ways_infirmary | (no subject)

Zuko didn't argue. IT was hard, when you were going into shock. Certainly, someone would come and dig the fragmented bullets out of his flesh-- for now, he just--

--smiled--

--and closed his eyes.

Somedays, he considered as his pain dulled and he felt the first, trembling regenerations of his 'gift' from his mentor, being possessed by an unruly wolfspirit... had it's advantages.

The only problem was the flesh closing around the damn fragments. The pain lasted, but at least he wasn't bleeding all over the place anymore.

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There'd been a brief stop in the Security office - not long enough to glance at the cells, just long enough to read the first three pages of paperwork and then the note that was there. And then she'd pretty much ditched the rest and hurtled directly here, no passing GO, definitely no collecting $200.

And - here she still is. Curled up tight in a chair beside his bed. Saying little, and not quite daring to be holding his hand or anything, just ... sitting there.

Zuko does eventually rouse--after someone's picked the shrapnel out of his flesh and allowed him to heal. A day in a sling will the be the worst he endures.

But still, he looks over and sees her miserable there, and says, "You know, this is hardly the worst I've endured."

Just, y' know, to downplay it all.

Steph's gaze snaps to him. HE'S ALIVE! And, you know. Not hooked up to a million tubes to keep him that way. She's totally been trying to fight the flashbacks.

... Now she's got her 'I-totally-haven't-been-sitting-here-all-day' face on.

"I can't believe you got shot." She might be a little snappy. "That was really fucking dumb."

"Well, one minute she was on the floor, the next minute she drew. It was rather fast," Zuko says. "And honestly, I've never had anyone be that close... when they drew."

Had the weapons already out when he attacked? Yes. Had already been taken care of before they could attack? Totally. Drawn on pointblank range? No.

"You should have - I don't know - you should have been more careful or something -"

There's a close-range bullet scar - entry and exit wounds - on her shoulder, too; he knows. He should have known they hurt.

She can totally get up and sit on the edge of his bed now that he's awake - it doesn't count as pathetic now. (Well, it does, but she doesn't care.) A hand goes to hover over the bandages, not quite touching, and she bites her lip.

"Idiot."

Were it not for that mixed-blessing-curse, he'd have one to match, now.

"Werewolf, wolfspirit, whatever -- it's still in me, and it wouldn't let it's host falter. My wounds are closed. I'll be in a sling for a day, and only because the doctors have said so," Zuko says. "My clavicle is already knitting and my shoulder is repairing. The gut shot is barely even a memory-- all the soft tissue healed fast."

Steph relaxes imperceptibly, breathes a little easier.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?" she asks softly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

It's not a very hard conclusion to jump to. She knows Makita. And she knows she proooobably wouldn't just shoot him 'cause she felt like it.

"You could be - Anything could have happened." NOT, mind you, that Steph cares. She doesn't care at all. Etcetera, etcetera. It gets old. But she's gotta try.

"Why do you have to make me soft?" Zuko retorts. "Why can't she accept that she might be wrong? Why anything?"

He shifts, trying to ease the discomfort-- from his wounds, from this conversation, from her proximity. All of it, any of it.

"She's a friend," Steph says, with an edge to her voice. "And I don't think it makes you soft to try not to have bullets explode inside you. Maybe I'm just weird that way."

She folds her hands back in her lap, but doesn't move away.

"Your taste has always been questionable," Zuko replies sharply. Hell, you dated him, didn't you?

Steph glares at him.

"And don't I know it."

Definitely a mistake.

There is glaring right back. And frowning.

And totally not thinking about the other night and the regrettable actions.

"Anyone told uncle yet?"

"How am I supposed to know? I just found Rachel's note and came here."

She's definitely not thinking about it. Even if thinking of his uncle does sort of lead to thinking of the couch. The two are permanently linked. And, well. Zuko's shirtless and in bed and radiating heat like always, and she's always going to have the physical reactions of a sixteen-year-old. Which really don't help right now.

"I haven't even talked to 'Kita yet."

...don't talk about the couch!

