Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, or any of the characters in this story. Not even the ones I made up. Go ahead and use them, I don't really mind. Oh, and I'll be using a famous line from the movie, 'American Pie'.

Blooming

Chapter 15 / A Proper Proposal III

As everyone was in the living room, Katherine came downstairs hurriedly wearing a tight white t-shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, and her white Tote bag on her right shoulder.

Kimberly, from the loveseat saw her from her peripheral vision and turned to her left to find out why she hadn't come down for breakfast with them.

"Hey" she started, "why didn't you have breakfast with us?" she asked in a very innocent, sweet voice.

"Oh, actually, I was, but I got held up by someone" Kat said as she went over to the couch behind Tommy and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey, I told her I was sorry" he said in his defense while grabbing the back of his head and rubbing it as if it hurt.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked a very stern Jason from the loveseat as well.

"Yeah, why do you have that beach Hefty bag with you?" asked Rocky jokingly as he was sitting to Tommy's right.

Adam was on the recliner not saying anything to insult anybody as usual.

"Well, first of all, it's not a beach Hefty bag, it's a Tote bag" Kat said as she didn't have to reach far to grab the back of Rocky's hair and pull it upward for making fun of her purse before him yelled in agony, "And second of all, I'm going to the doctor."

"Why, are you sick?" asked Tommy quickly.

"No, I just need birth control, so I'm going to the clinic to get a prescription really quick and maybe a physical too."

"But it's Saturday, the clinic is open?" asked Adam, breaking his silence.

"Yeah, until twelve" she responded.

Everyone nodded their understanding.

"Well, you don't want anybody to go with you?" asked Kimberly getting up from the loveseat.

"No" said Kat, making Kim look up at her before sitting back down, "I'll…actually be out most of the day probably…I have to go check out the new dance school some students were talking about. They need a new teacher, and I'll probably volunteer" she lied. She was going to check out a new dance school, but it was until Monday.

"Oh, okay" Kim said.

Before Kat could reach the door, Tommy spoke to her making her turn around and exaggeratingly looking annoyed at him.

"Don't forget that we're having lunch at Hayley's okay?"

"Fine" she said in an agitated voice before opening the door and heading out.

"Jesus Christ man, what did you do to her?" asked a still sore Rocky, rubbing the back of his upper neck.

"Beats me" answered Tommy.

"Maybe it's just PMS or something" thought Jason out loud.

"Yeah, Tanya always gets like that around that time of the month, you know" Adam put his two cents in.

Kimberly looked at the guys around her and shook her head saying, "I can't believe you. Just because a girl is in a bad mood, doesn't mean she's on her period. I honestly would think that you guys would outgrow that, but I can see that you haven't."

"Outgrow what?" questioned Jason.

"That! The whole, 'oh she's in a mood, man, she's probably PMSing'", Kim said in a deep voice trying to resemble a man's yet failing at it.

"What? We don't say that!" defended Tommy.

"Oh my Gosh! What did you guys just say right now? I bet you Kat is not menstruating right now and here you are saying that she is. It proves my point exactly!"

"That's because she's acting out of the ordinary" he continued.

"Yeah, when girls act differently than they should, it means they are getting, or probably are on their period" added Rocky.

"Oh, in that case, my grandmother just started going to pottery classes, I better go get her a pad!" finished Kim.

The guys just laughed at what Kimberly had just said and changed the subject to lighten the mood.


Katherine had deliberately stayed upstairs for what seemed like an eternity to her to miss breakfast. She decided to go to Hayley's Cyberspace instead, knowing that Hayley had already opened the Café an hour ago.

She took a deep breath before heading inside the Café with a smile as soon as she saw Hayley.

"Hey!" she said in a lying cheering mood.

"Hey, you're here early" said Hayley.

"Yeah, actually, I came to have breakfast" Kat said while going over to the bar where Hayley was now heading to.

"Oh yeah, well, what will it be?"

"Umm," Kat went over and reclined herself forward on the bar placing her arms on the counter and checking the menu on the upper wall, "How 'bout…half a bagel, a bowl of mixed fruit, and…water", she finished her order.

"Alright, one breakfast of champions coming up" she said as she jotted Kat's order down on a paper and turned to place it on the counter behind her where the cook got it and started on it.

"Isn't that Wheaties?" questioned Kat.

