What up, my homies?! ThankyouthankyouTHANKYOU for your comments, faves, and follows - your support really means a lot to me! :D
Loki God of Evil: Yah, it's pretty serious. If . . . well, you'll just have to wait and see.
FanOfJay: I hope so! :D And you'll find out who it is pretty darn soon! XD
FropessionalWriter: Thank you so much! It really means a lot to me to hear you say that :D I love Cole and Jay friendship scenes too―what I hate is when people take it too far XP And what can I say―I've got a flair for obscure details XD
JayandNya4evr: Thank you! And I prefer a one-year age difference between Kai and Nya too, but for authenticity's sake, I keep them at a two-year distance. *shrugs*
Mnemonic: Ah . . . I'll have to get back to you on that
Anyway, I hope you like this next installment of A Method to His Madness! [Oh, has anyone caught the reference I made in the title? A free one-shot (no yaoi or yuri or M-rated stuff) to the ones to guess! :D]
Chapter 2: Sneezings, Nothing More than Sneezings
About ten minutes earlier. . .
"―ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight―" Zane counted his one-handed push-ups between breaths "―ninety-nine, one-hundred!" With a gasp, the Nindroid keeled over into a heap of exhausted titanium. "I believe that is enough for today, otherwise I will not be able to perform the repairs needed on the Bounty."
Lying on his back, Zane gazed up into the afternoon sky. Flocks of fluffy white clouds pranced about the peaceful celestial pasture, a cooling breeze speeding them along their way. My word, that was poetic, Zane thought shaking his head at his own mental metaphor.
Glancing first to his right, then to his left, Zane, upon seeing that no one else was around, pushed himself up on his elbows and bent his knees, arching his back not unlike a gymnast. He sighed with pleasure as his sore synthetic muscles stretched, then as he lay flat on the ground again, relaxed.
"You are more flexible than I would have first guessed, my Nindroid friend."
Zane jumped to his feet, face flushed bright white with something he guessed might be embarrassment. His shurikens materialized in his hands, and he was poised to throw them at the stranger standing about a foot away from him.
The man smiled, raising his hands in a signal of surrender. "Do not worry, I mean you no harm. I apologize for startling you." He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with black hair brushed back on his head. His cheeks were hollowed to reveal the frame of his impressive cheekbones, and he had startling green eyes framed by black-rimmed glasses. His six-foot-tall frame was dressed in a rather understated dull white suit, with a plain black tie and matching loafers, and he carried a black old-fashioned carpet bag in his right hand.
Zane lowered his shurikens, but he still remained on guard. He didn't think this man was as harmless as he appeared to be. "Apology accepted. But I must ask―who are you, and what are you doing here?"
"You don't mince words, do you?" The man's smile faltered just a hair. "As I admire that in a man―or Nindroid, in your case―I will not mince words myself. I am Dr. Mabroskter Rudalac―and I was informed that you have an invalid on the premises, hence my presence."
"Who gave you that information?" Zane's icy-blue narrowed on Dr. Rudalac.
"Oh, only a colleague of mine who was merely concerned about the wellbeing of your young comrade," the doctor replied, spreading his hands in a yielding gesture. "A friend of yours, I believe."
"Allow me to speculate―he's about this tall, slightly overweight, wears a brown jumpsuit and responds to 'Grand Sensei Dareth'?" Zane sighed wearily. "I appreciate your concern, doctor, but Dareth has a tendency to be rather overdramatic and to exaggerate circumstances. My teammate merely has a minor cold―and he's already on the proverbial road to recovery."
"Yes, that's what your friend Mr. Presley told me," Dr. Rudalac nodded, his smile faintly fading. "But due to a recent epidemic that seems to be affecting certain citizens of our island, I took it upon myself to further investigate this information."
"What do you mean when you refer to 'certain citizens', doctor?" asked Zane, still not noticeably perturbed, but distinctly wary of Rudalac.
Rudalac's smile dropped a second shade. "People with your abilities, Mister―Julien, I believe?"
"Just 'Zane' will do, I suppose," the Nindroid answered coldly. "By 'people with your abilities' I assume you're referring to Elementals?"
