"It's so good to have you back, Billy," Kat said as they walked back down the street towards the hospital. She hated that this was the only time that she had gotten with him since he had been back, but she understood it. With both Kim and Tommy in the hospital, they would be fools to leave them alone, especially under the circumstances.
"I'm glad to be back, Kat. I just wish that things were better around here. It would make things easier on all of us," Billy said as Kat placed her arm around him.
"No one blames you about what happened," Kat said as Billy let out a sigh. None of the people that had actually been attacked had talked to him. As long as they were all right with him he would be able to take it.
"Well, until Kim and Tommy say that, I'm not going to get myself too comfortable. I should have picked up something, I was downstairs," Billy said as they walked into the hospital lobby.
"Tommy's probably here by now," Kat said as Billy nodded his head in agreement and smiled. "What's that smile for?"
"Tommy probably found some of the modifications that I made to all of our vehicles. I need to warn him only to use it in emergencies," Billy said as Kat laughed at they walked onto Kim's floor and saw Jason and Ben sitting in the lobby.
"What happened to the two of you?" Kat asked as she sat down next to Jason and he looked over at her.
"We let Tommy be alone with her. He really needs it," Ben said as Kat and Billy nodded. They could only imagine what Tommy was putting himself through right now.
"So he's beating himself up?" Kat asked as Jason nodded his head yes. "What are you thinking about Jase?"
"How much more any of us can take. We know they can't deal with much more without some support, when she wakes up, they're not going to be up for much of anything. I honestly doubt that he'll leave her with the way that things have been going around here," Jason said as Kat nodded.
"But why was he barely hurt and he still wound up in a coma?" Kat asked as Billy shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe something else is protecting them. If Tommy had been awake all this time, he'd be worried sick that it was taking her this long to recover. It may be a blessing in disguise that he was knocked out as well," Billy said as Kat nodded.
"Do you think that he might have gone to sleep?" Ben asked as Jason nodded his head yes. Tommy had looked tired to him and he knew that Kim was the best pillow Tommy would ever have. "Then one of us needs to go back in there just in case."
"Yeah," Jason said as he stood up, then looked over at Billy. "Will you go? I need to call Trini."
"Yeah, go ahead Jason," Billy said as he stood and Kat gave him a hug. "I'll call when I leave tonight."
"That's fine, tell Tommy I hope things get better," Kat said a Billy nodded.
"I guess I need to get back to Reefside, Tommy will be able to help you now. Somebody's got to keep the gym alive," Ben said as Billy nodded at him as he turned to walk out and Billy headed for Kim's room.
"You're still out," Tommy murmured as he woke up and felt his back catch because of the awkward position he had slept in. He had not meant to go to sleep, but it had been too tempting to do so. "Oh, Beautiful, I need you more than I realized."
"Hey," Billy said as he slipped in and Tommy looked over at him. "I have some bad news for you."
"Does it have to do with Kim?" Tommy asked as Billy shook his head no and Tommy gave him a skeptical look. He was sure that he could deal with any other sort of bad news, as long as it didn't have to do with Kim's condition.
"Hayley found two new gems and there seems to be no teenagers able to take it and none of us seem to be right, so that leaves the two of you," Billy said as Tommy let out a disgruntled sigh. This was not the sort of news that he wanted to hear right now. He knew that he was going to make Kim mad when she heard all of this, but that was why they gave it to him to tell her.
"I promised her I wouldn't be a ranger, but I don't think I can really stop it now," Tommy said as Kim squirmed and he looked down at her.
"She could be one too, Tommy. There is another gem available for her," Billy said as Tommy shook his head no. He was sure that he did not want that to happen. "Why not? You'd both be protected."
"We don't need to give Mesogogg another reason to come after her," Tommy said, adamantly, as Billy sighed. They had been afraid Tommy would put up a fight, he just didn't think it would be this bad. He had thought that Tommy might see some logic in protecting the both of them.
"But do we want to give him one of the gems?" Billy asked as Tommy shook his head no.
"I'll talk with her but I doubt she'll like the idea," Tommy said as he played with Kim's hand to try to distract himself from the news that he had just recieved. "I don't think that she wants to be a ranger herself, otherwise she would have come to me sooner."
"I don't like the idea either, but it's the best we have so far," Billy said as he noticed Tommy's eyes. He hadn't seen him this stressed in years, but he had faith that if Tommy were here Kim would wake up. "You eaten anything since you woke up?"
"No, but I'm fine," Tommy said as he went back to staring at Kim.
"Tommy, go get something, she's not going anywhere," Billy said as Tommy begrudgingly stood up and Billy gave him a sympathetic look. "There's a vending machine down the hall if you don't want to leave the hospital."
"Thanks," Tommy said as he left the room and Billy sat down in the chair across from Tommy's.
"Don't keep doing this to him," Billy whispered as Kim reached over and started pulling at the I.V. "You gotta have that, honey; you don't need to yank it out."
"It hurts," Kim said as Billy looked over at her and she opened her eyes. "Is Tommy all right?"
