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𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 walked through the doors West Valley General and stepped on the elevator and pushed the button for the second floor. When she arrived, she found a nurse in her early thirties, sitting at the nurses station, working on a chart. "Hi, I'm Stella Walker. I'm the new pediatrics nurse. I'm here for my orientation."

"Oh, good morning Stella. My name is April Sexton. I'll be training you today." April said. "This is Sharon Goodwin, she's the head of patient and medical services."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Goodwin." Stella smiled

"You as well Stella. We're happy to have you." Sharon smiled.

"You can come with me Stella." April said. "Our first patient is a little boy named Asher, who just had his appendix removed after appendicitis. He doesn't seem to like any of us, I hope you're ready for that."

"It will be okay. He's a child, he's scared, he's in a place in which he's not familiar. We have to show him everything will be okay." Stella smiled

Upon walking into the room, Stella saw a little boy in the hospital bed with an IV in his arm and watching cartoons. She walked in with a radiant, and nurturing smile on her face. "Hi." Asher shyly said

"Hi, Asher. My name is Stella. I'm one of the new nurses here. You mind if I sit with you for a few minutes?" Stella said

Nodding, Asher turned down the tv, while Stella sat down beside him. "What are you watching?" Stella smiled

"Tom & Jerry. My daddy used to watch it when he was a kid, so I watch it. I want to be just like my daddy." Asher said

"Well, Asher, you can be anything you want to be, and if you want to be just like your daddy, well then you be just like your daddy." Stella smiled as she took out her stethoscope

"What does your daddy do?" Asher said as Stella listened to his lungs

"Well, back home, he was a legendary Texas Ranger. Here, he's the chief of police." Stella smiled as she listened to his heart. "Well your heart and lungs both sound good."

"Does your daddy have hand cuffs?" Asher asked

"Yes he does, but he rarely has to use them." Stella chuckled.

"Wow, being a police officer sounds so cool. He's like a real hero! Does he have a police doggy?" Asher asked

"Well, there are some dogs at the station, that are search and rescue dogs. Sometimes, the officers will go around to local schools and bring the dogs." Stella smiled, as she took Asher's pulse. "Well your heart rate sounds great. That means you are a healthy growing boy."

"Thank you Stella." Asher smiled

"Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you." Stella smiled. "I give them to all of my pediatrics patients." she said as she pulled out smiley face sticker and gave it to Asher

"Thanks!" Asher smiled. "I'll keep this forever!"

"You're welcome." Stella smiled. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Bye Stella."

──────

At 8:30 am, Stella and April sat at the nurses station, charting on patients, in the company of Lori and Kara, when they heard the alarm at the ambulance doors go off. They thought it was just any other trauma. They were wrong.

"Stella! April! You're with Dr. Halstead in trauma two!" the charge nurse named Maggie said

Stella felt her heart drop and heart race. Her blood ran cold along with the atmosphere. She saw her little brother being wheeled in on the gurney.

"17 year old male, BP 90/70 fell down the stairs at West Valley High School, possible spine injury." the paramedic said

"Call radiology stat." Dr. Halstead said as he wheeled the gurney into the room. "Transfer on my count. 1, 2, 3." then they transferred August on to the bed and put a neckbrace around his neck

"No. Oh my God." Stella tearfully said

"Stella, is everything all right?" Sharon asked

"Mrs. Goodwin, I apologize, but that's my brother. I can't—" Stella said

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Sharon said, "There's no need to explain. Your father and grandmother have been notified. I'll have April and Dr. Halstead take over the case."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goodwin." Stella smiled

The radiologist performed an x-ray to show that August's spine was nearly broken. She couldn't watch anymore. "Stella Blue?" Nathan said, as he and Janette walked into the waiting room

"Daddy." Stella said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her father, and cried quietly into his shoulder

"I'm here." Nathan said as he held his daughter and Janette rubbed her back

   ──────

"Stella, you've seen your fair share of these in nursing school to know that the next twenty-four hours are critical." Dr. Halstead said

"But he's gonna pull through? Right?" Johnny said

"We're doing everything we can." Dr. Halstead reassured. He nodded to the family, then walked away.

Stella broke down, as her father pulled her into a hug, while Janette hugged her from behind. "I promised mom I would always protect him."

"It's not your fault Stella Blue." Nathan said

"I'm so sorry." Johnny said

"Sorry? Sorry?" Nathan angrily mocked. "Before my son met you, he was a good kid. He avoided fights. Now look what you've done!"

