Xiaolong sat at the kitchen table enjoying his coffee as he heard the patter of bare feet coming down the stairs, and looked up from his tablet to see Yang in his sweatshirt from his favorite pro bending team, the Unagi Riders. She was rubbing her eyes as she came into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mr. Xiaolong," Yang said, pulling out a chair and sitting on it. Paka, who had been on her shoulder, crawled down and started sniffing around on the table, stopping before at the bowl of fruit. He grabbed a bundle of grapes before returning to Yang's shoulder and started eating them.
"Good morning, Yang," Xiaolong said, putting his tablet down. "Are you hungry?"
Yang shook her head. "Yes, very much."
"How about some eggs and bacon?" Yenzing said from across the room, looking up from the pan he was working with. "I'll also make you some toast with butter. And would you like juice or milk?"
"Orange juice, please," Yang said softly. She was still very timid, not sure how to handle all this kindness she'd received lately.
"So, Yang, let me tell you the plan for today," Xiaolong said. "Our first stop will be to get you some new clothes. We'll need to get things that will be comfortable but will also keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. From there, we'll head to the pet store to get what we need for Paka. Once that's done, I've set up appointments with a pediatrician and a veterinarian to get you both checked out. And once that's finally all done, we'll head to a toy store so you can get whatever you want."
"A toy store? Really?" Yang said incredulously.
"Yes," Xiaolong said. "You're a little girl, and you deserve toys to play with."
Yang's eyes widened with joy, a sight Xiaolong had always loved, ever since he started making toys by hand 25 years ago. The joy of seeing a child excited over his products, this was the reason he got into making and selling toys, not the money.
"The doctor visits are first, though," Xiaolong said. "And since I doubt you've been to one for a long time, it's not going to be fun. You're going to be poked and prodded and have to give the doctor some gross things to ensure you're healthy."
"So," Yang said. "The toy store is a present for being brave at the doctor?"
Xiaolong smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. But like I said, we've got a few stops to make first. So, finish your breakfast and get dressed."
"Okay!" Yang said excitedly as Yenzing put her plate in front of her. She dug in as Xiaolong headed upstairs to get dressed. It was a busy day, and he wanted to be presentable.
Two hours later, Xiaolong and Yang had just pulled into the children's clothing store, the Seasonal Arrow. It was made specifically for children under 15 and had just about anything a child could need for any season. There was even an on-staff tailor to help with adoptive parents determine what size their new child needs.
Before getting out of the car, however, Xiaolong spoke up. "Now, Yang, I want to let you know that, for a while at least, that we are not telling ANYONE that you're the Avatar, okay?"
"Why? Isn't that why you took me in?" Yang said, clearly confused.
"In part, but there are people out there that will try to kill you for being the Avatar," Xiaolong said. "And until you've mastered at least one element, it's my job to keep you safe. And since I'm not a bender, secrecy is our best defense."
Yang looked unperturbed by Xiaolong's statement, making him realize that having people trying to kill you was not something Yang was afraid of. He remembered stories about corrupt police agencies who wholesale slaughtered the homeless, and Yang had done what was necessary for her to escape. However, she looked at Xiaolong and nodded, placating the older man as best she could.
The trips through the clothing store and pet stores were uneventful. After having her measurements taken, Yang went through the store and picked out anything she liked, with colors across the spectrum. And notedly, she didn't conform to one nation's color scheme; she liked blue, yes, but none of her clothes fit the Water Tribe scheme. She chose plenty of greens, oranges and reds, making him wonder what her actual origins truly were.
After the trip to the pet store, where they went through the store to get everything Paka could need, it was finally time for Yang's doctor appointment, and Xiaolong once again spoke up.
"I know I just said that we weren't telling anyone that you're the Avatar, but that rule doesn't apply to Doctor Rumao and his staff," Xiaolong said.
"Why?" Yang asked. "Why is he different?"
"Because there's a spiritual aspect to your nature that isn't there for anyone else," Xiaolong said. "And he has to know this to treat you properly. It's part of getting your complete medical history, along with some blood tests and tissue analysis."
Yang nodded, and they got out of the car and headed into the office. And after signing in and waiting quietly in the waiting room, they were eventually admitted to the exam room. And Yang as surprised at just how colorful and inviting the room was; there were soft toys and coloring books, as well as pictures of furry animals. She chose to look at a picture book where a Fire Ferret when on an adventure.
