[open to all!]

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

The medical care available on Stacy is far beyond anything that the Four Nations had, better even than the powers of skilled waterbenders to heal. Which is why Zuko is lying in discomfort now, not raging agony, as the burn on his back heals.

Because of the location of the injury, he's lying on his stomach on a specialized cot, with his arms supported by low rests below his body. The open welts on his back are not entirely healed, and have been left exposed to the open air to allow the heat to keep fading. Occasionally Zuko breathes out as he uses his own firebending to try to expel some of the burn's excess heat.

He could ask to be put to sleep while the healing process continues, but he hasn't. He has too much to think about.

Comments

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"Kaya," Aang said, turning to her before she left. "Kaya, we may not remember you, and right now--right now we have a lot to take care of, to figure out. But I want you to know you're welcome to be friends with us--as you. For real this time. I know I'd like to get to know who you really are, and it's not your fault Stacy did what she did to all of us. It's not your fault what she did to you."

Basically, they had no ill will towards her for this and even wanted to be friendly, just...after they'd taken care of all the problems that'd been suddenly dumped onto their laps.

"So when you take care of your friends..."

Come on back to them.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"Come back when you're done talking to them."

Zuko finishes what Aang started. For one thing -

"We're probably going to need a good waterbender if we're going to keep Azula under control. You've got an investment in this, too - you know her, you know what she's capable of."

For another thing - Zuko knows what it's like to half that half-in, half-out feeling, with one voice telling him he's supposed to be part of a group, and another - an inner one - telling him he's not.

He remembers that sense of displacement, when he came to the Gaang on the ship expecting to have to convince them of his goodwill . . . and hearing that they'd already been convinced, and had befriended them for actions that he didn't yet remember making. He can only imagine that what she's going through now is hugely more disorienting.

"We need you."

Whoever she is.

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

Whatever. Mai didn't really care if someone else got added to the little group or not. Even if they had thought she was Katara for the longest time. The part about having her memories modified? That disturbed her. That bothered her. But she was more worried about Azula. She waited for Kaya to leave before she finally turned on Aang.

"If we're completely finished with dealing with that..."

She didn't jab a finger at him. Or point. Or anything so dramatic. All she did was talk. The tone of her voice got her point across clearly enough.

"If you're inability to act and do the right thing gets Zuko hurt again, I'll do it for you. And next time, I'm not going to miss."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

It was reassuring, at least, that Aang and Zuko said those things. She had always wanted to be more than just at arms length with the Avatar crew: it had taken her awhile to realize that. It had always started as a need to protect the nations, that it was the duty of anyone in this world to join the Avatar. It was that need that had her seek out Katara as a Master.

And gradually, she envied their close bond.

But Mai's words snapped her back to reality. She wanted to believe it was the best plan to prevent Mai from being shut in the brig. But if she had, Zuko wouldn't even be here.

She has chosen wrong. But that wouldn't happen again, if that chance came back. She would have to make a decision that protected her friends.

And with that thought, she headed towards the City, intending to go straight to Billy and Ronnae's.

[theregularguy.livejournal.com]

"Lay off, Mai. Even Zuko thinks he did the right thing. And look, I kind of agree! But she's not a threat to any of us now that she's locked up. And if we talk to the captain, I bet he'll make sure she stays locked up." Sokka crossed his arms, finally clambering back to his feet.

"Aang is the Avatar. And I trust him to make the right decisions. Even if he needs a bit poking and prodding in one direction or another sometimes." He grinned over at Aang.

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"No, Sokka, she has a right to be angry."

He'd promised. Even if maybe Zuko was the type to make that promise hard to keep.

"But it's my job to protect life--all life if that can be done. That included Ozai. That also means Azula. Even if I wasn't respecting the sovereignty of the Fire Nation on this and the Firelord's right to handle Fire Nation war criminals the way he sees fit," his eyes darted to Zuko and back to Mai, "I'd still have to do it this way."

The expression on his face that he gave Mai was sympathetic. His resolve on this was unbending, though.

"If it ever comes to that, if one of us is caught in some horrible moment where we have to kill her to save lives, then...then we'll do what we each think is right. But killing her in cold blood or after surrender or when she's unconscious on the floor..."

"If it's done, it needs to be life or death, right at that moment. Because of the laws of this ship, because her life is not worth imprisonment or Stacy's Punishment. And...because it's a life. Because she's sick."

She was insane. Dangerous, yes, but insane. Not faking it. Genuinely mad, sick in a way that no person every should have to be. Maybe there was no way to fix it, maybe she should be punished for her crimes, but to punish her for that, that was more difficult.

"Evil, definitely...but sick."

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

"I'm not talking to you, Sokka," Mai's voice was quiet, but there was still that edge of steel and cold anger. "Be quiet."

She listened to Aang, half-tempted to interject every time he spoke. But she waited. She listened. And once she was sure that he was finished, she began again.

"Well, that's fascinating. I hadn't noticed that she was insane."

Ah, sarcasm. A wonderful tool.

"I don't care if she's sick. I don't care if she's faking it. Either way, she's still a danger - an immediate danger. If she's conscious? She's going to be trying to kill us. All of us. Do you really think she'd care if any of us tried to surrender? If we were helpless in front of her, you know what she'd do. You all do!"

And for once her anger comes to bear on the rest of them.

"None of you seem to get it - showing someone mercy who'd never show you any? Isn't smart. It isn't moral. It's just weak and it's going to get one of you killed one day!"