Chapter 11:
Words of Encouragement
There are always just a few moments that define our lives. Some of them happy. Some of them sad. But a majority of them were a mixture of both. And for Kimberly Ann Hart she was having on of those moments. Tommy didn't blame her. He said it wasn't her fault that they weren't together. Her white knight told his pink princess she shouldn't blame herself either. She was ecstatic at these words, yet she couldn't help feeling the overwhelming sadness enveloping her heart. Despite the words of reassurance she will always have that part of her mind that lies in the deepest recesses saying that it was her fault this happened. She did know one thing know. The Crane will keep flying in hopes the Falcon will be right beside her some day, and it is staying in the air until that happens or it comes crashing down itself.
"I won't give up, Tommy. Not until you are up and ready to continue the fight." she whispered to herself before getting up taking a napkin from the closest dispenser so she can dry her tears. "Jason, when are we going to head to the hospital?"
"About an hour, right after we get a bite to eat."
"Ok. Guys I want to see Tommy first. Alone." Kim stated. Everyone stared at the Earth's first ever pink ranger in awe. Something about the way she had her feet on the floor, the way her body was positioned, or the fact the way her head was held with a face full of determination, but they just knew that the Kimberly that was crying and beating herself down was gone. That no one could make her feel like she was the lowest form of life in the universe including Zedd and Rita.
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True to Kimberly's word everyone allowed her to see the down ranger first. As a matter of fact they decided that they should give Tommy some words of encouragement because of the belief that people that were in a coma could still hear their surroundings.
"Hey, Tommy," Kimberly started, "I bet you didn't think you would hear my voice first out of everyone. But then again nobody would have thought to you would do something like this. I'm sure your probably hear this from at least Conner, but, I was there when Kira heard the news. I saw her go from stunned to confused, denial to upset. She was really heartbroken, Tommy. She must really love you in a little sister to big brother sort of way." Kimberly was starting to fidget. She knew that she should be saying something but wasn't sure what. It was the same way on the way back from Muranthias, but unlike that time inspiration struck her like a like an energy blast from a villain.
"Tommy, please don't give up. I'm not going to give up on you about this. So don't give up and die on me. We all need you just as much as you need us. Last night was the first time I fainted sense you became the white ranger. Some part of me wished it was your face that I was waking up too. Which reminds me I don't think Conner needed the helmet for that head of his. I accidentally head butted him I thought I walked into a light pole." she chuckled.
"Well I better leave you now. I'm sure the others want their chance to visit." Kimberly walked over to the door and proceed to open it before turning back.
"Tommy, thanks. I don't think I would be able to come in here if Jason didn't read the other letter."
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Billy watched the prone form of his one-time leader and close friend from the chair he sat in just seconds before formulating his words carefully.
"Tommy, I wished I was there more. I shouldn't have left. Your right when you said I was never good with emotions. But I was the last to leave even if Jason did return. I guess I was partially afraid that you guys wouldn't want me hanging around the Power Chamber. Alpha was keeping the zords up and running at optimal capacity and fully capable when it came to developing weapons. I was just hanging around not knowing what to do except tinker with whatever I could find. So I decided to stay on Aquitar. Of course I loved Cestria, but with Zordon dieing, the physiological differences though similar between us and among the fact I wasn't able to stay in contact with you guys I just began shutting down. Cestria noticed something was wrong. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to hide your personal troubles from someone your in love with. After months of denial both her and the Aquitarian rangers was able to pry the fact I was home sick out of me. Cestria told me that she loved me and said it was probably best if we broke up and I return to Earth. I still occasionally talk to her. She has a new boyfriend if you want to know. It's Aurico. It's always funny how things turn out. Well I better leave. Trini will kill me if I stay around to long. Come back to us, Tommy."
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Trini was standing at the foot of Tommy's bed wishing he could open his eyes while she spoke.
"Tommy, I wished you came to me before you did this. I'm just glad you tried a peaceful death. I'm not ready to bury you. Humph, and to think back when we found out you were the evil green ranger I wanted to ring your neck. To be honest if I found you before Kim it would of happened." Trini chuckled before returning to her nervous exterior.
