A.N. Sorry for being so slow and killing everyone with suspense. Only one more part to go!
Dedication: To Mouse who gave me a boot in the bum and also wrote a very nice Zhane/Andros friendship fic!
"Andros can sure make a mess when he wants to."
Carlos was lying on his back reconstructing the scanner console. He pulled a wire out of the remains and attached it to one of the damaged circuits. The machinery suddenly started to smoke and let out a spark making Carlos jump. "Oops," he muttered quickly realigning the wires.
TJ, who was sweeping up broken glass nearby, grinned. "Try not to burn your fingers off."
"Ha. Ha."
"I guess it's strange considering how he's normally the cleanliest of all of us," commented TJ as he considered what Carlos had said, "Especially when it comes to this ship."
"Which is why we'd better hurry up and make this place tidy and functioning before he wakes up," put in Cassie while she ran a scanner over the communication console.
"If he wakes up." Carlos paused in his work and sighed. "Do you think he'll be okay? I mean ... are we doing the right thing?"
TJ leaned on the broom. "You know I hate not doing anything, but we simply don't have many options." Starting to sweep once again, he added, "He'll be alright. He's strong, strong and stubborn."
"Right."
Falling silent, the rangers drifted into their own brooding thoughts as they spent their second day trying to fix the damage done to the bridge. They all knew it would have been done much faster if their two kerovian friends had been able to help them.
"Did Zhane get any sleep last night?" Cassie asked when she had completed her scan.
"Negative," replied DECA who kept a constant eye on both Andros and Zhane.
"Has he slept or eaten at all in the past couple of days?" questioned TJ.
"He fell asleep once and was so panicked when he woke up. He thinks something bad will happen to Andros if he isn't always watching him. I don't think he'll let himself fall asleep again."
"I brought him some food this morning," said Carlos as he tried to fuse some wires together without fusing them to his fingers, "but I doubt he'll eat any. He's too worried about Andros."
"He still feels responsible," TJ pointed out.
"And he should," said Ashley poking at a console at the front of the bridge in an attempt to recalibrate the systems. "He's the one who shot him."
"Ashley!"
"He only did what he had to do. He didn't have any other choice."
"I know. I know," sighed Ashley. "I just feel so frustrated. I need someone to blame."
Cassie walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Blame Astronema. You can take it out on her next time we fight."
Ashley gave a small smile. "Thanks." After a few last calibrations, she stood up and headed out of the bridge. "I'm going to check on Andros. Maybe I can even convince Zhane to get some rest."
"Good luck," Cassie called after her.
"If any one can do it, she can." Carlos smirked sitting up from under the scanner console. "She can be very persuasive."
****
"Zhane… Zhane!"
The silver ranger blinked coming out of the trance he'd fallen into. He automatically checked Andros, his eyes going over the instruments' readings and the still form of the red ranger, but there was no change. He sighed and grabbed a hold of Andros' hand before looking up to see who had called him.
Ashley stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips. She tried to give him an angry glare, but the sadness shone in her eyes.
"You," she insisted, "need to get some sleep."
Zhane turned back to Andros and shook his head. "I'm not leaving him."
Ashley moved to stand besides him. "You know perfectly well that Deca can watch him even better than your tired eyes."
"He needs me."
"He needs you to be healthy and well when he wakes up and right now you look like you're going to collapse." She glanced at the tray of food besides Zhane. "Did you even eat anything?"
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't care if you're not hungry. You need to eat."
Zhane just shook his head again.
Ashley knelt down so that she was at the same level as the seated Zhane. "I'll stay with him while you take a break," she said placing a hand on his cheek to turn him to face her. "I promise to take care of him."
Zhane nodded, but still seemed reluctant to leave. Ashley grabbed a hold of his elbow and hauled him to his feet. "Come on," she said pulling him towards the door. She didn't get far before she felt resistance. Looking back, she saw that Zhane was still holding Andros' hand.
"Zhane. Let go."
Zhane sighed and relaxed his grip on Andros, but as he tried to move away, he realized he was still stuck. It slowly dawned in his sleep deprived mind that though he was no longer holding on to Andros' hand. Andros was holding on to him.
"Ashley!"
Ashley put her hand to her lips in shock before rushing to Andros' side. Zhane went to the other side and checked the monitor.
"He's waking up."
Andros groaned his eyelids fluttering. He shifted positions on the bed and winced in pain.
"Andros, can you hear me?"
He opened his eyes and blinked groggily.
"Zhane?" Andros' voice was weak and scratchy. He coughed and winced at the pain in his chest. His mind whirled as it tried to recall what had happened. When it came back to him, he jolted upright causing the room to spin and his lungs to burn.
"Whoa! Easy Andros," said Zhane as he and Ashley gently laid the red ranger back down.
Andros protested trying to get up again. "But Zhane. What happened? Are you okay? Did…"
"It's okay, Andros. I'm fine. The others' are fine. The ship's fine. Everything's fine. You can rest now."
Andros managed to calm down, limply collapsing in exhaustion. His eyes fluttered closed, but he opened them again and turned his head as he felt Ashley squeeze his hand.
"Hey."
"Hey. How do you feel?"
"Sore. Sore all over and tired."
"Go to sleep then. We'll still be here when you wake up."
Andros gave her a small smile before he drifted off.
Smiling, Ashley sat on the stool next to the bed and gently brushed her hand over Andros' hair as she gazed at him. Zhane silently moved towards the doorway and gave Andros one last sorrowful look before leaving the infirmary.