Hours passed and still nothing. The doctors had told them he was as stable as he would ever be. They'd placed him into a medically induced coma so they could control everything about his health. His heart was the only thing they weren't controlling. Air was pushed up his nose; blood was coursing through his veins from the drips which were slowly dwindling in numbers as his body gradually acquired the adequate amount.

The teens hadn't left their captains side, each taking turns to sit by his head and whisper to him. Anything to make the boy fight to wake up. Kai's main doctor had stated that it was rare for patients in a medically inducted coma to wake without the use of some drug, but that didn't deter the Bladebreakers. Their captain wasn't exactly ordinary.

At the current moment it was Ray by his side, he was speaking to the eldest while the others slept.

"Please wake up Kai, I don't know what's happened to you but I know it must be something bad. But please wake up, don't leave us. You're our captain. We need you." Leaning back in his seat the neko took Kai's hand, making the bluenette clench harder on the blue blade in his hand. "Dranzer needs you."

Pressing his face to his hands he dragged them down his face, trying to wake himself up. But it was no use; he could feel his eyes dropping more every second. And not a minute later he was fast asleep.

Leaving his captain alone to face his nightmares.

0000

"Grandfather, grandfather please" a small bloodied hand reached out to grab onto the elder's blood speckled trousers. Staring down at the child's hand the elder simply kicked the bruised hand away gaining a sharp intake of breath from his grandson.

"Be quiet boy" he ordered, not showing a sliver of remorse to the broken body.

"Grandfather" the younger couldn't stay quiet, he needed his grandfather. He needed his help.

"I told you to be quiet" he gritted his teeth as he stepped closer, "stay quiet or I'll make you" the old man threatened.

"Grandfa-ah!" He cried out as pain racked through his mind, the man's steel toed boots stamping on the younger's head sending him straight into unconsciousness.

0000

"Kai, Kai wake up. Please wake up Kai," hazy crimson eyes cracked open a sliver, staring up at the dusty beams of the mansions attic.

"D-Dranzer?" He asked, knowing that voice, he'd always hear it when he woke up. He knew it was just his imagination that gave the chip a voice but it comforted him to hear a loving voice call his name. In truth, he sometimes provoked his grandfather just so he'd be beaten to unconsciousness. Just so he could hear her voice.

"Kai..." and the voice faded to a quiet whispering in the back of his head. Just as it always did, fading into oblivion being taken over by the turmoil in his life.

"Dranzer" he sighed, rolling onto his side, wincing as his broken rib throbbed on the hard wood floor. He didn't have a bed; he wasn't good enough to have a bed. According to that accursed grandfather that is. "I need you" he finally admitted.

"Kai, please, wake up. We'll help you, please Kai, we need you" a soft voice cut through his nightmares tearing him from his bedroom to an empty void in space. He was floating through the world, no longer in his six year old body.

"Kai, come on, wake up. Grandpa said you can stay with us till you get better"

"And my dad said he'd cook for you, you can even have my noodles"

"Kai, we'll help. We won't smother you if that's not what you want. We'll help you get better, please. You're too strong to be lying in a hospital bed."

'No,' he thought 'I'm not strong, I'm not at all. No one strong would do what I do, no one strong would be as weak as to make friends.'

"Kai, we just want to help. You don't have to tell us why we just want to help"

He could feel his body being pulled up, up away from the dark abyss he was encased it. Up towards a light, a blindingly bright light that seemed to almost flicker. And as he rose the voice got louder, almost to the point that they were deafening.

0000

"Kai, please, wake up" as soon as the words left the neko's lips crimson eyes crept open his heart beat rising subtly as he regained consciousness.

"Kai!" They all screamed, causing the teen to slam his eyes closed and his doctors to pour in.

"What happened?" They asked in a panic.

"He woke up" Kenny sighed heavily as he stared at the scrunched up face of his captain. His tired eyes starting to open cautiously once more.

"Kai" the group repeated at a more reasonable level.

"We thought we lost you" Tyson told him, placing the boy's scarf in his hands. Knowing just how much the piece of fabric meant to the stoic boy.

"Can't get rid of me that easily" he answered, his voice raspy and in terrible need of fluid.

"I guess not"

Wincing at the pain in his neck the teen's eyes dropped back shut. It was simply too much effort to stay awake right now.

0000

"He woke up" Tyson breathed as he stared at his captain. He was going to live, he'd woken up, he wasn't going to die now.

"Yeah Ty he did, as Kai said, we're not getting rid of him that easily."

"I don't want to get rid of him Maxie; I just want to know why."

"You can't expect him to be open with us Tyson. Things like this do affect people but that doesn't mean he's just going to become an open book. Kai's life is complicated; I only know a small fraction of it. We can't expect to understand why. We just need him to trust us enough to let us help him stop"

"I understand Mr D; I can't help being curious though"

"I know"

"Mr Dickinson, what do you know about Kai?" Ray asked, looking from his friend to the elder by his side.

"I don't think it's my place to tell boys. We should leave it to Kai to tell us when and if he's ready. But I can say that his life has been hard. There's been a great deal of hardship in his life. He's very strong to be able to live each day with what he's endured."

"I know he has problems with his grandfather"

"He does Max, big problems. But we should leave it to Kai; it's his story to tell. Now come on boys, let's go get some food, I'm sure Kai'll be hungry when he wakes up"

Life seemed to refill Tyson at the mention of his favourite pass time and as he ran through the door he didn't spare a thought for the brunette he left sprawled on the floor.

"Do you think there'll be any food left for Kai when we're down there?" He asked, picking himself up simultaneously checking Dizzi for dents.

"I don't know Kenny, but we best hurry just to make sure."

As everyone left the room Max hung back for a moment to cast Kai a quick glance.

"I don't need to know why Kai, you're not the type to explain, but I'm glad you're going to be ok. We'll make sure you never have to cut yourself again." With a soft smile he flicked off the room light, shutting the door softly to give his enigmatic captain some much needed silence.

Thanks to everyone who voted on my poll, and hopefully you like this chapter. Please read review