CHAPTER 4:
Third Person POV
Choosing couldn't be this simple. Just close your eyes and sketch whatever your hand draws. Zelena's hand, however, is sketching quickly against the gifted sheet filling it with lines she felt didn't make sense but seemed right. Colors blurred together by sounds slide left and right, up and down, all in her head adding confusion to the mix of sorrow. No matter what she chose, even if her deepest part of her heart wanted it- she would lose other things in return.
A sob escapes her lips at the pestering thought. She would lose her grandmother all over again. Or she would lose her friends without even getting to say goodbye. Without getting to say she loved them. The deep red blindfold turns nearly black as it absorbs the tears rolling down her face. 'I can't do this. I can't make this decision. Why would he think this is a good idea?' But something magical happens. Zelena returns to her previous consideration- if she chooses staying here, she wouldn't get to say goodbye.
Her hand returns to creating lines she hopes makes sense and follows that line of thought. Robby would definitely go to jail for some sort of count of murder or negligence ending in homicide. And Miguel would most likely be scarred for life- well all of the student body who had seen her fly over and land would be scarred for life. Tory needed a friend. Sam needed a friend. Demetri, Chris, all of them flash in her head.
Or did they?
They asked for advice, but often never took it for complete value and chose to ignore it. Did it even make sense? 'Do I even really make a difference in their lives?' Both dojos argued repetitively because of bitterness- because of a high school rivalry from the 80s that affected and burned everything in its path. If I go back, can I even change that? What if something like this happens again?' Her body shudders in fear. Another student getting injured badly or worse just because no one knows how to talk shit out?
"Grandma! I know what I am doing!" Zelena shouts, dropping the pencil haphazardly somewhere in a rush while her fingers work to untie the knot at the back of her head to remove the blindfold. As soon as the red material falls from her eyes, she glances to the notepad barely balanced on the edge of her knees to find a bunch of graphite lines. However, she tilts her head and makes out two faces in the picture.
----------------------------------------------
Miguel's fingers tap rapidly against his phone's screen, which his grandmother had snuck out of his mother's purse while she went to inquire about the sudden rush of nurses towards Zelena's room. He holds it to his ear, pacing back and forth down the limited hallway space in front of the bathrooms. "Answer. Come on, Hawk."
"What?" There's evident anger burning in the answering voice. In the background, sounds of slapping against some sort of mats echo and grunts fill the silence.
"Hawk, you and Tory have to get down here." There's a hesitation on the other line and the more Miguel listens intently to the background, he can tell they are at the dojo. It's 5 PM, Sensei Lawerence had disappeared at the request of his mother and for all he knew, he was down there kicking their asses during training.
"We're busy." Rustling blurs the end of his words, but Miguel thinks quickly and says the truth.
His eyes peek around the corner in an attempt to see if there is any update. "Something's happening. I-I convinced my mom to bring me to the hospital to stay with Zel. They're only letting us stay and be here because my mom works here. But a bunch of nurses rushed down to her room right now. They aren't saying what's going on. Earlier the same thing happened, but her stats were rising and dropping like crazy. She needs us." A pair of nurses that had been part of the party rushing down toward Zelena walk past with less urgency and relief on their faces.
"I-That's the last thing I want to do." Hawk admits, pausing a moment before furthering his irrtation. "I-I'll call my mom and tell Sensei Kreese we're leaving. See you soon." The line goes dead and the breath Miguel hadn't known he was holding onto, passes through his lips.
He turns around, pressing the 'end call' button when a figure stands in front of him. "And what are you doing, Miggy?"
------------------------------------------
"Sensei. Miguel just called. Something is happening at the hospital with Zelena and they think this might be the only chance we have to say goodbye." Half of him is lying through his teeth, but the other part thinks there is a good chance that it is the truth. Why else would Miguel call if it wasn't? Kreese's dark eyes glance upward to his best student , while the rest of the dojo watched in silence. A heaviness fills the air and the tension builds until it looms over. "They're saying only close friends and family right now. He said Tory and I-"
"Tory too? Hmm." Kreese steps forward, crossing his arms behind his back in a stance that concerns Hawk. His body freezes though he really wants to step away from the approaching man.
Hawk firmly nods, "Yes sir."
"Zelena is a weakness for you I see." Kreese moves closer until he is nearly chest to chest with Hawk. "You're my best student. You should have no weakness."
