out loud and looked up to the portrait of Ozai. "I must see Zuko before it's too late."
Zuko's bedroom,
Zuko was still asleep and under influence of the drug. There was only one nurse present in his room. She had just cleaned the bandage when suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Come in." The nurse said friendly.
The door opened slowly, Mai came in nervously and gazed at the nurse.
"Are you a friend of Prince Zuko?" The nurse asked, she was very friendly and an understanding type.
"Ye-; Yes! Can I-; Can I visit? – Please?" Mai looked down to her shoes. She was sometimes a very shy girl.
The nurse smiled, "I'll leave your two alone. You can talk to him, he hears everything clear."
The girl nods and the nurse closed the door silently.
Mai walked to Zuko's bed and glared at his face. His face was swollen, his eyes were covered with thick bandage, there hung a mixed smell of herbs and burnt hair. Her eyes slid down to his lips, they looked so soft. They were so touchable, so kissable.
"I always wished that my first kiss was yours." Mai whispered to her boyfriend and began to smile.
She looked at his long dark hair; it hung loose over the bandage. Mai was so fond of his hair; she always played with his ponytail, he hated it. Mai couldn't resist, she touched it very carefully. She closed her eyes while she touched it, it felt like silk.
Mai opened her eyes again and looked at his bare chest. His skin was very blank, she didn't care about that. She hated macho boys who browned themselves in the sun. His natural skin color was good enough for her.
She placed herself on the bedside and laid her hand on his heart. His heartbeat was fast. "Zuko?" Mai watched around, she wanted to be sure that she was alone. "It's me, Mai!" Zuko's heart beats faster and faster.
Zuko knew that Mai was there, he felt her hand. For the first time, he felt her on his bare flesh and she felt him.
"I was there, yesterday." Mai's expression turned into a sad one. "With my parents." She swallowed heavily.
"Zuko, I don't know how you think about the Agni Kai but I'm proud of you. You did the right thing! You followed your own path…" Mai was honest, she was always an open book towards Zuko.
Others didn't knew her like Zuko did, she never knew what to say when she was with someone else but with Zuko, she always knew the right thing to do. She didn't need to be the noble girl; she was the real Mai in his presence.
"I don't know what will happen to you! I hear so many rumors but please Zuko!" Mai took his hand close to her face. "Will you think of me, if they banish you?" Mai began to cry. "I'll never forget you!" She kissed his hands.
"I'll wait for you. I will never love someone else!" Her tears streamed at Zuko's hand. "I know that this is my last change to tell you but I love you so much. I know we're a couple but I rarely told you how much I love you!"
Zuko squeezed into Mai's hand. He heard every word she told him, he felt every emotion of her. He tried to let her know, that he loved her to.
"Do you hear me?" Mai yelled while she looked at Zuko's face. The boy's lips moved very slowly. Mai shook her head emotionally. "I don't understand what you're saying!" She moved her head closer to Zuko's mouth.
"Me,-to!" Zuko whispered slowly in Mai's ear. Mai gasped loudly and kissed his cheek softly.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door, it was uncle Iroh.
Mai loosed Zuko's hand and stood up, she bowed before General Iroh. "He-he just spoke sir!" The girl said while she firmly blushed.
"That's fantastic!" Iroh smiled at Mai.
"Will you visit Zuko tomorrow? He would love to see you!" Iroh asked friendly.
"Probably." Mai bowed fast and left.
Iroh smiled widely at his nephew. "She's a lovely girl! A girl who you'll never forget." The old man teased his nephew, he had heard every word of Mai and hoped that the two would enjoy their last days together.
"Stood-behind-door?" Zuko whispered in pain.
"Indeed my dear nephew. I just arrived your room when Mai entered." Iroh laughed naughty. "And yes, I couldn't resist."
Iroh glared to the boy's lips, they trilled intense. He will probably cry but can't.
"Zuko, everything will be okay! How hard some things look, it will become fine." Iroh felt compassion for the boy, he's so young. "I will be with you!"
"Father-banned-me?" Zuko sobbed.
Iroh took the boy closer into his arms. "Yes, but it isn't clear. There aren't official papers."
Zuko felt like a rag, he couldn't protest against Iroh. Each movement demanded too much power. Iroh supported Zuko's head into his arm. "Never-home?".
"I don't know boy. Probably, don't think about it too much. Rest first." Iroh hugged the boy carefully. "We will see what the future brings us."
The next day,
It was early noon in the Fire Nation. Zuko was still recovering, his uncle sat next to him. His nephew's eyes were still bound, he couldn't see. "Open your mouth, here comes a spoonful of soup. Be careful because it's hot."
Zuko opened his mouth slowly. His face were still swollen and his cheek was very stiff. Iroh feeds him carefully. "Good, it's tasty chicken soup."
"Thanks." The boy whispered and ate his soup further. After he'd done, he grabbed his uncle's arm and paused.
Iroh stared at him. "What's wrong?"
The boy inhaled deep and spoke. "My necklace? Can you give my necklace please?"
"Hmm, Your gift of Mai." The man stood up and start search.
"It hangs on the mirror." The boy replied.
Iroh took the necklace from the mirror and hung it around his neck. Zuko grabbed the square plate into his hand and felt at the inscription. Love you forever.
The boy laid his head back onto his pillow and couldn't help but smiled. Like he did every night.
Uncle touched his beard and frowned. This will be a disaster. He loves her so terribly, what will he do when he's banned?