*angry xylophone music* Let's get this show on the road, already! Write chapter, rewrite chapter, delete and rewrite chapter to be more like the first iteration of the chapter—
RPM Shadow: I have good news for you, I specifically have a Kai and Skylor scene lined up in the future! Not sure it'll be very much, but they'll have some moments all right. :)
Fiiiyaaah: Jay would be over the moon to hear you consider him a perfect friend. I'm gonna tell him. :3 And thank you! It's Jay's story, he's gotta bond with everyone as much as I can manage. :P
You're telling me! Every time I sit down to write this story I have to forcibly put myself back in "old designs mode." And Lloyd's old voice. XD
CrystalKunoichi: Thanks for the review! You have the distinction of being review 1984, which hopefully doesn't mean this story is about to get dystopian. XD
Hope you enjoy Season 12 when it comes out! It does have its dark moments (though not as many as Season 11, I guess). Props for having the patience to wait for it that long, gosh.
Big things about to go down, all right! :3
I know, right? Nine-year-old me was shocked and awed to learn my grandmother takes her pills without water. XD I'm not so great at taking them even with water either . . . And with some kinds it's honestly not good to take them dry anyway.
Mostly just saying violent stuff in his sleep, unfortunately. :/
Oct 24
4:55 AM
Status conditions: Cole; penetrating trauma to lower limb, mildly sedated, dialysis dependent. Zane; essentially dismantled. Lloyd; gunshot wound, major bite wound, burn injuries, concussion, moderate-to-severe venom-related vasculitis. Nya; concussion, moderate venom-related vasculitis. Jay; subdural hematoma, blast injury, scalp laceration, mild venom-related vasculitis. Kai; Doesn't want to hear about the acute stress disorder.
Mild-to-moderate lacerations and contusions across the board.
The nurse who came in early the next morning found a tangled heap of three teens piled onto one bed. He must have had some difficulty figuring out which one to take vitals from. After that he kicked Kai and Jay out.
Naturally, they snuck back in. Kai took up his station next to Lloyd, resolute.
"It's usually pretty lively in the early morning," he said. "I don't think we're both gonna be able to hide in here. You go home and get some decent sleep or something."
Jay tried to argue, but Kai wasn't having it. It didn't help that the sleeping pills were still in effect and Kai was basically arguing in his sleep. He did a pretty convincing job of it, honestly; Jay only caught on when he started invoking trigonometry. Still, it was hard to argue with the inverse cosine of a 30-degree angle. Sighing, Jay finally left him ensconced in the armchair.
He went down to see Cole again. He'd been woken for the morning checkup too.
"Mornin', sleeping beauty," Jay sang, poking his head through the door. "How's life?"
"Lousy," said Cole. "Get me out of here."
"Wait, what?" Jay sobered.
"They switched me to a different kind of pain med," said Cole. "A lighter one that doesn't knock me out. So that's mostly good, except now it's been like four hours and I am losing my mind in here. I could kill."
Jay flinched inadvertently, but shook it off.
"Losing your mind why?"
"Ughhhhh. I hate being holed up in here!" Cole waved his hands around grumpily. "It's dumb. They don't let me get up, they barely let me eat anything, I'm useless like this—and then I'm always on edge 'cos some Technician jerk might crawl in here, and what am I gonna do, bonk him with the bed remote? This is the worst, I swear. You need to bust me outta here, or so help me, I'm staging a jailbreak myself!"
"Cole." Jay fought back a grin. It was a relief to see Cole alert and feisty again, not to mention a little funny to see him go stir-crazy this fast. "Would you relax, already? Last I checked you kinda didn't have kidneys. You're safe here, just chill out and focus on getting better."
Cole growled darkly, sliding down the hospital bed. Jay chuckled in spite of himself.
"Hey. Tell you what, how about I try to sneak Lloyd down here to visit you? Like those visiting therapy dogs some hospitals have, only a therapy Lloydfish."
