Lily woke up to disorientating darkness. Reaching across, she couldn't find her dresser, though she groaned as she remembered why. RJ had taken her bed and moved her into his room.
He'd made the decision for an entirely practical reason, given where his room was in the building; all she had to do to make it from the bedroom to the bathroom by herself was keep her left hand on the left hand wall. Getting up, she fumbled around to find the nearby table where RJ had left her replacement dressings. She had been told she needed to remove her dressing to shower, and had been instructed how to replace it. Picking up the packets, she edged slowly across the room, groping the air to find the wall.
She walked cautiously, dragging her hand along the wall. She manoeuvred her way around the room, finding her way into the back room. For some reason, it actually felt good to feel the surface change from the thick pile carpet of RJ's room to the varnished floor of the back room in her bare feet. She'd been there for months, but she'd never noticed that before! She was almost smiling as she finally arrived in the bathroom; she noticed the slight sponginess of the cork tiling on the floor.
She unravelled her dressing, and found to her disappointment that her vision was no clearer than it was before. She knew the doctors had told her to be patient, but this was her eyesight they were talking about, how dare they! How was she not meant to be impatient and frustrated by the fact she couldn't see? Hell, she loved dancing more than anything, how could she appreciate other dancers if she couldn't see them?
She climbed clumsily into the bathtub, before fumbling around for the shower controls and starting her washing ritual. As she finished her shower, she tried as hard as she could to focus, but still found she wasn't seeing anything any clearer and cursed her misfortune for having this inflicted on her. She felt around for a moment to find her towel and dried herself, before finding her way to the sink where she'd left her dressings. With a sigh of disappointment, she re-applied her dressing, and wrapped her towel around herself before finding her way back to her new room.
When she got there, she set down her towel, and found the back of her knuckles brushed against something lying on her bed. Picking it up and handling the item to figure out what it was, for only the second time she could remember since the whole nightmare had begun, she smiled. Someone had laid out an outfit for her. It wasn't much of a gesture, but for Lily, it was an important one. Her friends were there for her, and because of that knowledge, she was more determined than ever to beat this thing. At that moment she felt like she could beat anything and all she'd accomplished was taking a shower!
Fran was making her way to Jungle Karma slowly the next day. The usual enthusiasm and bounce was missing from her step as she headed towards the closest thing she'd ever had to a social scene. She had been going there on a daily basis since she began high school, and it felt like she had friends there. She felt safe and, most importantly, she didn't feel alone when she went there. So it was unusual that she was heading there while her mind tried to find reasons not to go.
When RJ had offered her a job, it was like a dream come true! She felt like she truly had a place where she was accepted, and her three new friends had accepted her for who she was without judging her. For the first time, she had a group of friends to hang out with, and as much as it annoyed her the way they constantly ran off every time their damn beepers went off and left her to run the place single-handed, she was always pleased to see them. That wasn't the case today.
She chewed her fingernails nervously as the restaurant came into view. Theo had chased her down the previous evening and talked to her at length about how what happened to Lily wasn't her fault, but she still blamed herself for what happened. 'If only I'd let Casey come down off the ladder! If only I had eaten breakfast and not been so hungry! If only I wasn't so obsessed with that damn pizza. If only she wasn't such a clumsy dumbass!' She kept torturing herself with these thoughts. She really didn't want to face the others, but she just had to know how Lily was, one way or another.
She rounded the door nervously, finding Casey and Theo sitting in a booth, eating breakfast. Theo got up, crossing over to hug her, making her feel a little better at having decided to return to the restaurant.
"How are you?" Theo asked her as he released her.
"I still feel really guilty." She replied. "How's Lily?"
Casey and Theo looked at each other nervously. They knew she'd want to check on Lily after what happened, but they were unsure how she'd take the news RJ had given them.
"Namaste!" RJ greeted her amid a dual sigh of relief from Casey and Theo. He was as worried for Lily's welfare as anyone, but he maintained his usual air of calm for the sake of the others. He knew his laid-back persona had a calming effect on the others, and made things easier for them to deal with. "Fran, I'm glad you came in today."
"I'm on the roster to work today." She reminded him.
