The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor jolted Cole awake. He blinked blearily, his head pounding like a drum solo gone wrong. Memories of the battle with the Stone Warriors and the frantic rush to the hospital flooded back. Where were the others? Where was Vania?

A wave of panic washed over him. He sat up, ignoring the dull ache in his side, and looked around the sterile white room. Empty. Silence. Except... a faint echo of his own voice drifting down the hallway.

"Vania?" he croaked, his voice hoarse. "Vania!"

His strained cry received no response. Panic solidified into a cold dread in the pit of his stomach. He scrambled out of bed, wincing at the sharp protest from his injured side, and stumbled towards the door.

Bursting into the hallway, he saw Kai and Nya huddled together, their faces etched with concern. Lloyd and Pixal were nowhere to be seen.

"Guys, have you seen Vania?" Cole demanded, his voice frantic.

Kai and Nya exchanged a worried glance. Kai stepped forward, placing a hand on Cole's shoulder. "Cole, calm down. We haven't seen Vania either."

Cole's heart hammered against his ribs. "What do you mean? Where is she?"

Nya, her voice gentle but firm, explained how Vania had slipped out while everyone slept. "We think she went exploring," Nya said. "There was a hidden window in her room..."

Exploring? That didn't sound like Vania. Exploration usually involved ancient ruins or hidden scrolls, not a sterile hospital at night.

"Exploring?" Cole repeated, his voice tight with worry. "No, that doesn't make sense. She wouldn't..."

"Cole, we know you're worried," Kai said, his voice low, "but we'll find her. We always do."

"We'll split up and search," Nya said, already reaching for her phone to contact Zane and Pixal. "This hospital is big, but we'll cover every inch."

Cole nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on the deserted corridor. A gnawing fear settled in his gut. Vania wouldn't leave without a word, not with everything going on. There had to be another reason for her disappearance.

He couldn't just wait around. He had a bad feeling, a feeling he couldn't ignore. "I'm going to look for her," he declared, his voice determined. "I know these hallways better than anyone."

Before anyone could argue, he was already sprinting down the hall, his injured side screaming in protest with every step. He wouldn't rest until he found Vania. He wouldn't.

________________________________________________________________________________

Vania, her cloak pulled tight against the cool night air, weaved through the bustling night market. The sterile hospital walls felt suffocating, and her adventurous spirit craved the vibrant chaos of the marketplace. She had a mission – to find something special for Cole, a token of comfort and appreciation for everything he'd been through.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the cacophony of shouts and haggling. "Vania! What are you doing here?"

Turning, Vania's face lit up with a genuine smile. Skylor stood there, a surprised expression on her face.

"Skylor! Fancy meeting you here," Vania greeted, her voice filled with warmth. "I could ask you the same thing. Aren't you supposed to be back at the hospital with Kai?"

Skylor chuckled, a playful glint in her amber eyes. "Let's just say Kai needed some... convincing to stay put. But enough about me. What are you up to at this ungodly hour?"

Vania explained her mission, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Cole's been through a lot, and I wanted to find him something special. Something to cheer him up."

Skylor grinned. "That's so sweet, Vanya. But sneaking out of the hospital at night? Sounds a little risky."

Vania shrugged, a mischievous glint in her own eyes. "What can I say? I'm a woman on a mission."

Skylor, knowing Vania's adventurous streak all too well, laughed. "Alright, alright. Let me help. This market has everything. Tell me what you're looking for, and I'm sure we can find something that'll knock Cole's socks off."

Vania's smile widened. "Thanks, Skylor! You're a lifesaver. I was thinking maybe a new pair of gloves? His old ones are pretty worn out."

Skylor nodded, her eyes scanning the stalls. "Gloves? Easy! Come on, follow me. I know just the place."

The two friends weaved through the bustling market, laughing and chatting. For a moment, Vania forgot about the anxieties of the day, the battles, and the fear of the Mechanic. She was simply Vania, on an adventure with her friend, with a mission to make Cole smile. And maybe, just maybe, this little escapade wouldn't be so bad after all.