"Well, yeah, but this is literal" Hayley then said.

"Oh."

"So, what brings you here to have breakfast, Tommy cooked again?"

The two girls laughed before Kat put her head down a bit as she sat down on the stool.

"Actually" she began, "it was Kimberly."

"Why, what she do?"

"Breakfast"

"Oh… and?"

"And…it was a little…how do I put it?"

"Nasty?"

"No…more like…unhealthy really."

"Oh, and you're not into that I see."

"Well, it's not that, I just can't find myself eating that kind of food you know."

"Yeah, I remember when I suffered a battle with Bulimia. It was horrible…at least it wasn't a war" she said, turning around as she heard the bell that Kat's order was ready.

Kat instantly became interested in the conversation now.

"So, what happened?" she asked as she retrieved the order from Hayley.

"Well, I remember not wanting any help. You know denial; gets the best of us."

"So, then what did you do?"

"Well, then I thought about it and I finally went to the doctor. Okay, Okay, I was forced to go to the doctor by my parents. I was sixteen at the time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he diagnosed me having anemia, then he wanted to do a leukocyte test on me and it came out negative, thank God."

"Wow"

"Yeah, so then he just said that if I didn't start eating well that I would get leukemia and it would eventually lead to cancer. Not to mention my teeth would have gotten all brown from all the stomach acid forcefully coming out of my mouth."

Kat's eyes widened as she took a bite of her bagel.

Hayley continued, "You know Kat, I may not think to be a genius, but I am known to know everything."

Katherine looked down, still chewing, not wanting to look at Hayley in the eyes.

"Look, I heard you sniffling in the bathroom. What's going on?"

"Well" Kat began after swallowing the chewed bagel and some water, "I was…bleeding" Kat said as her eyes got a bit watery.

"Oh my God, Kat; from where?"

"My nose"

"Are you…?"

"Anorexic" Kat finished for her.

Hayley nodded making Kat realize that she already knew the answer to that.

"The doctor diagnosed me a couple of days ago. I'm going to the clinic today."

"It's Satur…"

"Saturday, I know" Kat cut in knowing what was coming next, "the doctor's not in, but the lab is open today. It's on Thursdays and Saturdays. They didn't have any open spots for Thursday so I had to get my appointment on Saturday."

"Oh…"

"He wants to test me for leukemia" Kat said with her voice a little shaky but still strong.

"And do you think you have it?"

"Well, I don't know"

"You have to know, Kat. No one knows your body better than you do."

"Before he even said anything about it, I was clueless. Then I got really worried, and that's when the bleeding started; maybe I do have it, or else my nose wouldn't be bleeding."

"Kat, just because your nose is bleeding doesn't mean you have cancer. I mean, it could be for a number of reasons. You're out in the sun a lot, drinking too much, picking your nose" Hayley said trying to make Kat laugh which she succeeded at, "and the most important one of all…"

"What's that?"

"You're worried about it. Many people bleed from their nose if they get nervous, or worried, even people who are lying. They could get nose bleeds too. Your body is just telling you that you're worried."

"I don't know Hayley…"

"Look, like if someone thinks their pregnant. They are so worried about it that they miss their period when it has to come, even if they're a clock. They get all paranoid for days before taking the test. And they get so shaken up that their period seems to pause even more. After they take the test and find out they're either pregnant or not, they get their period. Just know that if you say it is; it is. And if you say it's not; it's not."

"What does that suppose to mean?"

"That if you read into symptoms about something, you get yourself so worked up about them that you end up believing that you have them and your body starts reacting to it."

Katherine started changing her perspective at her illness at this point.

"One doesn't know how powerful their mind is until it starts making your body do what it wants to. But only you could control it."

"Well, I never looked at it that way" Kat said before again putting a spoonful of mixed fruit into her mouth.

"Hey, I remember… 'this one time at band camp'…" Haley began before laughing along with Katherine at the joke of quoting a famous line from the movie, American Pie, and continuing as Kat took another bite of her bagel, "Any ways, we were at this seminar that we helped put up the presentation for. A doctor was speaking to the paramedics about malignancy in a patient as part of his presentation. Some went in because they thought they were sick, or others even went into his office because they wanted some attention from a family member even. Could you believe that?"

"How do they know if their lying?"

"Well, he said to look at the patient and go with your instincts as a med. He will look at the note that they jot down, and decide for himself."

