Scene #5043: A flurry of bad decisions

Owner	Pose
Sokka	Sokka raced through the hospital, his heard pounding, left fist clenched. Right fist kind of limp. He'd punched a brick wall when he heard. The brick wall had won so it was still a little sore. An earth bender he was not. He hadn't gotten the details, just 'Toph is hurt and in the hospital' and was now in borderline panic mode. She'd have probably heard him running down the hospital hall on his way to see her. Then... stopping outside the door. Easy, Sokka. Easy. His heart was racing though and a thin layer of sweat coated him. Gently, he pushed open the door. "Hey... Toph. What's up? How you feeling?"
Toph Beifong	The medical section on the Ad Coelum is certainly something else, Toph has to admit that. But even so, it's medical. If it wasn't for the fact that she still felt weak and her back hurt, she would have gone home to Malibu and rest up there instead. But any suggestion of that was quickly shot down, and the blind earthbender resigned herself to staying put. And being bored. Reading lawbooks is less fun without Sokka, that's for certain. Mostly because she has to read it herself. Not to mention her concentration isn't the best right now. When Sokka enters the medical room, it should be easy enough to see Toph where she lies in bed on her front, the lawbook open in front of her, with her reading glove on her left hand. What more, since she's resting on her front her back is fully visible. She's wearing a hospital shirt, but it's put on the front, exposing her bandaged back. Also, she seems a bit paler than normal. A bit sluggishly she turns her head a bit towards the door, obviously a bit surprised as she didn't expect a visitor. "Sokka?" Though she seems happy enough now that she has somebody to talk with instead of having to read the book. "Was your radio off or something? I didn't hear you earlier today," she comments, wincing a bit as she pushes herself upright into a sitting position. "Honestly? I feel okay, but my back... ow... stings."
Sokka	Sokka walked forward, trying to keep calm. He put his left hand over hers. "No. I just got on. I was busy doing a project and... I had it turned off for a bit. I... I just heard. What happened? I didn't even know you were on a mission. How did you get hurt?" There was barely restrained panic in his voice and his hand was shaking slightly. His hand tightened over hers and he looked her over. She was hurt. Damn it. Why wasn't he there? He should have been there. He needed her. Why did this always happen? Why couldn't he be strong enough to protect those he cared about? His heart was pounding all the faster, despite the calm demeanor he was trying toshow.
Toph Beifong	"There was a local call about something attacking a farm, and I went there to help. Don't you read the reports?" Toph asks even as Sokka puts his hand on hers. Though she does seem to be listening intently, sighing a bit. "Sokka... calm down, I'm fine. It's not the first time I've gotten injured, you know," she points out. He might try to act calm, but then again... Toph is more perceptive than most seeing people are. There's no hiding that increased heart rate, nor is she ignorant about how his hand tightens over hers. Which is why she leans closer and places a soft kiss on Sokka's lips. "We all end up in medical now and then, that's part of the job, remember?" She did get angry at him for ending up in medical once, didn't she? It's something she can understand, but... she also knows Sokka. And he's probably worrying a lot more than he shows.
Sokka	Sokka pulled his hand back. He clenched his right fist too, but that brought a cringe of pain. "What... happened? I haven't... had a chance to look at the reports." He came here the moment he'd heard... after he'd stopped clutching his fist, though. He stared at her with a helpless, forelorn look that she fortunately couldn't see. "I should have been there, though," he muttered. Sure, it was fine when he got hurt. But the moment she does, suddenly it's the end of the world.
Toph Beifong	There's a slightly surprised look on Toph's face where she sits. Did... Sokka just flinch? There's no reason to not tell him what happened, so she shrugs a bit, her expression looking slightly pained as she does so. "Big flying thing killed some sheep with acid barf, it got my back before we managed to kill it." Toph is quite adept at summarising things, isn't she? "And you can't always be there, and I won't always be there for you either, even if I want to..." she adds carefully, reaching a hand out to him. "What did you do to your hand?" Don't think she wouldn't notice.
