The sterile silence in the hospital room was shattered only by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside Cole. Kai paced restlessly, his worry etched into the deep lines on his forehead. Vania, ever the calming presence, sat beside Cole, her hand gently resting on his. Her own pale face betrayed the worry gnawing at her, but she forced a small smile for Kai.

"He'll be alright, Kai," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "He's strong."

Kai stopped his pacing abruptly, his gaze flickering between Vania and Cole. "He has to be," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "We need him. Ninjago needs him."

Nya, who had been watching the exchange with a worried frown, stepped forward and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "I know, Kai," she said gently. "But worrying won't help him get better. We need to be strong for him, for Vania."

Kai met her gaze, a flicker of despair crossing his eyes. "Easy for you to say, Nya. You weren't the one who saw him fall, who..." his voice trailed off, the raw emotion threatening to overwhelm him.

Vania squeezed his hand comfortingly. "We were all there, Kai. We all care about Cole. But right now, the best thing we can do is stay calm and let Dr. Chen do her job."

Just then, the door to the room swung open, and Dr. Chen, a woman with a sharp gaze and a brisk demeanor, entered. "Alright, Mr. Stoneheart," she announced, her voice clipped but professional, "time for your vitals again."

Cole, still unconscious, mumbled something incoherent in response. Kai, his frustration boiling over, blurted out, "This is the third time in the last hour! Can't you give him a break?"

Dr. Chen raised an eyebrow, her gaze unwavering. "Mr. Smith," she said coolly, "monitoring my patient's vitals is crucial in his recovery. Perhaps if you focused less on complaining and more on supporting your friend, it would be a more productive use of your time."

Shamefaced, Kai hung his head. Nya shot him a sympathetic look and nudged him towards a chair beside Vania. "Dr. Chen's right, Kai. Let's give Cole some space to rest."

Dr. Chen, satisfied with the shift in the room's atmosphere, proceeded with her examination. As she bustled around taking Cole's temperature and blood pressure, a tense silence settled over the room. Kai, his anger replaced by a deep concern, held Vania's hand tightly, the weight of their shared worry hanging in the air.

The beeping of the heart monitor provided a constant counterpoint to their silent thoughts. Each steady beat offered a fragile hope, a reminder that Cole was still fighting. They would wait, they would support him, and together, they would see him through this.

The sterile air of the hospital room crackled with a new tension. Dr. Chen's sharp words hung heavy, momentarily silencing Kai's outburst. Shamefaced, he sank into the chair beside Vania, his gaze fixed on Cole's unmoving form. Vania offered him a comforting squeeze of the hand, her own features etched with worry.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, disrupting the tense silence. Skylar, her fiery red hair a stark contrast to the pale walls, strode into the room. A bright smile lit up her face as she approached Kai.

"Hey there, Hotshot!" she greeted him cheerfully, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere. "How's the injured hero?"

Kai, however, remained lost in his thoughts, his brow furrowed in concern. Vania, ever the voice of reason, took over.

"He's... stable," she replied softly, her voice barely a whisper. "But still unconscious. Dr. Chen is checking his vitals again."

"What happened?" she asked, her voice losing its usual playfulness. "Is Cole...?"

Vania shook her head gently. "He's resting. The infection is taking its toll, but Dr. Chen seems hopeful."

Skylar let out a relieved breath. "Good. That knucklehead can't stay down for long. Ninjago needs its resident Earth ninja back on his feet."

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Kai's lips. The familiar banter, even in this tense situation, brought a sliver of normalcy back into the room.

"Easy there, Sky," he mumbled, finally tearing his gaze away from Cole. "The doc just gave him another round of vitals. Third time in an hour, can you believe it?"

Skylar raised an eyebrow, her playful demeanor returning. "Sounds like someone needs to lighten the mood around here. Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone, right, Doc?" she winked at Dr. Chen, who was busy recording Cole's vitals with a stoic expression.

Dr. Chen, unfazed by Skylar's attempt at humor, simply replied, "Mr. Stoneheart's well-being is my top priority, not entertainment."

Skylar chuckled, unbothered. "Just trying to help, Doc. But hey, if boring bedside manner is your thing, who am I to argue?"

Despite the doctor's stern demeanor, a small smile played on her lips for a fleeting moment. Even in the face of worry, Skylar's infectious energy seemed to have a way of breaking the tension, however slightly.

Just then, Dr. Chen finished her examination, her expression unreadable. "Mr. Stoneheart's vitals seem to be holding steady," she announced, her voice professional but devoid of warmth. "However, it's still too early to say anything definitive."

Skylar, ever the optimist, forced a smile. "That's good news, right?"

Dr. Chen offered a curt nod before gathering her equipment and heading towards the door. "I'll be back in a few hours to monitor him again. In the meantime, try to get some rest yourselves."

With that, she exited the room, leaving the three ninja companions in a tense silence. Skylar, sensing the awkwardness, cleared her throat.

"Well," she began hesitantly, "I just wanted to check in and see how you all were doing. I heard about the Mechanic at the museum..."

Kai, his frustration bubbling back up, cut her off. "The Mechanic doesn't matter right now, Skylar. Cole does."

Skylar's eyes widened slightly, stung by his sharp tone. She bit back a retort, realizing his anger stemmed from fear. Vania, sensing the rising tension, intervened.

"Kai," she said gently, "Skylar just wants to help. We all do."

Kai took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know," he mumbled, running a hand through his fiery hair. "Sorry, Skylar. I'm just... worried sick."

Skylar, her initial cheerfulness replaced by a quiet understanding, offered him a sympathetic smile. "We all are, Kai. But pushing everyone away won't help. We need to be there for each other, now more than ever."

Her words, spoken with a quiet strength, resonated with Kai. He looked at Skylar, then at Vania, their worried faces mirroring his own. Shame washed over him for his outburst.

"You're right," he conceded, his voice softer. "Thanks for coming, Skylar. It means a lot."