Lin BeiFong entered.

"Let's get this over with, Doctor Minghua."

"Oh, but Chief. I just got on a roll. Let's go two for two."

"Please, Doctor, I'm in a hurry to-"

"Go out with the guys? We both know you're only here right now to get this over with and get me off your back, but you've managed to weasel out of this two years in a row. I have you now, Lin BeiFong, and I am not letting you go until I get what I want."

"You're just going to talk about my mother, aren't you?"

"Do you want to talk about your mother?"

"No, I don't want to talk about my mother!"

"Then we won't talk about your mother."

"Good, let's not talk about my mother."

"Then let's talk about something other than your mother. What about your father?"

"Don't get smart with me, Doctor."

"Fine. What about the thing you didn't want to talk to me about last time? Are you ready to talk about that now?"

"What thing?"

"You mentioned former Sergeant Jochi?"

Her face became flushed, she scowled darkly, and stood, "This session is over."

"Chief, please, I can't give excuses to the Administrative Council again about you missing this, particularly after last year. Sit, and we'll talk about something you do want to talk about."

She sat with a defiant grumble, "Let's talk about something else."

"Fine. Tell me about Amon. That must have been deeply troubling for you, to have your Bending taken away, even for a little while. How did you deal with that?"

"I didn't. I…Just sort of wallowed. I was there, to help and advise the Avatar and the others, but…I…Didn't face the fact that I was probably never going to Bend again. I got angrier by the day, and it started to show. But, then, the Avatar figured out how to undo the damage Amon had done to me, and the effect was lifted. I haven't thought of it much since then. I haven't needed to, and I haven't had time."

"Are you sure about that? That's not the feeling I've been getting."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting differently. Cautious in confrontational matters, but more aggressive in investigative matters. Ready to take more risks when looking for clues, but not so much when acting. It's been showing with the others in their performance evaluations, too, with how you've been instructing and ordering the officers."

"I hadn't noticed."

"That's understandable. So, have you been thinking about what Amon did to you?"

Lin considered, first the floor, then Dr. Minghua, then the wall, then the ceiling. She leaned back deep into the chair, "Yes. Constantly. All the time. I never really thought about it, but it plays in my mind all the time. I push it out and try to ignore it, but it doesn't work. I think; What could I have done differently? How could I have saved the children? What do I do if it ever happens again? It made me feel vulnerable, and I don't like that. Not at all."

"I can imagine not. You're a strong woman, Lin. Nobody doubts that."

"What Amon did, that is unforgivable. Even if I'm healed, even if I…"

She shook her head.

"I…I told…I told the Council not to restore the Triad Benders…Here I am, talking about what happened to me, and I at least got it back."

"Those are not good people, Lin."

"I know, but think about this, Doctor. They rely on their Bending to protect themselves. To make their living, just like I do. For different reasons and in different ways, but one of my best officers was one of them once. Could have been one of them as they are now. His brother almost was. Doctor, some of them are just kids, or just out of their teens. And we didn't give them their bending back. They have to live with what Amon did to them every day, and not just the trauma, but the effects. If I'm thinking about it all the time…"

"It was like losing a limb, wasn't it?"

"And then getting it back," she nodded, "I…Can't let that stand, Doctor. Maybe some of the older Triad members, but not the young ones. They need a second chance, just like I got."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to call their lawyers, and talk to the Avatar. What we allowed to stand? That's a dangerous precedent, Doctor. We are not Amon, and we need to act like it. Maybe my mother would disagree, but she didn't have to experience what happened to us."

"I understand. That's a very compassionate thing to do, Chief."

She paused, and shook her head, "No it's not. I want to do it for selfish reasons. I don't really care about the Triad members, just that I don't want to feel like a hypocrite, cursing Amon but letting his actions stand. I want to do this to make myself feel better, not to help them."

"It's one and the same, though."

"Some sacrifices have to be made for doing the right thing, I guess," she sighed, "Thanks for changing my mind, by the way. As if the Police Force needs more controversy."

"Hey, I didn't say anything, I just asked if you thought about Amon."

"See, this is why I don't make my appointments. Nothing good ever comes of them."

"I like to think otherwise. So, you resigned as Chief of Police. That could not have been easy."

"It was…Impulsive, I'll admit. But I did the right thing. I got our men back. And I did my share of damage against the Equalists."

"Do you think you've set a bad precedent with that?"

"In hindsight, yes. But at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing, trying to rescue my men and take down Amon. But everything I did outside of the Police Force turned out to be a moot point. My men had their bending taken. The Airbenders had been captured. We didn't even catch Amon, he and Tarrlock committed suicide out in the bay. I can only hope that, as heroic as my actions seemed, that my failure speaks to my men more: Working outside of the system only cuts you off from resources and assistance. I don't think we should be held back by politics, but we still need the Police Department."

"I see. Have you discussed this with the others?"

"Is there something I should know?"

"Nothing you'll hear from me. What about the Avatar? When she first arrived you approached her with a good deal of hostility. Has that changed after working with her?"

"Absolutely. Korra is undisciplined and brash, but she's a good kid, with a strong sense of justice. If she were one of my Officers I would be proud to have her in the Department. Either way, I'm glad she's the Avatar. We could do a lot worse than her, and few better."

"Well, Lin, it sounds like you've got some things to do. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Lin harrumphed, and sat up, "So how did I do?"

"I can't tell you that. But don't worry about it, all right? Only worry if you hear about it. But, Lin, you've been through a lot. I'd like to have at least monthly sessions. You should not be alone as you go through this. And even though a year has passed, and your physical scars have healed, and your trauma has been undone, you're still going through it. There's no shame in admitting that you're still hurt. A lot of people go crazy without even understanding the reasons for doing so, and I don't want to see that happen to you. No reporting or anything like that. Just come into my office once a month. I'd prefer once weekly. It's not like anyone else comes in for sessions, so whenever is good for you."

"I don't want people talking. There's nothing wrong with me."

"I know. You're hurt. Think of it like being extended physical therapy, but for your brain. It's perfectly all right. You're not weaker for it."

Lin considered Dr. Minghua for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine. Sometime within the next month. Can I go now?"

"You're free to go, Lin. I'm glad to finally have you on my chair."

"Well, so long as it's done. I'll see you later, Doctor."

"Send in the next guy, please."