Sokka	Sokka nodded, staring at her. "I... still should have been there. I didn't even know you were on a mission. Whatk ind of boyfriend...." Then she notices. He glanced down at his hand and... "Nothing. I just cut it earlier, in the forge. Don't worry, it just looks a bit gross, it feels fine." He was lying. So, so lying. "How bad is it, how long until you'll get out?" he asked, trying to distract her. "Are you going to be okay?"
Toph Beifong	A heavy sigh leaves Toph, and she shakes her head. "You of all people should know I can tell when you're lying, Sokka..." she points out. "And they said I should stay here for a few days while my back heals up. There's still some poison left in my system too, but I'm better. If I don't stay here mom and dad will probably freak out too, I know the drill by now. So no sneaking out or anything like I used to do... it's a bit boring here though, I had nothing to do but to read law books," she snorts and gestures to the book by the foot of the bed.
Sokka	Sokka sighed and sat besides her. "It's fine. It barely hurts." Lying. "And... I'll stay then, too. keep you company. I can read you a few books, we can joke, have fun with it. It'll be like a regular old sleep over." His good hand rested on her side. "You won't have to be alone this time, okay? Heh." He tried to be chipper, but it leakedi nto his voice. The fear, the shame, the upset... the anger. he should have been there. he was SUPPOSED to be there. For her.
Toph Beifong	Okay, now Toph is starting to look annoyed... "You are /still/ lying," she states with a snort. "Get the nurses or the medics to look at your hand." And don't you dare try to lie again. Will they let Sokka stay here though? Toph looks pensive, then nods. "If they will let you, sure. I don't mind the company, it's so boring here..." Especially for a girl who's used to being active. Sitting still isn't something Toph usually does, now is it? "And sheesh, don't sound so down. I'm okay, so what are you so worried about? I've had worse," she adds. Though she does seem to move carefully, making it evident that her back is indeed hurting.
Sokka	Sokka sighed. "Fine. Don't worry. I can handle it." Hey, at least that wasn't a lie. He snorted, shaking his head. "They'll let me stay. And if not, well... I can always climb in a window or something. I'll find a way to sneak in, I'm clever like that," he said with a chuckle. "Worse case scenario, i get hurt and you have a roomie!"
Toph Beifong	Good, at least he's listening to her. That does make Toph look less tense where she sits. Though she does arch an eyebrow however as he continues talking. "Sokka, we're on a ship. Either my metalbending sucks, or they put them in after I got back into bed. Are you going to sneak in through the vents or something? And I swear, if you even /try/ to injure yourself so you can stay here then I'm going to punch you so hard that you /will/ need to stay here!" she threatens with a huff. There's a knock on the door, and one of the nurses walks in with a wash basin, as well as some medical equipment. "Miss Beifong, I'm here to change your wounds and apply some medicine to them again," she informs them, then looks at Sokka. Immediately though Toph raises her hand. "He can stay, he's my boyfriend. He's seen my back before," she assures the nurse, who seems to accept this as she goes to fill the wash basin at the sink.
Sokka	Sokka chuckled. "The air vents, huh? That could work. I've done it before, you know. Had a mission recently and--" Then a nurse. He shut up. "Yeah, I've seen your back. Your feet, your hand more times than I can count. Even saw your forehead coming at me at eighty miles an hour once. That one hurt," he teased, giving her hand another little squeezew. "Need any help?"