"I wouldn't have blamed you for giving it a miss." RJ replied. "Are you alright?"
"How's Lily?" She asked.
RJ looked at the others, who simply shrugged. He knew it was down to him to tell her.
"Guys, could you give us a minute?" He asked. On cue, Casey and Theo left the room. He took her to a booth and sat her down, taking a seat opposite her.
"There was some damage to her eyes." He informed her. A couple of warm tears rolled down her cheeks as he said this. "She's going to wear a protective dressing for two weeks, and she'll be tested then."
"Tested for what?" She breathed. He could tell that she was completely rattled by what she'd heard.
"They still don't know how extensive the damage is." RJ told her, holding her hand a little tighter. "There is a chance that her eyesight will never return."
Fran collapsed onto the table, weeping hysterically. RJ moved around the booth, holding her closely, clearly she was taking it hard.
"Can I see her?" She asked, tears streaming down her face. She was in no state to do anything right now, and RJ knew it.
"She's still asleep right now." He replied. "I'll let you know when you can see her. In the meantime, go to the bathroom and clean yourself up, then get yourself some coffee and calm down." He cradled her chin with his hand, lifting her head so that she could look into his face instead of down at the table. "I'm already down one staff member. I could really use your help."
"Thanks." She responded, sweeping her face. "I'll go get cleaned up."
Theo and Casey went into the back room, finding Lily working her way through some sit-ups. She stopped briefly as they entered.
"Who's there?" She asked.
"It's me and Theo." Casey answered. "How did you know we were here?"
"The floorboards creaked." She told him. "I knew someone was here."
"What's with the major workout?" Theo asked her.
"I was awake anyway." She replied with the beginnings of a little smile as she resumed her sit-ups. "I can't work like this, so I figured it'd be a good idea to use the time productively for something."
"Well don't tire yourself out too much." Casey told her. "Don't exhaust yourself so much you don't give yourself time to recover. That's an order form the Red guy."
"I won't." She chuckled. "I'll just do another couple of hours and then I'll listen to some music. I really think the worst part will be occupying my time and not getting bored."
"Well I'm glad you're handling this so well." Theo commented, putting an arm gently around her neck as she completed another sit up, hugging her warmly. "I'm proud of you."
"Me too." Casey interjected. "You're the most determined person I know. If anyone can get through this, it's you."
"Thanks guys." She replied. "Anyway, you should get back to the kitchen. The ingredients won't prep themselves."
Almost on cue, their solar morphers bleeped.
"Fran's not going to be happy." Theo grumbled. "I guess it was a bit optimistic to expect Dai Shi to take a vacation."
Casey could see the look of regret on Lily's face, he could tell how much she hated the idea that she was being left behind. She'd have given anything to help them out.
"It's OK; we'll leave some of him behind for you." He said light-heartedly as he touched her shoulder. With that, they grabbed the vines and left through the tunnels. Lily switched her position and began thrashing out some push ups.
'I might not be joining the battle.' She thought to herself. 'But by the time I get my sight back, I'll be ready for Dai Shi.'
Camille returned to Dai Shi's fortress with a few fresh injuries, and considerably less Rinshi Warriors than she left with. She quailed in terror in front of her master, awaiting his inevitable rage.
"There were only two of them!" He roared. "You were defeated by only two of them!"
"They caught us unawares." She began with her excuse, hoping to escape with only a painful punishment as opposed to a deadly one. "Next time they will not be so fortunate. Please, give me another chance."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully for a second. "Why did the Yellow Ranger not accompany them?" He asked.
"I don't know." She replied honestly. "Perhaps she was busy with another matter."
"The only other time she's left her friends to battle by themselves was when she was retrieving the Jungle Mace from Master Phant."
"You think she might be searching for another weapon?" Camille asked.
"I don't know, but it would be prudent to find out." He responded. "I want you to go to their lair and see if you can find out what they're up to."
"You want me to go there?" She asked incredulously. "Sire, I don't know if..."
"You control the chameleon spirit." He reminded her. "Be creative."
With that, she changed form to look like a red-haired teenager and vanished from sight.
