A/N: Thanks for your patience everyone! Here's a long chapter to make up for the long wait.
HAYLEY
Following the doctor - who is already grating on my nerves - out into the hall, I let the door close softly behind me, before beginning to plead my best friend's case. "He wants to go home."
"We'll give him a day or two more to heal and then we'll test him. There is a chance that he might not be able to go home." And there's the bell. Put on your gloves because we are about to go head to head.
I grit my teeth and force a strained calm. "How big a chance?"
"Until we test him, I don't know. From here, there are three realistic possibilities. One, he will have to live in an assisted care facility for the rest of his life." Yeah, never going to happen. "Two, he might need some time in a rehabilitation clinic." Possible, but still not loving it. "Three, and the least likely, that he'll be able to go home and function reasonably well without rehab."
Resisting the urge to slug him, I ask, "What's 'reasonably well'?"
"I'm not a neurologist, but the damage to his head will most certainly affect his memories and quite possibly his basic motor functions. If the damage is mild, he'll be able to care for himself. But I wouldn't bet on him teaching again in any case. What is he a doctor of?"
"Paleontology."
The look of pity and doubt which suddenly mar his face makes my haunches rise even further. "I doubt he'd be able to go on digs anymore, either. His fine motor skills probably aren't up to it. Truthfully, I think the best outcome we can hope for is that some time in rehab will make him able to care for himself in the most basic of ways. Feeding, cleaning and dressing himself. Beyond that, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Does he have any family that needs to be called?"
"No. Lots of friends, but his parents are dead. He has a brother, but I have no idea how to get in contact with him." Not to mention I have no idea what to say. I'm not positive on the matter but considering the fact I've never met the man, or heard much of anything about him I'd wager they're not all that close.
"I would try to find out if I were you."
His voice quickly signaling that I'm about to be shut out of this entire matter I let loose with the one piece of weaponry I am now glad I have in my belt. "Why? I have power of attorney for all his needs in a case like this."
As the look of pity intensifies on the man's face I really want to kill him. "Because it is entirely possible that he might take a turn for the worse and we could lose him entirely." As his pager suddenly sounds and he checks it quickly, he shakes his head. "Just a fair warning. I'll be back to check on him after a while and a nurse will be by every so often. If you want to stay since you have power of attorney you're welcome to, but the children will have to go when visiting hours are over."
I can only stare at him as he walks away. I swallow hard, resisting the urge to vomit. I'm so lost in my misery I jump about a foot in the air when someone touches my shoulder and says, "Hayley?"
I barely swallow my scream. It comes out as a very girlie squeak. I spin on the culprit. "God, Trent, don't sneak up on me like that!" Wincing at the harshness of my voice, I'm already going to apologize when he gives a shrug.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You didn't hear me call you?"
"No. I didn't mean to snap at you. Sorry." Not surprisingly, the boy shrugs it off. Does anything bother him? I swear he's got to be the only person on the planet more grounded then Tommy.
"No problem. How is he?" Trent nods at the room behind me.
"It's bad. The problem is - we don't know how bad yet."
"He'll be okay." Voice firm, he bolsters my courage.
"Of course he will. It's just a matter of time. I need to run a few tests later at the lair. Will you help me?"
"Sure. Is it something for Dr. O?"
"Kind of. I'll call you when I'm ready. Remind me to call Missy and John about covering some extra hours at the café, will you?" Because lord knows I'm not going to be there for the next few weeks.
Trent nods. "Can I see him?"
I nod back. "Come on. He's probably sleeping, though."
He shrugs and follows me. "I wish I'd been there to help."
"It might not have made a difference."
We enter the room and I'm relieved to see him sleeping peacefully. Good maybe sleep will help. If anything it'll at least keep him from trying to leave. Even with his confusion he had enough of himself to state that he still did not like hospitals.
We're both quiet for a minute. Finally, he says, "Kira's on a guilt trip."
"What?" I so do not need this right now. "Why?"
"She thinks that if she had checked on Dr. O sooner and gotten him help sooner, he'd be okay." I stare at the teen as if he's lost his mind. He shrugs again. "I told her she was crazy, that she'd done everything she could, but that's what she said."
I sigh tiredly and pinch the bridge of my nose. I really don't need this right now. "She's out of her mind. Those few minutes wouldn't have made a difference."
"I told her that but you know how she is. Sometimes her guilt and emotions just get the better of her." Yeah just like To…stopping myself mid-thought I suddenly realize that truthfully when you think on it all of these kids have at least one of Tommy's qualities. Connor with his act first think later bravado, Kira with her high emotions and guilt, Ethan with his hidden intellect, and Trent with his realistic cool collected attitude. God no wonder the gems picked them. They're individual parts of their leader.
