Fire and Ice
Chapter 13
Zuko looked around the room, knowing that she should be back by now "Katara?" he heard a groan off to the side of him. He turned and Katara was slumped against the wall. He groaned and rushed over to her. He knelt and shook her "Katara."
She looked at him through hooded eyes and hissed "your girlfriend has hate issues." He chuckled and grabbed her wrists, pulling her to her feet.
She grimaced in pain and yanked her hand away from him. His brow furrowed (lol that sounds funny) and he grabbed her hand and held it up.
Zuko dropped to his knees when he turned her wrist over. A small swollen puncture hole lay there.
Katara gasped. He growled "Mai" Katara cringed against the wall. He stood and ran out of the room. Katara tried to rise but a wave of dizziness over took her. She sat back down with a groan.
Minutes that felt like hours passed by before Zuko returned with a healer. He stood pacing while the small man looked concerned when he examined the small mark on her wrist; both wrists were still burned but were healing at a good rate.
The healer looked worriedly at Zuko he whispered "the same" Zuko stopped his pacing and walked cautiously to her. The healer whispered "perhaps she might be able to reverse it?" Zuko turned towards the door "there better be" his voice was but a growl.
Katara whispered "What? What's wrong?" the healer whispered "it is the same puncture wound that was found on Zuko's former concubine . . .of course we thought nothing of it when we examined her corpse but . . . I don't think it was all Zuko's fault but I'm sure he contributed in making her death swifter"
Katara gasped "he didn't kill Shanaya?" the healer nodded his head, but still looked confused
"I'm sure he'll take it that way, but we won't know for sure until I speak to Mai, about how deadly this poison is-" Katara's eyes widened and her voice heightened "poison? She poisoned me?" the healer nodded and whispered, continuing his explanation.
"Because, her body may have been too weak to fight if off. Therefore, killing her. but if the poison is deadly then it wasn't Zuko's fault. It all depends on what Mai has to say. I'm truly sorry dear, I know you have only been here for three days and each day, I understand has been a -" the door burst open and Zuko came in shoving Mai through the door.
He pushed her down in front of Katara. Katara stared wide-eyed at the fuming woman in front of her. Mai's eyes were filled with hate, her lips were set in a permanent scowl.
Zuko wove his arm around her shoulders gently. He whispered softly but sternly "Mai, heal her now" Mai scoffed and looked blandly at Katara "Now, Zuko why sh-" "NOW!" he roared his arm tightening.
She winced, then whispered "No" Zuko growled turning her face to his. He looked into her eyes "Did you kill Shanaya?" his voice was low, and full of warning. Mai sneered "No, you did" Zuko's hands shot out so fast that Katara barely had time to blink.
Zuko grabbed Mai's neck and shoved her into the wall. Katara screamed "No Zuko!" she grabbed his arms and tried to pry them off of Mai's neck. "Zuko! Stop! Please!" Zuko looked over at her and practically screamed "Why? Give me one good reason why!" Katara collapsed against the wall and whispered "She can help me" Zuko let go of Mai's neck leaving her gasping.
He glared at Mai and growled "Fix her" Mai gripped her neck and stared blandly at him "no" Zuko was about to grab her again when Katara grabbed his arm trying to hold him back.
Mai screamed "Don't touch him! He's mine" and lunged at Katara. But before she could do anything, Zuko gripped her waist and pulled her off of Katara.
Katara looked up at Mai, her face openly showing shock at the young woman's boldness. Mai glared and then beat Zuko's confining hands away.
She growled "Now Zuko, Why would I heal my boyfriend's slut!" Zuko grabbed the front of her robes and pulled her closer to him and growled "you forgot to mention EX!" Mai looked up at him as if he were kidding.
He said menacingly "IF YOU DON'T HEAL HER RIGHT NOW . . . "he let the sentence trail off. Mai whispered "I can't, even if I wanted to it's already taking her and she's too weak to fight it off"
Katara looked up at Zuko and whispered "Zuko, let her go . . . I can heal myself" Zuko let go of Mai letting her drop to the floor. She stood with a huff and left the room. Zuko hung his head, and let his shoulders slump. He fell to his knees.
He looked over to Katara; he had tears in his eyes, then looked back down into his lap. The healer had long sense left, abandoning Katara to the arguing couple. Even if their "arguing" involved life and death.
Katara sighed and pushed herself into a sitting position from the wall. She whispered softly
"Zuko?" he looked at her again, she said a little louder "Zuko, you don't need to cry for me I just need some water . . ." she tried to smile, but when he looked back into his lap it disappeared.
He whispered "She really is dead, because of me."
*Damn that was harsh sorry guys*
