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Lloyd wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened. It was all a blur. He remembered locking his siblings in that room so he could go fight his father, he remembered running to Kryptarium, and he remembered his happiness at seeing his father again, finally, even though he knew that it wasn’t him, not really.
He remembered his father softening for just a second, and feeling the rush of hope that maybe, just maybe, his dad remembered him.
That didn’t last long.
The next thing he remembered was the pain. It hurt, and then he was bleeding, and then his dad yanked the sword out of him and FSM his stomach was on fire and his only coherent thought was his dad’s words swirling around in his head.
“I have no son.”
He didn’t know when they had gotten there. All he knew was that he was on the ground, struggling to sit up, just trying to stay alive, and then he heard them come charging in, all yelling for their baby brother.
“Lloyd, you’ve lost a lot of blood. Lay down or else you’re gonna pass out.” Nya was trying to stay calm, but she couldn’t keep the edge of panic out of her voice as she tried to stop the bleeding. “Kai, call an ambulance!”
“Lost it?” Lloyd muttered, looking down at his bloodstained gi and the pool of blood steadily spreading beneath him. “No, I know exactly where it is.”
“Lloyd-“
“Kid, I swear-“
He could feel himself slipping away, their voices growing hazy as darkness crept into the edges of his vision. Was he dying?
“Hey. Stay with me, Lloyd.” He squinted at Nya’s fuzzy face above him. “We are not losing you today.”
“I love you guys.”
“No, Lloyd- hey, stay with me!” She pressed down harder on his wound, wincing when he groaned in pain. Despite Zane’s attempts to take over, she refused to leave his side.
“Nya, perhaps I should-“
“No!” she snapped at the nindroid. “I got this. I just need to keep him alive until the ambulance gets here.”
“Sis-“
She ignored Kai, turning her attention back to her baby brother. “Lloyd, hey, stay with me, okay? Just stay with me until the ambulance gets here.”
“‘M’sorry, Nya.”
“No, hey, none of that. You can apologize all you want at the hospital, after we make sure you’re okay.”
“You’ll be okay, Lloyd.” Kai’s voice shook as he ran a hand through Lloyd’s hair. “Ninja never quit.”
Lloyd nodded, then clenched his teeth when it sent shocks of pain through his body. The last thing he heard was the sirens growing closer and closer as he lost the battle to unconsciousness, comforted by his sister’s strong embrace.
——
The first thing he registered was the pain. His whole body ached, like he had been hit by a truck. He forced his eyes open and saw that he was lying in a hospital bed, his siblings piled into several chairs beside it.
“Guys?” he croaked, wincing at how hoarse his voice was.
“Lloyd?” Jay, the only one awake, responded. “Hey, guys, he’s awake!”
The other ninja shifted as they jostled each other awake, freeing themselves from the tangle of limbs in the hospital chairs.
Kai freed himself first, nearly launching himself at Lloyd. “You’re okay!”
“C’mon, did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?” Lloyd laughed, even when Kai crushed his aching body in a hug. “Ow.”
“Sorry, sorry.” The fire ninja backed up and was almost knocked off his feet when Nya rushed past him. Cole, Zane and Jay hung back, just as eager to see Lloyd but understanding that Nya needed some time with him.
“Lloyd, you’re okay!” Nya exclaimed, clutching his hand. “How do you feel?”
“Physically or mentally? Cause they’re both not great,” he joked. His siblings looked at him, and the sadness on their faces hit him in the gut, reminding him uncomfortably of his father’s sword. “Hey, but I’m alive, right?”
“Yeah, you’re alive.” Nya’s words were comforting, but her voice shook with barely contained tears. Lloyd knew it well. “And I’ll take that apology now.”
“What?”
“Do you remember, when you were bleeding out on the ground, you started apologizing and I told you to save it? I’ll take it now.”
“Apologize for what? I’m the one who got stabbed.” It was supposed to be a joke, but his words hung heavily in the air. They all knew what he could apologize for.
“Let’s see, locking us in that room, going to fight your father against our orders, getting stabbed, giving us all a heart attack,” she listed, counting on her fingers. “Should I think of more?”
Lloyd pulled her into a hug, whispering his apology in her ear. She nodded, stepping back after a minute so Cole, Zane and Jay could talk to him.
“Despite Nya’s refusal of my help, she did remember her first aid training,” Zane smiled softly. “I am glad you are okay, Lloyd.”
“Kid, if you died, I was gonna kill you,” Cole grinned, ruffling Lloyd’s hair. “Good thing you’re alright.”
“Hey, Lloyd.” Jay could barely keep a straight face. “What do a sword and a musical instrument have in common?”
“Oh, FSM. What?”
“They both know how to b sharp.”
Jay busted out laughing, and after a moment, so did Lloyd, more out of shock and stress than anything. The other ninja stared at Jay, and there might have been one more patient in the hospital, but the door flew open and Wu and Misako rushed in.
“Lloyd, are you okay?” Misako demanded, taking her son’s face in her hands. He was pretty banged up from his fight with Garmadon, and she hissed air through her teeth as she examined his injuries. “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Lloyd, that was extremely unwise.” Wu, who had no doubt assumed what had happened, shot his nephew a disapproving look, then softened. “However, I am glad you are alright.”
“Thanks, Uncle,” Lloyd yawned. His family remained in the room and kept him entertained until his doctors came in and ordered everybody to go home so the patient could get some sleep.
For the first time in a very long time, Lloyd slept peacefully.