Follow Bumi and Pema as they learn of what has happened with Lin.
Bumi stared at the door where Lin had slammed it shut behind her. He heard her satomobile's engine rev and then the gravel crunch as she drove off. He realized she left in her vehicle so that he couldn't catch up to her if she had just walked off.
The events of this afternoon played through his mind, and he realized Lin was right. He had been a fool. 'A stupid, stupid fool.' He berated himself.
He decided he would take Haru to the Island like Lin suggested, but he would return and wait for her so that they could talk this out.
Once that decision was made he went to Lin's office to grab a piece of paper. It was addressed to Lin, in case she returned while he was dropping Haru off.
He sealed the one that he would leave at the bar, as it was closer than the camp. He then went to Haru's room.
"Hey buddy. There's been a little change in plans. How do you feel about a sleepover with Rohan and your older cousins?"
"Okay Daddy!" He happily helped his dad pack an overnight bag. When they got downstairs, Haru looked around with a frown. "Where's Mama?"
Bumi swallowed. "Mama forgot that we needed something from the store. You'll see her tomorrow. Let's go."
He left the note for Lin on the counter and the two set out on Mochi.
When they arrived, Pema saw right through his false mask of happiness. She quickly sent Haru off to join Rohan and Meelo in the garden before turning to Bumi.
"What did you do?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"You have the same guilty mannerisms Tenzin does when he has done something wrong. So spill."
Bumi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "We ran into my previous second in command, Misumi, earlier at the Refugee Camp. I was so shocked at seeing her that I kinda forgot to introduce Lin and Haru… Once home, Lin accused me of ignoring them and flirting with Misumi… I swear I didn't mean to, it's just the kind of camaraderie we always had."
Pema squinted up at him, a frown forming. "So let me get this straight, you ignored your wife and child in front of someone who has known you intimately - whether that be through close friendship or more - and proceeded to flirt with said woman in front of her. You flirted with another woman in front of your 7 month pregnant wife? You have a death wish don't you?"
"Look, I'm going home and I'll make it right. I thought we could use a night to talk, without worrying that Haru would overhear us or interrupt."
"You better fix this Bumi. Lin's already been through enough." She fixed him with a glare. "Now go, Haru will be fine here. Let me know if you need an extra day too."
Bumi gave her a grateful nod and went over to Haru and gave him a hug, before he hopped back onto Mochi.
He quickly decided he would pop by the camp first to let them know he would not be going out tonight and then go to the market and grab some things for Lin.
Once he arrived at the camp he quickly headed over to the tent that was the temporary headquarters for the United Forces. Inside he found Misumi fairly quickly.
"Bumi! I didn't expect to see you till tonight."
"About that… Look Misumi, I should have properly introduced Lin to you. She's actually my-"
"Wife?" At his shocked look, she gave him a smirk. "You forget I have a keen eye for details and I know you very well. I know all about your feelings for her, and I noticed the rings on both of your hands. Not to mention the design on her betrothal necklace was one you had sketched for years."
"Right… Yes, she is my wife, and Haru is my son. We're expecting a baby girl in a few more months too." Bumi gave her a proud smile.
"Congratulations, old friend. I would like to get a chance to get to know the real Lin Beifong, and not the one you have been drunkenly talking about for years. You should bring her tonight, I'm sure the rest of the crew would like to meet the woman who made you a family man."
"Ah, well, actually I can't make it tonight. We'll have to reschedule." He replied awkwardly.
"She's not making you stay in, is she? I didn't peg her for the overly controlling type." Misumi questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the table behind her.
"No, no… I've decided to stay in. But I will make it up to you and the crew later."
Misumi pursed her lips and studied him. "You fucked up didn't you? Well, make sure you grovel really well. When my sister was pregnant, she was a force to be reckoned with… and she was not a previous police chief." She smirked at him. "Hey, once you do make up with her, you can let her know I meant no harm with the flirting. Does she know that I have a wife?"
Bumi blushed when he realized Misumi had figured out what happened. "That didn't come up yet, but I will be sure to let her know."
"You do that." She stood and walked over to him, punching his arm lightly. "You did good Boom. I'm happy that you have the family you've always wanted."
"Thank you Misumi. It really is good to see you again. But, I need to stop and get a few things before I head home."
"Get out of here, before she has more ammunition to bury your ass."
He nodded to her and quickly left the tent. He hopped back onto Mochi and directed her to a market close by. He picked out a bouquet of flowers, and some of her favourite treats. Bumi then stopped by a dumpling cart and ordered dinner for them, since the original one was ruined by now.
