I don't own any of the characters I only own the story and the soldiers.
Chapter nine The activist
Trini came out of the trauma area. As soon as she stepped outside the doors she knew that she needed to get their attention. "Everyone I have news on Kim's condition" she called out.
As soon as the words left her mouth she felt all eyes on her. "So doc how is she doing?" Mark said as he got up and walked over to her.
Trini sighed and said "well she has some pretty serious injuries. The one on her right arm was infected and is pretty nasty. It looks like someone tried to sew it up but other than that it was never proplerly treated. Whatever was embedded there went pretty deep. Also her left wrist was fractured. I guess I was expecting it to be broken but at least she was saved that. There is some brusing on her ribs and the muscles in her back are badly inflammed and she has two torn muscles. Also she is severly dehydrated. Because her body is working so hard right now we gave her medicine to keep her body asleep until tomorrow when we can see where she is at. She may need more time before we wake her up. Don't worry guys it is for the best." Trini then turned to Mark and said "She has some other healed injuries that I wanted to ask you about. When we did xrays we did full body ones so that we knew what we were dealing with. Do you know how her right foot got broken? Also she had previous broken ribs. Do you know what caused those?"
Everyones attention was on Mark now. Knowing this he chose his words carefully "I do."
"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked
"No. If I thought it would be helpful I would. It is not related to this case and I'm not sure it is my story to tell. Those injuries are over about 7 to 8 months old so knowing about those won't help you treat her now."
"But I'm her friend" Trini argued
Mark sighed and said "Look you must have other patients to see to." When he saw that Trini had opened her mouth to argue he continued "I will think about it, I will. You need to understand something sometimes it is worse to know. You all don't need to know what goes on all of the time. Sometimes you need to be greatful that you only know what you know."
"Is it really that bad over there?" Adam asked
"Well not always" Mark answered "but look at it this way she is already laying in a hospital bed. If I tell you anymore no matter how big or small it won't make you feel any better. She got treated by our doctors and was released. They didn't even keep her overnight."
Trini gave Mark a stern look and Mark said again "I said I would think about it. If I decide to tell you I will let you know."
Trini was about to answer when she heard her being paged to another room. "Well I gotta go guys. I volunteered to take some of the other patients while I am here and I need to go and check on one of them."
"Bye Trini" Jason said "If you learn anything else.."
"You all will be the first that I will tell" she finished for him. Then she gave a small wave and walked back into the trauma area.
As soon as she left Mark turned and looked at everyone "I'm gonna go and check on Kim."
"We'll go with you" said Jason
"Just give me a few moments. When I come back out you guys can go in." Mark said. He was about to go in the direction of Kim's room when he stopped and turned around. "Tommy would you like to come with me?" Mark asked without turning around.
"Yea I would" replied Tommy. He was so grateful that Mark had asked him to join. He honeslty didn't know if he had it in him to wait as Mark had orginally suggested. He wanted to see his Kim. He knew she would look bad but he wanted to hold her and assure himself that she was in fact here. Maybe when she woke she would explain the whole "You kept me alive" statement that she said to him. Although he had a idea on what she meant he still wanted to hear her say the words.
The two set off towards Kim's room together. "That's weird" Mark said as they got closer to Kim's room.
"What is?" asked Tommy
"There are supposed to be M.P.'s guarding her door" said Mark
"M.P's?" questioned Tommy
"Military Police" supplied Mark. Although he thought it was weird he didn't think much else of it and the two men continued to walk towards the room.
Once they made it outside her door Mark stopped Tommy from going inside. Tommy stared at the man confused but Mark just shook his head and said "Before you go in there you need to prepare yourself. She will more than likely have tubes in her arms. She will have bruises and she will be still as she is sleeping. She may look bad but you need to keep it together."
Tommy nodded and silently thanked Mark. Once Mark saw Tommy's nod he opened the door and they stepped inside the room.
The sight they saw immeaditely shocked both men right to the core. Kim was in fact on the bed but standing above her was a young woman with black hair and she was holding a pillow over Kim's face and pressing it tight. Mark immeaditely sprung into action and pulled out his side firearm. He put it right to the womans head and said "Drop the pillow or I will shoot you." He had such a serious tone that the woman immeaditely dropped the pillow and raised her hands up in surrounder. "Tommy get the pillow and take it off Kim's face. Then I want you to press the call button and tell the answering nurse that we need the doctor back in here."
