Hailey woke up at the feeling of someone shaking her shoulder.
"Hailey?" She didn't recognize the voice at first. "Hailey!" It was her uncle.
Hailey slowly rolled out of bed. "What?" She asked groggily.
Samuel pulled her up out of bed the rest of the way.
"Today's the day we help Zane get to walk again." He said cheerfully. Hailey thought he was glad to get the couch back.
"We are moving him, right?" Hailey asked, rubbing an eye. She didn't think Zane wanted to spend another night on that couch.
"Yea." Samuel replied, walking out the door. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty." He waved in a weird way with his hand down the hall. "Breakfast awaits."
Samuel turned and went out, leaving Hailey. She put her hands on her hips and stared after where her uncle disappeared. Soon enough, she jammed her fists into the pockets of the sweatshirt she was wearing.
"Well, I never-Sleeping Beauty?! PFFFFFFFT. I ain't no princess!"
Hailey, still muttering to herself, walked out of her room and downstairs.
. . .
"Hailey!" Samuel called. "C'mere for a second, please."
"Mm mph." Hailey tried to respond through a mouthful of frosted Mini Wheats. She got up and went to the couch.
Zane was sitting up, looking alert and very eager to get up again. Samuel was gripping Zane's wrist.
"Shouldn't we check on those cuts he has first before we move him?" Hailey asked as she walked up to Zane's other side.
"I did." Samuel said. "They're all healed up pretty much, but me and him talked it through earlier and I think we should put a patch of sheet metal over the one on his side." He pointed to where there was a slight dip under Zane's gi, where the gash on his side was. "Also, I think a couple wires might need to be replaced. They got damaged by water or something of that sort. Now," Samuel waved a hand at Zane's other wrist. "I need you to hold that. When I say, pull him up." Hailey nodded.
"You ready?" Samuel looked down to Zane. He nodded.
"Okay. Pull!"
With Hailey pulling on his right and with Samuel on his left, Zane was pulled up off the couch and up onto his feet. Samuel quickly slid a shoulder under Zane's arm because his knees were shaking a little.
"You think you can stand on your own?" Samuel asked.
"I would like to try," Zane replied, making an effort to straighten out a knee that buckled slightly.
"Okay then…" Samuel cautiously help Zane steady himself. "If you feel like you can't handle it, just tell us."
Zane nodded as both Hailey and him let go. Zane prepared himself to fall flat on his face as soon as there was no hold on him, but surprisingly he stayed upright for about ten seconds before his knees started shaking bad again and Samuel came to help him to keep standing. They had him rest on the couch for a little while in between Zane trying to walk.
"I'm letting go of you now, so be careful," Hailey warned as she let go of Zane's forearm.
Zane took a tentative step forward, careful not to put too much pressure on his knees. He stopped, noticing that he had did one. He stepped forward again, but as soon as the top of his foot came down, Zane suddenly felt tipsy.
But he ignored the feeling. Zane took yet another step, this time the feeling of everything swimming in front of him became stronger. He swayed, and Samuel dove to catch him before he hit the floor.
"Seriously," Hailey said as she helped her uncle steady Zane again. "I really think Zane should take it easy for a little bit more."
"I think I can do this," Zane said. "It would be pleasurable to be capable of moving again without much assistance today."
"Fine." Hailey shrugged. "But if you can't, it's your loss."
They kept trying, but all Zane could manage was a few steps which looked more like he was being tripped before falling.
This time, it was their 12th.
"Zane, I hate to say this," Samuel began, "But if you can't make it this time, I'd say it's back to the couch for another day."
They let go of him, and Zane wobbled forward a few steps. He felt himself go dizzy but didn't let himself fall. If he couldn't make it…
Zane didn't have time for another day or two back on the couch, sitting around like a lazy person while Ninjago was being invaded by Morro.
The sooner I can get moving again, Zane thought fiercely. Then the sooner I can get back to my brothers.
Zane pushed the queasy feeling away and tried walking a few more steps a bit more steadily. It worked.
Another three steps, and this time the wave of dizziness came back, but worse. Still, Zane shoved it away and walked forward a few more steps.
"Hey," Hailey said behind him. "I think you're actually getting along good now."
Zane couldn't walk any more than three or four steps before a dizzy feeling came over him, but he was determined.
Step, step, step. Dizzy, push away. Step, step, step. Dizzy, push away.
Zane kept doing that until he made it to the living room and back. On the return, the dizzy feeling had gone or he had gotten used to it, and he was actually properly walking again.
Hailey was relieved. Zane was getting better. He wobbled over to Hailey and Samuel, who helped him back on the couch. He was pretty tired.
"Once your rested up enough and you think you can walk again some more, let me or Hailey know, and we'll move you to the guest room," Samuel said.