"She just seemed really out of it," Sarah could hear… Hayley's voice say. She wasn't too sure who the voice belonged to, but it sounded most like Hayley. "She kept saying she couldn't do this."

"She might have been on the brink of giving up." This sounded like Calvin. "I think we made it just in time."

"Is she okay?" Sarah had no trouble with this voice. This belonged to Kelly, who squeezed her hand. Sarah tried to squeeze it back. "I mean, there's no… head damage, right?"

"Everything seems normal," Sarah heard Mick say. She could recognize his voice too. There was always a certain energetic bounce to it. "For Sarah, of course. We'll have to wait until she's awake to know more. I wish I could say the same about the rest of her. Thomas certainly did a number on her. She'll be in a lot of pain when she wakes up. You need to be gentle."

That, Sarah knew, would be true. She wasn't sure why the others hadn't noticed she was awake already, but there was a lot of pain. It hurt to breathe, it hurt just to think. She remembered Thomas beating into her. She remembered feeling the crunch as his boot connected with her body and she remembered the metallic taste of blood that filled her mouth.

"So, she'll be able to work on the Power Stars, still, right?" This was either Brody or Levi. There was no accent to it… maybe Brody? "In case Madam Oedius shows up?"

"She… she might," Mick answered, and Sarah heard it loud and clear: a disappointed sigh from all her friends. She had finally done it. She had let them all down. She couldn't help them. She couldn't save them. She had gotten herself into this trouble and cost them all the one thing they needed to fight off Madam Oedius if she returned. Panic began to overwhelm Sarah as she imagined the disappointment on her friends faces. She imagined Madam Oedius returning and her not having completed even a single Power Star.

Were they even possible to complete? Everyone else seemed to think so. Everyone else seemed to believe in her, but Sarah had been working on her task for a couple of weeks now and… nothing. There was nothing she could find that would give her and her friends the same kind of power as their Stars.

"Mick?" Kelly asked when the heart monitor started to beep, indicating Sarah's heart was racing. Mick raced over to see the problem, but if he was honest, he didn't know what to do. No one did.

However, Tiger, who was in the corner, having joined Gia once the Rangers called to say they had found Sarah, made her way over to the table and jumped up. Gia called the cat to get down, but Tiger didn't listen and instead lay on top of Sarah. Just a moment later, Sarah's heart rate returned to normal.

"Interesting," Hayley said as she turned to Kelly, "Kody does that with you."

"What?" Levi frowned.

"My night terrors," Kelly explained. "After what Drex did, sometimes I get these vivid nightmares and Kody comes and lays down with me. On top of me sometimes if I need it. It's a bit weird but it feels really good."

"Tiger does the same with me," Gia said as she came over and scratched her cat behind the ears: Tiger's favourite spot. "Usually it's when my anxiety builds up."

"Anxiety?" Calvin asked. "But she's here, she's safe. What's Sarah got to be anxious about?"

"We'll ask her again when she's awake," Mick said, then checked the time on his watch, "You all better head to class. Mrs. Finch won't be happy if you miss first and second period."

"We'll stay here with Sarah," Serena promised the team. "As soon as something happens, we'll let you know."

As the Rangers started to make their way out, Kelly gave Sarah's hand a little squeeze. It worried her greatly that Sarah had yet to come too since passing out in the truck a few hours before, but she knew Mick would have said something if there was anything to worry about.

"I love you," she whispered, kissed Sarah's forehead, then slowly made her way out.

-Ninja-Steel-

"Have you seen her?" Jenny asked her brother, who had come to tell her that Sarah had been found. It was good news, but it was also the only news Shane had to share. Sarah was home. Period.

"I didn't. The Rangers took her to the base. Gia and Serena went with them. I thought I'd come here and tell you."

"Is she okay?"

"I… I don't know. Kelly mentioned her having a seizure in the car and she passed out again later. But nothing else."

"So, you don't know if she's okay?"

"Mick would have said something," Dane assured the worried mother. Though he didn't know Mick well personally, Brody had spoken about the mechanic quite a bit, and how Mick had been something of a father figure to him while they were on Galvanax' ship. Dane knew he could trust him and that Mick only had the best interests of the Rangers at heart. "She's… she's probably just resting. It has been a day and a half since she disappeared. That's draining. Her body, her mind, they have to be exhausted."

