Chapter 4 head aches and hypodermics
The next morning Devon came into the galley to find Sarah seated at the table, her black hair pulled back off her face in a tight braid, her solemn eyes reading over something he couldn't quite see. She didn't seem to be aware of him and so he went to the sinthitron and called up his food. He had never been much for eating normally but now after becoming a ranger he did. He sat down to ham, eggs and hash browns.
It was as he ate that he noticed she was not really eating, but apparently lost in thought.
"Hey you ok?" He asked and she shrugged.
"Thinking." The way she said it was as if she were a computer, not a person. As if she was in fact computing some big problem.
"Don't think too hard it's dangerous." He said in one of the first real attempts at humor he'd made since they'd become rangers. It wasn't that he had no sense of humor but few people got his sense of humor so thought it was just rude.
"Hmm?" She looked at him then and he was struck by the violet of her eyes, he'd never really noticed how they seemed to sparkle with silver sparks. He realized then that she'd been thinking, they were very sparkly. They were the kind of eyes he'd heard so much about in books…
"Never mind." He shrugged and went back to his food. The next thing that struck him was that the eggs tasted like cardboard. Maybe it was just a part of the brewing headache.
Devon wondered just why they'd asked him to come on this trip, he could have let Brent come but for some reason he'd decided an adventure would be just the thing. They were a day into the mission and the other thing that had happen was the typical clash between Hollie and Ryan.
Devon had a feeling they fought for a single reason, they were attracted to one another but too blind to realize or admit it. Hadn't he been there a time or two? When he'd grown up on the streets he'd learned a lot of stuff. He'd learned that people rarely said what they thought or meant. He'd learned nothing was ever free and things were never what they seemed. Glancing over at Sarah he wondered if that was her reality. She seemed like a healthy young nurse and yet she'd not even hinted at having a boyfriend or ever having had one. Normally he wouldn't have cared but with nothing better to do it was really the only thing, find out about her. What her story was.
It was then that the siren went off.
***
"We've got trouble." Captain Grayson called as the rangers arrived in rescue ops.
"Sir?" Ryan asked looking from him to the monitor where a monster was shooting go over several citizens in the street.
"There's an attack in the business district." Their commander told them and Sarah wondered if they wood ever escape these things. She hated disrupting a perfectly good day, even if she knew it was for their own good.
"We're on it." Ryan said and looking to his team they nodded and they were heading out.
"Sarah?" Devon called and the rose clad girl turned slightly as she walked on.
"What's up?" She asked.
"You ok?" Devon asked and Sarah frowned at him,
"Yeah, why?" She asked brushing a strand of raven hair behind her ear.
"You just seem a little far away this morning." He shrugged and she wondered how he of all people could read her so well. After all he was never on the inside, clinging to the fringes of their group. .
"Oh, well, I just have a lot on my mind."
"Just be sure that you're not sleeping on the job.' He said grimly and she knew then why, he was worried about her getting one of them hurt. At least he was aware of the danger they were usually in.
"I will." She nodded as they reached the loading area.
***
"Begin docking." Ryan called as they neared the pinnacle of the battle.
"Right." The other four rangers called. Devon thought at the sound of the voices he'd go nuts, his head was now pounding faster than a speeding bullet and his stomach was nauseous.
"You know we're in serious trouble don't you?" Heath was saying to Ryan who even with hi helmet sounded grim as he replied.
"Not if you do your job."
"Social much?" Hollie muttered.
"Men." Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Ok girls can the chatter you've got a job to do." Called captain Grayson over the COM system.
"Talk about one ug bug." Heath commented as eh did his assessment of their stores.
"So it's time to squash it already." Devon put in, MONOVERING THE RIGHT ARM TO Send a FLYING POWER PUNCH.
"Sarah your up." Ryan called to the opal ranger.
"right." She sent the left leg to sweep the first three of the alien insect's legs from out and under it.
"Ok time to bring this guy down." Ryan called and they were all more than ready. "Hollie bring the blaster arm around and aim for the star on his forehead." Ryan instructed her grimly.
"On it." The gold ranger replied and punched the buttons on her consol as fast as she could. Still before she managed to blast the villain they were hit with a left hook. The GFM staggered backwards a few step before she fired.
"End program." Ryan called and Hollie new she was in for it. She wanted to throw something, she was in trouble and for once he'd followed his orders.
