Disclaimer: It's Saban's sandbox. I just play here because it's fun.
Author's Note: Here we go the second section of Aftershocks. As I had said before this part has been divided because of its size. This section stems directly from the last one.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Lilac Moon for her company and encouragement.
**Denotes Thoughts**
- + - + - + - + - + -
Kat was beginning to understand why whenever they went into battle Billy worked doubly hard that night. Standing here in the infirmary and not being able to help was killing her. God, she wanted to do something, anything . . . but there was nothing she could do now that he was stabilized, except wait for the prognosis with her heart in her throat.
Her mind had started to make a detailed list of patch jobs and realignments that would keep her busy until her back was one complete knot and her fingers were bloody . . . that at least would be something helpful. Something she could fix because she couldn't fix this.
**When you can't do anything . . . You start doing everything you can** Kat looked down sharply at Billy's inert form. The words in her head had sounded so like him, complete with all his inflections and understanding that for a moment she thought he had spoken. But no . . . no he was still unconscious. Had he said that once? It seemed like something he'd say, but maybe it was just an attitude she'd picked up on.
If she bolted to the Zord bay now, would everyone think she had lost it? Biting the inside of her lip Kat glanced towards the infirmary doors, but shook her head. No, no matter how much she wanted to escape, she couldn't leave him alone.
Gripping her friend's limp, unresponsive hand a little tighter, Kat tried to fight back the tears. **Doctor, if you don't wake up soon I'm going to go mad** Maybe she already was. The usually calm Pink Ranger wanted to scream, wanted to throw things . . . wanted someone to turn on the stereo, anything that would break the oppressive silence that hung over the infirmary.
The normally talkative Rangers were being atypically quiet, standing around uncomfortably in their pajamas in a way that reminded her too much of a wake. **He's not dead! Stop acting like he's dead! He's just . . . he's sleeping . . . he's so tired and he's sleeping** It was such a stupid thought, but she clung to it, stubbornly ignoring how still he was, or how pale he looked.
Normally she could handle silence. After all it was one of the things she and Billy enjoyed sharing the most, but this was different. This wasn't the comfortable intimate silence that they would lapse into and come out of when he would look over at her and say something so completely in tune with what she was thinking it was as if they'd been talking the entire time. This silence was awkward, imposed, and he wasn't sharing her thoughts because he wasn't thinking at all.
That scared Kat the most --- staring down at her Doctor's completely still form, and realizing that his mind was still too. Billy might be able to stay in one spot for hours, but his mind never stopped. It always clicked along at a lightning fast pace, even when he was sleeping. She had stayed that night when he had broken down, just for a little while to watch him sleep. Even then he had looked as though he might shoot up at any moment to scribble down some brilliant thought.
He didn't look that way now, and it made her feel like she had already lost him. **Stop it! Stop thinking that way!** He would be all right. He was stable, his breathing was steady . . . he would be all right.
"Kat," Tanya came over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You should sit down."
"I'm fine." Kat murmured still not looking up. If she sat, Billy might not be able to see her when he woke.
"Are you sure you don't want someone to takeover? You've been standing here for at least half-an-hour."
"I said I'm fine." The words came out a little too harsh, causing everyone in the infirmary to look over.
"Okay, if you want anything . . ."
"Coffee."
Tanya turned with a surprised expression on her face. Kat didn't usually drink the stuff at home, but at the moment she needed something that would make this night feel a little more normal.
The Pink Ranger sighed, and lifted her eyes to give her friend a pleading look. **Don't make a big deal out of this Tan** "I'd like a cup of coffee. There's some in the break room."
For a moment she thought her housemate might say something else, but instead Tanya simply shrugged, and moved to exit the infirmary.
Just as the Yellow Ranger reached the doors, they began to slide open of their own accord, and Tommy stepped into the room. Kat had almost forgotten he had gone to discuss Billy's condition with Alpha and Zordon outside the infirmary, since neither being seemed to know the meaning of the word hushed.
Instantly everyone was on alert, waiting to hear the prognosis. What couldn't have been more than a split second lengthened into a painful eternity, stretching the tension across the room like a wire pulled taught against skin.
Tommy smiled broadly, "Zordon and Alpha say he'll be okay."
The wire snapped, taking with it Kat's last remnants of control, and she burst into joyful sobs. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."
Moving over behind her, Tommy wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against the back of her head, offering his own brand of quiet comfort. Not lifting her gaze from Billy's inert form, she brought her hand to cover his in acknowledgement.
"You'll be okay. You'll be okay." She probably sounded crazy, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stop saying the words, just kept repeating them over and over, because if she said it enough Billy might hear.
Kat didn't know how long they stayed that way --- with Tommy holding her while she cried out all the fear and pain and relief, until her body could produce no more tears, and she was reduced to dry heaves.
The other Rangers had kept their distance, not wanting to intrude on something they didn't understand, but as she calmed down Jason moved over from where he had been pacing a rut into the floor. "Do they know why he collapsed?"