He got home and found Pema pacing the living room. "Where have you been?!"
Bumi frowned at her. "What do you mean? Why are you here? Is Haru okay?"
Pema's expression frightened Bumi. "Haru's fine. I got a call from the hospital… "
Ice flooded Bumi's veins. "Lin…" His hold on the packages in his arms loosened, and they crashed to the floor.
Bumi had been gone for about 30 minutes when Pema heard the telephone in Tenzin's office ringing. Assured that the boys were being watched by an acolyte, Pema rushed to answer the phone.
"Tenzin's office, Pema speaking, how may I help?"
"Hello, this is nurse Xinyan. I am calling from Yue General Hospital. Do you know a Lin Beifong?"
Pema dropped heavily into Tenzin's chair. "Y-yes, she is my sister-in-law. Is she okay?"
"There was an accident downtown Ma'am. We've tried to get ahold of her husband, but no one is answering at the house number she provided us. She had given your direct number just in case."
"Spirits, is she okay? Is the baby okay? She's only 28 weeks."
"I cannot discuss much over the phone. Would you be able to come to the hospital. They are going to need someone here."
"Yes, yes of course. I will try and see if I can find Bumi and be there as soon as I can. He was here not too long ago, he should be home by now."
"Good. I need to warn you though, it is pretty serious."
Pema swallowed. "But she was conscious right? You said she gave you the information."
"Yes, she did. I'm sorry I can't give you any more information right now. As soon as you get here, go to the third floor. I will advise the desk to expect you." There was a pause. "Oh, do you know how I could reach Master Healer Kya?"
"Kya… I believe she is volunteering at a clinic in the Fire District. Give me a moment to see if I have their number." She shuffled through Tenzin's notes, before finding the one where Kya had put her contact numbers for all the clinics. "Here it is…" She listed off the number, and quickly thanked the nurse. After hanging up she jumped up and headed outside.
She came across Nira soon after. "Nira, thank goodness. Can you please watch the children. I-I need to go downtown urgently. I don't know when I will be back."
Nira took in Pema's frazzled expression. "Of course. Is everything okay?"
Pema quickly looked around to make sure the kids weren't in hearing range. "It's Lin… I-I just got a call. Something's happened. I need to find Bumi. The hospital is contacting Kya…"
Nira pulled the panicked woman into her arms. "It's alright. Take a deep breath." Once she felt Pema do so, she pulled back. "Go, take one of the air bison. Find Bumi and go be with Lin. Don't worry about the kids."
"Thank you." Pema gave Nira a weak smile. "I'll try to call once I know more." She then took off at a brisk walk to not alarm the kids if they saw her.
When she arrived at Lin and Bumi's house, she noticed the lights were out. She used the spare key she had to let herself in and found the house empty, a ruined dinner still sitting in pots on the stove, and bread in a proofing basket. She saw a note Bumi had left for Lin on the counter, explaining he would be back soon with dinner after dropping Haru off.
So while waiting, Pema quickly disposed of the food to keep herself from fretting too much. She finished it and the dishes too quickly in her opinion, so she went to the living room and started pacing.
Finally after another 15 minutes, she heard the back door unlock.
She rounded on Bumi as soon as he came into view of the living room. "Where have you been?!"
She saw him frown at her. "What do you mean? Why are you here? Is Haru okay?"
Pema knew that what she was about to say would hurt him. "Haru's fine. I got a call from the hospital… "
She saw the blood drain from his face. "Lin…" He breathed out in a pained sob. She watched as the packages he had been holding fell to the ground.
She quickly went to him and put her hands on his arms. "Bumi, we need to go. There was an accident downtown. They asked us to come. Lin's hurt. All they could tell me is that she was able to give them the telephone numbers and that Kya was her healer." She hesitated a moment. "Th-They said it's serious."
Pema looked up into Bumi's stricken face.
"Come on, Bumi. Your girls need you, let's go." She guided him outside and onto Mochi. She guided the air bison towards Yue General Hospital and they arrived shortly after.
She gave Mochi the commands to go home, before dragging Bumi into the Hospital. They quickly made their way up to the third floor.
"We're here for Lin Beifong. We were told that you would be expecting us."
"Names?" The unit clerk asked, looking down at the piece of paper that the nurse had given her.
"Bumi is her husband, and I am Pema, her sister-in-law."
The clerk verified the names and then looked up at them. "I'm going to show you to a private waiting area."
