A/N - Like I promised, I'm getting on track of my updates. Again it's a short chapter, but I find that if I write shorter chapters instead of trying to fill up page after page, I don't get writers block. And then of course I get to update sooner which makes everyone happy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers.


Chapter 9 – Traces of The Power


Tommy sent a look at Connor when he made a beeline to see Kira. Connor sighed and backed away letting the Ford's go in before him and have some time with their daughter.

"What if the transfusion didn't work?" he asked.

"We hope it does." Said Tommy. "But if she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, there might be another way." Connor whirled to look at Tommy.

"How? What is it?" Tommy looked around the waiting room and motioned for everyone to follow him to a deserted area.

"When we become Rangers, The Power leaves traces. Even more so when it bonds with your DNA. Those traces could seep into your bloodstream making all blood, save for a Ranger's, incompatible with your own even if it's the same blood type. The doctor said that there is no reason that the transfusion shouldn't work. If it didn't they'll say it's because she lost too much blood, but there is a large possibility that it's because she needs blood with the traces of The Power in it."

"So all we need is to find a Ranger with blood type AB positive?"

"Probably. I'm going to contact Dana Mitchell, the Pink Lightspeed Ranger, and give her a heads up. She became a doctor after her time as a Ranger was up and we might very well need her." Tommy went off in search of a pay phone and the others returned to their places by Kira's room. Connor sat anxiously as he waited for Kira's parents to come out so he could see her. While he waited he thought on why he was suddenly so protective of Kira. He knew he didn't have these feelings for her a few days ago. Sure they were growing closer, but that was all of them, not just him and Kira.

So why do I feel like this? Connor sighed. Well, whatever the reason, it's here now and doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon…not that I really want it to. He let out a small groan. What's taking them so long anyways? Connor felt an arm go around his shoulders and looked up to see Kat.

"It'll be alright Connor. She'll make it through this."

"How do you know? Ms. Hillard how can you be certain?"

"Well…I guess I can't." Kat sighed. "But Kira's not going to give up. She's a fighter. Even if the only reason for her to wake up was to prove to you that she's just as strong as the other guys on the team she'd do it. Even if she didn't have you to come back to come back to she wouldn't give up." Connor smiled a little.

"Thanks Ms. Hillard."

"Dana's on her way." Tommy said re-joining the group. "She yelled at Carter to pack a bag and get in the car." He shuddered. "She sounded like Kim. Let me tell you it's not just the Original females who can be scary. Connor, a word of advice, when you and Kira get together, never lie to her. Never upset her, never do anything and I mean ANYTHING to give her any reason to hurt you." Connor didn't even bother to argue that Kira might not feel the same way, or any such thing as he knew that no one would believe him. He glanced at the door to Kira's room.

"They've been in there a long time."

"Dude, it's been fifteen minutes." Said Ethan. Connor grumbled. Another fifteen minutes passed in which Ethan tried to restrain himself from killing Connor when he said 'it's been a long time' every two minutes. What felt like the hundredth time he said this, Ethan broke.

"Connor we're all worried about her! Her parents have a right to be with her! It's not helping anyone to say that every two minutes!"

"I know I'm just worried about her!" Ethan's retort was lost when Kira's parents came back into the waiting room.

"She's asking for you Connor." Said Mark.

"She's awake?" Connor practically shouted.

"No, but she's been mumbling in her sleep. The doctor says that's a good sign, even though it still doesn't look like she'll wake up any sooner." Mark glared at Connor. "I don't know what's going on between you and my daughter, and given the circumstances I won't press it now, but when she's all better you and I are going to have a long talk about why my daughter called your name while in a coma." Connor merely nodded as he walked passed him into Kira's room. When he saw her lying there fresh tears flowed down his face. He went and sat down next to her bed and, for what felt like, and probably was, the hundredth time today, held her hand in his. He sat there staring at her pale face wishing that he could take her place.

"Connor…" Connor almost jumped at the barely audible sound that came from Kira. Connor held her hand tighter.

