AN: As always, I don't own PRDT, I shouldn't have to say this every time, but I don't want to be bitched at either so, I'll keep with it.
So, I think I've outdone myself length wise this chapter, and definitely in the realm of violence. Don't be angry with what I did, it just happened, I swear, but I got a good change in the story going that I don't think anyone would expect.
Please read and review! It's amazing encouragement to know that people are actually reading this...
A dastardly grin, if it could even be interpreted as that, quickly spread across Mesogog's disaster of a face. Moments later Zeltrax solemnly walked through the lab doors, approaching slowly, slightly afraid of the reason his master called upon him so abruptly.
"You beckoned for me, my lord?" he asked, all confidence in his voice had seemingly disappeared.
"Indeed I did, Zeltrax. I have a special task for you; one that I am firmly confident even a general of your caliber and limited intelligence can complete successfully."
Zeltrax didn't respond immediately, the rage from his master's insult built up within seconds, his hands involuntarily making fists at his sides. He knew that if a sly comment left his mouth, his insolence would be severely punished. "And what would that be?" Zeltrax inquired, trying his best to conceal his anger from his vengeful master.
"I have generated a new creature that I need you to take to Reefside to acquire something for me."
"Another mutation, my lord?"
"Not quite, Zeltrax. This is a beast of my own creation, rather than the combination of raw materials from other creatures." A whistle left his vocal chords that echoed throughout the lab. Zeltrax was surprised to hear the swift pattering of paws and the sound of multiple sets of claws scratching against the cold, rigid floor of the facility, approaching fast. The automatic doors of the lab opened to reveal a pair of scaly, dog-like creatures with demonic attributes, almost similar to the hellhounds of ancient lore. Mesogog held up his hand to signal their halt; they stopped immediately at his command. Their eyes were blood-red with a black coat, but at the sight of Zeltrax, the exterior color of the beasts changed to match the devilish eye color of the hounds; their growls and sight of their fangs sent Zeltrax reeling backward a couple feet. "He is not the one you are after, he is my general, and you will follow his orders as well as mine." The hounds' color returned to their normal black at his command, and they sat calmly awaiting their next order. "Zeltrax, return to Reefside and fetch me the body of Cain. That beast still holds use to me even in death. My new creations already know his scent, just be sure to keep up and deal with any complications that may arise. If you feel so inclined, let them take care of it. After all, they're always so hungry, now matter how much I feed them," he hissed as he patted the head of the beast who sat to his right.
"Of course, sir. I will do so right away."
"Do not fail me, Zeltrax."
"So is there any particular reason you dragged me out to the middle of the woods behind your house just to talk, Dr. O?" Kira asked somewhat sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure another room would have sufficed."
Dr. Oliver gave a slight, one-sided smile before responding, "I take privacy very seriously, plus I needed a walk. It helps me think." Though Dr. Oliver pushed this talk with Kira mere moments before, they walked at least another quarter mile in complete silence. "Shortly after Cain died and we read his dossier, I contacted my old friend Billy to investigate further into Cain and your uncle's activities on the Special Forces team."
"The original Blue Ranger?"
"The very same. Even though Cain told us just about everything that we asked of him, I was still curious to how long your uncle's team, and others just like it, have been involved in the monster fighting business that we've grown so accustomed to."
"My uncle got recruited to the team when he became a sergeant, and has been there ever since."
"So I've heard. He was part of the team around the time Rita Repulsa came to Earth."
"When you first became a Ranger," Kira added.
"Yeah," he sighed, trying not to think about his first Ranger experience. What Rita forced him to do as a teenager still killed him inside, even after ten years. He never understood how his friends had managed to forgive him. He almost murdered them all, not to mention the numerous amount of civilians that got caught in the crossfire of his rampages. And Kim, what he did to her he could never forgive himself for; not a day went by that what happened didn't cross his mind. Kimberly…the one who cared for him the most, he hurt so much more than the others…the one he loved…
"Are you all right, Dr. O? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine, Kira," he smiled weakly, quickly snapping out of his thoughts. "Just a little nauseous from the leftover Chinese food I ate earlier, no big deal." Dr. Oliver hated lying to one of his Rangers, someone he considered a friend, but the consequences of going into the details of the real issue he believed to be much more problematic.
