Chapter 21- Action
The three teens had driven back to Conner's in sombre silence, the events of the morning inexorably fixed in their minds. None of them wanted to acknowledge it but a part of them was dying to talk about it, to let it out. They held their tongues anyway.
Conner's mother let them into the house with a questioning look, thinking the kids should have been at school by now.
"Uh, school was cancelled mom, the teachers had to go to some training conference in Blue Bay for the day. I brought you a letter home last week about it!" Conner chided with his best stern face. Mrs. McKnight glanced to her son's two friends searchingly. She knew Ethan James and Kira Ford were certainly more responsible than her son, and upon their straight faced nods of affirmation she decided they must've been telling the truth.
"Sorry sweetie, guess it slipped my mind." Mrs. McKnight sighed apologetically, "You want some breakfast? And be as noisy as you like going up those stairs, Eric's still in bed, it's time for him to join the land of the living I think!"
"Sure thing mom, and yeah pancakes would be great." Conner smiled charmingly at the peppery-brown haired woman and motioned for his team-mates to follow him up to his room, the Red Ranger taking great relish in jumping up the stairs and hammering swiftly on a closed bedroom door on their way past. They heard an almost inhuman mumbling and groaning on the other side of the wood and Conner gave it an extra bang for good measure before continuing on.
"Like annoying your brother do you?" Kira asked wryly.
"Who doesn't?" The Red Ranger queried before stopping outside what was obviously his own room as it had a painting of a football emblazoned on the red painted wood.
"Welcome to my bat-cave!" Conner announced, flinging the door to his room open with a flourish.
"Welcome to my nightmare." Kira muttered, glancing at the blue and red walls adorned with posters of soccer teams and flags of Manchester United, along with shelves of trophies and MVP plaques.
"Very…colourful." Ethan said hesitantly, plonking himself down on the red duvet covered bed.
"You're too good at lying to your mother." Kira remarked with a raised brow as their happy host settled himself on an inflatable armchair-red of course- next to his bed.
"A talent that comes with practise. C'mon we're Power Rangers, honesty isn't exactly the best policy." Conner retorted, stretching his arms behind his head casually.
The other two couldn't argue with that and the three lapsed into a contemplative silence once more. It was Ethan that broke it.
"I sure hope Kimberly is okay."
"Me too…I've never seen Dr. O act like that before."
"What, like he has feelings?" Conner quipped and received a thrown soccer boot on the head for it. "Ow, I was kidding!"
Kira smiled lightly but became serious once more. "You heard Jason, Dr. O and Kim were like…soul mates."
"Yeah before they broke up!" Ethan joined in with the joking and Kira rolled her eyes.
"Hey Kir, Maybe you should write a song about it!" Conner clasped his hands together and fluttered his lashes and Kira was glad that it was at this time that Mrs. McKnight knocked on the door with breakfast otherwise she might have been forced to do something to the guys that they would regret.
Conner dutifully passed out the plates of pancakes and cups of coffee once his mother had left them and the three tucked in. It felt like they hadn't eaten for days, and they realised that they indeed hadn't since last night's toasted sandwiches and coffee at Dr. O's. They downed the piping hot coffee immidiately not even complaining when the bitter liquid burnt their mouths, they needed something to warm them up and snap them out of their almost sleeplike stupors.
The Red Ranger reached for the remote and flicked the TV on.
"Maybe we can find some more of that Japanese Power Rangers show." He said, and Ethan and Kira shared a small smirk, seeing how their comrade had been converted.
"We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news," a male newscaster appeared on the screen and the three Rangers exchanged questioning glances.
"Panic has gripped the inhabitants of downtown Reefside as a gigantic metal beast has begun terrorising the populace. Reports indicate the mechanical monster arrived only minutes ago and has begun destroying buildings and attacking residents from Harbour View to Arcadia Avenue with no signs of halting its maniacal march. Police have so far been unable to stop the creature or even put a dent in its armour. Where are the Power Rangers?!" The newscaster had cut away to a live feed of the attack and the three teens dropped their forks.
