fandom_clinic | FTEC, Sunday Morning, October 22

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FTEC, Sunday Morning, October 22

Trevor never liked coming into the clinic to find injured students already there. He carefully checked on each of them before taking up his usual spot behind the front desk.

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It had been nice pretending just for a little while that he still had a throne to go back to, that he was still prince to the Fire Nation. "For whatever punishment my father reserves for traitors these days."

Peter slipped into the role of the High King for a second, weighing the information. "No, I've heard you talk about protecting your country. I don't believe you'd betray it."

"I disrespected the Fire lord and showed shameful weakness," Zuko said harshly. "I failed him."

"Failure isn't treachery," Peter replied. "Shameful, it may be, but it's not betrayal."

It was clear that Zuko didn't agree. "I cost him victory. If I had captured the Avatar like he told me to, all those men would be alright."

Peter nodded at the pain of losing men. "Even a King can't ask more than the best you can give at the time. You did your utmost?"

"It wasn't enough," Zuko remained stubborn. It never was because he wasn't like Azula.

"It never is," Peter replied with a bit of weary sadness. "And knowing that and still doing the best one can is part of being a King and protecting a nation. You will never be able to save everyone or make them all content, but you have to try again the next day and the next."

Peter almost recognised the irony of telling Zuko to do something he still struggled at.

It sounded like something his mother or his uncle would say and Zuko carefully closed his book. "As long as my father considers me a traitor, I will never become Fire lord."

"It wouldn't exactly be the action of a wise ruler to give up the skills and loyalty of a strong warrior because a task was not able to be completed," Peter said, trying not to criticize Zuko's father.

It still came over as such. "If one warrior isn't up to the task, don't you send one that is?"

"Depends on the task," Peter replied. "If one sends a warrior, one trusts his judgement."

"Or it was a second chance he ruined," Zuko answered, feeling one with the crypticness right about now.

"The second chance was to 'capture the Avatar?'" Peter asked. "Two questions then. First has anyone succeeded where you did not?"

"He's been missing for 100 years," Zuko replied, somewhat beside the point.

"You were tasked with capturing someone who's been missing for 100 years?" Peter replied, his disbelief at the statement evident.

"I found him," Zuko said defensively.

"Sounds like you succeeded more than others have," Peter pointed out. "Has anyone succeeded where you didn't?"

"Yes," Zuko replied, not giving more information because maybe it wasn't a good idea to point out that he let the Avatar escape.

Peter shrugged. "Then I'd think your father ought to be pleased at the overall success of the mission."

"The Avatar escaped," Zuko replied, looking very interested in his book.

"And is still at large?"

"He was when I left my world," Zuko said. "No doubt my sister will go after him next."

"So no one has managed to capture and hold this person, and somehow the fact is your fault?" Peter asked. "Forgive me, but it doesn't quite seem right."

Maybe it wasn't, but it was all the hope he had. "It's my duty. It's my one chance to restore my honour," he argued, conveniently ignoring that the fact that his sister was after him might be a sign that even capturing the Avatar wouldn't give him back his life.

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