Hawk leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor, hopelessness, and self-loath washing through his weary body in waves.
He fucking hated hospitals. And he hated them even more when it was Sky who was hurt.
He had been here too many times already, at this same exact moment, feeling this devastating fear, tasting the sharp steel of panic on his trembling lips. Whatever he did, he always found himself back in here - helplessly waiting to hear the worst news, that this time Sky wouldn't make it - and yet, against all hope, hoping for a miracle.
"She's going to be fine, Eli. Try not to worry too much."
"You don't know that," Hawk rasped and glanced at Demetri who was sitting next to him. "She could die."
"She's not going to die. She's way too stubborn for that."
Hawk didn't reply, just glanced at Sam and Miguel who were sitting close by, talking to each other in soft, silent voices as Miguel held an ice pack on his nose. Sam had a couple of band-aids on the scrapes on her face, but neither one of them was seriously injured. Only Sky had gotten badly hurt.
Hawk wanted to start screaming, but swallowed his anger with the tense reply that was already on the tip of his tongue. None of this was Demetri's fault, on the contrary. Demetri didn't even have to be here - and yet he was, as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them, offering his friendship as easily and as naturally as if this was again the first day of kindergarten, as if Hawk was deserving of such a miracle after all the shit he had done.
He still couldn't believe this was true. His chest felt like it would break, he ached with emotions he couldn't name. Demetri was here - his best friend, the other half of his soul, his Binary Brother. And all it had taken, was the apology: "Look Man, I'm sorry. For all of it." The words Hawk had thought he would never be able to say - but after the decision to save Demetri, it had been almost easy.
Demetri hadn't left his side since then.
"The doctors… They said that she can't get hit in the head again." Hawk said, twisting his hands. "After the school fight. They… they said it could be really bad if she suffered another head injury."
"I know. But Sky was conscious when we got here. That is definitely a good thing."
Hawk didn't reply, just turned his eyes back to the floor, to his blood-stained sneakers. The sounds and the smells of the hospital were making him sick, his stomach was a tight knot of anxiety and nausea. He couldn't stop thinking about the blood on Sky's face, the wound on her temple, in the same place where her hair was still short, and the scars visible after the school fight.
They had found her unconscious on the floor of the LaRusso home dojo, Sam kneeling by her side. Tory had been nowhere to be seen - which was probably a good thing because Hawk wanted to rip her fucking spine out through her mouth for what she had done.
Sam had been crying. Miguel had called an ambulance.
While they had been waiting for the help to come, Sky had regained consciousness - but Hawk wasn't sure if that meant anything. She had barely known where they were, had been asking what happened? all over again. What happened? What happened? with a small, frightened voice that broke Hawk's heart. Sam had been holding her hand, speaking kind, silent words of comfort as if she wasn't scared shitless too, like they all were.
Hawk's chest still ached so that every beat of his heart was strained and painful. The moments before the ambulance arrived had been the longest of his life. Sky had been delirious, confused, slipping in and out of consciousness. So maybe Hawk shouldn't have thought too much of the "Get the fuck away from me!" that Sky had spat at him when he had tried to help, to stop the bleeding of her head wound by pressing a towel on it - but still, those words hurt like a knife that was carving his ribcage.
Even hurting and bleeding - possibly dying - Sky didn't want him near her. And the worst part was that he couldn't even blame her. She had every right to hate him. Besides, in the state she was in, she probably hadn't even realized why he was there, that he had quit Cobra Kai and had fought side by side with the Eagle Fangs and the Miyagi-Do's to win the fight.
Now, staring at his dirty, blood-stained sneakers, Hawk felt a nauseating fear clenching his chest so that he could barely breathe.
It was one thing to apologize to Demetri for breaking his arm, breaking their friendship. It was another thing entirely to try to apologize for breaking someone's heart. He couldn't force Sky to hear his apologies, his explanations.
If she even lives. She could be dead right now—
That thought was so painful that Hawk couldn't take it.
