Chapter Six: Priceless

Dana sat by Carter helping him remain steady as he sat up. He was going nuts being in the hospital with nothing to do.

"So how's the new Red Ranger doing?" He asked finally.

"She's doing fine; she's a First Lieutenant in the Air Force." Dana said adjusting his pillow and giving him a weak smile. Carter wished he could take it off her face and replace it with a real smile.

"Thanks" he said then continued, "Has she been through the training center?"

"Yeah she had great times." Dana replied, "She said the house was like some exercise she did in boot camp."

"I see." He said his mind was coming up with a possibility for who the red ranger might be.

As Chris arrived at the hospital she wrapped up her donut. Then she stuffed it in her pocket as she approached the nurse's station where she signed in. Chris fiddled with her Lightspeed jacket as she walked down the corridor to the room. She stood for a moment before knocking. There was a faint "come in" Chris opened the door and stepped through.

"Hey" Chris said as she closed the door and promptly there was laughter. Dana looked at Carter as though he had become Olympius. Chris smiled before she started laughing, Carter was in so much pain but he was laughing at her his face was a mask of pain. His face was priceless and so was Dana's for that matter.

"What is so funny?" Dana asked thoroughly confused.

"His face." Chris said trying to control her laughter, "Stop it Monkey Boy"

"I'm sorry it's just so funny." Carter said.

"So Monkey Boy what is it so funny... that I'm the Red Ranger?" Chris asked a little bit of indignation in her voice.

"Well yeah, but only because only because I was going to suggest that you become the Red Ranger" Carter said. Chris smiled at him.

"Well I'm glad I have your blessing." Chris said walking over and pulling up a chair.

"You two know each other?" Dana asked a bit surprised.

"Yeah, Chris is my friend Aaron's cousin." Carter said

"Oh if you ever and I mean ever do anything like this again I'm going to kick your ass personally and that is also a threat from Jase. Got it Monkey boy"

"I got it, I got it sheesshh." Carter said holding his hands up defensively.

"Good" She said, "So think they'll let you out in a wheel chair?"

"Are you going to always hold that against me?" He asked.

"No but I'm in a funny mood today" she said noting that Dana was curious about what they were saying so Chris changed the subject, "So Dana, Carter tells me you want to be a Doctor"

"Yeah it's been my dream for years." She said.

"That's cool you've got to have a strong heart for it." Chris said there was an inflection in her voice that caught Dana's attention.

"Thought about it?" Dana asked.

"For five minutes and only five minutes" Chris said solemnly. Dana was going to ask Chris why she chose not to because of the look on Chris's face when Carter interrupted.

"So how do you like being a Ranger?" Carter asked quickly.

"Well other than Joel's self promotion I like it." Chris said sitting back as Carter chuckled at the comment.

"You'll get used to it." Carter said, "Dana said you did really well on the training ground something like being like boot camp."

"Yeah just like a rescue exercise we did only no snipers." Chris said. Carter snickered at his friends face. Just then a Nurse walked in.

"Ladies we need you to leave for a while the doctor wants to check over Mr. Grayson to make sure he didn't miss anything." The nurse said Chris and Dana nodded walking out.

"Carter knows why I don't talk about choosing not to being a Doctor." Chris said, "I'm a trained Paramedic and fire fighter. It took five minutes for my friend to die on me."

"I'm sorry." Dana said.

"It's not your fault, and it's not mine." Chris said, "We got a call and responded. My friend was in an "accident"(accompanied by Chris doing the quote movements with her hands). We got there stabilized those who were there and took them to the hospital. I worked on him until we go into the ER. Then let the doctor take over, by then his heart had stopped beating the doctor couldn't get it started again. For five minutes I had wished to be a doctor so I could give the nurse orders. But then he died and I knew I couldn't have handled that very well. I get too attached to people I don't see them as a patient or case but as a person who needs someone to fight for them. I'm not good at watching people die. I know that's not how it always goes. But that keeps me as a paramedic, it's weird I know, I'm more likely to loose people than a doctor." Dana listened to Chris as they walked. She and Carter had to have known each other for a long time if they knew this kind of stuff about each other.

"So how long have you known Carter?" Dana asked.

"Since Carter was seven, so I was… eleven." Chris said. Dana hadn't realized that Chris was older than any of them.

"So you are?"

"23" Chris said shrugging as they walked passed a waiting room.

"What's 23?" Kelsey asked coming out of the waiting room.

"The answer to everything... no wait that's 42." Seeing the confused faces on the Ranges' faces Chris waved it off and continued down the hall. She stopped outside the Hospital Doors and stared for a moment.

"What?" Ryan asked after Chris had left he was the most confused. Dana shrugged and followed Chris outside.

"What is it Chris?" Dana asked.

"Huh?" Chris said looking up at Dana.

"What are you doing?" Dana asked.

"Just thinking about how I came out here yesterday met the Men in Black and Captain Mitchell. It's funny how things change in a moment." Chris said starting down the steps. Dana nodded at that statement. Chris started walking down the sidewalk taking in the scene when she realized that Dana had followed her.

"Are you going to follow me even though I have no clue where I'm going?" Chris asked. Dana's head jerked up at her before answering Dana bit her lip and looked at Chris. She nodded yes after all she needed to get to know her. Shrugging Chris started walking again. It was one of the things Chris would do pick a direction and simply walk for a while. Silence fell between the two, Chris just wondering and Dana having no idea where to start asking questions.