First burn

Healing break

Katara panted as she was exhausted from healing Zuko for hours but she was determined. Sokka held his arms down through the majority of it so Zuko didn't hurt his sister or himself. But for how long ago he was attacked, the poison was more spread out.

"Katara you need to take a break," Sokka gulped a little.

"Once he wakes up," Katara wiped under her nose and pulled water from the bowl again and touched gently over zukos wounds to pull the poison once again. There was so much more.

Zuko choked on a cry but Sokka covered his mouth for Katara to focus. He cried with his face scrunching up and Sokka could feel a few tears of pain roll down zukos face.

Katara pulled quickly and zukos eyes snapped open with a louder scream.

"Get off!" He shoved Sokka off him.

"Zuko you need to stay still!" Sokka grunted grabbing his wrist to pin down again.

Katara couldn't help but pull her hands back and let Zuko have a moment to breathe now that he was conscious.

"Thanks for finally waking up," Katara wiped under her nose but paused seeing she was now bleeding from her nose. She must've hit her limit.

"I find it funny your more pissed about me being stabbed than concerned," Zuko groaned and shoved Sokka off again to get his hands back.

"Day one of us being married, I'm not getting widowed on day one," Katara inhaled a deep breath and sat on the bed with him. Grabbing the other cloth to hold to her nose.

"Are you okay?" Sokka saw the blood on the cloth.

"Just a bloody nose, I'll survive," she huffed.

"Sokka can you get more water for me please?" She asked her brother softly, keeping her eyes off Zuko while the prince was gathering his thoughts.

"Yea, I'll let dad know he's awake," Sokka nodded suspiciously and left the room.

"How bad is it?" Zuko gulped.

"Someone really hates You," Katara said flatly. He smiled a little looking up.

"Did you get a look at their face?" She asked finally glancing at him.

"Kind of, I've never seen them in the palace before though," Zuko inhaled a sharp breath as he tried sitting himself up.

"Stop I haven't finished," Katara put her hand on his chest to stop him from moving to much.

"I've been trying to get the poison out but you have a lot, on top of that I finally got you to stop bleeding, you've lost a lot of blood," she scoffed shaking her head.

"No wonder I feel like shit," he coughed a little. Zuko looked pale and sick but he fully trusted he'd be okay in her care.

"How Yue?" Zuko leaned back against the head board of his bed.

"Fever but she'll have a healthy recovery," Katara pulled her hand back from his chest looking annoyed. Zuko felt guilty seeing her expressions.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"What? Don't be stupid, you didn't asked to get stabbed twice," Katara moved the bowl of poison to a side table.

"Shit hurt but I should've done something, I've been out for what, since last night to all of today? That's pathetic," he scoffed looking to the side. Looking out the window. It was so late in the day, he wasted to much time.

"You're only human, we need to find who did this, especially before my tribe leaves," Katara turned her back to him.

Zuko stared at the ceiling feeling the room spinning as he laid still, it almost felt like he was going to fall but he hasn't moved. He counted his breathes making sure he would still breathe, like he would forget otherwise.

"Do you think it was my dad?" He whispered.

Katara gulped looking back at him sadly, they might be married but they both were still kids in a way. There must've been an open wound inside zukos heart of how much his own father hated him.

"I don't think he'd send an assassin, and on your wedding night? Doesn't seem like something Ozai would do," she placed a cold cloth on his forehead with a small smile.

"I'm going to go see where Sokka is, you rest," Katara touched the side of his face gently, her fingers brushing past his scar.

But he grabbed her wrist, desperation in his eyes.

"Please don't leave," Zuko rasped.

Her heart fluttered. Katara could feel her ears burning.

"Okay, I won't, I'll stay by your side," she nodded sitting back down on the bed, touching his forehead concerned. There was a warm feeling in her chest seeing him relax with her words.

"You should still rest, we're not done," Katara sighed. Zuko looked at her and nodded understanding.

"Does it hurt still? You were in a lot of pain before it seemed like," she asked in a low tone with her eyes looking at his wounds. The skin seemed close to infection but hopefully she can fix that too.

"I just feels like it's burning, like hot metal," Zuko grunted.

"It's from a plant not from the fire nation," a new voice came in the room. Mai.

"It's earth kingdom, i heard from the princess that you were the target, not her, so my guess they wanted to kill the next fire lord," Mai had her arms crossed as she walked over to the married couple.

"What about Azula or Ozai?" Zuko asked sitting up despite Kataras complaints.

"They're not harmed but we found three gold coins, at each of your doors," Mai set the coins they found on the nightstand. "With what went down with you and the water girl, they must've retreated from the attention,"

"You think they're still here?" Katara pursed her lips and saw two servants come in with medical equipment.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Azula told me to stay close to you in case of another accident, ty Lee is with her," Mai crossed her arms narrowing her eyes.

"Can we switch?" Katara raised a brow.

Mai glared as a servant handed Zuko a glass of water, Katara glanced over her shoulder at the servant, she took the glass from Zuko seeing his hands shaking a little. She kept her hand on top of the cup.

"I'm all the protection Zuko will need, I'm a water bender," Katara bended the water out of the glass and turned it into an ice dagger.

"And his wife," she gripped it tightly.

Mai growled a little and nodded.

"Future fire lord is in your hands, dont fuck it up," Mai scoffed. She set her knife on the nightstand and gave Katara a stern look, a mutual look.

"we'll be fine," Katara said calmly but took the knife nodding.

Mai walked out with one of the other servants and closed the door behind her, Katara slid the blade on the side of her boot with a calm look.

"You know it'll be okay," Zuko sighed holding his side.

"I'm not going to die, I think I just need to sleep it off now," he shrugged a little.

"I know, is it okay if I go for a walk? I'll stay in the hall," Katara gulped standing up from the bed.

"I'm not your keeper, go ahead," Zuko smiled a little laying back down in the bed.

Katara smiled back as she gave another glance at the servant who stayed quiet.

"I think prince Zuko would like to be alone now, your assistance isn't needed," Katara stood tall watching him closely.

"Yes princess," the servant nodded walking out.

"Yell for me if you need to zuko, I'm close by," Katara opened the door for the servant. He groaned a little back not lifting his head as she closed the door.

The servant started walking away but Katara turned the ice dagger into water and slammed her water against the servant to freeze him against the wall. She grabbed the blade from her boot and held it to his neck.

"How the fuck did you get in the palace Jet?" Katara sneered in the boys face.