Chapter 10 - Bedridden
Submitted April 30, 2005 Updated February 28, 2007 Status Complete | UPDATED 2/28/07 Added 14 For full Summery see chapter titled summery. Aang needs a firebending teacher before time runs out. Zuko still wants to capture him. But what happens when he meets an old friend of Uncle Iroh’s and learns . . .
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Chapter 10 - Bedridden
Chapter 10 - Bedridden
IX
Bedridden
***
Zuko awoke groggily. When he had fallen asleep he couldn’t remember. But the pain was dulled for the time being. Vaguely he remembered the girl bringing him the same vile liquid Hagi had made him drink. Zuko grimaced as he remembered, but he had to admit the stuff had worked. With his head not pounding for the moment, Zuko could think clearly. He wasn’t weak, at least he didn’t think he was, and he was thirsty, not to mention another need. He scrubbed his hand across his head as he thought and stopped.
It made perfect since to him that no one would have thought to shave his head while he was sick, there was a good amount of stubble across his scalp as well as his chin, but there was something missing. Earlier that year he had cut his hair to avoid notice, but since then it had grown a good four inches. (his hair had always grown fast) it wasn’t much compared to what he had once had, but once they had stopped hunting him, it had been long enough to start tying back again. But now, those four inches were gone. Who would dare . . .
The thought slipped away in light of other matters. Looking around, and struggling to breath. Zuko made an assessment of the room. It was plain, but serviceable. It was also dark. Something Zuko was glad of because of his head. There was however a single candle lit which meant it didn’t take him long to discover that what he was searching for wasn’t in the room.
Carefully, trying not to cough he slid out from under the covers and shivered. It felt cold in here even though Zuko’s mind told him that wasn’t true. He placed his feet on the floor, and gripping his hands into fists he stood. His knees held. Wobbling slightly he walked to the dresser where the water pitcher stood and moved it and the glass to the table beside the bed. He would want those before long. But he didn’t get back into bed where it was warm. There was another need he needed to take care of first.
Legs still shaking he reached for the door, but his knees chose that moment to give out on him. Zuko reached for the bedside table to catch himself but only succeeded in bringing it down with a crash. The water pitcher clattered down with it, slopping water everywhere and rolling across the floor.
It didn’t take long before Zuko heard footsteps running for the door. The girl burst into the room. Zuko could see her clearly now. Petite, but not tiny, gray eyes, and auburn hair held out of her face by a brown kerchief. But he barely spared her a glance, just sat on the floor and waited, hoping Hagi or his Uncle would enter behind her. The girl however was not to be ignored.
“What do you think you are doing? If you wanted water you could have called for someone! You’re not to be out of bed!”
Zuko said nothing. She didn’t really need to know, though if she didn’t let him up he was going to have to embarrass himself and tell her . . . how did one go about telling a girl a thing like . . .
“Well are you going to answer me?” He was saved as Hagi ran into the room
Hagi swooped down and lifted Zuko off the floor. As he did so Zuko managed to voice his concern in his crewman’s ear. Better to ask Hagi for help then to disgrace himself in front of the girl. In a movement so fluid it was almost unnoticeable Hagi changed from helping Zuko to the bed to helping him walk out of the room.
“Wait where are you taking him!” the girl called after.
“I’ll have him back in a minute.” Hagi called over his shoulder, supporting Zuko from the room. Zuko had to admire the other man. He made it seem as if he was only steadying him, rather than practically carrying him from the room. It meant a great deal to Zuko to be able to appear to be walking on his own two feet at the moment.
“Thank you.” He managed as Hagi lead him to the out house.
When he returned the girl’s eyes were wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize . . .” she started.
“It’s nothing.” Zuko muttered as Hagi helped him back into bed. Zuko felt completely drained. All he wanted to do was sleep. Ignoring the others in the room he pulled the covers around himself as close as he dared in attempt to keep warm, and rolled over falling asleep almost immediately.
Zuko dreamed. It was strange, he knew they were dreams, but it seemed he was living everything over again. Memories came to surface as he slept.
