Katara was happy for the distraction her evening shift at the hospital allowed. It was unnerving to know that there were people out looking for her this very minute.
Well, looking for the Painted Lady.
She knew she should be more worried, more concerned about her own safety…but in reality she was simply overjoyed. Phoenix Industries was after her, that meant she was making a difference. The Blue Spirit had talked about her posters and the people talking about her healing abilities. Even she had noticed more smiling faces each time she took a trip down to the Village.
Katara found herself smiling even more than usual as she finished her shift in the ER and made her rounds of the psych ward. She was wearing her blue scrubs that always made her feel a little more confident. They also had her thoughts straying to a particular thief more than she felt was appropriate.
"Why so smiley, Nurse Katara?"
"Oh, I had a good night, Mr. Xu." She held out his lucky hat for him to put on.
Once he had, he settled down a little farther in his bed and announced. "It's Dock!"
"Sorry," Katara giggled with a respectful bow, "Dr. Xu."
"No, no, Xu is my brother!" He was still smiling, his mouth missing several teeth. "My name's Dock because I work on the docks."
Katara stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "And how were the docks this evening?"
"Oh, pretty nice actually. We were visited by a helpful spirit!"
Katara leaned in conspiratorially. "What kind of spirit?"
"Oh, she's a part of our ancestor's lore! The Painted Lady."
The nurse leaned back and tried not to appear flustered as Ty Lee walked in.
"You've heard of the Painted Lady before?" Katara asked.
"Oh yeah!" Dock/Xu insisted with an aggressive bobbing of his head. "She was one of the original waterbenders!"
Katara blanched but Ty Lee only snorted and crossed her arms. "Nice try. Bending is a myth. I choose to rely on facts and science."
"Bending is science!" Dock/Xu countered, also crossing his arms.
"What makes waving your body to make elements move scientific?" Ty Lee held her hands on her hips and frowned. It was unlike the bubblegum girl to bring a negative aspect to a conversation. Especially with a patient. Katara chose to remain silent.
"You know who you should ask that question? My brother, Mushi!" Dock/Xu reached behind his pillow and exchanged his nightcap for a small paper plate that he placed on top of his head.
"Alright! I'm Mushi," he said with a giant smile. The girls exchanged a glance but Mushi/Dock/Xu was undeterred.
"Science is how we understand the world around us," he started. "We'll never feel what it's like to be connected to the elements like the ancient's were. They were one with their environment. We pushed the elements too far and now they're broken, our world built on the pieces we've forced into submission while the rest flows around in chaos. You mark my words, girlie-" he wagged a finger at Ty Lee "-there will be no peace in this world until we learn how to bend the elements again and tame our own desire to own them."
"What a bunch of garbage," Ty Lee exclaimed as the two nurses entered the locker room at the end of the night. There was nobody else in the room which held a couch, a TV that had been left on, and a small kitchenette. To the left were two rows of lockers with a bench between them that the nurses used to store their personal items. They headed towards the lockers with dragging steps.
Katara's shift was finally over. After a night of supplying, healing, and listening to the many voices of the insane, she was ready to take a long, hot bath.
But something was still off about her friend. "Ty Lee, is something wrong? I've never seen you like this."
Her hair was all over the place and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. The pink girl sighed, opening her locker like she was searching for something but knew it wasn't in there.
"I got offered a job this weekend," she said forlornly.
"That's great!" Katara said, then backtracked when Ty Lee turned to her with tears in her eyes. "Or…not so…great. I'm a little confused. What's wrong? You don't want the job?"
"No!" Ty Lee cried, tears flinging from her eyes as she spun and sat on the bench. "I like this job. I don't want to leave."
Katara sat next to her friend and consoled her with gentle pats on the back. "You don't have to take the job, Ty Lee, just tell them no."
"I tried!" she wailed, her head falling into her hands. "It ended with setting the-" Ty Lee hiccupped before sighing out a deep breath. "It's fine. I'm fine."
"You're obviously not fine," Katara said.
"I will be fine, then," Ty Lee said with a giant grin, and before Katara could say anything else she shouted- "Well, thanks for the chat! I'll see you tomorrow!" -and ran off.
