Korra sat in the parking lot of the hospital. She'd received a call from Kya that morning, the hospital's report on Hiroshi was complete. As much as she hated these calls, she loved her job. For every call she had like this one, she had twenty more good ones. She loved being able to help people, and Seniors seemed to need it the most. She'd help Hiroshi too in the end, but for now she had to play the "bad guy."
She had to be the one to make the Hotline call. The one that filed the necessary documents to get her organization involved. It was a necessary evil, so to speak, to get things moving in the right direction. Numerous times the people that yelled at her in the beginning, were singing her praises when things finally shifted.
With a heavy sigh she gathered her clipboard, ID badge, and the carry tray of coffee. When she came to the hospital for official medical reports she liked to bring the staff some coffee from the little coffee shop down the road. She quickly walked across the parking lot and paused in front of the door, a yellow cab pulling up to the curb.
Korra clipped her ID badge in place and adjusted her hold on the clipboard and coffee tray. She stepped to the door and held it open for the elderly couple that had shuffled up behind her, then waited for the passenger of the cab as well. She smiled at the long legged, curly haired woman that emerged, noting how tired she looked, the dark circles under her eyes a dead giveaway.
Asami smiled in kind to the dark-skinned woman holding the door. "Thank you." She inhaled the invigorating scent of coffee as she walked past.
Korra stepped through the door behind her and pulled a coffee from the tray. "Hey, you look like you could use this."
"Oh no, I couldn't." Asami eyed the coffee cup the woman extended towards her, fighting the urge to take it.
"I insist. I have plenty. I like to bring some for the staff on occasion, or anyone else that could use a pick me up." Korra extended the cup further. She smiled as the woman's fingers brushed her own as she took the cup. "You actually look like you could use an IV of it."
Asami winced at the comment. "That bad?" She raised the cup to her lips and took a testing sip.
"Shit, sorry." Korra felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment, she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and rubbed nervously at the back of her neck. "I didn't mean that you looked horrible, you actually look quite nice, just,"
"Tired?" Asami's eyes sparkled with humor as she watched the woman become flustered.
"Yeah." Korra smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "I should go, before I put my foot in my mouth again, and I have an appointment to keep. I hope whatever brought you here ends in good news."
Asami smiled in turn. "Thank you, I appreciate the coffee." She called after the retreating figure.
Korra spun around, walking backwards. "Anytime." She gave a small wave before turning back around and hurrying to the nurse's station where Kya waited for her.
Kya leaned casually against the counter of the nurse's station, watching Korra interact with the woman. She offered Korra a sly grin when the woman finally reached her. "Look at you, making friends."
Korra laughed at the silver haired woman and placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "Just being nice."
Kya took a much-needed drink of the coffee. "Mmm, explains the flustered look you have. Doesn't she have a flustered look Opal?" She asked the smiling woman behind the counter that reached for her own cup of coffee.
"Pfft," Opal waved her hand towards Korra. "Korra gets flustered around all pretty women." She joined Kya in laughing.
Korra groaned and rested her head against her arms on the desk top. "Can I just get my report, please?"
Kya rolled her eyes and slapped the woman on her shoulder with the file. "You're no fun."
"I don't know why I bring you guys coffee." Korra pouted as she clipped the file to her clipboard. "All you ever do is pick on me."
"You bring us coffee because you love us." Opal waved a hand to indicate herself and Kya. "I don't know why you bring coffee for the others."
"Because I'm nice." Korra beamed, adjusted her glasses, and picked her clipboard up. "Thanks for the report guys. I'm hoping this one turns out good."
"Us too." Kya offered with a small smile. "His daughter is supposed to come in sometime. Mako called to let us know he'd spoken with her."
"You happen to have her contact information? Mako hasn't sent it over to me yet." Korra hoped Kya would have it, it'd save a little time. She didn't want to have to call Mako, or go down to the Police Department to get it.