"I'm here Kira. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

Kat and Tommy returned to his house after their brief visit with Kira. Connor hadn't left her room since he went in and they all felt like they were intruding so a mere fifteen minutes later they left the hospital.

"I hope she gets better." Sighed Tommy, wrapping an arm around Kat as they sat on the couch. "I don't know if Connor will make it if she doesn't."

"She'll make it Tommy. She's a fighter just like all female Rangers before her." He just nodded.

"Dana and Carter will be here tomorrow. They'll take over if she hasn't woken up by noon."

"Have they found a donor?"

"Not yet. They're calling the Rangers they know and if none of them work, I'll get them to call Billy. He set up a blood bank for us when we first started out so maybe he'll know someone or know who to contact."

"Maybe we should set up our own blood bank once Kira's better." Kat suggested. "It saved our lives before, and then at least we're covered if something like this happens again."

"That's a good idea. Don't know why I didn't think of it before. It should be mandatory that every Ranger team have a blood bank. Saves a lot of trouble and worry." Kat nodded. She snuggled deeper into his arms and they sat there in silence eventually falling asleep.

The morning came sooner then Tommy wished and with it a persistent knocking at his door. He disentangled himself from a sleeping Kat and answered it to find out only Dana and Carter, but the entire Lightspeed team. He let them in and led them into his kitchen, mumbling something about not waking Kat.

"You do know it's eight am on a Monday and-" Tommy's eyes widened. "EIGHT AM?" He rushed into the living room and shook Kat awake. "Kat it's eight am! We have classes to teach in less then one hour."

Kat cursed as she got up straightened her clothes, knowing she didn't have anything here and thankful that she taught dance and left a spare leotard in her office.

"I'm going to take a shower and get dressed." Tommy yelled from the top of the stairs. "The Lightspeed guys are in the kitchen." Kat ran in and found them all looking thoroughly amused. She started making her breakfast and setting things out for Tommy.

"And here I thought it was Tommy who was chronically late." Said Carter.

"We didn't get home from the hospital till late last night and fell asleep on the couch." She replied between mouthfuls of cereal. "Did you find a donor?" Dana sighed.

"No. Not one of the Rangers we know have AB positive. Not even the Lost Galaxy Rangers. We're running out of ideas. And time." Kat dumped her bowl in the sink and pulled out pen and paper from the drawer next to the phone.

"Here this is Billy's number. He had a blood back for us during our time as Rangers. He might know someone who does or at least have an idea on who to contact." Tommy rushed into the kitchen, tying his tie, grabbing a granola bar, pouring himself a glass of juice and downing it all with practiced ease.

"Now there's a technique that only comes with years of experience." Said Joel. Tommy managed to break his morning routine enough to throw him a glare and not set himself back even a millisecond.

"Alright, we're off. Feel free to use my house as your base. My command centre is in the basement you get there by pulling on that dinosaurs mouth." He said indicating to the table next to where he was frantically shoving papers into his briefcase. "Joel don't touch the main computer, I heard about the red alert you set off your first time in the Aquabase. Hayley, our technical advisor might show up. If you have any news contact Connor, he'll probably be with Kira as I highly doubt a day of school is going to make him leave. And in an emergency Ethan, Kat and I are standing by." He shouted the last part over the screeching wheels of his car as it pulled out of his driveway.

The school day passed by slowly for everyone involved. Ethan kept his head as low as possible in an attempt to avoid detention, which Principal Randall seemed to be handing out more and more frequently. The more detentions meant that the staff was required to supervise more often. Kat and Tommy spent the day avoiding Randall, Tommy even going as far as using his powers of invisibility in the middle of a crowded hallway. When finally school let out they all piled into Tommy's Jeep and raced to the hospital. They went in and found Connor sitting in the waiting room wearing the same clothes from yesterday and looking like he hadn't slept all night. Not that any of them expected him to.

"What's going on?" asked Ethan.