"Zeltrax?" Conner gaped.
"And he's supersized." Ethan added humourlessly.
"How- how?" Kira managed, they had never encountered a giant Zeltrax before- Mesogog's henchman usually preferred to watch from the sidelines and let Mesogog's monster of the week do the fighting, unless Dr. O got involved of course. Now here he was smashing up buildings like the Hulk with no monster or Tyrannodrones in sight. Then they caught sight of how he was attacking. Pink beams of light, crackling with dark energy were being shot from his gigantic hands into buildings, cars and at the panicking public.
"Kimberly's energy?" Ethan guessed. "Looks like Mesogog managed to put it to good use after all."
"Dr. O must've been too late to save it." Kira shook her head sadly. "What are we gonna do?"
"Call Dr. O?" Ethan said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world- which it kinda was.
"No." Conner said sharply. "Dr. O needs to be with Kimberly now, and so does Jason. They've got enough to deal with. We're going to handle Zeltrax ourselves."
The other two stared at Conner for a moment waiting for the punch line until they realised the Red Ranger was serious.
"But how can we call upon the Zords without Dr. O summoning the Brachio Zord or sending them?" Ethan questioned, arching his brow.
"Dr. O told me that if we're morphed and we call upon them, they'll come. I guess he and Hayley set it up so they respond to our voices or something?"
"Don't try and figure it out Conner, it'll probably damage that pretty blonde brain of yours." Kira said patronisingly, patting him on the head.
"Hey, watch the hair! C'mon, are we doing this or not?" He challenged, getting to his feet.
"It's worth a try." Ethan shrugged and Kira nodded, following Conner as he charged out of the bedroom and down the stairs, just as loudly as before.
"We've gotta go to the library to finish our projects mom, we'll be back soon!" The Red Ranger yelled as they headed out of the door.
"Okay kids, have fun!" Mrs. McKnight called after them, but they were already sprinting away. "It's so refreshing to see kids passionate about schoolwork!" She smiled to herself, then carried on cleaning.
"Hold it right there Zeltrax!" Kira called as the three newly morphed Rangers arrived in the town centre where Zeltrax was currently playing soccer with a balled up car.
"Hey, leave it to the professionals metal-head!" Conner shouted up at the titan.
"I believe that I have got the hang of this!" Zeltrax chuckled lowly in his mechanical tone, kicking the squashed car in the direction of the Rangers who cried out in alarm and rolled to the side to evade the large object.
"Didn't anyone tell you it's not nice to take other people's things Zeltrax?" Ethan growled as the three gained their feet once more.
"Yeah, that energy belongs to Kimberly!" Kira pointed her finger accusingly at him.
"The Pink Ranger will not be needing that anymore. It belongs to Lord Mesogog now." Zeltrax taunted, bringing his gigantic foot down towards the Dino Thunder Rangers, hoping to squash them, but they rolled once more, bringing out their blasters and shooting at his leg. The metal being growled in annoyance and staggered back, shaking the ground as he did so.
"Not if we can help it!" Conner said.
"There's something I've always wanted to try." Ethan grinned behind his helmet excitedly and murmured his request to his team mates, who glanced to him askance then shrugged.
Ethan posed, putting his right arm up into the air, his palm outstretched, Kira and Conner imitated the stance and the three nodded to each other and called in unison,
"We need Dino-Zord power, now!"
Zeltrax had paused in his pursuit of destruction to watch this little display, his head tilted in amusement. The Rangers looked around, wondering if it worked. Evidently not.
"Now I will crush you." Zeltrax snarled, raising his gigantic sword.
"Nice going Ethan." Kira groaned.
"Yeah, way to waste five minutes!" Conner snapped. The three prepared to dodge the giant cyborg's blow but then a familiar roar ripped through the air.
"It's the Zords!" Conner crowed.
"Alright!" Kira grinned.
