Ninjago: The Lost Garmadon Chapter 18, a ninjago fanfic

Chapter 18: Out of Darkness and Into the Light

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Sunset had come, but there was no elegant glow of orange and pink. The sky was dark. Clouds surrounded any last sunlight from seeping on top of Ninjago City. Any hope I had of Lloyd being alive was gone. I held onto it for a while, but it became heavy, that hope. That hope that got me through this entire day. This mess. A favor turned into catastrophe.

Military jets flew in multiple times within the past hour to collect any visible snakes. One by one, Borg's soldiers laced rope around the necks of the snakes and threw them into cages that were loaded into the jets. I wanted to feel bad for the Slithraa, but I couldn't. All I could think about was how they tortured me to be their...their slave. But seeing the Slithraa younglings- that is what broke my heart. The child snakes could have grown up to learn how to be good in this world, but never will get the chance.

Half of the team, Wu, Zane, Misako, Cole, and I, flew back to my father's temple where we replenished ourselves. I desperately needed stitches and Misako was banged up herself. The other half stayed in Ninjago to search for Lloyd. I didn't have the energy to try to form my dragon again so I rode with Cole. Misako rode with Wu.

Mid-ride, I felt like I could have drifted off to sleep. My head became heavy and I slumped forward. Cole took notice when he felt me hunch over his side. "Woah!" Cole exclaimed catching me. Rocky stopped moving. "You okay?" Cole brushed my hair back revealing my color-less face.

"Yeah, I'm great. Just tired." I said with my eyes closed.

"Here," Cole turned himself backwards. He slid his arm under my knees and his other arm under my arms. Swiftly, he scooped me up like I weighed nothing and placed me at the front of the dragon. He didn't sit me up, however, but rather laying across his lap bridal style as I drifted off. "You need to stay awake. You've lost a lot of blood, Sparky. You don't get to give up now. We just started our...well you know, our relationship. I can't do it alone exactly."

Coles words made me faintly smile. I was so tired I couldn't find the strength to lift my eyelids to look at him as he caressed my body with the warmth of his. I did understand that I needed to stay awake. I thought about Lloyd. I thought about how disappointed he would be if I didn't try my best to stay awake. To stay alive. To be with Cole. The wind that flew across my face as Rocky went faster burned my cheeks. I winced and pulled my face into Cole's chest. I grabbed his gi with my hand and held it tight. "There's no chance in hell I'm giving up now." I whispered.

"That's my girl."

We finally made it back to the temple. I tried my best to stay awake, but sometime after Cole started to hold me, I fell asleep. I was very out of it. I barely opened my eyes. I felt myself being carried. I drew my eyes upwards to find Cole's face. He looked very worried, so worried that he didn't notice I gained consciousness. Once he walked through the temple doors, my mind went blank. I must have blacked out again.

I heard a faint voice. I must have been dreaming. I couldn't make out who it was.

"She's lost almost a liter and a half of blood. We can't do a transfusion here." I heard a male voice say.

"She really needs one? A transfusion?" Another said.

"If she doesn't...she'll die."

"There's gotta be something else we can do...something we can try!"

"He is right, Cole. There is nothing else we can do." I heard an older voice say. He was talking to Cole.

"It was just a cut on her leg. How did it turn into this?" I knew now that Cole had been speaking. He sounded so worried about something. Could it be me? Is this an actual dream or am I semi-conscious?

"I've told you, it cut right through her posterior tibial artery-" I figured that this was Zane.

"I know! I know. It's my fault. I should've been smarter about breaking that damn door. I just...it was just-"

"You did what you had to do. None of you could see anything when it happened. The mercury...the gas it was too dangerous to risk even opening your eyes. How were you supposed to know that this would have happened?" This voice was different. It was female but older.

