Chapter 37

Jumbled up

"So, how did your plan go?"

"It didn't." Korra muttered as she pulled her shirt and pants off. She braced herself for the inevitable cold before she crawled onto the examination table. A shiver crawled across her skin upon contact.

Urkoma turned from the sink and dried her hands. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the plan ended up being me just studying."

The Healer raised an eyebrow. "You live a very exciting life, don't you?"

Korra chuckled. "I guess I do." She examined the Water Bender, who was facing the tap again. A small surge of nervousness filled her stomach to the idea, but she opened up anyways. "There's more to the story, if you want to hear."

Urkoma walked over to her patient, water Bent in hand, and smiled. "Sure. Tell me all about it." She guided the liquid over to a faint gash on Korra's leg and began healing it.

"I'll give you a short version. Our chemistry professor is an ass. He's the reason I got jumped in the first place. So, when I was in class the other day –"

"Wait a minute, Korra." The Northerner rose and disposed of the spent water. "How is it your professor's fault?"

She scratched the back of her head. "That's the long part of the story."

"Well, you'll be here a while," Urkoma bent down and began unwrapping the brace around her patient's ankle, "so we might as well start from the beginning." She Bent some fresh water from the tap and froze it, making a platform for Korra's leg to rest on. She placed a towel over it and maneuvered the injured appendage on top.

"Ah, that's cold!" The Southerner bit her lip. A small amount of heat rushed down to her limb and warmed the area touching the ice. The fabric grew dark with the water it absorbed. Urkoma raised an eyebrow at the observation. She looked up at her patient, who was just as confused as she was, though she was looking out the window to hide it. Korra's palms were flat against the examination table. "Are you sure you want to hear the whole story?"

The Healer straightened and Bent more fluid to the damaged ankle in front of her. "Yes," she replied as she made the liquid glow under her control.

Korra watched the Water Bender for a moment before proceeding. "Well, it all started in chemistry class. Like I said, our professor is an ass."

"I'm assuming by 'our', you mean you and Asami."

The Southerner fought her blush. "I – yes. Yeah, me and Asami. So, anyways, our first exam came up, and our professor had this rule where, if you show up late to an exam, you don't get to take it, and – ah!" She gripped the edge of the table with her right hand to steady her body from the pain.

"Sorry about that." Urkoma disposed of the used water and Bent clean liquid from the tap. "There's a lot of damage in your ankle. Some of this is going to hurt."

"That's alright. Just do what you have to do." Korra looked away from her Healer and out the window again.

"You like the view?"

"Yeah. I can almost see Air Temple Island from here. Kinda. Maybe it's just my imagination."

The Northerner eyed her patient. "Have you ever been there?"

"No, but maybe someday I will. I'd love to meet an Air Bender. I'm pretty sure I've met Master Tenzin before, but I don't think I could even talk yet."

The water Urkoma was Bending splashed all over the floor.

Korra jumped from the noise and examined her Healer. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Yes, everything is fine." She Bent the water off of the floor and retrieved some more from the sink.

"What happened?"

"I just hit a rough patch, that's all. I thought I would be able to get more from that bit of water, but I couldn't, so the water dropped..."

Korra squinted at the older woman, who refused to look at her patient.

"So, your first exam came up. What happened then?" Urkoma diverted the conversation, focusing her attention on the glowing liquid she was Bending.

The Southerner continued to observe the Bender with suspicious eyes. "Well, if you couldn't already tell, I was late to the exam."

"Why?"

"A girl collapsed on campus on my way there. I resuscitated her."

Urkoma looked up at the young Water Tribe girl. "How?"

"Master Katara taught me. She taught me a bunch of different Non-Bending ways of healing people. Well, the basics of first aid and some life-death procedures."

"She's a wise person. One of the best Benders I've ever met."

"Wait, you've met her before? I thought you said you were a Northerner."

The Healer chuckled. "I am, but that doesn't mean I don't travel. Besides," she swapped the spoiled water for clean, "we didn't meet in the Southern Water Tribe. We met in the North."

"Now that's a way better story than mine!"

"Now, now, my encounter with Katara wasn't too much different than yours with Tenzin. I was very young when she came to the North, and it wasn't me who she was coming to see."

"Who was it, then?"

Urkoma paused. The water between her hands faded but remained around Korra's ankle. "She was there to meet a woman not much older than me. Her name was Ming-Hua."

Korra felt a faint chill run up her spine that she couldn't explain. "Why did she want to see Ming-Hua?"

The Healer set her jaw and looked away. "Again, it was a similar situation to you growing up. Why did your parents bring you to Katara?"

"Which time? There was the time I broke my arm pretending to be the – a Bender."

"Well, she didn't have any arms to break." Urkoma muttered as she made the water around her patient's injury glow again. Korra's wording did not go unnoticed by the older woman.

