Healing Trust

This was something that Jurishe was used to; cleaning scrapes and cuts, bandaging afterward. Moving quickly now, she covered all of the worst of the now-cleaned cuts with strips of gauze, protecting them from both grime and infections. Then there were the burns. Poking the edge of one tentatively, she hummed.

"I could add more ointment, if you want?" She looks up at Katara, "You don't necessarily... -need- it, but it might help speed up the healing process. I'm going to bandage this one anyway," Referring to the largest and still-reddest of them all.

Sealing the open jar of herbs, Jurishe switches to the ointment jar, unscrewing the lid to access it. Repeating her method from earlier that day, she applied the gel carefully, beginning with the outer edge of the burn, moving inward to the more tender skin. Beginning with the largest wound, moving down to the smallest of them, she finishes entirely before wiping her hand off on her pants.

"Alright, now the wrapping," She informed Katara, moving to wrap the first strip of cloth around her, starting just under the girl's breast. Winding quickly, with some overlap, Jurishe quickly covered the angriest burn, shielding it from both the elements and rubbing clothing.

"You're welcome," Jurishe smiled, accepting her thanks rather than brushing it off dismissively. Once the bandage had covered the entirety of the burn, she held it in place manually for a moment before clipping the gauze together. It would be tight enough to stay on, but not tight enough to be oppressive or constricting; Katara certainly wouldn't have any trouble breathing.

Then, seeming to notice the unusual heat to her skin, Jurishe inquires, "Are you feeling alright, now?" While it's common knowledge that firebenders run warmer than any of the other benders, she didn't imagine that it would be quite this hot.

"I know that your body temperature should be higher than mine," She begins to explain, "But you're even warmer than I'd thought. I'd like to check for a fever... but I wouldn't be able to tell if you had one or not." Jurishe makes a face, unhappy at having to admit her lack of experience in such a way, after doing so well.

Twisting a spare bit of gauze in her fingers, an agitated gesture, she tries to inspect Katara closely, to see if anything else seemed off, or unusual; other than the fact that she was obviously getting seriously injured quite frequently.

"So long as you feel fine, you should be alright now," Jurishe seems a little comforted. Then, after one last look to size up her handiwork, she nods, "I think you're done..."

Now that there's nothing holding her attention, she glances around the room once again, her curiosity growing. It took all of her willpower to avoid asking questions about the architecture, Katara's clothing, or, even more personal, what had happened to make her so scarred up. Instead, she forced herself to pack up once again, returning the medical supplies to their place in her bag, ready for the next time that she'd need them. Then came that slightly awkward silence.

"Just - ah - try to keep the cuts clean," She instructed when asked for suggestions, "They shouldn't get infected now, but it's better to be safe. If they still hurt after a few days, you should go to one of the healers here." Before the second question came, she walked slowly over to the room's window, looking outside briefly, then Jurishe returned her attention to Katara.

Once asked about her thoughts, she felt a little sheepish, "Ah... I just have questions, curiosities; I've never been here before. I haven't been to many Fire Nation cities yet, at all. I started traveling almost immediately."

After a moment of misgivings, Jurishe ventures, hopefully in a neutral voice, "Well... what happened? How did you get hurt so badly?" Then, after half a beat, "You don't have to answer, if you don't want to. I am curious about the town, too, and the people..."

She continues to stand, hoping that she wouldn't be thrown out, or attacked, after that very forward question. Even though she was invited to ask... it still might have been over the line. Besides, she wasn't sure that she'd tell something private to someone that she'd met the same day.

"Then..." Jurishe was visibly confused - not that Katara could tell. She struggled for a moment, trying to remain as tactful as possible, even if she didn't understand. There must be a reason for Katara to continue on with her fire, despite constant brushes with pain... Right?

Not that she could figure out. So, she finally asked: "Why do you keep trying? Why not... just stop using your firebending?" Then, she added, "If it hurts so much?"

When Katara brings up 'deeds of certain others being in vain', it was almost as if Jurishe perked up, glancing over at her. After weighing her options, she decides to let it go; if she was supposed to know, Katara would have told her, in the first place. Instead of dwelling on the mystery, she applies her attention to the return question.

"It was cold," Came her cheeky answer. Then, getting more serious, "Mostly, I enjoyed it, as I grew older. I just wanted to see other things, you know? Meet new people, hear new stories, find new things." Then, figuring it was her turn for another question, "Where have you been, so far? I've only just been here."

Jurishe actually laughed at that, thankfully recognizing the last bit as a joke. She already liked Katara, but being able to joke about something like that only made her respect her even more; despite her injuries, the girl was strong. With a smile, she continued the conversation.

"I've wanted to visit the Air Temples ever since I was a little girl," She admits, fiddling with the ties of her belt once again, "I heard stories about them... I'm hoping to go there soon, to see for myself." Then, after a brief pause, "I want to see everything, really." Her tone was sheepish.

Her smile, which had emerged from laughing, brightened a bit, at that, "I wouldn't mind at all!" Then, after a moment's thought, "I'll probably bounce around a bit, though..." She warns Katara.

It's true, too; the problem with wanting to go everywhere is that Jurishe had no plan in motion. She'd walked through the wilds of the Fire Nation, for crying outloud. Next she'd probably swim to a remote island or fly to the Air Temple; who knew? For some people, that would certainly get irritating.

"Don't say that," Jurishe tells her automatically, in a chiding voice, "That you have nothing going for you... You're determined, at the very, very least, from what I know about you already."

Then, after the light scolding, she says with a laugh, "Well... if you don't mind being pulled halfway around the world, only to turn around, then I have no problem with you coming along. It'll be fun." She smiles brightly, "

Stopping after a smile, Jurishe contemplates that question; what were her plans, now? Once she had seen Katara injured, any plans she'd had been completely forgotten. That, and she didn't really know what Shu Jing had to offer, anyway. There could be anything, everything, or there could be nothing. A rumbling in the pit of her stomach decided for her, and she had to laugh again.

Finally, she can only say, "To find something to eat, just now."