Chapter 12 - In Her Arms
"Asami!"
The color has been drained from Asami's face, looking translucent with beads of sweat collecting there and sliding down her face and onto the rim of the toilet. Even with the flu, Asami didn't look this bad.
This can't be the flu again. She was fine this morning. Then again, they said she went downhill fast with the flu.
"Something hurts," she wheezes, pain evident in her thinned voice and clutching her abdomen with one hand. "It got a lot worse as I walked up here."
Korra's rooted in her space, terrified that if she comes any closer to Asami, she'll make it worse. It's an irrational thought. But if she doesn't move, it can't possibly get any worst, right?
Another ache forces another cry from Asami, favoring her right side. If it weren't for the toilet, she might've curled up into a ball. It doesn't make any sense. Korra doesn't remember Kuvira inflicting prolonged hits to her abdomen or targeting her dominant right side.
Right side…could it?
"Asami, do you have your appendix?" Korra crouches down next to Asami and feels a fever knocking on her doorstep and prepared to stampede in.
The strength seems to leave her body with every fleeing second. She can't even muster up the strength to verbally respond, but nods her head.
Korra's no expert on appendicitis, but knows time is of the essence. As soothingly and calmly as she can, say says, "I'm going to go get the others and be right back." Before Korra has the chance to leave, Asami blindly grabs her wrist to keep her seated.
"Love, we don't need everyone else involved here," she jokes with a flat laugh, not at all sounding liking herself. "You're starting to sound like my father. I can certainly drive us to the hos-" As soon as Asami tries to straighten out, a strained whimper rips through her.
"Asami, listen to me." Korra leaves no room for argument in her tone and takes her shoulders, lifting her chin up and comes face to face with her plight. You look miserable, and I can't bear it. Why are you fighting this? "I'm getting the others, and we're going to the hospital. Please don't fight me on this."
Like the color from her face, the fight in Asami leaves her body, slumping over and nodding. Korra helps her drink some water and wipe the thin sheen of sweat from her body. Every second that passes, she curses herself for leaving her phone downstairs and not remembering the standard protocol for someone who may have appendicitis.
She wishes this was just a bad dream. Every sound from Asami is a new wound to her heart, making her wish she could take the pain away.
"Hey, Korra? You in here?" Opal calls out into the bedroom. "I've been elected by the group to come find you and break up your 'fornications' as Kuvira put it." I never thought I'd be happy to hear that Kuvira thought we were fucking in her house.
"Opal, get the others and start a car!" Korra yells, collecting Asami in her arms. "Asami needs to go to the emergency room."
All she wants is a peaceful sleep in her bed. Is that too much to ask for? Her body thinks so. A heaviness weighs on her eyes, and her throat is as dry as the Si Wong Desert. If that's not bad enough, her sheets seem uncharacteristically itchy, and there's an excessive and fairly consistent beep disturbing her sleep.
When she tries to get comfortable, a sterile odor wafts up her nose. It's only then that her eyes fly open, and she leans up on her elbows, frantically taking in her surroundings.
Did Dad actually bring me to the hospital for a little cold?! Was all of that…just a long dream?
"Honey, you need to calm down!"
"Mom!" She grabs her mother's arm, noticing the IV and some other wires attached to her, intensifying her panic and the beeping. "Did we go to the Society's holiday party? What's going on?"
"Sweetie, calm down." Yasuko rests a hand against her forehead and gently guides her to recline all the way back against Asami's protests. Once she's calm, Yasuko explains the last few hours, finally soothing the erratic beeping as Asami realizes everything wasn't a long dream and actually her reality. "You're expected to be discharged tomorrow if everything continues smoothly. That means you have to behave and take it easy."
Asami hates the idea that she has to be still. It's not her strong suit. Add in being in a hospital where she's constantly monitored, she knows it'll be a long twenty-four hours. She's stuck in a hospital when she could be with…
"Where's Korra and the others? Where's Dad?" She looks around the room, seeing Hiroshi's jacket and what looks like items from the others.
"Korra and your father went on a walk to lower their blood pressures. The others are probably causing chaos in the wings that will warrant sizable donations by the Sato and Beifong families." Yasuko thumbs the corner of Asami's lip, pulling a little whimper from her. She narrows her eyes at her daughter that quickly smooth out. "As much as I disagree with your exhibition match, at least it wasn't your eye this time. You made your father the proudest father in the world when he saw the damage on Kuvira."
"What can I say? I can take care of myself in a fight. Nothing to worry about." Asami dopily smiles like the drugs pumping in her veins are kicking in. But, it's just Asami being Asami.
