Thanks for your reviews and favs! Don't have much to say on this chapter other than I hope you enjoy!
Still don't own A:tLA :(
Zuko was pacing the hallway outside of Suki's room in the palace infirmary. She had just awaken from her unconscious state and while Zuko wanted to be respectful of Sokka and Katara's time with her, he was anxious to see what she could remember of the attack. His guards had yet to find any leads on Mai's whereabouts and his agents were following up on some intelligence they had sifted from palace servants but all were leading to dead ends. Suki could potentially hold the missing link in his search.
"Hey Zuko!" It was Sokka. His voice echoed down the corridor, breaking the silence that had settled back on the palace. "Suki can see you now."
Zuko walked into the room. He tried not to make a face when he saw Suki's badly bruised body. "Suki, I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling like somebody mistook me for their punching bag" she chuckled and the effort made her wince in pain. "I'm just glad that Katara was able to heal me. If she hadn't I don't think I…" Her voice faded off. Zuko reached down and taking her hand in his squeezed it gently. She smiled in response.
A few awkward silent moments passed. Zuko wasn't sure what the other three were thinking but he was thinking about his wife. What if she was injured as bad as or worse than Suki? There was likely no waterbender to tend to her injuries or those of his unborn child. Suki, feeling the uneasiness of the room, broke the silence. "How is Mai? Can I see her?"
Zuko's shoulders sagged. If she didn't know that Mai was kidnapped then how was she to give him any useful information about her kidnapper? Zuko didn't really know how to answer Suki, so he simply replied: "She's gone." Sokka put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed. He had some idea of what the young Fire Lord was experiencing.
"You mean she's…she's…" Suki's voice waivered and tears began to well in her eyes. A lump formed in her throat that was more painful that the dark bruises on her face.
"No no no" Katara said. Her voice was a harsh whisper. She had understood what Suki was implying before she was able to speak the word. "She was kidnapped in the attack."
"Oh I see." Suki was relieved but not by much. "Who do you think is responsible?"
"Maybe Azula but I don't know. My gut says it isn't her. I was hoping that maybe you could help us out."
Suki closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She was trying to remember what happened yesterday but her memory was failing her. She had hit her head pretty hard when that man knocked her into the wall. "I'm sorry Zuko but I can't remember anything. Everything is a complete blur."
Zuko nodded his head but remained silent. Rising from Suki's bedside he finally spoke. "I should let you rest. I'll see to it that you'll have everything you need."
***
In his study a few hours later, Zuko was reviewing the Lead Investigator's report of his sister's interrogation. According to the report:
At 0000 hrs the suspect, former Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, hereafter referred to as Suspect, was detained by authority of Lord Zuko, Fire Lord of the Fire Nation.
At 0030 hrs interrogations of Suspect began. Lead interrogator, Captain Zheng of the Royal Guard assisted by Lieutenant Xi of the Royal Guard. Interrogations supervised by Commander Tiang.
Between 0100 hrs and 0300 hrs Suspect maintained innocence throughout interviewer.
At 0300 hrs Suspect and investigators were allowed to break.
At 0330 hrs Interrogation resumed.
Between 0330 hrs and 0500 hrs, Suspect maintained innocence.
At 0500 hrs Interrogators took a break for breakfast. Suspect was not fed.
At 0600 hrs shift changed. Captain Zheng was replaced by Captain Lei of the Royal Guard and Lieutenant Xi was replaced by Lieutenant Rho of the Royal Guard. Interrogations were supervised by Commander Tiang.
Between 0600 hrs and 0900 hrs Suspect maintained innocence.
At 0900 hrs Investigators took a break. Suspect was denied food and water.
Between 0930 hrs and 1200 hrs Suspect interrogated. Suspect maintained innocence.
At 1200 hrs Interrogators took a break for lunch. Suspect again denied food and water. Upon command of Commander Tiang, interrogation methods changed.
At 1300 hrs, Suspect transported to room which houses The Rack. Suspect bound to Rack. The Rack was operated by Lieutenant Rho at the instruction of Captain Lei.
At 1330 hrs, Suspect still maintained innocence
At 1500 hrs, interrogators successfully elicited confession from Suspect.
At 1530 hrs, Suspect unstrapped from The Rack.
At 1600 hrs, Physician from Infirmary attended to Suspect's injuries sustained during interrogation.
At 1730 hrs, Suspect was released to private cell in Dungeon where she awaits his Royal Highness.
Respectfully submitted by Commander Tiang, 3rd Division Royal Guard at 1800 hrs.
Zuko read and reread the report. He needed to prepare himself mentally before conducting his own interview with his sister. Zuko ordered calming chamomile tea from the kitchen and lit the candles on an altar before him. He placed a small portrait of Mai on the altar and a pair of booties that she had knitted for their baby. He knew that he would need to approach Azula rationally and he could only do that by focusing on what was important to him. He concentrated on his breathing. Deep breathe in. Slow, calming breathe out. He repeated this until he had breathed all the hatred and anger from his body. But, before he could attain a true sense of peace, Fire Lord Zuko was interrupted by a knock at the door.
The candles flared in response to Zuko's agitation at the disturbance. "What!" Zuko snarled.
"My Lord, a letter had come for you. It bears the same seal as the one that came for you following the attack."
Zuko snatched the letter from the servant and ripped it open. Scanning the characters on the page, he seethed with rage. Forgetting his nearly acquired calm and his regal composition, he fled his quarters for the dungeons.
Thanks for reading! Please review :) If you're interested, The Rack is an actual torture device used in Midieval Europe (specifically Tudor England). Found it on Wikipedia when conducting my research for this chapter. Hopefully I will have ch 6 up shortly!
Once again thanks for reading and plz review!