No matter the season, no matter the time of day, the wind in the North Pole pierced through furs, seal skins, and flesh alike. But rushing down roads of hard-packed snow and ice, from hut to hut, Mei Li felt nothing. Exhaustion stole away things like that, awareness and thought. There was energy for nothing eyes beyond staying on her feet and bending when needed. Ever since the treatment for this dreaded plague had been discovered, this had been her life, day in and day out.
Mei Li's father forced her to rest often. As a waterbender himself, he knew the toll healing took on the body, he knew the limits. However, when she was allowed to forget about the dead and the dying for a little while, all talked turned to her future, her plans. At nineteen, she was already too old to have no direction for her life, so her father said. He had only let it slide this long because of her duty as a healer.
"I want you taken care of, Mei Li. I want to know that you have a future beyond this..." Over the past few years, his face had aged, etched deep with worry and hardship. Mei Li often wondered if hers had suffered the same, but mirrors weren't a very common luxury in the homes of the common folk. There wasn't much use for them in the life of men and women whose appearances were appreciated by few.
Finally Mei Li came to her destination, a ways down the road. The hut was a small one, tucked away against one of the outer walls of solid ice, several meters thick, that surrounded the inner ring of the city. This inner ring was nothing like the sprawling labyrinths of lanes and mansions she'd heard existed inside the walls of Ba Sing Se, but it still separated the most prominent members of their society from the rest. To live right beside this wall, despite the size of the hut, meant this family was old and likely well off, which meant so were their guests. Money always meant prompt service.
A short formal bow, an introduction. It was all so automatic, like she herself was stuck in a repeating time loop.
"Ah yes. It is good to see you again, Miss Mei Li. When my aunt sent a letter to inform us that she and her family were coming north with their sick, I requested that you attend us again when they arrived. Your treatment of my son was a wonderful success." The patriarch of the house was an older gentleman, a long beard matching the white arctic fox bear fur he trimmed his robes in. A hint of memory of him remained, but nothing more than just a hint.
"Thank you. I am honored to serve you again..." The voice sounded so hollow, soft. Was it really hers?
The old bearded man's head bobbed a nod and he motioned for a younger woman to approach.
"This way." She gestured toward another entry way and pulled back the covering to allow Mei Li inside. "We believe they are only in stage two... so treatment should not be overly complicated."
"Thank you. Please stay away from the patients as much as possible," Mei Li replied, kneeling on the ground. The patients were both children, one no more than six or seven and the other potentially a teenager. The woman, whoever she was, was right. The disease had not progressed too far; these children would most definitely recover. That was a relief.
Mei Li uncorked a special skin at her waist that contained the concoction of medicines for the cure. She bent a thin stream of the liquid from her skin, splitting it into two smaller doses, beading them in the air.
Leaning over the teenage boy, she spoke to him softly, coaxing him to open his mouth. "I'm going to give you some medicine... just try to swallow and be still." He nodded weakly and accepted the bead of liquid as his dropped into his mouth and slid down his throat. Mei Li moved to the other child, delicately persuading her to do the same. Once both children had accepted the medicine, Mei Li stood to accomplish the rest.
Originally, this treatment had been regarded with fear, too closely related to bloodbending, the forbidden art. Now, it was acknowledged that it had saved far too may lives to forbid completely.
When it was finished, Mei Li stumbled through the thanks and the formalities before making her departure. Happiness bloomed in her chest every time she was able to believe a patient would live, but day after day of this... it was all starting to fade. Anymore, it wasn't enough...
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