"Awesome, I… am a genius." Ethan nodded in satisfaction as the three Zords came looping into the square.
"Okay, let's do it!" Conner said, rubbing his hands together and the three leapt up into the air to enter the Zords and take their places in the cockpit, as the bio creatures began to combine to form the Thundersaurus Megazord.
"We'll teach you to mess with our friends!" The Red Ranger threatened, "Dino Drill, engage!"
Zeltrax blocked the drill with his sword in a shower of sparks flew from where the weapons met. The henchman shot another beam of bright pink light at the Rangers, creating a rocking explosion as it made contact with the Megazord's chest-plate. The Zord staggered back, swaying from the impact.
"That's right, keep fighting Rangers. The longer we battle the more of Pink Ranger's energy I use up, then there will be no hope for her!" Zeltrax laughed mockingly. "And if you destroyed me, what then? The energy would be lost forever!"
Conner had the Dino Drill poised to strike once more but at Zeltrax's words grudgingly pulled it back. "What do you want tin-brain?"
"Surrender the Black and Pink Rangers to me, and I will cease the attack." The cyborg demanded, his sword still in hand.
"Never!" The three Rangers said defiantly as one. "What good is Kimberly to you now Zeltrax, your mutated freak of a leader already got her energy!" Conner snapped.
"That is for us to know, and for you to die trying to figure out!" Zeltrax chuckled nastily. "Very well Rangers, the attacks will continue. Continue to fight or run away back to your precious Tommy Oliver, either way the Pink Ranger will die! I would reconsider if I were you. I'll be back!" And with that Mesogog's right-hand man disappeared in a swirl of green and black energy, leaving three stunned Rangers, a Megazord and a ton of rubble and twisted metal in his wake.
"So sayeth the Terminator." Ethan quipped unsmilingly as the three demorphed and sent the Zords away.
"What are we going to do, and what did Zeltrax mean either way Kimberly will die?" Kira queried in concern.
Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I think we're gonna have to talk to Dr. O, our next move has gotta be up to him now." His team mates nodded and they began the trek over to Reefside General Hospital. After a few moments of silence Conner cocked his head and glanced at Ethan.
"Dino-Zord power?"
Ethan grinned. "It's what the original team of Rangers used to shout to call their Zords, I figured as our Zords were dinosaurs too- in fact three of the same types as theirs- that it was worth a shot."
"I guess Dr. O has a sense of humour after all even if it is a little nostalgic."
The three all smiled and fell quiet once more, the good mood fading with the memory of Zeltrax's words, and the rest of the journey was spent in silence, each of them silently trying to decode what the cyborg had meant.
Hayley stormed into Kimberly's room as quietly as she could muster- it being a hospital after all- and Tommy and Jason looked up at her questioningly.
"Bloody doctors won't tell me anything because I'm not her 'next of kin' and don't know where they are!" Hayley snapped and Tommy got up somewhat laboriously and put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"It's not your fault, we'll talk to them." Hayley nodded gratefully.
"They said they were coming in to check on her now so you can try and get something out of them." Tommy gave a short nod of acquiescence and Hayley sat down on the brown leather sofa on the other side of the room. Tommy frowned for a minute and then he brightened.
"Hey Jase, I have an idea, toss me Kim's ring." He pointed to the rare pink sapphire ring Kim wore on the middle finger of her right hand. Jason regarded him sceptically but nodded and plucked it from her finger, handing it to Tommy.
Jason too turned and stood as the door swung open and a greying man of about 50 entered the room, stethoscope hung round his neck just like in the movies.
Tommy weaved to the end of the bed to greet him. "Hi, I'm Dr Tommy Oliver," the palaeontologist said, extending his hand to the doctor who shook it, and Jason resisted the urge to smile. Tommy had used the 'doctor' persuasion, he seemed to like doing that to try and impress people. He had pulled it on a cop who had pulled him over for speeding the last time Jason came to visit. It hadn't worked.
"Dr Stevens. Are you family?" He glanced over the man in black and then to Jason and Hayley behind them.