Not removing his arms from around her waist, Tommy nodded, "Yeah, it was some sort of delayed reaction from his body's rejection of the Gold Ranger powers."
"What sparked it?"
Kat felt her boyfriend tense at the question, and instinctively knew the answer. "Me."
Suddenly every eye was on her.
"The sparring was what sparked it, wasn't it?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, so deadly calm, but she just didn't have anything else left.
"There was no way for you to know." Tommy replied and moved to gather her close, but Kat shook him off. She wasn't turning from her post for one second.
Squeezing Billy's hand again, she whispered, "I'm so sorry."
"He wouldn't want you to blame yourself." Jason interjected, "After all he obviously didn't even know, or he wouldn't have agreed."
"I guess."
Adam and Tanya came over from where they had been looking at the information Alpha had put up on the computer panel. Their hands were clasped tightly together, and Tanya held a mug of hot coffee.
"Don't guess." She smiled reassuringly and handed the mug to a grateful Kat. "Tell them Adam."
At his girlfriend's instruction, the Asian teen began to explain. "I was looking at what Alpha's put together so far. It looks like Billy would have been hit with the aftershock at some point no matter what. The sparring just sped the process up. At least this way he wasn't alone when it hit."
At Adam's last words the team fell uncomfortably silent, each member turning their gaze to the unconscious form of their one-man support team, all except Kat whose eyes were still locked gratefully on the Green Ranger.
She knew that Adam had always felt a small kinship with Billy as the other shy male on the team, but now she thought she could see a kind of muted respect that fell just short of hero worship. Of course, at the moment she wanted so desperately to believe that the team appreciated her Doctor the way they should, that she was liable to see anything.
"I didn't know Billy still sparred." Rocky finally broke the silence, his voice betraying how badly he felt about his lack of knowledge.
Tommy responded before she could. "Oh yeah, remember how I told you about the way he helped Kat with Jacob. He's still pretty good." He turned to give her a quizzical look, "I didn't know the two of you kept it up."
Kat nodded, choosing her words carefully, "I challenged him to a rematch and it sort of went from there. We're closer to each other's level."
It was the truth . . . in a manner of speaking.
"I just haven't seen him at the Youth Center . . ." The Blue Ranger trailed off uncomfortably.
"He doesn't like to work out in front of people." She supplied, trying to offer Rocky some measure of comfort.
"That'd be Billy." Jason nodded wisely, and Kat had to bite back a few vicious retorts about not assuming he still knew the team's scientist. Apparently she was no longer too drained to feel anger. Taking a slow sip of her coffee, she tried to calm down because she knew what the next question would be.
"But why were you guys working out at two in the morning?" Though Rocky asked it, she could feel the eyes of the entire team on her, waiting for the answer.
Licking her lips nervously, Kat took another sip of her coffee, and tried to weigh Billy's need for privacy against the need for the team to recognize just what he was going through. "He had to work out some frustrations."
Carefully and deliberately, she set down her mug and allowed her gaze to sweep the room, practically daring someone to be stupid enough to ask what frustrations. No one did however, and only Jason and Tommy even dared to meet her eyes.
The new Gold Ranger's face was impassive, but in his eyes rested acknowledgement and something that she just couldn't put her finger on. The numerous stories she had heard about Jason Scott from both her best friend and her boyfriend had made her feel as though she knew him. Now that she had actually met the former leader, however, Kat determined that he was destined to remain a bit of an enigma.
Tommy's expression on the other hand was like reading an open book. As it sunk in with him exactly what she meant by frustrations, his face betrayed him, contorting in shock and guilt.
**No, you're not the only one to suffer silently** Kat met his gaze with a mixture of sympathy and reproach. Why her boyfriend, the master at trying not to admit his feelings, always took at face value his friends statements about their own emotions was completely beyond her.
By now Tommy had managed to regain control of his expression, but his eyes were still stormy. Swirling there she saw the guilt of a leader who thought he had abandoned one of his men and a complete loss as to what to do next. **Start with being guilty as a friend**
However it was Adam who threw him a lifeline, "Billy will probably have to stay here for at least twenty-four hours after he wakes up. He shouldn't be alone."
"You're right." Tommy nodded, and Kat watched as he slid comfortably back into his role as the team leader, all other things forgotten for the moment. "We'll take shifts. Four hours per person that way everyone can still make any commitments they already have."
"I'll take the first one."
The Red Ranger shook his head, "You should get some sleep, Kat."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," She retorted, unconsciously falling back on her friend's favorite phrase. At that moment this conversation reminded her a little too much of her arguments with Billy although she was used to the other side. At least she knew the dance. "I was here when he collapsed. I won't leave him. Besides, I'm the only one of you who has off first-period."
He wanted to protest more. She could see it in his eyes --- in the growing confusion as to how she had become Billy's defender and just what that meant. **Don't ask me that Tommy. Not tonight. Because tonight I don't know what I'll say**
"I'll take the second shift." Jason volunteered stopping any further discussion. Kat looked over to him, and the Gold Ranger hesitated, "That is if you don't think he'll mind. It's just, since my schedule is the most flexible because I'm still on the delegate education program, I thought. . ."