"So, it's really up to the doctor…"

"Yeah, pretty much, he's usually the one that calls the shots around there. So any ways, he tells them that they did a test on ten people who thought they had a made up disease."

Kat again raised her eyebrows while taking a sip of water.

"Oh, don't worry; they signed to be tested on."

She lowered her eyebrows and showed an expression to continue as she took yet another bite from her bagel.

"So there they were thinking they had this disease, and they were given five days to react upon it. They were all given made up symptoms from this made up disease right?"

Kat nodded while chewing.

"After the fifth day, they come into the doctor's office saying that they had some of the signs that the illness held."

Kat smiled at the thought of probably being one of those people.

"Seven out of these ten people came back to the doctor's office with the symptoms."

"Seven out of ten?" asked Kat astonished.

"Yup, seven out of ten of these people came back for their appointment telling the doctor about how they were feeling. Believe it, girl, because it's true."

"Oh I do…so then what happened?"

"Well, there they are acting all sick, when the doctor prescribes a 'cure' for the disease" said Hayley motioning with both index fingers and both middle fingers two quotation marks at the word cure.

Katherine chuckled at bit at Hayley's actions knowing that it was going to get interesting.

"They thank the doctor and all he prescribed were sugar pills."

"What are sugar pills?"

"Sugar pills are just small clumps of sugar with a sour extract to make it more realistic."

"Oh, so did they take them?"

"Yeah, it was part of the experiment; and a couple of days later they come back for more tests. They are told that the disease is not growing so rapidly and that the pills are really destroying it."

"The doctor said this?"

"Yeah, and they believed it too. So next appointment, about five come back saying that their symptoms are going away."

"When they had nothing at all, or at least, they thought they did."

"Yup. So the doctor tells them to come back in a month to take tests again, and they do."

"And this time, the disease is probably gone right?"

"You guessed it, and so are all the symptoms. So, do you understand what I'm getting at here, Kat?"

"Yeah" said a now blushing shy Kat.

"Didn't the doctor try to act upon the positive side of things?"

"Well, now that you mention it, he did."

"Good, because a doctor could never give in to the patient losing hope. It's against the rules."

"There's rules?"

"Yeah, like the patient confidentiality rule. They can't tell anyone other than the patient about that patient's records and findings. Except if they're under age of course, then the guardian can take care of that."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. And there's the one where the doctor has to tell the patient all of their findings from the tests. Or else, they can get sued."

"Hmm"

"Well, not their opinions on diagnosis until they are really sure."

"Then why did my doctor say anything about leukemia without diagnosing it completely first."

"Oh, he probably just wanted to get you ready, stable, and probably eating again."

"Oh no"

"What?"

"I wasn't supposed to eat before the blood test."

Now it was Hayley who raised her eyebrows.

"That's right, I completely forgot."

"I guess you don't know everything" said Kat slyly with a smile.

Hayley shrugged her shoulders and just smiled.

"Should I go throw up?"

Hayley instantly opened her eyes wide and said, "NO!"

Katherine began to laugh while saying, "I'm just kidding", before getting her cell phone to call the clinic.

After she hung up the phone, she quickly got up and grabbed her wallet.

"What did they say?"

"She said that I didn't have to fast before the test, and it's okay if I take it anyways."

"Oh, I thought you were supposed to keep your stomach empty fore twelve hours."

"Yeah, that's what I thought to, but I guess not." She said handing the money to Hayley and turning around to leave.

"Hey, wait up, your change!" Hayley called out to her before leaving the Café.

"Keep it, it's a tip…for everything…thanks" Kat said with a smile as she turned back to Hayley then turned back again to head to the clinic.

"Wow, I've never gotten paid for advice before; but then again, who's complaining?" Hayley said to no one in particular while picking up the bowl and plate along with the glass of half full water.


Katherine arrived at the clinic forty-five minutes before they closed. She went up to the desk and signed her name in next to number thirteen. Oh, I'm number thirteen, she thought, this should be pleasant, in came the sarcasm as she turned to sit down while waiting to be called on.


"Hayley's Cyberspace, this is Trent speaking, how may I help you?" Trent said after picking up the ringing cordless phone.

"Oh, hey Trent, can I speak to Hayley really quick?"

"Oh, sure Dr. O, no prob, hold on just a sec" Trent said before putting the phone down on the counter.