He was about five. His Uncle had taken him on a tour of the main city before he left for the war. “Best you ask all your questions of me now,” Uncle Iroh had said, “before your father takes you tomorrow.” [/i]
They had not gone far when a man pelted Uncle Iroh with a tomato, hitting him squarely in the face and splattering Zuko as well with the red juice. Little Zuko steeled himself determined to watch the man punished with out crying. But Uncle Iroh did not punish him. In fact Iroh didn’t even seem angry. Instead he spoke calmly to the man. Finding out that the man was angry with the extra taxes levied on his shop. Uncle Iroh resolved the problem in a matter of minutes. The man walked away with a smile on his face. [/i]
Little Zuko noticed something else as he walked with his uncle. People Uncle Iroh didn’t even know would smile and wave as he passed. Those he did know would come out into the street to speak with him. The people would talk to Zuko too, if he was polite and smiled back. They usually told him to have a fun day with his uncle, though once an older woman told him he would do well not to anger his father. Zuko didn’t understand this at the time. He just thought she was telling him to be a good little boy.[/i]
[/i]
Two weeks later his father took him out. His mother was with his sister Azula, who was still little, but Zuko was older then she was, he was big enough to go. This time no one tried to talk to them. They all kept their heads down and went about their work. The five year old prince tried to wave to a few people who had been nice to him before, but his father gave him a stern look and Zuko stopped. Though the man at the candy store slipped him a piece when the Fire Lord wasn’t looking.[/i]
And then it happened. Zuko wasn’t too worried when nobody spoke to his father. He was the Fire Lord’s son after all, and people were supposed to respect him, not trouble him with small talk. but he saw the entire thing in a different light years later.[/i]
A farmer had thrown a cabbage at his father. Instead of handling the entire episode as Uncle Iroh had done, with a calm face and kind words, Ozai was furious. The Tomato had hit Uncle Iroh in the face, the cabbage missed completely, but the Ozai acted as if it hadn’t. If he’d been knocked flat on his back by a rampaging rhino he couldn’t have been madder.[/i]
The farmer realized his mistake too late. With in seconds the man’s clothing was afire and he was running down the street screaming. Ozai only smiled ruthlessly. “Let that teach them to throw food at me.” Zuko only hung his head ashamed. Why did his father have to hurt people? The little boy wondered.[/i]
[/i]
Zuko woke from the dream and grimaced. His head pounded, but the last thought from the dream was still clear in his mind. Why did his father have to hurt people? He was only awake for a few seconds, but in that small space of time he made a promise to himself. If he lived, he would take care of his people. He would protect them and care for them as a ruler should do. He had no place to hope to do that anymore. Somebody had ordered him assassinated, but he would do what ever it took to keep his people whole. If he had to shake the very foundations of the Fire Nation he would do it. If he had to betray everything, his father, his thrown, if he had to join the Avatar and teach him fire bending, he would do what ever it took!
He fell asleep promising himself this and when he awoke hours later, he had not forgotten.
Bedridden
***
Zuko awoke groggily. When he had fallen asleep he couldn’t remember. But the pain was dulled for the time being. Vaguely he remembered the girl bringing him the same vile liquid Hagi had made him drink. Zuko grimaced as he remembered, but he had to admit the stuff had worked. With his head not pounding for the moment, Zuko could think clearly. He wasn’t weak, at least he didn’t think he was, and he was thirsty, not to mention another need. He scrubbed his hand across his head as he thought and stopped.
It made perfect since to him that no one would have thought to shave his head while he was sick, there was a good amount of stubble across his scalp as well as his chin, but there was something missing. Earlier that year he had cut his hair to avoid notice, but since then it had grown a good four inches. (his hair had always grown fast) it wasn’t much compared to what he had once had, but once they had stopped hunting him, it had been long enough to start tying back again. But now, those four inches were gone. Who would dare . . .
The thought slipped away in light of other matters. Looking around, and struggling to breath. Zuko made an assessment of the room. It was plain, but serviceable. It was also dark. Something Zuko was glad of because of his head. There was however a single candle lit which meant it didn’t take him long to discover that what he was searching for wasn’t in the room.
Carefully, trying not to cough he slid out from under the covers and shivered. It felt cold in here even though Zuko’s mind told him that wasn’t true. He placed his feet on the floor, and gripping his hands into fists he stood. His knees held. Wobbling slightly he walked to the dresser where the water pitcher stood and moved it and the glass to the table beside the bed. He would want those before long. But he didn’t get back into bed where it was warm. There was another need he needed to take care of first.
Legs still shaking he reached for the door, but his knees chose that moment to give out on him. Zuko reached for the bedside table to catch himself but only succeeded in bringing it down with a crash. The water pitcher clattered down with it, slopping water everywhere and rolling across the floor.
It didn’t take long before Zuko heard footsteps running for the door. The girl burst into the room. Zuko could see her clearly now. Petite, but not tiny, gray eyes, and auburn hair held out of her face by a brown kerchief. But he barely spared her a glance, just sat on the floor and waited, hoping Hagi or his Uncle would enter behind her. The girl however was not to be ignored.