I couldn't hear anything after that. I felt heavy. Not heavy like when you eat a huge meal, but heavy like there's a boulder sitting on my stomach. It felt like something was crushing my lungs. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to cry for help but I couldn't open my eyes. I wanted to scream but my lips never parted. My nose was useless. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't smell, I could only feel. Is this what it feels like to drown? Except there's no water. All of a sudden, I felt someone place their hands on me. It wasn't Cole. It was multiple people. There were hands all over me; my face, my arms, and my leg. I felt my head tilt backwards and something went over my face. It was plastic. Something, the most incredible feeling, happened after it went over my face. Whatever it was, it blew air right down my nose and into my lungs. It was breathing for me. I had an idea of what it was but I wasn't sure. I've seen paramedics use this mask thing called a BVM to blow air into victims who weren't breathing.

I really wasn't breathing was I?

Cole's POV:

I don't know what's gotten into her. One minute she's okay and now she's not. I held her tight as we flew back to the temple. I cradled her head and looked at her face. It was so pale, paler than usual. I grew scared. "Don't you fall asleep now." It was already too late. She was asleep. No matter how much I shook her, she didn't budge. I still felt her breathing against my chest. I held her close and tight next to me. "Don't worry, okay?" I sniffled. I began to tear up. Seeing her motionless made me so numb. I couldn't feel my hands I was shaking so much. "You're gonna be all right. I promise you."

I flagged down the others and yelled to them that she wasn't doing well. We all drove our dragons straight ahead with full speed. Whatever time she had, it didn't seem like much. When we made it to the temple, Rocky disappeared before I slid off. I landing with both of my feet still holding Maya. Her breathing was getting shallow. I walked as fast as I could into the temple. Zane ran ahead of me and opened the doors.

"There's a room down the hall. Put her there." Zane said.

"Got it." I nodded to him and almost ran down the hall. I felt like I could trip but I never did. I kept going till I got to the bedroom. Inside was a queen sized bed with an elegant red blanket that had a golden dragon sewn on it. I laid her across the blanket and propped pillows under her head. "Maya," I grazed her head with my hand. "Can you hear me?" There was no reply. I aggressively wiped my cheek as a tear streamed down from my eye. "You told me you weren't going to give up." I grabbed her limp hand and squeezed it. I leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "You gotta wake up." I whispered.

Zane ran in. Wu wrapped Misako's arm around his shoulder as they both walked in the room. "Here," Wu gave Zane Misako and he came up to the bed. He took off her glove and felt her pulse in her wrist. He looked at me with concern. "I'm no doctor, but I know a weak pulse when I feel one. She's lost too much blood. Even with a tourniquet."

I started hearing computer noises and Zane took a couple steps forward, still holding onto Misako, and scanned Maya's body. "I'm afraid she is not doing well. Her status put's us at a turning point. We lost all the medical supplies with the Bounty and there is nothing here to use. She needs a hospital."

"What?" I stood up. "She's just tired, right? She lost blood, but the tourniquet must've stopped most of the loss. I heard that blood loss can make you tired. That's probably all it is." I looked at her motionless. I was so frustrated with myself that I couldn't see that my Sparky was in actual danger.

"Cole, she needs a blood transfusion. She cut her posterior tibial artery and that's what caused all the major blood loss." Zane said with a frown.

"Let me do it then." I walked over to Zane.

"You aren't the same blood type. Even if you were we don't have the supplies to do it." Zane shook his head.

"Cole, honey, she...she needs a hospital." Misako coughed.

"From the looks of it, you as well need care, Misako." Wu placed his hand on Misako's shoulder.

"I'm all right. Maya is the one who needs it the most. She's our priority." Misako said.

"We could get her to a hospital and then return to the city to assist the others." Zane suggested.

"Very well. I will take her. Misako should come as well. Cole you should come with us since Misako will need someone to ride with." Wu said.

"Then I will return to the city." Zane said.

"Are you sure she needs a hospital and not just rest?" I whispered.

"Cole, she's lost almost a liter and a half of blood. We can't do a transfusion here." Zane placed his free hand on my shoulder.

"She really needs one? A transfusion?" I tried to argue.

"If she doesn't...she'll die." My heart skipped three beats when Zane let it slip. When my mother was sick with cancer, she had surgery. She lost too much blood and they needed to do a transfusion. She reacted to the blood in a bad way and it caused her to go into cardiac arrest. That's how she died. I can't lose Maya the same way. I just can't.