"Yes―I wasn't entirely sure of the proper term; this whole concept of 'Elementals' is still rather new and surprising to me. But I am a medical doctor, and when a race like yours begins to develop worrisome medical conditions, I am willing to embrace the unknown in order to better benefit my patients. Which is why I called―I wish to examine your ailing comrade in order to either confirm or debunk my suspicions. If I am wrong, then I apologize in advance for intruding. May I see him now?"
Zane did not answer him right away. He considered the situation. On the one hand, Dr. Rudalac may actually have the sincere intent of helping Jay, and could possibly have the means to cure him if it were truly something more serious than what they had thought. On the other hand, however, Zane was alertly aware of something different about Rudalac. There was something about the doctor that made the Titanium Ice Ninja stay on guard, practically balancing on an edge between attacking and remaining poised. In that case, it would be wiser to send him away and have nothing more to do with him.
But what if he does have something going on? he wondered. Another answer could be to let him examine Jay, and then we look more closely into who exactly he is later, as we have no way of performing that task now. This idea seemed to be the best to execute, so Zane finally turned back to Rudalac. "Come with me, then―I'll need to make sure he's awake first."
"Of course, of course," Rudalac smiled benignly.
Still holding onto one of his shurikens, Zane walked up the steps into the Temple, followed closely by Rudalac.
Ray slid the door open. "Oh, Mr. Smith!" Zane was a little surprised to see Kai's father. "I thought you were sparring with Nya."
"My wife took that job over from me," Ray smiled ruefully. "So I went to see where Kai had disappeared off to. Have you―" He noticed Dr. Rudalac standing behind Zane. "Who is this?"
"This is Dr. Rudalac," Zane replied, making a small gesture with his shuriken to the doctor, who inclined his head politely to the Master of Fire. "He's here to examine Jay."
Ray frowned. "I don't recall calling a Dr. Rudalac."
"Oh, I'm here on an independent call, Mr. Smith," Rudalac smiled. "Due to recent bouts of sickness affecting Elementals during the past few weeks, when I heard about your young friend's illness, I would like to examine him to insure that he does not have the same thing I've been seeing in my patients as of late."
"Well, I suppose you could see him," Ray said slowly. "Cole's with him right now, and as I'd prefer for him to get as much rest as possible, I hope this is only a quick check-up."
"Oh, I'll be in and out quicker than you can say 'Jack Robinson'," Rudalac assured him. "It's merely a safety precaution; I doubt he has anything truly major."
Zane frowned. Rudalac's smile seemed a little forced. "Mr. Smith, could you wait down here with the doctor while I inform Jay of his request?"
Ray shrugged. "I suppose so. I just wish I knew where Kai got off to―"
"Oh, he's playing Fleeting Kampaign with Lloyd in the recreational room," Zane called off-handedly over his shoulder as he took the steps up to the living quarters two at a time.
Resigned, the first-generation Master of Fire sighed. "That son of mine is always glued to that video game console. . ." he muttered under his breath.
"Ah, the youth of today," Dr. Rudalac nodded sympathetically.
Zane couldn't repress a smile. Fathers can be so endearingly old-fashioned, he thought. Upon arriving in front of Jay's door, which was royal blue and marked with the Lightning kanjana, Zane knocked a few quick raps. "Jay?"
"Come in!" came Jay's hoarse voice from the other side of the door.
The Nindroid tentatively peeked into the room. Upon seeing Cole sitting next to Jay's bed, he asked, "Am I interrupting anything?"
"No, you're good," said Jay, sitting up straighter. "What's up, Zane?"
"We have a visitor―and he wants to see you."
Jay frowned. "Could you tell whoever it is to please go away? I'm really tired, and my throat feels like barbed wire."
Quickly closing the door behind him, Zane said, "I would―but the man says he's a doctor, and I get the impression he will not leave until he let him examine you. He's concerned about an epidemic going around that is solely affecting Elemental Masters, and he wants to make sure that you don't have it."
"But your medical scan said I have a cold, and―AHHHH-CHOO―and your medical scans are always right."
"I know that, and you know that, but Dr. Rudalac―" Cole snorted "What kind of a name is that?" "―insists on having a look at you, if only to confirm or debunk his hypothesis." Zane lowered his voice. "I suggest you play along―there's something peculiar about this doctor, and perhaps we can find out exactly what if we go with what he wants, for a short while at least."