“What do you think you are doing? If you wanted water you could have called for someone! You’re not to be out of bed!”
Zuko said nothing. She didn’t really need to know, though if she didn’t let him up he was going to have to embarrass himself and tell her . . . how did one go about telling a girl a thing like . . .
“Well are you going to answer me?” He was saved as Hagi ran into the room
Hagi swooped down and lifted Zuko off the floor. As he did so Zuko managed to voice his concern in his crewman’s ear. Better to ask Hagi for help then to disgrace himself in front of the girl. In a movement so fluid it was almost unnoticeable Hagi changed from helping Zuko to the bed to helping him walk out of the room.
“Wait where are you taking him!” the girl called after.
“I’ll have him back in a minute.” Hagi called over his shoulder, supporting Zuko from the room. Zuko had to admire the other man. He made it seem as if he was only steadying him, rather than practically carrying him from the room. It meant a great deal to Zuko to be able to appear to be walking on his own two feet at the moment.
“Thank you.” He managed as Hagi lead him to the out house.
When he returned the girl’s eyes were wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize . . .” she started.
“It’s nothing.” Zuko muttered as Hagi helped him back into bed. Zuko felt completely drained. All he wanted to do was sleep. Ignoring the others in the room he pulled the covers around himself as close as he dared in attempt to keep warm, and rolled over falling asleep almost immediately.
Zuko dreamed. It was strange, he knew they were dreams, but it seemed he was living everything over again. Memories came to surface as he slept.
He was about five. His Uncle had taken him on a tour of the main city before he left for the war. “Best you ask all your questions of me now,” Uncle Iroh had said, “before your father takes you tomorrow.” [/i]
They had not gone far when a man pelted Uncle Iroh with a tomato, hitting him squarely in the face and splattering Zuko as well with the red juice. Little Zuko steeled himself determined to watch the man punished with out crying. But Uncle Iroh did not punish him. In fact Iroh didn’t even seem angry. Instead he spoke calmly to the man. Finding out that the man was angry with the extra taxes levied on his shop. Uncle Iroh resolved the problem in a matter of minutes. The man walked away with a smile on his face. [/i]
Little Zuko noticed something else as he walked with his uncle. People Uncle Iroh didn’t even know would smile and wave as he passed. Those he did know would come out into the street to speak with him. The people would talk to Zuko too, if he was polite and smiled back. They usually told him to have a fun day with his uncle, though once an older woman told him he would do well not to anger his father. Zuko didn’t understand this at the time. He just thought she was telling him to be a good little boy.[/i]
[/i]
Two weeks later his father took him out. His mother was with his sister Azula, who was still little, but Zuko was older then she was, he was big enough to go. This time no one tried to talk to them. They all kept their heads down and went about their work. The five year old prince tried to wave to a few people who had been nice to him before, but his father gave him a stern look and Zuko stopped. Though the man at the candy store slipped him a piece when the Fire Lord wasn’t looking.[/i]
And then it happened. Zuko wasn’t too worried when nobody spoke to his father. He was the Fire Lord’s son after all, and people were supposed to respect him, not trouble him with small talk. but he saw the entire thing in a different light years later.[/i]
A farmer had thrown a cabbage at his father. Instead of handling the entire episode as Uncle Iroh had done, with a calm face and kind words, Ozai was furious. The Tomato had hit Uncle Iroh in the face, the cabbage missed completely, but the Ozai acted as if it hadn’t. If he’d been knocked flat on his back by a rampaging rhino he couldn’t have been madder.[/i]
The farmer realized his mistake too late. With in seconds the man’s clothing was afire and he was running down the street screaming. Ozai only smiled ruthlessly. “Let that teach them to throw food at me.” Zuko only hung his head ashamed. Why did his father have to hurt people? The little boy wondered.[/i]
[/i]
Zuko woke from the dream and grimaced. His head pounded, but the last thought from the dream was still clear in his mind. Why did his father have to hurt people? He was only awake for a few seconds, but in that small space of time he made a promise to himself. If he lived, he would take care of his people. He would protect them and care for them as a ruler should do. He had no place to hope to do that anymore. Somebody had ordered him assassinated, but he would do what ever it took to keep his people whole. If he had to shake the very foundations of the Fire Nation he would do it. If he had to betray everything, his father, his thrown, if he had to join the Avatar and teach him fire bending, he would do what ever it took!
He fell asleep promising himself this and when he awoke hours later, he had not forgotten.
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