Brother, My Brother
Part 5: Disaster Strikes
The walk towards the jagged peaks was more strenuous than even David had expected; there was no shade, and as the morning sun was rising steadily in the cloudless sky, soon all three were sweating heavily by the time they reached the first rocky outcroppings. Seeking out a meagrely shady spot beside a boulder, they rested for a while, sipping slowly from their canteens.
"How much further is it, David?" Tommy asked, casting a worried sideways glance at Jason. While he hadn't called for a stop on the way, he was a tad pale, and sitting quietly, with his eyes closed as he tried gathering more strength. David noticed the high flush on Jason's face, too. A slight uneasiness skittered through his mind.
*I wouldn't mind if he collapsed in a whimpering heap right here, but I don't want to kill him. Not really, anyway,* he thought, having had time to simmer down somewhat and feel vaguely ashamed of himself at his earlier tirade. It was the reason why David had refrained from making much conversation on their trek here … but his jealous heart had made him recommend the other two conserve their energies as well by keeping silent. Petty again, but at least it had spared him having to listen to memories of past hikes, reminding him once more that Jason shared a much longer history with Tommy than he. *Besides, we'd probably just have to haul his carcass back to camp, or even the car if he got heatstroke, or something . No thanks!*
David let nothing of that show, though. He squinted up the slowly-rising slope.
"Hard to say," he said. "The peak is maybe 3000 feet high, and the lookout point is about two-thirds up."
"That's not all that much," Jason commented, hoping that he might be able to make it all the way, after all. This morning's hike, on top of the long trek yesterday, had sapped more of his still-depleted stamina than he liked to admit.
David didn't look at him, but answered after a barely-perceptible pause. "No – but there's no real path once we get past that rock formation over there." He indicated the spot which was perhaps three hundred yards away – as the crow flies. In reality, having to bypass several scrags, boulders and crevices, in addition to the elevation, it would be closer to half a mile. "We'll have no shade at all from here on in, the ground is not just rocky, but may be covered with gravel, too … it's definitely not going to be easy. Especially not that last bit, when we'll have to do some real climbing. Not to the point where we'll need ropes and stuff, there are enough crevices and small ledges that we can get by with a little boost here and there. But it does go pretty much straight up for maybe seven, eight feet. "
"Oh joy," Jason muttered under his breath, garnering himself a sharp look from Tommy. He grinned weakly, not liking what he knew he had to say, but if he didn't want to endanger them all …
"I may have to skip that, then," he muttered. Flushing slightly, he avoided David's eyes and looked straight at his best friend. "Sorry, Bro, but … I kinda doubt I can make it. Hiking is one thing; serious rock-climbing, even if it's only eight feet, is something else. The Gold Powers seem to have affected my depth vision; my sense of balance just isn't up to snuff. I'm fine as long as I stay on solid ground, but …"
"Aw man," Tommy moaned, half in disappointment and half in honest concern. "You sure about that?"
"Unfortunately yes," Jason sighed. *Might as well go whole hog and tell him everything.* He braced himself for the inevitable explosion. "I, um, I even have trouble climbing stairs if I'm not careful. It is better than it was even a couple weeks ago, though," he added hastily as Tommy jerked around, staring at him aghast.
"What? Why didn't you tell me?!?"
"Because it's nothing really serious, and because you couldn't have done anything anyway," Jason shot back at Tommy's alarmed question. "Chill, Bro; I told you I've been getting better."
"Yes, but … what the hell's wrong? You seem fine, mostly …" Tommy tried to recall any symptoms Jason might have been displaying that had escaped his notice – aside from fatiguing easily, that is.
"You want a list of what all of me was affected by holding the Gold Powers? Think back to your Green Ranger days, when Zedd was after you all the time and you went through the slow drain. Then multiply by six or so." Jason's expression was wry; he remembered that time all too vividly himself, especially as he'd been the one to coax his best friend out of the doldrums after each particularly bad bout.
Tommy winced. "That bad, huh." He was unlikely to ever forget the dizzy spells, headaches, nausea and worst of all, the sheer craving he'd had to morph during that time; it was not a memory he particularly cared to relive.
Jason shrugged. "Yeah, well. I'll live – and that's what matters in the end. And it sure beats the alternative. Right?"
