Crack!

Lloyd gasped in shock, limbs now aching at the impact he'd made on the pavement.

Wait—

He looked up, seeing the slightly dented car—

NO—!

Lloyd scrambled to his feet, stumbling, his throat closing. No no no—

Then he froze, gaping in horror and shock. His father lay on his side on the car, unmoving. The windshield was broken, smashed at the impact Garmadon's head had made. The car's hood was dented, along with its front bumper, though it was only slightly. His father's head was bleeding, running into the car.

Lloyd blinked rapidly, tripping backwards. His vision blurred. No, no no no—

He can't be gone—

He numbly looked at the figure bolting away from the scene, the driver of the car. They wore all black, head to toe. Their face was covered, identity hidden.

There was an increasing crowd forming around Lloyd, all talking at once in panic and horror.

"Someone call an ambulance—!"

Lloyd hardly heard them, everything growing muted. His eyes stayed fixed on his father.

He can't be gone—

A tortured whimper escaped him before he could stop it. Everything blurred out of focus—

The next ten minutes happened too fast for him to comprehend. The ambulance had arrived, and Garmadon was taken by paramedics onto a stretcher. They quickly checked him over, looking for a pulse, if he was even breathing, putting an oxygen mask to his face—

Then they wheeled him onto the ambulance.

Lloyd snapped out of his shock enough to run over, trying to climb in.

A paramedic held out her hand. "I'm sorry, you can't come with."

"He's my dad!" Lloyd choked on a sob, ashamed to realize tears were running down his face.

She paused, then quickly nodded. She dragged him in by his arm, the doors being shut behind him.

Lloyd was only half aware the whole ride there, his gaze fixed on Garmadon, on his chest. Making sure he was still breathing.

The paramedics were doing things to his father the whole way there, though Lloyd had no clue what. Everything was racing, a blur.

The ride ended shortly. The paramedics rolled Garmadon out of the ambulance and into the hospital. Lloyd followed them in, stumbling blindly.

The paramedics then rolled him through two doors, into the ER. Lloyd tried to follow them— He was held back by a doctor.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go in there. You'll have to wait in the waiting room."

Lloyd felt a terrified sob escape him, and he tried to jerk away from the doctor, staring at where his father had disappeared. "No, please—!"

"I'm sorry." The doctor took him by the shoulder and arm, leading him away firmly, but gently. "He's in good hands, don't worry. Wait in here." He opened a door, revealing the waiting room.

Lloyd stumbled in, whipping around as the doctor shut the door. He shook his head, blinking back more tears.

There was nothing he could do but wait.

Lloyd stared mutely, backing away. Dad—

I'm so sorry—

If only he'd been paying attention, if only he hadn't stood there like an idiot, if only he'd moved—

If only I had been more insistent he stayed. If only I'd remembered the tea shop, if only I hadn't missed the ALLEY!Lloyd swallowed, sinking slowly to the floor. The tears leaked freely now, and he didn't try to stop them. An overwhelming sense of dread, horror, and grief came over him.

Why does this hurt so much?

"Dad—" He choked, pulling his knees to his chest, and buried his face in his arms, curling by the door.

He sobbed.

It was around ten minutes later that Lloyd realized he had to tell Master Wu and his mom what had happened.

He abruptly stood, stumbling to his feet, and shakily pulled out his phone.

But who was he calling? Mom or Master Wu…?

His thoughts went back Garmadon, in the ER. He bit his lip, trying to stifle the sob.

Mom.

He needed his mom right now. He quickly, clumsily, typed in her number, then held the phone to his ear. His vision was still blurry, and he couldn't quite see right.

He sucked in a trembling breath, trying to calm down enough to speak.

"Lloyd? Is something—"

His mother didn't even get to finish.

"Mom, Dad's hurt there was this car I need you to come now please come I can't—" He choked on another sob, leaning against the wall as his legs felt too shaky to hold him.