"Wait, she didn't ha – ah! Dammit!" Korra jerked her leg away from the bolt of pain in her bones.

"Easy, Korra! I'm never going to get this healed if you keep damaging it." The Northerner Bent away the spoiled water and reset Korra's limb against the ice. She Bent a handle of ice around her shin to hold her ankle in place and retrieved more water from the tap.

"Sorry. It just hurt." She grit her teeth against the cold. "So Master Katara tried to teach her how to Water Bend without arms?"

"How did you –"

"I can put two and two together." She crossed her arms. "I'm smarter than I look, just not at chemistry." Korra let out a bitter chuckle. She paused for a moment before changing the subject. "Was she successful?"

"Katara? Yes, she was successful. She's one of the greatest Water Benders in the world. And similar to you, she's stubborn. And she has a strong will to help others who need her, just like you do."

"I don't understand. How did you –"

"I can put two and two together." Urkoma smiled. "The girl you saved? On your college campus?"

"Oh, right! I was telling you about that." Korra scratched the back of her head out of embarrassment.

The Healer replaced her water. "So, what happened after you were late?"

"Well, he wouldn't let me take the exam. I got upset and the father of the woman I saved ended up being the Dean. He forced my professor to let me take the exam and, kinda, well, humiliated him in front of the class."

"I can't imagine your professor took that well."

Korra sighed. "No, he didn't."

Urkoma rose from her position and Bent the water and ice away. She guided Korra's leg back into a resting position over the side of the examination table. She circled to Korra's back and Bent more liquid from the tap with a single hand. "I want to give your ankle a short break and work on some of your back injuries now, but feel free to finish your story." She made the water glow against her palms before sending it towards her patient's skin.

The Southerner curled the toes on her right foot before continuing. "Well, he ended up failing me on the exam when I didn't actually fail. The Dean found out and forced him to regrade the exam. He said if he grades with bias again, he's going to be removed from the college."

"So how does that lead you to getting jumped?"

"I'm – getting to that." Korra clenched her teeth and gripped the edge of the table.

Spirits, that hurts.

The Healer sensed the younger woman's discomfort and Bent the water away. She walked over to the sink and started washing her hands. "Please, continue."

Korra rubbed her back with her right hand. "There were a bunch of students who weren't happy about this. I don't know why, but I guess they actually like the guy."

"What kind of students?"

"Big, bulky, athletic guys, mostly. They started sending me threats in the mail and under my dorm room door. After a week, they attacked me."

Urkoma turned the tap off and dried her hands. "You didn't think to turn any of those letters into the Dean beforehand?"

Korra dropped her eyes. "I did. I wanted to – but they said if I told anyone, they would kill me."

"And I'm assuming they almost did, regardless."

She sighed. "Yeah. The first time, I went to the University Hospital. The second time, I came here."

The Northerner leaned against the counter and retrieved the clip board on the wall. "So what do you think the relation is between these students and this professor?" She examined the paper in front of her and jotted something down.

"I – I don't know. To be honest with you, I just want this whole thing to be done with so I can move on with my damn life."

"And you think they're going to leave you alone? Even though they attacked you twice?"

Korra held her elbows and looked out the window. "I hope so."

Urkoma returned the board to the wall. "And what happens when you come back here after the third attack?"

The Southerner locked onto her Healer's eyes with burning ones. "There isn't going to be a third attack."

She held her gaze. "And why is that? What's going to stop them?"

"The fact that I fucked up their ringleader the last time we met."

Urkoma raised her eyebrow. "How did you manage that?"

Korra panicked for a moment. She looked down at her palms and pushed the image of her Fire Bending out of her mind. "I punched him in the face. Broke his nose."

The Healer Bent water from the tap and circled her patient, eyeing her until she reached her back side. She led the liquid to a rather large lump by her shoulder. "So you were going to get back at him by studying?"

"Not Kuru, no. My profe –"

"Kuru?"

"Yeah, the guy that I – punched in the face."

"Hmmm…" Urkoma made the water glow. "So what made you think studying was going to get back at your professor?"

"Well, it was Asami's idea. See, when we went to class, he embarrassed me in front of everyone because he kept drawing molecules on the board that I didn't know, so – Fuck!" Korra pulled away from the Healer and clutched her shoulder. Water spilled onto the examination table and the floor.

The Northerner stood with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

Korra slouched. "Sorry. It hurt."

She shook her head and Bent the fluid away in exchange for clean water. "It's alright. I figure that he didn't end up asking you about whatever it was that you studied in class today, huh?" Urkoma brought the water to a different spot on her patient's back and made it glow.

The Southerner sighed. "No, he didn't. But I'll show him. I'll do well on the final. I'll pass. And he'll have to wipe that smug look off of his face."

Urkoma shook her head again. "You live a very exciting life." She Bent the water deeper into the younger woman's back.

