I nervously tested a sip of my brewing black tea, and decided it didn't need any more herbs. I was waiting for Uncle and Zuko to hopefully return together, after Uncle had left to find the missing Zuko that morning. I knew he had left when he'd found out that the avatar's bison was being held captive in some secret location; undoubtedly, he was going to try to make a barter of some kind to end up with Aang.

I heard the doorknob wiggling, and I rushed to open it. Thankfully, they were both standing, Zuko held his Blue Spirit mask in one hand. I bowed as they entered.

"You did the right thing, Zuko," Uncle was saying as he took off his sandals.

"I don't feel right," the prince said, steadying himself with one hand on the wall. He wobbled a bit, and I saw his legs start to buckle. I went over to him, and just as I was about to ask if he felt alright, he collapsed onto me. I struggled to hold him up; he was a dead weight over me. Uncle lifted him from me, and set the prince on the floor on a mat I pulled out. His eyes were closed, and his mouth open.

"Zuko! Speak to me, are you alright?" Uncle cried, shaking him on the floor. All Zuko could mutter was, "Uncle," and fell asleep. Shaken up, I took it upon myself to make sure the prince was comfortable, covering him with a blanket, putting a pillow beneath his head.

I heard Uncle help himself to some of my tea, and I accepted the cup he gave to me. "Excellently brewed, Sing," he commented.

"Thank you Uncle Iroh," I replied absentmindedly. "What happened to him?"

"I'm not quite sure why he is feeling like this but I can tell you what happened." I nodded. "Zuko found the avatar's flying bison, underground in the Di Lee's secret lair."

"What's the Di Lee?" I asked, confused.

"They are the secret police of Ba Sing Se. They are corrupt, and very dangerous. Anyways, the head of the Di Lee was planning to blackmail the avatar and capture him himself. But Zuko found the bison, and figured the avatar would come to him. But I found them both, the bison and Zuko, and talked him out of stealing it."

"He was going to steal a flying bison?" I exclaimed quietly.

"I don't know how he thought he could but yes, that was his plan. We escaped, and came straight home. I don't know when or where he could have gotten sick," Uncle reflected, struggling to think about the possibilities. As he thought to himself, Zuko stirred and woke up. I turned to him, and asked him what felt bad.

"I'm… thirsty," he muttered with a hoarse voice. I fetched a glass of water for him, and he sat up and grabbed it from my hands before I could sit all the way down. He drank it without stopping, and tossed the pewter cup behind him when he was done. He lay back down on the mat, and threw Uncle's blanket off of him. "It's so hot," he complained slowly. I helped him take off his sweaty shirt, and lay it to the side.

I pulled the blanket back up to his shoulders, however, and said, "Zuko, you'll have to sweat this fever out." He sighed, and closed his eyes to go back to sleep again.

"You are changing, Zuko," Uncle said in a deep voice. "Your decision has locked your mind and body against each other and you will come out a different man after a metamorphosis." Uncle Iroh was a very wise man, and it was hard to forget. I wish I knew whether or not Zuko had heard his Uncle's words.

"Your black tea was superb, Sing, but what Zuko needs is some honey and lemon," the old man said as he prepared to brew another pot of tea. I took Zuko's sweaty shirt and brought it to our small bathroom to wash it.

I came back to the living room, took my cup of black tea, and sat against the clay wall behind Zuko's head. Meanwhile, Uncle had set up some candles and flowers on the table, presumably so he could meditate peacefully. He sat motionless on the floor beside the table, hands folded, eyes closed. I studied his posture and position, to better myself the next time I meditated. I was never very good, being self-taught.