"What—Lloyd? Lloyd, slow down, I can't understand you. What happened?"

"Dad—" He swallowed a sob. "He—there was this car, it—" He broke down again, wiping his hand across his face, trying wipe away the tears.

"What? What happened? Is your father alright?"

"I…I…please come, I can't do this—" He pushed away from the wall, pacing rapidly as his breathing increased to panicked gasping. "I can't handle this, please hurry I don't know if he's okay—"

"Lloyd. Listen to me. Slow down. Take a deep breath, okay? In and out."

Lloyd took in a shuddering gasp, shutting his eyes and nodding.

"In and out. In and out."

He tried to follow her instructions, shaking with every breath.

"Now, can you tell me what happened? Nice and slow, alright?"

Lloyd nodded, sucking in another breath. "Okay…yeah…um…" He took another breath, flashes of the accident assaulting him. He shuddered violently. "Um…he…there was this car. I…I didn't notice it was there, or…it came out of nowhere. I was crossing the street. And then…it…" He broke down again, trying in vain to steady himself and continue.

"Lloyd, it's okay, honey. Just breathe. Wu, the ninja, and I will be right over. Where are you?"

"U-um…" He looked up, blinking. Some people sat around in blue, soft, comfortable chairs, an anxious quiet over the area except for a few sobbing people and one crying kid. "The Ninjago City Hospital…I think…" He took a shuddering breath.

"Okay…good. It'll be okay. We're on our way over."

Lloyd nodded, trembling. Then a panic came over him again. "W-wait, don't hang up, please—!"

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll stay here until we arrive."

Lloyd nodded mutely, even though he knew she couldn't see him. He heard some distant voices in the background of the call, some yelling. He didn't know what was going on.

Was Garmadon even okay? What if he wasn't—

"Lloyd? Are you still there?"

He nodded—then stopped. "U-um…yeah…"

"Okay…good. You're doing fine. Just breathe, okay?"

He nodded again, sucking in a breath. "Okay…please hurry…" His vision blurred once more, everything going out of focus. He tried to battle down another shaking sob.

"We will. We'll be there soon. Just hold on."

Everyone stood around the bridge on the Bounty, uncertainly. Misako was on the phone with Lloyd, talking to him to keep him calm.

And Kai? Kai was currently yelling at Wu.

Because he'd let Lloyd go by himself with Garmadon. Was he insane?!

Wu glared at him, eyes narrowed. "I am not insane, Kai. I know what I'm doing. Lloyd was just fine. Garmadon isn't going to—"

"You only say that because he's your brother!"

"No, I am not. He may be my brother, but he's also changed. He won't hurt Lloyd."

"Yeah?! And why do you get to just decide that Lloyd is safe around him?!"

"Because Lloyd is my nephew, and my student. And Garmadon is my brother and friend. That is why."

Kai opened his mouth to retort—

"That is ENOUGH. I will not argue about this. You had better get a check on that anger of yours. Don't direct it at my brother, and certainly not at me."

Kai closed his mouth, scowling. He whirled around, marching off the deck, and slid down the ladder. He walked over to the railing on the deck, staring out, his eyes narrowed.

They're so blind. Garmadon isn't good. He hasn't changed. Lloyd is in danger because of Wu's reckless stupidity! Why can't he just see that his "brother" is evil and drop it?!

Kai growled in frustration. Garmadon had better watch his back, because he was on to him.

I will not let him hurt my brother again.

Lloyd paced anxiously, still on the phone with his mom. She'd been talking to him, eerily calmly, for the past hour.

"We're almost there now, okay?"

Lloyd nodded. "Okay…" He swallowed.

"Hang on. How are you doing?"

He shuddered. "Um…" He bit his lip.

"Alright…that's okay. And we've arrived. Hold on."

Lloyd couldn't stop his sob of relief at that.

She continued to talk to him for a few more minutes.

The doors to the front of the hospital suddenly opened.

