Chapter Nineteen
He strained against the bar before re-racking it. He had never felt this weak and he was desperate to regain some sort of strength. He had not been this lean since he was a teenager and he did not like it at all.
"Here- eat," Kimberly said as she placed a protein shake in front of him and he smiled. She had been regularly bringing him a snack halfway through his workouts and he was so grateful for it. The extra calories were bringing the pounds back and strengthening him each day. He was also sure that his recovery had something to do with everything that the Command Center had been providing them.
"Thank you," Tommy grunted as he chugged part of the shake and watched her settle down beside him. Over the last few days, he had felt more and more that they needed to talk. That he needed to really hear how the last two months had been, but she had let him recover a bit before this talk. She realized how much he needed to recover a bit of how he felt about himself first. "How have you been? Really."
"The first few days were rough," Kim whispered and she closed her eyes. She really did not want to remember what those days were like. She was not sure that she could stand re-living it all. "I spent a lot of time by your side. Alternating between crying and trying to take care of myself. I knew what it meant that I had been able to talk to the Command Center. I knew that I couldn't just let myself go. How…how much do you remember?"
"Most of it. It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. I heard all of what you talked about. I felt it…" Tommy trailed off and he grabbed her hand. He had not thanked her for some of the things that he remembered her doing. "Thank you for being faithful."
"It wasn't you. It wouldn't have been the same," Kim said and she averted her gaze. "It was odd. I was glad to talk to the Command Center, but you…it didn't feel like you. It was almost like a Tommy doll. About a week in- the Command Center made the studio for me and I started working. I filmed 30 or 40 segments in the first few days. Then the Command Center gave me rehabilitation exercises for you. And I did ever one that it said to try to keep your strength. I did everything I could to keep you alive. Everything that the Command Center gave me. Everything that…"
"Oh Kimberly…" Tommy whispered as he felt the stress that had been placed on her shoulders. He had known that it had been rough, but he had not envisioned the lengths she had had to go to, to keep him alive.
"I started having morning sickness about 4 weeks ago. It's more like all day sickness. I…I have never prayed so hard for something. I had almost given up on…there was no one to ask if this was normal. The Command Center didn't seem to know what would happen to you, but it was able to provide me everything that I needed to keep you alive. But I needed you back. I needed…"Kim trailed off and he scooped her into his arms as the tears started again. He felt horrible for what he had put her through. He felt horrible that he had brought her here in the first place, especially with knowing that she was in more danger with him than she was away from him.
"If I had known…"Tommy started and her eyes met his. Would he have really done anything differently? Would he have not called her? Would he have left her in the world and just gone to his death?
"You have to live. I…we need you to live. As much as I hate what has happened- I would not be able to live with myself if you died because…" Kim forced out and she blinked back more tears. He could only imagine how many dreams had been of him dying. He knew how much that must have taken out of her. "You're the only person that can do this. If anyone was going to save the Power Ranger legacy- it was bound to be you."
"But you've suffered…you shouldn't have had to…" Tommy muttered as he stroked back her hair and tried to find the right words to say to her. He could not imagine how the last two months had truly been for her. He had seen her unconscious for a couple of days and that had torn him apart. He could only imagine what two months must have been like for her. "I will make this up to you."
"Tommy- you're alive. That's enough," Kim whispered and she cupped his face in her hands and he looked up at her. He saw the emotion he never thought he'd see in her eyes again. He held his breath as he waited for her to speak, but realized that she was struggling to find the words. Instead her lips met his and he closed his eyes. For now- this was enough. This would have to be enough.