"Yeah, he's fine, he'll be back in a little bit," Billy said as Kim looked over at him and began feeling around for her glasses. "I'll get them for you, but I have to go get the doctor."
"Okay," Kim said as she sat up and bit down on her bottom lip.
"I'm…"Tommy said as he cut himself off and walked over to his chair and sat down. "Beautiful, you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I am Tommy," Kim said as she reached over for his hand and felt her fingertips brush his face. She could tell that he hadn't shaved in days, but she didn't know why. She then gently caressed his cheek as she felt hot tears roll down it. "Tommy, it's okay, I'm fine from what I can tell."
"You were out longer than I was," Tommy said as he kissed her palm, and then leaned over to kiss her lips. "I was so worried about you."
"I'm okay, Tommy, as long as you're here, you know that," Kim said as Tommy wrapped his arms around her and she settled her body against his.
"It was too close this time," Tommy whispered as the doctor and Billy walked in and Tommy reluctantly released Kim, who still held onto Tommy's hand, as she didn't want to let him go. She had the feeling that he needed it just as much as she needed to feel his warmth.
"Ms. Hart, it's good to see you're awake," Dr. Lewis said as Kim shifted her gaze ever so slightly towards him.
"My glasses please," Kim said as Billy handed them to her and she placed them on her face. "Dr. Lewis?"
"Yes I am still here, it just took you a little longer to come around this time," Dr. Lewis said as Kim nodded. "I want to keep you overnight, to make sure you don't relapse, other than that you should be fine to go home tomorrow. Everything else has healed."
"When can I get this I.V. out?" Kim asked as it was really quite painful for her. She had been hooked up before, but it had never ached like this before.
"I'll get it out for you if it's bothering you," Dr. Lewis said as Kim held out her arm and he took out the I.V. and placed a cotton swab over it. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Billy, why don't you go spend some time with Kat? I think we'll be fine," Tommy said as Billy gave him an odd look.
"All right, I'll call Trini and Zack to let them know she's awake. I'm assuming Trini has access to your car, correct?" Billy asked as Tommy nodded his head yes. He knew the two of them were going to have a long night ahead of them.
"It's so good to have you back," Tommy said as he gently caressed her cheek and she reached up for his hand. "Kim, we've got a lot ahead of us."
"I know, Tommy. I knew it when I came to you," Kim said as she scooted over and patted the space of the bed next to her. He then kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed next to her and she quickly snuggled up to his side. "You feel good."
"So do you," Tommy said as Kim's hand rested against his thigh. "Kim, I have some news for you and I don't know if you'll like it."
"What could it be to make you talk like that?" Kim asked as he shifted her body some to where he was more comfortable.
"Two more gems," Tommy said as Kim looked up at him in disbelief. She could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn't it, there was more to come, more that would make her even more uncomfortable. "They want us to take them."
"Tommy, I don't know if I can," Kim said in a slightly panicked tone as Tommy gently rubbed her arm. He knew that he needed to keep her as calm as possible, they were still on the ropes about so many things and he did not want to add this to the ever growing list.
"And I'm not going to make you Kim, you have to choose on your own, but I need to Kim. That little bit of protection might help me, help us," Tommy said as Kim buried her face in the crook of his neck and nodded as the tears fell. She could not disagree with him, but she didn't want this to happen. She knew what might happen to Tommy if he became a ranger again and she didn't like thinking about that possibility.
"I know that you have to do this for yourself, but I don't know if I can Tommy. I don't know if my body can take it, not after what's happened to me over the last few weeks," Kim murmured as Tommy nodded and pulled her as close into his side as he could.
"I'm not going to make you Kim, I know what it might do to you as well as you do," Tommy said as he looked up at the ceiling for answers.
"I love you, Tommy," Kim said as Tommy felt her shaking in his arms and she curled up against him as he tried to comfort her.
"I love you too, Beautiful, I love you too," Tommy said as he kissed her forehead and smiled down at her.
"Promise me something Tommy," Kim said as Tommy nodded that he would and Kim settled her head on his chest. "Promise me you won't die; promise me that I won't have to live without you, because I don't know if I can."
"I promise, Beautiful," Tommy said as he wiped the tears away and Kim then sat up and kissed Tommy with all the passion she could muster. "Don't tempt me."
"I want to, Tommy," Kim admitted as Tommy pulled her into a tight embrace and closed his eyes. He knew his limitations and with his other girlfriends he had a good deal of perseverance before it got to him. Kim was not the same and he knew that he shouldn't let himself get carried away, not here, not now.
"If you do we'll regret it in the morning," Tommy whispered as Kim kissed him again and he deepened the kiss of his own accord. This place certainly had no appeal to him and he was sure that Kim felt the same.
"Tommy," Kim breathed as they broke apart and he looked down at her. "I could never regret you."
"Then let's do this when we're at home," Tommy said as he gave her a gentle kiss and she nodded. Tommy was committed to the two of them; she just had to wait for when the time was right. She could only hope it didn't take Tommy almost dying for him to realize what they would miss. They knew anything with each other would be better than living without knowing what could have been.