Stop Trying So Hard
"Gah—!" Cole gasped, his eyes shut tight.
"Take it easy. Nice and slow," Lloyd ushered gently.
Cole sucked in rapid, pained breaths through his gritted teeth as the mattress creaked beneath his weight. His legs dangled off the side of his bed, the muscles weak and shaking. His arms ached from how hard he tensed them against every painful spasm in his back.
"There you go. Now you can lay down and rest," Lloyd said, his words soft and soothing.
Cole couldn't gather the willpower to come up with a response. Every part of his body cried out in pain simultaneously until he couldn't think about anything else.
His head throbbed. His muscles cramped and spasmed from over-exertion. His skin stung and burned with every slight touch. Thick white bandages encased the blood oozing from the various gaping holes where his skin and clothes had been torn open. A slash on his left leg, a deep gash across his chest, a thin cut along his right elbow, even little scratches on his face… Not to mention all the aches beneath his skin where bruises were already forming. Now was not the time for thinking.
"Do you need help laying down?" Lloyd asked.
The Green Ninja sported nothing more than a bandage wrapped around his right forearm, and a tissue shoved up each of his nostrils to stop the bleeding. Cole almost envied the dirt in his blonde hair.
"Maybe," he huffed through a pained sigh.
"Here, let me at least get that belt off you," Lloyd offered.
He carefully unbuckled the belt wrapped over Cole's shoulder and down across his chest and belly. A little click, and the belt was loose. Cole let out a soft sigh as Lloyd carefully unwrapped it and set it on the nightstand nearby.
"Thank you," Cole mumbled.
"What else can I do?" Lloyd prompted.
"I'm gonna try to lay down now. Don't leave just yet…"
"I won't go anywhere."
Cole did his best to mentally brace himself for the suffering he was about to put himself through. Grunts and winces of pain escaped him every time he dared to move his body. His hands threatened to cramp on him as he gripped the bedsheet tightly to push through the pain of turning to the side and lifting each of his legs onto the mattress. He then carefully scooted to the side until he was in the middle of his bed, all while his strained back cried out in protest.
Lloyd saw an opportunity to leap into action. He adjusted the pillow until it was properly lined up with Cole's body and folded the blanket back at the foot of the bed.
A few more pained noises came out of Cole's mouth as he gingerly laid down on his back, until he finally grew still and quiet. He closed his eyes, his breathing still labored even when the tension began to leave his face.
"How do you feel? Is that better?" Lloyd asked.
"Everything hurts. But… not as bad," Cole huffed.
"Where does it hurt the most?"
"My chest. That huge cut… It's really sore. And my head is throbbing… My shoulder hurts too, and my back."
Lloyd turned his attention to the various bandages around Cole's body. He re-checked all of them to ensure they were comfortable and tight against his skin. Most of them had already gained a red tint.
"Your bandages look good," Lloyd said.
Cole opened his eyes as a sudden thirst came over him. Despite the fatigue, his body demanded the critical hydration it needed to help itself heal.
"I should probably drink something. I might be dehydrated," he realized.
"I can get you some water if you want," Lloyd offered. "You really shouldn't drink it lying down, though. Do you think you can sit up?"
"I'll try…"
Lloyd left the room in a hurry, leaving his fellow ninja to fend for himself. Cole strained to push himself up on his hands and fight through the intense pain in his back until he was able to sit up. The bandages around his chest squeezed him gently with every breath he took.
His right bicep twitched and cramped painfully. He winced and massaged the muscles with his thumb. Though, it wasn't long before his hand cramped as well, forcing him to stop the massage.
Lloyd returned a few moments later, holding a glass of water. He stopped upon noticing the pain on Cole's face.
"You okay, buddy?" he asked.
"Cramps," Cole grumbled around a pained grunt.
"Here, I brought you some water. Staying hydrated will help your cramps from getting worse."
Lloyd came over to the side of the bed and brought the glass as close to Cole as he could. Cole generously took the glass and drank from it weakly. His arm trembled, the glass quivering against his lips.
"Where are you cramping? I can rub it for you if you'd like," Lloyd offered.
Cole's body answered Lloyd's question itself. His bicep twisted into a knot that painfully paralyzed his arm. The paralysis traveled down his arm and into his hand, locking his fingers in place.
"Gah..! My arm..!" he gasped.
Lloyd gingerly pried the glass from Cole's trembling hand and set it on the nightstand. He wasted no time grabbing Cole's arm and massaging it firmly, pressing his thumbs in a circle.
"Stretch it, if you can," he instructed.
With some effort, Cole carefully straightened his arm and stretched it. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth, his breathing labored.