As it sunk in with her that Jason was trying to justify himself for intruding in a place where he felt he had no right yet still wanted to be, Kat stopped his rambling, "I don't know how Billy will feel, but it can't hurt to try."
Following their new member's lead, the others began to volunteer for shifts, each deferring to Kat for the final say on when the ex-Ranger would be willing to see them.
"I guess that means I have the last one." Tommy murmured uncomfortably.
Laying a reassuring hand on his arm, Kat kissed him softly trying to communicate her promise that they would discuss things later. "Just talk to him."
"About what?" He looked at her pleadingly, searching for some guidance as to how make things right.
"Anything." **Anything other than weapons modifications and battle tactics. Just talk to him like a person** Pulling away before she said something she'd regret, Kat turned back to the infirmary table and resumed her watch.
**It's getting intense Billy. Feel like lightening the mood?** As though he had heard her, the ex-Ranger's hand moved just the tiniest fraction.
Adam saw it too. "I think he's starting to come around guys!"
The Green Ranger's words were reemphasized by a soft moan from the young engineer, and like a unit everyone moved to crowd around him.
Billy's eyes flickered halfway open, and he groaned, "Captain?"
"He's never called you that before Tommy. He must be really disoriented." Rocky joked.
Kat for her part just moved closer to the table, so she was certain her best friend could see her, and squeezed his hand. Apparently feeling the contact, the teen-genius shifted his gaze, so that as his eyes finally opened they met with hers.
"You scared us." She whispered.
"Us?" He blinked in confusion, and she flicked her gaze around the table trying to make him conscious that everyone was there.
"Welcome back, bro." Tommy clapped a hand on Billy's shoulder, and Kat winced in sympathy. He had fallen hard on that shoulder when he collapsed.
For his part however the young engineer looked like he was still trying to process just what was happening, and Kat had to stifle the insane urge to tease him a little. **Are you always this disoriented when you wake up?**
"Where . . . ?"
"You're in the infirmary." She explained, wanting to keep him from too much confusion. "You collapsed while we were sparring."
"Wha . . .?"
"Delayed reaction from ---"
"Rejecting the powers." Billy completed for her, a small light going on. She just squeezed his hand harder. "How long?"
"About three hours, just long enough to scare all of us half to death."
He actually looked remorseful at that. "I'm sorry . . ."
Rocky stopped him. "Hey, no man. We're just glad you're okay."
"I'm fine." As though to prove the truth of this, Billy struggled to sit, but had to give up under the strain. Lying back against the pillow he sighed, "I may still need a little rest."
Adam laughed, "Try a full twenty-four hours of it. We're keeping you hear until we know everything's okay."
Kat didn't think she'd ever seen Billy find a concept quite so unappealing. "You won't be alone. We're going to keep you company."
"But school . . ."
"Got it covered" Tommy reassured him, "We're taking shifts."
"I have the first one." Her Doctor's expression softened a little at that, although she could tell that he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day.
"Okay." He acquiesced, letting his eyes flicker closed. It was obvious, that he didn't have a whole lot of energy to his name right now.
Looking up, she caught Tommy's eye and mouthed 'Leave'. He gave her a brief nod to show he caught her meaning and moved away from the table, touching Jason on the shoulder as he went.
One by one the Rangers filed out until they were alone.
"They're gone."
Billy sighed and squeezed her hand, "Thank you."
"For what it's worth, I think they feel pretty bad about everything that happened." For moment he was so still, she thought he had drifted back into unconsciousness, "Doctor?"
"Would it make me a horrible person if I said 'Good'?"
Kat shook her head, "No."
His hand began to fumble at the side of the bed, but she reached over to stop him. "Which button?"
"Small green one. Just hold it down."
Doing as he instructed, Kat watched as the upper half of the bed-table slowly began to rise. Stopping midway to help Billy shift into a better position, she chastised, "You should be resting."
"I can sleep while the others are here."
Sighing a little, she pressed the button again, until he motioned for her to stop. "Comfortable?"
"As comfortable as I can be." He moved to push himself up and winced, "Besides this way I can see you when you sit."
"I could have just stood."
"Have you sat down since I collapsed?" Kat just smiled guiltily. "I thought not. You need to sit."
Deciding that arguing with him would just be futile, she went and dragged one of the hard metal chairs over beside the bed. Plopping down in it, she folded her arms on the edge of the bed table, and resting her chin on them to emphasize just how short she was now, looked up at him with mock annoyance. "Happy now?"
"Extremely."
At the resumption of their playful banter, Kat felt a missing piece of herself click back into place. God, what would she have done without him?
"Hey, It's okay." Billy reached down to touch her arm, "I'm okay."
Not trusting herself to speak, she just smiled and brought her hand to cover his, so that he wouldn't break the contact. She needed his touch at the moment, needed the quiet peace that it gave her soul to feel him awake and alive. Tilting her head to rest against her arms, she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.