"Okay, just making sure." She knew that her teacher was blatantly lying, but Kira figured it would be best to just leave him be. Whenever the subject of the Green Ranger came up, Dr. Oliver either became extremely infuriated or quiet, and on most occasions, both.
The Rangers came to an immediate stop as they heard rustling from a nearby tree, only to have Cain jump down from one of its many high branches, stretching his stiff limbs. He smiled at his new company and slowly approached the pair while rubbing his eyes. "What are you guys doing all the way out here?" he yawned.
"Just talking, taking a walk to clear our heads, you know, the usual," Kira explained. "Were you sleeping in that tree?"
"I was taking a nap, yeah."
"I do have a guest room, you know," Dr. Oliver cut in. "Not to mention that you have a perfectly good bed to sleep in at Hayley's place."
"And as great as both of those things may be, I find it much more peaceful out here, more natural, you know? It's easier to relax out here."
"I'll just have to take your word for it," she responded sarcastically, turning her attention back to her mentor. "Dr. O, we should probably head back, I have a huge English paper to write, and as much as I cherish these talks we have, I need to cut this one a bit short."
He smiled, "It's no problem, Kira, I was about to start heading back myself."
The trio walked at a leisurely pace, with Cain being as quiet as ever. While Dr. Oliver and Kira continued conversing back and forth about schoolwork and other aspects of their lives, Cain wasn't particularly paying attention, he was more focused on the feeling in the pit of his stomach that they were being followed. He stopped for a moment, being careful not to get too far behind the others. In the distance he could faintly hear barking, and the canine source was heading in their direction fast. "Are there coyotes or any other kind of wild dogs in these woods?" Cain asked, directed toward Dr. Oliver who knew the area best. Considering he had previously been so quiet for so long, his question caused the other two to stop as well.
"Not that I know of," Dr. Oliver replied with a slight inflection in his voice. "Why?"
"Shh…" he replied, putting his hand up to silence the others' questions. Cain got down on one knee, placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. He tilted his head slightly to the side in order to hear better and furrowed his brow in his concentration. He sniffed the air, then listened even more intently, attempting to discover the true source of what he had heard before.
"Cain, what the hell is going on?" Kira finally asked, slightly aggravated at his silence.
"Two canine creatures heading straight in our direction, being followed by a being that seems to be at least human-sized, but I can't be certain until they get closer. The man doesn't smell of flesh though, but I can't pinpoint the exact scent."
"How close are they?" Dr. Oliver asked angrily.
"About two miles out last time I checked…make that one mile," he added after sniffing the air once again. "You've got to be shitting me…" Cain muttered.
"What is it, what's wrong?"
"It's Zeltrax," he growled. "I know that scent anywhere. The scent that his armor gives off is distinct, but hard to pick up from more than a mile away."
"What about the dogs, did you pick anything else up on them?"
"They're not dogs, they're not even a species known on Earth. Mesogog must have created them himself."
"He would," Kira grumbled. "So what do we do, Dr. O?"
"Stop him. Whatever he's after and the purpose of those animals can't be good."
"I resent that," Cain smirked. Dr. Oliver couldn't help but give a quarter of a smile at Cain's comment. "Do you think I should leave? I mean, Zeltrax believes me to be dead."
"I know, but if what you say is true, Kira and I will need all the help we can get. Though there's no doubt that your return will cause Zeltrax to go into a homicidal rage at best."
"Right," Cain chuckled. "They'll be at our location in approximately thirty seconds."
"That's some awesome warning you gave there," Kira said smugly.
"I do my best," he smirked, leaning back onto a tree, slightly in shadow.
The hounds grew close enough to a point where even Kira and Dr. Oliver could hear their obstreperous barking that echoed off of the many trees in the woods that surrounded them, making it difficult to determine what direction they were coming from. Kira shot a look of concern to Dr. Oliver to which he responded with a solemn, yet comforting nod. She worriedly glanced back to Cain who pointed in front of the pair, indicating the creatures' approaching direction. The first hound leaped over a hill and landed directly in front of Kira, who instinctively took a step backwards, while on her right Dr. Oliver held his ground even as the other stopped not even a yard ahead of him, its barks and growls ascending in volume.