"She didn't wake up. Dana and two others came and took over. About a half hour later sirens were heard and the other three Lightspeed guys rushed Mr. Scott and Ms. Hart into the room. The same three who brought them in rushed right back out. That was two hours ago and I haven't heard anything since."

"Why would they rush Jason and Kim in." asked Kat. Tommy groaned.

"I can't believe I forgot! I'm so stupid! Kim has AB positive." Kat's eyes widened.

"But she's pregnant! It can't be good for the baby is she gives up all that blood."

"I know." He turned to Connor. "You don't know where the others went?"

"I haven't heard or seen any of them in two hours."

"Well see them now." Dana said coming out of Kira's room. Carter, Ryan and the doctor from last night behind her.

"Is she ok?" asked Connor.

"You didn't take blood from Kim did you?" asked Kat.

"Kira is still in a coma. She needs more blood then what Kim was able to give. Because of her pregnancy I refused to take more then one bagful from her. I wouldn't have taken any but she called me and demanded I do. I asked Billy to let people know what's going on and he must have let slip that she needs AB positive because I got a call not ten minutes later and was yelled in submission."

"That's Kim for ya." Said Tommy.

"Is she the only one?" asked Ethan. "There has to be at least one more."

"There is. But it's proving incredibly difficult to find him." Said Carter.

"Merrick, you know the really old guy who has a thing for wolves like Billy? According to Alyssa he's AB positive." said Ryan. "Problem is, he's on a journey to find himself. Kelsey, Chad and Joel are using all the resources Lightspeed has to find him." Tommy thought about all his knowledge of the Wild Force Rangers before coming to a possible solution.

"I heard from him not to long ago. I might know where he is." A lie, but a necessary one considering there was one civilian present. He glanced to the doctor then to Dana who took the hint.

"Doctor I need another check on Kira and Kim's vitals. Would you mind?" The doctor nodded, sent a suspicious look between Tommy and Dana then left.

"You know where he is?"

"No but I know someone who might. Princess Shayla, the Guardian of the Wild Zords has a thing for him. Apparently they were in love three thousand years ago. If we can get to the Animarium, she might be able to help us."

"And how do we get there?" asked Ryan.

"It's somewhere in the sky, I just don't know where. I'll contact Cole. See if he can give us the coordinates, then join up with the others." Carter said, already pulling out his cell phone and exiting the hospital.

"Will she make it Mrs. Grayson?" Connor asked suddenly. "Will she be able to wait for them to find Merrick? And what happens if we can't?" Dana smiled slightly at him.

"If we find Merrick she'll be fine. The blood from Kim has already improved her vitals a little. Just not enough to wake her up. I can take another bag from Kim tomorrow. Her body should have replenished enough blood to safely do that. However with the amount of blood Kira needs it will take a week or more if Kim's the only donor as I only feel comfortable taking one bag a day."

"And if we don't find him?" Connor breathed. Dana shook her head.

"She'll live. But the chances of her coming out of the coma will be virtually zero. She'll live off what the hospital can give her until the time comes when it has to be accepted that she's not going to wake up." She placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. But there's no more I can do."

"Then we have to hope that they find him."


A/N - I had planned on Kira waking up this chapter but when I got to writing it I liked this version better. I'm not gonna promise that she'll wake up next chapter but the chances are incredibly high as you can only have so much of the worry and a brooding Connor. I didn't think I'd like Connor/Kira this much and I certainly didn't intend, and still don't, for this to turn into a Connor/Kira fic, but a few chapters on them isn't going to hurt anyone.

I know I promised more Tommy/Kat in this and that I sorely disappointed with only one small moment, but I felt like if you had someone you cared about in a coma, and it had just happened, that there wouldn't be many light and fluffy moments. There will be more next chapter, not gonna promise how many, and they will continue to grow in numbers and once the evil White Ranger part is over (probably in the next few chapters) is will go back to being almost completely Tommy/Kat.

Please, Please, PLEASE review! Your positive feedback or constructive critisism makes me want to get the next chapter out sooner!