Yet another chapter that basically flew out of my fingers. Why am I writing this and not updating BHASB? That's because a particular scene is giving me some headache. So focusing on the bits that is coming out easily instead.
Trigger Warning: This chapter can be a little disturbing. Mention of sex, nudity, abuse, and death. Also language.
PS: In case you're wondering about the cover, this is the image that initally gave me the inspiration of the story. This is be far my favorite Zutara image. And this is the story that came from there. Yes, that scene will come, eventually. The credit and details about the cover picture is on my profile.
Chapter 11
"How bad is the bleeding?" Toph asked after a few moments.
Zuko tore his eyes from Katara's still body to look at the Earth Bender, whose sightless eyes were fixed somewhere to Katara's left. He cleared his throat, trying to focus on getting the words out instead of giving in to the gnawing worry inside him. "Pretty bad. Her entire back is covered in blood. Some on the front too."
"We'll have to wipe it off," she said, biting her lower lip.
"Go ahead then, do it."
"Who me?" Toph asked incredulously.
"Yes, who else?"
"Sparky, I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but I'm blind," she pulled her cheeks down to show him the milky pupils in emphasis. "I don't know about Fire Nation, but in Earth Kingdom, blind people can't see blood."
Zuko rolled his eyes, an action completely lost on the woman. "How else do you plan to wipe it, then? If you haven't noticed, Katara is unconscious."
"That's for the better," Toph said. "As for who else can wipe it, I don't know. If only there was someone around who could actually see what they were doing? Oh wait! There is. YOU."
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Zuko snapped. "I'm not doing it."
Toph raised one brow, "I didn't think you were squeamish about a little blood."
Zuko huffed, unsurprised to find steam coming out of his mouth. "I'm not squeamish about blood," he said through gritted teeth. "But to do what you are asking me to do… it would require me to undress her. Not happening."
"Oh, so it's naked ladies that give you the willies, good to know. You seemed perfectly fine to gawk at my humiliation though."
Zuko huffed, vaguely registering that his hands were still bloody. "Apologies about that. But you're wrong. It's not about naked women. It's about consent. She is unconscious. You were not. You could cover yourself as needed, she can't. Besides, I had closed my eyes and Katara was the one examining you."
"You had?" Toph asked in a strange voice. "Really?"
"Yes. I'm not a pervert," Zuko replied, shaking his head. "This is a gross violation of her privacy. I can't do this."
After a moment of silence, Toph said, "That's… nice. I'm honestly impressed. But consider this, the Canyon Muncher toxin mixed with that blood. Sooner or later it will seep through her pores and make her muscles cramp. You don't want her in even more pain than she already is in, do you? Besides, even if that wasn't the case, it's a bad to simply let blood be like this."
"What, you're a medic too?"
"No."
"Then why do you know so much about blood?"
"I'm a woman. Women know blood," she deadpanned.
Realization dawned on Zuko and mortification colored his cheeks. "I… Yeah. Sorry. Didn't think."
"Clearly. Now will you wipe it or not?"
Zuko took a deep breath and huffed. "Fine. I'll do it. But… I don't like it."
"I'll be right back," Toph said, ignoring his last declaration.
Left alone, Zuko turned to look at Katara, who was taking shallow, ragged breaths. "I'm sorry. I know this is less than ideal. If there's a chance you can hear me, please know I'm only doing this to save you. I will…" he paused, not knowing what else he could say.
Moments later, Toph was back with a towel and two canteens of water. Seeing that, Zuko frowned as something dawned on him. "You have supplies littered all along the cavern, don't you?"
"Yup," she said.
"Which means you have been planning this kidnapping for a while. How long did it take you to make this cavern?"
Toph grinned and said, "Allow me to let you into a secret, Fire Prince Zuko. The entire Earth Kingdom is connected by subterranean network of tunnels that Earth Benders have dug. This vast network you see here is the work of generations of Earth Benders."
Zuko's jaw dropped. "Wh… what? G...generations? All of it?"
"Yup. And it is forever changing. Because some Earth Bender or the other is constantly working on it. So even if you have an impeccable sense of direction, you can't escape these tunnels without an Earth Bender."
"I'm…"
"Impressed? Dwarfed? Scared? Fucked? All of the above?" Toph supplied, grinning in a way that unnerved him a bit.
"All of the above," Zuko nodded. "Definitely all of the above. How come no one in Fire Nation knows about it?"
"No one outside Earth Kingdom knows it," she replied. "It's our best kept secret."
"Yet you're telling me," Zuko said, feeling strangely calm and detached. "Clearly you don't expect me to get out of this scenario alive."
Toph shrugged as she resumed her position on the ground, and said, "Even if you do get out alive, you will not find these tunnels. By the time you go back home, gather your army and get back here, these tunnels will be long gone. Now, get to nursing duty."
