Work Text:
His hands won't stop shaking. They lay on his lap vibrating slightly. He wasn't moving them. They were completely limp, but yet the moved. Jay stared at them, having removed his scorched gloves and rolled up the sleeves of his wetsuit. The familiar Lichtenberg figures that ran from the tips of his fingers up his forearms seemed more pronounced than normal. His entire body tingled slightly, a vague pins and needles sensation running in shocks up and down him.
Jay was sitting in one of the cockpit chairs, where he had been parked by Zane upon their return to the Hydro Bounty. He was pretty sure there had been a lot of lecturing, but he'd been too relieved to see Nya alive and safe to pay much attention. Something about the stupidity of his actions and needing an education on risk taking. The first bit had been Lloyd.
Everyone bar Pixal had since left the room, he couldn't remember why, just that he was too tired to bother following. She didn't seem to have noticed his stillness, a sharp contrast to how usually full of energy he was, preoccupied with trying to get them back to the surface safely.
His hands were still shaking. Jay tried to flex his fingers, to shake them out, move them, anything to alleviate the perpetual tremble. They didn't move. He frowned and tried again. Nothing. His heart began to beat faster.
Zane had told him it was dangerous. The nindroid said that using that much power in that environment might kill him. But Jay had walked away. He thought he was fine, just exhausted from using so much lightning at once. Maybe he had been wrong. Because his hands won't stop shaking, and he can't quite feel them properly either. His thoughts began to spiral as his vision narrowed, blocking out the rest of the room until on his shaking hands remained.
What if he had damaged something. What if it was permanent. His lightning drifted far away, out of his reach. What if he couldn't use his powers anymore. What if he couldn't fight or build things or use his hands. What if he wasn't useful anymore. What if he couldn't be a ninja.
The shaking increased and he thought his heart might beat out of his chest. Yet apart from his hands, not a single muscle in his body moved. Pixal shifted in the control chair, saying something, but Jay didn't look up. She repeated herself, and part of him wondered if he was supposed to reply.
Footsteps padded over to him, and her face appeared in his vision, crouching down in front of his and waving a hand in his face. Her green eyes filled with concern at his lack of response and flashed slightly as she scanned him.
"Jay? Jay?" He heard her this time, "Take a breath Jay—are you alright?"
He continued to stare at his hands, eyes following the emboldened patterns of scars that he grew familiar with over the years. He took a shaky breath before whispering, "I—Something is very wrong with me."
That made Pixal move. She immediately stared straight ahead, speaking to someone who wasn't there. One of the others, Jay assumed. He wasn't sure, not catching what she said. Carefully, she reached out at took one of his hands with hers, seemingly noticing they were the cause of his distress. Her touch sent sparks skittering across his skin, a burning sensation following them.
He hissed slightly, and she quickly placed them back down, wary of the uncontrolled elemental energy flowing through him. The door to the cockpit slid open and the others walked in, not quite running but certainly hurried. Nya started forwards to touch Jay, but Pixal held out a hand to stop her.
"Hold on. He does not seem to be fully in control of his powers," She continued to look at Jay, thinking over what to do, "Touch him may hurt the both of you."
Zane stepped forward as well, conversing with Pixal too quick for Jay to follow, using words he did not understand. He felt dizzy, the world spinning slightly as yet more fire zipped up his arms. A silver hand waved in front of his face, and he looked up at Zane.
"Jay, I need you to stand up," The nindroid explained, "We are going to move somewhere else so you can lie down."
"I-I can't." He whispered. Zane frowned. "I can't move."
Lloyd seemed to catch on to what was running through his head, coming to crouch by Jay, ignoring Pixal's repeated warnings.
"Jay, we need you here now buddy," He said softly, "We need to check you out, but we can't help you unless you get your powers under control."
More sparks danced off Jay at his words, reacting to his fear, amplified by his unstable state. Zane's faced flashed into something he couldn't read. Lloyd continued to talk quietly.
"We can help you Jay, but you have to calm down. If you don't it's only gonna get worse."
Jay took a deep breath, trying to ignore the strange sensations that possessed his body. Nya moved to stand beside him, not touching yet, but ready. He reached inside of him, trying to wrestle the untamed energy back into submission. The air crackled slightly as he fought with his control, charging with static.
He pushed harder, dizziness increasing as he fought for any scrap of the control that normally came so easily. The sparks dancing over his skin slowly faded, even the simple act draining him any further. The shaking in his hands increased.
Nya looped her hands under one of his arms, Zane moving to take the other, and they hauled him up between them. Nya murmured apologies as he winced slightly at the contact, but not letting go. Pixal disappeared out of the room, and the four remaining occupants began to slowly inch out of the cockpit.
Jay wobbled on every step, vision greying the longer he was upright. He had to put conscious effort into maintaining his control, trusting Nya and Zane to keep him upright. Lloyd opened a door to their left, holding it for the others to cross.
They entered the bunk room of the Hydro Bounty, moving to lay Jay down on the nearest bed. Pixal entered a few moments later, carrying a first aid kid. Zane's blue eyes flashed as Nya and Lloyd helped Jay to get comfortable.
"Your elemental signature is very unusual," The nindroid stated, "I believe the first thing you must do is rest."
That wouldn't be a problem. Now that he was no longer having to focus on staying upright, even in a chair, Jay's energy was quickly diminishing. Charging that battery had wiped him out, and the burst of adrenaline from the fight after had long faded.
"It is not possible to tell if the overuse of your power will have any permanent effects until you are rested," Zane continued, "Though evidence from other similar situations suggests probably not."
Good. Maybe he would be okay after all. Pixal set the first aid kit down before tugging Lloyd from the room, probably to help her pilot the ship.
"Go to sleep Jay," Nya lent down and kissed him on the forehead, "We're not going anywhere."
Zane inclined his head in agreement, "I will remain to monitor you in case any sudden change occurs, although that is unlikely. It is best we return to the monastery as quickly as possible; the medical facilities of this ship are limited."
They looked over at the small first aid kit Pixal had left behind. Nya lent against the side of the bunk he lay on, Zane lowering himself to sit across from them. Jay was still shaking, pins and needles running across his body. He didn't know if he was okay, but he closed his eyes, trusting the others to make sure he was.