"Hayley?" Touching my arm gently and bringing me back to the present, Trent looks on in a bit of concern.
"Sorry, spaced for a second." Refocusing on the second problem at hand I'm going to have to nip this in the bud and soon. I don't need her doubting anything when she needs to battle monsters. And I definitely don't need her passing that idea on to the others. "I'll talk to her."
"Thanks." Pause. "Someone's going to have to notify the school that he's in the hospital."
"I know. I'll do it later." Along with about a hundred other things.
Together, we walk out of the room and, by unspoken agreement, head for the waiting room. I'm not surprised to see the others still there. Trent goes to talk to the boys as I beckon Kira closer. "I don't have time to beat around the bush, Kira, so I'm just going to come out and say it. If you think that there was anything you could have done to save Tommy or make this any better, you are out of your mind."
"But-"
I cut her off. "No. There is nothing you could have done to make a difference. Once he was shot, that was it. Those couple of minutes wouldn't have made a difference."
"But on TV -"
I cut her off again. "That's television, Kira. This is reality. And I don't want to hear about some reality show you watched where they said that seconds mattered or if someone had done this or that it would have made a difference." I lowered my voice. "I was monitoring the battle, Kira. Do you really believe I wouldn't have said something if I thought it would make a difference?"
She bit her lip as my words sank in. "No. If you thought it would have helped, you'd have said something."
"Exactly. Now get off the guilt trip and focus. Mesagog knows that we're down a Ranger right now and he's going to make the most of it. I need all of you to be focused and ready when he attacks."
Kira took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm going to go and sit with him, if that's okay. I know you probably have a dozen things to do."
Checking my watch and seeing that visiting hours won't be over for good bit of time I give a nod. "I'd appreciate it. Call me if anything changes or if you or he needs me." When she nods, I head out of the hospital. Now is the best time to take care of some business.
ANOTHER PART OF THE GALAXY - THREE DAYS LATER
"Zedd."
I turn in my chair, formerly my throne, where I had been staring out the window at the landscape. And what a pleasant one it is. While I will admit the moon had its charm what with the solitude and quiet I do prefer the jungle like atmosphere of this planet just as much if not better.
Standing beside me papers in hand, Goldar waits expectantly.
"What is it?" Did he find something? It's been long enough for hell's sake.
Hesitating just a bit, he continues calmly. "Most of our sources have turned up nothing of any importance."
My eyes narrow at his wording. His ability to hide facts without seeming to is his biggest asset in our dealings. Unfortunately for him, I've known him long enough to see through the illusion he's trying to create. "Most? Nothing of any importance? Why do I have the feeling that there is something you're trying to NOT tell me?"
Sighing wearily he runs a hand through his short brown hair, dark eyes falling just a bit in defeat. "Well as I said it's really not of any importance to us. It presents no danger to our dealings or present company, but…" But? Spit it out already. "Do you remember a few months ago we found out that Earth had a new group of Power Rangers - the Dino Thunder Rangers?"
"Vaguely." And only really because they resembled the first group of Rangers I'd come upon on that planet. "So what?"
"Well, apparently Tommy Oliver was mentoring them at that time. I'm sure you remember him."
Biggest pain in the ass evil had ever seen - how could I forget? "Could you get to the point?"
"I've been told that he once again acquired Ranger powers and took up the mantle of the Black Dino Ranger."
Come again? "He what?" Okay, I admit it; you have my full attention now. "What the hell is he thinking, taking powers at his age?"
Scorpina's voice enters the conversation, laughter barely hidden. "Zedd, he's not exactly ready for - what do they call them on Earth? - an old folks' home." Sneaky woman, slipping in here like that.
I growl slightly both at her still present stealth and comment. "Pina, there comes a time that fighting becomes a young person's job. I mean what is he going on twenty seven? Twenty eight in human years? That's old for his species."
Goldar has to put his two cent's worth in, of course. "The way I hear it, he had to take the powers to keep them from falling into the hands of their current nemesis. Besides, the gem chose him."
I'm starting to get annoyed at the way he's dropping information a little at a time. "Dar - get on with it."
"As I said, I don't know that it's important, but a few days ago there was a battle on Earth. The end result is that Tommy's in the hospital and I don't know how bad his condition is. I've been told that he almost died - twice."
Waving it off not truly that concerned as he's still a power holder I give them both a look. "He carries the power again, it will heal him."
"It's…it's not that simple this time." Voice once more hesitant and faltering, he looks to the papers still held in his hands.
"What the hell kind of injuries could he have that the power can't handle it?"
