InsaneJournal

... getting shot sucks...
Who:
What: Iroh, Zuko, Mai
When: Last night, after the log with the bullets
Where: At Zuko's house
Ratings/Warnings: PG-13, mentions of violence
Status: Complete!



The moments after Zuko had arrived at the door, carrying an injured Mai with him, had been mostly filled with the acts of getting the injured girl inside, settled, and comfortable. Iroh was concerned for both of them and disappointed with Zuko, though at least at first he held his tongue for Mai’s benefit.

There were few places in the house that she could sleep if she’d be staying there a while, and the more fatherly part of Iroh was thinking through the different places she could sleep that weren’t Zuko’s bed, while flipping through a book of contacts he kept. He didn’t think very highly of the ‘doctor’ they’d chosen, and was intent on finding a real one for her. The child was under his roof now, and that made her his responsibility.

“I suppose you are going to glare at me when I suggest this, but I am thinking that we will settle Mai into my bed for now, and I will sleep on the couch. This way your coming and going will not disturb her. And I am going to call a real doctor.”

Zuko did indeed glare at him. He wanted Mai as close to him as possible. For several reasons, “No. We took care of it, no doctors.”

The older man didn’t look convinced, and he shook his head at Zuko, “Did that doctor give her antibiotics? Painkillers? Gunshot wounds are messy things, Zuko.”

“Yes, and yes. I know, I've been shot before.”

In response to that, his Uncle’s face fell a bit, and he made an increasingly disappointed and generally displeased expression. That Zuko had been hiding something like that from him was extremely saddening. And that was putting aside the fact that he’d had to experience that at all.

“It went bad, there's a leak somewhere.” Zuko’s voice had quieted.

Iroh let out a very long sigh. This was part of the reason why he’d never wanted Zuko to get involved in the family business, “I do not want to know. I will keep an eye on her tomorrow for you, while you do your work.”

His tone spoke volumes for the way he thought about the situation, though he left it at that and spared his nephew the lecture. He felt old, today, older than usual, older than his own age. He headed down the hallway to the kitchen to make some tea, and think.

“Uncle..”

Iroh stopped and looked back at Zuko over his shoulder, “Mmm?”

He looked a little earnest, “I was trying to do some good. Help someone. There has to be a way to do things without compromising ourselves. I'll find it.”

At that admission, and especially the look on his nephew’s face, Iroh smiled. He walked back over to Zuko and clapped him on the shoulder, then squeezed a bit, “Go and see to your girl.”

Zuko nodded, and jogged upstairs to see to Mai. He kissed her immediately!

Up in Zuko’s bedroom, Mai was floating on a delicious cloud of painkillers, and Zuko’s sheets were the best thing ever. His bed was soft, and his pillows were even softer, and life was beautiful. Except for the part where she’d just undergone surgery in the backroom of some random house somewhere.

“How are you feeling?”

Her reply was slurred and extremely relaxed, “... your bed ... very comfy...”

“Glad you think so, you're staying there a couple of days.”

“Nnhgh.” Mai didn’t like that idea. Azula’d been counting on her to watch the condo while everyone was gone, and there was mini fuzzy rat-thing zuko, too, “Need to go ... chinchilla is all alone. Have things at home...”

“I'll take care of it. Promise.”

“... getting shot sucks...” Mai observed, after a few seconds of just laying there.

“ ..I know.”

The fact that Zuko knew what she was going through wasn’t really very reassuring. She weakly raised her good hand and tried to punch him on the arm with it, “You shouldn’t.”

Zuko smirked, “It happens sometimes. Dad had to make sure I knew how it felt.”

If he was implying what she thought he was implying, she wanted to do more than punch his father. How could a man do that to their own children? Her mouth hung open a bit.

“What?”

“... Zuko” She mumbled, after collecting herself a bit, “ ... you fucking idiot...”

“ I don't understand?”

Mai closed her eyes and shook her head, then tried to get him to understand, “How do you feel about the guy that shot me?”

"I want to kill the bastard. Punch his face in," Zuko replied.

"You let your father shoot you, how do you think I feel about him?" Mai snorted. She was
too high on painkillers to really monitor what she was saying.

"It was part of my initiation." He shrugged his shoulder, like it was no big deal, "Admittedly yours wasn't mean to be so violent."

"That's bullshit, Zuko... Listen to yourself."

Zuko's lips thinned out, and he looked down at his hands, "What was I supposed to have done?"

Mai cracked an eye open and reached her hand out for his, then squeezed it lightly, "Not let your father hurt you like that."

"He already thought I was a weakling." Of course he'd cried out. Not screamed, but it was enough for a derisive snort. Zuko rubbed absently at his shoulder.

"That's what that scar was..." Mai hated Ozai. Officially, now.

"It adds a bit of toughness and street cred," Zuko tried to explain. His hand went to the non-existent scar on his face, and he wondered if Ozai had been aiming for his heart.

"oh great... I have toughness and street cred now..." her voice wavered a bit, and it sounded for a moment like Mai was going to burst into tears. It'd been a long day and honestly most girls in her position would have passed out by now. There certainly seemed to be water trickling out of her eyes, but she wasn't sobbing.

Zuko carefully hugged her, avoiding her hurt arm, "You're strong. You'll come through this. I've never been so scared in my life, when I saw you go down..Or as pissed off."

"... lady talked like she'd been there ..." she observed absently, while leaning in against him, "That's no gun shop owner. We could use her."

"Yeah. I like her." Zuko kissed her ear, "I think that's not a bad idea. Not so sure about the other guy though."

"You're ... not going anywhere, right?" She was starting to feel like she'd pass out any second now, but was actually a little afraid that if she did, she'd never wake up. Despite the fact that the danger had passed.

"Not right now!" Zuko shifted, letting her use him for a pillow or blanket or whichever she needed. He glanced down at his hands and wondered at the danger within them.

She was indeed using him as a pillow. A pillow that felt amazing, because he felt amazing, even his clothing did, but the heat of him came through the clothing, too. And that was even more amazing.

She closed her eyes again and smiled, "Love you, you know..."

Zuko swallowed, and kissed her, "Get some rest...."

He added, mouth against her ear so she could hear him clearly, "Love you too, Mai."