It wasn't long before Dr. Rumao entered the room. Instead of a white lab coat, he wore a rainbow one, and he was wearing a pair of dog ears on his head. He was kind looking, doing his best to make children feel safe around him.
"Hello, Mr. Xiaolong," Dr. Rumao said, looking at his chart. "And this young lady must be Yang." He knelt to get on Yang's level and extended his hand. And as Yang took his hand, Xiaolong was glad that Paka was sleeping on floor next to them. "So, what brings you to see me today?"
"The Avatar needs a routine checkup, as well as establishing a baseline for her health history," Xiaolong said as Yang climbed up onto the exam table.
Dr. Rumao was taken aback at what he had just heard. "The Avatar? Really?"
"What does that mean for you?" Yang asked. She was curious as to how her checkup would be different than other kids.
"It means that your physical health can affect the health of the Avatar spirit. So, in addition to the toll that bending can have on an unhealthy body, it can also make the spirit sick as well," Dr. Rumao said. "So, if you're not healthy and still having to rely on the Avatar spirit to keep you alive, it can weaken the spirit for the next cycle."
Yang nodded, and they went through the normal things for a child's checkup, which included hearing, vision, breathing, as well as her height and weight. Additionally, the doctor took some blood for analysis, as well as a saliva sample for DNA testing. And finally, he required a urine and fecal sample, which was something that made Yang uncomfortable; she didn't understand why a doctor needed her pee and poop, but as both Xiaolong and Dr. Rumao said, it was necessary to get a baseline, so they knew if she had any pre-existing conditions or not.
After leaving Dr. Rumao's office, they took Paka to the veterinarian's office, where they performed many of the same tests, and Paka was NOT having any of it. He bit the doctors and technicians more than once, and only Yang to get him to calm down at all, but they got what they needed to ensure the animal's health.
And then, finally, they made their way to the toy store, one of the many Dragons Unlimited stores across the world. And Yang was awed at just how many toys that were not only in one location but existed in general. Xiaolong grabbed a cart and told Yang to just get whatever she wanted. And after a full hour of going up and down the aisles, Yang had a cart full of stuffed animals, balls, toy cars, toy boats, an assortment of plastic and wooden animals, and a large number of books for Yang to read. And with a carload of toys and supplies for Paka, they headed home to a fulfilling dinner created by Yenzing.
And two days later, after Yang had begun to settle in, Xiaolong got a call from Dr. Rumao.
"So, what's the diagnosis?" Xiaolong said after pleasantries were exchanged.
"Well, unfortunately, Yang has a parasite. Combine that with the fact that she's likely gone hungry for days at a time, it's no wonder she's underweight for her height," Dr. Rumao said. "Thankfully, we can treat it with a prescription. I'd like to see her again in 6 months to ensure that she's getting better."
"Well, that's good," Xiaolong said. "That she's treatable, I mean."
"Yes," Dr. Rumao said. "Additionally, her DNA test revealed something peculiar. It seems her genetic history is evenly split among all 4 nations. So, I can't determine just what conditions she's genetically predisposed to having."
"And that also means we can't tell what her native element is either," Xiaolong mused.
"That too," Dr. Rumao. "We need to keep an eye on her, do what we can do for her."
"I had planned on letting her just be a child, at least for a couple years, before sending her off on her journey," Xiaolong said. "You've given me an easy explanation."
"Glad to help," Dr. Rumao said.
Once off the phone, Xiaolong headed to Yang's room, where he found her playing with a lion turtle on her bed. She turned around and grinned at Xiaolong. "What's going on?"
"I just got off the phone with Dr. Rumao, and he told me you've got an intestinal parasite. So, you're going to need to take some pills for a while," Xiaolong said. Yang nodded, and he continued. "He also wants to keep an eye on you for at least two years. To make sure you're going to be healthy enough to go off on your own eventually."
"So, we're going to keep the fact that I'm the Avatar a secret for a while, huh?" Yang asked.
"For now, yes," Xiaolong said, smiling. "You just worry about being a little girl for now, okay?"
"Okay," Yang said, smiling at Xiaolong. "Thank you."