"Of course. But I really wanted you to see this, Jase," Tommy said softly, not wanting to think about what had almost happened. *If we hadn't been able to transfer the Power back to Trey … if Jase had died … no. Not going there.* The thought was too horrible to contemplate, even for a minute. He shook himself inwardly and went back to the matter at hand. *Much safer to keep it neutral.* "The few times I took Falconzord over this range, it looked pretty awesome, and the weather is perfect for far-seeing – and if this lookout point is as ideal as David says it is, you'll be missing out on some truly great scenery."
"Yeah; I'd love to take a look myself. But there's no way I'm going to put all of us at risk when I know I'm not fully fit," Jason replied regretfully.
"Why did you come at all then?" David asked, hiding a slight smirk. Would he be rid of Jason's annoying presence after all, if only to share one of his favorite spots with his brother alone? Could it really be that easy? "I thought the purpose of this hike was to look at the scenery." His tone made a mockery out of it.
"In the desert," Jason answered curtly, sensing the other's hostility but not wanting to make a scene in front of Tommy. "Which usually is pretty flat, even here. If I'd known beforehand we were gonna do some climbing, I'd have told you right off I might not make it."
Uncomfortable with the exchange, Tommy looked from one of his companions to the other. *What's going on here?* He chose to address his Bro.
"Jase? Is everything … are you okay?" But he was also staring at David, chocolate-brown eyes begging both brother and friend to tell him yes.
"Sure," Jason said blithely, but wouldn't quite meet Tommy's eyes. "We're fine. Aren't we, David?" The question was tossed offhandedly over one shoulder, a veiled challenge to either agree and be silent about their differences, or have it out here and now, right in front of the very person they both wanted to keep out of it. David bristled, glaring daggers at Jason, but answered in much the same vein.
"Yeah. Everything's just peachy."
Neither answer fully satisfied Tommy, but as he couldn't pinpoint what felt so decidedly weird about the way his companions acted, he let it drop. *For now.*
"If you say so …"
"We do," Jason stated firmly, then heaved himself to his feet. "So, are we gonna sit here all morning, or what? If I can do the climb after all, I'd prefer to try it before noon."
Tommy groaned and rose to his full height as well. Clipping his half-empty canteen back on his belt, he mock-scowled at Jason. "Slave driver."
"Slacker," he grinned back unrepentantly.
Grumbling under his breath, Tommy gestured for David to lead the way. He did so, listening to the stream of friendly insults the other two were still exchanging as they followed close behind, wondering what kind of friendship this was where two people could hurl imprecations at each other with total abandon and only laugh about it. Why, if he used even half the words Jason and Tommy bandied about so carelessly with any of his contemporaries at the Reservation, he knew he'd be dragged behind the nearest house for some serious 'talking to' – usually done with fists. David refused to acknowledge even in his own mind that rather than chiding his companions, he'd much prefer to join in. Instead, he stayed silent, radiating disapproval through his ramrod-straight posture (as much as he could, anyway; scrambling over shale and rocks demanded all the agility he could muster, not stiffness).
About 150 yards up the incline, the path of sorts they'd been following petered out, and the three young men needed their energies to keep their footing. Conversation ceased except for short, terse comments about a safe step here, a convenient handhold there. All were again starting to sweat in the late morning heat, and wished for tall, cool drinks to soothe their parched throats – or at least a bucket full of water or three to sluice over their heads to wash away the dust, sand and grime they were collecting on their bodies.
Curses could be heard more and more often as feet slipped and fingers got scraped the higher they climbed. As David had said, it wasn't a particularly arduous climb nor was it very dangerous; if one of them should miss a step and fall, there might be minor injuries, but in all likelihood nothing fatal would happen. Nevertheless, caution was called for, and duly exercised by all.
~*~
Jason was reaching for the small ledge Tommy had just vacated, when he was suddenly hit by a dizzy spell. He stopped where he was, pressed against the rocks, and waited for his vision to clear of the black spots dancing before his eyes. When they did, he found he was breathing hard – far harder than the moderate exertion warranted. Still, determined to hold out as long as he could, he inched along, carefully testing each small foothold and crevice for stability before placing either feet or fingers into a spot where he was reasonably certain that it would support him. However, within minutes another wave of vertigo hit him – even harder than before. Swearing under his breath, Jason looked back where they'd come from, then at the slowly advancing backs of Tommy and David. From experience, he knew that the dizziness wouldn't go away anytime soon – usually, these bouts lasted for quite a while; up to an hour even, before subsiding again. They weren't very debilitating, just required rest to let them pass. And there wasn't much chance of resting plastered against a mountainside, was there?
