Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter six of "Just Away." Tommy and Kim are reunited in this chapter. The one after the next will feature action in Ninja Ranger style. I have been wanting to do such a thing for a long time. I felt it was time to do so. Stay tuned for chapter seven.
XXXXX
Chapter 6: Nothing the Same Again
Kim was asleep on her back in Room 310 at Angel Grove Memorial Hospital. The bed happened to be in a slightly inclined position. Her hands were at her sides. The room was medium-sized. A TV hung from the ceiling in the corner. The bed contained a table that could be folded up and put in front of her. A table was near it. Two chairs were next to the door. Two others were along the wall. The heart monitor beeped at a steady pace.
"Hey, don't you know you're supposed to land on your feet?" a male voice asked with a chuckle.
Kim opened her eyes and turned to see Tommy sitting next to her in a chair. He had the bear near her head. She smiled and took it. She wrapped her arm around it after putting it at her side.
"I thought I'd try something different," Kim said, looking away. She turned back to him before blowing hard. "I guess I should just stick to what works, huh?"
Tommy nodded in agreement. He took her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He could feel his heart beating a little fast. He let out a shuddering breath.
"Damn. You had us all really scared, especially me," Tommy said, his voice cracking somewhat. "With everything we've been through with Rita and Zedd, this has been the worst."
"Thanks for being here, Tommy," Kim said and formed a small smile on her face. He ran his hand over her hair after letting go of hers. She brought the bear to her eye level. "Cute."
She giggled while tickling the bear's nose. She ran her finger over each of its eyes and ears. She looked at him, seeing him take hold of her hand again. He squeezed it once more. He felt her do the same to his. He brought it to his lips for a kiss.
"I remember when you told me about the only time you had ever been in a hospital. I am sure it feels weird being in one again," he said and let out a soft snort.
"It sure does. The difference is I didn't have to stay overnight last time. Dr. Jacobs just wants to make sure I do not develop a concussion. People's conditions can deteriorate in the blink of an eye," she pointed out.
"Fractures can become infected too," Tommy added.
"That is true," Kim agreed while nodding slowly. "I remember watching the Saved by the Bell episode called 'Operation Zack.' Zack was scared to have surgery on his knee. He thought it would go wrong."
"It was funny when he tried to escape the hospital. Lisa scolded him when she found out from her mother," Tommy commented with a snicker. "He said she sounded just like her. She said he deserved it. She told him they were in a hospital before. He remembered they were nine years old and went ice skating for the first time. They got good at pretending to be Olympic figure skaters until Screech tripped and fell. He grabbed her skirt in which it caused her to fall over and hit her butt on the ice. He twisted his ankle. They were rushed to the hospital. Their parents made a big deal about it."
She chuckled to herself. "They were together through all that. Everything turned out fine. Lisa reminded Zack he had the best surgeon in Los Angeles working on him."
He released his hold on her hand. "That helped him to get over his fear of surgery."
Kim breathed deeply. She glanced out the window to see two northern mockingbirds sitting on the windowsill. She turned back to her boyfriend, seriousness showing in her eyes.
"Tommy, there is something I need to tell you," Kim said.
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked in much confusion.
"Dr. Jacobs had blood tests done on me. He wanted to make sure I didn't have an infection. They revealed high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin," Kim explained.
"That's the hormone responsible for pregnancy," Tommy responded with raised eyebrows. "That means you're—"
"Yes," Kim said while nodding and sniffling quietly. Tears filled her eyes. "I am pregnant."
Tommy gasped in a shocked way as his heart beat even faster. This made Kim tense quite a bit. He stood up and walked up to the wall. He breathed slowly yet deeply. She pushed herself into a sitting position, letting out another quiet sniffle. She hugged the bear close to her.
"Tommy, talk to me," she begged. "Please."
"Not once did I think this would happen to me," he whispered and turned around to face her. "How far along are you in your pregnancy?"
"I am actually four months along," Kim admitted, her body beginning to shake quite a bit. "Dr. Wingo did an ultrasound while I was unconscious. He found the baby was fine and that its growth was on track. My due date is March 26."
"Wow," Tommy exclaimed. "You do not look like you have gained any weight at all."
"Dr. Jacobs said any weight I may have gained became muscle. That made it easier to hide my pregnancy. It is a well-known fact that no two women have the same pregnancy," Kim pointed out. "I have no doubt my Ranger powers shielded the baby from any hits I took."
"They also give us the energy to engage in sex multiple times," Tommy murmured.
She choked back a sob. "The baby was conceived the night after the fight with Goldar and Scorpina. My birth control failed." She began crying softly. "I am so sorry."
"Hey, it's okay. Come here," Tommy said, coming to her side. He leaned over to pull her into his arms. This allowed her to bury her face into his shoulder. He listened to her muffled cries. He felt her tears wet his white t-shirt. "You know birth control isn't one hundred percent effective. This was one of those times it didn't work."
"You are taking this really well," Kim said surprisingly. He let go of her to pull back and look her in the eye. "I was expecting you to be angry with me. I mean, it was me who suggested we do it without the condom. You agreed to it. We were so determined to feel each other fully. If you had worn a condom, then—"
He blew softly. "A condom would have reduced the chance of you getting pregnant a bit. It still could've broken, even when used correctly. It's happened with many men."
"I know some of those men accused the women they had sex with of sleeping around when they learned of their pregnancies. They believe they could not be the fathers because they used protection," Kim commented, shuddering in much disgust.