Kat could have stayed that way forever, welcoming *their* silence like an old friend. Allowing it to reassure her more than words ever could.
"I'm sorry."
Opening her eyes, she found Billy staring down at her as though he were pondering some great work of art. "For what?"
"You were crying. I'm sorry for making you cry." Lifting her head a little, Kat felt the slight moisture against her cheeks.
"I hadn't even realized it." She murmured, lifting a hand to swipe them away. "I must look awful."
Tilting his head thoughtfully, Billy pretended to consider this for a moment, and then pronounced, "Yeah, you look pretty bad."
Kat snorted, "Well you don't look much better."
"I don't have to show my face at school in . . ." He glanced over at the clock, "three hours. Did you give yourself time to change?"
"No, I was planning on just transporting over. I guess that's not a good idea, huh?"
"Who has the next shift?"
"Jason." He tensed almost imperceptibly at the name, but Kat saw it. "I could stay. I'm sure I can come up with some excuse for not being in school."
"No, you need to go. You've got that biology test next week remember?"
"I was trying to forget. What made me stay in AP Biology . . . oh wait that was you."
Billy shrugged unrepentantly, "You can handle it, and I told you I'd help. Give Jason a call and see if he can come half-an-hour early."
She reached to fiddle with her communicator and then stopped, "Are you okay with this? He's going to want to talk to you."
"I'm sure I can stay awake for a little while to reminisce."
"No, he's going to want to talk to you about what happened yesterday. They all will."
"Well there's a change." He looked at her sharply, "Kat, what did you say?"
"Enough. They asked why we were sparring at two in the morning, and I told them you were frustrated."
Leaning back against the bed table, he sighed, "Oh joy."
"They needed to know."
"I didn't want to make a big deal out this, Kat."
"Even if it is a big deal?"
He ran a hand over his face and then caught her eyes, "You have to promise me that you won't bring this up with them again. Just let it rest here."
"Billy . . ."
Holding up a hand to stop her protest, he replied, "It's bad for the team, Kat."
And that was what it came down to. That was what it always came down to with him, no matter what that meant personally. Was it good or bad for the team? And once he'd made his decision it was end of the line, discussion over, even if he was wrong. **Damn you, Doctor for being so stubborn**
Reading her reluctance, he tugged on her hand, so that she looked up again, "You told me once that all I ever had to do was ask. I'm asking, Captain."
Kat mentally cursed. He had her. There was such perfect trust in his eyes that she wouldn't go back on her word. She couldn't deny him no matter how much she wanted to. "Fine, I promise . . . but don't you *dare* try to pull away from us again. It's bad for the team."
Billy just stared at her, awestruck at having his own mantra turned on him.
Smiling to show that she wasn't really as angry as she had sounded, she whispered, "It's bad for you, too."
"Okay," He nodded his ascent, and from the blank expression on his face she could tell that pulling away had been at the top of his list of coping mechanisms.
Kat instantly regretted pushing so hard, even if she did mean it. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Call Jason." Billy looked as though he wanted to say more, but his voice was becoming weak under the strain. She had kept him awake too long.
"You need to rest."
"Yeah." He responded, the mere fact that he wasn't protesting betraying just how tired he was.
Lowering the bed back down for him, Kat moved away to the other side of the infirmary, and hit her communicator.
"Zordon?" The Gold Ranger's sleepy voice came through.
"No Jason, it's Kat."
"Kat . . ." Suddenly he sounded wide awake, "Oh my god, Billy, is he--?"
"He's fine." She reassured him, "He was awake for a little while and now he's resting. But I just realized that I didn't leave myself any time to change for school, could you come up at eight-thirty rather than nine?"
"Sure, yeah, I'll be there."
"Thanks."
"Does he need anything?"
"Sleep mostly. He's really tired, so don't expect him to talk too much."
"Okay."
Shutting off her communicator, she moved back over to the bed.
"I heard that." Billy muttered, his eyes still closed.
"You didn't say I couldn't try to offer you avenues of escape."
"I thought I wasn't supposed to pull away."
"Well that doesn't mean you have to face everyone today. You're supposed to be sleeping."
His eyes flickered back open, "Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Who won?"
She laughed, "You collapsed before I could beat you, so neither of us."
"Oh," He managed a small grin, "Do you want to concede?"
"Of course not. As soon as you're better, we're having a rematch. I'll drop you and then you can teach me Kim's move. Now get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"To drop you? Sure."
"Never mind."
She squeezed his hand, "I promise. Even if I have to wake you up before I leave."
- + - + - + - + - + -
Thank you all for reading. There will actually be third section to Aftershocks because I wanted to spend some time on a few of the other Ranger's shifts with Billy, but it's taking a little bit to get into their heads, and I didn't want to cliffhanger you guys for too long.
Also, I do know that this story just seems to be growing without stopping, but the details and character relationships are very important for the sequel I'm planning. So please forgive the perpetual anticipation.