*I can't stay here in the rocks for an hour!*
Dismayed, Jason realized he had to make a decision. Ignore his weakness as best he could and forge ahead regardless, or turn tail and go back? With a sigh, he slumped against the hot granite at his back. He'd promised Tommy he wasn't going to do anything foolish – like letting his pride overrule his good sense. Which told him in no uncertain terms that he better go back now, before something happened to him and/or his companions, or else.
*Guess I'm heading back down again.*
Swallowing an oath with difficulty, Jason wiped the sweat off his brow. Squinting against the sun, he cleared his throat and called out to his friend.
"Tommy?"
The Red Ranger scrambled for leverage when the stone he was placing his foot on suddenly decided to come loose and tumbled down with a loud clatter. However, in the freed space Tommy found a small crevice just right to place his boot in. Despite his chagrin and disappointment, Jason had to grin at the rather creative curses Tommy let loose while regaining his footing.
"Yo, Tommy," he called again, slightly louder.
Tommy looked down. "What?"
"I hate to say it, but this is it for me," Jason explained. "Dunno if it's the heat or what, but I'm getting kinda dizzy" playing down the encroaching nausea "and I think I better climb down before I take the shortcut." He nodded down the mountainside.
"Aw man," Tommy exclaimed, making Jason grin again. What a typical Tommy reaction! "What if you just take a timeout? Would that help? I'll wait here with you," he offered.
"'Fraid that's not enough, Bro," Jason replied regretfully. "It'll take longer than just a few minutes to get over the dizziness, and the sun and heat exposure here aren't exactly helping."
"Then we'll go back with you …"
Tommy immediately started to angle his body back the way he'd come, but Jason's next words stopped him.
"No, don't. I knew this might happen, remember? You just go on with David; I'll take a short breather, then go down again."
"What's up, Tommy?" David called from above; he had advanced too far to overhear the conversation. "You two coming, or what?"
"Just a sec," Tommy called back, then addressed Jason once more. "You sure you can't go on?"
"Yeah."
"Damn."
Jason grinned wryly, having recovered some of his equilibrium by the enforced stop. "No lie," he concurred. "Tell you what – I'll take another break as soon as I'm at the base, then mosey back to our camp. And yes, I'm gonna take it easy," he forestalled the admonition he could see forming in Tommy's eyes before the other could open his mouth. "Promise."
"Oh, okay then, I guess," the long-haired Turbo Ranger grumbled. He heaved a deep sigh. "Just be careful going down."
"I will, Mom," Jason quipped with a smile, touched by his friend's obvious concern. "Have fun."
"I'd have more with you along, Jase," Tommy murmured earnestly.
"I know. But I can't, and your brother's waiting," Jason replied. "Now shoo." He pried one hand loose from the rock face and made a flipping motion with his fingers, surprising a laugh out of Tommy.
"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, still reluctant to leave his best friend behind, but also aware of David's growing impatience. With a last look at Jason's confident expression, Tommy determinedly turned back towards the ledge he'd been reaching for before. "Coming, Dave," he called, and started to climb once more. Within a couple of minutes, the brothers vanished from Jason's sight behind an overhang, only their grunts and muted voices audible a while longer.
Sighing to himself, Jason blanked his mind except for the need to retrace his steps as carefully as possible and slowly made his way back to solid ground.
~*~
With a relieved moan, Jason reached their campsite shortly after noon and sank down on a convenient flat rock next to the tent. He'd walked slowly, taking it as easy as possible (and not only to keep his promise to Tommy, but out of sheer necessity) and pausing often, having to pay tribute to the dizziness and general weakness that had assailed him on the climb and necessitated his return. Even so, his breathing was laborious, he was covered in dust, and his shirt stuck to his sweaty back, chafing in places he'd never felt before.
*That definitely was NOT one of your brighter ideas, Scott,* he mused after a brief rest as he stripped off his shirt and stretched to work the kinks out of his legs. *Whatever possessed you to walk through the desert when the sun's at zenith?* Although he'd wrapped a bandanna around his head to ward off the worst of the heat, he was feeling overheated, lightheaded and absolutely parched. Well, he could do something about that, at least. Stumbling slightly with exhaustion, Jason scrambled to his feet again, crawled into the stiflingly-hot tent – *Ugh! So much for resting inside, in the shade!* – dug out a clean t-shirt and a towel from his backpack, grabbed a couple of apples and granola bars and walked slowly down to the well.
