Over It
Katara was in Zuko's room in an instant. She grabbed his hand and smiled as he looked at her for the first time in days.
"You're here." Zuko croaked out softly. He was still pretty weak from his injuries, but also grateful that he didn't pass on into the Spirit world. That would have been pretty awkward, to say the least whenever Aang came to visit or ended up there himself. Katara held his hand up to her lips and gave his fingers a gentle kiss.
"Thank you for coming back to me." She whispered fighting not to start her tears all over again. Zuko smiled through swollen lips.
"Thanks for not giving up on me." He whispered again.
"Where's Aang?" He asked. Katara took a deep breath and used her free hand to move her tangled hair out of her face. She hadn't braided it since the incident too worried about Zuko to care.
"He's in the hallway." She said not encouraging or discouraging Zuko about the Airbender either way. Zuko nodded. He would talk to him soon. Katara placed her hand gingerly on his forehead.
"How do you feel?" she asked while checking his pulse. Zuko huffed with a wheeze.
"Everything hurts but I'm alive. Has to count for something, I think." Katara laughed with shiny eyes.
"It counts for a lot Zuko," she said breathlessly. Katara gave Zuko a small kiss on his cheek below his scarred eye. It was one of the few places that didn't have an injury.
Zuko took in a deep inhale that hitched when his lungs expanded too far and irritated his still healing rib cage. He groaned at the sharp stabbing pain in his side throwing his head back into the pillow.
"Ahh! It hurts to breathe…" he ground out suddenly. Katara quickly pulled water from the bucket she kept nearby just in case she needed it and gloved her hands in blue healing energy. The water flowed throughout his chi and Katara discovered another fracture in one of his ribs. She allowed the healing water to seep through his skin over his ribcage and repair the bone. The healing simultaneously felt uncomfortable yet soothing and Zuko relaxed.
Maybe it's just because it's Katara, Zuko thought. Soon the injured prince felt his breaths come easier and without pain.
"Thanks," he mumbled giving in to the sleep that he still desperately needed to heal. Katara gave Zuko's hand a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room. She stopped right in the doorway and looked down at Aang.
"Come with me." She said before walking down the hallway to the stairs leading out of the house into the courtyard. Sokka gave Aang a concerned look but said nothing. Whatever Katara had to talk about wasn't going to be easy nor would it be stopped. Aang got up with resignation. He knew whatever Katara had to say he deserved.