The Thief And The Healer

Episode 5: Scrubs

Katara was happy for the distraction her evening shift at the hospital allowed. It was unnerving to know that there were people out looking for her this very minute.

Well, looking for the Painted Lady.

She knew she should be more worried, more concerned about her own safety...but in reality she was simply overjoyed. Phoenix Industries was after her, that meant she was making a difference. The Blue Spirit had talked about her posters and the people talking about her healing abilities. Even she had noticed more smiling faces each time she took a trip down to the Village.

Katara found herself smiling even more than usual as she finished her shift in the ER and made her rounds of the psych ward. She was wearing her blue scrubs that always made her feel a little more confident. They also had her thoughts straying to a particular thief more than she felt was appropriate.

"Why so smiley, Nurse Katara?"

"Oh, I had a good night, Mr. Xu." She held out his lucky hat for him to put on. Once he had, he settled down a little farther in his bed and announced. "It's Dock!"

"Sorry," Katara giggled with a respectful bow, "Dr. Xu."

"No, no, Xu is my brother!" He was still smiling, his mouth missing several teeth. "My name's Dock because I work on the docks."

Katara stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "And how were the docks this evening?"

"Oh, pretty nice actually. We were visited by a helpful spirit!"

Katara leaned in conspiratorially. "What kind of spirit?"

"Oh, she's a part of our ancestor's lore! The Painted Lady."

The nurse leaned back and tried not to appear flustered as Ty Lee walked in.

"You've heard of the Painted Lady before?" Katara asked.

"Oh yeah!" Dock/Xu insisted with an aggressive bobbing of his head. "She was one of the original waterbenders!"

Katara blanched but Ty Lee only snorted and crossed her arms. "Nice try. Bending is a myth. I choose to rely on facts and science."

"Bending is science!" Dock/Xu countered, also crossing his arms.

"What makes waving your body to make elements move scientific?" Ty Lee held her hands on her hips and frowned. It was unlike the bubblegum girl to bring a negative aspect to a conversation. Especially with a patient. Katara chose to remain silent.

"You know who you should ask that question? My brother, Mushi!" Dock/Xu reached behind his pillow and exchanged his nightcap for a small paper plate that he placed on top of his head.

"Alright! I'm Mushi," he said with a giant smile. The girls exchanged a glance but Mushi/Dock/Xu was undeterred.

"Science is how we understand the world around us," he started. "We'll never feel what it's like to be connected to the elements like the ancient's were. They were one with their environment. We pushed the elements too far and now they're broken, our world built on the pieces we've forced into submission while the rest flows around in chaos. You mark my words, girlie-" he wagged a finger at Ty Lee "-there will be no peace in this world until we learn how to bend the elements again and tame our own desire to own them."

"What a bunch of garbage," Ty Lee exclaimed as the two nurses entered the locker room at the end of the night. There was nobody else in the room which held a couch, a TV that had been left on, and a small kitchenette. To the left were two rows of lockers with a bench between them that the nurses used to store their personal items. They headed towards the lockers with dragging steps.