The Cut That Always Bleeds | Cobra Kai

Chapter 22

Johny was scowling in the chair beside Isabelle's hospital bed. He had just finished ranting about Miguel and Robby, leaving her head reeling. Apparently, Robby had been found and arrested. Miguel was having a rough time in juvie if Johny's visit was anything to go by. And Isabelle was again left to try and piece everything together.

Rolling her eyes, she decided to fuck comfort and get straight to the point, "Oh, stop. Just stop with the self-pity and the brooding. It's unbearable. This isn't the Johny Lawrence I know. The guy I know would be so incredibly stubborn that I consider hitting him with a bat to get some goddamn sense into him." Johny's scowl deepened as Isabelle's words cut through the heavy silence in the room. Her directness caught him off guard, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. Isabelle's eyes were sharp, her tone unyielding as she continued, "You think you're the only one who's hurting? Look around, Johny. Miguel, Robby—they're both in pain, and they need you to step up, not wallow in your own misery. I'm the one lying in this hospital bed, and even I can see that you've got more fight left in you." Johny's mind raced, trying to find the right words, but Isabelle wasn't done. She shifted in her bed, grimacing at the pain but refusing to let it stop her. "You're Miguel's sensei and Robby's dad. You're supposed to lead them, not sit here feeling sorry for yourself because things didn't go the way you planned. Do you think this is what they need? For you to give up when things get hard? No, they need you to fight for them." Her words stung, but they also resonated with something deep inside him. Johny had spent so much time dwelling on his mistakes, letting the guilt consume him, that he had forgotten who he was supposed to be. He had forgotten the drive that had once made him a champion, the determination that had kept him fighting even when the odds were stacked against him. Isabelle's voice softened slightly, "Stop acting like you've already lost. Miguel and Robby—they're not lost causes. And neither are you."

Johny's gaze dropped to the floor, the weight of her words settling in. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt a spark of something other than despair. It was faint, but it was there—a glimmer of hope, of resolve. Isabelle was right; he had more fight in him, and he couldn't afford to let it go to waste.

"You're right," he admitted, his voice rough. "I've been acting like a damn fool. I don't know how to fix all of this, but I can't just sit here and do nothing. Miguel and Robby—they need me, and I can't let them down."

Isabelle nodded, satisfied that her words had gotten through to him. "Good. Now, get out of here and do something about it. And don't come back until you've figured out a plan. I'll be fine on my own."

Johny cracked a small, genuine smile, the first he had managed in a while. "You're a tough kid, Elsa. I'll be back with a plan, I promise." With that, he stood up, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. As he walked out of the room, he could feel the weight on his shoulders beginning to lift. Isabelle's tough love had reminded him of who he was and what he needed to do. And for the first time in a long time, Johny Lawrence felt like he was ready to fight again.

~

Robby sat in the juvie common area, his eyes focused on the book in his hands. It was an old, worn copy of Lord of the Flies, one of the few things that brought him any semblance of peace in this place. The sounds of the other inmates talking, shuffling cards, and occasionally arguing created a constant background noise that Robby had learned to tune out. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The low hum of conversation faltered as a group of three guys sauntered into the common area. Robby didn't need to look up to know who they were; he could feel their presence as they made their way across the room. The trio had a reputation in juvie—known for causing trouble and asserting their dominance over anyone they perceived as weaker. Robby kept his eyes on the book, trying to appear uninterested. They approached a smaller boy hunched over a table, looking at some playing cards. The largest one of the trio approaches him, leaning on the table to tower over the smaller boy.