"Halt!" They heard Zeltrax shout from afar, slowly making his way up the hill his dogs overzealously hopped with ease. The creatures' barks calmed to low growls, knowing the object that held the scent they were tracking was within the immediate area. "Dr. Oliver, I was hoping to find you after my mission was complete, but I can hardly find this to be a disappointment."
"Wish I could say the same," he spat.
"Hostile as ever, I see."
"What are you doing out here, Zeltrax? Are those dogs here to do what you can't?"
Zeltrax let a chuckle escape his mouth, transforming into a full, malicious laugh. "What makes you think I am out here for you? My master has granted me these hounds in order to retrieve the body of Cain, however, they have stopped here. Now where is it?" he ended in a yell.
"What do you mean retrieve his body?" Kira asked with disgust, entering the conversation in anger. "What the hell does that freak of nature want with him?"
"That is none of your concern, Yellow Ranger."
"Like hell it isn't," she muttered. Kira suddenly felt a strong grip on her shoulder that held her back from charging at Zeltrax, immediately recognizing it as Cain's.
"Well it might not be hers, Zeltrax, but it sure as hell concerns me," Cain growled, coming forward from the shadow of the tree. Zeltrax couldn't help but take a step backward in shock, nearly rolling backward down the hill. "Surprised?"
"Th-that is impossible! I saw the light leave your eyes, Cain! I drove my sword straight through your chest!"
"I have the scar to prove it too, believe me," he smirked as he slowly made his way forward. Zeltrax's hounds growled even more vehemently as he grew closer, their senses running rampant from their target being in such a close proximity. "Come on, tin head, you and I both know that for people like us, death is never permanent. I'd be happy to reassess that theory though, at least in your case."
"Cain, stand down, this isn't the time for that," Dr. Oliver said sternly. "We have more than just Zeltrax to deal with, we have no idea what those creatures are capable of."
"But you know full well what I'm capable of, Tommy."
"That's exactly why I'm telling you to stand down. I know how you get, and I will not let you risk my Ranger's safety because you can't control your anger."
"Fine," he growled, eyes flickering yellow. "What do you propose then?"
"We find a way to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Sick 'em, boys!" Zeltrax cried out. The hounds growled in succession, moving from their static position to one of attack. They barked loudly, their coats transforming from flat black to a deep crimson and took a huge leap forward into a run in unison.
"Shit," Cain mouthed.
"Run!" Dr. Oliver desperately shouted, but Kira and Cain didn't need to be told. They bolted into a sprint in the opposite direction, but the beasts were close behind, running through the forest at least twice their speed. Cain took the lead as the fastest of the group with Kira right behind him. Her small size allowed her to move faster then even Dr. Oliver, who brought up the rear.
Not only did Zeltrax find this an opportunity to kill Cain for good this time, he additionally found it a time to finally exact his revenge on Dr. Oliver. Even from a distance, he could still see Dr. Oliver and just as quickly as the hounds took off he fired a lightning bolt at him, bringing him to his knees in order to slow him down. Dr. Oliver groaned in pain, bringing the others' attention to him.
"Go! I'll be fine! " he bellowed, encouraging the others to go on without him. He figured he would be able to catch up, the shot wasn't as severe as others Zeltrax had fired at him in the past. "Cain, get Kira out of here!" Cain reluctantly did as he was told, knowing her safety was more important than their own. He firmly grabbed her arm and coaxed her to keep running. Dr. Oliver struggled to get to his feet; however, the bolt took more of a toll than he realized. Just as he was about to stand, one of the hounds finally reached him, digging a set of claws deep into his thigh, dragging them down to his knee. His scream echoed through the woods, forcing Cain and Kira to immediately turn around, running as fast as they possibly could, only to find Dr. Oliver on the ground once again with one of the beasts right over him, the second close behind. Even with his leg so injured, Dr. Oliver attempted to crawl away, but the first hound slashed his back, the second sank its claws even deeper than the previous one into his shoulder, violently throwing him onto his back. All Cain could hear over Dr. Oliver's agonized screams was the repetitive ripping of clothing and flesh, a sound very familiar to him. Each time the canines made contact with him, another yell of agony left Dr. Oliver, and they only escalated in volume, the pain was unbearable at best. He tried to turn onto his side in an attempt to relieve the pressure of the wounds on his back, but the first hound slashed the other side, forcing him onto his back once more where the second drove its claws deep into his chest, blood spurted in every direction the farther the creature scratched. He writhed uncontrollably as the beasts mercilessly tore at him over and over again; fighting back against them wasn't an option, especially now. Over his own screams, he could faintly hear Zeltrax laughing maniacally from his perch and Kira yelling for him in the background, but it soon faded as oblivion welcomed him into unconsciousness.
