Before I Forget

El Serpiente

Miguel was sitting up in his hospital bed, leaning against the pillows that were propped behind his back. He was wearing a white hospital gown with blue patterns, and he looked pretty good - considering what had happened. There were flowers on his nightstand, 'get well soon' - cards and small gifts too, and suddenly it all reminded Hawk about Sky's hospital room, about the horrible, gut-wrenching horror he'd carried within him all the time Sky had been in a coma, but that memory was fleeting, it was easy to push away now.

After all - things were better than good. Sky was alive and getting better, and now Miguel was awake too. Just two weeks ago Hawk had thought he was going to lose both his best friend and the girl he loved - and now, he wasn't gonna lose either one of them.

He couldn't hold back his grin as he walked into Miguel's room, together with Sky.

"El Serpiente–!" he exclaimed with a grin and a laugh, shaking Miguel's hand. "Hey bro, what's up?"

Miguel replied to the greeting, but his smile didn't meet his eyes. But who could blame him? Not to be able to walk, or do Karate–

Hawk swallowed. He might have been happy that his friend was awake, but Miguel clearly needed to get back to his feet before he could be happy too.

"Hey, Miggy!" Exclaimed Sky happily, clearly oblivious to Hawk's worries, and reached to give Miguel a hug. "Aaahhh, I'm so glad you're awake! I missed you!"

"Mom told me you got hurt too–" Miguel replied when Sky let go of him and took a seat on a chair next to Miguel's bed. "Are you... are you okay?"

Sky waved his worries off with a swift movement of her hand. "I'll be fine, it was not that serious. Don't you worry about me."

But Miguel's eyes took in the cast on her arm, the splint on her nose, and the scars on her temple where the hair had only just started to grow. They would be hidden one day, but for now, they were clearly visible, thick, red lines on her scalp, only more noticeable because they'd had to shave her hair from the area around the wounds to be able to treat them.

But that wasn't the worst. Hawk felt sick to his stomach when he thought about the brain damage she had suffered and the uncertain prognosis that came with it. It might heal, or it might not. So far it was too early to tell.

"Tory kicked her down the stairs," Hawk stated, a bit bitterly. "Sky got hurt pretty bad. She was in a coma too."

Miguel let out a sigh and shook his head in disbelief. "I'm really sorry about that. I... I never thought she'd attack Sam or you–"

"No worries, Miggy." Sky smiled. "It's all good. I mean it. I don't blame anyone."

Hawk glanced at Sky, his throat tightening. He struggled to understand this new side of Sky. She sounded like the fucking Gandhi sometimes, as if she really didn't want revenge, as if she really was okay with everything that had happened. It left him baffled, annoyed. Even if she didn't want revenge, he sure as Hell did. He would never forgive those who were to blame: Sam LaRusso, for dragging Sky into that fight, and Tory, for being the one who kicked Sky in the face.

There would be a payback time for both of them, just as there would be one for Demetri—

But suddenly Miguel's eyes widened. He glanced from Sky to Hawk and back, a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. "Wait - the two of you are in the same room. What's going on?"

Sky's cheeks turned rosy. That sight took Hawk's breath away, it made the thoughts of violence and revenge diminish and disappear.

"We're—" he started, but Sky cut in.

"I'm giving him a second chance." she admitted with a soft smile.

Miguel's smile widened, even if he still looked incredulous. "Wow. That's... that's great. Congratulations. Still, I'm a bit surprised," he added, glancing at Sky. "Last time we spoke you hated his guts."