He turned. Then his eyes widened, and his throat closed up in relief.

Misako stuck her phone into her pocket, hurrying over to him.

Wu and the ninja were right behind her.

She slowed when she reached him. "Lloyd, what—"

Lloyd threw his arms around her, breaking down into sobs again.

Misako hugged him back. "It's okay. It'll be okay…"

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Kai came up to him.

Wu moved the red ninja back with his staff. "Lloyd, what happened? Is Garmadon alright?"

Lloyd sobbed more, closing his eyes tightly. "I…I don't know—"

"What happened?"

"There—a car—I-it…it hit him…"

"Hit him?"

"Y-yeah…it would have hit me…but he pushed me out of the way…" Lloyd trembled, squeezing his mother tighter as he choked out a sob.

Wu was silent.

The ninja stared at him in shock.

Kai did too, eyes widened in surprise. "Garmadon…pushed you? Out of the way…?"

Lloyd nodded.

He fell silent, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Misako, stay with Lloyd." Wu turned to leave. "I'm going to talk to a doctor and see if they know anything about Garmadon's condition yet."

Misako nodded.

Lloyd closed his eyes again, sucking in a breath. His grip tightened.

He'll be okay.

He has to be…

Wu walked to the front desk. "Excuse me, do you know the condition on my brother yet?"

The lady looked up. "What is your brother's name?"

"Garmadon."

Her eyes widened briefly. "Garmadon…er, let me check." She fumbled with her computer for a moment, seeming caught off guard. "Um…there's no word yet, sir. Someone will let you know when there is."

Wu frowned worriedly. "Alright…thank you." He nodded to her, then walked back over to Misako and the ninja.

Misako glanced at him, eyes questioning.

Lloyd still clutched his mother tightly, though he seemed to have calmed down slightly.

"They don't know anything yet. They'll let us know when they do, though…" Wu's grip on his staff tightened, and he took a slow, calming breath.

His brother would be fine. He'd been through much worse than this. He'd pull through.

Misako nodded, so softly that he almost didn't notice. She looked away, gaze worried.

Wu's gaze traveled around the room, then to the doors that said "Emergency Room". He frowned. His brother was somewhere that way, fighting for his life. Though he had no idea how bad his injuries were…

Wu sighed, looking back at his students. Most were watching Lloyd in concern. Kai hadn't left his side, and Nya was over by him now as well. Cole was by Jay, who looked terrified. Zane stood blankly, and Wu couldn't tell if he was calm or worried. P.I.X.A.L. wasn't there, having stayed at the monastery in case anything else came up. His brother's dog was on the ship, having refused to stay at the monastery—somehow, the dog had known something had happened to Garmadon.

Wu frowned. I hope he's alright. After everything that had happened, after everything they'd been through, after he'd finally gotten his brother back…he didn't want to lose him.

Not again.

They all sat on chairs and a few couches now, except for Lloyd, Wu, and Kai.

Lloyd paced, back and forth, back and forth. He ran a hand through his hair, taking another breath.

He'll be okay. He'll be fine.

He has to be.

Kai stood off to the side, watching him, a frown on his face.

His uncle hadn't moved since he'd come back from the front desk, eyes trained on the ER doors—waiting.

His friends sat around uncomfortably, gazes going to Lloyd every so often. They were concerned. Even Zane, who'd kept a neutral face. Lloyd knew that look—if Zane went blank-faced, he was worried and trying not to show it.

His mom's gaze had gone to him, then she stared off at nothing, before she glanced at him again.

Lloyd ran a hand through his hair again, then put his face in his hands. He took a breath, still pacing. He glanced at the ER doors. They weren't the ones Garmadon had been taken through—that had been in the room next door. He was fairly certain they both led to the same hall, or…were the same hall. He didn't know.

He just knew his father was somewhere in there right now. And it was all his fault.

He sucked in another sob. He couldn't break down again. No.

Dad has to be okay.

I need him to be okay…