AUTHOR'S NOTES: Obviously Korra survives, but given how critical her condition was, she had to be hospitalized. Worry not though; she'll be back in commission fairly soon, but not all of her scars are physical. The whole debacle with Tarrlok bloodbending her as well as being confined to the unbreakable box did a number on her psychologically, arguably to the point of Korra considering this the most traumatizing moment of her life to date (competing against the inevitable fight against Zaheer she'll have in a year or two). Either way, the story continues.
Happy Reading!
BOOK TWO: CHANGE
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE: OLD AND NEW SCARS
It was clear right away that Korra was in critical condition, although why she was still in the Avatar State was unclear. Despite her semi-open eyes, Korra did not respond to any external stimuli; not even Tenzin or Asami.
"Get that kid to a hospital, stat!" Kwan snapped, "Can't say I know what that is, but if even a dumbass like me can tell she's in critical condition, y'all better notice it too!"
It wasn't like they even needed Kwan's prompting, but suffice to say, none of them wasted any time in ensuring that Korra was properly transported to the nearest emergency room. Much like Tonraq and Senna had done when Fukui had taken Korra to heal her, everyone in the group, including Lin and Kwan, waited anxiously for any report on her condition. Fortunately, after seeing Lin and Tenzin, none of the medical staff inquired at all about Mako, Bolin, or Asami, which let them tend to Korra's injuries sooner. No one even batted an eye at Kwan, much to her own delight in that regard.
After what seemed like hours (although was probably realistically at least two) later, a woman in a white uniform stepped back into the waiting room.
"Avatar Korra is in stable condition, Councilman Tenzin," she turned to Tenzin, "She is unconscious and needs rest, but she will recover."
"What happened to her?" Mako and Bolin chimed in almost simultaneously.
"It's difficult to tell." the woman explained, "She suffered a great deal of blunt force trauma to almost her entire body, and there's no way for us to break these chains around her limbs without risking injury. She also appears to have suffered cold shock. Where was she before you brought her here?" Fortunately they didn't ask questions until after Korra had been hospitalized, because it would have only made things more awkward.
"We're not sure," Asami was the one to reply. "But is she okay? Will she recover? Can we visit her in her room?"
"She likely needs at least a day, maybe two," the woman answered, "and for her safety, we would ask you to limit visits to two people at a time."
"You can go first," Asami gestured at the others, "I imagine if Tenzin or I go in you'll be waiting an awful long time."
"Nothing wrong with that," Bolin shrugged, "honestly, I'm just relieved that she's gonna be okay."
"She'll want to see you first anyways, Asami." Mako pointed out.
"You're her friends too though," Asami reasoned, "Go ahead—you guys go."
"If you really want to quickest people to go first, maybe Lin and I should say hi?" Kwan quipped, "or should we just bail right now?"
"Nah, go ahead." Bolin gestured.
Even Lin frowned when they saw Korra. Her hair was down, and for how fierce and wild she normally was, there was a serene and exhausted expression across her face. It took a moment before either of them even spoke.
"Rest up, kid." Kwan took Korra's hand, although she still appeared unconscious. Korra's subconscious seemed to register that Lin and Kwan were there—to the point where they appeared in her visions. She couldn't recall anything they said though, and when Mako and Bolin came to give her their well-wishes as well, she didn't remember much other than that they seemed concerned as well as relieved. Korra was not necessarily in a state of actual limbo; just that she was passing in and out of consciousness due to her fatigue. She was still able to register the brothers though, and a tired little half-smile appeared on her face.
When Tenzin and Asami paid a visit, however, she became more alert. They were definitely talking about her, but there was no way she could tell what they were saying because of her muddled focus. It was with them, however, that she finally spoke.
"A… sami…" Korra's right hand appeared from under the blanket, the heavy chain wrapped not only around her wrist and forearm, but also around and between her fingers.
"Korra?" She turned immediately and put her hands around Korra's. Korra did not reply, but she closed her eyes with a calm smile.
Korra was otherwise inert for another half hour, during the which time Tenzin also decided to bid them a fond farewell.
"If you need anything, we will be at Air Temple Island," he offered.
"I'll probably have to come by later tonight," Asami sighed, "but on the other hand, I might also spend the night here with Korra."
"That might be for the best—at least for her." A light smile crept across Tenzin's face. "There's no telling what she's been through, and I imagine of all the people in the world, you are the one she wants to see the most."
