"This is okay, you have said, that you will put your focus on Azula and Katara and how their problems will affect them and the persons, who are attached with them. But there is so much going on in this fic and until now there are so many different directions all these plots may take, it's just so much fun to read. Until now you've managed a good balance, I think." Thank you! Yeah, with so many characters I feel like (at this point in the fic) I have to sort out who the primary ones are and who the secondaries are. Azula, Katara, and TyLee are the primary characters at the moment. Sokka, Suki, Chan, Jet, and Teo would be more secondary. And for the time, Zuko, Mai, Aang, and Toph are more so tertiary. But I think that I'm gonna do a Toph chapter next. Maybe Mai. Now that my outline is gone I'm gonna have to put things back in a suitable order. This whole computer issue thing is really hitting this fic hard. "I like the way you have build up Chans character. The idea that all these parties, all his bad behaviour and all his aggression is only another sort of screaming for attention." Thanks. I was thinking of going with the whole 'asshole dad pushing for a jock son' thing. But I felt like that would have been such a cliche. So I decided to go with the attention whoring route, still a tad cliche. "He hasn't learned limits." But yeah, this is the basic gist. He was given so much freedom he hasn't learned much self control. "He has helped by the investigations. What he has told the officer at the police station supports the statement." Exactly, and it won't be his only investigation either. "But also he is in deep trouble now. Azula seems to have found new strength and she is finally striking back against the persons, who have caused their misery." That's correct, he's going to have to do a lot of ass kissing or hope that Azula shows mercy. Despite it all, she's still Azula. Azula doesn't take hits to her pride very well. "Usha will have to fear consequences." Usha is probably in deeper because she had done more than Chan. "But like I mentioned in my last review, Ozai will also observing her actions [...] and this makes him really dangerous now." Ozai is another matter and he is going to be addressed.

"because I have a slight idea, due to my own fic, how much hard work has to be done, until a chapter is ready." It's always nice when art is able to inspire art. It's probably another one of my favorite thing about writing. Avatar gives inspiration to many fic authors and a lot of the time I see fic authors (and fanartists) find inspiration in each other. And that is amazing to me! "to show that I appreciate all this time and passion." The appreciation has been noticed!

Azula was growing to hate the hospital, not that she had ever thought highly of it before. It was a bore and it gave her the sense that she was letting herself slip again. She'd been bed bound before and it only led to more suffering and now she was bed bound again. She supposed that, at least, this time she had company. Teo dropped by constantly, even if he just sat next to her and quietly did his homework, only looking up to ask her a question or two. On some days he would bring her, her own homework. She did it under the guise that it kept her mind from wandering to its darkest places.

Between worksheets she would answer texts, mostly from TyLee and Katara.

They kept her stable.

They kept her from feeling as lonely as she had initially thought herself to be.

She would have loved an in person visit from TyLee, but between school and her investigations, the girl hadn't much free time to spare. Azula could only imagine how hectic the school was.

Azula sighed to herself. It was still another few hours before school let out, giving Teo the time to visit her. Add one more hour with the commute to the hospital. Her morning and early afternoons were lonely. She was feeling physical better, she wished that they would just let her go home.

Whenever she inquired about her release date, she found herself being given half-answers or entirely empty and dismissive ones.

They set another tray of food before her and lectured her to finish it this time. But doing so always left a sense of dread. They were still giving her too much and she couldn't fathom why they weren't understanding that. She could afford to eat the rations they gave her when they kept her confined to that room.

Before the nurse could leave she took the woman by the arm. "I'll eat it if you let me leave this room."

The nurse paused. "I'll speak with my higher ups and see if I can have you cleared for a recreation hour, or some time outside."

Some fresh air would do her well. She rolled onto her side and tried to ignore the IV in her arm. She didn't know why that was still necessary; she had made her attempt on Tuesday and it was now a Friday morning. As far as she was concerned, that was more than enough time for them to know that her vitals would remain stable.

The nurse reappeared. "Finish your breakfast and you are cleared for some recreation time. Would you prefer to use the pool or go for a light jog?"

Frankly, at that point it didn't matter as long as she got to do something other than sleeping and eating. If she had her way, she'd do both. "A jog, I suppose."

The nurse nodded.

.oOo.

The air did her some good. It was as chilly as she expected for a day in November, they had her bundled up very generously. She welcomed the feeling of sunshine, however dilated the season was making it, on her skin. It was a bright day and she could smell a tinge of burning leaves. It was much more welcomed than the pungent odor of antiseptics.

She didn't care for the constant babysitting and hovering. Being watched as she jogged for the first time in months was a rather large discomfort, but at least they were letting her do it. That's what she kept telling herself. At least she was doing something again.

Even so she couldn't help but feel awkward. She was so horribly out of practice, even the slower sprint was leaving her short of breath. Frankly, it was embarrassing. She could practically see her father scowling at her. But she didn't think she could push herself much harder without the nurses reprimanding her and revoking her newfound recreation time.

.oOo.

After a good hour and a half, Azula was back in her designated room, with only an hour or two to go until she finally had company again. She wanted to feel good about herself, she wanted to feel accomplished. But the activity only served to remind her of how far she let herself go.

Even if she had taken coach Ming up on her offer, she doubted that she would have been able to make the cut. She really was no good anymore. She had let her talent slip. It frustrated her nearly to tears.

As much as she longed for home, she feared the prospect of it now that she had concrete proof that she was virtually useless. No wonder her father hadn't dropped by yet. She could only imagine how badly she had tarnished the image he told her to fix. Just like that, she hoped that the man wouldn't visit her. She had a striking feeling that he would just make her feel twice as ashamed of herself. Of her weakness.