Katara sat dumbfounded on the bench for an extra moment, now alone in the room, and breathed out her exhaustion. Being the Painted Lady and nurse Katara in the same night had been a mistake. She was going to have to start staggering her raids with her shifts so that she didn't burn out.
She was just grabbing her bag out of her locker when the TV caught her attention.
"...unexplainable return of stolen items-"
Katara bolted around the lockers to see the screen.
The newscaster continued as the camera panned over a multitude of various rarities scattered across plastic police tables. "While still unsure as to who the hero is that returned the items, the police have been able to confirm that these particular riches were thought to be stolen by none other than the Blue Spirit."
"Man, news travels fast." Suki strode into the room and slide down into the chair next to her. "Turned out to be a good week for B.S. duty."
"So you caught him?" Katara tried to keep the worry out of her voice. Suki snorted in dismissal. She was leaned so far that her head was resting against the back of the chair and her eyes were closed.
"Nah, I got a tip from the phones that the Blue Spirit had been seen around some warehouse just outside the Village limits. It was a sort of metal boathouse, but when we got inside-" she waved her hands to an imaginary expanse of treasures- "everything was right there."
"Everything?" Katara prompted. Perhaps what she had said had made more of an impact than she'd thought. Either that or the Blue Spirit had spontaneously and coincidentally become very careless.
"Yeah," Suki continued. "I have no idea what most of it means, but the museum guy was ecstatic. Something about history and ancient tradition…I don't know."
So he'd returned them. The scrolls, the artifacts, the tools. Everything he'd ever taken that pertained to the ancient arts of bending. Which, according to Ty Lee, had been quite the collection.
"We found a clue," said Suki, finally opening her eyes to stare at the ceiling. "Turns out the spirit is utilizing fire somehow."
"Fire?" Katara asked. "What do you mean?"
"Is that coffee?" Suki pointed to the pot on the counter. Katara moved to get her some even though her feet protested with every step.
When she brought back the cheap brew in it's paper cup Suki blew on it before answering her question. "There were scorch marks along the walls unlike anything I'd ever seen. Almost like someone had come through the place with a blow torch and performed a chicken dance. Apparently there were similar marks found at some of the previous crime scenes."
"Why would there be fire around such precious artifacts?" Katara asked.
Suki took a first sip of the coffee and frowned, her dark blue eyes squinting at her friend.
"Yeah," Katara said, "I should have warned you, hospital coffee is terrible."
"I'll bring you some from the station next time I stop by. Anyways, I just wanted to come let you know that Sokka called and Zuko's not back yet. He was wondering if he was with you. I told him you were working but he still wanted me to check." She shrugged. "You know how he worries."
"He's probably off being buddies with his other rich friends," Katara grumbled.
"Zuko's not like that," Suki insisted. "He's actually pretty cool once you get to know him. Really bad at telling jokes though." She laughed. "He and Sokka tell each other everything. He wouldn't be out too late without mentioning where he was."
"Well…" Katara fiddled with the end of her scrubs. "I guess I hope you find him."
Suki laughed as she stood, still taking sips from the horrible coffee. "You really don't like him, huh? I guess it's more funny because you two are so alike."
Katara scrunched her nose in revulsion. "Ouch."
"It's a compliment! You're both quite stubborn and smarter than anything I could ever come up with." Suki smacked her forearm guard. "I'm just the brawn."
Katara laughed.
"And with that, I must head out," Suki said. "I'll see you in two weeks for the birthday, if not sooner, correct?"
"That's right." Katara nodded. "But feel free to stop by the bakery anytime, dad would love to see you."
"Will do." She saluted the nurse as she fell out the doorway. "See ya!"
Katara was just about to leave herself when her phone's ringtone went off. Taking it out and seeing the caller ID she fell back in her own chair with a groan. How many problems was she going to have to face before she could get some peace and quiet?
She swiped to accept the call.
"Katara!" Aang's voice was panicked but, knowing him, it could be anything from his car being stolen to not having enough gummi worms to make a jump rope.
"Hey, Aang," she sighed, rubbing her temples with a thumb and forefinger.
"You've got to get here right away! I think he may be dying!"
She sat up straight. "Who's dying? What happened?"