"Already in the file." Kya gave her a wink as she reached for her buzzing phone. "I got to go, see you guys later. Narook's, seven?"
"Sounds good to me." Korra nodded and waved as Kya ran for the elevator, then turned to Opal. "Think your aunt will ever make an honest woman of her?"
Opal snorted as she collected some papers from the printer. "Hell if I know. Look how long it took before she finally asked her out?"
Korra chuckled. "True." She smiled at the memory of that night. Lin and Kya had been exchanging heart eyes with one another since high school, yet neither had made a move to do anything more. However, five years ago, with the aid of a large amount of liquor, Lin had asked Kya on a date.
Korra checked her watch, she had other appointments to keep today. "I got to go. Make sure Bo gets one of those." She smiled as she turned to leave.
"Will do." Opal nodded, knowing her husband would be thrilled. "Thanks again Korra." She raised her cup of coffee in a salute before bringing it to her lips.
Asami stood outside the door of her father's hospital room. It shouldn't be so hard to just push the door open, and cross the threshold. Yet, here she was, still in the hallway. Was she ready to see her father like this? Especially with how she'd left? It wasn't that she still hated him, no, she didn't hate him, not anymore. She'd just, stopped caring at one point. Stopped letting him be a burden to her. Things hadn't been all her fault though, he had been the one to cast the first stone. He had been the one to ultimately tear them apart, but neither of them had offered to help rebuild things in the years that had passed.
She chewed nervously at her lip, worried it between her teeth like she worried over the thought of seeing him again. Finally, she worked up the needed courage. She reached out, turned the doorknob, and stepped inside the room. The gentle buzz and beeps from the machines greeting her. She eased towards the side of the bed, the haggard appearance of her father drawing a gasp from her lips.
When had he gotten so old? When had he gotten so thin? The last time she'd seen her father he'd been a barrel chested healthy man. Cheeks rosy and eyes bright. Course the last time she'd seen him he'd also been angry with her, ashamed, disappointed. He'd called her horrible names, and had kicked her out of the house. Yet, it seemed that somewhere in the time since she'd been gone, time hadn't been kind to her father.
She looked at his sunken cheeks, the wrinkles, the way his skin hung from his form. Tears burned behind her eyes as she looked at his sleeping face. She felt her chest grow tight, and she turned to flee. She shut the door behind her, and sunk down into the hallway floor. She gasped for air as the tears began to fall. She pulled her knees up to her chest, her back pressed against the door.
She couldn't do this. She couldn't see him like this. She hated herself. Hated that this had been the reason that had brought her home. She hadn't come home to make peace, hadn't come to celebrate the holidays, or even to visit like a normal functioning daughter would have. No, she needed the excuse of him being in the hospital to come home. She cursed herself for not doing something sooner, for letting him do this to them for so long. They had been so close before, she had been a daddy's girl until the day he'd kicked her out, and then it had all ended.
She flinched, jerking her head up as she felt two large hands grab her shoulders. She looked up into the soft green eyes of a concerned looking man. She let him wrap her up into a hug as he sat down beside her. She clutched at the front of his green scrub top as she continued to cry.
"It's going to be okay." The man soothed, holding her close and running a hand over her hair. "Everything will be okay."
He'd been on his way to the nurse's station at the front of the hospital when he'd seen her. He had only stopped to make sure she was okay, but when he saw the agony in her eyes, he reached to comfort. Bolin Grayson had always been a compassionate man, which is why he had chosen nursing. He was good at providing comfort, at soothing the family. It was who he was, and it was why he found himself in the floor of the hallway, a woman clinging to his shirt as she cried.
At any point in time he could have excused himself, could have moved away and left her to cry on her own. Yet, he stayed. Whispering soothing words into her ear as she cried. Rubbing her back as the sobs tore through her. He stayed until she sniffled and sat up, and then he offered her a tissue from his pocket to wipe her face. "Are you going to be okay?"