"Please… tell me what's wrong, I need to know." Bumi pleaded, voice strained.
"Lady Beifong is in surgery. That is all I can tell you at the moment. I will show you to the room, and have someone come speak to you who knows more."
Pema grabbed onto Bumi's arm as he swayed at the news. She helped guide him to the room and forced him to sit down in one of the chairs. She had never seen her brother-in-law like this. She sat beside him and took his hand in her smaller one. He gripped her hand tightly, as if she was the only thing keeping him anchored.
It was an hour before the door to the room opened. In walked a healer and behind them was Kya.
Bumi had stood as soon as he saw Kya. "Ky… please."
Kya went to her brother and took him in her arms. "There was an accident downtown. An old building that was in ruins from the attack started collapsing. Lin saved a little boy from being crushed, but the stress from earthbending for an extended period caused the placenta to dislodge. Aala, here, is the head obstetrics healer. She was the one overseeing the emergency caesarian."
Pema nodded to the healer, but noticed Bumi was still focused on his little sister.
"Are they… the baby… Lin…" was all Bumi could get out, tears streaming down his face.
"We were able to remove the baby quickly." Healer Aala spoke up. "She wasn't crying, but she was alert. It is quite common for premature infants to not cry, as their breathing system is fully finished developing. Your daughter was moved immediately to the neonatal intensive care unit or NICU. She has a team of healers, doctors, and nurses with her, but I was assured that she seems very healthy for her gestational age."
Pema smiled and placed a hand on Bumi's shoulder, as he let out a relieved sob. But Pema could tell from the look on both women's faces that there was more. "And Lin?" Pema asked softly.
Kya swallowed and tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Bumi seemed to notice this as his breath caught.
"Ky… is Lin? Is she?" He could get the words out.
"I arrived just after the baby was delivered, but Lin… She was bleeding pretty heavily and had lost consciousness by that point. I joined Aala, and we spent a while healing her. She is not out of the woods, and she has lost a lot of blood, but she is in recovery right now."
"Can I see her?"
Aala shook her head, and answered. "It will be a couple hours at least before Lin will be stable enough for you to visit. I assure you we are keeping close watch over her and my team is one of the best."
"I don't want her to be alone." Bumi choked out.
"I'll be staying with her and watching over her myself, okay? She won't be alone with me there." Kya said, placing a hand on her older brother's cheek.
"I'll go check with the NICU team with your daughter. You may be able to visit her sooner." Aala said.
Bumi finally looked up at the other healer and nodded his head. "Thank you. For everything."
Aala smiled at him, reassuringly, and left the room.
Bumi felt his breath catch as he walked into the dimly lit room. He could feel Pema's hand grasp his arm tighter at the image in front of them. There in a glass looking, bassinet style box laid a tiny baby.
"You can come closer." A soft voice came from the nurse who was standing close to the baby. "My name is Mari, and I will be your daughter's head nurse tonight. She is doing very well for an infant born so early." She gave Bumi a warm, reassuring smile.
He stopped just shy of the bassinet, and raised a hand as if to touch the box, but he just held it hovering. He noticed some tubes that were connected to the box, and some type of whirring and pumping noise as he was closer.
"The box is helping her breath. It is called a Varri-Incubator, or an incubator for short. The incubator was designed by Varrick Industries specifically for infants like your daughter who were born early, but still had a fighting chance. The pumps are supplying her with oxygen and keeping the box at a warmer temperature to help keep her body temperature regulated."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"The next 48 hours are the most important for her. Once past that mark, her odds get better and better. She has had a good start though, she is 2 pounds 7 ounces and 14.5 inches long. She is on the bigger side for an infant born at 28 weeks." She pulled a stool over. "Here, why don't you sit and talk to her for a little while? I assure you, she can hear you and it will help. You should be able to hold her after the 48 hr mark."
Bumi sat heavily on the stool, not taking his eyes off the rise and fall of the tiny chest. He felt Pema place her hand on his shoulder, and he reached up to place his own on top, giving it a grateful squeeze. "She's so tiny…"
"She is, but she is beautiful. She's going to be strong, like her Mama, I can feel it." Pema replied, just as softly. "I'll give you some time alone with her. I am going to update Nira, okay? Do you want me to call anyone else?"
Bumi shook his head. "Not yet. I'd rather wait till we know how Lin is doing. I don't think I could deal with everyone coming and asking questions I don't have answers to."