Just as the creatures were about to finish Dr. Oliver, Cain finally made his way over to him and slashed the first hound's throat with ease. He caught the other with its mouth open, ready to strike, grabbing both its upper and lower jaw and then pulled them apart until a loud snap was heard. He threw the beast to Zeltrax's feet with a deafening roar, who then disappeared through an invisiportal at Cain's retaliation.
"Dr. Oliver!" Kira shouted, reaching his side, noticing he was out cold and barely breathing. "Dr. O, please…please wake up…"
Blood poured continuously out of all of Dr. Oliver's wounds in copious amounts, especially those across his chest and side. Cain skidded to a halt and hurriedly took of his belt, quickly tying it around Dr. Oliver's upper thigh to slow down the blood loss from his leg. He hastily shed his top shirt, using it to put over the deep lacerations in Dr. Oliver's chest and motioned Kira to do the same, but she was paralyzed, blankly staring at her mentor, still trying to comprehend what just happened.
"Kira!" Cain roared, snapping Kira out of her trance. "Take off your jacket and use it to put pressure on Tommy's side. He's already lost too much blood, he can't afford to lose anymore." Kira did as she was told, tearing up at the sight of the injury which was still gushing red liquid even though she was holding the thin, zip-up hoody to it as hard as she could.
While keeping one hand on Dr. Oliver's torso, with his free hand, Cain took the emergency cell phone Hayley had given him out of his pocket and dialed her number which was on his speedial, and the only number he had ever called on the phone. "Pick up, pick up, pick up," he muttered under his breath as he grew impatient.
"Hello?"
"Hayley, don't ask any questions, just listen to me, all right? I need you to hack into the invisiportal network and have the other end come out at Reefside Memorial from our location. Kira and Tommy are with me, so you can track me through their communicators."
"The hospital? Cain what's going on, you're scaring me."
"Please, Hayley, I can't explain right now, time isn't exactly on our side. Just do this, then call the others and meet us there."
"All right, a portal should spawn in approximately ten seconds, taking you outside the hospital's emergency room entrance."
"Thank you," he sighed as he shut the phone, placing it back into his pocket. Cain could feel the temperature around them change dramatically, a fresh, glowing portal opened up right above the trio. "Hold on," Cain ordered as he lifted his hand into the air, making all three of them disappear into it.
"Where is it Zeltrax? Where is Cain's body?" Mesogog hissed, anger already hinted in his voice.
"Sir, there was…a complication."
"Did I not tell you to deal with any and all complications? Even if you were too incompetent to do so, I informed you that my obedient hounds would be glad to do so."
"Yes, you did, my lord. However, your creatures have fallen."
"To what end, Zeltrax? The Rangers, I presume?"
"They fell by Cain's hand, my lord," Zeltrax whispered. He thought Mesogog didn't hear him, but he was wrangled by the neck and slammed into a nearby wall.
"What did you just say?" the mutant shouted, his deep, raspy voice echoed throughout the laboratory and even the halls surrounding it. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Zeltrax, but did I just hear you say to me that Cain, my experiment that you killed personally, is the one who thwarted you and killed my pets?"
Mesogog held Zeltrax's throat so tight that he could barely breathe, much less speak. In order to not make his master even more furious than he currently was, he managed to get out a reply. "Yes," he gasped. "With ease, master."
"Then answer me this, Zeltrax. How is he still alive?" His voice was even louder this time, instilling fear into Zeltrax, something he never knew he could feel. He was created to show no emotion, but he certainly felt this one.
"I have no idea," he whimpered. "Though I have some good news to report, sir."
"And what could that possibly be?"
"Before your pets were destroyed, they injured Dr. Oliver to an extent where I believe he will be out of commission for a long time, if he even survives at all."
At these words, Mesogog reluctantly released his firm grip on Zeltrax's throat, letting him fall to the ground. "Then it seems you have not failed completely, general. However, you will still be punished for your overwhelming incompetence," he said, his yellow eyes piercing Zeltrax to his core. "Now leave me before I decide any different."