"Hey!" Cole brightened. "Can you do that? That would be great! Aw man, I need to talk to the kid. Is he doing okay?"
"Ehhhhh . . . " Jay pursed his lips.
"Man, I feel kind of bad. I probably got him traumatized," said Cole, tugging at his injured leg. It was currently bolted to the foot of the bed to keep the bone pulled straight. "Poor kid had to pull out the shaft himself, bone through the skin, blood all over the place, the whole nine yards . . . It must have messed him up."
"Ohhhhhh . . . " Jay's eyes widened. So that was why Lloyd had been avoiding Cole so intensely!
Well. This was going to be a more delicate procedure, then. If he didn't play his cards right he might just shake Lloyd up even worse. If he did pull it off right, though, this could be productive! Lloyd would feel better and Cole would hopefully stop trying to climb the walls.
"What?" Cole was looking at him guiltily, meanwhile. "He's traumatized, huh?"
"Ahhh . . . maybe." Jay gestured abstractly. "But it's fine! It's okay! I'm sure you guys can work it out once I get him over here."
"Aw geez. Now I really hate being stuck here," sighed Cole.
"Ah, ah! No jailbreaks. You just sit tight here, and as soon as I can, I'll bring you a therapy Lloydfish. Only, uh, the Lloydfish also needs therapy. It's just gonna be a hot mess all around, honestly." Jay grimaced. "Maybe we should have this at night or something. You guys are gonna need some privacy."
"Peachy. What am I supposed to do until then?" said Cole.
"I dunno, keep yourself busy," said Jay, sliding out of the armchair to leave. "Take up knitting?"
"Hilarious, Sparky."
"Hey, I hear the hospital will lend you needles and yarn, if you ask." Jay waved, turning towards the door. "Anyway, I'm gonna try get some work done on Zane, meanwhile. Later, Dirtclod."
"Oh . . . " Cole seemed to hesitate. "Yeah . . . later . . . "
Jay got as far as the doorway, then paused, bit back a grin, and turned back.
"You gonna say something?"
"No," grumbled Cole, reddening. Jay laughed and went back to give him a hug.
"Youuuuuu sap. You're getting spoiled, you know that?"
"I know," said Cole contentedly.
Out in the hall, Jay scruffed a hand through his hair. Okay. Now he had a game plan. Good news! In the back of his mind there was an anxious prickling, a vague sensation that something wasn't quite right, something wasn't adding up—but he pushed that aside doggedly. He couldn't stomach the thought of anything else going wrong.
It was too early for any respectable human to be up and about, so Jay went back to the Bounty and started working on Zane. It was slow going. Some parts were torn or bent and would have to be replaced. Still, it was bleakly soothing. He worked methodically up one of Zane's arms, delicately adjusting whatever was out of alignment, clicking parts back into place, realigning tiny screws. The aliens hung around watching him and softly chirping their duet, contented now that he was back.
He'd only been at it for a little while, barely into the range of reasonable business hours, when Sensei Wu came into the room and asked to talk. Jay was none too thrilled. Obviously this was going to be about the night before last. He'd either be asking Jay what happened and forcing him to dig up all the traumas he'd actually been repressing rather well for a change, thank you, or he'd want to know who killed Nash. So either break his promise to Kai or lie to his Sensei. Great.
Wu was quiet for a moment, apparently making final adjustments to his wording.
"I understand Nash is dead," he said at last.
"Yes Sensei," said Jay, ducking his head.
"Kai," said Wu. Maybe slightly a question, but barely. Jay winced, wondering how it was that obvious.
"I sensed a change in him," said Wu. He sighed. "I knew this day would come. I did not expect it to come so soon. It is . . . difficult to find the right words."
"I know, Sensei." Jay still couldn't lift his eyes. Wu sighed again.
"I can imagine he is having a difficult time. Do you think he is stable enough to discuss it by now?"
Jay tried not to look lost at sea. It felt weird having his Sensei asking him for advice. Things were really upside-down.
