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).

"Well," the doctor sighed as he finished his brief examination. "It definitely looks like a dislocated shoulder. We'll have to take an X-ray just to make sure that nothing is broken."

Kai nodded. "Sounds good." He then looked down at the little ninja still clinging to him. "Cole, you can let go now."

Cole's grip on Kai's shirt tightened and he buried his face in Kai's chest, shaking his head.

"Cole, c'mon, you have to let go," Kai said gently. "I'm pretty sure that the doctor can't take an X-ray with you in the way." He gave Cole a hug with his good arm. "I'll be back soon, don't worry."

Cole looked up at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You have to come back," he whispered quietly but firmly. "The second they take the X-ray, you have to come back."

Confused, Kai nonetheless gave Cole a reassuring smile and ruffled his hair. "Promise."

Reluctantly, the little ninja let go of Kai, watching him as the red ninja followed a nurse to the X-ray room. Jay silently offered Cole a hug, which he almost desperately accepted, clinging to the blue ninja as hard as he had to Kai.

It only took a few minutes for Kai to return. Cole immediately latched onto him, asking him if he was okay.

"Easy Cole," Kai chuckled, gently ruffling the little ninja's hair. "I'm okay. Well, for now. The doctor's still have to determine if there's something else wrong with my arm."

Cole just kept clinging to Kai. "I hate hospitals..." he whimpered.