"Tommy you said I was the team's guiding star, but there are times that you didn't need me. Kim didn't come to me. She did what she thought was best for you and the team. It did break her heart to break yours, and right now it's breaking her heart to see you like this. So please if I'm your guiding star come back to us Tommy. We need you more then you know."
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Zack knew it was his time to speak to the man that at one time wanted to destroy him just to lead him under a new banner, and for once Zack was scared from something other then a tarantula or one of Rita and Zedd's monsters. But at least Cathy wasn't there. He wouldn't know what to say if she was by his side.
"Tommy you are a great guy, and seeing you like this makes me wish I could think of something funny just to lighten the mood. I can't even say why don't you take Billy's color sense you already took mine and Jase's. Zordon always watched over us and then when he died you basically took up that mantle in a way. If you die it would like him dieing again. Come back to us man."
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Tanya had begged Adam to go with her to visit Tommy. She couldn't stand seeing him unconscious alone. The red zeo ranger was a bigger part of her then she realize and forcing her to go alone would have been to much. Adam knew what she was feeling all to well. Out of the Stone Canyon crowd that replaced Jason, Zack, and Trini he was the closest to him.
"Tommy," Tanya spoke, "why didn't you come to us? You were always there for me and Adam. I mean you are a big reason that we were able to get together. All my life I never had a brother, but when I showed up and became the yellow ranger you gave me that feeling. I'm lost without you Tommy. So please don't die on us."
"Tanya's right. We've been right there beside you through thick and thin. Having you around made all of us feel just a little bit safer despite the fact we morphed. When Gasket kidnapped you it was like he took a piece of us. Heck whenever something happens to you we doubted ourselves as team. We function better when your around. So don't lose this fight."
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Rocky stood with his back against the door staring at the heart monitor at what seemed to be an intently. With every beat he grew more and more anxious. Who knew how nervous a red ranger could be?
"Tommy, I'm not sure what to say to you. I know I want you to get better, but, what else is there? The only reason I pushed myself so hard was to prove that I was worthy of being there. You and Adam are by far the better fighter compared to me. So that's why I didn't stop pushing. To prove that I could actually fight on the level you guys are. If you give up on me I won't know if I ever will. So please stay alive."
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"Tommy," Kat started taking Tommy's hand into her own, "I know I had started healing your heart, but I guess without any of us around you weren't able to keep up the treatment. I talked to Hayley while I was outside and she said that you really closed yourself off when it came to a lot of people including her. You shouldn't have done it. I guess you learned how to hide yourself a lot like I hid myself back when I was under Rita's spell. Everybody is here for you Tommy and I'll be damned if you think we are just going to let you die. So you better beat this thing, and I'll show you just how close all of us are to you."
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Justin took a spot beside Tommy's bed to where he was looking down on Tommy's slightly elevated face. Like he was when he was looking down at Zeo Ranger 3 as a kid.
"The last time I was in the hospital for someone else was when Rocky hurt his back. Only this time around I already know you're a ranger and I won't become a ranger. I wished I got to hang out with you guys to. Adam told the story about what happened after we got back from Muranthias. It was my first time then. After you guys left and T.J., Carlos, Cassidy, and Ashley stepped up it never felt right. They liked me but at times I felt that they were sort of talking down to me sometimes. Sort of like I wasn't worthy, but with you guys that never happened. I'm guessing it was because you new how it was to be the new kid in the suit or not having someone with as much as experience fighting on the team. That was a small portion of why I didn't go with them to help find Zordon. I knew that I was apart of their team. I was your team, and I don't want to lose my teams leader. So keep fighting, Tommy."
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Hayley pulled a chair up beside the bed and took his left hand and stared at his profile.