"I am sure Kai could benefit from an intervention," continued Wu. "But it must be at the correct time. If we wait too long, it will give more chance for painful thoughts to engrave themselves into his mind. But if we force him to discuss the event before he is ready, we risk distressing him further. There must be a time when he is ready to talk about his experience but it has not yet become a permanent part of him."
Jay rocked from his heels to his toes, sorting through his recent memories with Kai. He definitely wasn't acutely in shock like he'd been right after . . . it happened. He was clearly still processing it all, though. Over and over.
"I think he's ready," he said at last. "I think waiting now would only make him worse."
Wu nodded.
"Very well. I assume someone needs to stay with Lloyd, however. Would you be willing?"
"Of course, Sensei."
Jay went down to the hospital again with Wu. A few doors down from Lloyd's, his steps slowed, and he began to fall behind. Sensei Wu turned back with a questioning look.
"Is it okay if I wait here?" said Jay. "I'll go in as soon as you get Kai."
Wu scrutinized him for a long moment, but finally nodded and went ahead. Jay sighed with relief. He didn't want to be around when Kai found out that Sensei somehow knew he was bloodied and traumatized, even if Jay really had kept his promise all along.
Sure enough, when Sensei Wu came back out of the room, Kai in tow, the red ninja spotted Jay down the hall and gave him a murderous—wait, no, ack, not the right word. Well, it was a pretty angry look, anyway. Not murderous. That wasn't Kai. It wasn't.
Jay held up his hands in silent supplication, but didn't try to explain. If Wu didn't make the circumstances clear, Jay would just have to handle Kai later.
As Kai fell miserably into step behind Sensei Wu again, Jay darted off to Lloyd's room. He found the young ninja blinking drowsily at the door—maybe Wu's visit had awakened him. He saw Jay coming in and visibly suppressed a sigh.
He must realize they were babysitting him. It's not like it could be helped, though. They had a Cursed Realm to keep closed.
Sighing gustily himself, Jay flopped into the armchair. Time to start making himself useful. Cheering people up was his job, right?
"Gooooooooood morning." He arced a palm in greeting. "How does the Lloydfish?"
"'m good," said Lloyd flatly.
Jay nodded, casting about for inspiration.
"Hey, leg's looking better!" he remarked, noticing that Lloyd's bandages looked a lot less intense this morning. "Still on pain meds?"
"Not much."
"Nice. Cole's been switched to easier stuff too. Hey, maybe you'll both get out of here on the same day, huh?"
Lloyd shrugged, looking away. Jay set his teeth. It was still early in the morning, a somewhat busy time, but his hand was being forced. Time to start tactfully coaxing the Lloydfish.
"Sooooo. Have you tried walking on that leg yet?"
"Only a little. It's not bad."
"Well then, whaddaya say to taking a little walk?" chirped Jay. "It's good for ya! And guess who wants a visit? . . . "
Lloyd gave him a half-hearted questioning look.
"Well, to be honest, more like 'guess who's getting a visit, period.'" Jay grinned. "I kinda already promised Cole I'd drag you down there. If you can't walk that far we'll, I dunno, kidnap one of those rolly computers or—Uhhhh, Lloyd?"
Lloyd had started up in bed, wide-eyed and shaking his head furiously.
"No?" Jay tilted his head. "Lloyd . . . "
"I can't go there," said Lloyd, already breathing shallowly. "What did—what did he tell you?"
"Woah, woah." Jay held up his hands. "Eeeeeasy. Hey. Listen." He grabbed Lloyd's wrists lightly, his heart squeezing as Lloyd's panicked eyes lifted to meet his.
"I get it, buddy," he said gently. "I know. It was a rough night. And I know it was rough to see Cole all weird and knocked-out like that afterwards. It scared me too. But it's not like that now, I promise! He's awake, he's totally back to normal, he's climbing the walls wanting to get out of here. Once you see him like he is now, you'll feel better, I promise. And he really wants to see you."
Lloyd said nothing at first. His eyes drifted back down to his hands and fixed there.
