The next morning, Dr. Oliver's good friend Hayley walked in, having something she desperately needed to consult with him about.
When she found him, he was on the bathroom floor. His skin was cold and gray. He was surrounded by a pool of blood, the source of which was obvious from the long, deep gashes on his arms.
She screamed, loud and briefly. She couldn't believe it. . .Tommy. . .He'd been so full of life in college, and for their Dino Thunder team. . .Why?
It was then she noticed an envelope. It had to be his explanation. His suicide note. Reaching out a trembling hand, she opened it. She read the familiar handwriting, giving Tommy Oliver's last words to the world, his final farewell.
"Whoever may be reading this,
"I don't know if you know me, but if not, I'm Dr. Thomas Oliver. I am – or was, probably, by now – forty-four years old. I was the science teacher at Reefside High School. I was also, for more time than I care to remember, probably since sixteen, a Power Ranger."
Hayley glanced up. His morpher was laying on the counter above him. No one would notice it, know it for what it was; it looked like a bracelet. The Dino Gem that rested in it, that gave it power, had cracked. Well, that answered the question of a Dino Gem's usefulness after its bearer had passed on. Or was that only because of the manner of Tommy's. . .She couldn't think of it. She shuddered and turned back to the letter.
"If you do happen to know me, you're probably wondering why I'm lying dead or bleeding at your feet. Well, I'll tell you.
"I'm no stranger to self-inflicted pain. When my parents died, all the moving around I did as a kid. . .Pain was everywhere in my life. I learned how to make it go away from some of the older kids at the orphanage. I started cutting myself at age twelve. I think I still have some scars from when I almost screwed up.
"When I moved to Angel Grove, the sorceress bent on world domination took me, made me her evil Green Ranger. I hurt so many people. I think I even killed some. After the spell was broken, I had nightmares beyond belief. It was. . .horrible. Waking was no better, no worse. I let the blood take it all away. I let it out as often as I could without getting caught.
"Zordon, our mentor, noticed something. He wouldn't leave me alone, so I told him everything. He gave me another way out. Helped me ease my pain. How I wish he was here now. . .
"The next time, and I thought the last, I was the Red Zeo Ranger. Kim. . .Oh, Kim. She'd been cheating on me for two weeks before she wrote to break up with me. I had to cut pretty deep then, to make the pain on the outside match that on the inside.
"Jason, my best friend, came in. He saw what I was doing. He didn't say a word, didn't judge me. He bandaged me up and held me as I cried. When the sobs stopped, he took me by the shoulders, looked me straight in the eye, and made me promise never to do it again. Ranger's honor.
"Ranger's honor. The highest, most sacred promise I could give. I haven't cut myself since, though God knows I've wanted to, so many times. Ranger's honor. My promise held me.
"It was only later that I learned how close I'd come to dying that day.
"I kept talking to Zordon. Every day, I'd talk to him. He'd listen, offer advice. He was so wonderful, always, always there for me on a level I didn't know I had, didn't know I needed help on. Until he left.
"When that happened, when he finally got the chance to go home, I built a bottle inside myself and put all the pain and anger there.
"College was wonderful. I forgot. The bottle never went away, but I forgot. Hayley. . . She has no idea how she saved me in those years."
Hayley blinked away tears. She hadn't had any idea. Oh, Tommy. . .
"When I moved to Reefside, became a teacher, oh, I thought I was free. My students, bless them, were my true saving grace.
"Then I made the biggest mistake of my life. I fell in love with a student, Lily Scott.
"I can still hear her laugh, see her smile. She loved me too. She'd stay after class, or 'run into me' outside of school. It was only natural for us to become lovers. How was I to know?
"I really wish I knew where she'd gotten it.
"We were in a battle, my dear Dino Thunder Rangers and I. We were losing badly. Somehow, my darling Lily had gotten hold of the Green Power Coin I'd thought lost long since. She got it to work, which was the real miracle. It was such a shock seeing that old uniform back in action. She was ferocious. She nearly won the whole battle on her own. Then Zeltrax, my enemy, fired at me. I was tending to my Rangers. I didn't know. She threw herself in the way of it. I'd have done the same for her.
"When we got her powered down, she was so badly mangled. She put her arms around my neck, kissed me, told me she loved me, that she was sorry. She died in my arms. I couldn't stop crying.
"At the hospital, I found out a few facts that put me on the course to where I am now. She had been with child. Stupid as we were, we hadn't, I hadn't thought to use protection. The paternity test brought the truth out. Jason. . .I was terrified. I didn't know why he was so angry. Turned out, Lily was his daughter. His and Kat's. Needless to say, both were livid. Jase did the screaming.
"'The rest of us kept track of our Power Coins!' I'd had three to keep track of, plus that one had gone back in time. How was I to know? 'If you'd've done as you were supposed to, she'd still be alive! And who the hell do you think you are, to be fucking her behind our backs, huh? You got no fucking right!'
"I let him yell. I deserved it. Then the silence. That was so much worse. I could have dealt if it was only him. No. When I turned to the others, the original twelve Rangers, they turned away, sickened by me. They left me alone with my pain, my shame. My bottle of pain was not only broken, but shattered. The ocean of pain it had contained was multiplied a hundred fold.
"My Rangers. . .Hayley. . .They're so good to me. I don't deserve them. They stayed by my side, trying to help me through. I wasn't enough. I adore them all, but I couldn't take the silence from those I'd known, cared for and trusted since high school. It just wasn't enough.
"That's my story. I just couldn't deal with it, couldn't take it. Oh, my Rangers, Hayley. I'm so sorry. Goodbye to you all. Good luck to you, Trent and Kira. Don't make the same mistake I did. Conner and Ethan, stick with what you love. Trust me. Hayley, I pray you'll watch over them all, as we have done together. Take care, all five of you."
Hayley broke down now, sobbing hard. Her best friend. . .gone. He'd never seemed the type for this. After a time, she got hold of herself. Dialed 911. She knew it was useless.
They asked her questions, drawing her aside as they removed the shell that had once been Tommy Oliver. Had he given any indications of being suicidal? Had there been a note? And so on.
She didn't let them see the note. There was too much in it. She had to protect their Rangers. Tommy had wanted it.