YAY. Another chapter complete. This one gives me many, many feels. Hope y'all get similar reactions!

Please review on what I did well or what I could improve on!

Enjoy, friends :D

Kai's POV

The first thing I noticed before I opened my eyes was the rattling feeling in my chest, the burning in my lungs with each breath, and the stinging of my throat. I clenched my hand, as steadily became more aware of my aching body, getting a fistful of fabric from underneath me. Clearly, I was in a bed.

I heard voices, but they were distant and fuzzy, as if I was hearing them from underwater. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, then tried to force them open. At first, I was met with bright light streaming in from a nearby window, but soon a shadow cast over me. As I blinked several more times in attempt to get my bearings, I realized the fuzzy outline of a person came into focus. His shaggy, dark hair did nothing to hide the concern and exhaustion riddled across his features.

"Kai? Kai, hey, can you hear me, buddy?" My mind was clearly muddled, as I struggled to put together what he was saying. What Cole was saying.

I opened my mouth to speak, but winced as a sharp pain rose through my throat, reaching a hand up to touch my neck as if that would help.

"C-Cole?" I rasped, grimacing now at the pain and the weak, grating sound of my own voice.

"Yeah, I'm here, bro. How do you feel?" He touched my leg lightly, sinking down next to me on the edge of the bed.

I closed my eyes tightly, thinking how to put it best as I took a deep, rattling, extremely uncomfortable breath. When I flicked my eyes open, Cole was still staring at me with concern. I caved, knowing I didn't have strength for anything but honesty as my eyes started watering from the rising sting in my throat, and the overall achy, feverish feeling throughout my entire body.

"It...it hurts." I should've been ashamed at the whimper that escaped, but again I couldn't bring myself to care. I closed my eyes tightly to hide what were definitely not tears in my eyes, attempting to blink them away, but it didn't matter. Cole knew.

Cole visibly swallowed, eyes shut tight as he gripped the edge of the bed for a moment, as if to ground himself. "Okay," he finally said, looking at me again. "Okay, I'll go get Zane, alright? I'll be back in a sec." He stood up, turning to leave, but...but a sudden thought seized me and I grabbed his wrist swiftly.

"Cole," I said, as he turned back in surprise, eyes wide and sad and questioning. "The kid?" Realization dawned on his face, and something like guilt. "Where is he?"

Panic seized me when Cole didn't answer right away, swallowing again, before leaning over me. A large hand swept my hair off my forehead and I closed my eyes at the surprisingly gentle touch.

"You're burning up, Kai," Cole commented, avoiding my question. But at this point I was too in a daze at how my teammate was acting more like my mother then a strong, fearless leader. "I'll be back with Zane in a second. Try not to fall asleep until I get back."

I blinked owlishly, hardly comprehending his words, other than "try not to fall asleep." Gosh, something must've been really wrong with me.

Cole's POV

I sighed heavily as I left Kai's room, not bothering to close the door behind me. My heavy footsteps were the only sound in the Bounty as I searched for my icy friend, I noticed with a grimace. Everything was so screwed to hell. Why did this all have to happen? How could I have let this happen?

Kai was feverish and hurt, Jay was missing and probably captured, Lloyd was probably so scared and neglected because neither Zane and I had time to comfort him with all the other problems and Sensei was either completely losing it, being controlled, or possessed. Not to mention the baby Kai had saved was currently in Ninjago City Hospital miles away by now, probably struggling for his life, and I hadn't had the heart to tell my injured brother that the kid he'd risked his life for might not even make it.

And the biggest, most chokingly painful fact of all was that she was dead. I had a feeling that if she had been here, none of this would've even happened. And if it had, she would've stayed strong and done everything she could to fix it. She'd search for Jay, comfort and care for her brother, all while staying strong for Lloyd and the rest of us.

I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that could block out the pain. As if that would erase the memory of Kai's flaming body falling from the apartment building, or the memory of his limp, unconscious form lying way too still in my lap. As if it would make me forget Jay's laughing, cheeky grin that had seemed to always be there until the day his girlfriend died. As if I could block out the image of her dying, bloody form as she drew her last breath in her brother's arms.

Oh, Nya... How her heart would break if she saw us all now. She used to joke about how the Bounty would fall apart if she wasn't around, and I never realized how oh-so-right she was.

I stumbled into the Bridge, hardly registering Zane's presence until he turned from the giant computer screen and was speaking to me.

"Cole, brother, are you alright? How is Kai?"

I shook myself out of my memories, forcing myself to focus on Zane and put his concerned gaze at rest.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But Kai's awake, and I don't know how to help him. He's in a lot of pain."

"I will go to him immediately," Zane said, already moving away from the computer. "Will you take over my search for Jay? I have not really gotten anywhere, but there is still much ground to cover."

I nodded, a lump growing in my throat again. We had to find Jay soon, or I knew I might break. And if I broke, I had a bad feeling everyone would go down with me.

"Go," I said, and he left promptly, leaving me alone in the Bridge staring at a map of Ninjago but hardly seeing a thing.