Zuko shook his head, feeling hundreds of things. The revelation of the tunnels, the apprehension that he might not get out alive, the realization that the Fire Nation had seriously underestimated the Earth Benders, the task that he was about to do, Katara's reaction when she woke up and realized what he had done. The combination of all the things was starting to overwhelm him.
The energy in Fire Bending comes from breath. Uncle's words came back to him and Zuko focused on his breathing. There was no time to waste thinking about what might happen. Katara's well being came first. Right now, all he needed to do was clean her. Everything else was secondary.
"Focus, Zuko. Focus," he muttered. Swallowing the cold lump in his throat and said, "Toph, can you make a bowl or bucket or something?"
Without a word, Toph held out her hand and made a fist, pulling out a rock from the floor. Another flick of her wrist and the rock was turned into a bowl. Zuko opened the canteens of water and dumped most of it in. He used some of the water to wash his own hands before he dipped a hand in the basin and heated the water to the point where it was lukewarm. He dipped the towel and carried the basin closer to Katara's unmoving figure. Taking care so as to not move his shirt from her chest, he turned her to the side.
"Toph, hold her."
The Earth Bender complied. Just focus on the task, Zuko told himself mentally as picked the towel, squeezed some water out and began to wipe her back. He tried his best to not notice the gentle curve of her shoulder. The muscles of her arms or the bronzed skin. He forced himself not to think about the beauty spot sitting prettily on her spine, somewhere in her mid-back. He definitely did not want to think about how perfectly the small of her back would fit in his palm.
Just get the blood out. Just get the blood out. Zuko repeated to himself, as he wiped the blood off her back. Having cleaned the rest of the back, he turned his attention to the wound itself. One look at it made his stomach churn unpleasantly. "It's going to scar," he said, whether to himself or to Toph, he didn't know.
"So?"
Zuko sighed, suddenly realizing how different the world of the sightless was. He dunked the towel into the basin and began to rinse the wound. "You don't think it's a big deal, Toph, because you can't see. But in the world of the seeing, physical beauty matters. The Water Tribe, what little I know of it, is highly patriarchal. They judge women based on their physical appearance. This scar… it would make things difficult for her. People can be very cruel to someone with visible deformities."
"I wouldn't know about it at all!" Toph replied sarcastically. Then in a softer tone, she said, "But it sounds like you're speaking from personal appearance. You have some sort of deformity?"
Zuko paused, not knowing what to say. Because everyone saw his scar, this was not a question he had ever faced or anticipated. He took a moment to weigh his words as he wiped Katara's wound. The bug had missed her spine by a couple of inches, mercifully. He was scared to think what would have happened had the stinger gone into her spine. As it was now, it was closer to her right shoulder blade. It would be covered by her tunics and cloaks, but the moment she took them off, the mottled skin would be displayed to the world.
"Sparky? You okay?"
"What? Yes, I'm okay."
"You didn't answer my question."
"What? Oh, my deformity? I… I have a large scar on my face."
Toph frowned. "How big?"
"Covers half the left side of my face. Makes my eyes uneven."
"Huh?" Toph nodded. "What kind of scar? Birthmark?"
"No. Burn."
Toph winced. "Ouch. Bending accident?"
Zuko gave a mirthless snort, wiping out the last of the blood from her wound. "Far from it. Someone did it to me."
Toph let out a hiss from gritted teeth, touching the left of her own face, "That sounds unpleasant. I don't suppose you'll tell me who did it?"
"No I won't," Zuko dumped the towel in the basin and said, "Turn her over."
Toph did it. Zuko folded the top of his shirt to expose the gentle swell of her breasts. As he wiped the blood from her neck, shoulders and armpits, his mind went back to the time he was the one being nursed.
"It is going to scar, My Lord."
"I know."
"I could maybe apply some poultice to reduce the swelling."
"No. Nothing but basic first-aid."
"But Milord…"
"Do you want a scar to match his?"
"N… no Milord…"
"Then work."
Zuko clenched his eyes shut, trying to push away his haunting past. Below him, Katara gave a soft moan drawing his attention. It took a few precious seconds for him to realize that he was clutching her wrist in a pincer grasp, unintentionally hurting her. With a wince, he eased his grip. "Sorry, Katara. You're already in so much pain and I… Sorry."
"You're not who I though you were, you know?" Toph piped up suddenly, just as Zuko was dipping the towel and heating the water in the process. He raised his brow and made a face.
"Why? Who did you think I was?"
"You have a reputation," Toph said, "Of being a hard ass. Brutal. Lethal. Angry asshole."
"Wow, you hold me in such high regard," he deadpanned, wringing the towel. "But yes, I can be all of that too."
"But right now, you are being… none of that."
