The Flower Princess (Ninjago Lava)

Chapter 3: Raining

Cole POV
Kai's hand was on my face. Why? In the middle of a vomiting fit, he touched my face and smiled. Why? Oh why oh why? My face was so warm. Then his head dropped. My heart faltered for a moment. I checked his pulse. Okay, still beating. Good. Nya came in with a bucket full of water, which she used to clean up the vomit on the floor. Lloyd rushed in with a rag, followed by Jay with a bowl of cold water to put on Kai's forehead. Wu and Zane were calling an ambulance. I was just holding Kai. I felt like there was nothing else I should be doing. The ambulance came not much later, maybe 40 seconds. They laid Kai down on a stretcher and locked him into the back of the vehicle. Nya and I rode with him, holding his hands tightly. He was in so much pain and he needed us. Nya was holding back tears. This had came out of nowhere. Perhaps it was... the vines! They were probably poisonous. Ugh! My one job, my ONE job, I messed up. Then I heard soft crying. Oh. Poor Nya. I crossed over to her and wrapped one arm around her, my hand still holding Kai's. She sobbed into my shoulder. She needed a good cry. I just watched Kai. I couldn't give myself forgiveness. I had to make it up to him. I made a promise to him in my head. I'd do whatever I could to make sure he got back to health. As soon as we got to the hospital, they rushed Kai to a room and ran diagnostics on his condition. Nya and I sat in his room, listening to his heart monitor beep like a steady metronome. We waited. And waited. Then the nurse came in. We both stood up in anxiety. The nurse glanced to her clipboard.
"He's been infected with a poison unfamiliar with us." She looked up at Nya and I. "Do you have any idea where it came from?"
"Yeah," I answered. Nya couldn't even speak. "From thorns on some vines underground."
"Well, this particular branch of poison is foreign to any database. We might be able to create an anti-venom from the poison, only if you could get that for us." I nodded. I could do that. "Be careful, and don't get any in your bloodstream. It seemed to administer through a cut in the patient's finger."
"Thank you, so much." I gave Nya a small, reassuring side hug.
"No problem."
As the nurse left the room, I gently grabbed Nya's shoulders and made her look at my eyes. "It will turn out just fine. I'll go and get the poison, and you stay and watch Kai. You got it, Waterlily?" At the mention of my old nickname of her, she lightened up a little. Nya smiled the smallest of smiles.
"You got it, Brookstone."
I rushed out the hospital, calling Lloyd on my way down the stairs. "Yo," he answered.
"Hey Lloyd! Um, so can you... come pick me up?"
"You're asking me to drive to the hospital and pick you up?"
"Yeah...?"
"Cool! I'll be there in two." He hung up. Two minutes? He's crazy. Nah, he's Lloyd, who am I kidding? I waited at the entrance of the hospital, and my watch said it had been almost two minutes. Then Lloyd came racing down the street. "Two minutes, no?"
"You're getting good with speed, but I wanna know how many mailboxes you hit this time," I said, gently pushing him out of the driver's seat.
"Only three," he smiled proudly.
"There's my little brother!" I noogied him and started the engine. I sped out of the city and to where the caves were.
"So where are we headed?"
"The throne room."
"Ugh, again? Cole, booby traps! Really wanna do that again?"
"Would you rather Kai die?"
He went quiet. "Good." I sped up.
Once we were in the throne room again, I quickly ran to the vine that poisoned Kai. I cut off the entire branch and placed it in a bag. Lloyd was examining the floor. "What's up, Green Gogurt?"
"Don't call me that. And look. It says, 'the one with power of earth prick their finger on vine's seat of stone and shall be granted permission to enter firey dreams'. First Spinjistu Master, that's weird to say out loud." Lloyd looked to me. "But I think it means you have to prick your finger on that vine," he said, pointing to the vine branch on the Flower Princess' throne, "and you can walk in Kai's dreams."
"Neat." I immediately pricked my finger on the vine on the earth throne.
"Cole! Don't just-" Lloyd looked at me with half-closed eyes. "This is why you and Kai are always getting into trouble."
I messed up Lloyd's hair and chuckled. "C'mon, Gogurt. Let's get back to the hospital and save our brother."
"For the last time, Cole! Don't call me that!"
I laughed and ran to my car, dodging the booby traps. At this point, I have them memorized. I hopped in the car and Lloyd quickly jumped in the passenger's seat. "Just drive the car."
"As you wish... Gogurt." I started the car and turned it to top speed before he could respond. We'd get back, and we'd save Kai. We have to.