Tiny Troubles

Part 17

Previously on Tiny Troubles...

There was a sudden and unexpected clap of thunder followed by a sudden onslaught of heavy rain, which made everyone jump. Unprepared, Kai lost his grip on the mast and flailed, trying to not fall.

Cole gasped as he watched his brother begin to slip. The world began to move in slow motion. The little ninja didn't even realize that he had stepped out from underneath the umbrella, barely felt the rain soak his hair and clothes. All he could do was watch as his brother finally lose his grip and fall, while he mentally screamed No, not again! Nononono!

There was a dull thump, followed by a sharp snap! Several sharp gasps were heard, along with a loud howl of pain.

But nothing was louder or shriller than Cole's scream.

"KAI!!!!!!!"

~~~~~~

Part 17

Cole didn't notice when he moved. One minute he was near Nya, watching in frozen horror as Kai fell from the mast onto his left shoulder.

The next moment he was next to the red ninja, shaking his good shoulder and frantically asking him if he was okay.

"Agh, I-I'm okay Cole," Kai said through gritted teeth. "I just took a little--OW!" he cried out when Zane came over and touched his left shoulder. "Watch it, Zane!"

"My apologizes. I was just trying to see how bad it is," the white ninja explained, frowning. "And, judging by how painful it is and how disfigured it looks, I believe that you dislocated your shoulder."

"Will he be okay?!" Cole asked.

Zane smiled reassuringly at the little ninja. "Do not fret, Cole. Kai will be fine." The nindroid's smile fell after a while. "Though, we will have to take him to the hospital—"

"WHAT?!" Cole exclaimed. "I thought you said that he'll be okay, why do we have to go to the hospital?!"

"A doctor needs to reset Kai's shoulder Cole," Zane explained.

"Can't you do it?" Cole asked, gaze pleading. "Why do we have to go to the hospital?"

"Cole, it would be beyond dangerous for me to attempt to fix Kai's shoulder without the proper training," Zane replied, frowning. "He needs a doctor." The white ninja then looked Cole in the eye. "Why are you so adamant about not going to the hospital, Cole?"

Cole's eyes widened. "N-nothing!" He stammered. "I mean, I-I..." the little ninja looked away from the white ninja, unable to say anything.

Kai, face screwed up in pain, nonetheless managed a shaky smile. "H-hey, chin up, Cole," he said. "This is just a simple fix. I mean, it's not like I'm gonna die or anything. It's just a hurt shoulder."

The red ninja looked at Cole, hoping to see Cole looking a little reassured.

So he was more than a little surprised, and concerned, when he saw Cole look at him with fear in his eyes, face pale.

~~~~

It took the ninja a while to get to the hospital, and it seemed to take even longer before a doctor was able to see Kai. During that time, Cole refused to leave the red ninja's side, instead clinging to Kai and sometimes burying his face in the red ninja's shirt. Everyone questioned the little ninja's behaviour, but any attempt to extract an explanation was met with stubborn muteness.

Finally, a doctor came in and began asking Kai a series of questions: How old he was("17," he replied); how bad was the pain on a scale from 1 to 10("1." "Kai!" "Fine, 8.5."); how did this happen("He was being an idiot," Nya supplied. "Love you too, sis," Kai grumbled); and if he could move his arm any("Nope," the red ninja squeaked through gritted teeth).