Chapter Text
Healer Sora Yueng had seen a lot in her many years as a healer for Republic City’s largest and busiest hospital. She had trained under arguably the greatest healer in the world and now was a well-respected mentor herself. Tonight was pretty average, not too busy nor quiet. Another new intern had started training under her and they spent the better part of the last hour removing small shards of glass from a poor woman who had fallen through a glass door.
Now, the healer was taking a break while she had the intern manning the new intake desk. Sora downed the rest of her tea, overhearing a conversation her intern was having with a new patient. She instantly recognized the voice and cursed the spirits for not giving her just one nice, calm and normal evening.
“I’m fine. It’s just my arm.”
The voice hitched as it sucked in a breath of obvious pain. Sora rolled her eyes as she started making her way to the front desk.
“Maybe a cracked rib.”
“Don’t forget whiplash.”
The new voice was also familiar to the healer but she was surprised. It had been quite some time since she had heard the two together.
“Shut it, Tenzin. Why are you even still here? Just get a healer over here and then I can leave.”
There’s her cue. Sora plastered a falsely sweet smile on her face as she rounded the corner to see one of her favorite patients; Republic City Police Chief Lin Beifong. The woman’s face contorted as she groaned.
“Of course you’re working tonight. I’m fine.”
I’m fine was the usual story and often meant that she was anything but. Sora couldn’t help a small chuckle as she saw Master Tenzin subtlety shaking his head at her over the Chief’s shoulder.
“On the off chance that you’re not completely fine why don’t you come on back and I’ll check you over?”
Lin grumbled something and Sora just smiled to herself. Getting Lin Beifong to submit to any kind of medical attention was a fine art and she was satisfied that she hadn’t lost her touch in said art.
“You can go home if you want, Master Tenzin. I assure you she’s in good hands.”
A look flashed across the airbender’s face.
“Or… you can wait down the hall unt-“
“Go home, airhead. I’ll be fine. And I’m sure your wife is worried about you.”
The healer couldn’t help but notice that the earthbender was making great efforts to avoid making eye contact with him. Apparently their relationship was still complicated after all these years. He really should be at home with his family. She had witnessed enough of the pair’s lives to feel a bit protective of Lin. Especially with that look he was giving her.
“Chief, the usual room is open if you want to head in.”
Without a word she turned and walked around the corner. Tenzin watched her as she left and Sora stepped directly into his line of vision.
“You should probably leave now, Master Tenzin.”
He looked at her and blinked rapidly as if coming out of a daze. He looked down, his cheeks reddening. He mumbled some sort of departing well wish before quickly making his retreat. Sora let out a sigh as she turned to her intern.
“I’ve got to take care of this one alone, hold down the fort while I’m in there.”
He nodded to her. There was a look of curiosity in his eyes that made her sigh again as she walked away. It was the look they always had when the Police Chief ended up there. She’d deal with his inevitable questions later.
Yosuke had been training under Master Healer Sora for about 3 weeks and tonight was easily the most exciting night so far. Seeing the son of the former Avatar and the Chief of Police was like seeing a couple of real life celebrities. He was immensely disappointed when his mentor had told he would be sitting out on the healing session with the Chief.
It was about an hour before he caught up with his teacher again. It was the middle of the night now and she looked exhausted. He was pretty tired himself but his excitement and curiosity about their current patient was enough to keep him wide awake.
“How is Chief Beifong? Was she hurt too badly?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, sitting down in a chair. After a moment she opened her eyes again and handed him a file.
“She’s lucky her broken ribs didn’t puncture a lung. Again.”
Her tone was exasperated but his eyes widened. A punctured lung was a very serious injury and the Chief of Police had survived one in the past. She obviously picked up on his expression and shook her head, waving a hand.
“Just go put this file away. And then I think we both need to get some sleep.”
He didn’t need telling twice, practically running down the hall to the room where they kept patient records. The records room wasn’t exactly organized. In fact, it had taken him several days to get used to the filing system. Some healers filed patients by just their first name since that was the only name many of their patients had. Others filed by last name first, when a last name was available. It wasn’t uniform and it took him a long time to figure out that he needed to stop trying to make sense of it and just check both places in the alphabet.
He quickly went to where the “B”s were stored and was excited when he quickly found the name Beifong. “Beifong, Lin” was first and his eyes widened again at how big the file was. He also caught a glimpse of an even larger file directly after, labeled “Beifong, Toph”. He felt goosebumps prickle his skin. He sometimes forgot that the legendary benders he heard about growing up were actual, real life people.
He pulled the current Chief Beifong’s folder out and opened it to put the newest file in it. He knew he shouldn’t but curiosity finally got the best of him and Yosuke flipped through some of the older files. He only picked up quick words and notes scribbled in the familiar handwriting of Sora.
Mild concussion… fractured ribs… broken ribs… significant and inevitable scarring… rare form of poison…
The poison one immediately piqued his interest and he pulled the file to read more.
“Chief Beifong was brought in, unconscious, by Master Tenzin with textbook symptoms of poison from-“
His reading was cut off by someone clearing their throat loudly. Yosuke turned around quickly to see Sora standing in the doorway with a knowing and somewhat amused look on her face. His face reddened as he closed the file and put it back in the folder. He quietly put it back in place and closed the drawer.
“Sorry, Sifu. I was just cur-“
“-ious. Yes. I gathered as much. Learn anything interesting?”
“That I do not want to get on Chief Beifong’s bad side.”
Sora laughed at that.
“You’ve got no idea, kid.”
She started to say something else but they were interrupted by another healer running up to her, out of breath.
“Sorry to interrupt, Master Sora. But Chief Beifong isn’t in her room.”
Yosuke looked away, trying to hide a smile as his mentor cursed loudly. She let out a frustrated groan before walking quickly back towards the patient rooms. He quickly followed after catching bits of the healer’s grumbling.
“That stubborn idiot!”
They came to an abrupt halt outside her office door. She walked in and around her desk, sitting down and pulling out a piece of paper. She furiously scribbled a note before opening a drawer. She took out a prepared small package and tucked the note inside the edge of the wrapping before holding it out for him to take.
“Would you please send this to this address? And be discreet about it.”
He took the package and waited as she wrote down an address on another piece of paper. He took it from her and she leaned back in her chair, hands clasped and resting on the top of her head. He immediately turned to leave but stopped abruptly as she called out.
“And Yosuke! I mean it about being discreet. I’ve spent many years earning Lin Beifong’s trust. And make sure the note doesn’t fall out!”
He started to move again but had to stop as the note in question slipped from the package. He quickly picked it up and couldn’t help but take a peak before shoving it back inside.
Lin,
Don’t move your arm too much and try to lay down so the ribs heal properly this time. You know where I am.
-Sora