The guys came back from their battle just a bit before opening the doors for the lunchtime rush. Lily had grown bored of sitting on her own in the back room, so RJ had led her through to the restaurant. She had already paid for a few songs on the juke box, and had sat down in the booth closest to it.
"You're back!" Lily called out. "What happened?"
"It was just Camille and a few of her goons." Theo told her as he sat down. "Nothing huge."
"You didn't miss anything interesting." Casey reassured her with a pat on the shoulder. "So how was the workout?"
"It wasn't bad." She told them. "I really wish I could have done some dancing though.
"We'll clear the floor of the back room up a bit later." Theo told her.
"That would be a great help." She told them. Casey coughed a little as Fran approached them nervously. He could tell that she had only just gotten the chance to come and speak to Lily.
"Theo, remember you said you'd help me with that thing earlier?" Casey said, giving a gentle nod towards the kitchen. Theo got the hint.
"We'll see you later." He told Lily.
"What can I do for you Fran?" Lily asked.
"How are you feeling?" She finally managed to force out through the lump in her throat.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected." She replied honestly. "I'm still getting used to things, but I'm remaining hopeful."
Fran sobbed a little as she took Lily's hand. "I'm really sorry." She sniffed. "I know you must really hate me!"
"Fran, it was an accident." Lily told her, squeezing her hand gently. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I know you didn't mean any harm."
"I just really hate what's happened to you." She wailed. "I know you must be really angry."
"I won't lie to you; I said a few horrible things about you at the hospital." She responded, a couple of tears beginning to fall down her face. "But I was just angry and upset at what's happened to me. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me." She squeezed her hand a little. "I know how much courage it must have taken for you to come and talk to me. I appreciate it."
"Thanks Lily." She replied, wiping her face. "I really hope everything turns out OK."
"So do I." Lily answered. At that point, a red-haired Teenage girl walked in through the door.
"Our first customer just walked in." She said, getting up from the table. "I'll talk to you later, OK?"
"Thanks Fran." Lily responded as she left. Fran approached the customer.
"Welcome to Jungle Karma Pizza, how may I help you?" Fran asked her. Camille looked over to where Lily sat alone in her booth, noting the dressing around her head. She gave a little smirk.
"Nothing thanks." She replied, turning to leave. "I've got everything I need." Leaving the restaurant, she walked a short way before vanishing from sight.
Camille resumed her normal form, and dropped to one knee in front of Dai Shi.
"So, what are the Rangers up to?" He asked. "Why did the Yellow Ranger not fight today?"
"She isn't seeking any new technology, she's recuperating." She told him with an evil smirk. "It seems she's somehow lost her sense of sight."
"This provides us with an interesting opportunity." He mused.
"Shall I prepare another Rinshi Beast to attack the city?" Camille asked him. "While she is inactive, they will be unable to use her Zord to form the Jungle Pride Megazord."
"I am aware of that, but I have something else in mind." He responded coldly. "Take some more Rinshi warriors into the city to draw the other Rangers away from the lair. I'll take care of the Yellow Ranger."
"You plan to destroy her while she's helpless." Camille laughed. "That's brilliant master."
"Of course it is." He replied. "Now go. I will only need a short time."
With that, Camille disappeared.
"Man that was one busy lunch!" Theo commented as he gathered the last of the dishes from the final table. "We could really do with a few more days like this."
"Well we've got a couple of hours before we open for the evening rush." RJ commented, pulling on his jacket. "I'm going to the market for some supplies. You guys clean up."
It was only a couple of minutes after RJ left before the Solar Morphers bleeped. Fran groaned loudly as Theo and Casey ran out of the restaurant.
"I guess I'm cleaning up by myself AGAIN!" She grumbled. "I'll be back after I load the dishwasher Lily." She called out. She had barely got to the kitchen door before the room a couple of Rinshi warriors appeared either side of her, grabbing Fran and holding her in place. Dai Shi appeared next to Lily's booth and grabbed her roughly, yanking her to her feet.
"I see Camille wasn't lying about your condition." He hissed.
"Beating up a blind girl?" Lily yelled, striking him in the face. "Kind of a new low isn't it?"
"Leave her alone!" Fran shrieked.