Author's Note: Here we go the second section of Aftershocks. As I had said before this part has been divided because of its size. This section stems directly from the last one.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Lilac Moon for her company and encouragement.
**Denotes Thoughts**
- + - + - + - + - + -
Kat was beginning to understand why whenever they went into battle Billy worked doubly hard that night. Standing here in the infirmary and not being able to help was killing her. God, she wanted to do something, anything . . . but there was nothing she could do now that he was stabilized, except wait for the prognosis with her heart in her throat.
Her mind had started to make a detailed list of patch jobs and realignments that would keep her busy until her back was one complete knot and her fingers were bloody . . . that at least would be something helpful. Something she could fix because she couldn't fix this.
**When you can't do anything . . . You start doing everything you can** Kat looked down sharply at Billy's inert form. The words in her head had sounded so like him, complete with all his inflections and understanding that for a moment she thought he had spoken. But no . . . no he was still unconscious. Had he said that once? It seemed like something he'd say, but maybe it was just an attitude she'd picked up on.
If she bolted to the Zord bay now, would everyone think she had lost it? Biting the inside of her lip Kat glanced towards the infirmary doors, but shook her head. No, no matter how much she wanted to escape, she couldn't leave him alone.
Gripping her friend's limp, unresponsive hand a little tighter, Kat tried to fight back the tears. **Doctor, if you don't wake up soon I'm going to go mad** Maybe she already was. The usually calm Pink Ranger wanted to scream, wanted to throw things . . . wanted someone to turn on the stereo, anything that would break the oppressive silence that hung over the infirmary.
The normally talkative Rangers were being atypically quiet, standing around uncomfortably in their pajamas in a way that reminded her too much of a wake. **He's not dead! Stop acting like he's dead! He's just . . . he's sleeping . . . he's so tired and he's sleeping** It was such a stupid thought, but she clung to it, stubbornly ignoring how still he was, or how pale he looked.
Normally she could handle silence. After all it was one of the things she and Billy enjoyed sharing the most, but this was different. This wasn't the comfortable intimate silence that they would lapse into and come out of when he would look over at her and say something so completely in tune with what she was thinking it was as if they'd been talking the entire time. This silence was awkward, imposed, and he wasn't sharing her thoughts because he wasn't thinking at all.
That scared Kat the most --- staring down at her Doctor's completely still form, and realizing that his mind was still too. Billy might be able to stay in one spot for hours, but his mind never stopped. It always clicked along at a lightning fast pace, even when he was sleeping. She had stayed that night when he had broken down, just for a little while to watch him sleep. Even then he had looked as though he might shoot up at any moment to scribble down some brilliant thought.
He didn't look that way now, and it made her feel like she had already lost him. **Stop it! Stop thinking that way!** He would be all right. He was stable, his breathing was steady . . . he would be all right.
"Kat," Tanya came over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You should sit down."
"I'm fine." Kat murmured still not looking up. If she sat, Billy might not be able to see her when he woke.
"Are you sure you don't want someone to takeover? You've been standing here for at least half-an-hour."
"I said I'm fine." The words came out a little too harsh, causing everyone in the infirmary to look over.
"Okay, if you want anything . . ."
"Coffee."
Tanya turned with a surprised expression on her face. Kat didn't usually drink the stuff at home, but at the moment she needed something that would make this night feel a little more normal.
The Pink Ranger sighed, and lifted her eyes to give her friend a pleading look. **Don't make a big deal out of this Tan** "I'd like a cup of coffee. There's some in the break room."
For a moment she thought her housemate might say something else, but instead Tanya simply shrugged, and moved to exit the infirmary.
Just as the Yellow Ranger reached the doors, they began to slide open of their own accord, and Tommy stepped into the room. Kat had almost forgotten he had gone to discuss Billy's condition with Alpha and Zordon outside the infirmary, since neither being seemed to know the meaning of the word hushed.
Instantly everyone was on alert, waiting to hear the prognosis. What couldn't have been more than a split second lengthened into a painful eternity, stretching the tension across the room like a wire pulled taught against skin.
Tommy smiled broadly, "Zordon and Alpha say he'll be okay."
The wire snapped, taking with it Kat's last remnants of control, and she burst into joyful sobs. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."
Moving over behind her, Tommy wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against the back of her head, offering his own brand of quiet comfort. Not lifting her gaze from Billy's inert form, she brought her hand to cover his in acknowledgement.
"You'll be okay. You'll be okay." She probably sounded crazy, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stop saying the words, just kept repeating them over and over, because if she said it enough Billy might hear.
Kat didn't know how long they stayed that way --- with Tommy holding her while she cried out all the fear and pain and relief, until her body could produce no more tears, and she was reduced to dry heaves.
The other Rangers had kept their distance, not wanting to intrude on something they didn't understand, but as she calmed down Jason moved over from where he had been pacing a rut into the floor. "Do they know why he collapsed?"
