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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33555 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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- 242
Chapter 238
The sun was starting to come up when Zuko’s body decided it could no longer hold the medicinal teas and broth he’d been thrice woken to imbibe. He placed his hands on either side of Katara’s shoulders and landed heavily on her when he attempted to push himself up. He grumbled a quick a apology when her eyes popped open. “I’m sorry. I was trying to get up.”
Katara yawned and nodded. This time when Zuko straightened his arms, she sat up bearing most of his weight as he transitioned from laying to sitting. They awkwardly wriggled sideways so each were able to place a leg on the floor when Amayu peeked around the privacy screen. The sound of the mattress springs had interrupted her slumber.
“Didn’t I tell you to refrain from…” she stopped when she realized what they were doing.
“For the love of Agni, why didn’t you say you needed help getting up?” she groused moving to stand at their side, bracing Zuko’s buttocks with her forearm and pulling him up towards her. Zuko attempted to take a step forward but his legs were unsteady.
Amayu was there to catch him when they gave out. She had dealt with enough male egos and high ranking officers to know precisely how to deal with his pride and refusal to ask for help. “Prince Zuko, you may be descended from Agni himself and possesses a portion of his spirit, but it is not enough to overcome the fact that you are human. As a human your body has limits. They may be higher than the average person’s but they exist. You have just undergone major surgery for a critical illness. It is your duty as a patient to ask for assistance otherwise you are spitting in the face of those who treated you. Your selfish desire to do as you wish shows that you do not value the time and effort we spent caring for you.”
The room swam and Zuko’s eyes rolled around several times before landing on her. His voice was shaky and he snarled defensively, “I just want to take a piss.”
“Yes, well we’ll help you to the restroom,” Amayu replied growing suspicious. There was no doubt the prince was under the influence of some narcotic substance but none of the ones she prescribed had that particular effect.
Zuko draped an arm over each of their shoulders and leaned heavily on them as they helped him across the room. Amayu stayed outside but Katara followed him in. She kept her eyes on his feet making sure they remained planted firmly on the floor as she heard his contented hum and the sound of falling liquid. She shook her head and sighed not believing that she had reached this level of comfort with Zuko.
“I need to wash my hands,” Zuko grumbled once his breeches had been righted.
“I’ll do it. Stand still,” Katara replied calling water from the container that someone presumably Toshio had filled and running it over the soap to clean both their hands.
“Katara.”
“Hmm.”
“I want to take a bath. I feel dirty,” Zuko said rubbing his arms as if trying to clean them.
Katara nodded, sickness would do that. “Will a bending wash up do? Your wounds can’t be submerged yet.”
Zuko nodded.
“Can you heat the water?”
Zuko appeared to be deep in thought.
“Nevermind. I can heat it in the fireplace or do you want to wait until Toshio gets back?”
Katara waited for a response then realized Zuko had closed his eyes. His head was tilted to one side and he was breathing heavily. He’d gone to sleep while standing just that fast. Katara poked him a few times but he remained standing; she laughed, “Just like a statue.”
“Just like a statue,” she repeated remembering the statue of Ozai being rolled into place after the fall of Ba Sing Se and getting an idea of how to get Zuko back to the bedroom. The water they had used to wash up the previous night had not been discarded. Katara used a portion to create a path and froze the rest to Zuko’s lower half before slowly bending him forward.
“You do realize that is countermands everything we did last night to get blood to his feet?” Amayu inquired raising her eyebrow.
“He’s getting back into bed. I’ll be sure to put socks on him,” Katara shrugged after depositing Zuko in the chair.
“I thought he was getting back into bed?” Amayu questioned.
“He wants a bath first. I can wash him while he is in the bed but it would be easier to do it here. Besides we probably should check his bandages.” she replied yawning again. This was two days in a row she’d been up early enough to watch the sun rising.
Amayu washed her hands then slowly began peeling the gauze and cloth from the prince’s back. Katara poured water into the “mobile sanitizing unit” the doctors refused to refer to as a pot and placed it on the fire then went to stand beside Amayu. The skinless circles on Zuko’s back were red and oozing; combined with the bruises and telltale red streaks indicating his condition it appeared as though he had a severe infestation of Fire spiders or gigantic fleas.
Amayu moved closer inhaling close to his back and turning away to exhale so she did not contaminate the area with her breath.
“What are you doing?” Katara asked as the physician took another whiff.
