Disclaimer: I own a phone, I own an I-pod, I own Araic, I do NOT own Avatar.

Chapter 5: Heal me

She had been rushed to the ship's doctor as soon as they got on board. She was now laid over a metal operating theatre. Iroh was there so was the doctor and another random crewmember. They were gathered round her like vultures crowding round the bloody carcass.

Crack! They were slipping her fingers back into place. Zuko couldn't watch. It was horrible. Again another sickening crack, Zuko winced against the gruesome clicking. He stepped away from the operating table. Turning his attention to the little metal box-like room they were in.

The room was crowded with shelves. Each metal shelf was cluttered with an assortment of bottles and boxes. Each holding antiseptics, painkillers, antibiotics, bandages, miscellaneous drugs. One held a collection of sinister looking blades and instruments. Zuko shuddered as he looked at some of the tools. Somehow the actual injuries were probably painless compared to the operation needed to remove the dart, arrow or spearhead.

"Zuko hold this " Iroh called him back and handed him a bloody wrist-plate.

It was fire nation. The beaten gold glimmered in the light of the infirmary. He played with it in his hands. Turning it over in his hands. Letting it slide through his hands. The red dragon silhouette was dyeing his hands a sticky scarlet. He stared at them before hastily wiping his palms on his uniform but he couldn't get rid of the quickly drying liquid.

Giving up on his hands Zuko turned his attention back to the gold wrist plate. It covered the wrist and most of the warrior's upper arm. Why the hell did an Earth-bender have a fire-bender's wrist-plate? It was not just a fire-bender's, this belonged to someone around or above the rank of Commander. It was over ten years old because they didn't give these out any more. It was unlikely that this girl killed a Commander at the age of five. He looked carefully straining his eyes to see the words inscribed in the red stained gold.

The name "Commander Zair Komodo" was inscribed in the gold in minute letters. Who was this Commander? Why had this teenage girl have his wrist-plate? Was she really that strong? Was she able to take down a commander? Better her let her meet Zhao, that would be interesting. Zuko smirked, but the smirk fell as he heard another repulsive click.

After a series of grisly clicks, Zuko gathered himself and approached the blood soaked table.

"How is she?" Zuko asked eagerly, as he cautiously approached the bloodstained table. Then remembering that he wasn't supposed to give a fuck about the damn Earth-scum girl. Zuko rapidly change his anxious face into a stern front of annoyance. Eye's like slits, gathering his brows like a gathering storm. (((Nursing his wrath to keep it warm- Rabbie Burns)))

" Well, how is she?"

The doctor didn't need a third interrogation. " She's lost a lot of blood, her hands been bandaged. The deepest of the cuts have been stitched and I've put cooling cream on the worst burns. She needs rest and painkillers. She should wake up tomorrow, bring her over after lunch" The doctor droned on as his hand hovered over one of the shelves before diving down and selecting an amber glass bottle. The amber bottle contained a collection of small blue pills.

"Give her these when she wakes up. One after breakfast and one after dinner. She might be suffering from shock and trauma so give her one of these white ones if she has trouble sleeping, don't overdose them though. Ohh, before I forget these yellow ones are iron tablets give her one at lunch." The doctor said handing Zuko three different bottles. The doctor paused. "Out of curiosity, how did she get in this state?"

"Zhao" Zuko answered numbly.

"Wait, are you telling me that the Commander Zhao, a fully grown adult, burned, crushed and slashed this girl." The crewmember was astonished.

" Before I joined your crew, half of my patients were under his command. A man shouldn't fear the flame but he mustn't yearn for the fight either." The doctor told Iroh.

"I must admit that Zhao is a bit…ambitious but the techniques he uses I used in my time as well, one of the reasons I retired"

"Uncle, are you telling me that you used to repeatedly slash hostages to try and get non-existent information out of them." Zuko said shocked

" No, unlike Zhao I didn't go overboard."

"But still I can't believe Zhao was this ruthless. I mean she's only a child" the doctor explained.

She was hardly a child.. She must be nearly as old as me, maybe a year younger. How could Zhao do this? How dare he do this…

"Ehh…Prince Zuko" Iroh interrupted Zuko's thoughts. "Hands" Zuko looked down and extinguished the flames growing from his clenched fists. "Relax, Nephew. You can get him later" Iroh whispered softly. Iroh was carrying the slumped body. Her head was tilted back revealing her slender neck. How soft it looked to Zuko. How he longed to touch it, feel it's silky surface underneath his fingers. "I think cell three is free. I'll put her there" Iroh pondered out loud. "NO!" Zuko outburst " I mean the crew have been denied…denied… you know… and she's going to be unconscious…and completely defenceless…and I would wish that on anybody…even an earth-bender. I mean she completely vulnerable…and…you know what I mean…" Zuko stammered on "All right young one. I'll find somewhere safe to keep her" Iroh gave Zuko a funny look. Zuko pretended he never saw it and walked up the dark corridor. "Zuko I want you on deck in half an hour" Iroh called to him.