Not removing his arms from around her waist, Tommy nodded, "Yeah, it was some sort of delayed reaction from his body's rejection of the Gold Ranger powers."
"What sparked it?"
Kat felt her boyfriend tense at the question, and instinctively knew the answer. "Me."
Suddenly every eye was on her.
"The sparring was what sparked it, wasn't it?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, so deadly calm, but she just didn't have anything else left.
"There was no way for you to know." Tommy replied and moved to gather her close, but Kat shook him off. She wasn't turning from her post for one second.
Squeezing Billy's hand again, she whispered, "I'm so sorry."
"He wouldn't want you to blame yourself." Jason interjected, "After all he obviously didn't even know, or he wouldn't have agreed."
"I guess."
Adam and Tanya came over from where they had been looking at the information Alpha had put up on the computer panel. Their hands were clasped tightly together, and Tanya held a mug of hot coffee.
"Don't guess." She smiled reassuringly and handed the mug to a grateful Kat. "Tell them Adam."
At his girlfriend's instruction, the Asian teen began to explain. "I was looking at what Alpha's put together so far. It looks like Billy would have been hit with the aftershock at some point no matter what. The sparring just sped the process up. At least this way he wasn't alone when it hit."
At Adam's last words the team fell uncomfortably silent, each member turning their gaze to the unconscious form of their one-man support team, all except Kat whose eyes were still locked gratefully on the Green Ranger.
She knew that Adam had always felt a small kinship with Billy as the other shy male on the team, but now she thought she could see a kind of muted respect that fell just short of hero worship. Of course, at the moment she wanted so desperately to believe that the team appreciated her Doctor the way they should, that she was liable to see anything.
"I didn't know Billy still sparred." Rocky finally broke the silence, his voice betraying how badly he felt about his lack of knowledge.
Tommy responded before she could. "Oh yeah, remember how I told you about the way he helped Kat with Jacob. He's still pretty good." He turned to give her a quizzical look, "I didn't know the two of you kept it up."
Kat nodded, choosing her words carefully, "I challenged him to a rematch and it sort of went from there. We're closer to each other's level."
It was the truth . . . in a manner of speaking.
"I just haven't seen him at the Youth Center . . ." The Blue Ranger trailed off uncomfortably.
"He doesn't like to work out in front of people." She supplied, trying to offer Rocky some measure of comfort.
"That'd be Billy." Jason nodded wisely, and Kat had to bite back a few vicious retorts about not assuming he still knew the team's scientist. Apparently she was no longer too drained to feel anger. Taking a slow sip of her coffee, she tried to calm down because she knew what the next question would be.
"But why were you guys working out at two in the morning?" Though Rocky asked it, she could feel the eyes of the entire team on her, waiting for the answer.
Licking her lips nervously, Kat took another sip of her coffee, and tried to weigh Billy's need for privacy against the need for the team to recognize just what he was going through. "He had to work out some frustrations."
Carefully and deliberately, she set down her mug and allowed her gaze to sweep the room, practically daring someone to be stupid enough to ask what frustrations. No one did however, and only Jason and Tommy even dared to meet her eyes.
The new Gold Ranger's face was impassive, but in his eyes rested acknowledgement and something that she just couldn't put her finger on. The numerous stories she had heard about Jason Scott from both her best friend and her boyfriend had made her feel as though she knew him. Now that she had actually met the former leader, however, Kat determined that he was destined to remain a bit of an enigma.
Tommy's expression on the other hand was like reading an open book. As it sunk in with him exactly what she meant by frustrations, his face betrayed him, contorting in shock and guilt.
**No, you're not the only one to suffer silently** Kat met his gaze with a mixture of sympathy and reproach. Why her boyfriend, the master at trying not to admit his feelings, always took at face value his friends statements about their own emotions was completely beyond her.
By now Tommy had managed to regain control of his expression, but his eyes were still stormy. Swirling there she saw the guilt of a leader who thought he had abandoned one of his men and a complete loss as to what to do next. **Start with being guilty as a friend**
However it was Adam who threw him a lifeline, "Billy will probably have to stay here for at least twenty-four hours after he wakes up. He shouldn't be alone."
"You're right." Tommy nodded, and Kat watched as he slid comfortably back into his role as the team leader, all other things forgotten for the moment. "We'll take shifts. Four hours per person that way everyone can still make any commitments they already have."
"I'll take the first one."
The Red Ranger shook his head, "You should get some sleep, Kat."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," She retorted, unconsciously falling back on her friend's favorite phrase. At that moment this conversation reminded her a little too much of her arguments with Billy although she was used to the other side. At least she knew the dance. "I was here when he collapsed. I won't leave him. Besides, I'm the only one of you who has off first-period."
He wanted to protest more. She could see it in his eyes --- in the growing confusion as to how she had become Billy's defender and just what that meant. **Don't ask me that Tommy. Not tonight. Because tonight I don't know what I'll say**
"I'll take the second shift." Jason volunteered stopping any further discussion. Kat looked over to him, and the Gold Ranger hesitated, "That is if you don't think he'll mind. It's just, since my schedule is the most flexible because I'm still on the delegate education program, I thought. . ."