"Can I see her?" Jenny asked and looked to Shane, who shook his head. He didn't know how long the hospital would keep Jenny, but the doctors did mention wanting to see her blood pressure drop. They didn't want to release her if she was at immediate risk for a heart attack and risk a lawsuit.

"She's safe," Shane said. "As soon as she's well, I'll bring her in. I'm doing my best here, Jen."

"You'll take care of her?"

"Of course," Shane smiled and laughed a little. He knew Jenny needed the reassurance. It wasn't that she didn't trust him with Sarah, it was that she wanted to know that in her absence, Sarah was in the best of care. "You let Dane take care of you, I'll look after Sarah. You two will be driving us, and each other, mad before you know it."

Jenny rolled her eyes like she didn't believe him, and he knew it was hard for her to take his word. But he left her with that, with his confidence, and made his way down to the school. He had to sneak around to the back, so no one would see him an get suspicious, and entered the base through the entrance in the garage. The Rangers were gone, likely to class, but Mick, RedBot, Gia and Serena were hanging around, with Tiger laying on top of Sarah.

"Well, that's a new one."

"Therapeutic," Gia said. "Though, there's not too much weight, right Tiger."

Tiger let out a huff to indicate she knew what she was doing, and Gia resumed her paper work, crossing her T's and dotting her I's so there would be no way for Thomas to wiggle himself out of this mess.

RedBot was finishing up the final touches of converting the Ranger base back to a paint room while Mick helped, occasionally glancing to the machines he had monitoring Sarah to be sure everything was well. Serena was sitting by the pink Ranger. Shane took the spot next to her.

"So… uh… how is the back?"

"Like it never happened," Serena said, and Shane caught the hint. He nodded his head, then looked to his niece.

"Is she okay?"

"Depends on your definition of okay," Serena answered. "She hasn't woken up, if that's what you're asking, but she's not brain dead, either."

"That's good."

"Then she's okay," Serena said. "Gia said Thomas won't talk. He won't say anything about what he did, how he found Sarah. Did they know each other?"

"I… I have no idea," Shane shrugged. "I just found out that Sarah had a brother. I'm guessing no. I'm sure Jenny would have said something."

"Does she know?"

Shane shook his head. "I thought I'd tell them both together, depending on how much Sarah knows. Thomas could have told her everything or nothing or… I don't know."

"Are you sticking around?" Serena asked. She knew Shane worked at the Ninja Academy in Blue Bay, and it was quite the commute to go back and forth each day.

Shane shook his head. "I can't. I took an indefinite leave this year already and… I can't do that to the guys again."

"They'll understand."

"I know, but… I pay their bills," Shane said. "Jenny can't work if she's got to look after Sarah so I promised I'd help pay the bills and groceries and stuff. As much as Cam and the others would be okay with letting me stay, the Academy can't afford to keep paying me, and compensating Tori and Dustin and they have their own families to get home to, you know. I'll either have to give up my pay, which I can't do, or head back home and…"

"She's in good hands," Serena promised, then flicked her thumb in Gia's direction. "If I can help that hot mess, surely I can help Sarah."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Gia said as she looked up.

"Have I said anything you don't already know?" Serena teased and smiled, then looked back to Shane. "I know it sucks, giving up control. If this were Felix or Quinn, you'd have to pry me away from them, especially if Emily wasn't well either. But money is a huge stress for every family and you'd be doing a world of good if you did provide that stability for them. It's not the help you want to give, but it will be what they need."

"When you put it that way, it sounds a lot better than me leaving," Shane said thoughtfully, then turned to Serena. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

"Gia, do I know what I'm doing?" Serena asked and looked to the Silver Guardian.

"No," Gia answered, and Serena's jaw dropped. Gia continued as she smiled at Shane, "But somehow, she always seems to get it right. She's got no idea what she's doing, but she is the best there is."

"Well, she's honest," Shane chuckled. "I'll stick around until Sarah wakes up or until Jenny can be here. After that…"

"You can trust me," Serena promised. "I came here to help."