Cain and Kira sat adjacent to each other in the hospital hallway across from Dr. Oliver's room in complete silence. Kira's leg was constantly twitching and Cain held his head, dried blood still coated both of their hands. He looked over to Kira, concerned about the vacant expression on her face.
"Are you okay?"
"How can you even ask something like that, Cain?" she snapped. "I just saw my teacher get ripped to shreds, not even knowing if he's still alive in there and you're asking if I'm okay?" Her voice was elevated and she started to cry, but only slightly. Passing employees and patients couldn't help but stare.
Cain put his arm around her, slowly rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to console her. She finally leaned into him and let out what she'd been holding in since they got to the hospital. "Tommy's going to be all right," he whispered comfortingly to her. "After all the shit he's been through, he's not going to let himself get killed by a couple of dogs."
"Aren't you worried though? It's been over an hour since we've gotten a word out of any doctor about him, and almost as long since someone has come in or out of his room. I mean, we're in the ICU for Christ's sake, Cain. This is serious."
"I know it is. I've seen those who are worse off survive, but I've seen people with less that haven't, so of course I'm worried. You all have become more to me than just allies, I consider you my friends. I don't do that often, so you should feel special," he finished with a grin. Cain moved his arm when Kira looked up at him with a hint of a smile. He felt a sudden vibration in his pocket; Hayley's name had popped up on the caller ID so he immediately answered. "Hey."
"Hey. We're in the parking garage, and I'm wondering if you're still in the ER, or if you're somewhere else so we don't get stuck somewhere."
He gave a deep sigh, "We're in the ICU, Hayley."
"Intensive care? Seriously, Cain, what the hell is going on? It's bad enough you call out of nowhere for me to teleport you to the hospital, and now you've ended up in the ICU where God knows what is going on in there. I need answers. Now."
"It's not exactly something I should explain over the phone. Trust me on this, please. I'll see you in a few minutes." Cain slowly took the phone away from his ear and pressed the end key, putting it back into his pocket. "The others are here," he explained, turning to Kira who simply gave a nod in response.
Hayley, Conner, Ethan, and Trent came rushing around a corner, finally slowing down at the sight of Kira and Cain in their seats. Cain looked over, and gestured Kira to get up as the others approached.
"You guys all right?" asked Conner, choking on his last words when he saw the blood on Cain's hands as well as Kira's.
"Yeah, we're fine," Cain softly replied.
"Wait a minute, wasn't Dr. O with you?"
Cain closed his eyes and deeply sighed, glancing for a moment over to Kira, who couldn't bear to look him in the eye, rather she just curled into Trent.
"Cain," Hayley addressed, grabbing his arm gently, merely to catch his attention, "where's Tommy?" He hung his head, reluctantly looked her straight in the eye, then gestured his head toward the room closest to them. "No…he…" Hayley instantly broke down into tears, hugging Cain as hard as she possibly could, burying her face into his chest which he still found to be slightly uncomfortable when touched.
"What happened, is he okay? How bad is he hurt?" Ethan anxiously asked, most of his words melded together. "I know this is the ICU and everything, but he's going to be okay, right?"
"We can't explain out here, too many people. We don't know what's going on, we haven't even seen the doctor for over an hour now. It was pretty bad before we came here, the blood loss alone could have easily killed him, but he still had a heartbeat when we arrived." Hayley pulled back a few inches so she could look at Cain who gave her a kiss on the forehead and directed her to one of the chairs they were sitting in previously. "He'll be fine, I promise," he whispered, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.
Cain was the first to hear the door to Dr. Oliver's room open, a doctor in his early forties emerged from it with a less than excited expression. "Dominic?" he asked. Cain hesitated at first, not used to being called by his first name, but immediately walked over to the doctor, hands behind his back to hide his claws. The others were soon behind him, eager to hear how Dr. Oliver was faring.
"Yes, sir?" Cain answered, trying not to open his mouth too wide when he spoke at risk of revealing his fangs to the doctor.
"My name is Dr. Gabriel Vanlier, your friend's presiding physician," he began. "Mr. Oliver is stable for the time being, but it wasn't without complications."