As it sunk in with her that Jason was trying to justify himself for intruding in a place where he felt he had no right yet still wanted to be, Kat stopped his rambling, "I don't know how Billy will feel, but it can't hurt to try."
Following their new member's lead, the others began to volunteer for shifts, each deferring to Kat for the final say on when the ex-Ranger would be willing to see them.
"I guess that means I have the last one." Tommy murmured uncomfortably.
Laying a reassuring hand on his arm, Kat kissed him softly trying to communicate her promise that they would discuss things later. "Just talk to him."
"About what?" He looked at her pleadingly, searching for some guidance as to how make things right.
"Anything." **Anything other than weapons modifications and battle tactics. Just talk to him like a person** Pulling away before she said something she'd regret, Kat turned back to the infirmary table and resumed her watch.
**It's getting intense Billy. Feel like lightening the mood?** As though he had heard her, the ex-Ranger's hand moved just the tiniest fraction.
Adam saw it too. "I think he's starting to come around guys!"
The Green Ranger's words were reemphasized by a soft moan from the young engineer, and like a unit everyone moved to crowd around him.
Billy's eyes flickered halfway open, and he groaned, "Captain?"
"He's never called you that before Tommy. He must be really disoriented." Rocky joked.
Kat for her part just moved closer to the table, so she was certain her best friend could see her, and squeezed his hand. Apparently feeling the contact, the teen-genius shifted his gaze, so that as his eyes finally opened they met with hers.
"You scared us." She whispered.
"Us?" He blinked in confusion, and she flicked her gaze around the table trying to make him conscious that everyone was there.
"Welcome back, bro." Tommy clapped a hand on Billy's shoulder, and Kat winced in sympathy. He had fallen hard on that shoulder when he collapsed.
For his part however the young engineer looked like he was still trying to process just what was happening, and Kat had to stifle the insane urge to tease him a little. **Are you always this disoriented when you wake up?**
"Where . . . ?"
"You're in the infirmary." She explained, wanting to keep him from too much confusion. "You collapsed while we were sparring."
"Wha . . .?"
"Delayed reaction from ---"
"Rejecting the powers." Billy completed for her, a small light going on. She just squeezed his hand harder. "How long?"
"About three hours, just long enough to scare all of us half to death."
He actually looked remorseful at that. "I'm sorry . . ."
Rocky stopped him. "Hey, no man. We're just glad you're okay."
"I'm fine." As though to prove the truth of this, Billy struggled to sit, but had to give up under the strain. Lying back against the pillow he sighed, "I may still need a little rest."
Adam laughed, "Try a full twenty-four hours of it. We're keeping you hear until we know everything's okay."
Kat didn't think she'd ever seen Billy find a concept quite so unappealing. "You won't be alone. We're going to keep you company."
"But school . . ."
"Got it covered" Tommy reassured him, "We're taking shifts."
"I have the first one." Her Doctor's expression softened a little at that, although she could tell that he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day.
"Okay." He acquiesced, letting his eyes flicker closed. It was obvious, that he didn't have a whole lot of energy to his name right now.
Looking up, she caught Tommy's eye and mouthed 'Leave'. He gave her a brief nod to show he caught her meaning and moved away from the table, touching Jason on the shoulder as he went.
One by one the Rangers filed out until they were alone.
"They're gone."
Billy sighed and squeezed her hand, "Thank you."
"For what it's worth, I think they feel pretty bad about everything that happened." For moment he was so still, she thought he had drifted back into unconsciousness, "Doctor?"
"Would it make me a horrible person if I said 'Good'?"
Kat shook her head, "No."
His hand began to fumble at the side of the bed, but she reached over to stop him. "Which button?"
"Small green one. Just hold it down."
Doing as he instructed, Kat watched as the upper half of the bed-table slowly began to rise. Stopping midway to help Billy shift into a better position, she chastised, "You should be resting."
"I can sleep while the others are here."
Sighing a little, she pressed the button again, until he motioned for her to stop. "Comfortable?"
"As comfortable as I can be." He moved to push himself up and winced, "Besides this way I can see you when you sit."
"I could have just stood."
"Have you sat down since I collapsed?" Kat just smiled guiltily. "I thought not. You need to sit."
Deciding that arguing with him would just be futile, she went and dragged one of the hard metal chairs over beside the bed. Plopping down in it, she folded her arms on the edge of the bed table, and resting her chin on them to emphasize just how short she was now, looked up at him with mock annoyance. "Happy now?"
"Extremely."
At the resumption of their playful banter, Kat felt a missing piece of herself click back into place. God, what would she have done without him?
"Hey, It's okay." Billy reached down to touch her arm, "I'm okay."
Not trusting herself to speak, she just smiled and brought her hand to cover his, so that he wouldn't break the contact. She needed his touch at the moment, needed the quiet peace that it gave her soul to feel him awake and alive. Tilting her head to rest against her arms, she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.
