Hey everyone. How you all doing? I am completely drained right now as I have just ran a mile in under 8 mins. 'S ok but as I'm aiming at 6 mins I have a long way to go!

NinjaFreak: VAMPIRE HUNTER! Looks scared I've updated, I've updated - please don't stake me! Actually, if you do kill me you wont know how the story ends so I have Writer's Immunity so there! Sticks out tongue childishly!

MzDany: Sorry again! And you're absolutely right about Dr. Chan!

To everyone else: thanks for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Ps. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what type of car Conner drives?

Thanks again and enjoy!


Blake opened his eyes. Where was he? Then the memories hit him. He sat up quickly and saw Hunter lying on the bed. What time was it? He must have fallen asleep. He just sat there and stared at his brother. Hunter looked so helpless. The bruises on his face were already fading – Dr. Chan's good work. Blake reached out and gingerly touched Hunter's face. There was no response.

"Hunter. Please come back to me. Don't leave me like this. We were always going to go together, remember? Go out in a blaze of lights and action – not like this." Nothing happened. Blake laid his head on the bed. He tried to stop the tears, but they came anyway. Then Hunter's hand moved slightly.

"Hunter?" Blake lifted his head and wiped his tears away. "Hunter?"

Hunter's eyes flickered open. He stared at Blake, but didn't appear to 'see' him.

"Hunter? It's me." Blake leaned closer, but Hunter just stared straight through him. He didn't answer.

"I'll be right back, I promise." Blake told him, then got up and ran into the main room.

"Morning sleepy-head." Tori greeted him. "Hungry? How's Hunter?"

"He's awake." Blake almost shouted in delight.

"What?" Sensei was next to Blake in a second.

"He's awake, but…" he paused.

"But?"

"I don't know. He was looking at me, but it was if I wasn't there." His face fell.

"Did he say anything?"

Blake shook his head. "No, it was if I was invisible. I've got to go back – I promised I would. I don't want to leave him alone."

"Ok Blake. I'll get Dr. Chan over here."

Blake nodded and returned to Hunter. He hadn't moved. "Hunter?" Blake tried again, but got no response.

"What's up?" Dr. Chan appeared in the doorway.

"He's awake but he's, well, see for yourself." Blake could see Tori and the others waiting outside.

"Could it have been that knock to the head?" she suggested.

"Unlikely." Dr. Chan replied. "More likely this is his way of dealing with what has happened. Give him time. If he's like this in a few days then…" he left it unsaid that Hunter might be like that forever.

"What should we do?" Cam asked.

"Try to get him to eat something and keep talking to him. The sound of a familiar voice might bring him back from where ever his mind is at this moment. But apart from that, there is nothing else you can do. If there's any problem, you know where to find me." And with that Dr. Chan left.

"I'll go get him something to eat." Tori said and disappeared to the kitchen.

"Ok, there's nothing more to be seen. Dustin, Shane, Cam, I want a word." Sensei said. "Blake, you stay here with Hunter."

The three of them followed Sensei back to the main operations room.

"What is it father?" Cam asked.

"I'm worried about the effect all this is having on Blake." Sensei said in a low tone. "If Hunter doesn't get better, we don't know how Blake is going to take it. I want you three to take it in turns to sit with Hunter today to give Blake a break. Who knows, maybe hearing the different voices will, as Dr. Chan said, bring Hunter back from this 'living dream' he seems to be in."

"Sure Sensei." Shane spoke for them all.

"Here we are." Tori came in with a bowl of steaming soup. "It's tomato – I think that was his favorite."

Blake nodded, his head turned away from her.

"Blake, are you ok?" She put the soup down and touched his shoulder. He turned to look at her, a single tear making its way down his cheek. "Oh honey." She said and hugged him.

"He's my brother." Blake whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't bear to see him like this. What if he never gets better? That's what Dr. Chan was saying, right? He might not get better, and if he doesn't, what am I going to do?"

Tori pushed him away from her slightly so she could look into his eyes. "That's stupid talk and you know it." She said firmly. "Hunter is going to get better, you'll see. He just needs a little time. He loves you Blake; he's not going to leave you. Now, let's get some food into him. That'll make him feel better."

It was a challenge. Tori supported Hunter's head while Blake attempted to spoon-feed him.

"Come on Hunter." Tori said encouragingly to him.

Finally Hunter managed to swallow some of the soup. But after a few more spoonfuls Hunter's stomach just couldn't cope and he threw up. Once they'd cleaned him up, Shane came in to take over.

"Sensei says you're to have a break, so I'll sit with Hunter for a bit." Blake was about to protest but Tori forcefully dragged him out of the room.

"You need to eat." She said. "We don't want you to collapse on us as well – one invalid here is enough."

Shane sat down and stared at his friend. Hunter's eyes were shut now and he appeared to be asleep.

"Hey mate." Shane said softly. Hunter's eyes slowly blinked open, but he didn't register that Shane was there. "It's ok, you'll be better soon. Then I'm gonna kick that crimson butt of yours for not telling your friends what was going on!" He smiled at Hunter, but his smile faded as Hunter gave no indication of hearing him. There was an uncomfortable silence, with Hunter just staring at the wall. Finally Shane got up. He rested a hand briefly on Hunter's shoulder, but Hunter did not appear to feel it.

"Come back to us soon, bro." Shane whispered, and then went out to find the others.

One by one the other rangers took it in turns to sit with Hunter, but to no avail. Dustin tried some of his infamous jokes on him and Cam even managed to not talk computers to him, but Hunter didn't respond to any of it.

"See you tomorrow." Shane, Dustin and Tori got ready to leave. Blake had been given a room next door to Hunter's so he could stay with him. He had one last look in on Hunter, who looked to be sleeping peacefully, before going to bed himself.

But that night was far from peaceful. Blake was woken by a terrified scream coming from next door. Running through he found Hunter, eyes wide open, crying and turning about in his bed as if hell itself was after him. Cam and Sensei, woken up by Hunter's screams, appeared in the doorway.

"What's the matter?" Cam asked, slightly out of breath.

"It's ok." Blake replied calmly and went and sat down next to Hunter's bed. "He's just having a nightmare. You know, the ones I told you he used to have. It'll be over and forgotten about in a couple of minutes."

"Just a nightmare?"

"Yeah, just a nightmare." Blake said. "You guys go back to bed. He'll be fine. I'll sit with him to make sure he doesn't damage himself."

Hunter calmed down after ten minutes, drifting back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next day, neither Blake, Cam nor Sensei mentioned Hunter's nightmare to the others. They attempted a training session and, while Tori, Dustin and Shane managed to get into it, Blake's mind was on his brother. After he got hit by a punch from Shane due his lack of concentration, Sensei had Cam step in for him and sent Blake back to be with Hunter.

Hunter was sitting up when Blake got there; seemingly fascinated by the wall, although Blake wasn't sure he was even seeing the wall. He sat there without speaking for a few minutes, then touched Hunter's back to try to get his attention. Hunter didn't move.

"Hunter, please speak to me. You're my brother – you're all I have." Blake whispered, in the hope that his words might reach his brother.

But Hunter carried on staring at the wall. Blake shook his head. "I'll be back with some food. Maybe you'll be able to eat it this time." With a sigh he walked out. He hated seeing his brother like this. What was wrong with him?

Once Blake had left, Hunter continued to stare at the wall, then his brow creased up, as if he was struggling to remember something. He turned to look at where his brother had been.

"Blake?" he whispered…