A/N: Saban/Disney own the characters you know. I own the ones you don't.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MISHAP AT THE FLEX
Jason still remained at Tommy's bedside, periodically checking his watch. Jamie had been missing for almost five hours and he couldn't help but worry. Even more so he was afraid of Tommy waking up before she was found. He shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. His left hand met his cheek as he began to rub his temple. If someone were to ask him how he felt at that moment he didn't know what he would say. Jason was extremely relieved to have his best friend back but Tommy's current state was incredibly unsettling. He had no idea how or why Mesogog had linked himself to Tommy in such a way.
'There's got to be a way to break the connection.' Jason pondered.
Mesogog had turned Tommy's life upside down and in such a destructive manner that it had Jason in a state of vehemence he couldn't control. The amount of anger he had felt in the past week was probably more than he had felt in his entire life. He couldn't sleep and hadn't been eating well since Tommy was taken. Even now, with Tommy right in front of him, he still felt like he was on edge.
Jason let out a deep breath as he moved closer to Tommy's bed. He slowly extended his hand onto Tommy's wrist, his eyes following his action. He stared at Tommy's hand watching for any sign of movement. A few minutes passed before he dropped his head, shaking it aggressively in disbelief.
"…I am so sorry, Tommy." He began, his view of the floor. "I'm sorry this happened to you… All I ever do is manage to let you down. Jamie should have never gone up on that stage… I allowed that to happen just as I allowed our enemy to walk all over us… And Leo…"
His words trailed off as he thought of the former red Galaxy Ranger. 'He should be alive right now.'
He let out another breath, this time trying to calm himself down. "You better not die on me, Tommy… we'll get you out of this, I know we will."
He looked back up at Tommy then for the first time since he began to speak. "I can't lose you, bro… neither can your little girl."
It had only been a couple of hours since the Galaxy Rangers had left the auditorium followed by T.J., Zhane, and Karone. Cassie and Ashley both sat in chairs at one of the tables toward the front of room. They both looked as if they were going to be sick, especially Ashley. She had wanted to go after Andros earlier but Cassie had discouraged her from doing so. Cassie looked over at Justin who had taken a seat closer to the middle of the room with the rest of the Turbo and Zeo Rangers. He was bent over one of the tables with his elbows on the surface and his hands wrapped around the back of his neck. Kat sat near him with her arms crossed as did Adam a few chairs down from her. Everyone was deep in thought, they all could definitely feel the tenseness of the room. Billy and Hayley sat next to each other in the back of the auditorium with the other Dino and Mighty Morphin' Rangers. Hayley was glancing over at Kim periodically. The original pink ranger had been staring at the floor for the last two hours as she held her legs up into her chest. She was the only one who hadn't spoken to the group in that amount of time.
They had all established pretty quickly after some discussion that they would fight together as a group rather than send only the ones that still had powers. No matter what happened, they would all stick together. And that meant a lot for some, who were having to make sacrifices to be there. Kira had already cancelled her tour, which had been set to start in a month. Tanya had to turn down cases and wouldn't be seeing her son for at least a few weeks. Carlos was taking the biggest hit, using his vacation time from the hospital on such short notice. Their everyday lives would have to be put on hold. They were back in the good vs. evil arena to fight the big fight and for some it was almost invigorating.
"Where did Conner go?" Kira asked as she looked at Hayley.
"To find Jamie." She replied calmly.
"She's Tommy's daughter?" Adam asked then, causing some of them to look over at Hayley.
"Yes, adopted daughter… and Jason's Goddaughter."
"Shouldn't more of us be out there looking for her?" Tanya quickly inquired.
"Conner has the capability to run as fast as a cheetah, if not faster." Kira replied.
"They all have a special ability that came with their powers." Hayley cut in. "Tommy's is invisibility in case any of you were wondering what happened up there."
"So even to this day… Tommy gets the cool powers." Zack added, gradually forming a smile. "All I have to say is that you should hook a brother up. The rest of us definitely got jipped." Zack's words lightened the mood some as a handful of them smiled.
Kira checked her phone in that moment, seeing how long it had been since Conner had left. "I'm going to give Conner a call." She announced to those around her before getting up and walking out of the auditorium.
"What did Andros have in his hand?" Justin spoke up a few minutes later. "That reptile guy wanted it back pretty badly."
"The Dolmen stone." A voice replied. Justin whipped his head to his left as his eyes met Billy.
