Ok so here's the second chapter.
I really want to say thank you and I love you forever to the peeps that reviewed. Ya'll have no idea haw happy you made me.
So on with it then I guess… oh yeah disclaimer same as in first chapter blah, blah, blah.
Chapter 2
Zuko's Ship
The storm had settled fairly quickly and now in the calmness Zuko couldn't help but think of the mysterious girl below deck in the infirmary. He decided to check up on her condition and went below deck. On his way to the infirmary he met his uncle heading the same direction.
"So Prince Zuko I see that you are just as intrigued as I am about our young guest," Iroh stated.
"Yes Uncle," he replied even though in a way he didn't want to admit it.
They entered the infirmary together a few minutes later and the moment they stepped in they almost wished that they hadn't. The doctor was attempting to bind Trina's broken bones. He had already bandaged her forearms that had been burned badly in the lightning strike. Despite the fact that she was not fully conscious she still was thrashing and screaming in pain. In between the screams she whimpered weakly and called out something that sounded like "Lomi Ka". She was still shivering violently because all of the doctor's attempts to warm her had failed.
Zuko was surprised at the seriousness of the girl's condition. She hadn't seemed this bad when he carried her down here. And she seemed to be worsening even as she stood there watching her.
When the doctor noticed that the prince and retired general had entered the room he asked them to hold her still long enough for him to finish binding her broken bones. Iroh held onto one of her shoulders while Zuko held the other. They managed to hold her still enough for the doctor to finish binding her ribs. (If you fell out of the sky onto the hard metal deck of a ship you'd have broken ribs too.)
By this time Trina had eventually quieted herself, and was now beginning to awaken. She stirred very lightly at first and moaned. The moan caught the attention of every one in the room. Zuko moved to go to her (he wanted answers and he wanted then now) but Iroh stopped him.
"Let the doctor work Zuko. She is still very weak any she probably wouldn't be able to answer any of your questions yet anyway," Iroh said while still holding onto Zuko's arm.
Zuko nodded and stepped back to his previous position and stared at the girl.
It was at that time that Trina woke up and opened her eyes and she wished that she hadn't because of the wave of pain that crashed over her. She squeezed he eyes shut trying to rid herself of the pain. She began to whimper again because of the intensity of the pain.
The doctor spoke to her in soft tones. "Shhhh, child, you'll be alright I'll make sure of that."
Trina opened her eyes again looked up at the doctor with bleary eyes. She blinked a few times to clear them and she couldn't believe what she saw before her. The doctor was wearing Fire Nation armor. She couldn't get her lightning fried brain to process this.
She softly asked him for some water so she could wet down her parched throat.
He motioned for either Zuko or Iroh to bring him the pitcher of water on the table. Zuko quickly stepped forward and handed him the pitcher. At this point he stepped into Trina's line of vision causing her to gasp and choke on the water she was being given. The doctor quickly pulled back the glass of water he had filled for her. Even without the water she continued coughing and soon she was coughing up blood and started to shiver again.
The doctor then turned to Zuko and Iroh and said, "I'm not sure there is anything more I can do for her. I can't get her to warm up and if she doesn't soon, we'll lose her."
They both nodded in understanding. Then Iroh asked if dry clothes would make a difference.
"Of course they would but everything onboard is waterlogged from the storm," came the doctor's reply as he turned back to the girl on the cot.
"Prince Zuko would you please go see if you could find something for her."
"Yes Uncle," Zuko said and nodded.
Zuko left the room to find something dry for the strange girl. He was unsure of where to look because the ship's doctor was right almost everything was waterlogged. All of the cabins had gotten some amount of water in them, all the cabins except…his. He was a bit unsure about taking any of his own clothing to a girl he knew nothing about. But in the end he forced himself to take down one of his older training outfits. It was a little narrow across the shoulders anyway.
When he returned to the infirmary he saw that the doctor and his uncle were trying to find a way to warm her up. When they saw him they exchanged glances and beckoned him. Zuko hesitated slightly because of the look in his uncle's eyes.
"What are you planning Uncle?" he asked apprehensively.
"Oh Prince Zuko we just want you to help us warm her up," Iroh said innocently.
"Isn't that why I went and found her something dry?"
"Why Prince Zuko I believe that these are your clothes," Iroh stated.
"That's the only thing that's dry," he replied in a stiff irritated voice. After a few moments he sighed and asked "so what is it that you want me to do?"
"Well we think that if you were to stay with her tonight and if your used you bending to raise you body temperature we might be able to pull her through."
"So you want me to sleep with a girl I've never really met?" He asked in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
"Please Zuko she may die otherwise, then you'll never get to ask your questions of her."
"I can't believe that you're using that against me," Zuko said. "Why couldn't someone else do it?"
"Now you see Prince Zuko if we left her alone with one of the other men who knows what might happen considering how long it's been since many of them have even seen a woman."
