Sierra: I hope you see this eventually. It's been a while since I've been on here and updated this story. I hope all goes well for you where you are. Thanks for the review.

Shirley Chong: I'm glad you checked it out. Thanks for the review. Yeah, I am relying a lot on futuristic technology as you'll see in this chapter. Hopefully it's not too farfetched, but it is 994-995 years in the future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any of the characters related to it. I am in no way making money off of this.

Going Home

A couple weeks had passed, two silent, sorrowful weeks for Alex, who had rejected all visitors. He wanted to be alone. He was suffering so much, from heartbreak. His neck had been healed quickly by the new technology within the first day while he was yet unconscious. His leg had been worked on during that time as well, but it still was not completely healed, but healed enough for them to let him go home on crutches, though he did not yet know this, with the promise to return for treatment for a month and then a physical therapy appointment to show him exercises to do.

To Alex life was no longer worth living. Without work or Jen to take his mind off how lonely he felt, how lonely he had felt since his father died and his grandparents one by one, he felt it to be miserable and filled with anguish. He had nothing to live for, no purpose. Jen had been the central part of his life, but like so many people before her, she had betrayed him. He still had Jesse and Jerry to talk to, but, finding himself too trusting for his liking, he had shut them out before they could shut him out.

He stared at the door – seemingly his favorite past time since he had shut everyone else out. He had memorized every detail, every line, every flaw. Presently, a doctor walked in carrying a clipboard. "Good morning, Alex," he said, while opening the blinds. Alex shielded his eyes from the blinding light, which had not shined fully into the room for the past few weeks. He had blocked out everything that reminded him of hope. "How are you feeling today."

"Fine. When can I go home?" Alex answered impatiently.

"Today, if everything proves well."

"About what time?"

"After supper. We'll arrange for a taxi to carry you home."

"Alright."

"I'm going to send you down to x-ray in a few minutes, make sure everything is healing well. Then, you will go to the cast room and be fitted for a brace if I approve of the way things are healing properly. After, I will send you back here and send a physical therapist down here to work with you. She will see how you react to the pressure on your leg even using crutches and report to me. Then, I will sign your release forms if that all goes well. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yeah, just so long as I get out of here."

"Don't be reluctant to ask your roommates to help you out in tough situations and bring you things if you can't reach them."

"I won't." Alex sighed. His temper was short of late. Every day he went through practically the same schedule. It was getting even more monotonous than his job ever had. "And how much longer until I can start work?"

"Well, I don't see any reason why you can't start now from home doing some office work. Your roommates can bring it to you."

"Alright."

A nurse walked in. "Is he ready, Doctor?"

"Yes, I've prepped him on what's going to happen. He just needs to get into that wheelchair and go," the doctor said while entering stuff on his clipboard.

The nurse pushed the wheelchair up close to Alex and offered her arm for him to grab onto for support while getting in. "Come on, sir; just use my arm for support. That's it." Alex rolled his eyes. He hated being treated like a baby. The nurse got behind him and wheeled him over to x-ray.

"Wait, you don't need to get out of that chair; we can take the x-ray with you in it," the x-ray technician told Alex as he attempted to stand up and get on the x-ray table.

"No, I'll get up this time. I'm going to need to get used to it, keep my strength up," Alex insisted stubbornly.

"Suit yourself," said the technician with a sigh. He knew Alex all too well. He had visited several times in the past two weeks.

Alex struggled up onto the table, and the technician gave him the heavy protector, and Alex put it over his stomach. The technician aligned the machine with Alex's leg, and after a few moments, he was done. "You may get off now." Alex nodded and got back into his wheelchair. "Here are the x-rays."

The technician continued to wheel Alex to the nurse, who tried to begin to push Alex to the cast room to get a brace, but Alex stubbornly grabbed the wheels and began to wheel himself. "I can do this. I'm not that weak."

The nurse would not let go. "Sir, I must push you. You are in no condition to do this right now." Alex sighed, defeated and annoyed, but he gave in.