This time stalling so long in his response, I knew I didn't want to know. Bad enough all that boy suffered at the hands of Rita and myself, but then the Machine Empire and now this. Finally, Goldar says, almost too quietly, "He took a very severe blow to the head. First with a laser then with impact." Again that's not completely- "He was unmorphed at the time."
No one moves - no one even breathes until Scorpina breathes, "Oh no." Not quite what I was thinking, but close.
That snaps me out of my daze. "Contact Rita. I need more information and she's the best source to give me what I need." Even if things are still a little…touchy between us after the whole marriage by evil, divorce by good situation.
Goldar nods slowly. "I kind of thought you might say that, so I already started the process."
I barely notice when Pina leaves the room. "So now we have to wait for her to decide to talk to us?" Great that could be anywhere from five hours to five years. Meanwhile Thomas could be laying in that primitive human care facility with no one to tend to him and no way to protect himself, ugh this is frustrating.
"Yes and no. I decided to shortcut the process. We should be hearing from her later today."
His answer surprising me, I give him a look. "How did you do that?"
He straightens up and looks slightly offended. "I do have my ways, you know." Touché.
Raising one eyebrow, I stare at him, silently waiting until he fidgets under my gaze. You're not the only one that has his ways.
It takes a moment but eventually he does relent, be it only slightly. "You said years ago that you didn't need to know how I do what I do."
Ah, yes, I did say that. Mostly because despite my own still semi evil ways it does disturb me just a bit how…unique some of his persuasion methods can be. But that was then and this is now and now you're just stirring my curiosity. "This time I want to know."
Heaving a sigh he answers in a carefully avoiding manner. "I got the message to her second in command - I've known him for years. He'll get it to her as soon as reasonably possible. I made sure that he understood it was important."
I ponder this for a moment. Who in hell is her second in command? I was honestly surprised that Goldar chose to stay with me rather than go with her, but who stepped up in his spot? Shaking my head as I realize it doesn't matter, I remind him, "Let me know when we get a response."
Taking that as a dismissal, even though he technically is more of my friend then lackey these days, he turns to leave the room. Stopping in the doorway and looking back at me for a moment I get the impression he wishes to add something, but apparently thinking better of it, he shakes his head and leaves instead. Hm interesting.
BACK ON EARTH
TOMMY
I am so BORED. I'm tired of sleeping, staring at the walls and watching TV that makes no sense. I'm sick of the stupid questions that everyone keeps asking me. The lack of normal clothing. And not to mention the extremely weird food. All I want to do is go home.
Just about to throw the TV control across the room as another talk show comes on, I turn to see the door open and Hayley walk in. Finally, a bright spot in an otherwise boring day.
"Good morning" she says. She looks serious. Oh, goody, more stupid questions. "How are you feeling today?" Why she asks me that every day I really just don't know. How does she think I feel? Stupid hospital.
"Like I've been shot in the head." As she stares at me, I set my jaw becoming more and more upset with those looks of concern and frustration. "But it made everybody else stupid."
Seeming surprised by this she raises a brow before asking softly, "What do you mean?" Ah ha, got your attention. You should know what I mean. You're my friend and as far as I can tell not as stupid as everyone else around here.
"I wanna go home, but they won't let me. They don't get it. I need to be at home." Not sure why, but I know that it's really important. I feel it. If I don't something bad is going to happen and I'm not sure if it'll just be to me or other people too.
She sighs and, for a minute, I feel bad being so cranky with her. She's been here as much as I have - I think. She's probably tired of it too and me yelling and taking it out on her isn't helping. "Tommy, I convinced the doctors to do their testing today. Depending on what happens, that will tell us when you can go home."
There's a catch there, but I can't figure out what it is. Something about the way she said that though… Giving up as I can't quite figure it out, I in the end give a nod. "Okay, so if I do good, I can go home?"
Frowning and tilting her head just a bit she studies me for a minute. "Why do you want to go home so badly?" Did you not hear me the first million times I told you?
Holding up my hand and ticking the reasons off on my fingers, I struggle to keep the anger out of my voice. "Hate hospitals. Hate doctors. Stupid people, stupid TV, gross food."
"That's all?" No, but I don't know how to explain the other reason. She doesn't seem to realize on her own how I feel and it's really not something I understand all that much myself.
"Gotta go home. I have - stuff - to do." I look at her, hoping she'll get it on at least some level I breathe a little better as she finally seems to.
Nodding and moving to sit down beside me on the bed she takes my hand giving a squeeze. "Don't worry. I've been taking care of your stuff - and your students."
Don't know why that makes me feel a little better, but it does. Hayley's smart, even if she asks stupid questions sometimes. If she says she's got it taken care of, then she probably does. "Promise?"
