Chapter 6:
Everyone on Katara's morning bus was talking about Zuko. How reckless he was being. How much alcohol he had drank last night. All the disease he probably had. Katara out her headphones in to stop from listening. It was bad enough she was thinking about but she didn't need other people to be talking about her boss too. She wanted to defend him, to tell everyone who were saying negative things about Zuko that he wasn't like that but she couldn't. Truth is Zuko Agni was everything the media presented and nothing more. The only redeemable quality he had was his daughter. He seemed to be so happy with Maya and so content with life. What happened to the man that played dolls with his daughter, instead of playing bases with grown women? Katara had really hoped he was different, but maybe he wasn't.
The scene on the television was pretty convincing evidence though. How was she going to explain to her dad that her boss was the same guy feeling up half nude women, but of course he didn't try to do that to her. Sure, Hakoda and Sokka both would probably kill Zuko if he ever tried to remake that scene with Katara in it. No matter how rich and attractive Zuko was it didn't excuse his actions.
Beer bottles, women's panties, pizza containers, cigarette butts, paper, napkins, used cups and plates, and even half eaten food were sprawled all over Zuko's home. Katara couldn't even imagine what crazy event Zuko had here last night. The fact that she had to clean all of this up by herself was more than overwhelming and she hadn't even seen upstairs yet. Katara sighed in annoyance and there was Zuko sprawled out on the couch passed out. Wasn't this an image for the tabloids!
Katara started to panic. He had been sleeping on his back. The worst position to be in after drinking heavily. How long had he been passed out? What if he wouldn't wake up? Katara would be written about for all time for being the one who discovered the world's youngest CEO dead. I mean she could get money from that, but did she really want to be known as the girl who happened to stumble upon him after a drunken party? Hell no! Katara checked to see if he was still breathing. His breathing was slow and shallow. Not a good sign. She turned him on his side.
"Oh no!" Katara yelled. "Zuko! Wake up!"
Katara began shaking Zuko too scared to believe he wasn't breathing. Within minutes Zuko woke up and then proceeded to throw up on the carpet in front of him. This was an excellent start to her day. That's what he gets for drinking so much. Zuko's ebony hair was all over his head and he looked pale. He was sick for sure.
"Ew Zuko." Katara stepped back away from the vomit.
Zuko clutched his forehead and said, "Oh I feel terrible."
"Considering you have alcohol poisoning you should."
"Ms. Sapphire?" Zuko coughed and his voice was very hoarse. "What time is it?"
"It's 6am."
"SIX! I have to get ready." Zuko quickly got to his feet gripping his forehead. Only to throw up on yet another spot on the carpet. This was getting ridiculous. At this rate he was going to throw up in every room of the house and Katara would be the one who had to clean it.
"You aren't going anywhere. You're sick. You need to get the alcohol out of your system." Katara said in an authoritative tone
"You DO NOT tell me what to do. I-"Zuko started coughing once again. "I am-"
Zuko gripped his stomach and vomited for a third time. He must have really over did it last night. Katara looked around the room again. How did a bra even end up on the chandelier in the dining room?
"You are a man who needs to go upstairs and rest." Katara helped Zuko up to his room. Once he was settled in bed she brought him 3 aspirin and a large glass of water.
"Drink all of it. Take the aspirin too. I'll bring you food later."
"I hope that you're still cleaning my home today. It's what I pay you for Ms. Sapphire. Today is no exception" Zuko said in a shrill voice. Katara only glared at him and moved the trash can next to his bed for precaution.
Only man on Earth who could be sick and still demand you to do something. Katara's first role of business was to clean the various piles of vomit out of the carpet. This was disgusting! Plus, the whole house smelled like old pizza and vodka. Smelled just like a college party in here if Katara remember poor college parties correctly. She specifically remembered pulling Jet out of many of them.
After scrubbing the carpet, the stains came out. She put carpet deodorizer down to mask the smell. Now she was on to food. Katara remember when Sokka and she were sick their Gran Gran made them homemade chicken soup. She remembered the smell of fresh chicken broth and steamed vegetables well. Katara began by finding the ingredients: garlic, parsley, chicken, egg noodles, carrots, onion, and celery. While the soup cooked she worked on collecting the trash, pizza boxes, and questionable underwear in a garbage can. It still smelled like a college party, but at least it didn't look like one anymore. In an hour Katara had a pot of healing soup for Zuko. She ladled it into a bowl and carried it up to him, along with another glass of water. Zuko was sitting up in the bed scrolling on his tablet. Katara could see that the water cup was empty, which was good. He needed all the water he could get.
Katara placed the bowl in front of Zuko. He eyed it completely confused.