Korra began to chuckle, but was cut off. The room darkened for a moment. A flash of light crossed her eyes. She was surrounded by snow and wind again. Her limbs moved without her command. A polar bear dog was curled in her arms. In an instant, she was on her knees. In another, she was digging into the snow. Her body was shaking in the cold, knees tucked with the animal to her chest. Blackness surrounded her once more as her body shut down. A voice echoed through her unconscious state.

Korra.

Korra.

"Korra!" A splash of water across the face brought her back into the present. She slammed against the examination table and felt a white jolt fly up her spine upon impact.

Her head was swirling with an almost electric buzz. She didn't want to open her eyes, but Urkoma forced them open with her fingers. The bright lights burned. She tried to turn away, but her body was held in place.

"Korra, can you hear me?"

The Southerner nodded, happy to have her lids shut again. She felt warm fingers against her wrists and feet, double-checking her pulse.

"Push against my palms, Korra."

Korra forced her feet downwards against her hands and upwards when her hold shifted.

"Which toes am I touching?"

"Left, big. Left, little. Right, big. Right, little."

Korra tried to sit up, only to have a head rush so powerful, it forced her back down with a smack.

"Stay still." Urkoma's grip on her patient's shoulders was strong.

"What happened?"

The Healer slid her fingers into Korra's palm. "Give my hands a squeeze."

Korra obliged.

"Which finger am I holding?"

The younger woman groaned. "Left thumb. Left pinky. Right thumb. Right pinky. Now, are you going to tell me what the hell happened or not?"

Urkoma placed a hand on Korra's forehead before examining her neck. "I don't know what happened, Korra. You just stopped responding and stared off into the distance. A second later, your arms and legs started to shake, almost like you were – can you sit up at all?"

She pushed herself up by her elbows and moved upright a few inches at a time. Her head still spun. Her Healer helped her further and acted as a support until the white specks in the corners of Korra's sight disappeared.

Urkoma examined her patient's eyes once more. "Are you alright?"

Korra rubbed her head. "Not really. Spirits –" She brought her second hand up to massage her temple.

"What do you remember?"

Her mind flashed into blackness.

'Korra.'

"A voice."

Her pupils grew dark and frantic. She tried to shake the images away.

'Korra.'

"There was never a voice before."

"Korra?"

Reality snapped back to her in a bout of blinding confusion intermingled with frustration. She grabbed onto the Healer's collar with both hands, her grip strong. Her eyes were fierce. "There was never a voice before." Her breathing intensified. "Why is there a voice now? I never remembered a voice!"

Urkoma seized Korra's wrists and freed herself. "Calm down, Korra. What voice are you talking about?"

They held each other's gaze until Korra crumbled. She broke eye contact, ashamed and distraught over her outburst. She didn't like losing control, and had no idea how it slipped so easily "I…" She sighed. "I don't know. I don't know whose voice it is. All I know was that I was back in the Southern Water Tribe, when I ran away."

The Northerner walked away from the examination table and Bent fresh water from the tap. She returned to her confused patient and made the liquid around her hands glow. She navigated her palms up and down Korra's back, as if scanning her. "I had a feeling this was why I haven't been able to get much done on your back wounds."

"What, what is it? What's wrong with me?"

Urkoma disposed of the water and placed her hands directly on Korra's back. "You have a lot of twisted energy inside of you. That's why these sessions have been so painful, and why you had that flashback."

"It's… it's not the first time this has happened." The Southerner dropped her gaze. "I saw something similar a few sessions back, before I told you about my parents and Master Katara."

The Healer squeezed Korra's shoulders, examining the tension. "Can you lie on your stomach for me?"

Korra nodded and lowered herself. She shivered to the cold of the metal table. "Am I... am I broken?"

There was something in the young woman's voice that made Urkoma's heart wrench. "You're not broken, child. Jumbled up, maybe. But not broken." She Bent fresh water from the tap and moved it along Korra's back. "There's a lot of conflict in you. A lot of pain and turmoil and things I can't even decipher myself. Sometimes, this can be cured with healing."

The Southerner's body arched as a surge of energy shot through it. A small part of the pulse escaped through the liquid Urkoma was Bending. She swapped the water and continued on a separate portion. She tried to reach into it, but the tension was too strong for her to handle. The liquid fell to the ground upon contact.

"Other times," Urkoma Bent the fluid from the floor and retrieved fresh water, "it's something that you have to do on your own." She guided the liquid along her patient's spine, sensing the fluctuations of energy. "I'll do what I can, but I don't think I can fix all of this. It's beyond my ability as a Healer."

Korra frowned and stared out the window, trying to stabilize herself from the pain and memories riddling her. What was once a clear, blue sky was now muffled with dark gray clouds. She shut her lids and gripped the side of the examination table. Much to her dismay, a single tear fell from each eye. That voice competed with the onset of thunder and echoed in her thoughts against her will.

'Korra.'

'Korra.'