"There's always something to worry about with you, young lady. Especially when you have a knack for trouble. You'll understand that one day if you have kids." Yasuko leans down and presses a long kiss on her daughter's forehead and brushes some hair behind her ear. "Honey, could we please go one month without having a medical emergency? I am quite fond of your father even if he is a pain in my ass sometimes."
"I can't make any promises, Ma." You wanna joke? I can joke too, Ma. "Can I have the rest of my useless organs removed while I'm here to prevent another visit and save you and Dad the concern? You're getting up there in age."
"Watch it, Asami." Yasuko squeezes Asami's hand, smiling at the only child she can care for and hold. "For the love of the spirits, don't make any comments about your father's hair color or hairline. He's a little sensitive about it."
"He's the CEO of Future Industries, and he gets sensitive about his hair. What our competitors would do with that information!"
"I see the anesthesia has worn off and brought back my bratty and sassy daughter." Yasuko shakes her head, knowing Asami has inherited some of her traits. Mixed with Hiroshi's, she's a force to be reckoned with. "Behave and don't cause any trouble while I find everyone."
The way Korra paced in the waiting area for what seemed like days, but really only a few hours made it seem like Asami was off at war and fighting a life-or-death situation. While appendicitis wasn't anything to joke about, it certainly wasn't as grave as Korra's outward appearance was for uninformed peers. Then again, the doctors said her appendix was about as close to rupturing as it could've been.
That didn't soothe Korra's nerves or anxious pacing at all. She felt terrible about not recognizing the signs and preventing Asami's discomfort.
But having Asami in her arms, conscious and looking much better than a few hours ago, is a relief. She thought seeing Asami ill and seemingly helpless in her bed was a terrible sight. Seeing the wires and medical equipment attached to her makes her wish Asami was fighting the flu again.
"Hey, don't look at that," Asami tells her softly, directing Korra's sights back on her. "I'm completely fine. Everything went perfectly. I'll be out of here by tomorrow."
"I know. I just hate seeing you like this." Korra sighs and slouches in her seat, trying to cleanse her mind of all the unsettling noises Asami made. They're out of the woods now. The nerves and anxiety won't leave her though. She has a sneaking suspicion of what the answer to her question is, but she wants to hear it from the patient. "Asami, were you in pain before this morning?"
She has a sneaking suspicion that Asami was shoving all the pain to the back of her brain and downplaying it. The car demolition and exhibition match were perfect fronts to disguise her aches as overexertion and are distinct moments that Korra remembers Asami resting a hand against her stomach, breathing heavier.
Seems Asami's appendix was even smart and strategic as her if its goal was to wreak havoc on the rest of her body.
"First, I thought it was workweek cramps then period cramps. Then we were physically active in unusual activities. And then my body drowned me with excruciating pain." She tries to lighten the mood by awkwardly laughing with an expression and fingers a loose thread on the blanket.
"Asami, you really scared me when I found you like that," Korra admits, a crack in her voice filled with her racing emotions that strikes Asami right in her heart. "Why didn't you tell us? Tell me?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Korra," Asami whispers, squeezing Korra's hand. "I honestly thought it was muscle fatigue up until this morning and figured if I got my blood moving, it'd ebb away. That wasn't the case. I'm sorry for not communicating with you."
"Just, please don't do that again," she pleads with her eyes. "I don't know if my heart can take another worried frenzy with you."
"I promise I'll do better, my love," she says with her words and her eyes. She brings Korra's hands towards the former location of their greatest enemy, a shy smile curling her lips. "The big, bad three-inch, useless organ can't hurt us anymore. If we're lucky, I won't have a scar, but if I do I, I may still be lucky."
Korra wants to resist the implications, but simply can't, laughing under her breath. Leave it to this woman to make a joke like that after having surgery.
They'll be alright…or at least until Korra's appendix decides it wants to cause chaos in their lives.
"This is bullshit," Kuvira grumbles, examining the television. "We have a huge home theater with plush seats, and we're stuck with damn hospital seating, overpriced vending machine snacks, and this tiny ass screen for our slideshow night. Takes the fun out of this. What happened? The Sato name can't get you a better room even?"
"Shut up!" Opal scolds, slapping Kuvira in the head that gets her a death glare. "We adapt. We don't leave out friends!"
The other remain in the background, perfectly fine with staying out of the crossfire of the Beifong sisters. Somehow, they manage to figure out how to connect their phones and the real fun begins and brings life to the room.
How We'll All End Up in Jail
The Best Places to Eat in Republic City
The Beifong Family's Recent Search History
Why Water Tribe Food is Da Bomb
"Really, Kuvira? If anyone should be doing a presentation on my girlfriend, it should be me!" Korra points out, seeing the title slide with a lovely manipulated photo of Asami's head on a salami.