"This is none of your concern." He called out, turning his attention back to Lily. He kicked her hard in the side of the face, sending her to the floor. There, he connected with a few kicks to her ribs before hauling her back to her feet. "Now Lily, I have a proposition for you. I can give you back your sight."
"Yeah right." She responded, struggling against his grip in a futile manner. "Why would you do that for me?"
He grabbed her shirt more tightly and pulling her closer. She could now feel his warm breath on her face. "I could destroy you right now, but I would prefer to have you with me. Agree to fight by my side, and I will restore your vision." Then, to complete her humiliation, he forced her into a deep kiss, and pie-faced her to the floor. She began to weep on the floor as Dai Shi laughed. Fran finally broke free of the Renshi Warrior's grip, and grabbed a wooden pizza paddle. Running at him, she brought it down across his head as hard as she could, snapping it over his skull.
"Leave her alone you disgusting creep!" She screamed. Her moment of heroism was as short-lived as it was pointless, as Dai hi barely even flinched. Turning around, he seized her by the throat.
"Your bravery is impressive." He chuckled. "But your intelligence is lacking." He threw her onto the floor beside Lily. With that, he disappeared from view. Fran pulled Lily into a deep hug as she continued to weep. For the first time in her life, she felt helpless.
Casey destroyed a couple of Renshi warriors with his Junglechuks as Theo was finishing off his own opponents. They rounded on Camille, shifting into a guarding stance. "Are we finally going to get a decent challenge today?" Casey asked her.
"Don't be so cocky." She sneered. "Dai Shi only wanted you out the way for a while. My mission's complete. Another day Rangers." With that, she disappeared.
"What did she mean by that?" Casey asked. Suddenly, his heart sank as he realised what she meant. "Lily! Come on Theo, we've got to get back!"
By the time RJ arrived back from the market, Fran, Casey and Theo were sitting around Lily as she slowly sipped some soda. From the state of the restaurant and the angry red streaks running down her cheeks, he could guess that something had happened.
"She's fine." Casey told him as he saw the look of concern on RJ's face. "She's just a bit shaken up."
RJ turned to Fran. "I'll not bother opening for evening service tonight." He told her. "You can go home."
"But what about Lily?" She asked.
"We'll take care of her." He reassured her. "We'll see you tomorrow."
"Thanks Fran." Lily breathed as she was about to leave. "What you did for me really means a lot."
She kissed Lily softly on the cheek. "Call me if you need anything." With that, she pulled on her coat and left.
"What happened?" RJ asked.
"Dai Shi somehow found out about Lily." Casey explained. "He sent Camille and some Renshi warriors into the city to get us out the restaurant."
"Dai Shi paid me a little visit while the guys were out." Lily sniffed. "He beat me up for a little while, and then he told me he could restore my sight if I agreed to join him and help destroy you."
"Son of a bitch!" Casey roared, slamming a fist into the wall. "He's obviously messing with her head!"
"He didn't wait for an answer, but I'll never work for him." She sobbed. "I really want to get my eyesight back, but I'd rather be blind for the rest of my life than work for him."
"You will get our sight back." Theo told her, putting an arm around her. "I know you will."
"Even if I do, it won't be for a couple of weeks at least." She snapped, throwing off his arm. "And if today's anything to go by, he's not going to wait on me."
"Are you saying we should get a replacement?" RJ asked her.
"Not a bloody chance!" She roared. "He humiliated me! He tried to break my spirit! He tried to mess with my head and he tried to destroy my confidence!"
"So what are you saying?" Casey asked.
"I want a piece of him." She snarled. "Whether I can see him or not. RJ?"
"Yes?" He responded. She turned to face him.
"You remember one of our first training sessions you fought me and Casey wearing a blindfold?" She asked him. "I need you to train me to do that."
"I really hope I never have to teach you that." RJ responded. "You'll get your sight back."
"But I might not!" She snapped. "And Dai Shi isn't going to wait to find out one way or the other. Now, are you going to train me or not!"
RJ sighed and shook his head gently. "I'm probably going to regret this, but if you're really sure, then I will."
"I'm not doing anything right now." She responded, getting up. "Now, let's begin."