Ryan didn't even say a word to her though addressing the entire group instead.
"Although this was just a drill that was appalling. In the reaction time we showed the aliens could have killed us and the whole city."
"What a load." Devon said his dark eyes flashing with anger. "We reacted at the same speed you did and if you'd take the stick out of your butt you'd see that."
"Devon…" Sarah breathed and all saw Ryan's eyes narrow.
"What it's true. He seems to forget he's not the commander anymore, he's just a lowly ranger."
"I included myself in this." Ryan argued his silver eyes glittering with something none could actually make out.
"Did yuou? It sure as all get out doesn't seem like it. You jumped down Hollie's throat yesterday for saving our necks, and now you're on us for not being fast enough because we took a single punch." Devon growled and Ryan just crossed his arms over his chest.
"Maybe it's because I know what slow reflexes can get you; I know what acting crazy can do." Ryan said patently. He didn't know what was going on but he knew the emerald ranger didn't need any arguments.
"But you sure as all hell don't know how to act like one of us." Devon muttered.
"Devon," Hollie tried to calm him down they didn't need this right now. She'd come to think about yesterday after the events last night and knew that Ryan had never really had much chance of being a member of a team, not in this sense. First with his past and then with the quest he'd gone on. No, he'd been one of the original team but not like this.
"'What? You're not mad? Hollie he took you apart yesterday or have you forgotten?"
"No, no I haven't but I was wrong, I wasn't using my head." Hollie tried to calm him with the truth.
"Bull, you were doing what had to be done." Devon argued, unable to understand her about face. She was usually the hot headed one of them. Now she was doing an about face? Then something hit him and he turned his full fury on her. "You have a thing for him, that's why you're overlooking everything."
"Devon stop." Sarah said resting a gentle hand on his arm and he didn't look at her, just kept right on glaring at Hollie.
"No, you've had your eye on him since I met you." Devon said looking at the yellow clad woman.
"No, he was my boss. Besides I don't have time to have my eye on anyone." She reasoned. In truth she didn't have anything going for the ruby ranger. He was just there. Sure she felt bad for him, but she had no special feelings for the guy, did she?
"Why because you're an insomniac?" Devon growled.
"Man what is with you?" Heath asked quietly and it was only then that Devon realized he'd gone too far.
"Nothing I just think Ryan should act like he's one of us not the high and mighty commander."
"Well, you've made your point." Ryan told him quietly and Devon looked at him another minute before leaving them there.
Sarah didn't think, just went after him, her feeling that something was wrong with him intensifying. It just didn't seem right for him to be so angry, not openly at least.
Devon was almost to his quarters when she caught up to him and she didn't say anything, reaching out, to touch his cheek, if he was sick…
"What the hell are you doing?" Devon demanded grabbing at her hand even as she shifted to pull him towards the medical bay.
'Devon you're sick, you have a fever."
"I am not I just need to be left alone."
"You have a fever."
"What? I do not I…"
"Alright, if you're not sick you won't mind coming with me just to prove me wrong."
'You're insane."
"'I may be odd but I'm not the one with a fever." She said and he made to brush her hand off but the spark that went through his hand a t the contact had him freezing. In that instant she was able to inject him with a sedative, not a knock out one, but one to help calm him down.
"Sarah?" Devon asked sounding slightly bewildered.
"I'm sorry about this Devon but I need to check you out." She said apologetically.
"You could have asked." He said mildly and she resisted the temptation to inform him she had. It would just be pointless.
"Sarah?" Hollie called as she came from the direction they'd just come.
"Good your hear, can you take his other arm? I need to get him to the medical bay." The opal ranger said.
"Ok, what's going on?" Hollie asked catching the green clad young man's arm to put it over her shoulder.
"He's burning up." The pink clad nurse informed her.
"That explains a lot." Hollie said as she shifted slightly as she felt Devon sagging.
"'Yeah, it does." Sarah agreed as she did a high kick to open the doors as Devon was now slumping to the floor.
"Here I got him." Hollie said and lifted him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry. 'Where do you want him?"
"Bed one." The nurse told her and prepped for a full out exam.
"Right."
TBC
***
Well, what do you think? Is it to odd? It does have a point, just sit tight and you'll find out in chapter 6. *evil Grin*
Anyway I'm begging, PLZ let me know if you liked it or hated it. What do you think should happen next?