Billy took in a deep breath as everyone else's eyes landed on him, "It's a very powerful piece of history essentially… It is named after the Dolmen Gateway, a stone entryway into the spirit world. The Gateway was destroyed by the Alliance some time ago and the stone is the only piece of it left. When I was on Aquitar, they told me it hadn't been seen in over a century."
"Well, what does it do?" Rocky asked as he scooted to the end of his chair.
"Its power is remarkable, really…" Billy began again. "Its keeper can summon back any spirit he or she wants granted they have a life force the spirit can latch on to."
"Is the stone connected to Dr. O?"
Billy looked over at Ethan. "It is..." He sadly replied. "The stone gives its keeper the ability to live forever through multiple life forms."
Hayley had her eyes focused on one of the banners hanging on the wall directly across from her. "Mesogog will live as long as Tommy does…"
"Yes… until the connection is broken and Mesogog is given the chance to connect to another." Billy added.
"How do we break the connection?" Kat asked in a pleading tone. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Billy didn't immediately respond, looking down for a moment as he clasped his hands together. "There is only one way to break the connection…" He sighed knowing how his next words would affect everyone. "Tommy has to die."
"There's got to be another way." Trent interjected. "My dad could probably help."
Hayley shook her head. "He and Tommy had come across the stone and had carefully hidden it… Anton called me just before the reunion and told me it had gone missing weeks ago. I asked him the same thing... He was devastated to hear Tommy had gone missing too." She trailed off not needing to say any more.
"Who all knew about Tommy? About this threat?" Rocky was having a hard time believing they couldn't do something to save one his longest friends. "We all should have been informed about this." He finished, getting up from his seat.
No one responded as they all looked around at each other. "We could have prevented this, or had something planned ahead of time… Instead we have a dead ranger and another soon to join him."
"This happened a little over a week ago." Ashley strongly replied, wanting to be just as truthful as Andros was. "Tommy was taken and Jason asked for Andros's help. The only reason any of the rest of us found out was because they were sending us footage of Tommy's situation from their base to ours. All of us wanted to spare the rest of you this news until it was necessary for you to get involved."
"Well the time to get us involved should have been the moment you found out." Adam added as he shook his head.
"Got that right." Zack replied just after him.
"We didn't want to ruin this celebration." Cassie stated calmly. "Having this reunion was such a big deal… we hoped we would have everything under control sooner than this."
"Well it sure as hell isn't." Rocky snapped.
"WHO CARES?" Kim yelled, taking everyone by surprise. "…We have just been attacked… emotionally crushed and stepped all over by enemies we thought we had defeated a long time ago. It's like they laughed in our faces coming to us in the way that they did, showing how much of an upper hand they have. We were all mentored by Zordon… and you guys…" She added pointing to the Dino Rangers. "Were mentored by Tommy... How on earth does a group as exceptional as us fall into an argument so unworthy of our time."
The room fell silent again. Rocky let a long breath out through his nose before sitting back down.
"We just need to accept the situation for what it is." Billy urged after a few minutes passed. "We need a plan to drive us forward."
"It's pretty difficult to accept this and move forward when our past has come back to torment us." Ethan responded.
"That's what we do, though… As Rangers we accept the situation no matter what it is and fight back to the best of our abilities." Justin spoke up.
"But fighting back means killing one of our own." Trent emphasized.
"We'll figure something out." Hayley cut in, wanting to change the topic. "…I think I should go check on the boys. I can at least try to convince Jason to eat something."
"I can go." Kat insisted, her response catching Kim's attention.
"Yeah… sure." Hayley replied with a head nod. Kat got up then as everyone watched her leave.
"I think we all should get something to eat and take a break from this actually… We can return to this conversation a little later." Billy spoke again.
"Definitely." Zack added.
Hayley felt more than relieved to hear her boyfriend's words as well as everyone else in the room.
"We'll begin to set-up sleeping arrangements for you all soon." Ashley said as she stood. Cassie got up with her. "Help yourselves to anything you see here, we have hundreds of other options for meals in the kitchen as well."
As she finished, many of them began to get up and chat. Ashley headed for the door, Cassie right behind her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"He needs me, Cass." She replied as she took off down the hall to their right. Cassie watched her go before heading down the opposite hall.