She had let them all win.

She had let them push her to where she was.

They had broken her.

Azula ran her fingers through her hair. They were probably having a grand time relishing in knowing that they had nearly killed her. Knowing that they had hurt her that terribly. At least she had the opportunity to make that victory short lived for Chan and Usha.

She wondered if they had already been pulled aside for the news. It was going to be tricky without Ozai's wallet, but one way or another she'd be pushing through with the lawsuits.

"Azula, there is something that we'd like to discuss with you before your usual visitor arrives." She recognizes this doctor. If she recalled correctly his name is Doctor Khoyang. He pulled up a chair and ruffled through a few sheets. He set them to the side for a moment. "This is probably uncomfortable, isn't it?" He motioned to the IV.

She nodded.

Khoyang carefully removed the needle. "As long as you keep eating regularly, we won't need to use it again."

Azula was growing agitated with the constant reminders, but with the IV out of her arm she was willing to let it slide.

He returned to his papers. "As I was saying, there are a few matters I would like to cover with you."

.oOo.

TyLee pulled Azula into the tightest hug she had received in a long time. She returned it with a more lax grip. She let TyLee draw it out, she had missed kinder touches.

"You came to visit." She commented.

"They didn't pull me in for questioning today, I figured that I could give Teo a ride this time. I ask Katara if she wanted to come but her brother was just released the other day and she wanted to spend time with him."

It took Azula a moment to gather what that meant. She recalled Katara mentioning, over text, something about Sokka having jail time. "Send her my regards."

TyLee nodded, taking Azula's hand in hers. "You're looking better."

Azula couldn't agree less. She muttered a thank you, anyhow.

"Are you feeling any better?" Teo asked.

"Depends…" She replied. Physically, she supposed she was feeling quite better. Her stomach wasn't achy and she wasn't as tired and dizzy. It was nice to see the swelling in her hands and ankles gone as well. Her throat still burned some but other than that, she was feeling quite well.

"Are you feeling happier?" He clarified.

Another hard question to answer. On one hand she didn't feel so alone, in fact she felt quite supported so long as she didn't think of her family and former friends. On the other she was dreading to find out how her hospital stay was impacting her weight. Even so, she couldn't fathom feeling worse than she had on Tuesday. "I guess, mostly."

"Would this make you feel better?" TyLee asked. Enthusiastically she dug around in her much too fuzzy and far too pink cheetah-print backpack. Azula had to admit that she missed seeing that eye-sore of a bag.

TyLee pulled out a small stuffed animal.

"What is that?"

"It's a turtle duck." Teo answered. "TyLee wanted to get you a duck and I wanted to get you a turtle so we got them both and fused them together. The duck turtle isn't as cute."

"The duck turtle is just a turtle without a shell, so like...a naked turtle?"

Azula rolled her eyes and accepted the gift. "Thanks." But the gift was so very TyLee, she had to crack a smile. It was the sort of thing that had left her feeling so empty to have lost. It was nice to have that back. "I take it that you're in a better mood?"

TyLee shakes her head affirmatively. "Oh yes! It's a little stressful with all of the questions but I feel safer with Jet in jail. And I feel like I've…"

"Dominated him back, so now you don't have to fear him?"

"That isn't what I was going to say." TyLee laughed. "But, yeah that's basically it."

"I'm just happy that you're going to be okay." Teo added. "I can't wait to sit with you at lunch again.

At that, Azula bit her lip. "Teo...about that."

His smile faded, concern taking its place.

"They want to transfer me, Teo. To a different school."

"What?!" Both he and TyLee exclaimed.

"They said it would be better for my mental health…" She trailed off. That was only scratching the surface of what Khoyang discussed with her. "Apparently, it is standard procedure to send child protective services out following a suicide attempt." She noticed TyLee nod. "Between Zuko running away and this, they want me to live with...with…"

"With who?" Teo pressed.

"With my mother, until they either clear my father or charge him with something." She paused. "I don't think that they understand why that isn't a good idea."

"Living with your mom?" Teo asked.

Azula nodded.

"Azula and her mom didn't get along that well when she was around." TyLee spoke.

"I don't want to stay with her." Azula muttered. "But apparently Zuko running away was already enough to raise some red flags. And then they saw the locks…"

"The locks?" TyLee inquired.

"Did they ever find Zuko?"

Not exactly wanting to think about the locks, Azula only addressed Teo's question. "They wouldn't give me many details but he is actually in this hospital's sister facility, rehab, I think."

"Oh! I'm glad he's safe." TyLee replied.

"Yes." Azula agreed. "They also want to put me in an institution." This was even less pleasing news than the possible school transfer.

"For what?" Teo asked.

"Depression and…"

"Bulimia?" He guessed.

She nodded again. "They are still deciding whether or not they want me to be inpatient or outpatient."

TyLee's brows furrow. "Bulimia?"

Azula held out her scabbed hands. TyLee took them again. Just like that she is in another hug. "But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world!"

"I don't know about that, Ty." She muttered, but the compliment did her very well. "I don't want to live with that woman." She mused quietly. "And I don't want to go to a new school either."

"Do you want to come back to Wan High?" Teo asked.

"Not at all, actually." Azula said. Frankly, she was having trouble deciding which choice pleased her the least. At least Wan High was a familiar evil, at least she had a handful of companions there. "But the school they want to transfer me to is closer to my mother's house. And they think that it will be better for me to get away from certain people."

TyLee cocked her head to the right. "Well, maybe this will be good for you! It'll be a fresh start and you can make new friends."

Or they would hate her on sight. She was well aware that she had a cold and standoffish aura about her. "Perhaps."