"He didn't say anything?" he whispered.
"Uhh . . . say anything about what?" said Jay.
"About how I'm off the team?"
"You're off the what now?"
"I'm out." Lloyd made an "off into the beyond!" gesture. "Lost my membership."
Jay squinted at him for a moment, then gave this news a bit of thought. Eventually he reached a conclusion.
"WHAT?!"
Lloyd jumped, startled.
"What are you talking about?! What do you mean you're off the team?!" yelped Jay. "Cole kicked you out?"
"Yeah."
"But—but—what are you talking about? Why? What happened?"
Lloyd shrugged, not lifting his eyes. Jay stood staring at him, his head reeling. The actual frick was this? Oh gosh. This explained everything. Lloyd staying behind to talk to Cole that first day, nearly Cursing himself the following night, refusing to go visit him again—he'd been stumbling through these last few days knowing that he was banished.
And for the love of mercy, why?
"You can't just . . . " Jay sank onto the foot of the bed, trying to wrap his head around the idea that Lloyd might just suddenly drop out of their lives. Just like that. "What are you supposed to do, just leave? Go solo?"
"I've done it before," said Lloyd hollowly.
"And you're okay with that?"
"It wasn't that bad." Lloyd was a bad liar. He fidgeted, feeling Jay's eyes fixed on him. "I mean, at least it won't be like the time we thought Zane died. There's still gonna be a team, at least."
"And what, the rest of us are gonna be together and you're just gonna hang out at a safe distance and watch us?"
Lloyd shrank into himself a little.
"Seriously, what did Cole tell you?" demanded Jay. "He was barely even awake that day—"
"He knew what he was talking about," said Lloyd. "I can't blame him."
Jay stared at him for a second, then suddenly shook his head, overtaken with unreasoning fury.
"You know what? Baloney!"
Lloyd started again. Meanwhile Jay tried to jump to his feet, but got tangled in the bedsheets and ended up on the floor.
"Jay, you didn't even get over the last head trauma yet . . . " Lloyd peered after him worriedly.
"Baloney!" averred Jay from the floor. "Who the heck does Cole think he is, huh? Kicking you out without telling us? We're going down to see him right frigging now, and we're gonna get answers!"
"Ah, I dunno—"
"Answers, Lloyd!" Jay had thrashed himself back upright and was now barging for the room's door. He threw it open just in time to nearly crash into the nurse about to come in. Jay stared at her blankly for a moment, then reddened and darted around her towards the hallway. Most likely she'd heard the shouting just now.
He found the nearest alcove and paced around, biding his time. Everything had abruptly started making perfect sense and no sense at all.
"This is good!" said Jay as he half-dragged Lloyd towards an elevator. "Now that the nurse took your measurements and stuff, she won't come in again for a few hours, so they won't notice you're gone!"
"She was giving me weird looks, though," said Lloyd, sounding like he would have been amused if he could have. "And looking back at the door. I think she's starting to worry about a domestic violence case."
"Ho ho! Once we get down to Cole's place, we'll see some domestic violence."
"Jay!"
"No, seriously." Jay scowled over his shoulder. "If it turns out Cole really did kick you off the team, I don't care if he's sick, I will beat him up."
"Please don't . . . "
"And I'll leave the team with you!" continued Jay, undeterred. "Screw Cole!"
He heard Lloyd stifle a sigh, but when he snuck a glance back from the corner of his eye, he was pretty sure the younger ninja looked at least a little bit relieved.
He'd darn better, too. Jay couldn't even imagine. Sure, if he was being completely honest with himself, he was partially getting this worked-up for selfish reasons. He was the one panicking just because Kai was grouchy with him for a few days. If Lloyd, the beloved baby of the family, had done something that got him straight-up expelled—what kind of chance did Jay stand? All this was hitting way too close to home.