"No," Tommy stepped back and reached for Kimberly's left hand, squeezing it and raising it slightly. Her gold ring glittered under the dimmed florescent lighting, now placed upon her ring finger on the left.
"Fiancé. May fifteenth next year, it seems like only yesterday we had our first date… tell me Doctor, please, is she going to be alright?" At first Jason and Hayley had to hide their smirks at Tommy's little white lie, but when he asked how Kim was all pretences of dishonesty were cast aside. The concern and fear in Tommy's eyes could not be faked.
"Well, I'll tell you son, it doesn't look good." The doctor said gravely and Tommy tensed, seeming to think if he didn't make a conscious effort to control his body his legs might buckle from under him.
"You see, Ms. Hart's condition is unlike anything we've seen before, the closest example of a similar condition would probably be a massive myocardial infarction- a heart attack. Her heart just stopped working, as if unable to function anymore. And for someone in her physical condition that seems highly improbable, her body is in great shape! She doesn't have high blood pressure or cholesterol, she's not obese… is there perhaps a history of adverse heart conditions in her family?"
"No, I don't think so." Tommy said, glancing at Jason for confirmation, and the Red Ranger shrugged and shook his head in reply.
"What exactly happened to her?" Dr. Stevens enquired, glancing at Tommy searchingly.
Tommy shifted slightly, wondering how much of the truth he could tell. "She just collapsed, fainted, and then she stopped breathing. We were just standing in my yard." Her cold skin and pale lips would haunt him forever and it was all he could do not to shudder.
"So she hadn't been doing anything to exert herself? Because it seems like her whole body, her heart especially had been put under enormous strain, and caused it to fail."
"No, not that I can think of." Tommy said rigidly. "But how is she now, I mean, she hasn't shown signs of waking. How long will she be asleep?"
"She could merely be resting, while her body tries to recover from the trauma it has suffered. We're waiting on the results from her labs for confirmation of her condition, but with such pronounced symptoms I'm inclined to believe it may be more serious than that." The doctor said more softly.
"How serious?" Jason spoke up, folding his arms tightly across his chest to discourage himself from punching something.
Dr Stevens glanced to Jason then back to Tommy. "Depending on how long she was unconscious after the infarction, she could very well be suffering from hypoxic brain injury, resulting in a persistent vegetative state." The doctor rubbed the bridge of his broad nose tiredly.
"And in English that would be?" Jason snapped tersely.
"In laments terms, brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen, and a coma." Stevens sighed, and looked genuinely sympathetic. "We won't know for sure until we get the results of the CAT scan back, but from the indications I've seen…I'm sorry."
"Don't make apologies. Kimberly is going to be fine." Tommy said firmly.
"It's a natural part of the grieving process to feel this way Dr. Oliver, denial is one of the first stages of-"
"Look buddy, I don't need your sympathy or your analysis of my feelings, I'm not in denial because there's nothing to deny. Kimberly is going to be fine. Thank you, I think we have all the information we need." The Black Ranger said tightly and resolutely. The doctor shot a despairing glance towards Jason and Hayley, hoping they would give him some support and help convince Tommy, but he was met with two equally icy glares.
"Very well. If you would like to talk, or anything changes, be sure to find me." And Dr Stevens beat a hasty retreat from the sub-zero climate of the room.
"Tommy, they don't know what they're talking about." Hayley said comfortingly from her couch position.
"Yeah bro, they don't even know the true circumstances behind it, Kim's a Power Ranger, she'll pull through this." Jason affirmed. But for all their comforting, Tommy couldn't push Billy's earlier words from his mind, hadn't he predicted Kim wouldn't be able to survive without the Crane inside her? It seemed truer every moment and he didn't know what to do, the helpless feeling making him feel weak and insignificant, much like he had when he lost the Green Ranger powers, but this was far worse, this was Kimberly, the love of his life, the person he cared for most. He couldn't lose her again.
