The Dreamt-of Call
by Estirose
c 2011
Part 10: The Use of a Scalpel
K waited for the Rangers to return. She was unhappy about having to reveal herself, but Ranger Operator Series Black had a point; what reason did they have to trust a screen? She'd been fortunate that the others had not been suspicious, or at least unwilling to voice such suspicions.
She had her plan. First, she would introduce herself to the Operators, answer any questions, and generally assure Ranger Black that she was not a machine. Then she would run a scan of Ranger Green in order to determine where the tracking device had lodged itself. Perhaps she would employ Ranger Yellow or Ranger Blue to convince him that a locator would be a good thing to retain, if only in emergency situations.
However, his remarks out on the street had indicated a certain fear of demasculinization with the retention of the tracking device, so there was a good possibility he would refuse.
She might have to remove and modify it, and then work through his issues, with assistance from the other Rangers, before he would accept it again.
Considering all the issues he might have had, considering his background, she was fortunate that all they had to resolve were a certain lack of self-esteem and fighting ability. Both were fixable. And she was starting to see why he had been chosen to be Series Green; he could anchor Series Black to the team where nobody else was able to. It was obvious that when they bonded Series Black, there had been an increase in the Green morpher's signal, as if aware that they would need Series Green to balance the other Operator. In fact, she had not shared this with the existing Rangers, but Green's signal had lost strength in the days before Ranger Black has approached Corinth, as if aware that they needed to acquire Black before they acquired Green.
Which, no doubt, was why Ziggy Grover had not come to them; without the call, he would not have thought to.
It had, in the end, worked out for the best. Black would be able to help hold Corinth while Green learned how to fight.
She saw on her monitors that the Rangers had returned to base. She knew that Ranger Red had ordered a tow truck for Ranger Black's car; it was best that it be returned to operable condition as soon as possible. She'd noted at some point that Ranger Green needed to learn how to drive, but starting his training as a fighter had taken priority over anything else. At least they had stopped to retrieve the morphers.
Waiting until everyone had converged on the lounge area, she brought up her screen for the last time. "Rangers, please gather at the door to the training room."
As soon as they had, she slid the door open, and then keyed her own entrance to the room. Emerging, she walked around to where the Rangers could see her, and took in their faces. "Greetings. I am Doctor K."
"Seriously?" Ranger Green asked. "You're Doctor K?"
"Were you expecting me to be taller?"
Ranger Green was scratching his head. "I was kind of expecting you to be a dude, actually."
"Does this satisfy your doubts, Ranger Black?" she asked, not wanting to get into a discussion about her gender, perceived or otherwise, with Ranger Green.
Ranger Black looked like he was unsure. "Well, she did agree to show herself," Ranger Green pointed out.
"And help me find whoever I'm trying to find." Ranger Black crossed his arms.
"I have thought of certain searches we can run, including helping you restore your lost memories in order to assist in our search." It was a distraction she could have done without, but if it kept Ranger Black from straying from Corinth where he was needed, she would do it. "And I may point out that I did not 'brainwash' Rangers Red, Yellow, and Blue. They came of their own accord and chose to fight in Corinth's defense. In fact, apart from you, everybody here has a stake in the defense of the city."
He didn't look like he agreed, but as long as he stayed, she didn't care.
"I hope you do as well, someday." She gave him a pointed look. "It is imperative that you understand the reason why the rest of your teammates fight."
Ranger Black scowled at that, but didn't say anything.
"In the meantime," she said, picking up a scanner, "If Ranger Green would please come in, I can locate the tracking device and remove it now."
At least Ranger Green followed her commands. She would have to speak to him and Ranger Red further on how to keep Ranger Black on-base, but that would wait until Ranger Black was no longer within hearing range.
She ran the scanner, gratified to see that the tracking device was still safely lodged in his arm. Given Ranger Green's luck, or lack thereof, it could have been anywhere. "Please remain here while I fetch tools."
"Okay," Ranger Green said. She removed a scalpel from the sterilizer where she kept it; one never knew, after all, when a Ranger might need one of her tools. As she walked over to him, he said, "You're not planning to use that, are you?"