"Of course. Nira knows a bit of what is going on, so she can help redirect the kids if they ask questions or if others call."
"Thank you for being here, Pema. I… I don't know what I would have done without you."
"It's what family is for, Bumi. You and Lin have both been there for our family, so I will be here for you."
After Pema left and the nurse went to do charts at the desk in the corner, Bumi sat there still watching his little daughter.
'A daughter.' Bumi couldn't believe she was here in front of him. 'She doesn't even have a name.'
He swallowed, before leaning his face as close to the glass he could. "Hi, my little love. It's me, your Daddy." He smiled at her when he saw her hand twitch at his voice. "You have to be strong like your Mama, okay? Soon we'll get to hold you, and eventually take you home. Mama will be here as soon as she is feeling better. We love you so much, my little flower." He had realized as soon as he saw her, why his Uncle likened the girls in the family to flowers, she was perfect. He sniffed. "You have so much family who will love you so much. You have your older brothers in Haru, Mako, and Bolin; and Asami will be the best big sister to you. Then there are your Aunts, Uncles, and cousins."
He didn't bother to wipe the tear that escaped his eye. "Most importantly you have two grandmothers who are so excited to meet you, and a great Uncle that I know will have such a soft spot for you."
He continued to softly talk to her, telling her all about her family.
Pema had eventually come back into the room, and softly talked with the nurse to give Bumi time with his daughter. The nurse, Mari, checked on the infant every so often, making sure the oxygen levels and temperature didn't change; but for the most part was content to not disturb the bonding too much.
After being in the room for a little over an hour and a half, Healer Aala entered the room. Bumi hadn't noticed her until she appeared on the opposite side of the incubator.
"How's our girl doing?" She asked softly.
He smiled up at the healer. "She's beautiful. Strong, like her Mama."
Aala smiled back at Bumi. "That is what I like to hear." She checked over the baby girl's chart as well, so she was up to date, and was happy with the way things were going right now. "I came to let you know that Lin is stable. She is still sleeping, but you can go see her now."
Bumi hesitated, feeling torn. He was startled by Pema's hand on his shoulder again. "I'll stay here, while you go see Lin. She won't be alone."
He let out a small sob and pulled Pema into his arms. "Thank you." He choked out.
"You go give Lin our love, okay?"
He froze in the doorway of Lin's room. She was laid out on a bed in a private room, with a mask over her mouth and nose providing her with oxygen. Her skin was paler than ever before, with an almost grey tinge to it. If he didn't see her chest move, he would have thought she was dead. Her right arm had an IV attached to a bag of red liquid, which Bumi quickly realized was blood.
Bumi was startled by a hand grasping his, and looked up to see his sister.
"She's stable, Bumi. We're giving her blood, as she lost quite a bit. But her vitals are improving every minute." Kya squeezed his hand before pulling him over to Lin's left side. "Here, sit and hold her hand. You can talk to her. We don't know when she'll wake yet due to blood loss, but she should sometime in the next few hours."
Bumi sat in the offered chair, and gently took Lin's left hand in his own left hand as he used his right to caress the top of her head. Kya watched for a moment before slipping into the hallway to give her brother some privacy.
"Hi, love." He moved his right hand to join their clasped ones, and pulled her hand to his mouth, placing a kiss to the back of it. Then he moved their hands to cradle against his chest. "I saw our baby. Our daughter. She's so beautiful, Lin. So tiny, but she is going to be as strong as you, I just know it. We'll get to hold her in a couple days."
He dropped his head as guilt tore through him. "I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault." He took a shuddering breath, fighting back tears. "I was an idiot… I promise Misumi is not what you think." A tear slipped down his cheek unchecked, as he felt anger at himself mixing with the guilt. "I should have tried harder to explain. I should have caught you before you left." He blew out air from his mouth to try and calm himself; he did make sure he wasn't airbending while he did so, he didn't want to hurt Lin more.
Bumi looked back up at Lin's pale face, taking in her pallor and the mask helping her to breathe. "I-I'm so sorry. I love you so much, I will spend everyday for the rest of our lives making this up to you. Just be okay. Please… Just be okay… I need you… Haru needs you, and our daughter needs you… We love you so much." He begged, as more tears slipped down his face. He finally succumbed to tears, sobbing as he held Lin's hand in his bigger ones still cradled to his chest. He kept repeating his apologies mixed with words of love.
Eventually he fell into a fitful sleep, bent awkwardly with his head resting on the bed. His hand still clasping Lin's like a lifeline.