"Complications?" Hayley cut in.
The doctor let out a small sigh, turning his attention back to Cain. "After you and Miss Ford brought him to the emergency room, Mr. Oliver went into shock from the significant blood loss he endured. Several minutes later, his heart stopped, and he was no longer breathing," he paused at their reactions, tears began to stream down Kira's face as well as Hayley's. "I am glad to report that within our five minute time frame, we were able to revive Mr. Oliver. However, on account of his extensive injuries, his lung and heart functions are somewhat hindered. In order to keep him breathing, at least for the time being, he is hooked up to a ventilator, as well as an external pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat. He is unconscious, and has been given a morphine drip for the pain, as well as other medicines to fight infection and assist in blood clotting. I am very sorry for what happened to your friend, though without your help, he would be dead by now," the doctor rested his hand on Cain's shoulder, trying to reassure him.
"Can we see him?" Kira asked shakily, still in shock from what the doctor's explanation.
"For a few minutes, I suppose. After that only two of you can be in the room at a time, and must be accompanied by either Dominic or Hayley since they're the only legal adults here, it's hospital policy."
"Thank you, Dr. Vanlier," Cain replied, quickly shaking his hand. Cain led the way into Dr. Oliver's room with the others filing slowly after him, slightly hesitant to see him in his current condition.
Dr. Oliver lay still in his bed, tubes and wires were connected to a variety of areas, the most prominent being the ventilator tube that went from his mouth to a nearby machine and the IV attached to his right arm. His entire torso was wrapped in bandages as well the upper half of his left leg and shoulder and in certain spots, blood had soaked through the bandages, namely on his chest. Upon seeing him, Kira latched onto Trent in a death grip, holding back her tears, Ethan began breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating, and Conner immediately lost his temper.
"So what the hell happened, Cain?" he yelled, Cain did nothing to acknowledge Conner was even speaking to him; he blankly stared down on Dr. Oliver, his hands in a vice grip around the railing of the bed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Dr. O's in here because of you!"
"Conner, stop!" Hayley warned.
"No! It was always fuckin' has to do with you, doesn't it? Everything that's gone wrong in the last few months has pretty much been your fault! And it's all because Mesogog misses his personal attack dog!"
Faster than the others could react to Conner's accusations, Cain had Conner by the neck, pinned a few feet in the air against the nearest wall, a powerful roar leaving him. His eyes were glowing a deep amber color, and for the first time in over a month, he lost himself. As Conner tried to resist Cain's unyielding grasp, he cordially tightened it with a low growl.
"Cain! Cain, let him go!" Hayley pleaded, placing her hand on his arm, the other on the side of his face. "Cain, please, look at me. Let him down." He took a quick glance over to her, then straight back over to Conner. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and released his grasp on Conner's throat and let him drop right to the hard, tile floor below. "Thank you," she sighed into his ear, rubbing his arm in appreciation.
Cain kneeled down to Conner's level while still on the ground and got within millimeters of his face. "If you ever talk to me like that again, I won't hesitate to rip out your vocal chords," he snarled. "Got it?" Conner nodded as he slowly got to his feet, holding his neck in pain, still trying to catch his breath.
"You okay, man?" asked Ethan.
"Yeah," Conner got out with a cough.
Cain sighed, plopping down onto the only chair in the room and ran his hand down his face, then back up through his hair, before looking over to Kira once again. "If you take a look at the hospital's report, it'll tell you that Tommy was attacked by a pair of wild dogs. Load of bullshit, that is…" He paused, quickly glancing at Conner. "For once, the jock actually had a point; what happened to Tommy did have to deal with me. Mesogog created a new breed of dog, if you can even call them that. They were scaled, had red eyes, and their coats changed color when they attacked. He created them for hunting purposes I assume. He sent them, and Zeltrax, to retrieve my body from the woods, God only knows for what sick purpose he wanted it, but ran into the three of us instead. To say that Zeltrax was pissed when he found out I was alive is the understatement of the year."
"So how did Dr. O get this way then if the dogs were after you?" Conner snapped, anger clearly shone in his eyes.