"The sooner Billy and the others get here, the better." Tommy muttered before taking his seat beside Kimberly once more, closing his eyes in frustration and sighing heavily.
Upon hearing a strange noise-running water?- Tommy opened his eyes again, blinked and then looked around in confusion.
"The pond in Angel Grove Park?" He frowned, looking around at his surroundings, recognising the elevation next to the water where he had practised Martial Arts back in his teenage years. It was the place where he and Kim had shared their first kiss and confessed their feelings for each other, how could he ever forget it?
"What- how?" He couldn't really find words to express his questions so turned again to look down the path that wound around the water and saw an angel walking there.
"Kimberly?" She was coming towards him, hair cascading over her shoulders, still highlighted blonde as it now was, but wearing the short floral dress she had worn on their first date, along with her new pink kitten-heeled sandals- he'd always loved that dress.
"Tommy!" Her face broke into a wide grin and she flung herself at him, hooking her arms around his neck, resting them on his broad shoulders as she hugged him tightly. Stunned but happy Tommy returned the hug just as closely.
"Is this your dream or mine?" Kim asked as she pulled back-though not dropping her arms- positively glowing with energy and light, so unlike the sleeping beauty in the hospital bed whose inner radiance seemed dimmed and drained.
"I don't care!" Tommy grinned, cupping her cheek with his hand and leaning in to kiss her, softly and tenderly at first but soon deepening it into a hungry and passionate exchange. They stayed that way for too brief an eternity, lips and tongues crashing together as the pair made up for almost a decade of no contact. Tommy felt one of Kim's hands move from his neck to stray up and trail through his long hair- wait- long hair?! Who's dream was this?- then he decided he didn't care about the circumstances, the sensation of Kim's slender body pressed up against his after so long was enough to chase any coherent thought from his mind.
Finally, breathlessly Kimberly pulled away, but not far, as she rested her forehead against his, her eyes locked with his searchingly.
"Wait…what's going on here…we're kissing?! I thought we were just gonna try and be friends again, you said you couldn't forget what I did and you-" Tommy smiled and pressed his lips to hers- effectively cutting off her bewildered diatribe. He pulled away slowly and Kim gave him a shy smile.
"Let's just say, I'm over it." Tommy said softly, running his fingers over her cheek. "I never want to lose you again Kimberly, Hayley and Jason made me realise what a fool I've been. I never stopped loving you Beautiful."
Kim's eyes widened. "This must be a dream, I've had it so many times before."
"Maybe it is a dream, but my feelings for you are real. And when you wake up I'll prove it to you." Tommy said sincerely, his hand on her shoulder.
Kim grinned then paused, wiggled her fingers and looked down at her hand then back up at him with a raised brow. "Did you move my ring?" She held up her left hand and sure enough the pink gem was still glittering on her ring finger.
"It's a long story." Tommy smiled, "But I've gotta say it looks good there."
Kim's blinked as if registering this then grinned brightly before she squeezed her eyes closed, her fists clenching. She opened them and then tried once more, a deep look of concentration on her face. When she opened them a second time she seemed to have paled and looked worried.
"What's happened to me Tommy? I want to wake up, but I can't! When I try all that's there is pain and darkness!" Kim said fearfully, her hands moving up to clutch his green and white checked flannel shirt, the one she'd always loved. He now noticed he was wearing a white vest under it, and black trousers, and his face was clean shaven but his more muscular build of present times had not diminished. They were like the hopeful sixteen year olds of the past with all the benefits of their present age.
"Mesogog used the life-force extractor on you. I broke out of the cell somehow, and I cut you free, but I was too late. I got you back home and your heart had stopped." He stroked her hair with trembling fingers at the memory.
"Oh my god…am I…am I dead?" Kim whispered, her voice tremulous with fright, her manicured nails beginning to dig into the skin of his chest.
