The rangers were shocked when Zhane broke eye contact with Andros and his rigid body suddenly sagged to the ground. TJ and Carlos knelt down beside him and held him up. Meanwhile, Andros' body relaxed and his cries ceased.
"What did you do?" asked TJ his gaze going back and forth between Zhane and Andros.
"A little pain buffering," croaked Zhane, his usual goofy smile trying to crack through the expression of pain on his face. "I opened up the telepathic link between us so that I can burden some of the pain he's feeling."
"You're feeling what he's feeling?" asked Carlos.
"It's more of a sharing. That way neither of us has to deal with the full force of the pain." Zhane tried to get up, but he quickly collapsed again. TJ and Carlos helped him onto a medical bed next to Andros.
"But that still leaves both of you in a lot of pain," said Ashley. "Can't we give him some pain killers or a sedative?"
"No!" shouted Zhane sitting up. "The spell might be able to work while he's unconscious and then he wouldn't be able to fight it. We can't risk it."
"What about you?" asked Cassie.
Zhane tiredly lay back down on the med-bed. "I have to stay awake to maintain the mind link."
A hoarse whisper came from the other bed, "It's my fault. I should have stopped those quantrons. I should have…"
Ashley squeezed his damp hand even harder. "No, it is not," she said. "Astronema's one who caused all of this and you know it."
Andros sighed. His whole body was still tense and shivering. His skin was too pale. He closed his eyes trying to shut out the pain. Zhane reached over and shook his shoulder.
"Hey buddy, stay awake now."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem," said Andros opening his eyes. "I'm pretty sure this pain will keep me awake."
"Still, you'd better be careful," pointed out TJ. "We'll find a way to get those shackles from Astronema. You two stay here and make sure to keep each other awake."
Andros and Zhane nodded. TJ and Carlos left the room heading for the bridge. Cassie grasped Ashley's arm and gently pulled her away from Andros.
"We'll send down Alpha to keep you company," Cassie said.
Ashley put on a weak smile as they left.
"We'll get them for you."
****
"What do you mean it's still not working!!"
Ecliptor refused to flinch or cringe from the bellows of his princess. He analyzed the data from the shackles and the scanners as Astronema glared at him.
"The red ranger is still resisting."
"That's not possible," she cried. "No one can resist the Shadorian power."
"The red ranger is," declared Ecliptor. "Either he is much more powerful than we thought, or the other rangers have found a way to help him."
Astronema snarled. She walked away, her wrath staff slamming against the ground with every step.
Turning around she said, "Alright! Send the quantrons down. We'll enslave another ranger. They can't all be as resistant as the red ranger."
****
Zhane sat up quickly as the alarm sounded. Andros simply groaned.
"Damn it!" said Zhane as he struggled to get off the bed. Alpha held him down.
"The others are dealing with it, Zhane," he said. "They will take care of it."
Zhane sighed and lay back down.
Andros started to protest. "They'll need our help. We can't just lie here."
"You're definitely not going anywhere," commanded Zhane.
"Why not?"
"Have you forgotten you're little dive in the river?"
"But…"
Zhane cut him off. "Besides which if anything happens to you, you may no longer be able to resist the shackles' spell."
"Nothing will happen to me, but something might happen to the others if we're not there."
"Which is why I'm going down," declared Zhane as he sat up again.
"No, you're not," Alpha quickly stated.
Zhane groaned.
"Besides," Andros put in, "if anything happens to you, I won't last much longer anyway. If I go down, you'll still be around to help."
"Neither of you are going anywhere!" cried a tired Alpha.
Andros and Zhane calmed down.
"Can we at least see what's going on down there?" asked Andros.
Deca obligingly put the battle on a screen in the med bay. They saw their friends fighting among swarms of quantrons. The rangers were morphed due to the sheer number of the robotic drones. They were holding their own using the skill they knew so well, when Ecliptor joined them. Andros, Zhane and Alpha watched as Ecliptor's sword sliced across the yellow rangers stomach in a shower of sparks before she fell to the ground.
"That's it!" said Andros as he sat up. "Where's my morpher?" But as Andros' feet touched the floor, he was swept by a wave of dizziness. Zhane only just managed to catch him.
"I don't think so," said Zhane as he lifted Andros back on to the bed. He brushed a hand against Andros' forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
He transported away with Alpha's cry of "Zhanneeeeee!!" in his ears.