"Promise."
About to say more we're stopped as the doctor comes in the room, white coat and hated clipboard with him. Stupid clipboard full of stupid questions. Not that he's any better. I don't like him - he creeps me out.
Still thinking of ways to take his clipboard, I realize after a minute that he was talking to me. "What?"
Looking very cranky, he repeats himself. "I said that the other doctor will be in to test you in a few minutes. While the other doctor is here, Hayley will have to leave the room."
Nope, that's not happening. Shaking my head, carefully, I am not having it. "No way."
"But-"
"No!" Crossing my arms and nudging Hayley into action I sit back and look toward the window. Hayley you talk to him. He's an idiot and I'm not gonna talk to him anymore.
Rubbing her eyes and looking very tired she gives a nod. See we have an understanding. She gets me. Why don't they? "I'll talk to him." Good, you better. The doctor leaves, but Hayley stays. Wait, what?
Turning back to her to ask what she's doing as she's letting him get away, her next words have me less then happy once more.
"Tommy, I can't stay when they do this. They have to be sure that you're answering the questions on your own. I'll just be right outside and I'll come back in as soon as they're done. I promise."
I fold my arms again and look away as she sighs softly. "I'm sorry, but they won't let me stay. Please don't be mad."
I sigh too. I don't like being mad at her but she didn't even try to fight. She could have scared that doctor into letting her stay. I've seen her be scary before, he would have let her if she'd done it. "Why don't you wanna stay?"
"Tommy I can't. It's not that I don't want to; it's that I really can't. It's…it's for your own good. Please just accept that." I don't wanna. I'm tired of hearing about things that are for my own good.
About to tell her just that, I stop as the door opens again and a different doctor comes in. She's a pretty little thing with brown hair and blue eyes. Is she even old enough to be a doctor? I frown at her as she smiles at me.
"I'm Doctor Tina Elliot. You can call me Tina, if you want to." She looks at Hayley. "Can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?" Going to talk about me behind my back some more. Tired doing people doing that too.
Hayley heads for the door, but she stops and fixes me with a look that seems very familiar. "Please, Tommy, do your best." Voice almost pleading and sad, she gives me one last look before leaving with the girl. What's she so worried about? I'll do okay. Right?
I nod and watch her walk out the door. It seems like forever before the doctor comes back. She's carrying a bag almost as big as she is. Should I offer to help her? Hm, no probably not, she'd probably tell me to stay in bed like everyone else around here.
She smiles at me and says, "I know these tests are going to be boring, but we have to do them. I promise I'll try to make them as fast as I can."
"Faster if you don't do them."
Laughing and maybe not quite as dumb as the other doctors she maybe isn't so bad. "I know, but everyone will know if I don't. I'm a terrible liar." Opening her bag she pulls a big envelope, hiding the rest of the stuff for later I guess. "First thing we have to do is see if you can identify some things, okay? I'm going to show you some pictures and you tell me what they are." Easy enough.
Holding up a card, she has got to be kidding me. They use pictures like that in kindergarten. Telling her this, I get another laugh and nod.
"I know it's lame, but I gotta do it. So play along okay?" Fine.
"House."
She nods and holds up another one.
"Car."
Another.
"Bike."
This goes on for a while and I'm starting to get bored again. She holds up a picture - not like the others, but an actual photo. Four teens standing together, one of them Kira. I bite my lip as I try to decide what answer she wants. "Students?"
She nods and I grin. She holds up another photo. Six teens grouped together. One is a dark haired male in red, one is a boy in blue wearing glasses, one boy in black, an Asian girl in yellow, a pretty girl in pink and one boy with long hair wearing green - wait a minute, that's me! I smile again. "Friends."
She nods again and changes the picture. I know this one, too. That's a picture of my house. Softly, I say, "Home."
Looking understanding, she gives another nod before the last one is shown. "One more."
The doctor holds up a picture out of a newspaper. I look at it and frown. Five people in colorful costumes with helmets. Why does that look familiar? Was it a party? TV show? Struggling for a minute and really not sure why I'm suddenly not feeling so good about all this I finally answer with my best guess, "Halloween?"
Not really answering with a good or not so good she stacks the picture with the others.
"So how'd I do? Can I go now?" Was that it?
"I don't know yet, we still have more stuff for you to do." Well at least she's nice about it not all cranky like the guy with the clipboard.
Taking her next thing out of the bag, she lays four pictures on my lap. "While I put these away, I want you to arrange those pictures so they tell a story." A story? What sort of story?
Asking her this I frown as she only answers with 'what ever story you want'. Great, that was helpful. Sighing and sorting through the pictures still having no idea what she actually wants I give in and just lay them out, hoping I'm right. "Done."