Asami nodded as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just," she gestured to the door behind her, "my father."
Bolin nodded and took her hand between his, he gave it a squeeze. "It can be overwhelming at times. This can be difficult. You're not alone though." He offered a small smile as he patted her hand. "The staff here is really great to help anyway we can. Need advice, support, a shoulder to cry on? We're here for you." He stood and helped her to her feet.
"Thank you, Bolin." She smiled at his nametag, and then her eyes widened as she saw the front of his scrub top. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've ruined your top."
Bolin chuckled as he looked down. "Nah, this is nothing. I have another I can change into." He glanced at his watch. "I'm officially on break now, would you like to join me in the cafeteria, grab some food? You look like you could use a distraction, and some coffee."
Asami nodded at the offer. "You wife isn't the jealous type, is she?" She asked, spying the ring on his finger.
Bolin chortled and shook his head. "No, she'll understand. I often eat with family members of some of my patients."
"I appreciate this." Asami fell into step beside him as they made their way down the hall to the cafeteria.
Surprisingly the food was pretty decent, she had been expecting something below edible for a hospital. Even more surprising was how easy she found it to speak to her companion about personal matters.
"Would you like to talk about why you broke down in the hallway?" Bolin asked before taking a bite of the sandwich he'd ordered.
"This is the first time I've been home since I left for college." Asami rubbed at her brow as she did the math. "It's been over two decades."
Bolin nodded, chewing thoughtfully, then gestured for her to continue.
Asami took a gracious sip of the piping hot coffee. "My father." She picked at her salad before stabbing a piece of lettuce. "I can't remember the last time I spoke to him." She looked up into his green eyes filled patience. "When I left it wasn't on the best of terms. He'd kicked me out."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He laid a large hand over hers. "May I ask why?"
"He didn't agree with the "lifestyle" I wanted to lead." She added air quotations for an emphasis. She watched confusion spread across his face. "He kicked me out because I'm gay. Called me an abomination. Told me I was going to hell. It was a nasty fight."
"Oh wow." Bolin blinked in shock. He couldn't imagine anyone throwing a child aside because of who their child loved. "I've heard stories of that happening, but, wow."
"I left, went to college, graduated, started my own company, and lived my life. I thought I had cut him out, but today, seeing him laying there," she shook her head as the tears stared to well up again.
"You're having regrets?" Bolin tilted his head as he regarded her.
Asami nodded her head. "I just," she sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "What if I'd reached out when I was younger? We could have mended our relationship. What if he'd died, and the last thing I ever heard him say to me was how much he hated me? I just feel like I should have tried to do something before now, and I feel guilty I didn't try."
"Did he?" Bolin watched her over the edge of his cup.
"Did he what?"
"Did he try? Did he reach out to you? Did he apologize? Did he try to fix things?" He gave her a hard stare as he leaned forward. "Then you can't blame yourself. He could have reached out too. Do you think right now he isn't regretting that? That he isn't feeling guilty too?" He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'd be really surprised if he isn't. I've seen too many cases similar to this. The patient gets hit with a hard dose of reality when they end up here, and almost all of them have regrets and feel guilt about something. I say, if you want, treat this as a second chance. Try to make amends, patch things up. The choice is ultimately up to you." He placed their trash on the plastic tray they'd carried their food on and stood.
Asami mulled his words over and nodded. "Thank you, Bolin. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that." She walked with him as he dumped their tray.
"I'm glad I was able to help." He smiled and held his arms open, drawing her into a tight hug. "Best of luck, and if you need me, ask for me at the nurse's station."
"I will, thanks again." She offered him one last smile before she hurried off to her father's room.
Bolin smiled after her, and then turned when heard someone clear their throat. He's smile grew at the sight of his wife, arms crossed, eyebrow raised.
"Should I be worried?" She asked, then her face split into a grin as he tugged her into his arms.
"As if." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "Just offering some of my sage wisdom to someone that needed it."