I leaned against the giant stone column and watched as Zuko moved through his katas. He had stripped down to his just his pants, exposing the whip marks that crisscrossed his back and the burn scars that marred his chest and arms. I took a steadying breath and pushed back the memories of dark, endless tunnels and burning steel bars that drifted through my mind.
Zuko spun as he executed a high kick, and the tie holding his bun in place loosened from the motion. His foot barely touched the ground before he bounced into a summersault, and his hair was flung free. The shoulder-length strands whipped around him as he slammed his bare foot against the straw dummy. The thick pole holding up the dummy shook from the force of the blow. Two more punches, and the dummy's arm fell away with a crack that echoed through the training arena.
I made my way down the gravel path as Zuko continued his assault on the dummy. By the time I reached the arena, the dummy was bleeding straw. Zuko gave a shout as he delivered a lethal jumping punch to the dummy's head, knocking it back with a small explosion of straw. The now-empty head hung limply, and I winced.
"I don't know if we have any spare beds for him," I said. Zuko flashed me a smirk as he stood in front of the dummy, panting for breath. The sweat on his body glistened in the afternoon sun. I smiled, but then I frowned when I saw his bloodied knuckles.
"You should be wrapping your fists," I chastised, flipping open the cap of my waterskin. "Come here."
Zuko knew better than to protest, although he did roll his eyes as I took his hand. The water I pulled from my waterskin started to glow softly as I healed Zuko's knuckles, and he hissed in a breath through his teeth. I threw him an apologetic look. I knew the healing process was a strange, uncomfortable feeling, as I encouraged the skin to regenerate hundreds of times faster than was normal. Once his right hand was healed, I did the same for his left hand.
Once I was done, I discarded the used water but held on to Zuko's hand. He gazed down at me, and for a few moments we just stared at each other.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, breaking the silence reluctantly. "It's a been a few weeks since I've seen you."
Zuko hummed and nodded. I smiled when he laced our fingers as he led me away from the training arena. "It's been almost a month since I've had a nightmare," Zuko said.
"That's good to hear," I said, nodding. "How's your appetite? Are you still eating at least two meals a day?"
"Yes, doctor," Zuko said, flashing me another smirk. "It's been four years… I'm not your patient anymore."
I gave him my own smirk as I bumped him with my shoulder. "You'll always be my patient."
"Your favorite, I hope."
"Of course."
He let go of my hand when we reached the top of the trail, and I resisted the urge to grab it back. A servant had appeared, holding a pitcher of water and a cup, filled and ready for Zuko. Zuko accepted the cup of water with a nod and drank it in two gulps. The servant refilled his cup, and Zuko drank this one more slowly.
"Thank you," Zuko sighed, handing the empty cup back to the servant. The servant gave a bow and stepped away to a respectful distance.
"You're early for tea," Zuko commented as we continued to the gardens.
"I wanted to check on the palace infirmary," I said.
Zuko's fingers brushed the back of my hand, and I forced myself to keep looking ahead when he curled his pinky finger around my thumb. "Councilman Shomuck has been admitted for stomach pains again," Zuko said, chuckling when I rolled my eyes.
"If he'd ease up on the sizzle crisps, he wouldn't need to check into the infirmary every few weeks," I grumbled. Zuko chuckled.
When we reached a fork in the garden path, Zuko let go of my thumb. "What would you like Iroh to serve?"
"Surprise me," I said, smiling.
The corner of Zuko's mouth quirked up, and he dipped his head. I bowed at the respectful angle, and then we parted ways. The servant hurried after Zuko, his gaze lingering on me as he passed. He looked away when I narrowed my eyes at him.