" Jay, calm down.*
" Calm down? CALM DOWN?! MY BEST ARM IS BROKEN INTO PIECES AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!
Kai winced. " Jay you just dislodged it."
" B... But.... This is my right arm! My best arm! The arm I use for everything!"
He gasped. " If this arm is gone, I'm gonna be dead! How will I be able to eat and write and draw and put clothes on an-"
" Buddy would you please trust me?!*
Kai sighed deeply, rubbing his temple as he watched Jay spiral into a full-blown panic. Jay's face was flushed, his eyes wide with exaggerated fear, clutching his right arm as if it had already fallen off. Kai had seen this level of drama from Jay before, but it never ceased to amaze him how quickly his brother-in-law could jump to the worst conclusions.
"Jay, listen to me," Kai said calmly, though his patience was wearing thin. "Your arm is not broken into pieces. You just dislodged it. It's a simple fix."
But Jay wasn’t listening. He was already pacing, one hand cradling his supposedly ruined arm. "No, no, no! You don’t get it! This is my right arm, Kai! My best arm! The arm I use for everything!" His voice wavered with panic as he rambled on. "How will I be able to eat? How will I be able to draw, or write? Oh no, oh no! How am I supposed to dress myself?!"
Kai winced as Jay’s voice rose another octave. "Jay, please—"
"Wait!" Jay gasped dramatically, eyes widening even further. "How am I supposed to fight bad guys if my best arm is broken?! What if we’re ambushed and I can’t throw punches because I’m down one arm?! What if I can’t fire off any lightning? I’ll be useless, Kai! Useless!"
Kai groaned, knowing that letting Jay continue on like this wasn’t going to help the situation. Jay was spiraling fast, and his anxiety was building like a tidal wave. Before Jay could launch into another string of frantic what-ifs, Kai stepped forward, grabbing Jay gently by the shoulders.
"Buddy, would you please trust me?!" Kai’s voice was firm but not harsh, trying to break through the whirlwind of thoughts in Jay’s mind. "I’m telling you, your arm is fine. You dislocated it, that’s all. I can fix it in just a few minutes if you’d stop freaking out and let me help."
Jay blinked rapidly, his breath coming in short bursts. "But—"
"No 'buts,' Jay," Kai interrupted, keeping his hands steady on Jay's shoulders. "I’m a trained ninja, and I know what I’m doing. I’ve dealt with dislocated joints before. This isn’t the end of the world, okay?"
Jay swallowed hard, still looking unconvinced. His eyes darted to his arm, which he was holding as if it were made of glass. "But... what if it is broken? What if something worse happens when you try to fix it?"
Kai let out a slow breath, meeting Jay’s gaze. "It’s not broken. And nothing worse is going to happen, I promise you." He released Jay’s shoulders and knelt down beside him, gently taking hold of his injured arm. "I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
Jay hesitated, biting his lip as he watched Kai carefully assess the injury. His mind was still racing, but something in Kai’s calm voice made him pause. "I... I guess. But it still hurts."
"It’ll feel better once I put it back in place," Kai assured him. "Now, take a deep breath for me. In and out."
Jay did as he was told, his breath shaky but at least somewhat steadier than before. He kept his eyes squeezed shut, clearly bracing for the worst.
"Alright," Kai said softly, positioning Jay’s arm. "On the count of three, okay?"
Jay’s eyes shot open. "Wait! You’re not gonna—"