"I was coming back from visiting Bumi and he just came out of nowhere," Aang rushed. "And the light beam-…plus Appa-"
"Slow down," Katara said, her tone had shifted to match her nurse voice which was full of calm command. "Where are you?"
"Near the Air Temple, just west of Kyoshi's."
"Do what you can to stop any bleeding," she said, slipping her jacket on over her scrubs. "I'll be there in two minutes."
A small crowd had gathered by the time she arrived on the scene. Appa, Aang's giant sheepdog, was barking excitedly from the front seat of the van.
"Excuse me, I'm a nurse." She pushed through to where Aang's headlights were shining on a crumpled figure and stopped in her tracks.
She recognized the rubber soled shoes that made no noise on the streets of the Village, the dual swords that had now saved her life twice, and the blue demon mask she'd come to know as a friend.
"No."
She ran forward and dropped next to him. Her hands hovered over his mask. She should remove it. She needed to check for head injuries and if he was breathing….but she couldn't. She couldn't reveal his identity in this place, with all these people, any more than she would yell out that she was the Painted Lady. What if he had family and friends to protect like she did?
Leaving his mask in place, she bent down to lean her ear against the mouth opening while taking his pulse. She'd be lying if she said she didn't relax greatly when she realized his breathing was regular and his pulse steady. Based on Aang's call, he must have been unconscious for near to five minutes.
"Blue Spirit?" she called, trying to rouse him as she performed the head to feet check for injuries. He didn't seem to have anything broken which was a miracle considering the slight dent in the front of Aang's van.
"How fast were you going?" she demanded, jostling the spirit's shoulder again.
Aang scratched the back of his neck looking sheepish. Katara had known the boy since he was twelve and her and Sokka had found him crawling through the trash behind their bakery. They'd taken him in, raised him like a brother, and now he was working at the nearby animal shelter. He always wore the same hoodie no matter how many times Katara had tried to replace it. It was tan with reflective blue stripes running down the arms, back, and hood. By now it was torn in several places, unravelling down the sleeves, and stained with ten years worth of dinners eaten by hand.
"I was distracted by Appa! He was hungry and I had a bag of-" he stopped when he saw her look. "Doesn't matter. He jumped down right in front of me and the next thing I knew he was like this."
After assessing that he was able to be moved, Katara motioned for Aang to help her and got behind the Blue Spirit's shoulders.
"I can't treat him here. We have to get him to the bakery," she said. "Help me get him into the car."
"Into the-?" Again he stopped when her saw her stern look. A face she had perfected over the years of being a mother-figure to boys. "Yes ma'am."
Together they half-carried half-drug the Blue Spirit into the car where Katara sat with his head in her lap. Aang climbed into the driver seat with Appa still barking in the passenger side and started the van.
Just as he was pulling out onto the main road that would take them home, Katara gasped. The Blue Spirit was shifting, his hand gripping her arm that was laid across his shoulders to hold him steady.
"What-?" he gasped.
"It's okay," Katara said, a heavy weight easing off her chest. "My name is Katara, I'm a nurse at the nearby hospital. You've been injured, can you tell me where it hurts the most?"
The spirit shook his head then put a hand to his forehead before groaning.
"Try not to move," Katara suggested.
"Ribs," he muttered, his other hand drawing across his chest.
"Alright, everything's going to be ok," she said. The Blue Spirit's mask tilted up to face her.
"I promise," she said. "You'll be safe with me."
He seemed to let out a breath somewhere between a groan and a sigh before he fell limp again.
"Aang, can't you drive any faster?" she asked, hugging the spirit closer to her chest.
"I thought I wasn't supposed to drive fast!" he called over his shoulder.
"This is kind of an emergency," she retorted. The engine revved as Aang kicked up the gear and Appa let off a high pitched yip as he was pushed against the back of his seat.
The Blue Spirit came in and out of consciousness as they neared the bakery, Katara continuing to cradle him in her arms. Finally, Aang pulled into the delivery dock by the back door and jumped out to help her. They again lifted the heavy and unconscious spirit to carry him through the back door.
"Aang!" her father called when he saw who was entering. Then the rest of the small group followed.
"Katara?" he asked. "Who is…?
