JASON

Tommy rises and follows me out of the kitchen, apparently done eating and deciding to clean up later. I'd really rather have this discussion with Dar present, as he said he would be, but this has to be done and I'm not sure how long it will take him to reassure Scorpina. I'm hoping that the improvements that I've seen in Tommy since I've been here will help. As we head for the ship, I take a deep breath. "Tommy-"

"Relax, bro. I'm not going to come apart on you again."

In spite of his confidence, I can't help the deep sigh. "I hope not. I think that if you do, Zedd will beat the living hell out of me."

"Zedd is more than a little overprotective" he agrees. No kidding. "But that's kind of a good thing right? I mean not that I really need his protection much anymore, but more that he would rather give it than be trying to kill me and all." This is true.

"I can't really argue with that. Especially since I will admit that when I first found out he was the one taking care of you I was more than a bit concerned."

"It's understandable, I think I would have felt the same way if it'd been you."

I lead him to the cargo bay on the ship where I've stored a half a dozen boxes of his things from home. "I wasn't sure what all you'd be able to do or would want, so I grabbed a little bit of everything."

He starts opening boxes, pawing through the contents. "Movies, music, books, clothes - looks like you hit all the high points, bro. Granted, I can't read right now, but when I can I'll be glad to have them. Thanks a lot."

I nod in acknowledgement as I reach over for a bag on the wall. "These are things from the others." I pass him the bag and he abandons the boxes in favor of the gifts.

He flips through the sketchbook from Trent, smells the bags of coffee from Hayley and gives a brief smile of the framed photo of the kids and Hayley together from Conner. He holds up a couple of discs. "What are these?"

I glance at the labels on them. "One is from Kira - it's her music. The other one is from Ethan. He copied the archives for you. He said that if your memory was affected that it might help."

Quietly, he says, "They're great kids. It sucks that I can't help them anymore."

"They'll be fine - you said so yourself. Hey, there were times we had to function without Zordon and we made it."

"But we always got him back. I don't think that I'll be back in time to be of any help to them."

"Bro, stop. They still have Hayley, I'll be there in a week or so and Billy and Trini are helping out until I get back. It'll be okay." I sit down on the floor by him, my arm going around his shoulders.

He sighs, but at least leans against me seeming somewhat content. "Yeah, I know. And they're all more than capable, but it's not fair for them to have to clean up my mess."

"No, this is Anton's mess. He made the choice to misuse your research, Tommy."

"That's not really the point, but whatever."

"It is the point. You can't control what other people do, bro. Everyone makes their own choices and this one was his, not yours."

"Maybe." Still seeming unconvinced, he shakes his head slowly still looking at the discs in his hands. "You said that we had to talk about something. What did you want to talk about?"

I take a deep breath. "Yeah. So, um, you remember when we talked in the garden and you mentioned that nobody came to see you in the hospital?" He nods and I steel myself for a potentially very bad reaction. "I emailed Hayley to find out what happened and why nobody came. She couldn't reach me and I didn't get any of her messages - at all. I only found out what happened when I walked into her place looking for you."

"Yeah, I know. I heard what you said when you and Andros got here remember. I may not have been at my best but…it's okay Jase, I know sometimes things happen and you came here to see me now, so we'll call it even, okay?"

"Well, yeah, I mean I guess that works for us, but this isn't exactly about us. I… Tommy I need to explain about the others." Here's where things could get ugly. "She couldn't reach some of the others like she couldn't reach me, so that's why a few didn't get there in time to see you, it's not because they didn't care, just like me they didn't know."

"I guess I understand that. But I find it a little hard to believe she couldn't reach anyone." Right, because that would actually make this a bit easier I think. "Well no, she did reach some. The ones she could reach wanted to come, but since you were sleeping a lot and nobody was sure how bad off you were-" I falter, having no idea how to break it to him gently.

His eyes close and pain flashes across his face. "She told them not to come."

Hastily, I say, "Before she could let them know that they could visit-"

Softly, he interrupts me. "I had to go to rehab and they said no visitors."

"Yeah." I don't know what else to tell him at first. Then I remember. "I've been in touch with most everybody since then. They all wanted me to tell you that they're thinking of you and hope you're better soon. They would really like to hear from you." He really doesn't need to know about the emails I got in the last day or two threatening bodily harm on Zedd and the others if they hurt him in any way.

He nods and says, "Well, you'll have to convince them that everything is okay here until I can find a way to talk to them." He's taking this way too well. He turns back to the boxes. "Hopefully, Zedd has something that I can play my music on."

"I will, but Tommy I want you to know that if they thought they could have helped you they would have been there regardless-"

"It's okay, Jase, really. I know Hayley thought she was doing what was best and they did too. I'm fine." Right, I believe that.

He opens another box and digs in it, apparently determined to shove whatever hurt he has over the matter away for the moment. His laptop bag is on top and he laughs lightly. "And hopefully he has a way for me to charge this, too." He digs further in and then freezes suddenly. Slowly, he pulls out a pink envelope, old and much creased from repeated folding and unfolding. He stares at it for a minute and then winces, this time it seems like in physical pain. I know he can't read it, but he obviously knows what it is. "Why did you bring this?"

"It was in your nightstand with a few other things that I thought were important to you. Those are in there too and your photo album is on the bottom of the box. If you don't want it, or don't want some of these other things, I can take them back, Tommy."

"No, it's fine. Just leave them, Jase. Actually, let's move these boxes into the castle in my room."

He stands quickly, dropping the letter back in the box before putting his laptop back on top of it and closing the box. He grabs it and heads out of the ship as I stare after him floored by his abrupt decision and departure from the room. I get up myself and grab another box and the bag and head out behind him. Several minutes later, they're all stacked neatly in his closet and he closes the door firmly. I'm not sure what to say. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I just thought-"

"Nah, it's cool. Hey, why don't you go check on Zedd and Andros and I'll see if Dar or Pina's in the kitchen?"

We both know full well that nobody will be in the kitchen, but I nod anyway. In the mood Tommy seems to currently be in, I'm surprised that Zedd hasn't come and hunt us down yet. Still, I know Tommy well enough to know that he wants a few minutes alone. "Yeah, I guess so."

Before I can say another word, he's gone. Slowly I head for Zedd's office. This is going to be a lot of fun - not.