"This is why Master Wu tells us not to push ourselves too hard. I know punching and throwing is how you fight, but your superhuman strength doesn't make you invincible. Even you can go too far and get hurt," Lloyd scolded gently.
"I thought I would be okay…," Cole mumbled, his voice strained.
"Well I hope you've learned your lesson. You can't do everything yourself, and you need to let us come and help you."
"But… you guys aren't as strong as me…"
"Maybe so, but we can accomplish incredible things when we work together. I know it's easy to let the fight get to your head, but that's exactly what leads to this. We're a team, Cole. Never forget that."
The cramp gradually eased off and released its paralyzing grip. Cole slumped forward in relief, despite the pain in the rest of his body. He fought to keep his other muscles relaxed in fear of triggering another cramp.
"Is that better?" Lloyd asked as he ended his massage.
Cole nodded, his face relaxing enough for him to open his eyes. He rubbed the side of his aching head, his mind struggling to conjure any thoughts.
"By the way… How are the others? Are they okay?" he inquired.
"I can't deny that there's serious injuries, but as far as I know, nobody's life is in danger." Lloyd averted his gaze hesitantly. "Jay's so bandaged up, he almost looks like a mummy, and Kai is showing signs of a potential concussion. Zane's having a lot of trouble walking, but PIXAL told me he should make a full recovery. Nya and I got out far better than the rest of you, it seems."
He smiled in amusement at the visible relief that came over Cole's face upon hearing Zane's name.
"I'm glad everyone's gonna be okay," Cole said.
Lloyd nodded in agreement, before his smile suddenly disappeared. "Damn, I should've gotten some pain medicine while I was gone! I'll be right back."
Cole had no time to respond before Lloyd turned around and left the room.
I'm so tired… We're lucky none of us were knocked out during that battle. Looks like no more training for a while…, Cole thought.
He stared at the wall, taking in slow and deep breaths. The wound on his chest stung continuously, defeating any efforts to breathe his way through the pain. He managed to think back to Master Wu's wisdom, where he was met with a pang of regret and shame.
Lloyd's right. I did push myself too hard… And I didn't even realize it until it was too late… I don't think any amount of deep breathing is gonna help us get through this, he thought.
It wasn't long before Lloyd was jogging back into the room. He held out his hand to Cole, presenting two pills in his palm.
"Thanks, Lloyd," Cole mumbled as he retrieved his water.
Lloyd said nothing. He watched Cole take the pills one by one, a satisfied smile slowly coming to his face.
That smile almost instantly faded, however, when Cole shut his eyes again. He grunted in pain, the glass warping the deep sound. He managed to open his eyes, back to gritting his teeth again as he set down the glass as gently as he could.
"Everything hurts," he groaned.
"Lay down. Please. You don't need to do anything else but rest," Lloyd ushered.
Cole sighed pitifully. He braced, and reluctantly put himself through the pain and discomfort required to lay down and relax. His skin cried out in pain from brushing against the bedsheet as he shifted his position until he was sort of comfortable. His back muscles twitched and spasmed.
"I don't think I can get more comfortable than this," he grumbled.
Lloyd reached over and rested the back of his hand against Cole's forehead. He felt around for a moment before pulling his hand away.
"You don't feel hot. You should be fine, as long as you rest as much as you can. Don't get up unless you have to. Nya and I are strong enough to take care of you guys, plus PIXAL and Misako are here to help too. We're all here to help you guys recover," he said.
He groaned internally at the look of dismay that instantly came over Cole's face. The Earth Ninja moaned in annoyance and rested his hands on his belly. His fatigue seeped deep into his body, coercing him into closing his eyes.
"How long is it gonna take for me to get better? I don't wanna lay in bed for days," he complained.
"You will rest as long as you need to, no matter how long it takes. You know Master Wu would say the same thing if you asked him," Lloyd replied in a stern, yet gentle tone.
"When's he coming back? I miss him. It's been a while since he's left to go meditate on his own."
"I don't know. He didn't tell me when he'll be returning. And imagine how upset he'd be if he came back to you guys trying to train while you're covered in injuries!"
Cole let out another pitiful whine.
"Imagine how upset Zane would be if he saw you trying to train in your condition," Lloyd countered.
Cole's eyes snapped open. He looked at Lloyd, who put his hands on his hips like an impatient mother.
"Fine," Cole scoffed, closing his eyes again.
"I'm just sayin'... The sooner you get better, the sooner you two can do team battles against Kai and Jay again," Lloyd pointed out.
Cole let out his third whine now. "I don't wanna wait."
"Cole, Zane is hurt too. Even if you were fine, Zane still needs his own time to recover. You would never pressure him into training before he was ready, right?"