Toph Beifong	There's no reason to go in the air vents here, and it might even get Stadler on their backs. Which Toph doesn't need right now, as her back is a mess. That much should be clear after the nurse is done preparing the water, the medicine and the other items she needs to rebandage Toph's back. "You can help by keeping her distracted, and preferably hold her hands so she doesn't dent the sides of the bed again," the nurse says, gesturing to the bed rails. They're made of metal, and they're obviously been dented in several places. Considering there's a metalbender in the bed, it's easy enough to tell just who's responsible for that, isn't it? Toph rolls her eyes, then takes off her reading glove before she reaches both her hands out to Sokka's. "It's not like the bed is /useless/ now," she mutters under her breath. THen hisses when the nurse begins peeling away the bandages. Even with medical treatment, the marks in Toph's back are nasty to look at. Deep, red and inflamed... though it's clear the wounds are healing up by whatever advanced medicine they are using. So chances are Toph's back looked worse when she was first taken in here.
Sokka	Sokka snickered and nodded. "Of course. You kjnow, back home she's always so gentle and soft. She'd never, ever break anything." ... He was lying. Out his ass. And enjoying watching this, wasn't he? Surely her boyfriend was a completely evil, malevolent creature made flesh. Then he saw her back. And his hand squeezed hers a bit more. His heart beat faster. "Damn it..." he muttered, then cringed. He should have been there. He SHOULD have been there. Why wasn't he? What kind of horrible boy friennd was he?!!
Toph Beifong	"Who the crud are you calling gentle...?" Toph snorts, taking Sokka's hands in hers. Sure, she's aware of his reaction to seeing her injuries from the mission she went on, but she doesn't comment on that. Instead she grits her teeth together while the nurse begins washing them. "This will only last for a bit while I rinse the wounds, Miss Beifong," the woman informs the teenager, who nods. "Just get it over with..." At least she keeps still when the nurse begins cleaning Toph's back, though her hands grip onto Sokka's rather tight where she sits. "Just... talk about something," she says to Sokka. Something to distract her from the stinging sensation while her wounds are cleaned.
Sokka	Sokka snickered and leaned in and kissed her lips. "I'm calling you gentle, my little tophioca-cream pie," he said with a big, goofy grin. Distractions? Oh, he could do distractions. "Actually, I headed down to the earth kingdom the other day. Saw your parents." Technically true! "I really considered decking your dad, to be honest. He's got a stick so far up his rectum that you could turn it and pop out his mouth. Also, I think we should have that beach party at your place soon, you know, celebrate the new year and all. We keep putting it off, but work and school are calming down a bit."
Toph Beifong	The kiss is a distraction all right, and Toph gives him a weak smile where she sits. "... you're not going to let those nicknames rest, are you...?" she sighs. Though when he reveals he went to Gaoling, she blinks, the smile gone. "You did... what?" she squeaks. "Why did you go /there/?" What reason did he have for visiting her parents without even asking her first? Right, New Year's in their world is celebrated around this time... though she does seem pensive. "Maybe... though we should talk with mom and dad first," Toph says, all before she hisses a bit in pain as the nurse cleans the wounds.
Sokka	Sokka snickered. "Oh, yeah. Went down there with a couple people." All true. "Talked with your dad a bit." Technically true. Just toph was one of those people. "He was a bit tollerable." Distraction distraction distraction hooooo. "Which mom and dad? Your mom and dad, or err... the other ones? Man ,this is confusing. Oh, and my aunt send you a pack of seal jerky. Since i told her how much you love it."
Toph Beifong	Wait, is he... talking about that time? Toph blinks, then sighs as she leans forward, resting her forehead against Sokka's shoulder. "Nnngh.... mom and dad are Pepper and Tony," she informs Sokka. "Mother... and father are my birth parents." It's the easiest way to tell them apart. Mostly because Tony started to refer to them that way. Mostly because he has claimed the title of 'dad'. The nurse carefully adds medical ointment to Toph's wounds, and the blind teenager closes her eyes where she sits, leaning more into Sokka. "Shiiiiit....!" "Language, miss Beifong," the nurse chides as she works.
Sokka	Sokka nodded. "Right, they're your mom and dad. Hey, so, I was thinking for valentines day I'd take you out. I have the perfect place in mind and I'm looking into the right kind of gift. The perfect thing for such an awesome girl like you." "Oh, and I could bring you some more books, too. You know ,for some light reading. Or maybe some movies. We can hang out and just read them together, okay? Or watch them?"