Zuko sighed but he did finally resigned to follow this "plan".
Trina hadn't stirred since Zuko had left to find her dry clothes. In his own Zukoish way he has beginning to worry. (Not that he would ever admit it if he was asked.)
The doctor had dressed her in the clothes that Zuko had brought and the warmth of dry clothes did help some, but not very much.
They knew that if they didn't do something very soon it was a distinct possibility that she would die. Iroh and the doctor decided to strip Zuko to the waist so it would make the heat transfer easier (despite all of Zuko's protests Iroh eventually won out in the end.)
Zuko was far from happy about what his uncle was making him do, but in the end he did lay down on the cot beside Trina. He was truly surprised at how cold she felt to his touch. He immediately began to raise his body temperature (his annoyance at the situation did allow him to generate more heat though). He knew though it would do her no good unless he pulled her closer. At the thought he blushed and awkwardly pulled her to his chest. He was unspeakably glad that this girl was unconscious during this and that his uncle and the doctor had left the room. If Iroh was to see this he would never hear the end of it.
As his own body warmed he felt Trina gradually get warmer too. She soon stopped shivering and slipped into was could be called a contented sleep (or as close to it as one can get when she is in that much pain.) Zuko felt her stop shivering and felt himself drifting to sleep as well.
It was right after Zuko had fallen asleep that Iroh decided to check up on the girl's condition. He stuck his head in the door and softly called to his nephew. When no answer came he stepped into the room. He smiled when he saw the two teens on the cot and spread over them a thick dry blanket he had found and then left silently. He would tell Zuko just how close the two had been later but he did not want to wake them now. (Poor Zuko would never be free of his uncle's teasing.)
back in the cave with Caroline
Caroline was warming nicely and was beginning to regain consciousness when the three companions gathered around her. She woke slowly and blinked several times, trying to clear her vision. When it finally did clear she nearly screamed when she saw her favorite cartoon characters staring down at her.
Caroline's thought process was, as cool as this is this can't be real can it?
"Am I still dreaming," she managed to force out softly.
"No," Katara said softly. "You'll be OK now."
Caroline was slowly regaining her senses when she realized that her friend was no longer with her.
"Where is my best friend? Where is Tarrina?" (Caroline and Trina often used different names for each other.)
"There was no one with you when we found you. What are you talking about?" Sokka asked.
He was very intrigued by this girl because he had never seen anyone quite like her before. He wanted to ask her a million questions but held back because he felt sorry for the girl and didn't want to scare her.
She wasn't scared though after she had gotten over the initial shock of being in the presence of her favorite cartoon characters.
There was a lingering silence between them for a few moments but it was Aang who finally break the silence when we asked, "So what's your name?"
"Lomi Ka."
"What kind of a name is that?" Sokka asked rather rudely.
"A very good one I'll have you know!" Caroline rasped and coughed because her throat was still so dry.
"Don't pay any attention to Sokka. That's Aang," Katara motioned to the younger boy. "And my name is Katara." Caroline of course already knew this but didn't let on that she did.
"Pleased to meet all of you," she rasped and coughed again and decided that she needed some water.
She reached for the canteen that was sitting on the ground next to her and before anyone had a chance to get it for her the top of it was off and she was bending it.
"You're a water bender?" Katara asked excitedly.
"I guess so, I've never been able to do that before," Caroline answered
It was at that point that Caroline felt a sneeze coming and she couldn't hold it back. She sneezed loudly and large flames shot out of her nose. Aang, Katara, and Sokka all jumped back away from her.
"You're a fire bender!" Sokka shouted accusingly. He now had an instant distrust of her. (Even though she was still too weak to have tried anything.)
He was unable to comprehend the fact that she could bend both fire and water. Aang and Katara were having trouble processing this as well.
Aang was especially mystified by her bending. He had never heard of anyone being able to bend more than one element other than the Avatar.
"How is it that you can bend more that one element?" Aang probed
"I guess that it's because my mother is Fire Nation and my father is of the Water Tribe." This had been the joke back home that came about because of a dream, but it sounded like a good excuse so she went with it.
The other young benders accepted this and didn't bring it up again. They had a more pressing question on their minds.
"So why did you fall out of the sky?" Sokka asked rather bluntly. At this point he wanted answers right now from this fire-water bender.
"Sokka be nice, incase you haven't noticed Lomi Ka has had a rough day!" Katara scolded her brother.
"It's alright, really. I'm just not sure what to say. I mean I'm not even completely sure what happened. I mean on minute I'm saying goodbye to my best friend and the next thing I know I'm being struck by lightning and then I was here. I don't know if I can ever get home."
"Don't worry we'll figure something out," Aang said trying to lighten the situation.
Caroline faked a smile because she couldn't help but worry for her missing friend.