No, I can't think like this. She will make it. She has to. She can't die, she fucking can't—
His silent panicking was interrupted, as someone rushed into the lobby through the front doors and ran right past Hawk and Demetri, straight to the front desk, slamming his palms against the counter, calling for someone to help him.
No fucking way—-
It was Cody.
His eyes were wide and dark with fear, he was pale as a sheet except for the blood-red spots that burned on his high cheekbones. He looked like he was falling apart, his whole body was tense as a string, his hands trembled.
"Someone help me—!" Cody cried, his voice breaking. "Please! I'm here about Sky— Sky O'Brian. Please, I have to know, is she okay? Where is she—?"
The woman behind the front desk gave Cody a sympathetic look as she glanced at the computer. "And you would be—?"
"Cody Bishop. She's my—" Cody hesitated, ran a hand through his messy, disheveled hair. "She's my—"
Hawk couldn't stop staring. That unfinished sentence was like a maggot that ate its way to his heart, jealousy incarnate. She's his— what? I thought he barely knew her—
"We can only give information to family members," The nurse behind the counter spoke firmly. "So unless you're family—"
Cody didn't get to reply. Sam had stood up and walked to him, and without stopping to think, Hawk followed her.
"Cody—" Sam said, laying a hand on the boy's arm, making him turn around. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
The moment Cody noticed Sam - and then Hawk standing behind her - he transformed. The fear and the panic that had been so clear on his face disappeared, and he grew emotionless, cold, sharp. It was as if he'd put on a mask, the contrast to the boy who had rushed into the room mere moments ago, was striking.
"Sam," Cody spoke cautiously. "Where is Sky? What the Hell happened?"
"She's being treated. Her Dad is in there too—" Sam glanced at Hawk, worry in her eyes, but then turned back to Cody and continued. "There was a fight. Cobra Kai attacked, and Sky got hit pretty badly."
Cody went a shade paler, he took a sharp breath - the only visible proof of any emotion he might have felt.
"Cobra Kai? Then what the fuck is he doing here?"
Cody didn't even look at Hawk, but it was obvious who he meant.
"It's okay, he's with us." Sam explained. "He switched sides and helped us to win the fight—"
"Right. I'm sure he did," Cody sneered, sarcasm oozing from his cold voice. "And that makes everything alright, then?"
"Stop talking like I'm not here," Hawk snapped - fighting the urge to add an asshole into that sentence.
"Don't you dare to fucking talk to me," Cody replied, and turned his cold, dark eyes to Hawk. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."
Hawk swallowed hard, trying to force down the anger that was stirring in him. He still hated Cody with a burning passion - that asshole had sold drugs to Sky, he had taken advantage of her when she was drunk and vulnerable. But—
A pang of guilt and shame cut the edge of his anger. He had left that boy lying on the floor in the mess of his blood and puke, had left him there to die.
He couldn't blame Cody for hating him too.
"Look, about what happened between us—"
"It didn't just happen. You tried to fucking kill me, you and your Cobra Kai buddies." Cody's voice was harsh and icy. "And I'm supposed to believe you've changed? Whatever, man. I will never forgive you for what you did to me, or for what you did to Sky. I want nothing to do with you, Moskowitz, so back the fuck off."
Anger and hurt stirred in Hawk's veins, and his fists clenched on his sides. He wasn't after Cody's forgiveness, they would never be friends, he didn't even want them to be. But still, he felt like crap realizing that the stupid, childish dream he'd had of leaving Cobra Kai, apologizing to people, and making everything okay again was just that - a stupid dream and nothing more.
Maybe the things he had done could never be made right again. Maybe there was no going back from destroying lives, breaking bones, and ripping apart hearts.
He tried to swallow the bitter taste on his tongue as he turned his gaze down, but it lingered.
"Guys, this is not the time or place for this," said Sam. "You're both here for Sky. She would hate it if you started a fight."
"I'm not starting anything," Cody replied, glancing from Sam to Hawk. "Just saying that Sky wouldn't want him here."