It was going to be a long reunion aboard the Megaship, that much was for sure. Cassie thought of Kendrix and the others as she crossed her arms and continued to walk down the hall alone. 'I should check on them.' She thought to herself, picking up her pace as she began to search for them.
The halls were as dark as ever. She was practically running but she didn't know what exactly she was running from. Trakeena had figured out by now that the spirit she was feeding off of was breaking through her. It was a woman and she was constantly in Trakeena's head. She didn't understand how her counterparts were controlling theirs.
"This was the worst way to come back." She said aloud as she threw her back against the wall to her right. She banged her head against the wall multiple times. "You won't get rid of me, Trakeena… You're borrowing my life, remember? I will always be a part of you unless you do something to end this misery you're in."
"Shut up!" Trakeena responded. "I will rule you! Not the other way around…"
"No… you will never be able to do that. There is too much good in me to allow you to take control. In the end I know you'll listen to me… I have to get back to my family."
"I just killed someone despite your attempts to stop me." Trakeena snapped. "You need to understand that I make my own decisions!"
"You may make your own decisions but I will be right there with you every time, trying to convince you otherwise."
"STOP TALKING!" Trakeena shouted. She felt someone grab her arm then and pull her over to the wall across from her. Whoever it was had just seen her entire outburst.
"HEY!" She yelled again.
"Get a hold of yourself!" The single torch in the hall produced just enough light to make out Divatox's face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Divatox asked in a scolding tone.
Trakeena aggressively jerked her arm away from Divatox. "First off… Don't you dare touch me again. Secondly- "
"It's your human spirit…" Divatox cut her off. "They keep breaking through and you can't control it."
Trakeena gave her a scowl. "So you can control yours?"
"Of course I can… I have to." She paused as she came closer to Trakeena's face. "If you let that human control you… you'll be the weakest one here. And if Mesogog sees that you're falling apart he'll be the first to take you out." She raised one eyebrow as she continued in a matter-of-fact kind of tone. "You better get a handle on this, honey… I wouldn't want to see your demise." Divatox grinned. "I actually kind of like you."
Trakeena snickered as she watched Divatox walk away. Her shadow followed her as she disappeared down the dark passageway.
"Don't worry… She doesn't have control of her spirit either."
Trakeena's face turned sour the moment the woman spoke again. She didn't know what to do… or who to believe. She was unsure of what Mesogog truly had planned and definitely didn't like being one of his minions. There was only one thing she was sure of… she wouldn't be able to handle this woman being inside of her head for much longer.
"JAMIE!" Conner yelled as he looked around his surroundings before checking his watch. It was almost one in the morning and he had been out there searching for the last four hours.
"Come on, Jamie… where are you?" He asked himself out loud. He thought of Tommy in that moment and how much he didn't want to disappoint him. 'I've got to find her.'
His phone rang then as he reached into his pocket for it. He figured it was Hayley and didn't bother to see who was calling. "Hello?"
"Conner… It's Kira."
"What's up?" He asked a little surprised as he shone his flashlight around the area he had just walked into.
"I was getting worried… you've been out there for hours. I thought I'd ask if you wanted some help."
"Not yet." He replied. "I've covered almost five miles out from every angle around the Megaship and I'm about to go a little further… I can't imagine her running out this far."
"That is pretty far… let me know if you need anything, okay?" Kira paused. "…I hope she's alright."
"She has to be…" He responded. She was out there somewhere waiting for someone to find her and he refused to believe otherwise. "Tell Hayley and Jason not to worry. I won't come back until I have her."
"I will… please be safe, Conner."
He produced half a smile before replying. "Don't worry about me, Kira."
The simulation room was the perfect place for the Galaxy Rangers to retreat to. Zhane and T.J. had set them up in there to give them some space away from everyone. One wall of the room was covered with a night sky and a beach beneath it. Andros had managed to update just about everything on the Megaship. The additions of these scenes to the Simulation Deck were mandatory for him, as he loved to take Ashley on dates there.
The waves calmed Maya as she sat and listened while Damon had managed to fall asleep to it. Mike sat on the floor quite a few feet away from them with his back against his cot. He had requested to be left alone a few hours prior and his friends had respected his wish. Kai took off soon after they had reached that room as did Kendrix but she later returned and fell asleep.
No one seemed to hear Cassie as she entered the room, the door sliding to a close behind her. She went over to Mike first, not knowing if she should.
She bent down next to him. "Do you need anything?" She whispered.