Toph Beifong	At least Sokka knows how to babble and distract people... Toph tries to smile slightly through the pain, but she is a bit too tense as she leans into Sokka and grips his hands tightly. "V-Valentine's might be fun... but don't spoil the surprise, huh?" she chuckles, only to wince again as she nurse finishes applying the ointment to the cuts. "So... what do you want from me for Valentine's?" she asks. Books... that might be okay if they aren't too thick or difficult to read, she supposes. "Movies are a bit hard to watch here, aren't they? Maybe you could bring some of the metal from my room?" she asks, then lets out a gasp as the nurse begins putting on the bandages. "Don't flinch now, I'm almost done putting them on...!"
Sokka	Sokka gives a light laugh before shaking his head. "If you think for even a second that I'm going to ARM you while you're here, you don't know me very well. Antlers would kill me! With a spork!" he said with a snicker. "I have my wrist computer, we can watch them on that. And I'll be here to help, so you don't need to worry, okay?" And as they were tightened, he went for the kill. Nipped her ear. "And from you? I don't need anything. Just having you is more than enough, Tophikins..."
Toph Beifong	At that Toph riases her head a bit. "There's metal all around me already, Meat Head..." Toph points out. "It would give me something to bend instead of being bored, you kno--- aah!" At the nip of her ear Toph jumps, and the nurse lets out an annoyed huff as she reaches over and... yanks on Sokka's ear. "Don't make my patient squirm, young man! Or I will have to toss you out while I work!" she reprimands him before she lets go and works on putting the bandages on properly. Toph is still blushing though, and she licks her lips where she sits. "So I'm not allowed to get /you/ anything? That hardly seems fair..."
Sokka	Sokka snickered and then grinned at her. "Toph, since I've gotten here, you and your folks have been helping me go back to school, giving me a place to stay, gave me a girl friend, holidays, like... You've already done a ton for me. I think this is a day you get to just relax and enjoy some pampering. And... heh heh... sorry. I didn't mean to make her jump. My bad."
Toph Beifong	Done a ton for him...? Toph blushes at that. "They... did a lot for me before they adopted me, too," she admits. "A-and... you're my best friend, am I supposed to not help out my best friend? A-and what do you mean, 'gave you a girlfriend'? I /wanted/ to be your girlfriend, there's no giving involved!" Silly Sokka. For now it appears that the nurse is done working, and she gathers up her items even as Toph unclenches her hand, giving Sokka's fingers the chance to be properly circulated again. "There, you should not move much for half an hour to give the medicine the chance to work. And no touching her back, young man," she asides to Sokka. "If you're still here later you could come pick up her dinner too, make yourself useful." With that she gathers up her items, then leaves the room, leaving Toph and Sokka alone again. The blind teenager snickers just a bit, relieved that the wound cleaning is over and done with. "You could always focus on giving me a day long foot rub on Valentine's if you really wanna pamper me," she jokes.
Sokka	Sokka nodded. "i'll come get it for her, then," he said, still watching her. Then leaned in and gave her another kiss. "mmmmm, okay. We can do an endurance match. My foot rubs, see who can endure it longer, you or me," he said with a grin. "But then, after you yield to my awesome technique, I'll take you out, okay. It should take too long until you're begging for mercy, anyway," he said with a snort, before giving her another kiss. "... I won't leave your side, Toph," he said suddenly, his tone serious. "I never should have left you alone like this to begin with... I'm so sorry..."
Toph Beifong	The promise for Valentine's does make Toph blush a bit, though she does lean forward when she feels Sokka's weight shift. "I warn you, I do love foot rubs..." she chuckles. "But fine, we can go out for whatever you have planned that day." Because it's bound to be fun, isn't it? There's no way Sokka would drag her out to something boring... she hopes. Yet as he turns serious Toph blinks, inhaling slowly. "You don't need to protect me all the time, Sokka... you know that, right...?" With that she leans in to kiss him, moving one hand to the back of his head.