________________________________________________________________________________

Cole's frantic search through the hospital corridors was turning into a nightmare. Every corner looked the same, every deserted hallway echoed with his unanswered calls for Vania. His injured side throbbed with each hurried step, a constant reminder of his vulnerability. Just as worry morphed into a cold dread, a sharp tug on his arm pulled him to a stop.

"Cole, calm down!" Kai's voice was firm but laced with concern. "We'll find her, but you're going to hurt yourself if you keep pushing yourself."

Cole yanked his arm free, his voice ragged. "No! We need to keep looking. Something's wrong. I can feel it."

Suddenly, the harsh blare of the heart monitor from his room pierced the tense silence. They all whipped around, their faces paling in unison.

"What's that?" Nya gasped, rushing towards the source.

Cole, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, sprinted past them, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs. Bursting into his room, he found the familiar beeping emanating from his own monitor. But it wasn't the steady rhythm it had been before. This was a frantic, erratic pulse, the red line screaming danger.

Panic clawed its way up Cole's throat. He stumbled towards the bed, his vision blurring. "What's happening?" he croaked, his voice barely a whisper.

Just then, the door burst open again, and Vania, disheveled and breathless, rushed into the room. The bags she'd been carrying toppled to the floor with a clatter, scattering gloves, snacks, and a small, dusty book across the room. Her eyes, wide with fear, locked on Cole's pale face.

"Cole!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. Relief and worry warred in her voice. "I'm so glad I found you!"

Cole, his strength failing him, leaned weakly into her embrace. His vision swam, the red line on the monitor blurring into a frightening haze. "Vania..." he rasped, his voice barely audible.

"Don't worry," she whispered, stroking his hair. "I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay."

But the frantic beeping of the heart monitor told a different story. Cole's breath hitched, and his grip on Vania loosened. The fear in her eyes mirrored the one in his own. He wasn't sure what was happening, but one thing was clear – he couldn't leave her. Not now.

Panic, raw and primal, surged through Vania. The frantic beeping of the heart monitor cut through the sterile air like a siren, each erratic pulse echoing Cole's fading strength. Gone was the roguish glint in his eyes, replaced by a terrifying vulnerability. The carefree explorer who'd snuck her out of the palace a month ago seemed a lifetime away.

Instinct, honed from years of royal training she'd tried to suppress, surged to the forefront. In that moment, she wasn't just Vania, the adventurous friend. She was Princess Vania, heir to the throne, and Cole, her rock, was in peril.

Vania's voice, usually light and teasing, cracked with a steely authority. "Kai! Go get Dr. Timothy, now!" Her gaze snapped to Nya. "Nya, help me move him onto the bed. Carefully!"

There was no room for fear, no time for hesitation. With a strength born of desperation, Vania, transformed into a whirlwind of purpose, helped Nya maneuver Cole's weakening form onto the bed. The once vibrant cloak she'd worn on her escape now hung loosely around her, mirroring the state of her carefully constructed new life.

As Nya rushed to fetch pillows and blankets, Vania scanned the room, a princess marshalling her forces. Her eyes fell on the discarded medical supplies from Cole's earlier treatment. Memories of the palace healers, their calm efficiency in the face of crisis, flooded back.

She grabbed a cool compress, soaking it with water and placing it on Cole's forehead. Her touch, usually hesitant, was now firm and purposeful. Every movement, every action, was fueled by a desperate need to save him.

Across the room, the gloves, snacks, and the dusty book she'd bought for him lay forgotten. They were symbols of a normal life, a life that now seemed impossibly distant. The weight of responsibility settled on Vania's shoulders, heavy and familiar. The princess was back, and she wouldn't let her kingdom – her Cole – crumble.

When Dr. Timothy burst into the room, a flurry of questions and concern, Vania met her gaze head-on. Gone was the shy girl; in her place stood a leader, her voice ringing with a newfound authority. "He's having trouble breathing," Vania reported, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart. "We need to help him."

Dr. Timothy, sensing the urgency in Vania's voice, wasted no time. With a team of nurses bustling around them, the sterile hospital room became a battlefield. Vania, no longer just a princess, stood by Cole's side, her fear morphing into a fierce determination.