Glancing at them she doesn't seem as happy as when she was doing the first test. "Are you sure?"
I look at them again. I change two of them and nod. Second try's a charm.
She looks them over once more and scoops them up. All right, well, that was at least fast.
"Can I be done now?"
"Not yet." Handing me a fairly big doll next she has got to be joking. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? When I look at her for direction, not that she was much help with the last test; she finally lets me in on the deal. "This is to check some of your fine motor skills. I want you to zip the pants, button the vest and tie the shoes."
I nod. Okay no big problem I can do that. Easy. The zipper is not much of a problem, but the button is a little tricky. It keeps slipping out of the hole. Finally, I get it and move on to the laces. A couple of minutes later, I have it tied in a way, but something isn't right. I try to pull my hands away to look at it, but the doll comes with. I frown again. I can't figure out what's wrong. I look at her to see that she's watching me. Little help here? When none is offered I guess I'll have to tell her if I want her to get the hint. "I'm stuck."
"I can see that." Well if you can see that why don't you help? "Can you get unstuck?" Now, if I could do that, I wouldn't have pointed out the problem now would I.
"No." Giving me another minute to try on my own it's only when I'm starting to get annoyed with her lack of help does she finally reach out and after a few quick moves of her hands, I'm free from the doll with the evil laces.
"Now?"
Knowing what I mean she once again shakes her head. You know she might be cute and nice, but she is starting to get a little annoying. "Not quite."
As a spoon and fork are next brought out she lays them on my lap though considering we have no food I'm not exactly sure why. "I want you to show me how to hold the spoon."
Giving her a look as I know perfectly well how to hold a spoon she gives me one of her own, a nicer one, right back insisting I still show her. Fine. Geez have to do everything around here.
Picking up the spoon in my hand and holding it to the side I take a minute to look at it as something just doesn't seem exactly right.
"Can you hold it another way?"
Looking at my overhand way that I'm still gripping it, I know kind of what she's asking, there is another way I'm sure but I honestly can't figure it out right now. Finally shaking my head and repeating it all with the fork, getting the same trouble, I in the end give up handing the two back to her.
As the doll and silverware are put back in her bag she next digs around until she comes upon a book. Only it's clearly a book for little kids as it's only got a few pages and they're all thick colorful cardboard.
"I'd like you to read this out loud for me, okay." Ugh this is starting to get a little embarrassing. Dolls, flashcards, now a kindergarten book. Geez I just hope Hayley never finds out about this.
"Do I have to?"
"If you want to go home you do." All right then give me the book.
Taking it from her and eager to be done I open it quickly to the first page before stopping as the few words on it don't look quite right. Staring at them for a minute or two more I tilt the book to the side as if that might help before turning back to her. "You're trying to trick me."
"I am?" Well yeah, and I don't very much like it. "How am I trying to trick you?"
"The words don't make sense. Give me a book where the words make sense and I'll read it to you, but this one doesn't. What language is it written in?"
"Are you sure the words don't look familiar? Not even just a bit?" Well I wouldn't be telling you they didn't if they did now would I? Geesh what is with people around this place?
"I'm sure." Handing her the book back I wait to see if she will in fact give me another, but it doesn't really look like it as it's put away. "Not going to give me a new book?"
"No, I don't think that'd really help." Voice soft she starts looking through her bag again. Man what else does she have in there?
"Help what? Can I go home now?"
"Just a few more tests and we'll be done." A few more tests. A few more tests. Always with the tests. Man, Hayley better be taking me home right after this is over.
"Fine." I sigh and get started.
HAYLEY
I'm pacing the hall, waiting for Dr. Elliot to come out. I'm just about to wear a hole in the floor, I swear, when she finally emerges. She sees me nearby and comes over to me with her oversized bag of tricks. "I'm sorry but he's going to need rehab." Not exactly the greeting I was hoping for.
"But he can go home, right?" My stomach clenches when she shakes her head.
"He's going to need some intensive rehab for a while. A clinic is the best way to go. They can work on his rehabilitation on a regular schedule until he gets to the point that he can work on it as an outpatient. I think that his regular doctor works with a clinic here in town. If you can get a referral from him, he'd be close to home and you and the students can visit him more easily."
As if he'd been summoned, the other doctor walks up and is it just me or does he creep everyone out as Tommy might put it. "What's up, Tina?"
"Doug, don't you work with that new rehab clinic in town?" When he nods, she continues, "I finished my testing and I believe that he would benefit from intensive rehab for a short while."
I interrupt. "What's a short while?"