"She isn't a weakness. She's one of us! She is your best student-" Tory begins to argue from behind Kreese, giving Hawk a little reason to be eased.
Kreese snaps around with a glower that ices every single student's bloodstream. "She was Johnny's best student. She showed mercy and was knocked over that railing."
"She pushed Miguel out of the way. She put herself in the way to save another Cobra. What the hell is wrong with you?" Tory begins to square herself, ready for combat. Hawk's eyes move to her, hoping to catch her glance and tell her to back down. The venom in Kreese's is more than enough reason. "I'm leaving. At least if she does die, I can say goodbye." She lowers her stance and immediately Sensei Kreese strikes, kicking the back of her leg as she walks past. He then pins her.
Hawk immediately jumps into action absent-mindedly tackling the Sensei off her. He rolls to the side away from Kreese who manages to reach out, grab the edge of his gi and slam him onto the mat. The wind is knocked from Hawk's lungs but he continues fighting, searching Kreese for a bodily weakness. His right fist makes contact with the obvious open chest to him while the other knocks into the shoulder of the hand pinning him. Kreese releases just enough for Hawk to swing his leg out and push him away. He immediately gets up, grabs Tory's wrist and races out of the dojo, ignoring the consequences lingering behind them in the dojo.
Tory grabs their backpacks while in sprint and the two don't quit running until they are two streets down and one street over. She tosses Hawk his backpack as they pant to regain their breaths when they finally stop. He pulls his phone out and dials his mother's number with a pace Tory didn't believe he had in him. In a matter of seconds the phone is pocketed once more and the pair look between one another. "He's going to have our asses for this." Hawk mutters, pressing his palms to the back of his head in aggravation.
"Really? That's what you are worried about right now?!" She shoves his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance and stumble back into the light post behind him. Her eyes find his a second later and she scoffs. "Don't do that bullshit right now." She gestures to the hardness in his expression and the way his eyes are stone cold. "No one needs you to be Hawk right now. From what Zelena says about you, she needs more Eli than this." Her hand rises and falls to signal to his entirety. "At least right now."
"She's not even awake." Hawk spats, trying to protect himself from getting his hopes high.
Tory's inquiry twists his heart just as seeing Zelena sprawled across the staircase earlier had done. "Is it really that bad?" Her voice is quiet and not pained, but he can see the reflection of it in her eyes.
"Miguel didn't say. He just said nurses were rushing to her room. They wouldn't explain what was going on. But he wants us there in the case something significant does happen." Honesty is all he can give her right now. Silence ensues between the pair. "She liked Eli better?" His voice's sudden reappearance causes Tory to turn her head quickly to look at him.
She reads the pain all over his face fairly easily. "Not necessarily. Eli was who she knew best. Hawk just shoves her away repeatedly- apparently ever since the night Aisha wedgied Yasmine, it's gone downhill for you two. She admired Eli for everything he was. But especially for his kindness, his ability and willingness to communicate, and in general, just being there. She admires you- Hawk- for your confidence and fearlessness. But she despises the fact you've become the bully." Hawk tilts his head back until it rests against the lamp post.
Silence cloaks over the pair until a familiar blue colored car pulls up beside them. Hawk opens the door of the back seat, gesturing for Tory to get in. A soft 'thanks' leaves her lips as she clambers in, scooting all the way to sit behind his mother's seat. He slides in, sitting on the seat behind the passenger and closes the door, locking it to be safe. "So where are we headed to?"
"The hospital."
------------------------------------
Neither boys were having a decent time with their mothers who continued to pester them. While Miguel's mother reprimanded him for taking the phone and instructed him continuously, Hawk's mother only continually glanced in the rearview mirror every chance she got in her silent way of processing him. He knows he will get bombarded with questions later.
Hawk and Tory enter the hospital, preparing to ask the front desk about Zelena's whereabouts when Hawk spots a familiar looking woman. Tory follows behind Hawk who suddenly gravitates toward an older woman speaking with a nurse. When they are within earshot, the woman and nurse turn to face the pair. If they had not been here for the life or death of their loved one, Tory would have asked how she looked so good and how Miguel had turned out. Jokingly of course."Mrs. Diaz?"
Her eyes warily trace the teens in front of here, "What can I help you with?"
