Two of a Kind
part 3
Lisa upended a trashcan and sent it flying into the first wave of Krybots as Boom tried to tuck and roll under the second, missing his mark wide and nearly slamming headfirst into a street light."They make it look so easily in training," Lisa huffed.
Boom tried to nod. "I think we're seriously outnumbered..."
Lisa looked wide-eyed. "Um. Yes."
The wail of sirens filled their ears, and second later Shadow Ranger leapt into the fray, dispatching the robot footsoldiers with ease. He helped Boom to his feet and stared at Lisa over his shoulder. "Cadet Tegan? Would you care to explain why Emperor Gruumm has such interest in you?"
"Um. I have no idea. Sir?" Lisa wondered if she'd hit her head on one of the light poles. She probably had.
Cruger shook his head, gently placing a hand on the small of her back beneath her mane of long blonde hair and eased her upright in case she fainted. "Let's get you back to the command center, let Dr. Manx examine the both of you."
Lisa wondered if maybe it wasn't her timing that was so bad, but rather Cruger's that was exceptionally good. She also wondered how paranoid you had to be before you went beyond healthy and became drooling.
She staggered up, knowing that she was wobbling. Either she had hit her head, or she was wobbly from the encounter. Boom held her up, and as his energies connected with hers, she began to feel better. She wobbled forward.
"Sir," Boom interjected, "with all due respect I'd like to examine the scene of the attack before anyone else gets here. Gruumm might have left some clue as to what he wanted."
Cruger growled, and Lisa shrank back. How could Boom not see that Cruger wanted him under close supervision?
"Please, sir?" Boom pleased.
Cruger shrank. "Fine. If you feel you can be of use to the investigation, by all means. But I want at least one member of B-Squad overseeing you, Boom." His voice softened. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately. You never wanted to be out on the front lines before. You're not a cadet, Boom. You're not a Ranger. I only want to know you are safe."
"I appreciate that, sir, but I am a member of SPD," Boom said. "And I want to know why we were targeted. Why Lisa was targeted."
"Why you were targeted," Lisa said softly. "Maybe I should help too."
"No." Shadow's voice firmed again. "Cadet Tegan, you are injured. I want you where Kat can take a good look at you."
Lisa didn't have to read Cruger's mind to know he plainly distrusted her, thought she was the cause of all this. Which actually made no sense, she realized, if Cruger was the one behind it. Was THAT why he was so suspicious of her?
"It's all right," Boom said. "I'm sure I can find it out."
"I'll send Cadet Carson to assist," Cruger said, reaching out to support Lisa.
She nodded shortly before all the blood drained from her head and she passed out in Shadow's arms.
Lisa woke up in the infirmary. "Argch." She remembered, dimly, the world going dark as Kruger had reached for her.
A pair of fingers snapped in front of her eyes. "Hey there. Wakey wakey."
She groaned. "Very funny."
She was surprised to find the mirthful face staring down at her wasn't her beloved Boom, but rather a young man with dark hair and an enormous grin splitting his face. "You want some tapioca? Because I kind of ate yours while you were asleep. But I can get RIC to make some for you."
"Um. Who are you and how long have I been out and what happened?"
His grin faded as he tried to process the barrage of questions. "Boom's holed up in Kat's lab analyzing some samples of something, about six hours, my name's Bridge and he asked me to watch over you."
His fingers ticked across the air like he was working an invisible keyboard. "Did you all that in the right order?"
"Six HOURS?" she asked mildly. "All I did was get a little lightheaded!"
Bridge shrugged. "You were suffering from major exhaustion. Kat said your electrolyte levels are dangerously low. Are you running laps?"
She shook her head. "No." She tried to focus her mind, trying to think if aything had nagged at her.
One of the monitors began beeping. Bridge hopped off the end of her bed. "Oh wow, your pulse just doubled in speed. What are you DOING?"
She groaned, hoping Boom would come back soon. "Agh. My head!"
Bridge handed her a bottle of sports water. "Take it easy. Stop doing, um... That."
"Itai, Itai, itai..." she whimpered. "Hurts, hurts, hurts." She took a deep breath and tried to focus again. Bridge began to blue as tears crowded her eyes.
"Hey, hey," he whispered, taking the water back and patting her hand. "It's gonna be fine."
"Itai..." she breathed. "Hurts." She tried focusing once more, but the pain was too much.
Bridge smiled and took off his glove.
"Hu... it's okay," she rapidly reassured him.
Bridge gestured with his hand. "May I read you?"
She groaned. Boom? she thought at the other telepath. She strained to reach his mind, with more effort that it took than usual.
What?
Bridge... wants to read me.
You sound like you're in a lot of pain, Boom commented before answering Did he say why?
I've never had to strain this much before to talk to anyone, she said. And I think it's because I'm in pain. Why am I in such pain?
Let him read you, Boom quickly replied. I'll be down shortly. Don't strain yourself any more. With that he cut their connection.
Bridge was still looking at her, glove off. She nodded. "Painkillers."
Bridge looked at her oddly. "I think I'd remember if I spiked your water."
"Painkillers," she groaned. "Itai, itai, itai..."
"OH!" he ran over to a cupboard and fished out a bottle. "Yeah, sure, here. All you can eat."
He emptied the bottle's contents on her bedside table and looked up at her expecatly like a child would.
"Thanks," she said, the world starting to spin around her. She took four asprin, knocking them back with the water.
Bridge slowly put the others back in the bottle, and Lisa smiled at his childlike naivete.
As he got up, she felt her head spin some more, and she collapsed against the bed, her vision going dark.
"Lisa? LISA!"
She could faintly hear his voice as she lost consciousness.
The world slowly drifted back around her as she realized Boom's head was resting next to hers, his body awkwardly contorted in the chair beside her bed. His hand tightly clutched hers, and her touch memory seemed to say he'd done so for hours. The steady beep of an IV drip confirmed the dull thud in her right arm.
She shook him.
He smiled softly. "Hey there, sleepy head. You had me worried."
"What... happened?" Her throat felt as dry as the desert.
"You blacked out again. Bridge scanned you, and it confirmed what I feared. You put so much of your power into restoring me to my normal self you've taxed your body nearly to the point of shutdown."
Lisa groaned. "Something... it still feels like it's hard to touch you, even at this distance..."
Boom's face paled. "Lisa, you realize it's possible whatever you took out of me is trying to infect you."
She groaned again. "That's exactly what I need right now."
His strong hand wrapped around hers even tighter. "I'll look out for you. I owe you that, and so much more..."
She nodded. "I guess I better try to act like a normal before I burn myself out."
"Be careful," he whispered. "Please."
"GRUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM!" Mora yelled across the empty bridge, gaily bouncing a dolly along the arms of his throne.
"What?" the villain asked gruffly, coming in to the room. "And get off my throne."
Mora stuck her tongue out, hopping down and prancing around the largely unoccupied room. "I think I found just how to get my Boomie back! That nasty old Cadet Tegan didn't break my spell, she just put it on herself instead of him! I can use her to get control back of him, and then I'll be able to take over the WHOLE WIDE WORLD for you."
Her smile turned feral. "And you know what you've promised me, Gruumm..."
Gruumm grumbled something under his breath. "Very well. Whatever it is, do it."
Mora cheered and resumed playing with the toy along the helm controls. Gruumm didn't bother trying to stop her.
Down on earth, Lisa heard a hum in her head. An all-too cheerful hum. She turned restlessly in the bed.
Tell me what you think! To be continued later!