Chapter 8

After packing up some of Kai's things so he could spend the night at Krux's house, all Zane and Jay could do was watch as Krux, with a smug look on his face, helped the brunette into his car and drove off. Once the teacher and teen were long gone the two researchers went straight to Dr. Wu's office. The old man was already expecting them, sipping tea at his desk with a relaxed look on his face when the younger doctors arrived.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Jay shouted as soon as they burst into the office. "Letting Krux take Kai back to his house?! Need I remind you of all the comments he's been making?!"

"Listen, I do not like this either but Dr. Saunders does make a fair point." Dr. Wu explained. "Kai needs to learn what life will be like for him outside the hospital bed." He and Zane knew that the older man was right but he still had a bad feeling about it. He looked at Jay and knew his partner was feeling the same way. They didn't say anything, however, trusting Dr. Wu's judgment. The uneasy feeling didn't leave Zane, however. The platinum-haired man sighed as he tossed and turned in his bed.

He was now back at the house he shared with Jay, who was asleep in the next room.

It was around five am and he hadn't gotten any sleep. He was finally about to nod off when just then he heard the phone ring. He listened as Jay got up and answered it.

"Hello? No, I'm afraid he's still asleep." He heard Jay say to the person on the other end. "Sure I give Zane a message." The ginger-haired man said as he grabbed a pen and notepad. Zane frowned and he sat up and went to see what was going on. "What?!" Jay suddenly exclaimed in a mixture of anger and concern.

"What's wrong?" Zane asked, giving his friend a fright, but he quickly recovered.

"Kai's being quarantined over at Krux Saunder's house." He replied and Zane couldn't believe what he had just heard. He ran back into his room, got dressed, and was out the front door like a flash of lighting...

When Zane arrived at Dr. Wu's office he saw that Garmadon was already there, looking just as angry. They all waited for Jay to arrive before the older doctor could explain what was going on. In a matter of minutes, the ginger-haired man arrived as well, looking pissed. Before anyone could say anything, Dr. Wu told them that Krux had contracted rubella and Zane gasped. Rubella was a contagious viral infection best known for its distinctive red rash.

It was also sometimes called German measles or three-day measles.

While this infection may cause mild symptoms or even no symptoms in most people, it could cause serious problems for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.

"Kai has been staying over at his place so he has been infected as well and we can not risk infecting any of the other children at the hospital." Dr. Wu explained.

"I can't believe this!" Zane snarled as he started pacing around the office.

"Are we sure he's not lying?" Garmadon asked.

"I'm afraid he's not lying, I saw him for myself and he's definitely got something." Dr. Wu clarified.

"Yeah he's got something alright, he has Kai," Jay muttered.

"Alright, let's all just calm down for a moment." Garmadon tried to ease the growing tension. "It's gonna be business as always only for the next few days it'll take place at Dr. Saunder's house."

"Oh, and I have this to give to you." His younger brother suddenly remembered as he took out a piece of paper for his brother.

"Well, this just keeps getting better." He glared as he read the paper.

"What is it?" Jay asked and the doctor passed the note to him. "It's a request from Kai's mother!" She exclaimed.

"What does she want?" Zane glared.

"She wants to come to visit her son," Garmadon replied. "Social Services say that it's alright as long as we at the hospital think Kai's healthy enough, physically and mentally"

"And the doctors here think that he's healthy enough, so it's just a matter of arranging a date." His added. While Jay was rambling on about how this was a terrible idea, Zane just hummed in thought...

That afternoon Zane went alone to Krux's house. From the outside, Krux's house looked old but wonderful. It had been built with poplar wood with white pine wooden decorations and short, wide windows brightened up the house. The house was equipped with an old fashioned kitchen and one large bathroom. It also had a generous living room, two bedrooms, and a snug dining area. The second floor was bigger than the first, which created a stylish overhang on two sides of the house.

The second floor had roughly the same style as the floor below.

The roof was high, triangular, and layered and was covered with grey ceramic tiles. Two large chimneys poke out the center of the roof. A few round, small windows allowed enough light into the rooms below. The house itself was surrounded by grass, a huge tree in the center, and bushes on the borders of the plot. When Zane arrived at the house he knocked on the front door and waited for Krux to answer. He stood there for roughly five minutes when he then noticed something at one of the windows that looked into the living room.

He turned to it and saw that Kai was sat next to the window with a big smile on his face as he waved out to the platinum-haired man.

"Hey Kai, could you open the door for me please?" He asked, but Kai tilted his head in confusion. Zane wondered if this was because he couldn't hear him because of the glass of the window or because he didn't understand the question. Zane was about to ask Kai again when just then the front door opened and Krux appeared. Zane frowned as he started to look the teacher up and down. He didn't look like he had rubella or any illness.

"Please come in," Krux said with little to no emotion. Zane nodded and as soon as they walked into the house Kai ran out of the living room with a huge smile on his face. Zane smiled and Krux silently watched from the door.

"Zane wait!" He smiled.

"Oh yes, Zane certainly did wait." He chuckled before turning towards Krux with a forced smile. "So, how are you feeling Dr. Saunders?" He asked as Kai took Zane's hand.

"Much better, thank you."

"Front door!" Kai suddenly exclaimed as he started pulling on Zane's arms.

"Good job Kai, you're learning a lot of new words." He smiled, feeling very proud of the boy's amazing progress.

"But the word 'store' is his favorite." Krux smiled as he walked to the kitchen. "Almost every building he sees he has to stop and points and says store." He laughed lightly as he poured a coffee.

"Go store!" The brunette begged as he tried to pull Zane to the front door.

"If it's alright with Dr. Julien then it's alright with me," Krux called back and Kai looked at the young doctor with pleading eyes.

"Of course it's OK with me." He beamed and the minute those words left his mouth Kai had already pulled him out the door...