A Deadly Fate

Contagious Tears

Chapter 18

Kai's hospital room stood frozen in time. They had just heard Kai answer Lloyd.

For the first time, Doctor Roberts seemed stunned by Kai. "Oh my word.."

Kai's coughs settled and he cleared his throat. His opened one eye with a grimace. Zane moved quick to turn off the lights.

"T-thanks.." Kai spoke again and Doctor Roberts took a step forward with one hand on his chin and his other arm holding his stomach.

"I don't know if it is best for you to talk in your state Kai. Does it hurt?" The doctor asked showing his concern and trying to be professional.

"Not much.." Kai's voice was raspy and he managed to open both eyes and he scanned the room. He cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. "Where's Cole?"

He tried to sit up, worried about Cole. He arms burned and shook in pain then his chest felt suffocating and he couldn't catch his breath.

Kai opened his mouth to suck in a breath but nothing came but a pained groan. His arms failed to hold him up and he collapsed back onto the bed. He moved his arms to hold his chest.

His ears rang and he vision went black. He struggled to breathe and he coughed till he took in air.

"That's it Kai... breathe." Kai opened his eyes and took deep breaths. He turned his head to the voice and saw Lloyd.

"What... happened?" Kai whispered but his voice was heard by everyone in the room.

"Moving hurt your chest and arms. If you want to sit up we could move the bed." Lloyd answered but Kai wasn't satisfied.

"No no I mean what happened? Why am I in a hospital?" Kai asked again and Lloyd paled.

"U-uhhh..." he glanced around the room. Lloyd received a nod from Zane and he felt ready to continue. "We went on a mission.. and fought Clouse at the gorge."

Kai laid back and his head faced the ceiling. His eyes wandered the ceiling as the memories swarmed him. The words 'mission' and 'Clouse' weren't what brought his memories back but the word 'gorge' did. The traumatizing memories of throwing up blood, hugging himself in the cold night till he slept, trying to keep himself from falling into a deadly sleep. The fear of death crawling closer than ever in his life. The unknown of his surroundings and his condition. It was like he was back in that hell hole.

Kai shuddered and held himself. His arms ached, his snake bitten leg throbbed, and his chest... it felt as if his rib cage was crushing around his lungs. His breathing picked up and his body shook with on coming sobs.

'It's not real. It's not real!' Kai kept repeating to himself and coughed into the sand and rocks. Blood began to soak the ground around him.

"Kai breathe!" Lloyd's voice was louder than his thoughts and he sucked in a deep breath and tears ran down his temples.

Kai saw the ceiling again instead of the sand and rocks. Above him there were heads of his concerned friends leaning over the bed rail.

"Kai..." Nya tried to comfort him but she broke out in her own tears. The ninja carefully held Kai's bandaged hands and arms to comfort him as he cried.

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A few hours passed and the room was silent and ninja were in their own chairs around the bed sleeping against the bed's edge or each other. Dr. Roberts and the nurses left them to rest as Kai was in a stable state.