"I don't feel very much like a family. Not when I don't know who to trust."
After Lloyd wakes up back in his right mind, the green ninja is puzzled when no one seems to care. No relief, no joy--nothing. Instead, the others seem to have a new warines...
Nya walked into the hospital room with a tray of food in her hands. It had been two days since Lloyd awoke. Thankfully, he had stayed conscious over all of it, and he was no doubt at last recovering.
Nya found the green ninja staring out the window. He turned his head when she walked in. She tensed for a minute as his gaze rested on her, then relaxed as she realized there was nothing hostile in his eyes. I guess we're all still a bit wary around Lloyd, she thought to herself.
"Hey, Lloyd," Nya greeted as she met him by the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Lloyd responded cheerfully. Nya was glad to hear her friend's happy voice again. He straightened up. "I'm feeling stronger already!"
Nya froze. How strong?
Lloyd blinked, clearly noticing her unease. "Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, suddenly worried.
Nya shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Of course it is!"
"Good!" Lloyd exclaimed. "'Cause I feel about ready to start fighting again!"
Nya chuckled nervously, relieved that her brother wasn't in the room. "Now don't get ahead of yourself," she said. "You still need a lot of rest before you can join the army!" She passed him the tray of food. "Lunch is ready!"
Lloyd licked his lips. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!"
Nya let out another nervous chuckle. Lloyd's usual remarks suddenly felt a lot more real. She got to her feet. "I'll leave you to rest." She turned and headed out of the room, aware of Lloyd's confused gaze on her the whole time.
* * *
Zane looked up as Nya came down the stairs and into the dining room. Her shoulders were tense as she joined the others. He frowned. Everyone always seemed tense whenever they came back from visiting Lloyd. Zane didn't quite understand it. He wasn't around to witness Lloyd when he was in the trance, so explains why he was the only one who could see the green ninja without feeling wary. He saw what Lloyd had done to Kai, but he guessed he needed the full experience to feel the uneasiness everyone else was.
"How is Lloyd?" Wu asked Nya.
"Hungry, alright!" she exclaimed. "He says he feels stronger every day." Nya saw Kai's eyes flash with alarm, but he quickly looked down so no one else would notice his expression.
"That's great news!" Cole threw a peanut into his mouth. "At last, our lives will finally be back to normal!"
Almost back to normal, Kai thought. His feet shifted uneasily under the table. They say Lloyd is in his right mind, but is he? He looked down at his stomach, wincing as he felt a twinge of pain. I could've died because of Lloyd. I can't just trust him again like that. A prickle of guilt went down his spine. But it wasn't his fault, he argued with himself. With a helpless sigh, Kai turned his head toward the staircase. I'm sorry, Lloyd, he called silently. But our relationship just got a little more complicated.
* * *
The four ninja were out in the courtyard, training. Garmadon was watching over them, instructing their movements.
Wu watched from the porch. The ninja were holding up well with the new kind of training, as well as his brother in teaching it. His gaze fell on Kai. The red ninja still wasn't fully recovered, and once in a while he would give a hiss of pain. But he was clearly making an effort to fit in, especially after the whole incident with Cole. It was clear he was trying desperately not to lash out at anyone who bumped into him, and when he did once in a blue moon, he controlled himself before he really hurt someone again.
"They're doing well," came the soft voice of Misako. "They'll be ready to fight the Overlord when it is time."
"Unless another unnecessary incident breaks out," Wu murmured. "Jay only just recovered from his broken leg, and Kai and Cole have fresh wounds." He paused, suppressing a sigh. "And don't even get me started about Lloyd."
Misako laid her hand on Wu's shoulder. "It's not like you to worry so much," she breathed.
"I know," Wu whispered. "And that's what worries me."
* * *
The two watched until night began to fall.
"That's good for today," Garmadon called. "Now go get some rest."
Panting, the ninja followed him back inside and climbed up the stairs. Misako smiled as Garmadon joined her and Wu.
"How is Lloyd doing?" he asked her, who had been with their son earlier.
"Much better," she replied. "He got out of bed today."
"And could he walk alright?" Garmadon inquired.
"A bit shaky," Misako went on. "But he soon got the hang of it."
Garmadon sighed with relief. "Good. I'm gonna go visit him now." Nodding to his brother, he went up the stairs.
As he headed down the hall, a prickle of unease crept down his spine as he walked past Kai's room. He tried to push the feeling away, but the dark memories kept sneaking up on him. Not being able to bear it any longer, Garmadon pushed open Kai's bedroom door and flicked on the light.
No one was inside. No attacks were going on. There were still a few faint stains of blood on the carpet, but most of them blended in with the red floor. Sighing, Garmadon closed the door again and continued down the hall. Snap out of it, he told himself. Lloyd's healing and in his right mind again.
But as the strange feeling crept up on him again, he let out another miserable sigh. Will I ever be able to trust my son again?
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