"Hang on a minute, Zane," Cole raised a hand. "I don't like the idea of this Rudalac guy poking and prodding Jay with his medical junk if it's already conclusively proven that Jay has a cold and nothing more serious than that."
Zane sighed. "I don't like it either, but as I've said before, I know he's not going to 'get off our backs', to borrow the vernacular, until he gets what he wants. This is, however, ultimately Jay's decision." He turned to the Lightning Ninja. "What do you think we should do, Jay?"
Jay shrugged. "The sooner we get him off the table, the better, I guess. Let him in."
"He's downstairs with Mr. Smith―do you want me to fetch both of them?"
"Yes, please."
Within a few minutes, Zane returned to the bedroom with both Ray and the doctor. Upon seeing Jay, Rudalac stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the teenager in bed, with something Cole wasn't entirely comfortable with in his eyes. Upon entering, Zane turned to the doctor and said, "This is Jay Walker-Gordon, doctor. Jay, this is Dr. Rudalac."
Jay smiled weakly. "Hi, doctor. Zane told me that you're quite concerned with my health?"
Dr. Rudalac blinked, then shook his head and smiled back. "Merely a precaution, my dear boy. I'm just looking out for the health of our citizens, especially if my patient happens to be a Ninjagonian hero."
"Shucks, doc, you flatter me," Jay waved off the compliment, but Cole could see a slight flush of pleasure in his cheeks. Jay really doesn't get enough credit as a hero, he thought, moving the lunch tray off Jay's lap and hiding the bucket of medical supplies. That guy's not putting his oily hands on our medkit, doctor or no. I don't trust him any farther than I can throw him.
Dr. Rudalac knelt down on the other side of Jay's bed and opened his carpet bag. "Ah yes, let's see about your fever."
As he reached out a hand to press it to Jay's forehead, Ray said quickly, "Ah, doctor―"
But he was a little late. With a yelp of surprise, Rudalac jerked his hand away from Jay's skin, fingers shaking from the sudden shock of electricity emitted from Jay's skin. "I meant to warn you, doctor," Ray said, embarrassed. "Jay has a particularly high electric charge, and it's stronger now that he's sick; his immune system is on overdrive to kill off the cold virus. You'll have to wear gloves if you want to touch him."
"Ah, yes, don't worry about it," Rudalac smiled weakly, taking a pair of thick Latex gloves from his carpet bag and slipping them on. Gingerly, he brushed Jay's bangs aside, and pressed one finger to Jay's forehead. Upon not receiving a shock, he pressed his palm to his forehead. "Hmm. . . this is quite a high temperature. Where is my thermometer―?"
"His temperature is 114℉, doctor," Zane said helpfully. He had taken the liberty of performing a medical scan on Jay while the doctor had been distracted, and now had the results in his sights. "The intense fever is typical for Elemental Masters with Lightning or Fire abilities, due to their natural high body temperature necessary for stabilizing their Element."
"Ah, yes . . . thank you." Rudalac didn't seem to be listening. His hand had slowly moved from Jay's forehead into his hair, and he was absently stroking it, apparently deep in thought. Jay watched the doctor nervously, clearly not comfortable with the strange touch.
Seeing Jay's distress, Cole coughed loudly into his fist. "'Scuse me, doc, but last I checked, Jay wasn't a cat."
"Hm?" Upon seeing where his hand had wandered off to, Rudalac quickly retracted it. "Oh! I'm sincerely sorry, Jay―" for some reason, Zane believed him "―I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You just remind me of . . ." He trailed off, once more staring off into space. "Well, never mind." Frowning and muttering to himself, Rudalac made a note on a clipboard which he had taken from his bag. "Just someone from my past, that's all. Now, I'll need to take a blood sample―for analysis, you know." He looked up at Ray. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Jay's legally an adult―he can make the decision himself," Ray responded, slightly curt.
Jay swallowed nervously. "I'm not a huge fan of needles . . . but if it'll help with the examination, I guess so. Cole, could you give me that blanket?"
"Sure," Cole handed it to him, "but why do you need it?"
"If I bite it when he'll doing the―thing, it stops me from―reacting," Jay responded, twisting the blanket into a rope and biting down on it. He gave Rudalac a hesitant thumbs'-up. The doctor rolled up Jay's pajama sleeve, then took an empty syringe from his bag.