"Nathan, calm down. Please. This is Stella's place of work." Janette said, as she tried to reason with her son. 

Nathan angrily scoffed and led a tearful Stella away from Johnny. Janette stood there and shook her head and walked away as well.

In another room, a fellow doctor, Dr. Noah Sexton, who was also April's brother, was stitching up Sam's arm, who's face was also bruised from the violent fight.

"It's all right now, ok? Everything's gonna be all right." Daniel said consoling Sam. Noah left after finishing the sutures.

"I'm gonna make sure this girl gets expelled." Amanda said

"I don't care about Tory. I just want August to be Ok." Sam said as she sobbed

"I can't believe Robby would do that." Daniel said

"It's all my fault." Sam said as she sobbed

"What? No. No. No, don't say that Sam," Daniel said consoling her

In the lobby, Johnny, absolutely distraught over August. The tears were welling in his eyes as he watched the doctors work on him, his eyes closed. He placed his hand on the window, and was completely and utterly lost.

Not being able to stand anymore, he walked to the elevator, which opened up to reveal Daniel standing inside. They glanced at one another for a second, then he walked in and stood next to him. The elevator went down to the first floor. After Johnny left the hospital, he walked to the parking lot and drove to the Cobra Kai dojo

When Johnny arrived at the dojo, he put the car in park, then got out and walked up to the door. Putting the key in the keyhole, he noticed it had already been unlocked. Opening the door, he stepped inside, and there was no one on the mats, and it was completely dark.

Upon hearing a noise coming from the back, or chanting rather, he followed the noise and walked to the back room where the kids were wearing their Cobra Kai gis, and practicing their punches, as Kreese stood in front instructing them

Glancing at Johnny, Kreese said, "Class, we have a visitor."

Stopping their punches, the students put their hands behind their backs, and turned to face Johnny. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Johnny asked Kreese

"What does it look like? I'm teaching my students." Kreese answered with a smug smirk

"Your students?" Johnny asked

"You let them down when they needed you the most. Somebody needed to remind them what it takes to win." Kreese said 

"After everything I did for you?" Johnny asked the class with disappointment written on his face

"August is in the hospital because of you. He showed mercy to Robby Keene because of you. If he dies, that's on you" Hawk spat angrily

"I did warn you about this. I told you not to show weakness." Kreese said

"Get out" Johnny demanded

"This is my dojo." Kreese said as he smiled smugly at him, and Johnny stood there with a deer in the headlights look. "Oh, I forgot to tell you when you were out of town, I had a little talk with the landlord. It turns out he doesn't like you much. But you know the problem with those handshake deals, there are no guarantees."

"You can't do this." Johnny said in shock

Kreese pushed his way past the students and stopped in front of his former student. "Of course, I can. I founded Cobra Kai. It belongs to me. It always has and it always will. I will never let my students lose. Even if they have to learn the hard way." he replied with a sinister smile. "One day, you'll thank me for this Johnny."

"This was a mistake" Johnny said as he looked around the room at the kids, the kids he used to teach glare at him. "You want Cobra Kai? It's your's." the blonde said in defeat

──────

Johnny drove his car towards the beach, parking it on the sand. Getting out, he sat down in the sand, with his whiskey bottle in his hand. He looked at the waves as he relived memories with August.

"I wore this when I was training for my first tournament back in '81. I want you to have it."

"Tell me you're the man?"

"I'm the man!"

"One of the best things in my life, has been teaching you. I'll always be on your side and I'll always have your best interests at heart."

Then, the most precious memory of all, he relived the night with Stella, who he has probably lost, because of the accident.

Johnny stood up and wrapped his arm around Stella's waist, and took her dainty hand in his own. "I like the feel of your hand in mine." Johnny softly smiled

"I like it too." Stella smiled. "Rule number one. Focus on me, okay?

Johnny nodded as they began to dance, only for him to step on her feet. "Damn it. Sorry princess." he said

"It's alright." Stella smiled. "Look, when you fight, do you look down?"

"No." Johnny smiled

"No. You look into their eyes." Stella said. "Just look at me."

The two were dancing, and moving in perfect rhythm of each other. The blonde pulled Stella's body closer to his, and rested his forehead against her's. "I love you, Stella."  Johnny thought to himself

Johnny rose to his feet, looked off into the distance, then turned and threw the whiskey bottle at his car. When his phone rang, he threw it towards the ocean. Then threw the car keys in his challenger. Walking away from the beach, not even looking back, he didn't know where he would go, or where he was headed, but one thing he knew, he needed to get away.

End of Season 2