She turns to me once more clearly trying to think of a reasonable time but yet not one that will send me through the roof. "Well he is fairly coherent and he can do certain things still, just not exactly to the extent that I would like to see if he's going to be in an outpatient program. I would want to have him reevaluated after about four to six weeks." Six weeks! Oh, god, he's going to pitch such a fit.
"Sounds reasonable. I'll get you some information about the clinic and a written referral." 'Doug' walks away and I look back at Dr. Elliot.
"Will he be the same after the rehab?"
Sigh and probably hearing such a question from the friends and family of everyone she performs these tests on she shakes her head slowly. "If you want me to be honest with you, he's never going to be exactly the same as he was before all of this. But he still seems to have a pretty laid back and almost sarcastic personality. Is that normal for him?" You have no idea.
"Oh yeah." Pausing a minute I give her a curious and hopeful look. "Wait, he was being sarcastic?" That's good right? That's definitely something he would do when dealing with doctors in the past.
"Well not exactly, but I've worked with enough people to know when they're thinking of little jabs and quips in their head while I'm talking or giving them a test. And I could see it in his eyes he seemed to want to push my buttons a little. Not that that's not a good sign. However, you have to understand he's suffered a good bit of damage to certain areas of the brain and those don't just fix themselves. I honestly can't say how close he'll get to his old self again, but I'm fairly hopeful considering he can still talk, keep up with conversations, and still recognize objects and utilize them to a degree. Really we'll just have to wait and see though."
She reaches into her bag and pulls out an envelope. "By the way, here are the pictures you gave me for his test. He recognized his student group, his friends and his house. But he faltered at the Power Rangers. The answer he gave was 'Halloween'." Damn it. That is definitely not what I was hoping for. "And I'm curious - can I ask why you included that picture?"
Fortunately, I already have the answer to that question worked out. "He collects Power Ranger stuff. He's always been a fan of theirs and I was hoping that he would remember that."
She nods. "Who isn't a fan of the Power Rangers? Especially if you live in a city they defend. Just remember, just because he doesn't remember them now, doesn't mean he won't later. As he goes through rehab and the brain rewires itself, it might reconnect to parts of his memory."
"But he has to go to the clinic." Sighing as she nods once more I shake my head. "He's not going to like that."
"Not many people do at first. But at least he has you to convince him it's for the best. He might take it better coming from a friend then a stranger." She does have a point. Though she also fails to see that while I am his friend, and yes he will most likely listen to me, he will also use such a thing to his advantage.
"All right, thank you."
"No problem. Good luck."
She leaves me with that bit of hope and I steel myself for the battle that's going to ensue when I go back in the room. I can't help but feel a little sick. How do I tell my best friend that he can't go home? A moment of despair creeps in, too. I'm so damn brilliant I can fix anything, build anything and do it better and faster than nearly anyone else on the planet - but I can't help the one person I care about most. Angrily, I wipe away the one lone tear that escapes my clenched eyes and take a deep breath. I can't let him see me cry - it would break his heart to see me upset.
Opening the door and finding him sitting on the bed, looking out the window, I'm about to speak when he beats me to it. "I can't go home, can I?" Voice soft and sad he really is killing me here.
In the stunned silence that follows, he turns to me. Accusation is heavy in his voice as he says, "You should have been in here. She was trying to trick me." Wait what? How did we go from…never mind. I have a feeling I'll be asking that a lot in the future.
"What do you mean?"
Humiliation flashes across his face, only to be replaced by anger once more. "She gave me pictures that don't go together and told me to make a story, gave me a book that didn't have real words in it, and a doll that had evil shoelaces." Evil…right.
It takes me a moment but eventually I realize that these must have been different tests she'd asked him to do. The only question is how do I tell him that that is what it was and not sabotage without making him feel even worse. Deciding to try my hand at a little reverse psychology I look back at the door. "I'll go talk to her."
"She's just going to lie and say that she didn't." Paranoid, much? Or is it just that deep down he realizes his accusations are false?
Keeping calm I move to sit beside him on the bed. "Why would she do that? She's nice - much nicer than the other doctor."
"Yeah, he creeps me out." I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing, but fail as he looks at me curiously.
"He creeps me out, too" I tell him with a grin. He grins back and I know that I'm in his good graces again. Though that definitely won't last long. "But we'll talk more about that later. Tommy, Dr. Elliot thinks that you might benefit from rehab."
Taking in his puzzled look, I struggle to explain. "When you got hurt, your brain was damaged. You're having trouble doing some basic things. Rehab will help you relearn them. Kind of like going back to school. You liked school." To a degree at least.
"Not the same." Uh oh. I recognize that look. He's about to get stubborn on me. I know I shouldn't, but I ask anyway.
