In her short time as the Avatar, Korra had come up against many tough obstacles. A bloodbending extremist. A spiritual madman. A murderous anarchist. Even a power-hungry dictator. But at the moment, she couldn't think of any tougher obstacle than trying to get through this angry mob.

She pushed and shoved, trying to force a path while dodging flailing fists, elbows and the odd homemade sign. People shouted in her ears as she passed, some of the screams directed at her and some at others that stood beyond her, though the cacophony garbled together, making it impossible to make out any actual words. Hands clawed at her clothing as they attempted to either get at her or get her out of the way of their true targets. Korra was starting to think she would need the Avatar State to make it to the other end when suddenly, with one final charge, she broke free and found herself standing alone in front of her destination.

As relieved as she was to have some breathing room, it wasn't over yet. Because she hadn't come here alone. She scanned the sea of bodies, looking for telltale signs of white hair and blue clothing, but couldn't pick out any individuals from the writhing mass. Bracing herself to rush back into the fray, Korra was relieved when Kya finally appeared, cursing in a very unladylike manner as she squeezed out of the crowd.

"You would think that after a week these people would get tired and go home." the older waterbender commented as she brushed herself off.

"You would think." Korra agreed.

Now on the outside, the Avatar got a better look at the rioting citizens. The two mobs, for the people had gathered to support not one cause but one of two possible choices, faced off on opposite sides of an invisible line, each trying their damnedest to make their opinion heard over the other. On the one side were mostly earthbenders of the upper class, those who had reaped benefits from the creation of the Earth Empire, and former soldiers of the empire's disbanded army. The other side was a mix of firebenders, waterbenders and earthbenders, all the people whose lives were most negatively affected by the aforementioned empire. True to their teachings, the airbenders had stayed out of the conflict.

For those who couldn't yell loud enough to be heard over the din, their opinions were expressed with wooden signs that popped out of the horde like weeds in an unkempt lawn. "Death to the Great Uniter" read one, while another just two rows over said "Free Kuvira". Some didn't use words, but images of the different ways the former world leader should be executed, each depiction more graphic and gory than the one before. Then there were signs that didn't even seem relevant to the debate. One such sign had an address, asking the Great Uniter to look up Yang for a good time.

Sooner or later, Korra knew she would have to deal with these protests, but for now she had more pressing matters. Gesturing for Kya to follow her, she headed up the steps to the building's glass entryway, giving a nod to the police officers that stood guard as she passed by. They stood back enough for the Avatar and her companion to get through, then just as quickly closed the gap again. Fortunately, the crowd was more interested in fighting each other than fighting their way into the building.

Once inside, getting around proved to be much easier, and it was a great deal quieter. Although there were just as many people inside as there were outside, none of these people were rioting. They had jobs to do, barely stopping long enough to notice the two water tribe women standing in the doorway. Leaving them to their work, Korra and Kya made their own way through the twisting hallways. Korra wasn't one hundred percent sure where she was going, but Kya, having been there before, knew the way and took the lead without hesitation.

The further they went, the quieter it got and the fewer people they saw. It helped that an entire floor, the one they were heading to, had been cleared of all occupants, except one. Once on that floor, it wasn't hard for Korra to find the right room. It was the only one with armoured guards, more members of the Republic City police force, standing outside the door. Korra thought the guards unnecessary in a hospital, but it was the only way to give the nursing staff any peace of mind.

Upon hearing the approaching footsteps, both guards took a defensive stance, but relaxed again when they realized who it was.

"Avatar Korra," said one guard. "We weren't expecting you."

"It's kind of an unscheduled visit."

The guard's expression hardened a little. Korra couldn't really read it, though there seemed to be a hint of suspicion. As if he was wondering why the Avatar would decide to show up here of all places and what her motives could possibly be. His companion just looked nervous, perhaps fearing a conflict he didn't want to be involved in.

Not being in the mood for a confrontation either, Korra spoke again, changing the subject before the guard could make any protests. "How is she?"

Sensing that her concern was genuine, though misdirected, the old cop softened a little. The tension dissipated and the other guard visibly relaxed.