She noticed then that he was holding a bottle of what used to be red wine. Cassie looked back up at him. "Do you want to lay down? I can go get you some water." Her tone was just slightly louder. Maya looked behind her, getting up right away. As she neared Mike and Cassie she bent down as well.
"Mike?" Maya asked as she tried to look up at him. His head hung low but his eyes were still partially open. He was unresponsive.
"I think we should just put a pillow on the floor here and get him to lay down. I don't think he's going to get up." Cassie said as she reached for the pillow on his cot.
"Why not just leave him alone?" Kai asked as he entered the room. The girls watched him walk over to his bag and pocket something from inside it before walking back out of the room.
They were both a little taken aback. Maya blew him off as Cassie resumed what she was doing. The two of them attempted to try and move Mike.
They could both tell he was fighting them, pushing back as they did. "Let me handle this, Cassie. You should go…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah… just get out of here." Mike's words shocked them both as Cassie got up right away. Maya looked up at her with an apologetic expression.
"It's fine… I'll come back later." She said before turning to leave. She was somewhat relieved to not be in there anymore. She knew how bad Mike was hurting and his words didn't really bother her in the end. It gave her time to figure out where Kai had gone to as well. She just hoped he wouldn't be as hostile.
The door to Jason's left slid open as a familiar face walked into the Med Bay.
"Hey." Katherine greeted as she walked over to the end of Tommy's bed.
"Hey Kat." He replied as he glanced at her before looking back at Tommy.
"Do you mind if I sit with you for a little while?" He shook his head as she pulled up another chair next to his. "How is he?" She asked as she sat down.
Jason was slouched back into his chair with his arms crossed. "He's okay for now."
"Good." She replied as she looked from him to Tommy. "Gosh, I haven't seen him in so long. The short hair really suits him."
"Yeah… I was surprised he actually chopped it off. He loved his long hair."
Kat grinned as she looked back at Jason. "You know… you don't look too shabby yourself."
He turned his head then, giving her an inquisitive look. "Thanks, but I know you're just trying to lift my spirits."
"No." She insisted. "Time has been really good to you, Jason." She giggled as she grabbed his knee. "Oh come on… just take a compliment."
He grinned, as she saw a little light come back into his eyes. "Thanks Kat."
The two of them sat there for a few minutes before she decided to speak again. "What have you been up to all these years?"
"Well…" Jason said as he thought about it. "I lived on the east coast for a few years teaching karate. It didn't last long though, I missed California." He looked back over at Tommy. "I tried to move back to Angel Grove when Reefside started to come under attack but Tommy wouldn't let me. At the time he told me he was living in Angel Grove and was forcing himself to not get involved there. I had no idea he was fighting again, let alone mentoring a full team."
"He didn't want you to worry." She added. "He was looking out for you."
"Yeah… though I wish he hadn't been." He finished, thinking about the fight he had with Tommy when he finally discovered the truth. They had been through enough and their time as Rangers had come and gone. To this day, Jason wasn't happy about Tommy's decision to go back to Rangering.
"So when did you finally move back then?"
He thought about her question, unsure if he wanted to give her the real answer. "About eight or nine years ago… after I lost my fiancée."
Kat was completely taken aback. "Oh, Jason… I am so sorry to hear that."
"Yeah…" He replied softly. "She got cancer… pancreatic, so she didn't have a fighting chance with it being so developed already." He paused as he collected his thoughts with Kat's eyes still on him. "After that happened I couldn't stay in Boston… I came back here because it was the only place I truly knew and felt comfortable in. Tara had always wanted to come to California… I had been planning our honeymoon here but we had a ceremony for her instead." He paused again as he looked back at Tommy. "I don't know what I would have done if Tommy hadn't still been here… he helped me get through the worst of it."
Kat had no idea what to say. Jason had revealed a hell of a lot more than she had anticipated but she figured it was a good thing that he was talking to her about it. Before she could respond he spoke again. "…I'm not ready to lose him too."
"I know." She replied softly. She felt compelled to rub his back but placed her hand on his shoulder instead.
The door slid open again, prompting them both to look up. "Hey…" Hayley said as she entered the room. "I brought you some water, Jason."
"Thanks." He replied, taking the bottle from her. Her and Kat watched as he took the world's smallest sip before setting the bottle on the table next to Tommy's bed.
"I was uh… actually hoping to speak with you outside, Jason." Hayley said as he looked up at her again.
