The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 51 - Apology

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In the chapter below, Kai and Skylor face each other for the first time since the disastrous events of a few days earlier...

Chapter 51 - Apology

Brossette made his way back around the bed and toward the door, and Kai watched from his pillow as it opened and Skylor entered. She and Jules exchanged smiles before he closed the door behind her.

Kai observed that she was wearing her uniform under her cloak today. That's more toggery than she wore the last time I saw her.

"Afternoon, Kai," she greeted him cheerily, carrying a package wrapped in brown paper as well as a small burlap sack.

"Afternoon, Skylor," he responded in a monotone voice. He did not smile.

She walked toward the bed, escorted by Jules with his hand on the small of her back. "How are you feeling?" she asked the patient.

"Oh, I'm feeling pretty kedge today. Ready to start a cattle drive," Kai replied sarcastically, feeling quite the opposite.

She set down the package and the sack on the bedside table. "I brought you some things," she said in her same cheery voice as Jules helped her remove her cloak.

"Like what?" he asked listlessly.

"Like stationery," she said. "And a pen and ink to write with. I thought maybe you'd like to send a letter to Sam. You could tell me what you want to say, and I could write it down. I can make sure the letter would get delivered to her." She settled herself on the guest chair. Jules stood behind her.

"Let's see. I could say that within the course of a week, I got all moppy drinking wine at dinner with my former sweetheart and I kissed her, then later I ended up alone with her in a room with our clothes shucked off, and now I'm stoved up in this hospital bed after being accused of attempting to have my way with her. Sam would find that kind of letter so happifyin'." Kai's response was laden with bitter irony.

Skylor looked up at Jules worriedly, nervous that the friendship she'd hoped to reestablish with Kai was beyond repair. Jules gave her a slight nod of encouragement.

She looked down at her lap. "Kai," she sighed deeply before looking once again into his sad brown eyes. "I am so...so very sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. Believe it or not, I'm very fond of you. If the monarchy had already been restored to Ninjago before we met, I could very well have been your Mrs. Smith right now. But when you proposed two springs ago, there was just so much to do to advance the Purple cause -"

"And look what being a Purple has done to you, Skylor," Kai angrily interrupted. "I used to think you were a sweet girl back in Ninjago Town. Now I've seen you lie to a ranking officer, cheat on your fiancé when he was still your fiancé - Brossette told me about that - and injure me, all to suit you, you, you!" Kai flipped his head away from her, with enough force to bother his shoulders. He moaned at the discomfort.

Twenty whole seconds of silence went by. Kai started to wonder if his words had been too harsh. Then he heard her speak.

"You're right, Kai. I did do all those things. But before you decide to hold them against me forever, please let me finish."

He gingerly lifted his head and turned his face toward her again before resting his cheek on the pillow. He saw that she had a pinched look on her face.

"Before we were interrupted by Doolverr the other day, I was telling you how unhappy I was with army life. After a lot of thought this week, I realize that I've been like a square peg trying to fit myself into a round hole. I'm not made to be a Purple officer. I don't belong here. I once cared about the Purple cause, but I sure don't care anymore, after what I've seen and experienced."

She continued. "But I now know where I DO belong...in the arms of this kind man right here." Skylor looked up above her shoulder at the standing Jules and smiled. He smiled back and rested his hand on her shoulder, and she placed her own hand on top of his. "We both like to have fun and even stir up a little mischief!"

Jules laughed. "So true, cherie!"

Skylor turned back to Kai. "I won't resign my officership, but I won't do more than go through the motions. After the war is over, I'm going back to the bayou with Jules. I'm going to learn how to make gumbo like his mamere," she chuckled. "Daddy probably won't be too pleased with my choice, but I guess it wouldn't be the first time. I'm sure the King will keep him so busy with some new responsibilities that he won't have time to dwell on me."

"So what I'm trying to say, Kai," she concluded, "is that I'm a different person now, and I'm truly sorry for hurting you in all the ways that I have, and I hope we all can be friends from this point forward." She leaned forward in her chair and took his hand in hers.

Kai looked into her emerald green eyes and saw that they were filled with sincerity. And he saw how Brossette looked upon her with love.

"I accept your apology, Skylor," he sighed, "and I'm happy for you and Brossette. I actually need to say 'I'm sorry' to you, too. The other day I was fixin' to tell you that I was sorry for kissing you on Christmas night. I'm sorry for jawing about your cheating when I was doing it, too. And I'm sorry for yelling just now. I'm just feelin' out of sorts, and I'm really rattled about Sam after what Colonel Doolverr said, and I'm flummoxed about what to do." He blew air out of his cheeks in frustration.

Skylor, grateful that Kai didn't hate her, was pleased that she could share a positive action she had taken to uncover the validity of Doolverr's statements. "Don't worry, Kai. I wrote a private letter to Daddy in which I asked him if it were true what the colonel said, and I'm waiting for him to respond."

Kai was touched. "Much obliged."

She nodded, letting go of his hand and leaning back in the chair. "I was planning to write to him anyway, to say I understood why he felt he couldn't take a holiday furlough this year to visit me. He said that being one of the three top generals in the Purple Army is an honor, and he has to put the cause first before pursuing any pleasurable activities. I couldn't take a furlough to visit him because not all officers were able to, and it would have been bad for morale if I had been able to take one simply because I was General Chen's daughter."

Jules, still standing behind the chair, spotted the burlap sack on the bedside table. "Cherie, why don't you show our corporal what's in the bag?"

"Oh, yes, we haven't done that yet. Kai, this is your uniform. After I collected it from the registration building, I had it laundered and patched." She picked up the bag and began to rummage through it. "When I was getting it ready for the laundry, a certain something fell out of a pocket. Something I'm guessing you treasure very much."

She pulled out a small object. One that had given Kai the strength to survive Morro's treachery in the desert nearly a year and a half ago, and also the strength to endure the pain of Doolverr's skulduggery upon arriving here at Kryptarium Prison.

"Sam's hairpin!" he breathed, taking it from Skylor's hand and admiring it reverently.

He looked at Skylor and gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you for keeping it safe," he whispered.

Skylor beamed, pleased to have made the cowboy happy. She reached into the burlap bag once more. "Sam's a lucky lady to have such a fine husband who cares about her so much. And...your baby-to-be is lucky to have such a fine daddy!" she concluded, pulling out a crinkled piece of paper.

Kai recognized it instantly. "My letter!" he exclaimed upon seeing the missive written by Sam last November, in which she informed him he would soon be a daddy. He accepted the paper between two fingers of the hand which already held the hairpin.

Upon taking a moment to skim the words Sam had penned, Kai looked back at Skylor. "Did your kind man tell you that 'Brossette' would make a good middle name for a baby boy?" he commented, tilting his chin at the Purple sergeant.

Jules grinned, recalling the recent conversation with Kai in which the subject of baby names had been discussed.

"I would agree with that," the red-haired officer concurred, looking up at her man with a smile. "So do you want to dictate a letter to Sam now? You could tell her that Skylor is a perfect middle name for a baby girl!"

Kai chuckled. "Sure!"