"We were looking for Miguel. He told me over the phone that something was happening with Zelena and that we should be here-" His voice dies, unable to say what could possibly be the outcome of this entire situation. Mrs. Diaz slows her eyes while she examines Hawk, slightly fearful that it could be a kid from the opposing dojo here to finish harrassing her son when their eyes meet. If not for his eyes, she would never have known how terrified the poor boy is standing before her.
Miguel's mother nods with a gentle smile and her hand gesturing to the raven haired nurse standing beside her. "Angelica just told me that it actually wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it was pretty good." Angelica excuses herself quietly from the conversation, reattending to her patients, bringing Miss Diaz back to her senses. "Let's go back to Miguel. I can tell you all then."
Hawk takes multiple deep breaths on their silent trip back to the fifth floor waiting area. The ache of tension in his muscles eases only slightly, but the heaviness on his shoulders disappears nearly fully. His eyes wander over to the woman standing beside him, eying the level buttons instead of looking at him an Tory. She too is comfortable, but not overly excited meaning whatever good news she had been told was only the tip of the things Zelena would accomplish before she was 'ok' again. "So how do you know, Zelena?"
Tory bites her tongue, sensing Miss Diaz genuinely hadn't meant to sound as a derogatory as she had the moment the words fell from her lips. Under other circumstances, Tory would have muttered "At the AA meetings" or "when I was stealing something from the store, she was the bigger thief" since they were already accusatory. But this wasn't normal circumstances. And although he had kissed Sam back at the party, she had seen him push her away and that meant something. He still meant something to Tory. "I was at the Beach Club with a mutual friend of ours. She helped me out and stood up for me when someone accused me of stealing their mother's wallet." Her answer is simple, honest, and she gives a tight smile as politely as possible to hide all the sarcastic pieces of her that want to ooze out.
Tory had an easy answer, almost as if she had prepared ahead of time for the inquisitive Miss Diaz. Hawk shoves his hands in his pockets, glancing to the left as he releases a heavy sigh in an attempt to alleviate the nerves building in him. How was he supposed to say he was less of an ass a few months back? "Zelena and I have known each other since we were toddlers. We were neighbors- are neighbors. We didn't really begin talking much until second grade. She was always kind to me with her actions. For a long time I didn't speak while she spoke gently to everyone. Just kind to everyone. One day and at lunch, this crew of kids were talking about how I'd never have friends because my lip and not talking made me weird. She marched right up to that kid with her sky blue lunch pail in her clenched fist, looked them in the eye and sat in the seat right next to me at the table. She grinned at them and opened her lunch like it was nothing. As if it were normal for people to do that even as everyone stared at her."
There's a sympathetic half smile Miss Diaz offers just as the elevator stops, dings, and opens its door to release them. Tory and Hawk fall back, trailing just slightly behind Miss Diaz knowing they need space from the woman. "Zelena never told me all that. She said you had been friends since the second grade, but she refused to tell me the story."
There's a soft laugh Tory doesn't expect to come from Hawk. She watches as his eyes avert downward momentarily with a stupid grin on his face. "She doesn't tell a lot of stories because she hates the storyline it spins for those in it." Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. Hawk's eyes lift and reading the expression on her face, he furthers the explanation. "The kids whispered about it for weeks. She was already known as the sweet girl who was everyone's friend. But then that turned her into a hero for standing up to the bully. She's always hated the association. She just wanted to be a decent human being. She's always valued people by their hearts rather than their pockets."
This time a small laugh comes from Tory as they turn right to go down the hallway. Hawk's confusion is evident through his contorted expression and the darkening in his eyes just as Zelena had says it does. "Your words reminded me of a song she played for me. It's called 'To Hell and Back' by Marren Morris. It was-" Tory's words die on her tongue when her eyes land on Miguel.
Aforementioned boy jolts up from his seat, briskly walking past his mother to greet his friends. His mother clears her throat, capturing all 3 teen's attention. "So, as I was telling your friends, it is good news about Zelena. Earlier her stats were all over the place and though unstable and unhealthy, she made it through that. Her vitals are now back to normal ranges. They are still putting her on a 24 hour watch just to make sure they remain in normal range consistently. She won't be allowed visitations until Wednesday afternoon should her vitals remain consistent."