"No, no!" Tommy reassured her firmly, "But the doctor thinks…" He took a deep breath to steady himself, "He thinks you may be in a coma. But we didn't tell them the circumstances behind it, so they don't know what they're talking about. Of course they've never experienced something like this before, and you're a Power Ranger, you'll get through this."
"Was a Power Ranger Tommy, if Mesogog has taken the Crane from me, I'm not a Ranger anymore, the Power can't help me now."
Tommy shook his head, "No, don't talk like that Kim, we'll figure out how to help you…Billy's coming, and Trini. We'll figure something out. We'll get the spirit of the Crane back from Mesogog, you'll be fine!" His hands covered her own, holding them tightly and pulling them from his shirt as he brought them to his lips and kissed her fingertips. "I promise you, we'll beat this, together!"
"If Mesogog hasn't used or destroyed it yet." Kim said bitterly. "Face it Handsome, you and me, we're not meant to be anymore, my body is useless and my soul is gone. Without the Crane, I'm finished." She said tightly, unshed tears pooling in her hazel eyes.
"That's not true Kim, you're more than that, I know you are. You've got a soul, you've got a heart, otherwise we couldn't be here right now. I love you, I know we can do this!" Tommy said, pulling her back close to him and dipping his head to kiss her again. She held on to him desperately as if afraid she would lose him, and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist but it seemed his hold on her was lessening. He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful park around them begin to fade out of existence, the bright sunshine dimming to grey. Then Kim started to disappear out of his arms, her eyes widening in terror.
"Tommy, what's happening to me?!" She cried, though her voice already sounded distant and soft.
"I don't know Kim, hold on!" He shouted, trying to hold her more tightly.
"Tommy!" She screamed, and then the world went black.
"Tommy, Tommy!"
"Huh?" Tommy blinked blearily and looked up into familiar brown eyes, but they weren't the ones he wanted. He frowned in confusion.
"Jase?"
"Bro, I knew you were a heavy sleeper but you take it to another level, I've been shaking you for like five minutes." Jason shook his head and stood back, and Tommy realised he was back in the hospital room, although he supposed he had never left.
"A dream?" His eyebrows knitted and his head pounded.
"What?" Jason queried with a raised brow.
"Oh, nothing. Sorry man, I didn't mean to worry you." Tommy said apologetically, sitting back up and glancing down at his clothes with much scrutiny, then reaching his hands back and patting his head, checking his long hair hadn't suddenly sprouted back. Then he lifted up his black shirt and looked down at his chest, his eyes widening in surprise as he brought a finger up to trace over the small half moon marks from long nails that marred the skin just over his heart.
Jason watched him in bewilderment, unable to see the marks from where he was standing.
"…Are you okay bro?" He asked, crossing his arms like a suspicious mother.
Tommy looked up at him, eyes still wide and somewhat confused. "Uh…Yeah, yeah I'm fine. W-what happened?"
Jason regarded him sceptically but answered anyway, "Ah you just dozed off for a while, me and Hayley figured we should let you sleep after what's happened the past couple days. You needed it Tommy." He said firmly when Tommy looked as if he was about to argue. "But we needed to wake you up since you've got some visitors, it was only then you started doing your log impression and wouldn't wake up."
"Visitors?" Tommy frowned, looking past Jason to see Conner, Kira and Ethan standing by the wall and all looking at him in the same bemused way that Jason and Hayley were.
"Err, hey Dr. O?" Ethan said hesitantly, as if he were some mentally unstable bomb.
Tommy ran a hand through his hair and stood up, his muscles aching in protest.
"What's up guys?" He said in his commanding-teacher tone to nip any jokes while they were in the bud.
"Dr. O, we may have a problem." Conner said with a wince.
"What sort of problem?" Tommy frowned coming towards his students.
Just as Conner was about to answer the sound of an explosion not too far away rocked the hospital and a booming metallic voice could be heard calling out the Power Rangers.
Conner grimaced again. "…That sort of problem."
Time got away from me again tonight so I'll do review responses next chapter! Not my best, but I hope you still enjoyed it, thanks for reading!
xXx