"Why isn't it the same?" I knew I shouldn't have asked and the look I'm getting now clearly says that I should have known the answer.
"Wanted to go then. Friends were there. Not gonna have any friends here. Don't want to now. Wanna go home." Uncertain whether to be happy or not as he makes a good argument, I nevertheless realize that if I'm going to get to the correct end result I'm going to have to be less then nice. Well, after one more effort at persuasion.
"You'll make new friends."
"I don't want new friends. I wanna go home." Right then. Staring at the mutinous look on his face, I realize I'm going to have to pull out the big guns. I hate having to do it, but I have no choice.
"Tommy, if you don't go to rehab, they won't let you go home. Ever." I pause a moment to let this sink in. "You have two choices. One - you go to rehab and work at getting better and you'll get to go home." I hope. "Two, you refuse rehab and they stick you in a special home where someone cares for you constantly. Now, which one do you want?"
I can almost see the gears turning in his head as he tries to come up with a third option. The problem is I can also see that the gears are warped and broken. If it wasn't a head injury, I can think of a couple of other ideas he would have suggested. Not that they're feasible, but he would have tried. My heart breaks when he slowly shakes his head and his shoulders slump. He looks defeated as he says, "Okay, rehab."
Taking his hand and wanting nothing more then to just let him go home and play caregiver myself, I - in the end - know I can't. Not with the kids in need of my help on the battle field and the threat of Mesagog hanging over our heads. It's just not safe for him there right now. "I'll visit you as often as I can. I promise."
His grip tightens and he whispers, "Thank you."
"I'm here for you, Tommy. Always. You're my best friend in the whole world." I hug him carefully and he hugs me back. We stay like that until his even breathing tells me he's drifted off to sleep head on my shoulder. I swear to god I'm going to make Mesagog pay.
ELSEWHERE
"Good work, Elsa. You have successfully removed one Ranger from our path."
I preen under the praise. "Thank you, Lord Mesagog. Now that their protector and mentor is out of the picture, we stand a much better chance of taking down the rest. I know that it will be slower than you like, but I still believe that it will go much better if we continue to take them down one at a time."
Zeltrax growls low in the corner. "We must work fast then. We waited too long when the Black Ranger was trapped in the amber and we tried to take them all at once. We must either take out the Red or White Ranger next."
I shake my head. "I was thinking the Yellow Ranger should be the next to fall."
Mesagog shakes his head and hisses, "But the final decision is still mine, is it not?"
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from reminding him that his plans haven't worked any better than ours have. "Of course, my lord. If I may say, I think that the Yellow Ranger is the best choice because the others will do anything to protect her."
Zeltrax jumps in. "But if we take out the Red or White Rangers, we either remove their remaining leader or the strongest one left."
I open my mouth to argue, but shut it immediately when Mesagog speaks again. "I find it interesting that you are ignoring the Blue Ranger and another important person. Their combined intelligences can defeat us even now."
I stare at him, stunned. "My lord, you don't mean-?"
He nods, a particularly nasty gleam in his eyes. "Hayley."
ZEDD'S CASTLE
I'm still sitting in the same place I was three hours ago when my friends left the room, going off to do who knows what as with them it could be anywhere from hand-to-hand combat to sex. "But do I get laid. Nooo, no sex for Zedd. Never mind I was the master of all evil at one time. Never mind I still look a sight bit hotter then Goldar. Nope no action for me." Cringing as the human terms slip into my speech I cast a weary look around hoping no one had heard them. I spent far too much time watching and listening those children on Earth back in the day that now despite my best efforts to keep my speech correct I find human words seem to still drift in. Not to mention I can certainly thank Thomas for the majority of them. 'Dude', 'aw man', 'awesome', and the like. Honestly, I'm amazed that boy passed his English classes.
Just about to give up on waiting and contemplating proper speech patterns and go get a bite to eat, the main door bursts open and Scorpina slides to a halt in front of me. Now, was that really necessary? She takes a breath and says, "Dar sent me to tell you that Rita has contacted us. She is talking to him right now."
Ah, is that all. Jumping up from my seat and racing through the passages in the castle, I head for Dar's office doing a similar skid myself. I get there in record time and enter, not even bothering to knock on the slightly open door as I hear the end of his sentence.
" - what to do."
I cross the room as the clad all in white woman on the screen answers.
"I don't know that there is anything that we can do, Goldar. He has been very badly hurt." Gaze moving from my friend to finally rest on me she gives a tight smile. "Hello, Zedd."
"Rita."
"Still engaged in your dealings I assume." You assume correctly.
