Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
When the Grim Reaper Knocks
Chapter I
It was the morning of Sky's twenty-first birthday. Bridge threw the covers off of him as he sat up in his bed. He rubbed the sand from his eyes and let out a huge yawn. He remembered that today was Sky's twenty-first birthday. He looked over and saw that Sky was still asleep.
"Huh? That's weird. Usually Sky's up before me," Bridge thought to himself.
Bridge had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was horribly wrong. He pulled his legs from beneath the covers and dangled them from the side of his bed. Placing his bare feet on the floor, he jumped when he felt how cold the floor was. He walked over to Sky's bed. Once he had arrived, he saw something that he hadn't noticed when he looked over at Sky while he himself was in bed. Sky was shivering and not just a little bit either, but a lot. Bridge had a perplexed look on his face. He recalled that the floor had felt cold to him when his bare feet touched it, but aside from that, Bridge wasn't cold. Bridge wasn't shivering, so why was Sky?
"I have no idea what's going on here, but I better report this to Kat," Bridge thought to himself.
The automatic door opened and Bridge left in search of Kat.
1-1-1
Syd, Z, and Jack were in the cafeteria eating breakfast. After Gruumm had been defeated, they found a time portal through which Sam was able to return to his time, the year 2040. The red, yellow, and pink rangers realized they were missing two of their teammates and wondered where the blue and green rangers were.
Syd scanned the cafeteria for any sign of Bridge or Sky, but she saw nothing. A frown appeared on her face. She was particularly disappointed that Sky wasn't up. Everyone in the Academy knew that today was Sky's twenty-first birthday. All the decorations were already up. There were blue balloons and streamers scattered all throughout the Academy. Several "Happy Birthday" banners adorned numerous walls of the Academy. They already had bought Sky's presents. Sky's birthday cake was already frosted and ready to go. They even had a surprise party planned. Even though everyone in the Academy pitched in putting up decorations, baking and frosting the huge birthday cake, buying gifts, and planning the party, the whole thing was Syd's idea. She had personally wanted to make Sky feel special just as everyone at the Academy had made her feel special when they threw the surprise party for her birthday. Everything was in place and now the only thing missing was the birthday boy.
1-1-1
Bridge found Kat in the command center with Cruger. He hesitated not knowing how to explain the situation to them. Bridge struggled to find the right words to say. Kat and Cruger noticed the urgency in Bridge's stride as he rushed into the command center.
"Do you need something Bridge?" Kat asked looking at the green ranger with concern.
This certainly was something new for Bridge. He was the type that had no problem talking. He would ramble on about things. His rambling bored people, or just plain annoyed them, or both. Yet now when he needed to talk, he couldn't find the right words to say.
"Is something the matter Cadet Carson?" Cruger asked after Bridge failed to answer Kat's question.
Bridge gave up trying to find the right words to say and nodded his head yes. He then averted his gaze so that he wouldn't have to make eye contact with either Kat or Cruger. Kat walked over to Bridge and rested a hand on his left shoulder.
"What's wrong Bridge?" Kat gently asked.
Even though Kat had placed her hand on his shoulder, Bridge still refused to look Kat in the eyes. "It's Sky. Something's wrong. Come see for yourselves," Bridge managed to get out after much effort.
Kat and Cruger exchanged worried glances with one another before following Bridge to the room that he and Sky shared.
1-1-1
Syd, Z, and Jack were really starting to get worried now. Everyone in the Academy knew that Sky was an early bird. In other words, he was one of those people who lived according to the proverb "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" almost to the extent where it was like a part of his faith. Out of the five rangers, Sky was always the first one up. As a matter of fact, the only individuals who were up before Sky was Kat and Cruger. It was common knowledge that Sky was not the type to sleep in until noon. Sky didn't even sleep in. If he did, it was only for a half an hour tops, which by most people's standards isn't considered sleeping in at all.
"Guys, I don't know about you, but I'm really starting to get worried that Sky's not up yet," Syd commented.
It's almost as if Syd had read the minds of Z and Jack because that's what they had been thinking too. Syd was just the first one to say it. Jack tried to lighten the mood a little bit.
"Yeah, we can't have a birthday party without the birthday boy," Jack remarked.
His attempt to lighten the mood must not have worked because both Syd and Z still looked saddened. Even Jack resumed frowning.