Sokka	Sokka sighs and gives a nod. "I know. I just... I should have at least been there. We're a team and... and you're always there when I need you..." he mumbled. Well, that's just the thing. She didn't need him this time. He would have been nice... but he didn't need her. And that was probably the worst of it. He could have been there or not and... he knows she probably would have gotten hurt either way. Which just made it all the harder.
Toph Beifong	"Sokka... it's okay," Toph mumbles against Sokka's lips, "The war is over, but still... we're cops, right? This is what we do. And I'll do my best to drag you with me the next time I go on a mission, okay?" It might make him feel better, at least she hopes so as she rests her forehead against his cheek, closing her eyes. "Thank you... for caring."
Sokka	Sokka chuckled softly. "Of course I care. I'd be a pretty awful boy friend if I didn't, right?" Pause. "Though... I guess the fact I wasn't there when you needed me most makes me a pretty awful boy friend too..." he muttered, before kissing her again. "I'm sorry, Toph. I just... imagine... you there and I... i should have at least been there. We're partners... you and I. We're not just friends or... boyfriend and girl friend. We're partners."
Toph Beifong	"I know you care... sometimes you care too much, you know...?" Toph chuckles slightly. What is he babbling about, awful...? The blind teenager cants her head more into the kiss, her fingers settling at the back of his head. "I wasn't alone there, I was with people who helped me, they stayed with me until the Paladins picked me up," she assures him. There are few people she works as well with as she does with Sokka, that she knows. He's right, they're partners, somebody she works perfectly well with. "Don't think about it, okay...?"
Sokka	Sokka sighed and nodded, reaching out to brush her hair back, cringing when he used the wrong hand and quickly jerking it back. "I'm sorry. I know. I know you're okay but... I can't stop thinking about... if you weren't and I just..." His hand squeezed hers again. "I'm just happy you're okay. What... happened. What exactly happened, Toph?"
Toph Beifong	As Sokka flinches Toph looks confused for a moment before she remembers the obvious, then sighs. "Go and get your hand cleaned up, will you...?" she suggests, kissing him on the cheek briefly. "And there's no way I'll die from something like this, but I do think I'm going to think about some armour or something... just so this doesn't happen again." Perhaps Tony has a good idea there, wearing armour everywhere. As for what happened? "It doesn't really matter. The thing flew, I couldn't pinpoint it exactly, it died... what else matters?" Stupid little details that don't really mean anything now.
Sokka	Sokka sighed and then leaned in, kissing her softly again. "If you think for even a second that's it, you're crazy," he said with a chuckle. "It matters to me, that's what. You got hurt. I couldn't defend you. And you know what? Armor sounds good. And I bet I could help, make sure it looks awesome." He then chuckled. "I'll get it looked at later, okay?"
Toph Beifong	Okay, that makes Toph snicker a bit where she sits, leaning more against Sokka. "Does it really matter what the armour looks like...?" she asks, knowing fully well that it does to him. "It won't be like that silly armour that Aang tried on in the Fire Nation, you know... I want something that fits /me/ and my style of fighting." No need for shiny armour. What she needs is something she can bend in a fight, and something she can carry around that won't be too heavy. As for his injured hand? Toph reaches down for his wrist, being careful with the hand. "How about you go get it checked out now instead? And fetch some dinner for both of us? I'm sure one of the nurses will let you get some food too if you don't bother them too much."
Sokka	Sokka frowned and then leaned in, gently kissing her again. "I don't... want... to go. I don't want to leave your side. I don't want to..." His hands gripped her shoulders. "All I can think about is... you... here. It's like... it just feels... I feel helpless, you know? Like... back... then. If I was stronger or... had powers like... you guys maybe there'd be things I could do but..." He then sighed and pulled back. "I'll go get it checked out. I'll... see you later."
