Chapter 27
A few days later, Rita Zeddney was laid to rest at Stone Canyon Cemetary. The ceremony was small and quiet. Only family and
friends were invited. John gave the euology for his wife and could not get through it without breaking down a few times. After
the ceremony, the rangers and John made their way back to Tommy's house. They needed a break from the events of the day and
rest and relaxation was the best way to do it. Once back at the house, John went into Tommy's room and stayed there for the
rest of the night, leaving the others to mingle amongst themselves. Out on the patio, Jason, Tommy, Conner and Ethan were
talking about the events leading up to the final battle. Conner was filling them in on what exactly happened in the hospital.
Kira, Anna, Hayley and Kim were in the kitchen spilling the beans on the men.
(Outside)
"Hey Conner, now that you're back and you're okay, what are you going to do about Kira?" Ethan asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come off it Conner, everyone of us knows that you and her got the hots for each other, so what are you going to do about it?" Jason interupted, falling right into place.
"A little help here Dr. O?"
"Actually, I want to know as well, Conner. Looks like you're gonna have to spill."
"You guys are worse than the girls."
"Damn right." All three of them chorused.
"So there's no way out of it?"
"No." Again all three of them answered.
"Okay, fine. I'm planning on asking her to Prom. It's next month and I'm head over heels for her. I love her and I think she knows that. It's just that when Trent attacked me outside the cybercafe, that's when everything went downhill. I knew that he liked her and wanted her but I knew that I loved her and needed her. I was trying to find a way to tell her when he beat the hell out of me."
"Why were you late that night?" Tommy asked.
"Well, I got to my car and it wouldn't start. That's when I called Dr. O and he was running late and couldn't talk. I knew I had to be there for the performance so I used my super speed to get to the cybercafe. When I got there, Trent was standing outside the door with my carburator that he had taken out of my car."
"That asshole." Jason said.
"Then when I tried to walk past him, that's when everything went down and the next thing I knew I was flying through the window."
"Brutal."
Then, they cloned me in the hospital, the clone took Anna and well you guys got me out of there finally. I have no idea how long I was actually in there for, I was slipping in and out of consciousness the whole time. My eyes still haven't adjusted to light."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that Conner." Tommy said.
"Me too. So anyway, Jason, how did it feel wearing red again?"
"Well kid, it was fun but you need to get some meat on your bones, that thing was way too tight for me. It felt like I couldn't even breathe."
"Bring back any memories?"
"Tons. A lot of them good, some of them bad."
"Would you do it again, bro?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, yeah I would."
"This whole thing would be great if we hadn't lost Rita. We beat Mesogog but we lost one of our own. It sucks and it makes you think." Ethan said.
"It always does kid." Jason said.
"I just hope John can recover from this." Tommy said.
"He will, it will just take time."
(The Kitchen)
"So, Kira. Now that Conner's back at 100 percent, what do you plan to do to him?" Kim asked.
"That's private." Kira blushed.
"Not within this group." Anna said.
"Hayley, please?"
"Uh uh. I want to know too and I want to know when you're paying me back for his ass flying through my window."
"Fine, I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to wait for him. I am hoping that he'll ask me to prom though, it's next month."
"I got an idea. How about we sing that song we were going to that night at Hayley's? The one right before he flew through the window."
"That's not a bad idea but let's do it at prom."
"Cool."
"So Anna, with prom a month away, who do you plan on going with?"
"I don't know."
"Oh you can't go alone. I'm not into dances but even I know that one." Kira said.
"Fine. Maybe I'll keep it in the group and go with Ethan but that's a maybe. I'll wait for him and if he doesn't then I'll make the move. I'm only interested in going as friends. Hey, while we're on the subject, why doesn't Hayley try that with Jason and Mom can try it with Tommy?" Anna suggested with an evil look in her eyes.
"Look it's still a month away, a lot can happen between now and then but I will admit that Jason is very good looking." Hayley admitted.
"And it wouldn't be the first time Tommy and me went to a dance. I know he needs chaperone's so it shouldn't be a problem."
"I kind of feel bad for doing all this with John upstairs alone. I really wish Rita was still here." Anna said.
"Oh me too. She would have a ball telling you guys about me and the others when we were rangers." Kim said.
"I just hope he'll be okay." Kira said.
"He will be, it just takes time." Hayley said.
(Outside)
"So Tom, what did Kim say to you before we left? That's been bugging me all this time." Jason asked, wanting to know what was said between the two.
"Oh! Thanks Jason."
"What did I do?"
"KIM!" Tommy yelled from his chair.
"WHAT!" came the response.
"Where's my dinner!"
"SHIT!"
"I'm hungry! Correction: We're hungry!"
Kim and the girls came to the doorway instead of yelling across the house.
"What do you want handsome?"
"Whatever my boys want." Tommy said looking at the three men sitting next to him.
"Hot dogs."
"Burgers."
"Chinese."
"And I'll take Spaghetti." Tommy said with a smile.
"I can't do all that."
"Get the girls to help. Each girl can take an order. You take mine, Kira takes Conner's. Hayley takes Jason's and Anna can take Ethan's."
"Can you beleive them girls?"
The three shook their heads in disapproval.
"Hey, you shouldn't have promised dinner when we returned."
"That was strictly for you."
"Well the guys are hungry too."
"Fine. We'll go to the store and get everything."
"Thank you beautiful." Tommy said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go girls, we've got a long night ahead of us." Kim said as the girls started walking to the car.
Once inside, the girls rolled the windows down and all shouted:
"MEN!"
The four men looked at each other and smiled before responding:
"WOMEN!"
With that, the girls drove off to the store to pay off Kim bet to Tommy. After the car drove out of sight, the guys busted up laughing.
"Oh my god, I thought Kira was going to kill you Dr. O." Conner said between laughs.
"How are you still alive bro?"
"I haven't eaten yet. Between the four of them, I don't want to think about the kinds of poisons they'll be putting in my food tonight."
"Yeah, you might not even make it to prom Dr. O." Ethan said.
"Well, let's not think like that Ethan. I'd like to at least see you guys graduate."
None of them heard John make his way down the stairs and outside.
"Where did the girls go?" He asked.
"John, you're up. How are you?"
"I'm okay. I know Rita's gone but we're supposed to be celebrating her life right now and I can't do that by moping. The pain will always be there but I have to live my life. Rita would have wanted that. What better way to start healing than by laughing?"
"Come on, grab a beer and join. It's too bad you missed the argument with us and the girls."
"Oh I didn't. You woke me up with all that screaming. I heard everything. Let me say this Tommy, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Kimberly gets a hold of you."
"Well that's later, right now, we enjoy the moment. Guys, grab your drinks."
Five glasses were raised to the sky.
"To Rita and Zordon, may your words and wisdom never be forgotten. To you, our fallen friends."
When the toast was done, the five men sat in silence on the porch watching the sun set over the mountains while waiting for the women to return.
TBC.