"Yes, Uncle" Zuko shouted over his shoulder making his way back to his room.

He changed into some unbloodied clothes before lighting the candles and sitting in front of them.

My mind is a blank scroll, I am one with my element. I wonder if she's OK? Stop thinking. I wonder if she'll recover, she lost a lot of blood? I said stop thinking. Where has Uncle put her? What part of stop having stupid thought do you not understand? I wonder what her name is? We can all think of names late. I bet it's something like Rose or Lilly something to do with the earth. It could be Bob for I care now concentrate. I'm going to kill Zhao if she dies. And the world will forever be in your debt, now concentrate on the flame not her I'll run him right through. Stop fantasising how to kill the guy and concentrate on the flame. Zhao's a fucking bastard! Yes, I think we all know that. Now STOP having these stupid thoughts. I hope her hand heals. That's it I give up I will never get through your stupid head. Hey, shut up. You, shut up. You, shut up. You're the one whose stupid thoughts kept interrupting our meditation. Shut up.

Zuko stopped himself. You know your going crazy when you begin having arguments with yourself. He started it. Did not. Did too.

"Shut up. Shut up" Zuko shouted while holding his ears in an attempt to block out the 'voices'.

Zuko got up and ran out the room.

(((Lunch time)))

After a hard morning of training Zuko returned to his room to relax. But…

"UNCLE! I can't open my door" Zuko yelled.

"Ahh. Yes I locked it when you came out to train."

"Why?"

"So you can have tea with me instead of sulking in your room"

"I do NOT SULK"

"Whatever" Iroh said turning and leaving a very unhappy Zuko stranded outside his room.

Zuko roared and punched the metal door. Before gasping and shaking the pain out of his hand.

(((Dinner time)))

After spending the whole afternoon in sweaty clothes and talking to the helmsman about courses the Avatar might take. There was nothing Zuko wanted more was return to the silence of his room but…

"It's a wonderful night let's all eat dinner out on deck"

Zuko's jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed and his bad eye began to twitch. Warnings that Iroh chose not to read.

"Uncle, if I eat dinner with you, drink tea and play that STUPID game with you. Then can I PLEASE return to my room." Zuko was about to erupt, most of the crew had taken shelter. Waiting to see the fire works show.

"I'm not trying to keep you out of your room. I just think that you need more sun. I mean you're as pale as a ghost."

Zuko ate his noodles on deck, drunk tea with a weird name, played an agonisingly dull game of Pai Sho with Iroh.

"Can I go now" Zuko yawned suspiciously.

"Of course" Iroh said, with the funny smile he'd given Zuko earlier.

Zuko was knackered after the chase that morning, his training at lunch and that snoringly long game of Pai Sho at dinner All he wanted to do was collapse in the soft mattress of his bed, with it's silk sheets and feathery pillows.

Zuko lay on the left side of his bed, gently pulling the crimson silk sheets over his semi-covered body (I decided that Zuko is wearing crimson silk pyjama bottoms). Closing his eyes and rolled over to the right.

He felt something odd. A light breeze on his face. Cautiously he opened his eyes, the girl slept inches away from him, her nose a centimetre away from his. Her face was caked in dried blood but she was sleeping peacefully.

Zuko choked back a shout of surprise. Carefully getting out of the bed. He smoothed the silk sheet down. Tiptoed out over and silently closed the door.

"UNCLE!" Zuko roared, hammering on his Uncle's door.

"Where's the fire young one" Iroh said rubbing his eyes.

"Why is the hostage in my room?" Zuko screamed "Why is the hostage in my BED?" Zuko hissed, glaring murderously at the old man in the bed shirt.

"You said somewhere safe"

"I didn't say my room. I want her out NOW!"

"I'll move her in the morning."

"NO! Move her now."

"Prince Zuko, it's late. I'll move the hostage in the morning. Try to get some sleep"

"Where? She's in my FUCKING BED!"

"Zuko, watch your language. It's a double bed nephew. She's not that big" Iroh chuckled, closing the door on Zuko.

Outside Zuko was raging. He roared sending a fountain of flame and smoke into the air. He stormed off back to his room after giving Iroh's door another homicidal glare.

"Gathering her brows like a gathering storm. Nursing her wrath to keep it warm"- From Robert Burns' "Tam O'shanter".

Knackered: exhausted

I would like to thank all you people out there who read and reviewed.

I hope you all enjoy the Easter break.