"Don't worry, my boy, this will be quick." Jay shut his eyes and bit down hard as the needle penetrated the skin on his arm. And just as quickly as it had gone in, the syringe came out, the tube filled with bright red blood. Carefully placing the syringe into a plastic bag, Rudalac adhered a Band-Aid to Jay's arm before making another note on his clipboard. "Hm. . . I'm a little more than concerned about your condition, Jay. Have you been drinking a lot of water lately?"
"I can't―Lightning and water don't really mix as a rule, but when I get sick, it's even worse. I eat a lot of food with high water content though." Jay looked nervously at the doctor, whose frown deepened as his pen scratched across the paper again.
"I see. Well, just a couple more procedures, including the results of your blood test, and I'll know for certain."
By 'a couple more procedures', Rudalac meant checking Jay's eyes, ears, and mouth; testing his reflexes (something he regretted as soon as Jay's foot connected with his face); and checking his blood pressure. As each examination was completed, Rudalac's frown kept deepening, and he was constantly scribbling notes on his clipboard.
Finally, after reading over his notes for the third time, he turned gravely to the watching and waiting Elementals. "I'm sorry, but all my notes point to Jay having the virus going around. Now, while my knowledge of the disease is admittedly scant, I know enough to tell you that it's chronic―without the proper treatment, Jay could die."
Zane scowled. Something was definitely wrong. "Let me see those notes―"
Rudalac held his clipboard just out of Zane's reach. "But I have happened to develop a method that seems to be working wonders on my patients suffering from the same malady―only a few weeks at my sanitarium should put him at rights."
"Isn't 'sanitarium' a fancy word for 'insane asylum'?" Cole frowned.
"Yes, and no. 'Sanitarium' is also a dated term for a place where patients suffering or recovering from a chronic illness go for medical treatment, similar to a modern day health spa," Ray explained. "I'm assuming that's what you meant when you said 'sanitarium', doctor?"
"Yes, yes―forgive me, I'm a little out of balance with modern linguistics." Rudalac looked embarrassed. "But I assure you that my methods are the most sophisticated and effective treatments you'll find here or anywhere in Ninjago."
"Of that, I have no doubt." Ray's voice was tinted with just a hint of sarcasm. "Well, I believe we'll wait until the results of the blood test until making any final decisions, doctor."
"Of course, of course." Rudalac looked a little disappointed, but he quickly covered it with another smile. "Well, if anything else medically unsettling were to happen to Jay, please do not hesitate to call. Here's my card." Drawing a worn business card from his coat pocket, he handed it to Ray. "Thank you for your time, and I hope to bring good news in the morning."
Good news for whom, doctor? Zane thought, brow creasing into a frown as he escorted the doctor from the bedroom. I know you're up to something. And I swear on the bones of the First Spinjitzu Master that we'll find out what.
"Shall I take you back down, doctor?" he asked quietly. One thing that had bothered him about Rudalac was the fact that he had no idea how he had gotten up to the Temple of Airjitzu in the first place.
"No, no, my friend will come to pick me up shortly―I'll just wait behind the Temple. Thank you for offering." Rudalac's tone was clipped.
Zane couldn't help but smile as the doctor stalked off. He's figured out I'm not the witless tin can my Nindroid brothers are. Keep an eye on yourself, doctor―I'm watching you.
Jay took a long gulp of Vengestone Tea, sighing with relief as the black liquid went down his throat. "You didn't believe what he said, did you?" he asked Cole and Ray nervously.
"Not a word of it," Ray said flatly. "I get the feeling he is a medical doctor, but there's something about him I don't trust. He seems too familiar to me―like I've met him before―and he was on the wrong side. But that seems impossible―I would have been fighting his ilk when he would have been ten years old."
"Well, Zane said we should look into him more closely once we've given him what he wants," Cole frowned. "I have a hunch I know what he wants, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to make sure."
Note: kanjana is my name for Ninjagonian characters (as in writing characters, not character characters, if that makes any sense. It's a combination of the words hirigana, katakana, and kanji, two Japanese syllabaries, and a Chinese form of writing.
And I wonder what it is about ol' Doc Rudalac that Ray, Zane, and Cole don't trust? We'll find out, we'll find out. Stay tuned for Chapter 3 of A Method to His Madness!