"Alright." He responded with a nod. They could both tell he was reluctant to leave.
"I'll stay." Kat told them as they walked out of the room. She made eye contact with Jason as she said this, reassuring that he could leave and not have to worry.
"Did Conner find her?" He asked immediately as they got into the hall.
"Yes… He just called and told me she was six miles out. He didn't give me any details, only that he had just found her and she seemed to be okay. I should be hearing from him again soon."
Jason breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Thanks for letting me know." He said as his eyes veered to his right and met someone else's.
"Hey…" Kim said as she walked up to them. "Is it okay if I go in?"
"Yeah… Kat is in there already." Jason replied. She produced a slight smile before walking into the Med Bay.
"You need to take a break, Jason… get some dinner at least." Hayley spoke again. He looked away from her as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, "Yeah… maybe I should."
She was surprised by his answer but happy nonetheless, "Come on… I'll go with you and you can talk to Conner when he calls."
He looked from her to the Med Bay door. "I'm just going to tell them…"
"Let them be, Jason. They're fine… So is Tommy. You can always come back, just take a minute to take care of yourself for once."
He looked back at her and nodded. He knew she was right and he didn't have the energy to fight her about it. "Let's get some dinner." He finally said.
"I know what I want to do." Mesogog spoke slowly as Prince Gasket listened intently. The other villains had gone their separate ways for the evening but Gasket always stayed close to Mesogog. He figured his loyalty would get him further than the others.
"And what's that, sir?"
Mesogog sat with his left claw out on one of his tables and his back to Prince Gasket, "I'm going to send what little army I have left here to retrieve that stone… If I don't get it baaack… it will be the end of me. That red Ranger knows more than I thought… He's a Kerovian."
"Do you think it is wise to just go in and attack? It won't be a surprise this time around."
"Of course it is, the majority of them… have no powers this time." He paused as he turned around and stood in front of Gasket, "We will give them some time to gather themselves… and then I'll send in the Tyranodrones when they're least expecting it."
"That's a good plan, sir."
"Of course it is!" Mesogog roared. "I don't need you to tell me that."
"Get out of there before he gets rid of you."
"Oh, shut it!" Gasket said aloud, immediately regretting it.
"What was that?" Mesogog asked in a threatening tone as he took a few steps toward Gasket.
"Nothing, sir. Nothing." He assured.
"Get out." Mesogog simply said as Gasket bowed his head and left in a hurry.
Gasket walked quickly down the hall and away from Mesogog's Lab in a fury. "You'll be the end of me, you know that… It won't be him that gets rid of me, it'll be you!"
Gasket stopped then in the middle of the hall as his spirit responded. "You're absolutely right."
"Jamie? Hey Jamie…" Conner placed his flashlight on a nearby rock so he could see her and have his hands to free her. She was still lying back against the rock with her eyes closed.
"Conner?" She asked softly as her eyes opened. Conner could hear the fear in her voice. "I'm stuck... my foot is-"
"It's okay, I'm going to get you out." He told her as he grabbed her shoulder. "Stay put okay? I don't want you to hurt yourself when I do this." It was clear he wasn't going to be able to just pull her out nor could he use his powers to break the rock without hurting her.
She nodded as he got up from the rock opposite of her. "DINO THUNDER- POWER UP!" He called out as the area shone bright red for a moment.
He bent back down as he lodged himself next to her, his feet against the rock that had trapped her there. He began to push as Jamie watched in astonishment. He grunted as he pushed, the rock was at least a thousand pounds. It started to budge when Conner stopped suddenly. He took a few breaths as he began to get up.
"What's wrong?" Jamie asked immediately.
"New approach." He said out of breath as he stood on top of the rock again. His body began to glow as Jamie watched with big eyes. "SUPER DINO MODE!" He called out as the white patterns on his suit turned into spiked armor. Conner was already heading back down into the rocks as the transformation finished. Before he started to push he looked over at Jamie. "I want you to hold onto my shoulder as tightly as you can… when I push this thing you're going to pull yourself up. Got it?"
She nodded as she extended her arm and held onto his shoulder. He pushed the rock again with his feet, this time with much more force. The rock moved immediately prompting Jamie to do as Conner had asked. As she pulled herself up he wrapped his left arm around her. Jamie held onto one of his spikes as he allowed the rock to fall back into place.