"Basic human decency earns points in your books? You have a fucked-up world view," Zuko said cleaning the sides of the injured woman. He was running out of places to clean. He would soon have to move to her breasts. Agni!
"Adding modesty to your repertoire, Princey? You are treating her with gentleness. You are respecting her in a position where her dignity is compromised. That's a little more than basic decency."
Zuko shook his head and said, "Someone did this to me, once. In my most vulnerable moment, showed me an incredible amount of kindness. I'm merely paying it forward."
"I did not expect that from a Fire Bender, much less their Prince."
"I guess we all are learning things about each other, huh?"
Toph raised a brow, "You learned something about me?"
"Yes," Zuko replied. "I learned Earth Benders are far craftier and subtler than we ever gave them credit for. And Water Benders are far tougher than we thought."
Toph laughed, "And Fire Benders are not total dicks."
Zuko shot her a blank look and said, "Nah. We're pretty much giant dicks."
Toph giggled and said, "Get to work, then, His Royal Dickiness."
"You and your asinine nicknames," Zuko laughed. Slowly he moved his shirt to reveal her breasts. He lifted the towel but his courage gave way. "Toph, please, you do this. I can't."
"What?"
"Her breasts. I can't touch them without her consent like this. It's… so wrong."
"Fine, give me," she said. "Just guide me, okay?"
Gratefully, Zuko handed the towel to her.
Sokka sat on a chair, too numb to feel anything. Clutched in his hand was the message Hahn's hawk had brought in. Around him, Arnook, Pakku and his dad were in yet another argument. But Sokka could not bring himself to join in. His family was all scattered. All gone. Suki was in some Fire Nation prison. His relationship with Aang was probably soured for all his life. And Katara? Oh Tui! Katara was missing. No one knew where she was. How had life come to this? Was it really, merely three months ago, that the four of them sat together, having not a care in their lives?
"Oh, stop it!" Suki giggled, shoving Sokka a little as he leaned to give her yet another kiss. "I'm sure Katara and Aang don't need the display."
"You're looking gorgeous," Sokka replied. "I can't take my eyes and hands off you. I am sure these two understand."
Katara laughed, waving her chopstick in air, "I do understand you're horny, Sokka, but please, keep it family friendly. Don't start having sex here."
Aang shuddered. "Yes, seriously. But I have to ask, why are you all planning to start a family now?"
"Huh? What made you think we're starting a family?" Suki asked.
"Why else would you guys be having sex?" Aang asked, genuinely confused.
Sokka slapped a hand on his forehead. "Oh man! I sometimes forget that you're a monk. Buddy, sometimes people have sex because it feels GOOD. No other reason."
Aang grimaced. "That's disrespectful, Sokka. Sex is like the basest of human emotions. Why would you want to give in to those base desires? Lift yourself to a higher plane."
Sokka shrugged, "I'll pass. I am happy being basic. Good food, great sex, and greater friends. What else does a person need from life?"
"What about self-actualization?" Aang wondered.
Sokka laughed, "I have attained nirvana in bed, thank you."
Suki and Katara whooped in laughter, while Aang grumbled about how immature Sokka was.
"Leave him be, Sokka," Katara said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Not everyone thinks about food and sex all the time like you."
"Hey! I don't think about just that!"
"No. On occasion you think about nothing," Suki said, elbowing him gently.
"Exactly. That blank moment is important too."
"You're hopeless," Katara said, shaking her head.
Sokka choked against the onslaught of memories of a much happier time. Now, it all seemed like a distant dream. His beautiful home lay scattered and in shambles. How was he ever going to recover from this? What use was he, sitting here in the frozen tundra when the people he loved were either dead or worse. At that moment, he hated himself with a fury he had not felt ever before. Before he could understand what he was doing, Sokka shot to his feet and said, "I'm going to Earth Kingdom."
"Aang!" Hahn's shout fell on deaf ears as the Avatar's eyes and tattoos glowed bright. The air around Aang spun in a loud vortex as the Water Tribe man tried to stay on his feet. Hahn had heard of the power of the Avatar state, but he had never witnessed it himself. At that moment, seeing the normally gentle and kind man being pushed into rage, Hahn had no idea what to do. Self-preservation kicked in and the Water Tribe warrior vaulted himself over a rock and hid behind it.
As he watched, aghast, the Avatar shot jets of flame, setting the entire campsite ablaze. Within moments, giant columns of flame surrounded him from all sides, making Hahn cough.
"Aang! Stop it," he shouted, struggling to breathe.
The Avatar, however, paid scant heed to him as he next unleased his fury in the form of an earthquake. As the ground beneath him shook, destabilizing him, Hahn never had the time to escape the giant peepli tree that came crashing on him.
A/N: In case you are wondering, yes, Hahn is dead.
