A World Of Grey (Legend of Korra)

Chapter 47

The motorcycle did not belong to him, but the road was his. Expletives slung out of rolled down windows and blaring car horns as he swerved past didn't faze him. Neither did the whoop of a siren as he sped straight through a set of lights. Wind whipped through his hair and scratched at his eyes, narrowed against the moisture threatening to blind them. Nothing was going to stop him getting there, certainly not the patrol car hot on his tail.

Bringing it to a skidding halt, Mako jumped off the motorcycle. He twisted and ripped the keys from the ignition as his pursuer drew up with a screech of rubber beside him, door thrown open before the car had fully stopped. Mako stuffed his colleague's forcefully taken keys into his pocket, pulled out his badge and shoved it into his fellow cop's face.

"This is an emergency," he said, and without waiting for the man's response, Mako turned and ran towards the hospital's entrance.

--                

Lin could not sit down. Despite her armour it was too comfortable, and she did not want to feel comfortable. She didn't have the right. So she stood, pacing in front of the door with her arms tightly folded.

Her eyes were narrow, watching her feet. There were several metalbenders with her; two covered either end of the corridor, stoic and solid. A terrible lesson had been learned today. She was taking every precaution and absolutely no chances. Her head snapped up and around at the sound of a shout. When she saw him come tearing around the corner, a nurse and officer on his heels, Lin felt something buried uncomfortably deep within her twist.

Mako threw off an attempt to grab his arm and didn't stop for the man blocking entry into the corridor. He shouldered right through him, spinning him out of his way. Lin barked and stopped the metalbender in his tracks before he could leap into action. That left Mako running directly towards her. The look on his face told Lin he barely registered her presence. Lin didn't think he did even after she intercepted him.

"I need to see –"

"You need to calm down," she spoke over him.

Mako snarled at her. "Get the hell off me, Lin."

She fisted her hands into his jacket. "Get a hold of yourself!" Lin said sharply, pinning him to the wall. "You are still an officer of the law, and so long as you continue to flaunt that badge you have in your hand you will act appropriately. Do I make myself clear?"

His eyes were angry and desperate. "I need to see her!"

"She is being tended to as we speak," Lin told him. "Do you want to barge in there right now and disrupt the people trying to help her like a selfish brat?" She shook him. "Is that what you want, Mako?"

He swallowed hard, pulling his eyes away from hers. "No."

She let him go. "Take a seat, Detective."

Lin gestured to her officers at the corridor's ends with a hand held flat and low. They nodded, turning back to their posts. She looked to Mako afterwards. He sat leaning forwards, almost at the edge of the curved plastic chair. His shoulders were tight, hunched and his hands fumbled with his badge. He turned it over and over and Lin watched him. He looked so lost. She thought she should say something to him. It seemed like the right thing to do. But no words came to her lips.

Mako began to shake his head. "I promised I would protect her."

"We all did," Lin replied. "It's our duty."

But Mako just shook his head, staring down at his badge. A crease formed in Lin's brow. She finally sat down, beside him, and after debating with herself brought her hand up to his shoulder. The one thing Lin could not do was lie to him. She couldn't tell him everything was going to be alright.