"If you would let me finish, I'd tell you," Cain growled. "Even though they were trained to go after my scent, Zeltrax tried to kill two birds with stone, and in this case, literally. We all ran from his hounds with myself in front, Kira behind me, and Tommy was at the back. Zeltrax shot Tommy with a lightning bolt to slow him down enough so that the creatures could attack him. They tore at him with a bloodlust I've never seen before outside of my own. As fast as I could get back to him, I killed them both, then Zeltrax disappeared through a portal, the coward. Kira and I were pressing against his most significant wounds, and that's when I called Hayley to teleport us to the hospital."
"Well, if we didn't want Zeltrax dead before, we sure as hell do now," Trent interjected, the others nodded in agreement.
"Zeltrax is mine to deal with," Cain lowly growled, standing up as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in."
A young nurse slowly opened the door, surprised to find so many people in such a small room. Her blond hair, soft skin, and petite body instantly caught Conner's attention, as well as Ethan's. "Hi, my name's Angela, an intern of Dr. Vanlier's. I'm here to change Mr. Oliver's bandages, so I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave the room for a few minutes. Is that okay? Was I interrupting something?"
"Don't worry about it," Cain replied, looking over to the two boys who couldn't bare to tear themselves away from the nurse and could practically see the drool cascading in waves down their chins. "Come on, let's go." He directed the others outside and held the door for Angela as she took a small cart inside the room with her that held disinfectants and extra gauze.
"So what now?" questioned Ethan now that he had calmed down a bit.
"Well, since we all can't all go back in there at once, and anyone who does has to be with either Hayley or myself; I've sorted out a plan, at least for today. Hayley will stay here with the boys, and Kira if she so wishes, and take turns for whoever feels the need to stay with Tommy."
"What about you?" Kira asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I have something to take care of. Just call when you need to go home for the night, then I'll come back," he said coldly, turning his back and heading down the hallway.
"Cain, wait! Just—" she yelled after him, "don't do anything stupid…" Kira finished in a mumble as he turned the corner. "Hayley, where are you going?"
"I just need to make a couple phone calls, okay?" she explained, wiping her eyes and began heading in the opposite direction of where Cain left. She made her way out of the ICU as fast as she could, searching for a place out of earshot of the Rangers and anyone else who would be listening. She scrambled through her purse in search of her cell phone and luckily found it on top of the rest of the clutter that occupied the space. Leaning against a wall, she scrolled through her contacts until she reached the number she desired. After a long pause, she mustered up the courage to press the call button on her cell.
The other line rang several times, but a deep voice finally picked up on the other end. "Hello?"
"Jason?"
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?" he politely asked.
"It's H-Hayley," she stammered, struggling to keep her composure.
"Oh, hey! I haven't talked to you since Tommy left for his internship with Mercer. Did he actually get his PhD? I wouldn't know, the guy isn't exactly good at keeping in touch."
"Yeah…he did." She could feel tears filling her eyes once again, but she tried to hold back for Jason's sake.
"Hayley, is there something wrong? You don't sound too well," he said, concern entering his voice, just as it did Dr. Oliver's on several occasions.
"It's…it's Tommy," she paused, sliding down the wall into the fetal position, bursting into tears.
"What happened?" Jason's voice suddenly raised in volume, but he was careful not to upset Hayley more than she already was.
"He's in the hospital…Reefside Memorial…in intensive care. He…he was attacked…almost torn to pieces." Hayley only cried harder when she tried to explain what happened to Dr. Oliver's best friend. "T-Tommy can't even breathe on his own…and all that blood…" she bawled even more, her words were barely interpretable toward the end. The other end of the line was dead silent, she didn't even know if anyone was still present. "J-Jason?"
"I'm still here, Hayley, don't worry, I just…" he stopped, letting out a sigh. "I'll be there before the night is out, just stay there. Reefside isn't that far from Angel Grove. An hour tops."
"Jason, wait," she sniffed, trying to catch him before he hung up the phone.
"Yeah?"
"I was going to call Kimberly as well, but I…I can't handle another phone call like this, Jase."
"I understand. I'll get a hold of Kim, no doubt she'll take the next flight out just to get over there."
"Thank you," she sniffed.
"No problem, Hayley," he said soothingly, his voice calm. "I'll be there soon, okay?"
"Okay." She didn't dare hanging up the phone first, but when she heard a click on the other end of the line, she slowly closed her cell phone and held it tightly in her hand as she continued to cry on the hospital floor.