Tenzin left them in peace, with Asami smiling as she knew full well that Tenzin was right.
It was another three hours before Korra finally stirred again, and yet Asami hardly noticed the time fly by until her lover opened her eyes.
"Of all the things… to wake up to…" Korra mumbled, a smile creeping over her exhausted visage, "...this is one of the best."
Without warning, Korra seized Asami by the cheeks and pulled her into a firm kiss right on the lips, causing the taller girl to squeak slightly from the surprise. Korra's hands kept a firm hold on Asami, with one of them entangling itself in her hair and the other pressing against her back.
It was a full 2½ minutes before Korra relented and released Asami, who ironically seemed much shorter on breath than Korra did.
"You look terrible." Asami couldn't help but smile, which ironically made Korra laugh—a very wholesome, jovial little giggle, despite her battered condition.
"I feel it too." Korra smirked, pulling Asami into another kiss. "That helps though."
"Okay you," Asami chuckled, "since you clearly have enough energy to do things like that, you have enough energy to tell me what exactly happened. Where did you get these shackles? What were you doing in the Avatar State when we found you? Where did Tarrlok take you?"
"Babe, whoa, hang on!" Korra shook her head and waved her arms, "one at a time; one at a time. Sorry… it's just my memory's a bit hazy, and it's been a really horrible night."
"No, I was inconsiderate," Asami sighed, taking a moment to reflect on her behaviour, "I've just been worrying about you ever since I heard you break out of prison, and I kind of just blew up and let that out on you all at once."
"That was you blowing up?" Korra raised her eyebrow, "man, way to make me look bad."
"You've… seen me blow up before, Korra." Asami reminded her, "and meltdown. It's just—seeing you like this… it upsets me more than I can describe—and seriously, what's up with the chains?"
"The cops tried to restrain me in prison," Korra laughed, throwing her blanket to the side to reveal that they were also on her legs.
"No wonder you're so exhausted," Asami lifted one of Korra's legs at the knee and ankle, "Korra, do you realize how much chains like this weigh?"
"No," she shrugged, "I'm like, what. 150? 160? And that's muscle, thank you very much."
"All my dad's research into nonbendable metals taught me a few things about them," Asami lifted Korra's left foot, "Korra… these are about 40-50 pounds each. You're dragging around enough metal to match your body weight here—these need to come off."
"Can you put my leg down?" Korra pouted, glancing at Asami.
"Not until I get this unravelled and undo this shackle," Asami shook her head. She pulled a few pins out of her hair, "seriously, Korra—this is ridiculous."
"What was I supposed to do!?" Korra shook her head, "ask Tarrlok's police for a key? I was kind of busy fighting for my freedom and my life, you know…"
"No, you're right again," Asami unravelled enough of the chain to reach the actual shackle, which she began picking the lock of to help free Korra's leg. "It just makes me upset to see that they would do this to you. I don't like seeing you hurt, much less like this."
"Well," Korra rolled her left ankle and stretched it as Asami relieved it of the heavy shackle and chains, "Tarrlok got his bending taken away, so he'll be much less of a problem now.."
"He what!?" Asami actually stopped unravelling the chain on Korra's other leg for a moment, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"I… guess I should back up," Korra shook her head, "and tell you the full story."
And so she did, with Asami's progress on freeing Korra from her chains taking longer as she lost herself a bit in thought at some of Korra's stories and moments. She relieved Korra's right leg of its chain and worked on her left arm next, finishing it right around when Korra got to what didn't quite seem like the end of her story.
"They busted open the box, and the next thing I know was that I think I blew some stuff up, fell down a mountain, and woke up in a hospital. How did you guys find me?"
"Naga brought you here," Asami massaged Korra's left forearm for a moment, since it was particularly sore from having to wield and swing that heavy chain in combat, "you were barely conscious and were in the Avatar State. Speaking of which—what happened there?"
Korra rolled so her left side was facing up, smothering her right arm beneath her. "I went into the Avatar State?" she looked confused, "shoot, maybe that illusion of blowing up the hiding place had its merits after all."
"Perhaps so," Asami mumbled, "but are you saying you don't remember it?"
"I mean, I vaguely remember blasting my way out of the cabin they had imprisoned me the moment they let me out of the metal box, and then fleeing down the mountain."
"How did you survive the electroshock then?" Asami had remembered that detail of the story particularly well, especially since Korra's hair was still a tad frizzy.