1-1-1
The automatic door opened and Bridge led Cruger and Kat over to Sky's bedside. Sky's condition appeared to have worsened since Bridge last saw him. Sky was shivering even more than he had been before. Sky had completely wrapped himself in the covers of his bed and had his body curled into a fetal position. Kat walked up to Sky and put her left hand to his forehead to feel his temperature. Instantly, she jerked her hand back.
"His forehead is freezing cold!" Kat exclaimed. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm her left hand up.
What Kat said didn't make sense to Cruger. Not only that, but Cruger didn't believe it. Cruger was one of those individuals who liked to see things for himself rather than rely on the information that other people tell him. He placed his right hand on Sky's forehead and also instantaneously pulled his hand back.
"You're right," Cruger said.
While Cruger was one of those individuals that liked to see things for himself, Bridge was not. If Cruger and Kat said Sky's forehead was cold, then he'll take their word for it. He didn't like the cold as it was so he was not going to feel Sky's forehead by any means.
It was times like these where Kat's medical training came in handy. She decided to take charge of the situation.
"Bridge, get a washcloth damp with hot water and put it on Sky's forehead," Kat ordered.
Cruger wanted to help as well. He knew Kat so well that he often could tell what she was thinking before she thought it, or what she was going to say before she said it.
"What do you want me to do?" Cruger asked.
Kat was a bit surprised that Cruger was so willing to take orders. He was the commander after all, so he should be used to giving orders not following them. However, everyone at S.P.D. was like one big family so Cruger's behavior wasn't really all that shocking.
"I would like you to get a thermometer. Also, tell some cadets to wheel a stretcher down here so we can get Sky to the infirmary. Oh and one more thing, you should tell the other rangers what happened," Kat said.
Cruger left to do as he had been instructed just as Bridge returned with the hot washcloth which he placed on Sky's forehead.
"Come on Sky, you can beat this," Bridge said.
1-1-1
After Cruger had grabbed a thermometer and instructed two cadets to wheel a stretcher down to the room that Sky and Bridge shared, Cruger went to inform the other rangers what had happened. Syd, Jack, and Z were leaving the cafeteria just as Cruger was about to enter. The red, yellow, and pink rangers saw the look of concern written on the face of their commander.
"What's wrong commander?" Z asked.
Cruger hesitated at first. He debated whether to just come straight out and tell them or to be careful how he breaks the news to them. After struggling a bit more, he decided that he should just tell them because Kat was waiting for the thermometer that she had asked Cruger to get and for all he knows, Sky could be getting worse with each and every passing moment.
"Sky's come down with something. We're not quite sure what though. I don't have time to explain. Kat's waiting for me to bring her a thermometer. Besides, I really don't know much more than you do," Cruger said.
As much as they had wanted the bad feeling they had to be nothing more than just a feeling, it seemed as though their worst fears were coming true. Something really was wrong with Sky. Jack, Z, and Syd followed Cruger to the infirmary.
1-1-1
With the help of Bridge and two cadets, Sky was wheeled down to the infirmary. Kat hooked him up to machines that measured his vitals. After Sky was hooked up, and the machines displayed Sky's vitals, Kat narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
"This doesn't make any sense. His vitals appear to be normal," Kat said.
Sky had worsened even more. His shivering had become so violent that it appeared as if he was having a seizure. Sky tossed and turned on the stretcher. Bridge would pick up the hot washcloth after it had fallen off of Sky's forehead and put it back on his forehead. It wasn't working very well though.
"We need to restrain him!" Kat exclaimed. Bridge and Kat strapped Sky down just as Cruger, Jack, Z, and Syd entered the infirmary.
Cruger handed Kat the thermometer and Kat stuck it in Sky's mouth. Bridge held Sky's mouth shut. Sky was still thrashing about despite him being strapped down. He looked like a fish out of water flopping on dry land. Tears started forming in the eyes of Syd and Z. Even Bridge's eyes were starting to water. None of them had ever seen Sky like this. This was his birthday. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion. The thermometer beeped signaling that it had finished taking Sky's temperature. Kat pulled it out and looked at the reading.
"This can't be right. It says his temperature is 32.3 degrees Fahrenheit!" Kat exclaimed.
To Be Continued…
A/N: I'm so horrible. I said I would focus on one fanfic at a time yet here I am starting another one. Anyways, don't forget to read & review. I'm still new at writing fanfics, so please be nice.