Toph Beifong	A slight snicker leaves Toph, and she carefully wraps her arms around Sokka's waist. "Sokka, this is medical. We're on the Ad Coelum. If we're not safe here, then where are we safe?" Seriously, this place is no danger. "Besides, you gotta leave my side sooner or later when you have to go to the bathroom, Meat Head," she points out with a jab at his side. It sounds like he's moping again, all because he's worried. Like he was around Suki. He... does care a lot. Even as he pulls back Toph carefully pulls her hands back, giving him a soft smile. "It's okay, Sokka... because you /are/ strong." He just... tends to think he isn't.
Sokka	Sokka nodded and pulled away. "Sure..." He was out the door a few seconds later. how much of what she said he absorbed? Who knew? What he did know was, well.... When he came back... he looked annoyed. "Fractured knuckle. Hairline fracture. About a MONTH to heal naturally. Said should be a lot faster but... really? How is such a tiny thing THAT big an issue?" he muttered, grumbling darkly. So grumbly. So grumpy. Oh sokka.
Toph Beifong	At Sokka's return Toph can't help but arch an eyebrow. "I guess this means you gotta take is easy then... huh?" It would be worse if he lost the use of his hand, considering it would be pretty tough to fight with just one hand and all. "We can start by watching some movies on that computer of yours then, huh...?" And just taking it easy in general so the nurses don't bitch at both of them. "I gotta say I do look forward to when I can sleep on my back again, sleeping on my stomach just isn't that nice," Toph huffs.
Sokka	Sokka just grumbled, sitting by her. "Stupid doctors. Think they know everything with their fancy tech and... you couldn't even see it! It was so small! I mean, come on! I've had stab wounds that took less time than that! I swear!" Then laid down by her. "Ugh. Yeah, sleeping on my stomach is hard sometimes too. We can watch some movies."
Toph Beifong	"It /is/ kinda their gist... like how you're the boomerang guy, you know?" Toph chuckles. "And bones are stubborn, they take time to heal... though you could always ask your sister... you know, the /healer/ to fix it?" she suggests with a smirk. Also to eep when he decides that the hospital bed is suddenly large enough for the both of them. W-wait a moment...! She's totally flabbergasted though, and kinda debating whether or not this is okay, but... eh, the nurse was just here, so Toph sighs and reaches out to tug on his wolftail a bit. "Then queue up the movie."
Sokka	Sokka nodded and then pulledo ut the computer, opened it and... "Another prince needs my help. Wait, no, that's a scam." Delete. "Okay. Let's see... ah! Bambi was one, right? Let's see..." He hums. "Huh, guess it's live action. 'Bambi goes clubbing'. What in the world is an XXX rating? Maybe it's a really extreme disney movie?" OH MY GOSH SOKKA! This is why you don't just download big bulks of movies!
Toph Beifong	It's good that Sokka has learned some things about the internet. Which might make it easier for him to learn another lesson... Toph's face turns pale, and she throws herself forward to grab at Sokka's computer. "NO!" And slam it shut again, all while her cheeks flare up all red.
Sokka	Sokka blinked a few times, cocking his head to the side. "Really? I thought bambi was supposed to be a really good one? I heard some coworkers talking about it. Did you prefer to watch something else? I downloaded a bunch of bulk movies to this we could watch." He had no idea...
Toph Beifong	Reaching up, Toph rubs at the bridge of her nose. "... XXX rated movies... are not Disney movies." Don't make her explain it further. Please. "Let's... just read the lawbook some more instead," she decides with a look on her face that should say that no, this isn't up for discussion.
Sokka	Sokka blinked and pulled the book over. "Okay? Is something wrong? You seem kind of annoyed..." He pulled her close, careful of her back before opening it up and beginning the studying. Yay, at least he was good studying with her.She learned plenty with him.