The Best Medicine

[princeinexile]

He slept through the night; something -- evened out. It was good, and he slept, deeper, more restful. His readings improved as he went from unconsciousness into true REM sleep, dreams keeping him down, out...
She was there; so was uncle, and cousin Luten; in the distance, his father and Azula were coming down from the walkway, into the garden.
With rest came renewed strength-- but with renewed strength, the waking world threatened to make itself known, and there was a edge of pain waiting. It was a gate of razors, moving from deep sleep to wakefulness.
Turtleducks -- five babies, a mother and a father -- swam in the pond, and they laughed as they scattered bread for them. He still hadn't mastered his mother's touch; she could touch the water and the animals would take bread from her hand without fear. But they still came close to him, let him feed them, going qua~ qua~ qua. They were content, well fed, and safe.
He stirred; subtle, small leaps of muscle beneath the skin. The process of transition, of one state to another. Miscroscopic, tired stretching -- it should have hurt, but the pain did not reach him. There was something that kept the deepest part of him protected; a mother's love, a sister's compassion (when had his sister ever been compassionate? he wondered fuzzily), an uncle's devotion, a father's respect (no, that's not right, either, Zuko thought.)
Lu-Ten leaned over him; he was Zuko's age now, and they laughed -- they could have been brothers, and that was good. Azula ran to join them as they left the pond and raced for some unknown destination--
Zuko's eyelids fluttered, and then slowly opened.
Mother? Mother, uncle, father! Come with us! Come-- with--
"... mother?"
They faded like the dawn, leaving a feeling of contentment that the pain couldn't touch.
There was a peony cradled in one palm.

Comments

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Nah, not hardly," says a faintly growly English voice from not far away. "But your uncle's asleep in that chair over there if you want him."

[princeinexile]

Zuko's eyes turn to Wells.

He says nothing, his face tightening a little. But there is a minute shake of his head. No, let him rest. He will need it.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Figured as much," Wells murmurs. "Welcome back, Zuko. Y'been out a while."

[princeinexile]

He doesn't ask; his eyes just begin to search the place, trying to figure out just where he is, what's going on, why he's here...

Oh.

Yes.

"Billy?" he finally mouths the name, slowly, voice sandpapery in it's dryness.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," says Wells grimly.

"And some sort of... curse, or something, driving him."

[princeinexile]

Zuko chuffs out a sigh; he knows how that can be.

"Desh Thiere?" he asks; he knows how that can be -- it had him attacking a stranger. On the other hand... attacking your ex's new man? Maybe an easier way to cover up, he supposes.

He can't honestly bring himself to care.

"Steph?"

She was-- she was--

She was dead-- but was she dead twice?

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Dunno. Nobody could put a name to it when I talked to 'em. Maybe." Wells shrugs. He's heard too many possibilities to try and pin one down specifically. Leave that to the magickers.

"Steph's alive," he hastens to reassure the young man. "Woozy, but alive. Like a wounded soldier on his way back up- and I've seen enough wounded soldiers going both ways to know."

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

The next time Zuko woke, Iroh would be awake and Xu Ning's body would be gone.

There was a patience in how he sat, as if waiting by Zuko's bedside was practiced.

[princeinexile]

It probably was, wasn't it?

When he comes around, eyeslids fluttering, he shifts, uncomfortable. He licks dry lips, and then lets his eyes scan the room.

"...uncle?"

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

"Right here, Zuko," Iroh said, companionably. "It is good to see you awake."

[princeinexile]

He lifts his hand, and extends it, fingers uncurling. "I bet," He says. "Sight--for sore eyes, huh?"

His eyelids flutter. "D-- don't you get -- sick of it? Watching us-- die?"

[ginsengdragon.livejournal.com]

Iroh's face creased into many wrinkles of grief and worry, and he reached for Zuko's hand.

"You are not dying," he said to his nephew, "and for that, I am most grateful, because you're right--I could not bear to watch another I care for as a son die."

Fortunately he wouldn't live long enough to see that. He knew it in his gut that Zuko would outlast him.

[princeinexile]

Very rarely did these words pass Zuko's lips, but he managed them -- in a time when maybe, it was foolish: "I'm sorry, uncle."

For not being strong enough. For getting into trouble. For nearly doing this to you twice. For so many, many things. Doesn't he have enough to make up for? Really and truly?

[treadingturds.livejournal.com]

It's some time after all of that that she pokes her head in. Jocasta had been in briefly while he was under, once woke Wells up and passed on the scolding from his wife, but other than that one time sitting until Iroh turned up, she's been poking her head around at irregular intervals, looking for a waking Zuko.

This time she's lucky, and steps in.

"Good afternoon, Zuko."

[princeinexile]

Golden eyes fix on Jocasta, and his brows knit.

"You?"

Why in the sun's name would you bother coming to visit him?

[treadingturds.livejournal.com]

Um... Jocasta glances down at her dress, and up again.

"Sorry I couldn't be anyone else."

But Stephanie's in the bed next to him, right? And there's an older male paternal figure always with him, so who else would he want.

"I just wanted to see how you were. I could come back?"

Or not come back, really. It's up to him.

[princeinexile]

"I just--"

He doesn't get it. You just play pai-sho with him. What does that matter, in the grand scheme of things?

He blinks at her mutely for a moment, and then gives a little shake of his head.

"Stay?"

[treadingturds.livejournal.com]

"Of course," she says with a smile, and gathers her skirts to sit in the nearest empty chair.

"How are you recovering?"

[princeinexile]

"..slowly."

He doesn't really know. "Haven't-- talked to the healer..." He looks here and there, confused. "Never been in a place like this."

[slayer_fray]

Sometimes Mel's asleep when he wakes. Sometimes she's awake but he has visitors he'd rather talk to, or she'd be preoccupied with Steph. Sometimes she's just not there at all. Steph doesn't exactly need a round-the-clock vigil.

Now, however, she's awake, and Steph's asleep, so who else to talk to?

"Morning, Flamethrower."

[princeinexile]

"Nngh?"

He's yet to be very coherent.

[slayer_fray]

Incoherent is fine. Mel pulls her boots up onto her chair and just waits for him to wake up a little further.

"Sleeping well?"

[princeinexile]

"Mmyeah," he says, blinking his eyes. "Really... well."

Enough that he prefers sleep to wakefulness. But at this stage? That's probably the healthier option then struggling against pain to stay awake.

[slayer_fray]

Probably is. So Mel's willing to let him get back to it. She has a book to read, after all.

[princeinexile]

But he's looking at you! LOOKING.

And not sleeping.

Just looking.