Washing the sweat and dust off his torso felt heavenly, although Jason would have willingly traded in any and all of his former Zords for a loooong shower right about now. Which was unfortunately about 50 miles, and several hours' hiking, not to mention a car ride, out of reach. As it was, he revelled in being relatively clean again; then a slight breeze obligingly sprang up at just the right moment, drying the water on his skin and cooling him further. With a sigh of relief, Jason slipped the fresh shirt over his head and picked up his newly-filled canteen. Choosing a spot about halfway back to the tent, he sat down against a boulder that at least looked as if it might be a comfortable backrest, taking advantage of what little shade there was and started to munch his way through the light lunch.
*
Imperceptible to a human, the ground shook slightly as Jason sank to the floor. The minuscule tremors aroused a snake lying hidden in a small crevice at the bottom of the boulder, only a foot or so to the side from where he sat. A flat, triangular head lifted briefly and poked out, a forked tongue flickered towards slit-pupil eyes, but as the big shape made no threatening move, the snake subsided again into motionlessness.
*
When he was finished, he wrapped up his bit of trash, then allowed himself at last to think about the day's events so far. On his lonely trek back to camp, he had concentrated solely on conserving his energies, deliberately not letting his mind stray from the task at hand. However, now that he was 'home', he could take the time to reflect on everything without distraction while the quiet of the stark landscape surrounding him seeped into his very bones.
After a while, Jason let his meandering thoughts focus on more than just feeling better; the nausea and dizzy spells had passed, he was reasonably rested and cool – as much as he could be, anyway, sitting in the midst of the California desert with little to no shelter from the sun – and turned the day's events over in his mind. Specifically, the early-morning confrontation with David. He hadn't wanted to dwell on it too much, not while Tommy or David were around, but now that he was no longer distracted by the brothers' presence, he knew he had to do some hard thinking. Idly, almost unconsciously, he picked up a handful of small stones with his right hand, toying with them for a few minutes before pitching them one by one down the hillside.
What was wrong between him and David, anyway?
With a sigh that seemed to rise out of the ground beneath him, Jason thought back to the very beginning – right after his return from Geneva, when he'd become the Gold Ranger and learned that Tommy had found a brother he hadn't known he'd had.
Tommy had been so enthusiastic when he'd told him … in almost anyone else, Jason would have called his reaction 'bubbly'. He grinned at the image. If there was any term that fit Tommy less … but, refusing to be sidetracked, Jason recalled his own reaction to the startling news. He'd honestly been delighted for his best friend; a few late-night confessions during sleepovers had given him a very good idea of what family meant to Tommy. Adding in the fact that David had been brought up Native American – baby Tommy had slipped through a crack in the system, at a time when Native Americans were still fighting for the right to keep their people in their communities and within their culture, rather than losing orphaned children to often more prosperous white adoptive families, and thus ended up with the Olivers – it was a truly fascinating story, and Jason had been quite eager to meet David. Especially as he was the only civilian Jason was aware of who knew about their Ranger identities.
*I wanted to like him – I really did,* Jason ruminated. *If only for Tommy's sake. I mean, I'm not all that fond of Kim's older brother, and Zack's cousins can be a pain in the neck – never mind the whole DeSantos bunch; God, how can Rocky stand the NOISE? – but I can get along with all of them fairly easily, under most circumstances. And I honestly expected the same to happen with David.*
However, things had gone wrong almost from the start. Jason knew it wasn't really his fault that his car had to be repaired; sure, it inconvenienced David, and maybe he and Tommy should have made more of an effort to prevent that, but certainly that couldn't have been the only reason for the quiet antagonism he'd sensed in David from the moment he and Tommy had shown up at his house, could it? Forcing himself to examine yesterday's events with ruthless honesty, Jason admitted that he hadn't made much of an effort not to exclude Tommy's brother from their conversation over breakfast. He'd blithely assumed that the other wouldn't mind listening to him and Tommy reminisce about things; an impoliteness, yes, but not done with malicious aforethought, as David seemed to think. The one-time Gold Ranger sniggered as the pretentious phrase skittered through his mind; he was so glad that he no longer needed to use such expressions! He'd had more than enough of that during his stint at the Peace Conference.
*Don't digress,* he admonished himself, picking up another handful of stones, fingering them absently before sending the first one after the rest.