“You can tell a lot about a person’s health or state of an injury by the way they smell. Foul breathe can indicate tooth decay, a sweat smell can indicate diabetes, acidic smells can indicate digestive issues and other scents can indicate infection. Scent can be influenced by diet but a medical history can eliminate those causes. We know he has a blood infection but in this case I am sniffing for anything that smells odd to ensure there aren’t any underlying conditions and that his wounds smell healthy,” Amayu explained.
She withdrew and went to check the water Katara had started, “You will be using this to wash him?”
After receiving an affirmative reply Amayu added a small few drops of liquid to the water, “Isopropyl alcohol. It’s an antibacterial and antimicrobial cleansing agent. It’s also highly flammable. At this level of dilution it’s safe to use everywhere but I strongly recommend not getting it his eyes or yours for that matter. I assume you are also taking a bath? You spent several hours beneath a sweaty feverish sixteen year old. You smell.”
“Don’t worry. It’s the manky odor of a normal healthy body so is his,” Amayu crinkled her nose then added, “I should probably change the sheets.”
Katara stuck her tongue out at Amayu then lifted a drop of the water to test the temperature. It was fine for her but not quite warm enough for Zuko. She was about to lift some of it then she remembered, “The water for the townspeople! I told them I’d come by in the mornings and evenings to filter it for them.”
“I’ll accompany you. Toshio went to check his patients at the infirmary. His shift doesn’t start until later but he wanted to see how they are doing. He said he would acquire something to supplement the bones in your stock pot. We gave Zuko the remaining liver broth while you slept. We can tell everyone the two of us are together because you wanted to check on the women at the Ursa House. It will explain Zuko’s absence as men generally are not allowed inside them,” Amayu informed her.
Katara checked the water temperature again. She could tell it was the temperature he preferred when it was several centimeters from her skin. She lifted the water and gently set it against Zuko’s back. He groaned as she directed it in a zig zag motion from the top of his back to the bottom then gathered more water and made small circles inside each individual wound. Neither woman was surprised when they started bleeding again. This time the flow was slow as if a scab had been ripped off so they made no efforts to stanch it.
“Amayu, can you step into the restroom for a moment?” Katara asked knowing she needed privacy to wash the rest of Zuko’s body. She washed Zuko and the underwear he was wearing where he was sitting. His face was contorted but eyes were closed so she washed herself too. She called Amayu back into the room after dressing.
“You’ve bathed? And Prince Zuko? And there is this much water left?” the physician shrieked seeing the sanitary device was half full of water.
“I am going to wash the bed with it,” Katara said soaking a portion into the sheets and mattress. She repeated the process then woke Zuko enough for him to get back in the bed. She used the last of the water to clean the chair, dresser and floor.
“Kah-tah-rah” Zuko moaned piteously while reaching for her.
“Shush, Zuko, I’m here,” she said sitting on the bed and placing his head in her lap.
“We can’t give you any painkiller until Toshio gets back. He knew what I gave you so he was able to prescribe his own narcotic. I don’t have that luxury. There are two he could have used but without knowing the dosage I could send you into shock. I’m not willing to take that risk,” Amayu said softly as she lifted Zuko’s foot to apply acupressure. She could have used acupuncture and applied needles at strategic points in the prince’s head and neck but he would have had to remove it from Katara’s lap. Unlike Toshio she believed the comfort of a loved one could sometimes have therapeutic affects that outweighed formal medical treatments. Katara wasn’t sure of Zuko had fallen asleep or unconscious when they heard a knock at the door.
Amayu expected Toshio so she grumbled as she opened it, “It’s about damn time. You’ve got some nerve hijacking my patient.”
“Dr. Amayu, I assure you, I have no intentions of hijacking your patient. He has two few legs and not enough hair,” Mu replied as he stepped inside the room.
“Mu! What are you doing here?” Katara exclaimed knowing Zuko wouldn’t want anyone especially one of his friends to see him in such a weak state.
“Many of the medicines I use on the animals are also used on humans so it’s easier to store them in infirmary where they will be secure. Dr. Toshio’s patient took a turn for the worse so he asked me to tell you what medication he’s given Zuko as well as bring you a delivery method,” Mu said extending a packet of dried leaves, and a small censer in which to burn them.
“That idiot. I told him not to give coca to this patient,” Amayu sighed recognizing the herb in Mu’s hand. “I know it’s an appetite suppressant but did he at least send groceries by you?”
“No, he did not,” Mu replied as he walked over to Zuko, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Blood poisoning,” Katara explained.
“Bloo- that fucking idiot,” Mu reached out and snatched Zuko’s hair and lifted his head upwards before Katara could smack his hand away. “I warned your dumbass. Agni in an apple cart! Blood poisoning? You idiot. You fucking idiot!”