"Same as the past few days, I guess."

Korra wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Can I see her?"

Neither guard answered right away and Korra feared that they would refuse her entry, forcing her to use a more aggressive tactic. She came here determined to get in one way or another. Luckily, both men came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth a fight. They each took a step away from the door and the older one waved for the two women to enter.

Despite the extra security measures that said otherwise, the room beyond the guarded door was not a prison cell, but an ordinary hospital room, just like the many others throughout the building. However, it did have some elements in common with a prison cell. It was a small space with bland colours, only one tiny window built into the far wall and minimal furnishings. A bed, a couple of chairs for visitors, a bedside table and a wardrobe for personal belongings. All but the former were left unused.

Looking down now at the lone occupant lying on the bed, Korra wouldn't have believed that this was once the most feared woman in the Earth Kingdom, if she hadn't already seen her in action. Her uniform and armour had been replaced with a hospital gown and bandages, and her long, dark hair hung loose, draping around her face like black curtains, instead of pulled into that tight bun that always made her look so serious. Not to mention older than she actually was. But the loss of the empress trappings was not what changed her. The old Kuvira could have been intimidating wearing nothing but a bath towel. Something else had changed, something inside. She was a broken woman. It was apparent all over her face, even in her restless sleep.

Kuvira remained asleep, even as Korra pulled up one of the unoccupied chairs and sat down beside the bed. But it was not a peaceful sleep. She whimpered and moaned, and wriggled under the covers, trying to fight back against some unseen foe. Occasionally, the tossing and turning was so violent that the only thing that kept her from falling out of the bed were the leather restraints on her wrists and ankles. Another unnecessary precaution given that she wasn't lucid enough to escape or attack anyone.

Seeing Kuvira like this, Korra couldn't help but feel pity. It reminded her too much of the illness she had once suffered as the result of mercury poisoning, courtesy of the Red Lotus. She wouldn't have wished that kind of pain on her worst enemy. Yet here now, the woman once considered one of her worst enemies was suffering. And Korra didn't know why.

The last time Korra had seen Kuvira was after her surrender, when she and the Beifong sisters had been escorting her to prison. When it was determined that Kuvira's injuries were worse than she was letting on, they had made a detour to the very hospital they were in now. The doctors who looked her over said that the damage, particularly to her ribs, was extensive, but not life-threatening. In fact, the last Korra had heard, her condition was improving.

But then a few days ago she had gotten a call from Lin Beifong, who she had asked to keep her posted on any news related to Kuvira. Lin didn't understand Korra's keen interest in the well-being of the defeated dictator, but respected the Avatar enough to do her the favour without asking questions. So when the fever came on, Korra was the first person she contacted.

None of the medical staff that cared for her could understand it. There was no indication of infection or any sign of a bacteria or a virus. There weren't even any other symptoms that might point to a cold, a flu or some other recognizable illness. Just out of the blue she started suffering from an intense fever that had her delirious when she was awake and agitated when she slept. And nothing the doctors had tried could stabilize her. They feared that they would soon lose her. Great Uniter or not, no doctor wanted to see their patient die.

Korra wasn't about to let that happen either. Which was why she was there now with Kya in tow. Without having to be asked, the middle-aged waterbender took the second chair around to the other side of the bed and sat opposite Korra. From the pouch that she carried on her hip, she brought forth a stream of water. The clear liquid took on an eerie glow as it encircled her open palms, which she held over the ailing young woman. Kya guided the luminous water up and down Kuvira's body, her eyes closed, trying to sense something that only a skilled healer could.

"Thank you for doing this," Korra said as her old friend worked. She knew she shouldn't disturb her, but at the same time she felt she should say something. "If you hadn't come, I don't know if there would have been anyone else willing to help."

"Oh, I'm sure my mother would have," Kya replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "But then I would have had to listen to her lecture about a healer's duty to help all that need her, even an enemy. I'd rather be doing this then have to hear that again."

"Just the same...thanks, Kya."