All three teens release the breaths they'd been holding and absentmindedly, they pull each other into a tight group hug. Hawk rests his forehead against Miguel's shoulder while Tory begins to pull back from the boys. She'd begun to realize that Miguel had cheated on her no matter the current circumstances, and he didn't deserve an easy forgiveness because of it all. Hawk on the other hand, remains seemingly stuck in Miguel's half hug. Miguel notes it only as excitement until Hawk's hand grips onto the fabric of Miguel's shirt covering his shoulder, rather tightly and he can hear Hawk's uneven breaths growing louder.
Miguel's hands reach upward, placing themselves on his shoulders. Miguel steps forward slowly with his right foot before dragging his left foot upward until they are horizontally aligned, pushing only slightly to awaken the instinctive side of him that is technical and autopilot run. He finds that piece of Hawk who steps back each time he steps forward until the back of his knees hit the chair. "Hawk, what's going on?"
Miguel's voice echoes among the distant atmosphere of Hawk's head. But he is in too deep to be pulled out of his memory now. The chatter of the hall has died completely and that suffocating silence he had only heard of returns. He can feel his return to a place he despises most.
His feet amble toward the large white walled entryway to the main plaza though his heart screams to turn around just as it had the moment it happened- only it had been easier to ignore then. The soreness of his body as consequence from the force of impact into the sport memorabilia showcase ebbs away with each step. The familiar fear clutching his gut clouds the remainder of any other emotion.
He suddenly is back on the stairs, leaning over her body. All he can look at is her face. The peace that shatters his heart and the realization all his listening to Kreese about not needing her if she didn't come back to him, seems so stupid.
A new pain roots itself in the very center of his heart. All the silence kills a piece of him and her body laying here kills nearly all of him. She accepted all parts of him before the mohawk, the dye, the tattoos, the badass moves. She constantly inquired about his boundaries as she had with everyone. Before Sensei Lawerence, he had only ever admitted being in the spectrum to her- his biggest insecurity next to his scarred lip. She had only nodded with an understanding half smile. He could sense that she had known somehow all along. And his heart had swelled in admiration for her. She didn't treat him differently because of it. Aforementionedly, she asked everyone's boundaries due to her natural state to physically exemplify her affection and emotions.
And now he might never feel it again.
His eyes trail down her body to alleviate his vivid recollection only to note her left leg. Broken. Twisted at the wrong angle. He winces at the gory sight. She loved to dance. She loved to-
"HAWK!" Miguel shouts, bringing him to the present where he's only seated comfortably in a waiting room chair. Everyone is crowded worriedly around him. He ignores the concern and directly asks, "Will she be able to walk again?"
Miss Diaz is taken aback by the red mohawked teen and his very cohesive, stern question. Besides it being out of breath from his panic attack, he was well aware of what words he was using and not at all sidetracked by something else. Not to mention he locked eyes specifically with her to get an answer. "There's a chance she will. A good chance. But it'll be alot of therapy. Currently, they are focusing solely on waking her up."
"Waking her up? What the hell is going on Eli?" Everyone's head besides his own, jerks toward the new addition to the waiting room party. Hawk's mother stands hipshot though her shoulders lean forward and her posture is clearly dampened by an emotional weight.
Miguel raises from his crouched position beside his friend, slowly approaching the older woman out of respect. How was he supposed to tell her the news? Zelena had been family to the Moskowitz's. He had noted the way this woman's face fell the first night and every night they had a karate get together and Zelena never showed. "There-" Miguel inhales a deep breath in high hopes it'd swallow the shakiness of his voice. "There was an accident at school and Zelena got caught in the middle of it. She fell over the railing and-" Miss Moskowitz's loud gasp furthers Hawk's inner demolishing, pulling the Eli part of him out a little further as his eyes lift to watch his mother. She nearly collapses to her knees, but Miguel and Tori each catch an arm of hers to steady the weight, helping her move sideways until she has a seat to collapse into. "She'll be okay."
The words enrage Hawk, shoving Eli back into the hole he'd started coming out of as Hawk bolts up onto his feet. "No she won't! She fucking won't be okay, Miguel! She hasn't even woken up!" His arms absently flail every direction, gesturing toward the hallway her room is supposedly in then back to his side. Deciding against exhibiting his inner anger at the people who are already on their asses with their own grief, he runs past the group and heads the same way they'd entered.