Mu growled as Katara punched him in the wrist causing him to drop Zuko’s head back into her lap as she drew an ice spear and pointed it at his neck to force him back, “Oh, so now you want to protect him? Where the hell were you when he covered you without a stitch of armor on his back? I bet you didn’t even notice it was missing when laid on top of you to protect you from the attacking Earthbenders? Do you even care that bitch he calls a sister sent a letter to his father the night he founded the Ursa House because you were crying? Ozai is going to kill him just because he used Princess Ursa’s name in vain to make you happy.”
“Don’t sit here and try to protect him from the people who actually care about him just because your selfish ass knows how to pretend to feel a little guilty. Even Mai didn’t use him so terribly, all she asked for was a title and money. You’re sucking the very life out of him and he’s so damn in love he’s happy to give it. It wouldn’t be so damn pathetic if you made even the slightest effort to acknowledge it. You disgust me. He’s killing himself for you; has killed himself for you and you’re too fucking selfish to even stop feeling sorry for yourself long enough to see it. If he dies, you will not have to worry about Ozai killing you. I will. Your life will end slowly and I will enjoy every moment of taking it,” Mu promised.
Katara slid from beneath Zuko and laid his head gently on the bed. She walked past Mu and put on her shoes. “I promised the townspeople I’d purify their water. I’ll be back with food once I’ve finished.”

“That fucking bitch; of all people Zuko had to find someone more selfish and self-absorbed than Mai. I didn’t think that was possible,” Mu groaned pulling out the chair and plopping heavily onto it.
“Katara was the one who noticed Zuko had blood poisoning. He didn’t know. She didn’t have to say anything. He’s going to live because she drew the tainted blood out with her Waterbending. It was almost black. You know that’s the final stage before organ damage. She saved him. There was no way we could have gotten it all without risking it contaminating the blood his body is making. The pulse rate in his extremities had dropped to the 40’s. She strengthened his heartbeat and forced the blood to his extremities using her bending. It was soaking and withdrawing from the bandages as she willed it to move throughout his system. She is on the verge of exhaustion and is still recovering from the beating he gave her but she still cooked, fed, and bathed Zuko. Do you even know where he slept?”
“Your heavy friend slept on top of her. She lay on her back and pulled him on top of her because she knew it would make him more comfortable. This morning she bore his weight and helped him to sit up. She stayed in the bathroom with him to make sure he didn’t fall over. He’s only had one bowel movement since we treated him. The medications used to treat blood poisoning cleanse and fortify the system. Toshio and I both have duties we must tend to. Zuko doesn’t want anyone to know he’s ill. Will you be here to clean him?” Amayu asked grabbing Mu’s chin and forcing him to look at her. “She will.”
“You are forgetting Katara isn’t some fiancée, mistress, wife, or girlfriend. She is his prisoner. He held her down and forced his penis inside her. Or did you forget how much blood and skin was on the sheet at the manhood ceremony or have you forgotten making bets with the Zhao twins and stewards on what size stain would be left each morning and how long it would take for her to stop bleeding? Did you forget laughing and making jokes at her expense about what type of hole she must have to be able to take Zuko’s monstrous dragon and how it must be stretched to the size of a real cavern?
“What he did the night he put her in the infirmary was so much worse than what was done to those little boys whose asses you stitched up. That was after he’d already ripped open her hymen and spent each night raping her repeatedly. She most likely would have died that night if it weren’t for her healing ability. Or have you forgotten being called from the deck where you listening to her screaming to tend to the animals because the noise was upsetting them the day? He raped her. He rapes her and as sure as I am standing he will continue to do so.”
“Katara has more than enough reasons to let him die but she cried when thought she was about to do so. He got her pregnant then savagely forced the child back out of her. She may never bear children. Zuko told me she saw and recognized their baby for what it was. It was a tiny clump of cells but she was able to distinguish it from the rest of the scar tissue and blood. She held the baby he made her lose in the palm of her hand as she washed her bloody underwear. Every month when she has a cycle she sees that. She sees the one and only child she may ever carry and remembers what he did to her.
“She saw it last night while looking at his bandages but still opened her arms and lay back so he could rest comfortably on top of her. He brutalized her but that fucking selfish bitch is still willing to cook for him, bathe him and wipe his ass when he finally takes another shit. It should make you sick when you realize what a half-assed friend and sorry piece of scum you are compared to her. You should just go back to the stables and rot with the rest of the dung,” Amayu said slapping him and rushing out of the room to catch Katara.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story