"Damn you, Tommy. Why did you have to close me out? I've always been there for you ever sense we meet in college. I was there for you when Mesagog kidnapped you and I helped the rangers find you. I was there to break you out of the amber Trent put you in when the white gem was controlling him. I was there for you almost every day while you were stuck in morph. I even helped you out when your gem forced you to be invisible. I can't handle seeing you injured in any shape or form. You're my best friend, Tommy. I might be a ranger in your book, but, that doesn't mean I can't be scared for you. I need the man that brightened my day. I need the disorganized messed that is Doctor Thomas Oliver. The four-time power ranger slash paleontologist slash high school science teacher. So don't you dare leave me." Hayley finished shedding tears.
"I love you to death Tommy. So please don't die."
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Conner felt it would be best if him and the rest of the Dino Thunder Rangers went in together. With his back against the wall and stared at the other members of his team. Ethan was on Tommy's left while Trent and his right while holding Kira's hand. She had her head leaning on the white rangers shoulder. Conner also noticed tears shimmering getting ready to escape while the yellow ranger tried to steady her ragged breath.
"I knew this would happen." the red dino whispered to himself.
He just felt that even though they could do it alone Ethan and Trent would stare at him silently while Kira would probably start talking on and on crying his eyes out. That's when he realized what the black ranger meant. It meant not only knowing the people around you, but knowing what they were capable of and how to help them. Being able to step up when the time called for it and lead the way.
"Dr. O, I understand what you told me. I am becoming the very person you saw, but I will still need your guidance at times. I might be the team's leader, but you were our mentor. We don't want you to die. Especially not with us around trying to support each other while your down. So please come back."
"Conner is right." Ethan spoke. "I might have been the teams smart guy, but, having you around must have been how Zordon was to you and the original team. We look up to you as this invincible figure and to hear that you died would probably break us up as much as it did to you and the others."
"Come on, Dr. O. I was the only girl on the team but being around you, Ethan, Conner and Hayley made me feel like a part of a family. Add Trent to the mix and I was happy. You guys really supported me when I was starting out. Even with Conner's bluntness I respect you guys. I need that older brother that looked out for me. We need you, Dr.O."
"I won't make the same mistakes you made, but, I won't feel like myself if you died Dr. O. So don't leave us."
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Jason stood at the foot of the bed knowing he would start pacing as he spoke. Something just came over the original red ranger and he felt like how he was when ever him and his best bud butted heads.
"Tommy, you won't believe how much of headache you put me through. This makes the green days seem like a breeze. I'm not prepared for this. Granted I wasn't prepared for becoming a power ranger also. None of us were. Your going to get better, Tommy, and after you get out of here all of us are going to your house and we are going to have a welcome back party that no else had. The after that we are going to be on your ass so much that if you ever so much as think of doing something like this again we will morph and use every single weapon at our disposal to beat it out of you. So get back in there and fight Green Ranger. That's an order.
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Jason was on his way out of the door after being in Tommy's hospital room when all sorts of alarms went off. The next thing he knew three nurses and Dr. Banquette came in and started performing CPR.
"He's B.P. is dropping, doctor." said one nurse.
"Administer 20ccs of adrenaline stat." A second nurse did as she was told while another was operating a breathing apparatuses."
"It's not helping."
"Ok, charge the defibrillator." said the Japanese doctor grabbing the paddles so the nurse could put the gel on them. Another nurse removed the clothing on Tommy's chest so the paddles could have better effect. "Clear!"
"Nothing is happening!"
"Increase the voltage!" Phoebee yelled. "Clear!"
"No response!"
"Put the defibrillator on the highest setting! Clear!"
"We are losing him!"
"Again! Clear!"
"He's flat lining!"
"Charge the paddles again! Clear!" Once again after the short spike the machine was once again singing the song of death.
"We lost him."
After Jason heard those words he reacted by springing forth from the very thing that restrained him in a cold sweat thinking on thing. "Damn you Billy and Trini!"
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Ok everybody that is the final chapter of Please Keep Fighting. To find out how this ends keep a look out for the story The Four Women of Tommy Oliver which will come out as soon as possible. Until then I hope you guys will check out some other stuff that I'm writing or hop on nowlive and check me out on my show Sorrow's Hearts on Saturdays at 9pm on the East coast, 6pm on the west and everyone one in the middle do the math. Shogun Out!