The doctor looked at the x-rays Alex gave him. "Looks pretty good. You'll have to keep off your leg for another couple of weeks though, I'm afraid, unless you can afford to get a procedure done that automatically fixes it. However, your insurance doesn't cover any part of it."

"How much are we talking here? One thousand? Two?" Alex asked, not wanting to be an invalid any longer.

"Three," the doctor replied.

"Flaws? Side effects?"

"None cited yet. The procedure is still pretty new."

"I'll do it. I have the money. I guess I need to talk to Logan about insurance though. It doesn't seem like they've updated it since my promotion to Lieutenant Commander. Maybe they have, though, but Captain Logan said that it would cover all procedures and operations."

"Actually, I believe they have, but you can double-check if you wish. Alright, we'll not give you the brace, and you'll go to the O.R. Jill, take him, please."

"Yes, doctor."

Alex got off the table and back into the wheelchair. This had better be worth it.

Alex awoke after the procedure, groggy and nauseous. "You feeling nauseated?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah," Alex replied, blinking his eyes to get them to focus

"Alright, then. Here's a tray in case," she said, handing him a blue tray.

Alex tried to keep down the contents of his stomach, but soon they came up. "Did it go well?" asked, words slurred together.

"I believe so. You'll have to do P.T. now for half an hour, and depending on that, they'll let you go or make you stay."

"Uh…" Alex replied with the only noise he seemed to be able to make at the moment.

"Are you in pain? Even a little?"

"No."

The technician came in. "Alright, Alex," he said, "I'm going to wheel you over to your room, and then you'll have to wait for the physical therapist to come in."

"K.." he said.

Fifteen minutes later the physical therapist entered the room. "Hello, Alex. How are you feeling?"

"Great," he answered sarcastically.

"Alright, I'm going to need you to stand. You may lean on me until you get used to putting weight on it."

Alex obeyed, wanting to get out. It did not take long for him to be able to stand on his own. The physical therapist continued to work with Alex for the next half hour, and then he left and the doctor came in.

"Hello, Alex. Bob says you're doing well. You're going home. I just need you to sign here and call your home to make sure someone is there."

"Alright, no problem." Alex signed the papers and then grabbed the phone off the hook and dialed the numbers.

"Hello?" came a female voice.

"Is Jesse there? or Jerry?"

"No, just me Alex."

"Jen?"

"Yes, that's right. They had to go into work, but they had heard that you might be getting out, so, they asked me to stay here and sit by the phone."

"Oh," Alex replied and his face grew disappointed.

"Well, are you getting out?"

"Yeah, they're sending me home in a few minutes in a cab. Just be there so I can be left."

"Don't worry, Alex; I'll definitely be here. I have nowhere else to go. I hope you don't mind that Lucas, Trip, and Katie are here. I got bored, and –"

"No, I don't mind at all," he lied. He had hoped he could talk with her, possibly work things out, but it did not look like that would be possible, especially with Katie around. All of them were mad at him, even Jen was to some extent. "See you all in a few minutes."

"Bye." Jen hung up, and upon hearing the dial-tone, Alex hung up as well.

"So, is anyone home?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. I wouldn't just talk to the receiver like a person," Alex answered, jaded.

"Actually, we've had patients do that, but, of course, we have ways of finding out," the doctor replied, face comical.

"If you can find out on your own, why didn't you just call?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Just get me out of here."

"Patience, Alex. It is a virtue."

Alex unlocked the door and opened it. Jen was there to greet him. "Hey, Alex. Welcome home," she answered with a sheepish grin. She felt weird greeting him like that, especially considering that she could have been married to him by now had she not given back the ring, had she never had to go back in time.

"Hi," he said callously. He sat on the couch, which had been moved.

"I hope you don't mind. I kind of cleaned up a bit, moved some furniture around, and got the place looking nice for your return," Jen said, hoping to get some reaction from him. She hated the cold-hearted man Alex had somehow become over the past two weeks.

Alex shrugged. "Thanks." He flipped on the television and began to watch the news.

Jen and the others looked at each other unhappily.