"Business is business Rita." Attempting to look as calm as one can when being chastised via looks by a goddess of light, I heave a sigh and get down to my current business at hand. "What do you know?"
Knowing it's the best greeting she is liable to get from me, she herself moves back to the topic of focus. "Not much, I'm afraid. I am aware that he's been hurt and from what I can tell, the powers aren't healing him as they should. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because they've abandoned him finding him unsuitable a holder now, or it could be the simple fact that when he became damaged so did his powers as this latest batch was connected very closely to his own life line." The sorrow on her face irritates me. I never could stand that look, and I honestly think I told her as much during our last year together.
"We need to do something."
Raising a brow she shakes her head curiously. "What would you have me do Zedd? I am no where near Earth right now, and even if I was this is not something my power can heal."
"Bullshit." Knowing damn well just how much power she has now I give her a heated look, daring her to deny it.
Sighing she once more shakes her head. "He is human Zedd. Their species is much too fragile; if I attempted to heal him he wouldn't survive the ordeal."
"Fine, then I'll do something." Granted, I don't have the level of power she does now, but I still have my ways.
"Zedd, why are you so interested in this? To be honest I was quite surprised to even be told you had an urgent need to know what'd happened to him. He's no longer a concern of yours." Pausing she narrows her eyes slightly. "Unless you are attempting to perform some sort of 'business' on Earth. Is that what this is about, Zedd?"
Growling and wishing I had something to throw at the screen, I fix her with a glare of my own. "No, I've no business to perform on Earth, Rita. I don't know why it's so important - it just is." Just accept it woman. When her gaze turns curious once more, I continue tiredly. "Rita, come on. We owe him. We are the only remaining threads of the evil that tormented him in his youth since the Machine Empire was completely destroyed."
"That's not entirely true. Divatox is still around, somewhere."
"You're missing the point. Of the ones left, we were the worst." I was the worst. Swallowing and recalling very well how badly I tortured and taunted that boy during his remaining days in green, I know I've got to make this up to him.
She studies me for a long minute before apparently deciding to be her once more decent and good self. "You're right, we were. But I don't see what that has to do with the here and now and this situation."
I start pacing. I can't explain what's driving me on this - I don't understand it myself. I just know that the boy needs help and he has a better chance of getting it if I intervene. "Rita, think about it. He's stuck on a primitive planet with primitive medical facilities. They can't possibly help him the way we can. I have access to Eltarian medicine and you're a goddess. Between us we should be able to do something."
She sighs. "Well, we can't do anything while he's still on Earth. As you just pointed out, it's a primitive planet. Even with all we did there, there are a good many people that don't believe that there is life elsewhere in the galaxy. And I'm fairly certain that even though his current Ranger team does, they won't be over excited to see us there. Or well more specifically you." Right because you're all good now and Zedd is still evil, you know castles don't pay for themselves Rita.
Before I know what I'm saying, the words are out of my mouth. "So I'll go and play nice and if they have a problem I'll just take him." See easy.
"Never mind the obvious problems with what you've just said, let me just place your focus on the main one. Take him where?"
Good question. I falter a moment before I answer. "I'll bring him here."
"Excuse me?" Turning dark eyes on me, Goldar is either skeptical of this or disapproves. If anything I'd imagine he's still licking his wounds over Thomas' defeat of him all those years ago.
Ignoring him I keep my attention on Rita. "You can come here and treat him and I'll do what I can to help."
She sighs again and I'm starting to get irritated. "Zedd we can't just…I mean the Rangers are not going to just hand him…Damn it Zedd this is completely illogical!"
Wow I got her to swear - go me. "It is not. He needs help, we'd be helping him. Even if the Rangers don't see that in the beginning they will over time." And if they don't I'll just knock them around until they do. Once again - easy.
Giving up as she knows I won't stop once my mind is set on something, she finally reluctantly says what I want to hear. Or at least to a degree. "Fine. I'll do some research. Stop by here on your way and I should have something by then."
Oh, she has lost her mind. "Stop by on my way? If I come there first and then get him, it'll be a week before I get to Earth! If I go straight there, I can be there in a day or two."
"Zedd." Her calm voice stops me in mid-rant. There is a hint of bossiness there that I remember from the old days. "What I find out between now and the time you get here might change things. Just do this my way, please." Oh, sure, she says please, but what she really means is do it or I'll make your life miserable.
I throw up my hands in a universal gesture of defeat. "Fine. I'll leave first thing in the morning."
I stalk out of the room barely hearing her amused comment to Goldar. "Hasn't changed much, has he?"
"At least he pays better these days." Sometimes, I miss the days when he was just a minion.
I hurry to my room to start packing. It's going to be a long week.