"Heh, me too," Kai replied. "It shouldn't be long though..."

~~~~

It was a few more hours before two doctors came to the room where the ninja were. "Well," one said, holding up an X-ray film. "Good news is that it looks like there isn't anything wrong with your arm besides the dislocation. Looks like we just need to pop your shoulder into place."

"That's where I come in," the other doctor stated, cracking her knuckles and smirking. "You. Lie down on the bed."

Gulping, Kai lied down on the bed, Cole still snuggled up against him. The doctor smiled gently and patted Cole's head. "Sorry, kiddo, but you're gonna have to move so I can fix your brother's shoulder."

Pouting, Cole nonetheless moved and slipped off of the hospital bed. Smiling, the doctor then gently grabbed the top of Kai's injured arm. "You might want to leave the room," she said to everyone else. "Don't think the kid wants to watch me slip this shoulder back into place."

"No!" Cole quickly said, quickly shaking his head. "I want to stay!"

"Are you certain, Cole?" Zane asked, gently placing his hands on Cole's shoulders. "It will not be pleasant."

"I'm sure," Cole said firmly.

The female doctor shrugged. "If you say so. Alrighty everyone. I'm gonna do this on three. One..."

Kai squeezed his eyes shut.

"Two...."

Everyone held their breath.

The female doctor sighed. "Okay, you people are way too tense," she grumbled.

Kai opened his eyes, annoyed. "Oh come on! You can't just do something like--!"

The doctor moved. There was a sharp crack! that made everyone flinch. Zane automatically covered Cole's eyes. "That," Kai squeaked, his voice an octave higher than normal. "What was that for?!"

"Less painful if the patient is distracted," the doctor explained. "Now, let's find you a sling..."

There was a quiet popping sound and Kai yelped. The doctor frowned and checked Kai's shoulder. "Ugh, it dislocated again," she muttered. "Must have torn the ligaments and the labrum..."

"What does that mean?" Cole asked, prying Zane's hand away from his eyes. "Do you have to pop Kai's shoulder back into place again?"

Kai flinched. "Please say no."

The doctor sighed. "Unfortunately, if I try and pop it back into place, it'll just dislocate again." She turned to Kai. "You, my friend, need surgery."

"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed.

"Relax," the doctor said, holding up her hands in a calming way. "It's just a simple procedure. You'll be in and out in no time."

"I'll go book an OR," the other doctor said, walking out of the room.

"In the meantime," the female doctor said, stretching and also walking out the room. "I'll go find some nurses to prep you for the surgery. Might as well make yourself comfortable."

Kai groaned as the doctors left. "This. Sucks," he declared, wincing as his shoulder throbbed in pain.

Cole quickly attached himself to Kai's side, burying his face in the red ninja's shirt. "Do you have to get this surgery?" he asked quietly.

"Cole, you heard what the doctor said," Zane said gently. "If Kai does not have this surgery, his shoulder will not heal properly."

"Yeah!" Jay piped up. "Plus, it'll be quick! You'll barely realize that he's been gone."

"Don't worry Cole," Kai said, smirking confidently. "I'm a tough guy. I can survive one little surgery."

Cole didn't say anything. He just squeezed Kai's middle tighter.

A group of nurses came by a few minutes later. "Alright," one of them said cheerily. "It's time to get Kai ready for his big surgery." She turned to face everyone else. "This might take a while, so feel free to go grab some food. He'll be in good hands."

Seeing how it was already afternoon and nobody had eaten anything since breakfast, almost everyone decided to take the nurse's advice and started to leave, though not without wishing Kai good luck.

Cole, however, refused to leave Kai's side.

"Cole," Kai said gently. "It's time for you to go."

Cole shook his head and gripped Kai's middle tighter.

"Cole," Zane tried next, gently placing a hand on Cole's shoulder. "It's time to go."

"No," Cole whispered, shaking his head again.

The little ninja knew that he needed to go, that Kai really needed this surgery if his arm was to get better. But all he could think about was the last time he had been in a hospital and how he had waited and waited, smelling that awful, terrible scent of disinfectant and hoping, praying that she would be okay because she promised, shepromisedshepromisedshepromised, but then that doctor came by with that solemn look in his eyes and told him that they did everything they could but it was too much and she would never come back, she was gone, sheliedshepromisedshewasgonegonegone....

People were shaking him, telling him that he had to go, but Cole just tightened his grip on Kai's shirt. He wasn't going to let go, he couldn't lose another family member, hecouldn'thecouldn'thecouldn't!

But then, to his horror, someone started prying his hands apart.

"No!" he screamed, trying to keep his grip. "No, NO! I WON'T LEAVE, DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE! NO!"

He knew that he had to leave, but he was so scared. What if Kai didn't make it? What if something went wrong during the surgery? Kai said that he would be okay, that he would survive, but so did she, and sheliedshe'sgoneshelied....

"Cole, COLE!"

Cole flinched when he heard Kai yell, but he didn't let go of Kai's shirt. "Cole," the red ninja said more gently. "Look at me."

Cole buried his face in Kai's chest, unable to look Kai in the face. Tears slid down his cheeks while his shoulders hitched in little sobs. He felt more than heard the red ninja sigh. Fingers gently cupped the little ninja's chin and lifted it up. Tearful grey eyes met worried hazel ones.

"Don't go," Cole croaked, his voice cracking. "Please...don't go..."

"I have to," Kai whispered.

Cole sniffled and a few more tears slipped out of his eyes. "But...but what if you d-d-don't come back?"

Lloyd suddenly gasped, his green eyes wide and a look of understanding passing over his face. Kai looked at him, confused. Seeing this, the green ninja quickly walked over and whispered in Kai's ear.

"He lost someone important to him in a hospital," Lloyd whispered. "He had a nightmare about it last night. This is probably hitting way too close to home for him."

Kai's mouth formed a little 'o' and he looked at the crying ninja clinging to him. "Oh Cole," he whispered, gently hugging the little ninja closer to him with his good arm. "I'm not going to die," he quietly told him.

"You don't know that," Cole said back, stifling a sob.

"Cole, look at me," Kai said, getting close enough to let his forehead touch Cole's and their eyes made contact. "I. Am. Not. Going. To. Die. If I even so much as see a light, I'm sprinting in the opposite direction. This little surgery isn't going to kill me. I'll be fine, I swear." He dropped his fierce tone and replaced it with a calmer, more soothing one. "I know you're scared out of your mind, but this isn't going to be a repeat of the past. You have to believe that I'm going to be okay. Can you do that for me? Can you be brave for me?"

"I...I..."

"You can do it," Kai said. "I believe in you. You can be brave. C'mon, say it with me: 'Kai is not going to die'."

"K-Kai...isn't gonna die..." Cole whispered softly.

"Again."

"Kai...i-isn't going to die...."

"I'm not going to die," the red ninja said fiercely. "I'll be back before you know it." He gently place his good hand on top of Cole's head. "But in order for me to get to this surgery, you're gonna have to let go."

Cole bit his lip and looked at where he was gripping Kai's shirt. Slowly, reluctantly, the little ninja let go of his death grip, though not without one final squeeze. "P-please come back," he whispered tearfully."

Kai smiled at him. "I'll be back before you know it."

Cole sniffed and let go completly, rubbing at his eyes. Jay came over and carefully picked him up. "We'll see you after the surgery, bro," he said to Kai, smiling. "Don't worry, we'll take care of Cole."

Kai smiled back. "See ya guys on the flip side," he said, waving goodbye with his good arm.

"Bye Kai," Lloyd said.

"We shall see you soon," Zane added.

"See you soon, big brother," Nya said.

Cole, secure in Jay's arms, briefly looked up and stared at the red ninja. He slowly waved his hand, quietly saying, "Bye, Kai."

"Bye Cole," Kai replied back, equally soft. "Be brave."

Cole nodded before lowering his hand and burying his face in Jay's chest. The blue ninja gently rubbed Cole's back as he left the room, murmuring soothing words in the little ninja's ear. Cole barely listened, too consumed in his worry and fear.

He has to be okay. Kai won't die, he'll be fine, hewon'tdiehewon'tdiehewon't die...

----

Welp....that happened. 

If you thought this was full of angst, just wait for the next chapter.....

Have a happy Friday y'all! :)