Between Fire and Water

Cathexis

Iroh settled himself down at his little work table. Zishi sat across from him, slowly spinning her finger in the air. She was bending the water inside the cups to help the flavor of the leaves seep into the liquid. 

The colonel cleared his throat. "So why were you abusing the ship?"

Although his tone was light hearted, Zishi stiffened. Her hand clenched, and the liquid inside the cups stopped swirling. "I was reassigned."

Iroh's brow furrowed. "Where could you have been transferred to that's so horrible?"

Her blue eyes slammed shut as she informed him of her new position in the medical bay. She missed the confusion that lined his face, but there was no ignoring his question.

"I thought you were already working there?"

Zishi sighed and set her head down on the table. The beginnings of a headache were forming behind her eyes, but she ignored it. "Strange series of events, actually."

"But the way you spoke to me while we in the med bay really made it seem like-" he started to say.

The water bender slammed her hands onto the table, her head shooting up as she unleashed her rage. "I used to volunteer at a hospital, and I patched up more than a few broken people. I thought when my father suggested I learn healing that it was because he was tired of me coming home battered from pro bending matches. But once I picked it up, he started pushing me to stay home at the shop and work some more or to use my talents at the hospital. Then I caught him talking to an old man from the Northern water tribe, and they were talking about how I was such a rebellious girl just because I wasn't a delicate little flower. A couple other things happened, and I ended up joining the military."

Iroh's frozen amber eyes regarded her, but his expression remained unchanged. Zishi felt her face warm up as she realized what she had unloaded. 

"I- I'm not saying I joined the military just to spite my father," she hastily added. 

The man across from her simply chuckled. "No, I can understand that feeling. I've never really dealt with it personally, but I know plenty of people who acted out because they felt stifled."

Zishi took a moment to sip her tea. It still was a bit weaker than she'd like, but it was still better than nothing. Besides, if it gave her a chance to avoid Iroh's eyes for a moment, she would drink a whole pot of weak tea. 

"What matters, Zishi, is whether or not you continue to work hard. Every position is important; defenders of peace, navigators, healers, everyone is vital to keep us running. Why you work hard is irrelevant; what is important is that no one slacks off from what they are meant to do."

"I'm not meant to be a healer," she snapped before she caught herself. "I'd rather be on the front lines."

Amber eyes studied her for a long minute. "I'll see of we can reach some sort of middle ground. Perhaps we can adjust your duties to be a front line healer, an immediate medic who stabilizes the injured enough that they can taken back to where they can be properly cared for," the colonel offered after a short pause. 

Zishi sighed, knowing that it was as close to a compromise as she'd get. 

Something warm brushed against her hand.  Zishi jerked away, startled, only to see Iroh sheepishly pulling his hand away. 

"Far whatever it's worth, Zishi," Iroh said. "I think that being a healer requires more courage and talent than fighting, and any decent healer is worth a whole platoon." 

A small smile softened her features, and the water and fire benders sat in comfortable silence as they drank their tea.