He went over to get Hayley, while on the way picking up a couple of dishes that were left by earlier customers. As he headed towards the back, he passed by Hayley and said, "Hayley, Dr. O's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

"Thanks Trent, I'll be right there. Will that be completing your order?" she asked a customer she was waiting on.

As she went over to the counter, she left the order on the back counter to her right so the cook could get it and reached to her left to get the phone a second later.

"Yeah" she simply said.

"Well, well, well, since when do you talk to your favorite customer like that?"

"I don't talk to Cassidy like that" Hayley joked.

Tommy laughed a bit before continuing, "Oh yeah, that's a new one. Any ways, I'm just calling to tell you that we'll be over there around one. Assuming Kat gets back by then."

"Oh, she probably should, she left here about two hours ago."

"Kat went to the Café?"

Hayley immediately knew she had stuck her foot in her mouth and tried to fix it, "Umm, well yeah. Actually, I was taking out the trash to the dumpster and I saw her in my way back into the Café. She was passing by at the time." Whoa, I've never lied to Tommy…oh wait, yes I have, she thought, several times actually.

"Oh, did she stop?"

"Yeah, just for a few minutes. She then left."

"Oh, well did she tell you about going to the clinic?"

"Yeah" Hayley said, thinking Tommy knew something about it, remembering he had gotten upset about what she said last time they were together. She automatically thought he was testy because he knew of Kat's anorexia and the leukocyte test "she told me everything, Tommy."

"Oh, so you know about my point of view. Or did she just tell you hers?"

"Well, she didn't tell me about yours, but I'm sure you support her, right?"

"Of course not! How dare she think she could go about making decisions by herself?"

"Tommy, it's for her best!"

"I don't think so. Sure she thinks she's going to look all messed up in the end, hell, she probably will, but I'll still love her."

"Are you suggesting she doesn't go to the doctor?"

"Of course I am. She doesn't need that Hayley!"

"Tommy, if you only knew this from her point of view…"

"What about my point of view? I'm not getting any younger."

"What does this have to do with you? It's all about her!"

"It has to do with me as much as it has to do with her! It's not all about her Hayley!"

"Tommy, you better just stop talking, right now."

"Oh, I see you're on her side."

"Of course…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, girls stick together right?"

"Not always, but when it comes down to this, then I guess so!"

"Hayley, she's already twenty eight, and I'm twenty nine!"

"And? It hits people differently Tommy, it doesn't matter about their age. What are you suggesting? That the older you get, the more you're not suppose to take care of yourself?"

"No, I think it's the exact opposite, Hayley, you know that…"

"Yeah, that's why it surprises me so much!"

"Look, all I'm saying is that she has a limited amount of eggs you know?"

"Eggs?"

"Yeah, fertile…"

"Huh?"

"Well, come on, it doesn't take a genius to know that women have a certain amount of time to have babies."

"Babies…you were talking about babies?"

"Yeah, what were you talking about?"

"Oh, umm…" Hayley really thought about being wanted to get swallowed by the ground at that point, "babies?" she questioned him again, "I thought you only wanted one?" she saved herself.

"No, she only told you I wanted one?"

"Well, not exactly, I just assumed. I'm still on her side though."

"I figured that. Anyways, look, we'll talk about this later. You're having lunch with us right?"

"No, in case you didn't get the memo, I'm running a Café here" she said sarcastically.

"Hey, you can take an hour off can't you? Besides, you are the boss."

"Yeah, I guess. So, you'll be here at one right?"

"Yeah"

"Okay, I'll see you here. I'll talk to Trent about taking over."

"Alright, he should like that."

"I know, he's been asking me for a couple of weeks now. I'll see how he does."

"Okay, so we'll see you later."

"Yup, just remember your wallet, and bring plenty of money."

"I'm gonna have to, Rocky's eating with us."

They both laughed once more before Hayley responded, "Alright, well, I gotta get back to work."

"Okay, see ya."

"Bye" she said after a few chuckles.


Katherine got back home and before opening the door, realized her left arm had a Band-Aid with a cotton ball under it. She counted slowly before getting to three, but pulled it off and hid it quickly while shutting her eyes firmly and making an 'o' shape with her mouth due to the pain when she heard the door being opened and smiled widely and sheepishly towards who was in front of her.