The next day after Dr. Liao checked Kuvira's vitals Lin Beifong entered the room. "So they finally broke you down huh kid?"
"Chief Beifong? I didn't expect to see you here." "Yeah well I figured one of us Beifong women had to make sure you weren't dead."
"That's nice. Does Su know or even care?"
"Listen. I know we Beifong women are known for holding grudges. I mean look at Su and me. It took us thirty years to work out our differences. Su's the same way. She won't talk to you because you personally tried to kill her and her entire family. Not to mention you turned her eldest child against her and she raised you. You were like a daughter to her. She loved you and you betrayed that." Kuvira cringed. She forgot how harsh Lin could be.
"I- I know," Kuvira said, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. "Look kid. Su will come around. I don't know when but she will. I can't speak for the rest of the family but as for you and me, we're alright for now. I might hate what you did but that doesn't mean I want you killing yourself. Your life holds too much value for you to just throw it away."
Kuvira almost chuckled. Korra had said the same thing to her. "What's going to happen to me after the seventy-two hours are up?" "Well you'll be moved back to your cell."
"The- the wooden box?" Lin chuckled at Kuvira's scared tone. "No. Your new cell will be more...accommodating to your issues."
"You mean I'm going to be in a special cell to make sure I don't try to kill myself anymore," Kuvira said. Lin nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" Kuvira nodded. "Was this suicide attempt a cry for help or did you actually want to die?"
Kuvira's stomach twisted. She knew her suicide attmept was not a cry for help of any kind. She meant to kill herself. How could she tell Lin that?
"I. I did intend to die. I didn't want or need help," Kuvira said, staring at the ground. "We all need help sometimes," Lin said. "Not me," Kuvira responded.
"Don't you want to live long enough to get out of prison? Did you really want your last memory alive to be you dying in a wooden box?" "Well it's better than being trapped in a constant mental prison."
Lin felt a small pang in her chest. Here was her former niece of sorts turned Great Uniter lying in a hospital bed talking about how it is better to die than to live and she didn't know what to do to help her. She figured if the young woman saw Su then maybe it would help her find a reason to stay alive but she had called Su yesterday and the matriarch hadn't given her a response. She had only said she had to go after Lin told her about Kuvira's suicide attempt.
Lin didn't know if Korra would be back since she spent all night waiting for Kuvira to wake up.
"Come on kid. It's only been a year since you've been in prison. You can't tell me that you are already so broken?" "I'm on suicide watch aren't I?"
"Well you won't be here forever. I know that. I have to get back to work but I'll be back to check on you later."
"Bye," Kuvira said. The conversation with Lin made her chest feel heavy. She was still shocked over how Lin could be so caring towards her when Su didn't even care to visit her in the past year or write back and she knew the matriach definitely wasn't going to come visit her now. The thought made her a little sad inside.
She stared at her bandaged wrist. She wondered if she could pull the bandage and pick at the cuts. Maybe that would be enough for her to bleed out. Kuvira shook her head at the thought. It certainly wouldn't be. Plus the guard watching her would burst into the room the minute she removed the bandages.
Ugh! Why couldn't they have left her alone? Why did they have to save her? She was finally going to be free from all the broken dreams and painful memories in her head.
•••••••••
When Lin got back to her office it was only a little after ten and she already felt like she needed a drink. Sighing she reached into the drawer underneath her desk and pulled out a small bottle of whiskey along with a shot glass. She rarely ever drank on the job but after listening to Kuvira just give up on life and refusing to accept any help, she needed this drink. She had half a mind to call Su and chew her out for forgiving Baatar but turning her back on Kuvira but then she had to remember that she wasn't in Su's shoes and she didn't know what she would do if she was.
She hoped Su would come around and talk to the metal bender. She just knew that if Su reached out then Kuvira would have at least a little reason to stay alive. Unfortunately she couldn't force her sister to forgive Kuvira.
If there was one thing the Beifong women knew how to do, it was hold a grudge. She just wished Su's holding a grudge wouldn't be hurting Kuvira anymore than she already was.