Disclaimer: As much as I would like for it to be, Power Rangers is not my creation.

Ch. 1 Awkward Meetings

A small three-year-old boy laid on the huge hospital bed, suffocating his teddy bear as he crushed it to his chest. Beside him another small boy, a little older than the first, was looking around silently. When his eyes met the other's he smiled slightly through his pain. He could tell that the other was very scared, but he had been here before so he already knew what it was like.

"Hi," he whispered, afraid to disrupt the silence, "my name's Zhane, what's yours?"

He noticed that the other boy was debating wether to answer or not, but was relieved when he whispered back, "Andros."

"Andros, it's very nice to meet you," Zhane stated politely. "I'm here because my brothers thought it would be funny to push me off their bunk beds, but instead they broke my arm. Why are you here?"

"Nobody hurt me," Andros answered. "I have to have another surgery on my eyes and ears so they'll work better."

"Where's your mommy and daddy?" he questioned.

"They won't let them back here because I have some bruises that they think they caused," the small boy stated. "I just wish they were wrong."

"Your parents hit you? Why?" Zhane asked, astonished that something like that actually happened. He had seen it on their holographic television and in some of the movies, but he didn't know that it was real.

"Yeah," Andros whispered. "I don't know why they do it but I think it's because I have to have all these surgeries and my dad can't pay for them My mommy just started a little while ago but I don't know what I did to her." Their conversation was cut off as a nurse, Danielle, entered the room.

"I see you've made a new friend, Andros," Danielle stated, as she checked his IV and he nodded. "A policeman will be here in a minute to ask you some questions and you need to tell him the truth no matter what your parents have told you before, okay?"

"I just want to see my mommy," Andros whispered and Zhane could almost feel his pain.

"We don't think that would be very good for you right now," she soothed as she pulled the covers up around his exhausted form. "Get some rest. I'll tell the officer to come back tomorrow."

Within seconds Andros was asleep and Zhane asked, "Why are his parents so mean to him?"

"I really don't know, Zhane," Danielle responded as she moved over to his bed. "But right now, you should lay back down and get some sleep yourself. You're family will be here in the morning to get you."

"What about him?" he asked immediately, sensing that the younger boy was going to endure a lot more than just physical pain before he left the hospital. "If his parents are arrested, what happens to him?"

"I wish I had an answer," she answered. "To the best of my knowledge he'll probably be put up for adoption or live with another family member. Now, get some rest." As she left the room, Zhane remained awake, wishing that he could do something for the boy beside him to make him feel wanted.

Morning came quickly, too quickly if you asked Zhane, and the two boys were served breakfast. Zhane started eating as soon as the plate was in front of him but Andros hesitated.

"What's wrong, Andros?" he asked, his mouth filled to capacity.

"It's just...I don't usually get this much food," Andros answered, almost as though he were ashamed. "I don't think I can eat it all." He sounded as though he was near tears and Zhane didn't understand why.

"It doesn't matter, Andros," he soothed. "Just eat what you can and give the rest back."

"Won't I get in trouble?" he questioned quietly.

"Of course not!" Zhane yelled. "Why would you get in trouble?" Neither of them noticed the police officer that was standing in the doorway.

"My daddy always hit me if I didn't eat all my food," he answered and the police officer gave himself away with a sigh. "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" Andros broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably as he repeated himself again and again. Danielle rushed in and gave Andros a sedative to calm him down.

After he was asleep she turned her head to the officer and asked, "What happened?"

"I was waiting for you outside the door and I could hear them talking," Officer Tenpenny began. "I listened for a couple of minutes and he said something about how Amor always hit him if he didn't eat all his food. I didn't mean to let them see me, but when I sighed I gave myself away and he started screaming and crying."

"I know he'll never admit it again," Danielle began, more to herself than anyone else in the room, "especially not to a judge."

"I'll tell them," a quiet voice stated and they turned to look at Zhane. "He deserves better than that and I'll tell anyone you want me to what he's told me about his dad."

"Did he ever say anything about his mom?" the officer asked as he pulled out a worn notepad.

"Just that she didn't hit him at first and he doesn't know why she started," Zhane whispered. He didn't know if he should be telling all of this to the officer, he only knew that it was the only thing he could do to help the hurting boy beside him.

"Well," Officer Tenpenny began, "I'm going to go so this information to my Captain and ask Andros' parents some questions, but I'll be back." Both Zhane and Danielle said goodbye and played a card game while waiting for Zhane's parents to show up.

A/N: Please Review!