"There's gotta be something else we can do...something we can try!" I again began to argue.

"He is right, Cole. There is nothing else we can do."Wu cut in.

"It was just a cut on her leg. How did it turn into this?" I sat on the stool that was placed next to the bed. I put my head in my hand and hid my tears that fell down my face. My breathing became shaky. "Oh, god," I whispered to myself.

"I've told you, it cut right through her posterior tibial artery-"Zane repeating himself always pissed me off. I already knew what he said. He didn't have to repeat himself.

"I know! I know. It's my fault. I should've been smarter about breaking that damn door. I just...it was just-" I yelled but then quieted myself once I realized that Maya was still asleep.

"We're wasting time here. She needs a hospital now. Her blood pressure is already skyrocketing." Zane said sternly.

"All right then. Let's move. Misako Cole will take you-"

"No." I cut off Master Wu and stood up looking at him in the eye. "I'm going to carry Maya."

Master Wu was shocked that I had cut him off like that. But I could see that he was understanding why I was so angry. Between my mother and my feelings for Maya, he knows I did not mean to place my anger towards him. "Very well. Let's go Misako."

I picked up Maya once again in bridal style. I ran back outside. It took almost no effort for Rocky to form under my feet. I had so much anger, so much pain inside of me. I just took off without a sense of direction. I shook my head once I realized I was traveling in the wrong direction. "Come on, Rocky forward!" I yelled to my dragon as I turned him south. I wasn't going to try Ninjago City hospital. The entire building was evacuated. "We can't go to Ninjago. Our next best shot is the hospital in Nom." I said in through my com to the others.

"My father works there now as an inventor for new medical technology to broaden the hospital's name. I am sure you will find what we need there." Zane said over the radio.

"Copy." I replied. We'll have to go all the way to Shintaro if this doesn't work. I want to do everything to avoid that awkward conversation with Vania.

After a short ride, we landed right outside of Nom Medical Centre. As I slid off Rocky, I noticed something was wrong. Maya was turning blue. "Oh god!" I checked her pulse; it was still there. Why is she turning blue? I put my ear to her mouth and nose. She wasn't breathing. Without hesitation, I ran through the emergency doors yelling for help. "Help! Help! She's not breathing! Please you gotta do something!" Multiple nurses and doctors took her from my arms and placed her on a gurney. As they ran, they wheeled the gurney with them. One of the doctors was checking her pulse and breathing as he ran.

"She's got a pulse but is unresponsive and not breathing. We need to immediately start ventilations." The doctor said. I ran with them still holding Maya's hand. "Sir, you need to wait outside the room, we cannot have you in there."

"But I need to be-"

"Sir," The doctor interrupted. "We've got her. I promise you that she will receive the best care." The doctor patted my shoulder and ran into the room, shutting the door behind them. There were windows into the room. I saw her lying there like a rag doll. She looked peaceful almost. There were so many people inside that room trying to save her life. They placed a mask-like thing over her face that blew air into her lungs. Once they started that, her heart rate was back to normal. They did this for about two minutes before checking to see if she could breathe on her own. As soon as they stopped, it started again. The monitor rapidly beeped. She wasn't breathing on her own. Before they even tried again, I saw one of them whip out a tube. They stuck it down her throat.

I wanted to sob watching her. I didn't know if she could feel any of this or not. I collapsed to my knees and my face fell into my hands. I couldn't hold it back anymore. All the memories of my mother came back. Seeing her exactly like this. And now, my love is in there. I started to pitifully cry. My shoulders shook with every breath. I wanted to die. If only I could take her place. I've only known her for a little while, but it feels like she is my soulmate. I was meant to find her and she was meant to find me. I can't lose her. I won't lose her. I had hoped this day would have gone so much differently; Maya and I finally getting some time together after we put the snakes away for good. Watching the stars aboard the Bounty at nighttime, dancing with her to slow music, tell her how much I love her. How will I do that now? I've never felt this way for anyone before. I've had little crushes and all, but nothing as intense as my love for Maya. My sweet girl; my love. I whispered to myself, "Come back to me. I don't want to lose you, too."