"Mmm. And I care about Makita because...?" Well, give him a reason, please. He doesn't think 'cause she's my friend' is good enough.

"I'm pretty sure you don't," Steph snaps. "Obviously."

Or he wouldn't have made her shoot him!

... this may be just a trifle unfair.

"She was mouthy and simple-minded." He shrugs. "And armed. And this is what happens."

He shrugs, and ten says, "Maybe the bar needs a weapon check policy."

"Yeah, and we could cut off your limbs at the door," Steph agrees crossly. "She is not simple-minded."

"She is," Zuko says. "Not that I expect you to talk to her of anything of substance, like the war in her world, or her plain view of it." Oh it's fighty tonight.

This sort of stuff usually proceeded the best sex, but-- alas, he's not looking for that.

Right?

Totally right.

Just because they're getting up in each other's faces. It's not like. Yeah. No.

"That's because I have some form of tact," Steph snaps, back straightening. "Her friends died in that war. Some of us might know how that might feel."

"That's exactly my point." Some of them do! "But she refuses to acknowledge that her country-- her cause-- might be flawed or wrong, or that the enemy may simply be as stuck in the conflict as she is!"

And you can see why she shot him, right?

"That's because it's

her cause

, you idiot!"

Yeah, she really can. Bandages or not, she's tempted to hit him. ... Almost as much as she's been tempted to hit 'Kita all day.

"You - you're never going to understand, are you? We're always going to just be peasants and soldiers to you. You're the prince, you have no idea what it's like to be - to be where she is. People are just - numbers to you!"

"...get out."

Oh, Steph. You stupid girl. You have no idea what you say.

She does ...

...but just a second too late. Wow, the look on her face, it's like she just kicked her kitten and didn't realise or something.

"Oh - God - I'm sorry, Zuko. I didn't - I didn't mean it."

"I said get out!" There's a hand to her shoulder, his good hand-- and a shove and yes, that was the end of that.

Steph catches herself on the chair, and stumbles backwards a few steps.

"I didn't - no. No!"

She stops there, just at the end of the bed, and takes a moment to steady herself.

"No, I'm not getting out. You can't - Makita probably thought exactly - what I said! You don't make it easy for people to see!"

She won't leave? Fine!

This is a repeat of the last time; didn't he stalk out of here in a sheet, flush-faced after Katara healed him? He's --

--starting to do that all over again. Gathering his sheets and grabbing his stained clothing and under one arm and looking positively irate.

"Oh, for- sit down, Zuko!"

She will push him down if she has to.

"You can't just - leave. You can't just throw a tantrum every time someone says something -"

...except isn't that sort of what Makita did? Only Zuko's not drawing a gun.

Still. He's injured and his stained clothing is frighteningly blood-coloured; she's not going to let him walk out if she can help it. "Look, if you get back in bed I'll leave, okay?"

"I'm fine. I don't need to sit here and be coddled, and the faster I'm in my suite, the less uncle will worry." He doesn't think he'll even TELL Iroh he got shot. While worry him needlessly, after all?

"You need to sit there and be healed," Steph snaps. "I've been shot. Stupid werewolf healing or not, you are not leaving until you're totally better."

She folds her arms and moves to block his way.

Oh, handling this so well, Stephanie. Really. Full marks so far.

"I'm fine," Zuko repeats himself. He does nopt want to play this game. He wants to leave now.

And by now we mean five minutes ago.

"Let me by, Stephanie."

Steph doesn't move.

"Prove it."

Bloodstained bandages. Sure, he might be healed underneath, but - he was shot three times at point-blank range. Steph's not going to let him leave the place where doctors are until she's sure.

Otherwise she'd have to go get Katara.

And that would so end well, right?

Zuko reaches up and tugs at the bandaging looped around his neck and shoulder, and yanks it-- the flesh is tender, and might scar after being opened up twice--

--but it's closed, and nothing is really going to be happening to that wound.

"Let me by."

Steph analyses sharply; but he's right. She steps aside quietly.

And sketches a mock bow as he passes.

(no subject)

[Millitimed to the 7th, Evening]

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