"Of course not!"
Cole opened his eyes again and propped himself up on his arms in a rush to defend himself. He took in a breath to continue, only to choke from an intense wave of pain shooting down his back and arms. His weak arms trembled beneath his weight and threatened to give in from the sudden movement. He flopped back down onto his back, panting and moaning in pain.
"Speaking of Zane…"
Lloyd trailed off and promptly left the room once more. Cole helplessly watched him go with his arm outstretched in hopes of somehow getting his attention.
"Lloyd..!" he called.
No response.
Cole let his arm fall limply onto the mattress beside him. Pain throbbed in his skull, washing away every attempt at forming a coherent thought. He could hardly even wonder where Lloyd was going, or if he was going to come back this time. Zane flashed in his mind for brief moments before being swept away by the pulsing headache. All he could do was bear the pain and wait.
His tired muscles barely managed to respond to his signals. He lifted each of his legs and attempted to stretch them, only to be stopped in his tracks by looming cramps. His arms gave him the same fuss, and he knew better than to challenge his back pain.
I guess laying around doing nothing really is all I can do right now… I just hope I get better soon! I want to keep fighting! he thought.
Seconds turned to minutes before the sound of approaching footsteps came into earshot. Lloyd returned once again, this time holding his arms behind his back with a smile on his face.
"Why did you leave?" Cole asked.
"Talking about Zane gave me an idea on how I can help you feel better," Lloyd replied.
"And what's that?"
Lloyd held his arms out, revealing little towels and bags of ice. Cole barely managed to resist biting his lip at the mere thought of how painfully cold those would be against his sore skin.
"Ice bags?" he asked.
"It'll numb the pain, and should help any swelling go down. I think this is exactly what you need," Lloyd explained. "So, where does it ache the most? Where did you get hit the hardest?"
Cole wanted to protest, but the pain wouldn't let him. He let out a sigh and almost smiled in hope that some of his suffering would die down.
"My left shoulder hurts so bad….. I landed really hard on it," he said.
Lloyd gingerly placed a little towel on Cole's shoulder, then set the ice bag on top of it. The Earth Ninja still winced and tensed up from the cold.
"Where else?" Lloyd prompted.
"My stomach. And both my legs…," Cole answered in an increasingly tired and pitiful tone.
"Can you point to the spots?"
Cole pointed to three different areas on his belly. He gasped and tensed up every time Lloyd set down an ice bag, even with the towel to absorb some of the cold.
"Now you're gonna have to lay still so these don't fall off, okay? Don't move around unless you need to," Lloyd said as he moved down to Cole's legs.
"What am I supposed to do if I need something? What if I get hungry?" Cole protested.
"You can call me or Nya, or PIXAL, or even Misako, and we'll get it for you. You don't need to leave your bed. Just… pretend you're in a hospital room, and you need to call the nurse when you need something."
"That… doesn't really make me feel any better."
"Just relax, Cole, and let us take care of you. You're in no condition to be getting up and getting things yourself. You need to lay down as much as possible."
Lloyd gently set down one ice bag on each of Cole's legs. He returned to the Earth Ninja's head and smiled in delight to see some of his discomfort gone for the time being.
"I have one more ice pack. Where do you want it?" he inquired.
"Does ice work for headaches? My head is killing me," Cole mumbled.
"Of course. That's no problem."
Lloyd gently laid the last towel across the top of Cole's head. He then set down the ice bag so it could lean against the pillow and Cole's head at the same time.
Cole let out a soft moan and closed his eyes. His bruised and battered body finally began to relax. His muscles seemed to deflate, free from all the tension from being in so much pain.
"Better?" Lloyd asked with a smile.
"That ice is starting to feel good. Thank you, Lloyd," Cole mumbled.
"Oh, that's Zane's ice, by the way."
Cole's eyes snapped open again. He gawked at Lloyd, almost forgetting that he wasn't supposed to move.
"That's why it took me a few minutes to get back. I asked him to fill those bags with ice so I could give them to you," Lloyd explained.
Cole glanced over at the ice bag on his shoulder. A smile grew uncontrollably on his face.
"Now. Will you promise me that you're gonna stay in bed and rest? Because if you don't, I'll tell Zane on you," Lloyd said with a teasing edge to his tone.
Cole's smile grew. "I promise."
"Good. I'm gonna head out, then. I want to check on the others. If you don't need me for anything."
"I'm good. Go take care of the others."
"Alright. Rest up, Cole. Don't hesitate to get any of us if you need anything. We're here to help you feel better."
Lloyd left the room for the final time, once more leaving Cole alone to himself. This time, the Earth Ninja closed his eyes with a peaceful smile on his face.
The End