[I Am Not A Medical Professional So I Am Skipping The Actual Medical Part, Sorry Folks It’s 3:30 Am

Growing pains (bug kai one shot)

Tw: blood, body horror, body horror

Uhhh idk where in dragons rising this takes place so just plop it in whatever spot makes sense to you

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Kais middle name may as well be repression with how well he was keeping up apparenences. No one knew about his time in the land of monsters, no one even knew he’d been there.

But there were some.. side effects to his time there that couldn’t be shoved down.

Which is why when he began to feel that sharp pressure in his back he nearly leaped out of bed and snuck to the nearest bathroom, tearing his shirt off in hopes it wouldn’t get ruined. Pepping the first aid kit and as many bandages as he could find before crawling into the tub for easy clean up.

It did t take long for the pressure to become unbearable. He grabbed a clean was cloth and shoved it into his mouth. The fabric tasted awful but it was his best bet at keeping this all a secret

Kai gritted his teeth as it began, grasping and clawing at the edge of the tub. warm crimson dripped down his back filling the air with a metallic stench as a pair of forcipules tore their way though layers of fat, muscle, and skin. It took everything in him to bite down on cloth he’d grabbed and not scream his lungs out.

He didn’t want to wake anyone. Hell. He didn’t want anyone to know about this. Not yet. He wasn’t.. he wasn’t ready for that.

He’d rather suffer in silence then risk any of them finding out what had happened.. what he’d become

Kai gagged and gasped and the squelchy ripping sound coming from his waist, his mandibles extending and releasing the cloth. He reached for it, only to fall back into the tub as the twin to his new limb followed suit, causing the master of fire to writhe and squirm in pain, his vision going white as a scream tore its way through his throat despite his best efforts to keep this whole ordeal under wraps

His mind dizzied and body nearly imoblized by the pain he did the only thing he could think to do with his pityful rag just out of reach and not down on his hand to muffle what he could, praying to the first master that no one had heard him, or at least brushed it off when it seemingly stopped.

Kai whimpered against his wrist. Squeezing his eyes tight. Hoping this time he’d just wake up. It wouldn’t be real, he’d wake up and his body would be normal again.

He HATED this new.. form.

His torso being slightly elongated and segmented every few inches, with each section slowly gaining its own pair of forcibles. His mouth being able to just.. open like that. Having to be constantly awear of how he was holding his jaw so as not the let it just open like a tarp and let the cat out of the bag.

He already felt like a monster. He didn’t need everyone else seeing just how much of one he was becoming.

His eyes began to well up before soft knock on bathroom door shook him from his thoughts

“Is. Everything alright..?” Zane asked gently

Fuck.

Someone HAD heard

Kai took a deep breath. Unsure if he trusted his voice to stay stable with the throbbing in his back. “ I’m. Fine” he managed. “Leg cramp.” That. That was a reasonable excuse for screaming at what.. nearly 3 in the morning?

“Kai. I heard that scream. I can smell the blood from here. I know you are injured. Please let me help.. I am worried..”

Kai whimpered, his mind was starting to get hazy from the blood loss. He was in no condition to stop the bleeding himself let alone clean and bandage the wounds . at this rate if he didn’t accept help.. it wouldn’t end well

“Don’t. Freak out. Ok?” He gulped, trying to force himself to sit up only to wince and give up

“I promise not to freak out.” Zane assured him

Kai wasn’t sure if that was possible given how the tub and what remained of his pajamas were soaked in fresh blood and he was slowly turning into a fucking centipede person.

He let out a shakey breath “ok.”

The door knob turned slowly, the door creaked. Zane poked his head in, his eyes widening as he saw Kai “first master..”

Kai frowned, instinctively curling up in an attempt to hide himself “promised..” he said weakly

Zane’s expression softened, grabbing the first aid kit kai had prepared before kneeling in front of the tub “it’s going to be ok Kai.”

Kai nodded. Trying not to waste his energy on a response.

Zane quickly got to work, helping Kai shift positions so his back faced the former and allowed him to apply pressure to the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Kai tried his best to stay still, but there was no pain like this. He flinched and squirmed from Zane’s hands dispite being so very gently. “Ive got you kai, yoh are going to be ok.”

Kai almost believed him.

Almost.

Sure he wasn’t going to die from blood loss now, but once one person knew it was only a matter of time before everyone in the monastery knew he’d become a fucked up creature .

Zane hummed softly, trying to calm the fire starter who’d started to cauterize his wounds as his powers manifested his anxiety into something more physical “almost done..” he said softly

Kai nodded. Not having the strength to give a verbal reply

Zane wrapped the bandages around kais torso. Trying to push the questions from his mind. Kai was in no state to answer them.. and the master of ice had a hunch he wouldn’t want to either way. “There.. now. Let’s get you to the infirmary. You likely need a transfusion with as much blood as you’ve lost..”

“Can’t.. move” Kai forced out

“You do not need to. Just, try to stay awake for me, ok?”

Kai nodded, and with that zane gently wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, taking great care to avoid touching his back, and carefully pick him up.

Dispite the pain he was in kai couldn’t help but lean into Zane. He was so tired of hidding it all.. maybe now.. that could come to an end..? It sort of had to. Didnt it

Zane carried the injured fire master to the infirmary, carefully setting him down in a way that was likely to cause the least amount of pain before quickly looking through their supplies to grab what he could.

Kai was pale, but not deathly so. He was going to be ok.. Zane had gotten there in time.. and thank the first master he did.

[I am not a medical professional so I am skipping the actual medical part, sorry folks it’s 3:30 am i am not researching it rn]

Zane melted into the chair next to Kai’s hospital bed with a sigh. His color was starting to return to normal and he seemed to be getting some of his strength back. “..I. Must admit I’m rather confused about what happened.”

Kai looked away from him, picking at the edge of his nails “it’s. Along story. I don’t think I have the energy to get into it..l

“Thats.. understandable..

“…are you going to tell the others…?”

“I.. I can’t lie to them about you being injured. But, if you want me to… avoid what your ..condition is..”

“No its. It’s fine.. but let me tell em.. please? Just. Cole, Lloyd, Nya, and pix. You’re the only ones that need to know right now.”

Zane nodded “of course. It is your choice kai.”

Kai gave a weak smile, “thanks tin can.”