But give him some credit. He really was mostly angry for Lloyd's sake. If Jay was paranoid, how must Lloyd feel? He'd been scared too, that night in the car after he injured Kai. He must also spend his time wondering when his welcome would run out. And why not? He'd spent his entire childhood getting abandoned, kicked out, and betrayed, always unwanted, always an outsider. He'd been able to put trust in his dad's love, so of course he'd lost his dad. And now, just when they'd started to earn Lloyd's trust themselves, just when he must have been starting to feel like he really belonged here, now this?
No, seriously. Jay wasn't even sure he was exaggerating about beating Cole up.
Cole's room was one floor down and one wing over. Lloyd looked pretty ill by the time they got down there, and Jay got a bad feeling it wasn't just due to his worsening limp. The younger ninja drifted to a stop by Cole's door and leaned one hand on the frame, catching his breath. And visibly steeling himself.
"You okay?" asked Jay anxiously. All of a sudden he was rethinking this entire idea. Why hadn't he talked to Cole himself first, instead of dragging Lloyd down here to get re-traumatized? Oh shoot, oh shoot, putting him under this much stress when he was already barely holding off the Cursing spell—
Lloyd nodded, however.
"If he didn't say anything to you, he must have forgotten," he said, his eyes fixed at some invisible point on the wall. "Not surprised—he was pretty out of it. I guess I was gonna have to remind him eventually."
"Do you want me to tell him for you?" offered Jay. (Although honestly, the thought of bearing news that had gotten Lloyd kicked off the team sounded stark terrifying, and selfish as it felt he kind of hoped Lloyd would say no.)
"No, I've got it," said Lloyd. "Let me get it over with." He was silent for a moment, a tense, choking moment.
"Could you stay?" he said at last, so quietly Jay barely heard him. Jay breathed a sigh of relief. Not like he was thrilled about witnessing whatever was about to go down, but somebody had to be up and mobile in case Lloyd started spouting the Dark Tongue again. And he would really have hated to force himself in if Lloyd had wanted privacy.
"Of course I can stay," he said, squeezing Lloyd's shoulder. "And remember. Just say the word and I'll beat him up for ya. Really."
"Don't make promises," said Lloyd. "You might wanna switch sides later."
Before Jay could protest, Lloyd had set his teeth and stepped into Cole's room. Jay darted after him. They found Cole deeply engrossed in a book of crossword puzzles, to the point that he missed them coming in. Jay's angry resolve faltered, his heart softening. It was easy to make threats when he was somewhere else; harder when Cole was right here, and Jay could see how drained and pale he still looked, and remember that this was his brother whom he loved too, just like Lloyd.
He didn't know what he was going to do if it really came to Lloyd getting kicked out. How was he supposed to choose between brothers?
Meanwhile Cole started and looked up, then broke into a grin.
"Heyyyyyyyyy, this hospital really does have visiting Lloydfish! You got him, Jay!" He tossed his crossword book at the bedside table, and missed. "Hey Fluffy, c'mere. Geez, you look awful, what happened?"
Lloyd stayed frozen by the doorway, eyes glassy.
"You really don't remember, do you?" he said.
"Remember what?" Cole sobered. "Uhhh, judging by the look on your face, I'm . . . guessing it's not good . . . "
Lloyd sucked in his breath, digging his fingernails into his palms. Jay plastered himself back against the room's door, well on his way to setting the world record for breath-holding.
"So . . . I told you this before, the first day you were here," said Lloyd. "But I'll tell you again. That night when the pile driver got your leg? . . . I could probably have saved you if I moved faster. But I didn't. I . . . I was . . . "
He ground to a halt, his voice thick. Cole studied him, putting the pieces together.
"Hair got in your eyes?" he said sardonically.
Lloyd nodded, mute.
"Oh geez." Cole sank back in bed, blowing out an angry breath. "Seriously? Good grief, Lloyd. Good. Grief."
"I know," whispered Lloyd. "I'm sorry."
"You'd better be!" said Cole. "It would have been nice to not go through all that, you know. Do you know for a while there, they thought they'd have to amputate this thing?! And they still don't know if I'll ever walk right again. My whole ninja career could be shot, kid. Over! And all because you had to grow out your stupid hair?!"
