•𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲•

16

A/N: Thank you very much for 500 reads! It means a lot!

Is it bad that I've noticed that whenever I read anything now I try and see how I can improve my writing and look for some new phrases and terms to use? Wattpad has broken me, it's official.

I didn't really like this chapter, so I hope you do. 

Katara's POV

     The sun streamed through the cave, waking up the waterbender. The days of sleeping on rocks and tree branches had made her constantly stiff and she longed for her bed back home. It may have been small, but it was warm and she had a soft quilt to use. Now she wouldn't say it was cold, Zuko seemed to be like a furnace, but using a jacket as a blanket wasn't exactly comfortable.

     She yawned slightly and stretched, trying to remove the knots in her back. Today would be another day of healing, and maybe she could find them some more stable food. The bread she had turned moldy by now and her berries were turning brown. All they had was her jerky... and her meal from the Bei Fongs. It was awful and selfish of her, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it.

     She turned to look at Zuko, who was surprisingly still asleep. From the short time they'd spent together, she found he was a morning person. He said his firebending was powered by the sun, while her waterbending was powered by the moon.

     Zuko had turned his body so he was facing away from her, and she debated waking him up. Lightly tapping his shoulder, she frowned when he continued to stay asleep, breathing softly. After tapping him again, it suddenly occurred to her that maybe he wasn't okay.

    She moved him over and he started to stir. But after taking one look at him, Katara felt sick to her stomach. His face was pale and sweaty, but he was shivering slightly. She tenderly felt his forehead, before pulling it back. It was way too hot to be healthy, even for a firebender.

     Katara moved towards his bandages and quickly peeled them off. At the sight she saw, she cursed violently under her breath. The once-healing cut was now red and inflamed and starting to reopen. His leg had gotten infected.

     Katara put her head in her hands. How could I let this happen? She had been so careful. The water she used on his leg was cleaned, everything was sterile. Then it struck her.

     It was Azula's knife.

     It had to have had some sort of dirt on it when he had been cut! Katara cursed once more and pulled out her water. The waterbender may have been semi-experienced in her healing, but she didn't know how to treat infections! Only antibiotics could do that, and she didn't have any in her first aid kit.

     A groan from Zuko interrupted her frantic thoughts.

     "Katara?" He asked. His voice sounded weak.

      Katara went to his side and tore off a strip of her jacket. She dipped it into her water bottle and placed the fabric on his forehead. "You're leg's taken a turn for the worse," she said, not trying to beat around the bush. "It has an infection."

     Zuko didn't respond and Katara sighed. He must be furious with her, that she would let this happen. Any bond they would have formed by now would be broken.

     "I'm going to try and draw the infection out, but it won't be easy."

     "You can do it, I trust you."

      Katara would have preferred it if he screamed and yelled and said he never wanted to talk to her again. It would all have been easier than handling the faith he was giving her. But she just nodded and continued holding the damp fabric to his forehead.