TOMMY

Okay, I've had enough of this. I know I'm dreaming, but I can't get out of it. This is the same weird dream that I had on my first day here too, the one that I told Pina about.

Not really wanting to go through it again I try my best to shake myself awake, but strangely, the more I try to wake up, the clearer the dream becomes until I have to just give in and focus on the dream as apparently it's not going away.

Standing in the park I watch as myself and my kids are once more surrounded by those strange dancing black figures, only this time instead of the setting changing like it did before, the figures themselves change. Watching as they become monsters I almost know what they are called, but I can't quite remember. Not that it matters very much I guess as suddenly they stop dancing and running around me and the kids and instead begin fighting us. But why?

Before I can ask one of the kids, a completely unexpected set of words pop out of my mouth. "Guys! Time to morph!"

I go back to fighting, but suddenly I hear the cries of the others - warning me of something. I turn to look and see a light streaking toward me. Not good. I start to turn to get away, but it's too fast. It hits me and knocks me back into a tree and okay shouldn't this hurt just a little bit more? Hey what's going on?

Suddenly, I'm standing there, looking down at myself lying in a heap on the ground. It takes several minutes for not only the kids to get to me, but for me to realize just what's going on. I'm dying.

I barely hear Kira's whispered, "Oh my god" as Ethan touches the bracelet on his wrist. Wait a minute!

As Ethan says, "Hayley, we're calling an ambulance. I don't think that even Ranger healing can help him fast enough", I look at myself on the ground and then at the others. Each of us is wearing the same kind of bracelet on our left wrist, just with different colored crystals in them. Ranger healing? What is he talking about? But I suddenly don't want to know, afraid that I won't like what I find out.

I can feel the life - my life - slipping out of the body on the ground and I hear Kira whisper to me in a highly fearful manner, "Hang on, Dr. O. Just hang on. We need you." No, Kira, you don't. I don't know how I know this - maybe from the memories that he has that I don't - but I'm sure it's true.

I wake with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed and still shaking over the dream, I barely hear Zedd's voice quietly assuring me that everything's all right and I'm safe.

"Shhh, it's all right Thomas, you're safe here with me. Nothing can hurt you." Maybe, maybe not.

Panting and unsure what I want as I move to curl up on Zedd, only to rethink it and pull away, I put my face in my hands attempting to get a grip on just what I'm feeling and need right now.

Once my breathing slows a bit, he asks, "Another nightmare?"

"Different kind." I can feel his questioning look as he sits up fully, complete attention on me. "Not the rehab place."

I can't help but flinch briefly at the first touch of his hand to my back, but he thankfully doesn't seem to mind as he gently starts rubbing in circles, ignoring the flinch and easing the tight muscles there. "Want to talk about it?"

I frown, unsure. Finally, I decide that it can't really hurt anything considering all that he already knows about me. "I guess so, but there's not that much to it."

"That's okay, whatever you want to tell me is fine Thomas."

Sighing but feeling a bit better now that I'm fully awake and I've relaxed into his touch I start my story. "It started out like a dream I had the first day I was here. The kids and I are doing katas in the woods when all of the sudden there are faceless figures in black dancing and running around us. I remembered the dream and tried to wake up, but the harder I tried to wake up, the clearer the dream became. The figures became monsters and they weren't dancing and running - they were fighting us. For some reason, I tell the others that it's time to morph. I keep fighting and suddenly I hear the kids warning me. I look around and I see a beam of light headed for me. I try to move, but it's too fast. It hit me and I flew and I hit a tree."

I take a deep breath and gather my thoughts before continuing. "The next thing I know, I'm looking at myself lying on the ground. It takes a long time before the kids get to me. Ethan calls Hayley and tells her -" What was it again? "That I need an ambulance that even Ranger healing can't help me fast enough. That's when I noticed that the kids and I were all wearing the same kind of bracelet. I was trying to figure that out when I realized that I could feel my life slipping away from my body. Kira told me to hang on, that they needed me, but they don't. I know they don't. I just don't know how I know that. Anyway, that's when I woke up."

Silence stretches in the room and I start to wonder if Zedd fell asleep while I was talking when it occurs to me that his hand is still on my back and it's shaking. "Zedd? Zedd what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Thomas. I just hadn't realized how close you actually came to dying. That's why I got the feeling so strongly that day." Voice no where near as steady or calm as it normally is he's actually starting to worry me as I realize that despite the fact that it was me that nearly died, it's actually him that seems terrified.

Suddenly, feeling the urge to reassure him I move closer just a little unsure of just what to do. "Zedd, it's okay. I didn't die. I'm here and safe, thanks to you."

"But you'll go back. I know you want to and I know that eventually I'll have to let you." Go back? He means to Earth? But what does that have to do with me getting hurt?

"Well Earth is sorta my home Zedd, but you know just because I have to go back doesn't mean I'll get hurt again or that I won't talk to you anymore. We'll still be bonded. We'll still be friends."

"That's not really what I'm worried about, Thomas." Looking fairly sad for reasons I don't understand, he sighs softly. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Zedd nothing's going to happen to me okay? I promise it'll be fine." When it doesn't look like he really believes me I more with actions than anything, urge him to lay back down while I lie next to him. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, almost like he's reminding himself that I am here and safe. "Come on, let's go back to sleep okay. There's no reason to worry about stuff right now anyways."

I make my body relax against him as if I were settling down to sleep and slow my breathing. It takes a while, but eventually Zedd does too and I'm surprised by how tired I suddenly feel. I can think about the dream in the morning. Maybe.