Tommy did as he was told and then looked at Mark and the woman. "What are you going to do with her" he asked.
"I'm going to take her to the M.P.'s that are in the waiting area" said Mark. "Do not leave this room and when Dr. Kwan comes in do not let her leave until I come back and talk to her. Let no one else in."
Tommy nodded and watched Mark and the woman leave. Mark still had the gun right at the womans head the entire time they were in the room. After Mark and the woman left Tommy pressed the call button again and told the nurse to send in his friends that were in the waiting room. Between all of them they could make sure that unwanted people stayed out. All he could do now is to wait for Mark to get back.
***Mark***
I can't believe this woman. The gull of these activists to come here of all places to try and make their point. She is lucky I didn't shoot her, though I still might if she tries to escape. As I am walking this woman to the waiting room I see all of Kim's old friends pass me and are headed in the direction that I just came from. "Honestly people" I think "I said to wait. Just because I came out now doesn't mean that I meant to go right in. We have a security issue here." I don't want to voice this yet. This has to be scary enough to just see me walking with this woman with a gun pointed at her head. When we make it to the M.P's I hand her over and quickly explain what happened.
"Why were there no guards at SGT. Harts door?" I ask
One of the M.P's looked at me and said "The doctor said we looked tired and should get some coffee. She said that she would be there with her and that she would be safe until we came back."
The term I saw red has never had as much meaning to me as it did in that moment. "Take her away and send in more troops. I want double the guard duty on her door and you are to follow my orders not those of a civilian doctor."
"I will send them right up." the M.P. promised me
I turn away from the men just as they are putting the cuffs on the woman and I walk back to Kim's room. I am only slightly aware that I haven't put my firearm back into its holster and it is still in my right hand, at my side.
***In Kim's room***
Trini came in and saw everyone. Immeaditely she asked "What happened?"
No one really knew so Tommy explained "When Mark and I came in we saw a woman trying to smother Kim with a pillow. Mark is taking care of the woman but we need her to be looked at to make sure she is okay."
"How did this happen?" Trini wondered "The alarms should have gone off if there was such a change in her heartbeat." It was then that she noticed that the heart monitor was off and Kim's oxygen had been taken off of her. Quickly she went to work and put everything back on Kim and then started checking her over. "She is alright" Trini declared "It looks like you guys got here just in time."
Mark came into the room in just enough time to hear that Kim was alright. Without really thinking he held his gun up once more, this time at Trini.
"What are you doing man?" Jason asked. He wanted to protect Trini but he didn't want to provoke a response from Mark if that meant he would shoot.
Mark ignored Jason but could see everyone wanted and was ready to spring on him. He continued to look at Trini and said "Did you tell the guards they could leave?"
"I did" she said as she raised he hands up so they were by her head. "I thought they needed coffee."
"You said you would be here." Mark said. He was tired of this so he just flat out asked "Did you create a situation where an activist could get in here and hurt Kim? Was this situation your doing?"
"No! I promise you I didn't know this would happen" said Trini now close to tears.
Mark believed her so he lowered his weapon, put back on the safety, and returned it to where it belonged. "I trusted you guys." He then pointed his finger at Trini and stepped closer "I trusted you. You let me down, worse yet you let her down. If I wouldn't have come to check on her she would be dead now. Pull anything like this again and I will pull her from this hospital and none of you, even Tommy, will have access again."
They all nodded and understood Mark wasn't a danger to them unless they were a danger to Kim. "She said she was sorry" said Rocky "what more do you want? It will never happen again."
"I guess I expect nothing anymore. I thought more of people who used to be the power rangers."
Everyone stared at Mark with wide eyes. "I don't know what you mean" said Aisha
"I told you Kim talks in her sleep. I asked and she answered. Your secret is safe with me but you need to do better."
***Author note****
I hope that everyone liked this chapter. Soon I will introduce Marks wife and we will learn more about how his relationship came to be with Kim. In learning that I will also disclose more about Marks past. Not to confuse anyone but Mark loves Kim but is not in love with her. Mark is deeply in love with his wife. Marks and his wife will be the different version of Tommy and Kim.
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