"It's not right," Tommy commented. "It sucks, but it is what is."
"Unfortunately," Kim agreed with a heavy sigh. "Life isn't always fair. Neither is death."
"That is right," Tommy agreed, nodding in a slow way.
"Still, I am sorry that this happened," Kim apologized guiltily.
Tommy cupped her chin in his hand. "There is no need to apologize. I'll be here for you and the baby. I love you. I know we created this baby in an act of love."
Kim let out a soft cry. "Thank you. I love you too."
She kissed him and gave him a big hug. He responded by giving her a bigger one. They stayed this way for thirty seconds before releasing their hold on each other. They pulled back and looked into each other's eyes. Her body wasn't shaking anymore. He seated himself on the side of the bed.
"So, this means you won't be able to resume training for the Pan Global Games," Tommy said in seriousness.
"Mm-hmm," Kim said, nodding. "I don't know if I will ever go back to gymnastics. This baby is much more important to me than winning a gold medal is."
"I anticipate Coach Schmidt will be very disappointed once he learns about this. He saw so much potential in you," Tommy responded.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to train with him. I can't help but wonder if he discovered one or more gymnasts were pregnant at some point," Kim commented, curiosity filling her eyes.
"If he did, who knows what his reaction was?" Tommy wondered with a shrug. "He seems to be a pretty nice guy. He might take this rather well."
"Perhaps," Kim agreed. "I don't want to think about how Aisha's parents, my parents, my grandparents, my brother, my uncle, and my stepfather will react to the news of my pregnancy right now. My grandparents actually jumped on my parents for getting me birth control to clear up my acne when I was thirteen. I continued to use it after the acne was gone. My grandparents see birth control as giving teens permission to have sex. They believe people should stay pure until marriage. They tell me this every time they come to see me. I respect their beliefs. However, that doesn't mean I have to live like them."
"I don't want to think about how my parents, my grandparents, and my uncle will react to the news of your pregnancy either," Tommy replied in uncertainty. "The same goes for Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Billy, Jason, Zack, and Trini."
"That's a lot of people," Kim murmured.
Tommy nodded in agreement. He felt his girlfriend take his hand into hers and squeeze it in much gentleness. He placed his other one over hers. He patted it so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even touching it.
"Your mom can't get here because all the flights in Paris are booked. Your brother is coming, but he won't be here for several hours. Your father is stuck in Chicago until a bad storm has passed. Your uncle is taking care of your grandparents because they are sick. Jason, Zack, and Trini can't come because they are leaving for Kenya tomorrow. My grandparents are staying put in Tulsa," Tommy said.
"It sucks not everyone we know will be able to come see me," Kim mumbled, frowning a bit.
"Mm-hmm. I don't doubt many students and teachers will judge us over our situation," Tommy mumbled in anger. "They always do that to teen parents." He let out a loud huff before clenching his teeth. "It's not right."
"I know," Kim muttered in a sad voice. "Thank God for Angel Grove High's teen parent program. We'll be excused from classes for doctor's appointments and such. Because I will give birth two months before the end of the year, the counselor can bring me my schoolwork."
"Yeah," Tommy agreed while nodding at her. "However, some teachers want it thrown out. They think teen parents should be sent to alternative schools." He acted as if he were spitting at the floor. "They see teen parents as making the school look bad."
"They have the right to think that. We don't have to agree with them," Kim said with a loud scoff. "In our eyes, teen parents have a right to graduate with their peers. They shouldn't be hidden." She hissed in a quiet way. "Pregnancy isn't a disease. It shouldn't be treated as such."
"No, it shouldn't," Tommy answered and took a deep breath. "When it comes to the Power Rangers, you won't be returning to action for a long while."
"Zordon and Alpha will start looking for another Pink Ranger after we tell them about my pregnancy. Who knows how long it will take for them to find one?" Kim asked uncertainly. "Zedd and Rita are likely planning something right now."
"I can't argue with that," Tommy said and growled angrily. "They nearly killed you three weeks ago. They ran you ragged yesterday." He curled his hand into a fist. "I would love to give them a piece of my mind."
"I don't blame you," Kim murmured and touched his cheek.
He took her hand into his and kissed the back of it three times. He laid them on the bed. He pushed her bangs out of her eyes. She slipped her other hand under the cover and pulled out the ultrasound pictures.
"Dr. Wingo took some pictures of the baby. Dr. Jacobs said he thought I might like to look at them," she said, handing him the pictures.
"That's nice," he said warmly as he released his hold on her hand. He smiled at the clearness of the baby in the first picture. "Talk about a very clear picture."
"Ultrasound technology keeps getting better every year," Kim said, excitement lining her voice. "I am looking forward to more ultrasounds."
"Has an appointment for another ultrasound been made after you get out of the hospital?" Tommy wondered.
"Not yet," Kim admitted. "I am hoping to see Dr. Wingo sometime today. I will try to have him make an appointment then."
"Once we sign up for the teen parent program, I will be able to take you to your appointments. I want to see my baby moving on the ultrasound," Tommy said in much eagerness.
She nodded. "Thank you for sticking with me, Tommy. I love you."
He smiled. "I love you too."
Tommy kissed Kim's forehead and rubbed it in a very gentle manner. He put the picture behind the others. He gestured toward the baby in the second one. She chuckled in a soft way.
