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House.

In the living room.

Lounging. With a cane.

Even odds whether he wants to talk to you or not, whoever you are.

Probably not - he was actually a bit late, so he stood, and probably was even further back. But the nickname, whenever given, is totally accurate.

And probably fair, since Zuko's recalling House from the introducions based entirely on the cane.

"I think I saw you at the meeting," he says. "Although I'm not sure I remember your name, I apologise."

Whereas a normal person would just have asked, 'who are you?'

"Greg House."

A normal person might mention something along the lines of 'don't worry about it'.

Clearly neither of these two is a normal person, then.

"Zuko."

No last name. They're kind of thin on the ground in the Four Nations, unless you're Toph.

He twirls his cane idly.

Yeah, still going to call him Facial Scarring Kid.

Just perhaps not to his face.

Until he's proven how damn brilliant he is, it would be nice to have something resembling goodwill from the people who live here. A cripple in a post-apocalyptic world has to make some concessions.

Meh, Zuko's zen these days. He'll just call him Limping Guy in return and call it quits.

"You said you were a doctor," he says instead. "How does that work where you're from?"

Fire Nation medicine is... Well, naturally high ambient body temperature in Benders seems to fend off bacteria fairly well, other diseases are mainly dealt with via punitively enforced isolation, herbs, splinting and rigorous exercise.

After seeing Katara's healing in action, Zuko'd started to wonder about that.

"With medicine."

And copious quantities of snark.

"Why do you want to know? No doctors in... wherever the hell you come from?"

Medicine? That's new!

"Not so much," Zuko says. "We had herbalists in the city - and there was a court physician, but we were kind of an unusual case. Other Nations did it differently, though, and I'm guessing your way entirely different."

House isn't striking him as the magic water type.

Snort.

"So no, you didn't have doctors."

"Evidently," says Zuko, oddly at ease talking to someone as prickly as... okay, half his family. "What kind of medicine did you use? I'm guessing no on the herbs."

"Lots of things. And if you want to know about them, I'm sure somebody around here can find you a medical textbook."

"I don't read most of the languages people use here," Zuko responds. "Asking works faster."

"No; they work a lot faster than asking me. If you can't read and the only person who can answer your question without a book is a prickly bastard who has no intention of summing up four years of medical school in half an hour because you happen to be curious? Learn to read."

Yes, he can deliver all that in one breath without apparent discomfort. House is just good that way.

Zuko rolls his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm sure somebody who doesn't practise healing in any way will be able to tell me if they need anything that might grow around here to heal people."

Zuko likes to ask things in really roundabout ways!

"Okay, say that again, and this time pretend you're talking to someone who's not telepathic."

"...Do you have any use for herbs that might grow around here?" He shrugs. "Or know anyone else who might know what to look for. That works too."

Psh! Zuko's meaning is TOTALLY CLEAR.

"No, I do not have any use for herbs."

He'd make a weed joke, but it would probably go over Facial Scarring Kid's head.

The perils of living in a Nickelodeon universe.

Cactus juice now, that's the stuff.

"Fine. Anyone else might, point 'em my way."

And then he's wandering off. He has a MISSION now!

"Will do."

He'll tell them to look for the kid with the extensive burn scarring.

It's his best feature.

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