*
The motion alerted the snake once more and he hissed warningly when Jason's hand came perilously close to touching him. Sinuously, the brown-banded coils stretched and slithered outside, within striking distance of the wicked-looking fangs. Perceiving no immediate danger, the serpent waited, all senses alert. Over the gentle breeze, he young man never heard the hiss nor the soft rustling the scaly skin made against the gravelly ground, so absorbed was he in his musings.
*
*Okay, where was I? Yesterday morning…*
Jason did his best to reconcile his memories of the previous day with the accusations and snide remarks David has hurled at him during their almost-fight at dawn. What all had he said?
*So Tommy and me have been inconsiderate towards David. Okay. He has a right to be pissed about that; I wouldn't have liked to get up at the crack of dawn, either. But … am I trying to cut him out of Tommy's life, only to be closer to him?*
The answer was quick and immediate.
*No. No way. If only for no other reason that it would hurt Tommy – and I'd never want to do that. He's had a hard enough time already, what with Rita and Zedd going after him, then Kim's letter … besides, he's the best friend I have, even if we haven't known each other all that long. Sure, Billy and Zack are close to me, too, but it's just not quite the same. Tommy and I … we're equals. In all things. He's the brother I always wanted.*
This wasn't a new idea by any means; Jason had always accepted their closeness as a given, and knew that Tommy did the same, although neither had ever put it into so many words. It just WAS.
*And David's a part of Tommy, whether I like it – well, him – or not. They're REAL brothers, by blood; not just calling each other 'Bro', like I do. End of story.*
Rolling that thought around in his mind, Jason slowly realized that a deeply-buried part of him actually was a little jealous of this unalterable relationship. It was unthinkable that anyone or anything would ever be able to destroy the bond he shared with his best friend, but as he well knew, stranger things had happened. Distance, growing up, growing apart … they were possibilities he had to consider, however much he might not want to.
*But whatever happens in the future, in the end David and Tommy will STILL be brothers, no matter what. And man, I would sure like to have that guarantee!*
He sighed deeply, tossing the last of the pebbles down towards the well. The tiny, clattering sounds seemed awfully loud in the desert stillness. Jason wasn't usually given to so much introspection, but the whole situation bothered him more than he'd thought possible. He'd always made friends easily, or at least managed to get along with most people; that someone he knew he'd have to accept as part and parcel of his best friend disliked him so wasn't an easy thing to stomach.
*Guess I'll have to make more of an effort to get to know David,* he thought morosely. *Probably start by apologizing to him for being so self-centered yesterday. Grrr.*
It was not a pleasant prospect, but it was the right thing to do; Jason admitted that much to himself, even though it galled him. But it would be a start to rectify an intolerable situation – for all three of them.
*The one thing I absolutely can't do is make Tommy choose between me and David. It wouldn't be fair, and it wouldn't be right. David and I will just have to learn to get along. And if me telling him I'm sorry for being something of a jerk yesterday helps, then that's what I'll do. Why does doing the right thing have to be so hard, though?*
Jason was under no illusion that David would welcome his apology with enthusiasm.
He grinned wryly. *Nobody ever promised me easy. Oh well. If eating a little crow will help, I'll do it. For all our sakes'.*
And hopefully, he'd be able to convince David of his sincerity. After all, had his time at the Peace Conference taught him nothing? The first rule towards genuine understanding was always to bring problems into the open, not let them fester secretly until misunderstandings and misconceptions grew into insurmountable barriers. So, he would try and get David alone somehow when he and Tommy returned, and convince him to talk. Quietly, reasonably, like adults.
Jason breathed a gusty sigh, feeling better for having decided on a course of action. Seemed this time by himself, thinking things through without distractions, had done the trick. Regaining his optimism, Jason's energy returned in a sudden rush that was a welcome change from his bad mood earlier. He chuckled out loud with relief, glad to have – hopefully! – found a solution to his dilemma, thumped the ground next to him with his hand as if to put a seal on his decision, then jumped to his feet.
It was a mistake.
Startled by the sudden noise and movement, the serpent
lying in the sun next to the boulder Jason had been resting against first
recoiled, then reacted instinctively to what seemed like an attack. The
three-foot-long body reared up, there was a sharp hiss, a loud rattle from
the very tip of his tail, and with lightning quickness, the snake's head
snapped forward. Wickedly sharp fangs sank deep into Jason's leg, depositing
deadly poison.
To Be Continued …