The waterbender smiled again as she continued her examination. But the joking expression was slowly replaced by a serious one. "If you don't mind me asking, Korra, why do you care so much?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, her," said Kya, gesturing to Kuvira, who still remained unconscious and oblivious to the discussion going on around her. "This woman tried to kill you more than once. And that's just one of a long list of atrocities that she's committed since taking over the Earth Kingdom. So, why help her?"

Korra didn't answer right away, giving the question some serious thought. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. Something happened in the Spirit World. Something I can't explain. But, for whatever reason, I feel like the two of us are connected somehow. I don't know. Maybe it's true what my dad said once. 'If you save a life, you become responsible for that life'."

Kya nodded, understanding and yet not understanding at the same time.

"Or maybe it's because of how similar we are," Korra went on. "I keep wondering...if I hadn't been poisoned and I had been the one sent out to stabilize the Earth Kingdom, who's to say that I wouldn't have ended up just like her."

Shocked, Kya stopped what she was doing and shot Korra an incredulous look. "Oh, come on. I hardly think you would become a ruthless, power-mad dictator with a giant mecha."

Korra smirked. "Yeah, but that's only because I'm terrible with machines." Then she became solemn again. "Seriously though, how can anyone say what they would or wouldn't do in a given situation without actually living through it?"

There was no reply from Kya as she took this in. After a moment, her smile returned. "When did you become so wise?"

The young Avatar shrugged. "Somewhere between living in a swamp with a cranky old earthbender and creating a new spirit portal."

After that, the conversation died down. Kya continued to work at finding the source of the sudden ailment while Korra looked on more or less patiently and Kuvira struggled with the fever dreams.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Korra, who admittedly still needed to work on her impatience despite her newfound wisdom, Kya sighed and returned the water to its pouch with a wave of her hands. Korra couldn't tell if her somber face meant that she hadn't found anything or that she hadn't liked what she'd found.

"Well?" Korra prodded when Kya didn't speak up soon enough.

"I think I might know what this is."

"Might?"

The elder waterbender sighed again. "Well, this isn't something I've encountered personally, but it is something I've heard about. Fire Lord Zuko could probably explain it better than I can."

Since there wasn't any time to be making trips to the Fire Nation to ask an old ruler about mysterious illnesses, Korra urged Kya to go on. "Give it your best shot."

Kya took a second before answering, trying to come up with the best way to explain the odd circumstances. "For starters, this isn't an ordinary sickness."

"We already knew that much."

Kya ignored the younger girl's tone. "This is likely the result of your battle in the Spirit Wilds."

Korra interrupted again. "Are you saying I made her sick?"

"No. But you did make her question herself." The confused look on her friend's face told Kya to elaborate. "Look, for the past three years she has been 'the Great Uniter'. A strong, determined leader of an entire nation, free to do as she wished. She was so focused on her own goals, that she turned a blind eye to the terrible things she was doing to accomplish those goals. Then you came along and you forced her to stop and really consider what she was doing. You took off the blindfold, made her look in the mirror and see herself for what she truly was. And I'm guessing she didn't like what she saw."

Korra agreed, remembering the earnest talk she and Kuvira had when they had been forced into the Spirit World. By the end of the conversation, the haughtiness of the Great Uniter had disappeared and all that was left was a distraught young woman plagued with guilt. It was in that instant that Korra first felt the desire to help the one she had once called an enemy.

"Whatever the case," Kya went on, "now there is a war going on inside her. Between who she thought she was and who she wants to be. The fever is just the physical manifestation of all that inner turmoil."

As if to corroborate this assessment, Kuvira groaned and turned in her sleep, as much as the restraints would allow. Her hair and the covers clung to her sweat-drenched body. She looked like she had run a marathon and wasn't done running yet.

The two waterbenders watched the stricken metalbender in silence, both of them feeling sorry for her now. When Korra finally broke the silence, her voice seemed to echo through the tiny room. "Is there anything we can do?"

Her heart sunk a little when Kya shook her head. "There's not much we can do except try to make her comfortable and keep her fever down. This war is in her mind. Only Kuvira can fight it."

"And if she loses?"

Kya didn't need to answer. Her face said it all.