Why I Call Sato 'Salami'
"Well, sorry to disappoint, but this wasn't my original presentation, Doc." Well, I guess it's better than a food nickname. Kuvira proceeds to the next slide that is the bare minimum with a default white background and a single bullet point. "I call Sato 'Salami' because her name phonetically sounds like salami. The end."
"That's it? That's all you've got."
"I could start calling her Salami Pastrami Sato! Or would you prefer me to go back to Sugar Mama?"
"Korra," Opal pleads softly, "please don't spur her to show you her real presentation."
Korra can't do that though. It's in her blood to infuriate Kuvira.
"The great Kuvira Beifong is presenting us with this half-assed presentation?" Korra crosses her arms over her chest and leans forward with a devilish grin. "Where's the honor in that? Show me what you've got, Beifong."
As soon as her eye twitches, Korra knows Kuvira's fallen for the bait. As soon as a new screen pops up, Korra regrets her choice.
Reasons People Suck Ass, Dick, Pussy, and Balls
"What the hell, Kuvira?" Korra hisses, covering her eyes from the much too graphic pictures accompanying the title. The others do the same and make similar comments, scarred for life. "Why the pictures?"
"It was encouraged to use graphics in our presentations."
Korra says a silent prayer to the spirits that Kuvira's presentation is not literal and more about why people are annoying. The points are all valid and has them laughing even if it's a pessimistic view on humanity.
That leaves the best for last once Bolin and Mako double check that her door is shut and the blind is down.
How Drunk I'd Have to be to Compliment Cabbage Corp Products
Korra wasn't initially sure what to expect from Asami with this activity. She should've known that she wouldn't take the light-hearted, fun assignment lightly. She researched every little detail about Cabbage Corp products and their flaws – not that she didn't know them already – and how much alcohol she could consume before dying of alcohol poisoning.
"That's…morbid of you, Asami."
"Well, I'm not dying of alcohol poisoning anytime soon, love." She gives her a quick peck on the cheek. "In conclusion, there is no amount of alcohol in this world that will influence me to give the tiniest compliments to any Cabbage Corp products or management."
"I'd bet if we combined the alcohol from the Sato and Beifong alcohol cellars that we could pull one from you without killing you!" Bolin suggests with a wide grin and oblivious to the disgruntled looks from everyone. "Drunk Asami is my favorite Asami!"
"I'm sure we could arrange that. Ain't that right, Sato?" Kuvira suggests with a wink and a tip of her bottle before drinking it.
"No, no, no," Asami denies and disconnects her phone from the television. "I'm not getting that drunk again. The hangover isn't worth it anymore. I'm too old."
It's a seemingly simple comment that everyone makes from time to time. Something about it is absolutely hilarious to Kuvira though because she spews her drink all over Opal who screeches and runs to the ensuite bathroom.
"That's gotta be the funniest shit you've said, Salami!" Kuvira hollers, slapping her thigh. "You're old? Are you such a pussy that you can't handle a little hangover?"
"I'd also like to chime in that the MAB can't end until I'm out of college at the very earliest and get the full experience."
"Bo," Mako deadpans, "you streaked on the Sato estate during the last MAB and gave Hiroshi and Yasuko a perfect view of your ass."
"But that's the college experience!"
The others get pulled into the effects of alcohol and hangovers. Korra couldn't care less about it. What she does care about is the woman in the bed who started all of this.
"How drunk do you have to be to give me a compliment?" she asks quietly, squeezing her hand.
"I'd have to do some calculations, but my current approximation is," she ponders the answer for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "stone-cold sober. Korra, you are an incredible human being, perfect the way you are, and the absolute love of my life."
"Actually, you're not stone-cold sober right now with whatever meds you're on," she jokes, ignoring the way tingles electrify her body and craves to wrap Asami up in her arms. Her remark gets her slapped in the chest before they end up laughing.
Turns out a hospital room can be pretty entertaining with the right people.
"You dork!"
Her laughs are music to Korra's ears. She hadn't planned on any grand gesture for her discharge from the hospital, but she couldn't resist. She never wants to see Asami in the hospital for another serious ailment so she might as well take advantage of it now.
If Asami can make frivolous purchases for her, Korra can make frivolous purchases for Asami. Korra never thought it'd be a large turtle duck and a bundle of gold and red balloons from the hospital gift shop or where everyone could see it.
"What am I ever going to do with this?" Asami asks with a huge smile, taking the stuffed animal in her arms. "If this is the reception I get for having my appendix removed, what kind of reception will I get if I break a bone?"
"I don't want to find out," Korra tells her, kissing her soundly for everyone to see. "Don't push your luck."
"Never," she jokes, kissing her one more time and interlocking their free hands. "What's our next hospital-free adventure going to be, my love?"
Posted: June 19, 2022
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