"I know," said Lloyd again. Cole glared at him for a while, stewing. At last he shook his head and flopped back again.
"I don't even know what to do with you. Just . . . get out of here, okay? I am this close to saying something I regret."
Over by the door Jay's heart joined his lungs in ceasing function. FSM unpreceded. It was happening. Why had he dragged Lloyd down here to relive this?!
"For good?" said Lloyd, resigned.
"For good what?" grunted Cole. "Don't go being melodramatic on me kiddo. I'm really not in the mood."
"No, that's what you said last time," said Lloyd. "I'm off the team."
Cole blinked. After a moment he sat up and gave Lloyd a weird look.
"No I didn't. I would have remembered that."
"You went into a lot of detail," persisted Lloyd quietly. "You can't keep me around if I'm a liability, I need to go where my stubbornness only puts me in danger and not everyone else . . . That kind of stuff."
Cole squinted, visibly digging through the deepest possible recesses of his memory and coming up short.
"How high was I . . . " he muttered, mostly to himself. Then he eyed Lloyd. "Listen, if I don't remember it happening, I must have been zonked. Like, visibly loopy. Don't tell me you took me seriously."
"I . . . "
"He tried to CURSE himself!" Jay's lungs came back online with startling vigor. Cole jumped as if he'd forgotten Jay was there, but then looked to Lloyd, stricken.
"Lloyd—"
"No, no, it's fine!" Lloyd waved his hands desperately. "Don't—don't freak out. I'm fine, I'm okay. I'm okay, see? I just lost control of the spell for a little while, but I'm okay now, it won't happen again. Don't change your mind over that."
"I'm not changing my mind over anything!" sputtered Cole. "Lloyd, you little idiot, how did you manage to believe me? Yes I'm mad at you, geez, but I would never kick you off the team for something like that. Come on!"
"No, you were right," said Lloyd. "I was irresponsible, I was selfish, I've been putting everyone in danger—so I lose my team privileges. That's fair."
"Lloyd no—"
"And I've been putting everyone in danger for way too long," continued Lloyd doggedly. "I nearly took Jay into the Cursed Realm with me, I nearly Cursed Kai that one time, I broke his wrist, you can't even sleep at night without worrying I'll start the stupid spell, now this—"
"Lloyd, listen to me, breathe—"
"Do you know I'm a murderer?!" barked Lloyd, tears standing in his eyes.
Cole stopped trying to interrupt. Jay gripped the doorknob behind him and debated turning himself in for an EKG. Somehow the only thing he could think right now was, so Kai wasn't the first.
His baby brother, so innocent, so hopeful, the youngest, the sunniest, their first murderer. All this time, suffering like Kai was. Alone, no one to share it with.
Could today just stop, already? He'd had enough.
"What?" said Cole quietly.
"Ask Jay," said Lloyd, dashing a sleeve under his eyes resentfully.
"Um, what?" Jay froze in the spotlight. "Ask me, I don't know anything!"
"Base Zero?" said Lloyd. "Mack?"
"Ohhhhhhhhhh . . . " Jay sucked in his breath, horrified. How had he never registered that?! Lloyd had gone out to fight Mack, then he'd come back alone. Somehow Jay, panicked at being newly-blind, dragged into fleeing Nash immediately afterwards, had managed to not make the connection.
"What happened?" he asked, numb.
"He was holding me underwater. I tried to throw him off and I guess I threw him down the waterfall. He was already injured, he couldn't have survived . . . "
"Oh." Jay stood still, tracking the spinning of the room. If only he wasn't sworn to secrecy, he could tell Lloyd how he was used to this now, he'd seen this before, he'd already proven he didn't walk away in situations like this, and Kai, maybe they could help each other, Kai would understand—
"You do realize you didn't kill him?" Cole was saying. He got Lloyd and Jay's immediate attention.