Conner pulled himself up and out of the rocks then as he held onto Jamie. He demorphed as he made it to the top of the hillside, at the same time helping Jamie to sit down. She frowned as she looked at her ankle. Conner held the flashlight in his mouth as he felt for any broken bones. "Does this hurt or feel like it's more sore?" He asked as he gently felt around her ankle.
"Sore, I guess." Her eyes squeezed shut as he touched one spot in particular.
"Judging by the swelling, tenderness and slight bruising… I'd say you've torn a ligament."
"What does that mean?" She asked. "It's not broken, is it?"
"No… Just a sprain I think. Let's get you back to the ship where Carlos can take a look at it."
"Wait." She immediately replied. "My phone… I dropped it in between the rocks when I fell."
Conner was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to head back. "I'm sure you can get another… we need to get-"
"No!" She cried. "I don't want another… I want mine back."
"It's probably damaged, Jamie…" He tried to reason calmly.
"Please, Conner… I need the pictures from it. I can't replace those…"
He bit his lip as he shook his head. "…Okay. I'll go try to find it. Just stay here."
She nodded as she turned around to watch him go back. He looked down at his watch as he walked back to the rocks. "Almost three in the morning." He said aloud. "Let's find this thing and get out of here."
"How was it?" Ashley asked as her and Andros walked into the kitchen. Andros looked like he was in better spirits as the two sat down across from Hayley and Jason. The four of them were the only ones there.
"Not bad." Jason replied, as he finished the last bite of his baked potato. "The steak was cooked perfectly… you guys should patent that microwave or whatever it is… you'd make millions here on Earth." He was more than impressed that he could pick a meal and it would be ready inside of the machine in seconds.
Andros smirked as Ashley spoke again. "I've said the same thing but Andros won't give it up."
"How are you both doing?" Hayley asked as they looked over at her. "And your sister… is she okay?" She asked Andros.
"Hanging in there for sure." Andros said as he held his middle and index fingers together straight ahead of him. "Karone hasn't come out of her room yet." He finished as he levitated his glass of water from across the room to his table. Hayley and Jason watched in awe. "How did you do that?" Jason asked as Andros took hold of his drink.
"All Kerovians can levitate… we are taught from a very young age." He responded.
"It takes a whole lot of concentration, that's for sure." Ashley added.
"This is how I was able to get the stone." Andros spoke again, "Mesogog had it behind a door, completely secured. There was just enough space under the door for me to pull the stone through." He paused as he grinned. "I'm pretty sure he's still trying to figure out how I did it."
"Where is the stone?" Hayley inquired.
"I have it with me." Andros replied as he pulled it out of his pocket and put it on the table in front of everyone. It still shone its vibrant purple, yet still managed to look like a rock you'd find on a beach somewhere.
"How can that little thing have so much power?" Jason asked aloud as he shook his head.
"The real question is how much power we'll need to destroy it." Andros added, picking up the stone and surveying it for a moment. "I'm not even sure the power we have now with all of us together will be enough."
"Well we can't destroy it until we find a way to break the connection between Mesogog and Tommy."
Andros looked up at him, surprised by his words. 'He doesn't know…' He thought as he looked at Ashley. Hayley looked down at the table, not wanting to have this particular discussion.
"What?" Jason asked immediately as he noticed their expressions change. He knew now based on their doleful faces that something was being withheld. "Whatever it is… tell me right now."
Before anyone could respond the door behind them slid open. Jason and Hayley got up immediately as Ashley and Andros watched them walk over to Conner.
"Where is she?" Hayley asked as Jason stood behind her with an expectant look on his face.
"Carlos is looking at her ankle, he told me I could find you guys in here."
"Let's go." Jason said as Hayley looked at him.
"I'm going to find Ethan." Conner cut in as he held out Jamie's broken phone. "This had fallen in between some rocks… I'm going to see if he can retrieve what was on it."
Jason nodded. "Thanks." He told him, patting him on the back before the three of them departed from the kitchen. Andros and Ashley remained as they started to eat their extremely late dinner.
"He doesn't know?" Andros asked her as the door shut.
"He wasn't in the auditorium for that conversation." She replied quietly.
Andros shook his head slowly in disappointment. "Someone needs to tell him the truth."
Kim had been with Tommy for over four hours. No one including Carlos had come in since then and Kat had left soon after she had arrived. Kim was grateful for that, having had time to spend with Tommy alone. She had fallen asleep an hour ago with her head on his bed. Her right hand still rested on his good arm. The door to the Med Bay opened then as a woman walked in. Hayley could be seen as she neared Tommy's bed opposite of Kim. Her face remained neutral as she looked from Kim to Tommy.