Sam looked exasperated, she let out a tense breath. "I told you, Hawk switched sides. He's with us now—"
"Sky won't see it that way. You know it."
"Why don't you stay the fuck out of this?" Hawk couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "You don't get to speak for Sky."
A sneer touched Cody's lips. "Funny that, coming from you."
"And what's that supposed to mean—?"
"Guys!" that was Demetri, who had joined their small circle in the middle of the room. "Stop being complete idiots! Sam is right, we're all here for Sky, so let's just table our disagreements, alright? You can continue this - whatever this is you're doing - once we know she's okay."
Cody's glance flickered from Demetri to Hawk. His face was calm, calculating, it revealed no emotion.
"I have no problem with that. I only want what's best for Sky."
There was a sharp, bitter reply already on the tip of Hawk's tongue, ready to fly into the air like an arrow. Cody wanted what was best for Sky? Right. Because selling drugs to an addict was in Sky's best interest. But Hawk held his tongue - not because of Cody, but because of Sky.
Sam had been right about one thing - Sky would lose her shit if she found out that Hawk had started a fight here. And Hawk couldn't afford to make any more mistakes if he wanted her to forgive him some day.
"Hey, it's Dr. O'Brian—" Sam's voice made Hawk snap out of his thoughts and turn to look.
Nicholas had stepped through a pair of glass doors and was walking towards them. He was pale, there were blood stains on his hands, on his cheek, and for a short, terrible moment Hawk feared this was it, that once Nicholas reached them and started talking, all would be over. He would tell them that Sky was dead—
Hawk's knees almost gave in - they would have, had Demetri not laid a hand on his shoulder, as if to say I'm here. You're not alone, my brother.
"Is she okay–?" Hawk breathed, as Nicholas stopped in front of them. "Is she going to be fine?"
Nicholas glanced from Hawk to Cody. If he was surprised that the other boy was here, he didn't let it show. He pushed his blood-stained hands into the pockets of his jeans and let out a long, exhausted sigh before he started talking.
"I have good news," Nicholas said - and Hawk couldn't help a relieved gasp that fell off his lips. "The doctors examined Sky. There are no new fractures in her skull, and no signs of bleeding in the brain—"
"Thank God—" Cody groaned, his emotion bursting through the mask. "She's— she's okay, then?"
"I didn't say that," Nicholas replied a bit sharply. "She most definitely is not okay. The wound needed stitches, and she has a bad concussion. It might cause problems later, considering her previous injuries. They'll keep her here overnight for observation."
"Can we see her?"
That was Sam.
Nicholas shook his head, ran a hand through his messy, blond hair. "She's tired and hurting. You should all go home now - your parents must be worried sick."
"But—" Hawk started. He needed to see Sky, he needed to see that she was alive, that she was going to be fine. He needed to be there for her, to tell her he loved her, that he was sorry, that he would do anything for her—
"No, I mean it. Go home, Eli." Nicholas replied sternly. "I'll let her know you were here."
"Come on, Eli—" said Demetri. "Let's go. Sky needs rest, and so do we. I also need some more painkillers. I feel like I fractured a rib or something."
Demetri was right, of course, so they all turned to leave. But as Hawk started walking with his friends towards the front door, he glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Cody wasn't following them. Instead, he lingered there next to Nicholas, talking to the older man in a silent voice. Hawk couldn't make out the words, but Nicholas replied something and gave a nod, then a fatherly tap on Cody's shoulder.
Something painful twisted and turned in Hawk's chest. He stopped on his feet. He knew he was witnessing a private moment, but he couldn't make himself stop.
When Nicholas started walking back towards the glass doors that lead to the hallway where Sky's room was, he gestured for Cody to follow him. Together they disappeared behind the closing doors, leaving Hawk staring after them.
He couldn't believe his eyes. Jealousy and hurt were ripping his chest apart as the truth slowly sunk in. So this was how things were - Nicholas had thrown him out, but asked Cody in. It could only mean one thing.
She's moved on. She really doesn't love me anymore.
With a heavy heart, he turned and followed Demetri out.