Zutara Week Day 3: Pain
A/N: I think that things would've gone differently for Zuko in the Boiling Rock, as in the guards and other prisoners hating him and hurting him, and whatnot. I was actually thinking that this could be a story of it's own, so tell me what you think. I was going to change the ending and some parts but that'll come later.
Hakoda watched his son and the young prince as they left the confines of the giant war balloon and frowned. He could tell that there was something wrong about the way Zuko was holding himself. Like he was favoring one side of his body over the other.
When Toph felt Zuko on firm ground she yelled, "Sparky!" and rushed up to hug the firebender. As soon as she made contact with him, his face scrunched up in an expression of pain and he grunted at the force of the impact. "What's wrong, Sparky? You feel different… why do you smell like blood?"
"It's nothing," Zuko said. It looked like breathing was becoming a chore.
Toph stomped her foot and the whole temple shook, "Don't lie to me!"
Zuko sighed and looked down as The Duke hugged his leg. He looked up at the rest of the group and shifted uneasily under their gaze, while fixing The Duke's helmet as the young boy looked up at him. "I'm fine…" as the earthbender started to reply he said, "No."
Aang came up behind Toph and said, "Are you sure you're alright? You looked like you were in a lot of pai-"
"I'm fine," Zuko cut him off with a look more than the actual words.
"No you're not!" Toph yelled. "You're walking differently and you smell like blood! More blood than if you just fought with someone!"
Zuko sighed and closed his eyes trying not to let his exhaustion show, "We'll worry about me later. There are people who need to eat; they haven't had a decent meal in months."
Katara found herself being amazed, if only for a moment, by his selflessness, she could tell the moment he appeared in the doorway of the ship that something was wrong. She watched him while she was making dinner and while he ate it. He was settled uncomfortably against the pillar that was now his assigned pillar. Katara gave him that pillar in her mind the first day he sat there. She saw the way Toph wasn't acknowledging him and the way The Duke leaned into Zuko's side when he was done with his food.
After the adventure to the boiling Rock was recounted The Duke said he was tired and wanted the fire prince to tuck him in. Zuko complied and scooped the young freedom fighter into his arm while standing. The action obviously caused Zuko a great deal of pain because he grimaced and leaned onto the pillar for support. Toph winced as if she was hit with a large chunk of rock, and looked as if she were about to puke.
"Toph, are you okay?" Sokka asked when Zuko started to carry The Duke away.
Toph shook her head angrily, "It's not me! It's Sparky!"
Hakoda slipped away from the group and followed Zuko through the temple and watched him tuck The Duke in.
"Zuko?" the young boy asked.
"Yeah," Zuko said.
"Toph's right, isn't she? You're hurt real bad?" The Duke was scared of the firebender's response.
Zuko sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I am…"
The Duke yawned, "You should talk to Katara… She'll help you…"
Zuko smiled a small, bitter smile, "I'll try and do that… Night, The Duke." Zuko stood up sighed and ran straight into Hakoda. "I'm sorry, Sir! I didn't see you!"
"I think it's time you went to see my daughter about those injuries, Prince Zuko," Hakoda said with a small smile. "Yes, Sir, and I'm not a prince anymore…"
Hakoda nodded, "Then you don't need to call me 'sir,' Hakoda will do just fine."
They walked into the room where everyone was and Katara glared at Zuko for an unknown reason. She said in a stern voice, "What are you hiding?"
Zuko looked defeated as he said, "I didn't want any of you to see…"
"What?" Sokka asked. He knew this was going to be bad, because he knew that Zuko was always brutally honest.
"What they do to traitors in Fire Nation prisons, not just the guards but the inmates. The only reason they let you into my cell when you were telling me the plan was because they knew who I was and what I was there for," Zuko looked like he wanted to say more but stopped himself. "Katara, will you do me the honor of healing me? I know I-"
"Take your shirt off," she ordered.
Zuko nodded, "Sokka, can I borrow your dagger?" When the water tribe warrior handed it you him he cut the shirt down the front and slipped his arms out. He heard a couple of gasps and sighed again. He pulled the shirt off his back and held back a pain filled yell, he'd forgotten that the blood had caked and glued his shirt to his back. At least he pulled it off all at once so he didn't have to go through that again.
Hakoda caught Zuko to steady him and helped him over to Katara. Zuko saw that Katara looked terrified at the sight of him in his wounded state. She healed his back first and he had flashbacks that he never wanted to see again.
He saw himself chained to the wall as they hit him again and again with the knotted whips they carried at their waists. He felt a ghost of the pain they caused shutter through his body. The agonizing pain that got worse with every strike and bled heavier when he moved. It stopped only when there was a soft hand in his hair and Katara's voice telling him to turn around. He did as he was told and faced her because they were both standing and he didn't want to be whipped again. He knew in his mind that she wouldn't do that but he found himself believing that she just might.
"You have a broken rib and slight internal bleeding," she muttered to him, "this might hurt… you should lie down."
He shook his head, "Just do it." And she did. It hurt more than he thought it would and he found himself gripping one of her arms painfully tight with his right hand and backing her into a pillar with his weight until there was only enough space for her healing touch between them. His head rested on her shoulder and he felt Katara's hand on the scarred side of his face. He noticed that in-between flashbacks of feet kicking him and hands punching his stomach, there was a hand in his hair and someone mumbling small comforts into his ear. When the pain died away he stayed where he was with his face buried into her shoulder and his hand slowly loosening from her arm. She kept her hand in his hair and still mumbled small comforts in his ear. He almost froze when she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek on the space just in front of his ear. Suddenly the pain he felt as soreness disappeared and he felt completely at peace. Zuko stepped back and thanked her; it was a simple thanks the only word he said. But in that thanks so many other things were said.