"But I—"
"No, listen to me." Cole waved for silence. "Cool it already. You remember I was talking to Doug and the police when we went to Base Zero the day after? They were checking to see if the underground creek surfaced somewhere. And it did, right nearby, and they found Mack at the edge of it. He got washed out still alive."
Lloyd said nothing for a moment, his eyes probing Cole for any hint of deception.
"He's alive?" he whispered at last.
"You didn't kill him." Cole shrugged.
"Oh." Lloyd visibly went limp, his breath shuddering out of him. Meanwhile Jay slumped back against the door again.
So Kai really was the first. He was already sick of this secret.
"But anyway!" continued Cole firmly. "Even if you had killed him, Lloyd. We're ninja. Not to be a downer, but we're all gonna have somebody's life on our consciences someday."
Ya think, thought Jay bleakly.
"So either way, you're not getting kicked off the team for that," said Cole. "And you're not getting kicked off the team because of the spell. Or because of your hair. Or because of your temper. And no, not even because of my leg. Not because of any way you've ever screwed up. We don't keep you around just to use you. It's okay if you're having a rough patch. If you need some extra help these days, that's what we're for."
Lloyd didn't answer. His shoulders shifted with each ragged breath, his fists bunched into the faded hospital gown slung over his green gi. He'd barely looked up once since coming into the room.
"Lloyd." Cole sighed. "For the love of Pete, get over here, will you?"
Lloyd wavered. He'd managed to run towards the Overlord without batting an eyelid, but apparently crossing a hospital room was a whole different story. Jay desperately resisted the urge to just shove him across himself.
"Come on." Cole rattled ineptly at the fixtures on his leg, then groaned. "So help me. Before I follow up on that whole amputation angle and come over there."
Swallowing, Lloyd drifted a little closer. Cole leaned out of bed as far as he could and dragged him the rest of the way.
"Now you listen here," he said, taking a rather ill-appearing Lloyd by either arm. "I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to say this now, but you are not going anywhere. You're not off the team. I swear. I was drugged, whatever I said was garbage, and I am so, so sorry. Okay?"
"Don't be sorry, you're the one with the torn-up leg," said Lloyd shakily.
"You wanna call us even, then?"
Lloyd gave a strangled choke and dissolved into tears in earnest.
"Ohhhh—" Cole let go of Lloyd's arms and tried to pull him in for a hug, nevermind that Lloyd was already burrowing against him. "No, shhhhhh, it's okay. Heyyyyyy, Fluffy, c'mon, don't be like that . . . "
"Don't—call me—Fluffy," managed Lloyd, muffled against Cole's chest.
"Oh, I'll call you Fluffy all I want, thanks." Cole laughed sadly, mussing his hair. "I'm claiming that as my personal privilege now. And here you are, stuck on this team, dealing with it. Forever."
Lloyd groaned soulfully. Still, he didn't seem in any hurry to pull away. Cole continued stroking his hair, murmuring something. After a moment he cast a questioning glance to Jay, who gave him a grin and a weary thumbs-up. Then he slipped quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
He paused in the hallway and let out an exhausted breath. Well. That had just happened. Poor Lloyd, how had he kept this to himself for almost four days? It must have been devastating. And all because Cole responded to pain meds like he was the size of a fieldmouse and started spouting off bat-crazy diatribes . . . Jay wanted to be angry, but he couldn't even muster that anymore. He was just relieved everything was starting to sort out.
Lloyd and Cole would probably need a while to talk. There wasn't much sense in Jay hanging around the hospital, meanwhile. Time to get some work done.
As he ambled down the hallway, the overhead PA system buzzed, signaling an announcement. Jay only half-pricked an ear—he'd heard plenty of these already.
"Code Find: blond teenaged male in green outfit, and possibly a hospital gown. Last seen on fourth floor of West Wing. Repeat, Code Find, blond teenaged male."
For a moment Jay halted, weighing his options. After a moment he groaned, threw up his hands, and continued on his way.