"Redirected it," Korra shrugged, sighing as Asami massaged the tension out of her hand. "Three limbs absorbed it from the metal, and my other arm shot it through the top of the box. That was shortly before I effectively lost memory."
"Want to roll over so I can get that last chain off?" Asami paused.
"No," Korra surprised her with her answer. "Keep doing what you're doing."
"Did something happen to your other arm?" Asami tilted her head slightly as if trying to get a glimpse of Korra's right arm, which was mostly under her person given her position.
"Well, I mean that's the one with the burn, so massaging it wouldn't feel as nice," Korra shrugged, "But not that I know of. It's just that I hit my left wrist at a bad angle when I was trying to punch my way out of the box, so what you're doing feels real good."
Eventually, however, Korra relented, and Asami gently slipped off Korra's last chain after deftly picking the lock which held the shackle in place. She was shocked and appalled to see a fierce red lichtenberg figure scar across Korra's right hand and forearm, parts of it even overlapping with Nakkoa's burn scar.
"Korra, you said you were alright!" Asami did not look pleased with this revelation.
"I… didn't know I had that." Korra looked at her hand, "I guess that was one of the entry or exit points for the lightning? I thought I had redirected it."
There was a moment of silence as Asami put her hand in Korra's, intertwining their fingers and running her thumb over the fierce-looking scar that now covered the surface of Korra's hand.
"I'm so tired, Asami," Korra sighed, "Both right now, and just of… everything. Tarrlok, Amon, the Equalists, the Red Lotus, the Triads, Nakkoa… the Interregnums… Republic City… I just want to run away; spend a couple weeks at the Western Air Temple just to rest. Is that bad?"
"With how much stress you deal with, Korra," Asami clutched Korra's hand with both of her own, "it'd be unreasonable to deny that from you. I don't think running off at this point would be a very wise idea though. Besides—next time you go to that temple, I want to come with you."
"It's gonna be boring though," Korra murmured as she laid back down, "there's nothing there but empty pagodas, the occasional nomad, and Avatar stuff."
"I'll make sure I bring along a good book or two," Asami quipped. "And even if we can't take a vacation there after all this is over… I want to be with you, Korra. For years I had just accepted that you wouldn't be able to pay me back for the things I did, and that was fine—I did them because I loved you; not because I wanted a reward. But then… then Hiroshi happened…" The disdainful way Asami said her father's name—coupled with the fact that she had used that name instead of calling him her father, showed that this was still a very fresh and sensitive wound. "And despite you being on the cusp of a breakdown by your own admittance… you steeled yourself up for me. It may not have seemed like much, Korra, but that's exactly why I love you."
"Hey, if you want to cry on my shoulder, I still owe you about 793 favours on that front." Korra quipped, "Any time you wanna vent, go right ahead."
"It's not that," Asami shook her head, taking her hands and gathering Korra's flyaway hair, "It's you. At your core, you're a very selfless woman, Korra—and that's one of the most commendable traits an Avatar—or anyone, really—can have. The way you throw yourself in front of your friends when we're in danger—the way you stick your own neck out like that; I just want you to know that these are meaningful acts, and your friends notice them."
"Well then..." Korra gave a weak but sincere smile, "Thanks for helping me have the best Team Avatar ever—and tell Mako and Bolin that too for me, please? I'd do it myself but I'm probably stuck here for another night or two."
"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?" Asami grinned.
"You need sleep and food just like I do; that's why," Korra surprised Asami without skipping a beat. "And as fun as sharing a bed with you would be, I don't think it's big enough—and really I'm so tired that I'd probably just use you as a pillow—and you wouldn't have pants on."
"Don't tempt me with a good time, Korra." Asami teased, realizing that the Avatar had a point, however. "I'll lock the door if I have to."
"If you're offering to drop your pants I won't say no," Korra laughed, "But at this point, that picture you sent me?" she raised her eyebrow before laying back down and closing her eyes, "All the temptation I'll need for now."
"Sleep then, love," Asami kissed Korra's forehead, right in the dead center of her tattoo, "I'll be asking the staff around here to make sure you actually got some rest. Don't disappoint me!"
"Not a chance," Korra mumbled happily as she drifted into a state of semi-consciousness. Asami left the room, still with mixed emotions. On one hand, it pained her to see her lover so hurt and so scarred up; but on the other hand, it made her all warm and fuzzy inside to realize that the core of Korra's personality had remained intact—and that the friendly, compassionate, loyal, and selfless young woman that she had fallen in love with was still there—and still fighting.