Kat could have stayed that way forever, welcoming *their* silence like an old friend. Allowing it to reassure her more than words ever could.
"I'm sorry."
Opening her eyes, she found Billy staring down at her as though he were pondering some great work of art. "For what?"
"You were crying. I'm sorry for making you cry." Lifting her head a little, Kat felt the slight moisture against her cheeks.
"I hadn't even realized it." She murmured, lifting a hand to swipe them away. "I must look awful."
Tilting his head thoughtfully, Billy pretended to consider this for a moment, and then pronounced, "Yeah, you look pretty bad."
Kat snorted, "Well you don't look much better."
"I don't have to show my face at school in . . ." He glanced over at the clock, "three hours. Did you give yourself time to change?"
"No, I was planning on just transporting over. I guess that's not a good idea, huh?"
"Who has the next shift?"
"Jason." He tensed almost imperceptibly at the name, but Kat saw it. "I could stay. I'm sure I can come up with some excuse for not being in school."
"No, you need to go. You've got that biology test next week remember?"
"I was trying to forget. What made me stay in AP Biology . . . oh wait that was you."
Billy shrugged unrepentantly, "You can handle it, and I told you I'd help. Give Jason a call and see if he can come half-an-hour early."
She reached to fiddle with her communicator and then stopped, "Are you okay with this? He's going to want to talk to you."
"I'm sure I can stay awake for a little while to reminisce."
"No, he's going to want to talk to you about what happened yesterday. They all will."
"Well there's a change." He looked at her sharply, "Kat, what did you say?"
"Enough. They asked why we were sparring at two in the morning, and I told them you were frustrated."
Leaning back against the bed table, he sighed, "Oh joy."
"They needed to know."
"I didn't want to make a big deal out this, Kat."
"Even if it is a big deal?"
He ran a hand over his face and then caught her eyes, "You have to promise me that you won't bring this up with them again. Just let it rest here."
"Billy . . ."
Holding up a hand to stop her protest, he replied, "It's bad for the team, Kat."
And that was what it came down to. That was what it always came down to with him, no matter what that meant personally. Was it good or bad for the team? And once he'd made his decision it was end of the line, discussion over, even if he was wrong. **Damn you, Doctor for being so stubborn**
Reading her reluctance, he tugged on her hand, so that she looked up again, "You told me once that all I ever had to do was ask. I'm asking, Captain."
Kat mentally cursed. He had her. There was such perfect trust in his eyes that she wouldn't go back on her word. She couldn't deny him no matter how much she wanted to. "Fine, I promise . . . but don't you *dare* try to pull away from us again. It's bad for the team."
Billy just stared at her, awestruck at having his own mantra turned on him.
Smiling to show that she wasn't really as angry as she had sounded, she whispered, "It's bad for you, too."
"Okay," He nodded his ascent, and from the blank expression on his face she could tell that pulling away had been at the top of his list of coping mechanisms.
Kat instantly regretted pushing so hard, even if she did mean it. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Call Jason." Billy looked as though he wanted to say more, but his voice was becoming weak under the strain. She had kept him awake too long.
"You need to rest."
"Yeah." He responded, the mere fact that he wasn't protesting betraying just how tired he was.
Lowering the bed back down for him, Kat moved away to the other side of the infirmary, and hit her communicator.
"Zordon?" The Gold Ranger's sleepy voice came through.
"No Jason, it's Kat."
"Kat . . ." Suddenly he sounded wide awake, "Oh my god, Billy, is he--?"
"He's fine." She reassured him, "He was awake for a little while and now he's resting. But I just realized that I didn't leave myself any time to change for school, could you come up at eight-thirty rather than nine?"
"Sure, yeah, I'll be there."
"Thanks."
"Does he need anything?"
"Sleep mostly. He's really tired, so don't expect him to talk too much."
"Okay."
Shutting off her communicator, she moved back over to the bed.
"I heard that." Billy muttered, his eyes still closed.
"You didn't say I couldn't try to offer you avenues of escape."
"I thought I wasn't supposed to pull away."
"Well that doesn't mean you have to face everyone today. You're supposed to be sleeping."
His eyes flickered back open, "Captain?"
"Yes?"
"Who won?"
She laughed, "You collapsed before I could beat you, so neither of us."
"Oh," He managed a small grin, "Do you want to concede?"
"Of course not. As soon as you're better, we're having a rematch. I'll drop you and then you can teach me Kim's move. Now get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"To drop you? Sure."
"Never mind."
She squeezed his hand, "I promise. Even if I have to wake you up before I leave."
- + - + - + - + - + -
Thank you all for reading. There will actually be third section to Aftershocks because I wanted to spend some time on a few of the other Ranger's shifts with Billy, but it's taking a little bit to get into their heads, and I didn't want to cliffhanger you guys for too long.
Also, I do know that this story just seems to be growing without stopping, but the details and character relationships are very important for the sequel I'm planning. So please forgive the perpetual anticipation.