"If you expect me to get it out of your arm, Ranger Operator Series Green," she said, "I must cut it out."
He abruptly shifted his arm away - the one nearest to her, not the one she needed to access - and said, "You know what? I think that maybe keeping it in there isn't such a bad idea after all." She noted the sudden paleness of his skin and deduced that he wasn't very fond of sharp objects near his skin. It was a healthy response for keeping himself safe, but not so useful if she ever had to dig something out of him.
She would have to plan around that, but at least it served a purpose. "Suit yourself."
"You're taking it out of him," Ranger Black said suddenly. "I don't care what you have to do, it's coming out."
"No, it's okay, really." Ranger Green had his hands up and was backing slowly away from her.
Their three teammates were wisely not getting in on this discussion between Rangers Black and Green.
Finally, Ranger Black stepped into the room, walked behind the backing-up Ranger Green, and caught his teammate's shoulders. "You made a promise, you are taking it out of him."
"He has expressed a desire not to have it taken out of him, therefore I am not required to do so." While it was admirable for Ranger Black to try to help out his teammate, she felt no need to cut a perfectly good tracking device out of Ranger Green if she absolutely did not have to do so.
"Ziggy," Ranger Yellow said, coming in the room, "It's really up to you. I don't find you any less a man for having a tracking device in you."
Ranger Green seemed to regain some of his courage at that. "You don't?"
"Nope. I kind of want Doctor K to put one in me, too, just in case something happens to me and I get separated from my morpher. Scott, wouldn't that be a good idea?"
Ranger Red, to be honest, looked less than happy at the idea. "Yeah. I'd take one myself. Flynn?"
"Well, if the two of you are doing it… sure." Ranger Blue looked about as thrilled about the idea as Ranger Red, but their support of Ranger Yellow's emotional manipulation of Ranger Green would make things easier.
"That being said," Ranger Yellow said, "I'd kind of like one that only turned on in emergencies." She turned to Doctor K. "Could you make ones that did that?"
K blinked. This was unexpected, but Ranger Green was excellent at following orders. "If you so wish, I will make tracking devices for the entire team."
"I'm not taking one." Ranger Black's tone was firm.
He needed one more than the others, but she doubted he would allow her to do so. "Then I will leave you out of the program," she said smoothly. She would have to find a way to use the hardware inside him to track him instead.
"In the meantime," Ranger Yellow said, "Why don't you let Doctor K get that tracking device out of you, Ziggy? I know it's tough, but with everything we go through as Rangers, this won't be the last time you'll need to brave a scalpel."
"I'd really, really like it if you got that tracking device out of you," Ranger Black said.
Ranger Green looked between the two of them, over at his other two teammates, and then back at her. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"
She thought about that for a second. Perhaps she could add to the team bonding by making it easier for Ranger Green. "If you so wish, I can administer a local anesthetic before cutting into your arm. I can also sedate you, if you wish."
"Um. I think I'll just take the local anesthetic and just not look," Ranger Green said.
"Very well. Please proceed over to the chair and I will fetch the necessary tools."
Once she administered the anesthetic, Ranger Green was surprisingly cooperative. He just stared at Ranger Yellow the entire time, and she kept smiling back at him. Rangers Red and Blue lent their silent support. Ranger Black just kept his arms crossed, glaring at her.
She finally retrieved the tracking device and sewed the wound closed. "The cut sustained in my removal of the tracking device," she said, "should heal in your normal timeframe; that is, slightly accelerated due to the bond with your morpher. In addition, the next time you morph, it should heal the wound more."
"Oh, good." Ranger Green grinned at her.
"In the meantime, I suggest that you take the opportunity to rest; not only were you in a tense situation, I believe you were fatigued from your training." She was aware of the levels of exhaustion and fatigue in Ranger Green's system, and if Venjix was to attack, she wanted him to be rested. "I suggest, actually, that all of you rest."
There were still things to take care of, like the return of Ranger Black's vehicle. But that would return in time, and she would discuss plans with Ranger Red shortly on how to prevent a recurrence of the day's events. As her team drifted out, she returned to her hidey-hole, relieved to be alone once more.