"Kim?" She asked as she placed her hand on Kim's back. "Wake up." She said softly.
Kim raised her head as her eyes opened. She blinked a few times before wiping them. "What time is it?"
"Almost five in the morning." Hayley told her. "Go get some rest in a real bed. I am going to take over the watch here for a little while."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Positive. I already sent Jason to do the same."
Kim got up then and stretched before giving Hayley a thankful grin and leaving the room.
She pulled up the same chair Jason had sat in earlier. She was relieved he hadn't brought the conversation from the kitchen back up. Jamie had been a much-needed distraction for him. She had wanted to see Tommy right away but Jason had been the one to talk her out of it. He stayed up with her as long as he needed to before the two of them fell asleep. Hayley was happy in that moment knowing those she loved were all safe and sound for the time being.
She looked over at the TV then. The 5 o'clock news was on and she couldn't believe she had been up all night. She looked back at Tommy for a moment wondering when he would wake up. There would be a lot to talk about when he did, that was for sure.
And now for our top story…
It has been just two weeks since five people in California disappeared outside of a popular nightclub called The Flex in the small beach town of Reefside. They all left the club at around 8:10PM when witnesses' say the group vanished into thin air as green light illuminated the area. No progress has been made on how or why this happened but some fear it was the doing of an evil being again.
Reefside gained its fame just as Angel Grove did. Both were attacked mercilessly by monsters and creatures we only ever see in films. But it was the arrival of the super heroes that fought them off that had everyone talking. The Power Rangers are a household name by now, and for Reefside the group of multi-colored crime fighters haven't made an appearance in over seven years. Coincidentally their enemy, Mesogog has not made an appearance since then either, giving us the impression that he has long been defeated.
Is this creature of evil back to no good after so long? We'll have to wait and see… but these five innocent people are still missing and authorities are doing all that they can to locate them. The sheriff told us here at Channel 9 news that he is praying that no such evil has returned to their 'peaceful, small town'.
Tonight we finally reveal their identities, as the search for them is continuing to produce no leads. Katie Hamilton was there that night with her long-time friend and roommate, Sara Yi. Both girls are in their early 20's and both recent graduates of UCLA. Alexis Rubio, Alex for short, was at the club alone. The 29-year-old Human Resources Manager was looking to have a good night out on the town, something her mother tells us is hard for her to do considering she is the single mother of two. Alex left the club with John Delaney, a 34-year-old electrical engineer she had met while there. John was only in town for a job and due to head back to Portland, Oregon six days ago. The company John works for has been steadily donating money to fund the search for their missing friend and co-worker. The president of the company had this to say about his employee, 'John is an amazing man. He has such a kind heart and is an incredibly intelligent individual. He's part of our family here and we will do all that we can to ensure his safe return home.'
Now this last man, Jeremy Sinclair is the odd ball in this group and for a very serious reason. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he's the man that murdered his wife in their Tucson home almost a decade ago… and he did it in front of the couple's only child. He was under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol the night he shot Mary Sinclair. The state of Arizona allowed him parole just five months ago and under very special circumstances. Sinclair was extremely cooperative during his nine years behind bars and spoke often of his regrets and the love he still had for his only daughter. It is believed at this point that Sinclair was only in Reefside to reconnect with his child. Our sources tell us his daughter, now 14, has had no contact with him since the night of the murder and has lived in Reefside for almost eight years now with her foster father. Their identities were initially withheld but we will reveal them now as evidentially they have also gone missing. Authorities are now searching for Dr. Thomas Oliver and his adopted daughter, Jamie Oliver, formerly Jamie Sinclair.
Hayley stared wide-eyed at the screen as her mouth fell open. The news report had put her in a state of panic. They had just gotten Jamie back and Tommy was finally stable and in the care and protection of his friends and family. Not to mention Jason was finally starting to give himself a break. This really was the icing on the cake.
'Tommy can't know about this…' She thought to herself as she lifted the remote and turned the TV off before looking back over at him.
She thought she felt her stomach drop to the floor as a wave of astonishment and deep concern washed over her. He was still in the same position with his head facing in her direction but there was one very significant change in him.
His eyes were partially open… and they were directly in line with the TV.