"What's this?"
"It's chicken noodle soup. My Gran Gran said it's as good any healing elixir."
"I only eat egg whites in the morning. You're very aware of this fact. I don't want it." Zuko pushed the bowl away and went back to his tablet.
Zuko pushed the bowl away like it had a dead rat in it or something. Katara was somewhat struggling to remain nice. At least he sounded way better than when he first woke up he was well enough to be exceptionally rude to the person who was taking care of him.
Katara spoke in a caring tone, "Come on, you need something in your stomach heavier. It'll help." She pushed the bowl back closer to him. She felt like she was talking to a four year old with a stomach ache. And like most four year olds Zuko was very resistant to her advice.
"I know you think you're some omnipotent super woman who knows best for me, but you aren't. You aren't my mother. So take your soup and take yourself out of my room and continue scrubbing the dust from me floors Ms. Sapphire."
Zuko's words were very cutting to her. How could he just dismiss her like that when she had been nothing but nice to him? It wasn't fair of him to still treat her like she was just his lackey.
"Listen, I don't know what's got you in such an awful mood but you won't talk to me like that. I made you homemade soup, I have been bringing you water, I made sure you were comfortable in your bed, I even scrubbed your disgusting vomit! I don't deserve to be treated like this." Katara yelled, completely fed up with Zuko's ungrateful attitude.
"Well I'm sorry Ms. Sapphire, all of the things you listed fit under the category of doing your job! I pay you more than enough money so if I wanted to vomit in every room in this house you would clean it up! I give the orders not YOU."
"You know when I saw you with Maya I thought: 'Hey maybe this guy isn't the reckless, disrespectful, womanizer everyone thinks he is.' But you have proven to me that you are the VERY same man that I saw on the TV last night. I'll be leaving now and not coming back!"
Katara turned around to storm out of the room. Zuko got up and caught her by the arm.
"Ms. Sapphire! Wait! Don't leave." Zuko ran after her, seeming genuine. "I apologize. I apologize for being a less than amazing boss. I, I like you here."
He liked her working for him? Well he certainly was awful at showing it. She'd hate to see how he treated people he hated.
"And why should I stay? You have treated me like a second hand person since day one!"
"To be completely honest Ms. Sapphire, I don't have many true friends. I mean everyone wants to be my friend for my money or my name but no one has ever been as honest with me as you just were. You're the only employee I've ever had to even critique me. I need someone like you that lets me know when I'm wrong. I have to learn how to communicate more effectively with people. As far as taking care of me today, you have done more for me today than my own sister would ever do. She would never even step near my vomit. You've certainly proved yourself to be a loyal, passionate employee even when you don't want to be. Plus to be frank, I hate cleaning toilets."
"You want to be my friend? Friends don't scrub each other's bathrooms."
"I shouldn't be taking my personal issues out on you. That's highly inappropriate. I'm sorry, just don't leave. I don't know the first thing about washing dishes. I'll even eat your weird smelling soup."
"My Gran Gran's soup IS NOT weird smelling."
"It smells like seaweed and cough syrup."
Katara let out a disapproving sigh. For once Zuko sounded like he actually cared about what another human being felt. Maybe they could be friends or at least have a slightly more pleasant relationship. Katara didn't hate him for say, she was just frustrated with him. Katara watched absent mindedly as Zuko put a spoonful of soup to his mouth and ate it. He was trying. She had to try too.
"I meant what I said about you being a good worker last week. However, you are not a good cook. I'm still waiting on my egg whites Ms. Sapphire. Don't keep me waiting any longer." Zuko reverted back to his same dead pan tone that seemed to dig under Katara's skin more than it should.
Ass hole! This friend thing was definitely going to take a while to develop.
~/~
Zuko laid in bed searching the internet on his Tablet. Last night, from all the stories it seemed like he was a complete and total wreck. Zuko was ashamed. He broke four years of sobriety. This was humiliating and Mai was definitely going to use this against him. He only wanted to feel better feel less defeated. He had ended up backsliding into a place he thought he had grown out of. A picture came up of him receiving a suggestive lap dance from a women, while he was pouring beer on her.
"Oh Maya I'm so sorry." Zuko whispered in a remorseful voice. Tears ran down his face. There was no way he could ever be sorry enough to make this up to her.
Zuko's phone went off. It was a text message from the person he least wanted to see.
Ozai Agni: Hello son, we need to talk. Please come by the house. Your uncle and I expect to see you. Your recent activities have proven you to be especially disgraceful.
Zuko's worst nightmare was about to come true.
Author's Note: So what do you guys think? Excited Zuko will stop being a butt face? Excited to see Ozai or Iroh? Thanks for reading!