"Help?" Katara asked, struggling beneath the weight. Hakoda took her place at the spirit's shoulders and helped Aang carry the masked man up the stairs to the common floor of their apartment. She shoved the decorations off their table so that they could lay the spirit flat on the raised surface. Katara made quick work of his tunic, pulling up the thick fabric to expose his chest.
His entire left side was marbled red and purple. Blood dripped from a gash across his ribcage likely caused from the impact with some protrusion on the front of the car.
"Aang, get me some hot water and my first aid kit from the bathroom. Dad, I'm going to need you to get me some towels to pressure the wound."
"On it!" Aang ran through the kitchen to the bathroom while Hakoda threw her some of their old towels that were stacked on the counter. Katara immediately held the folded towel against the wound and the spirit cried out in pain.
"Help me keep him down," Katara ordered. Her father moved around to the other side and placed a gentle but firm hand against the spirit's opposite shoulder. Aang came running back in with the water and first aid kit and placed them on the floor next to her.
"Thank you," she said. "Now, I need space to work. I'll call you when I'm done."
Hakoda and Aang shared a glance before looking back to Katara.
"What?" her father asked.
"We can help," Aang insisted.
"I'm the nurse and I'm telling you that I've got this but I need you to leave the room, please."
The men shared another look.
"Now!" she said with more force. They both stood and exited the room quickly, heading downstairs to where the bakery was in order to wait. Katara waited an extra moment beyond when the sounds of their footsteps had faded to pull the towel away from the wound. She took a moment to make sure the spirit was definitely out of it, took a deep breath, and then bended the water from the bowl Aang had brought up to encircle her hands. With another breath and some intense focus, her hands began to glow with a blue aura that filled the room with an ethereal light. Katara took another deep breath before she placed her hands against the Blue Spirit's wounded side.
He again sucked in a breath of pain, his back slightly arching off the table. She thought she saw something flash by his hand.
"Sorry, sorry!" Katara apologized. A bead of sweat slid down her brow to splash against the floor. As she worked, the spirit relaxed, the bruising on his side receding as the wound began to heal. It wasn't often she was able to practice her healing abilities without her Painted Lady garb on and it was a different experience to be performing it on somebody she knew. By the time she was satisfied with the healing and sent the water back into the bowl, she collapsed into the nearest chair in exhaustion.
Adrenaline had gotten her to Aang's van and taken her through the procedure, but she'd been tired before she'd even set out to find him. And yet she still wasn't done.
Wiping her brow on her sleeve, she grabbed the first aid kit to find some gauze and tape to cover the wound that had now shrunken substantially. While she was strapping on the tape, she blushed. She'd been so focused before she hadn't noticed the defined muscles that rose and fell gently with the spirit's even breaths. Her eyes traced the lines of his chest and stomach, honed from years of bounty hunting and thievery and who knew what else he got up to while traipsing around the Village.
Katara shook her head and finished dressing the wound before pulling down his shirt. Her eyes were drawn to his mask. It would be a simple task to remove it. There weren't any witnesses here, he wouldn't be in any danger if she knew who he was, and yet it felt like…a betrayal.
Yes, he was a thief and a hunter…but he was also her rescuer and he'd returned all of the items he'd stolen. Katara sat in the chair with a huff. That was when she noticed something on the surface of the table. Next to the spirit's hands, newly etched into the surface, were blackened scorch marks. Katara reached out to draw her fingers across the wood and they came away black, the table still warm.
"What?" she whispered aloud. Then something triggered in her memory. Fire. Suki had mentioned something about fire with the Blue Spirit. When she'd been healing him…the flash…the stress must have…
Katara stood up and began pacing. A firebender. Well, that explained why he'd been interested in the bending artifacts, including the scroll. Why he hadn't been more curious or afraid when he'd seen her bending as the Painted Lady a couple nights before.
Her excitement grew as she paced back and forth. He could teach her what he knew! Maybe that's what he'd meant about training her, she just had to wait for him to tell her as the Painted Lady. Feeling content, she sat back down at the table and smiled down at the spirit. She wasn't alone. Performing one last healing session on his side, Katara laid her head on her hands against the table and let herself finally drift off to sleep.