ZEDD

I can't help but pace - again - as we wait for our mates' return. About an hour ago, he said that Pina was back to herself, so where are they? We've already made sure that the infirmary is ready so there's really nothing else to do for now. My anxiety spiked when Thomas blocked me before Dar's announcement - mostly from not knowing why. I'm so engrossed in my worries I don't realize that they're back until I hear Thomas say, "I'm helping as much as I can. Let me put the weapons down."

Swiftly, we head in to help our mates. He sounds a little irritated as he continues. "It's not easy doing this one handed, you know."

We round the corner and stop in dismay at the sight before us. Thomas has his arm in a makeshift sling apparently made from the shirt he's no longer wearing and it appears to be splinted as does Pina's leg, not to mention that Thomas seems to have all of his weight on one leg as he helps her in and away from the door so that he can close it.

He sees us first and tells us, "Get her to the infirmary. I broke her leg."

Dar snarls at him and snatches her up. As they head out, Pina calls back to me, "Get him down here too. He's hurt as well."

"What is hurt besides your arm?"

He shrugs. "Just my knee, Zedd. Nothing serious."

Knowing him as I do, I ask, "How not serious is it?"

"I already put it back in place." And that's not an actual answer.

"Is that why you blocked me?" By his sudden sigh and look of avoidance, I have my response. "So by 'nothing serious' it's something that very likely was bad enough to make you realize that blocking me from the pain was the only way to keep me from coming after you both."

"Or passing out." Lovely. He hands me her sword and then takes up his staff. "It would help a lot if you'd take that to her for me."

"I could just carry you" I offer, already moving to pick him up in my arms.

"As tempting as the thought of getting off my leg is, that won't work right now" he sighs. "I can't bend my knee without a lot of pain right now, Zedd and any way that you'd carry me will either bend it or put pressure on it." I follow him as he heads for the infirmary, making note of the dirt and scratches on his back. He stops at the top of the stairs. "Damn stairs."

Quickly, I go down two steps. "Here, Thomas, lean on me." He sighs but thankfully does so without protest. Slowly, we make our way down. I notice that the further down we get, the more heavily he's leaning on me, not to mention that his temperature seems to be going up, which is puzzling me. A quick glance shows me that there's a slight sheen of sweat on him, but I'm unsure if it's because of the exertion or pain or something else. "Thomas, you aren't getting sick, are you?"

"God, I hope not. That's just what I need - to get sick on top of everything else."

Very true. I guide him into the infirmary where it seems that Pina's leg is almost healed. Dar looks up sharply as we come in. "Tommy, what happened here?" he asks pointing at a cut on her arm.

He looks at Dar steadily. "I cut her with her sword."

"And here?" he asks, pointing to a small mark on her neck.

His answer startles us both. "I bit her."

"You did what now? Why?" I ask.

His voice is tired. "I had to bite her to put an end to the frame of mind she was in. It was the only way, Dar, I'm sorry. Believe me, I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice. If I hadn't, she would have tried to kill me."

"Well next time inform us of what exactly is going on so that I can tend to-" Suddenly stopping in his scolding/lecture he's giving to my mate, Goldar frowns heavily apparently noticing at the same time I do that something is definitely wrong now with the human. "Tommy? Brat, what's wrong?"

Breathing heavily enough to almost be panting now, Thomas is going downhill faster than I ever would expect if this was only a matter of being ill or injured. Before I can question him as well he starts to shake, dropping his staff as he does. "I don't feel well. Why is it so damn cold in here?"

All three of us turn to him. He's flushed and sweating profusely. Just then the machine healing Pina's leg chimes that the cycle is finished. She curses. "Dar, get this off me! Hurry! Zedd, get him on the table as soon as I'm off it."

In a minute, Thomas is on the table, shaking more violently. Pina is swiftly unwrapping his arm as she addresses us. "His arm is broken and the bones need to be set. Zedd, you're going to have to basically sit on him and hold his arm down just below the elbow. Dar, you're going to have to grab his arm just above the wrist and pull. I'll guide the bones in place."

"Can't you sedate him first?" Looking at Thomas in concern, as despite his fevered state even he seems well aware of the agony he's about to be put in if the pleading look he's giving me is any indication, I try to plead his case once more despite Pina arguing that there isn't time. "We're not on a battlefield damn it, there should be time to give him something to combat the pain."

"There isn't if you want him to live. Now help your mate, damn it, before he lapses into shock!"

Quickly, I climb onto the table and straddle my mate's chest before I pin his arm to the table, knowing by Pina's tone she's serious. "I'm sorry, love. Just a few seconds and it'll be over. I'll make this up to you, I swear."

He doesn't respond - lost in a haze of pain and fever. Dar pulls hard and Pina guides the bones as he slowly releases the pressure. Thomas screams in pain, finally subsiding to whimpers when we all release him having gotten his arm situated as it should be so it can now be healed. Pina snatches up her scanner, resets it and begins scanning him once I'm off the table. "Zedd, get him a blanket. Dar, get the machine and put it over his knee."

I glance down, dismayed at what I see before I throw the blanket over his upper body. His knee is swollen to easily two or three times its normal size, his pants taut around it. What in the hell happened out there?

In another minute, the machine is humming and, at Pina's instruction, Dar's watching it closely. Since there's nothing I can do right now, I lightly run my fingers through Thomas' hair and speak softly in Eltarian, assuring him that everything will be fine.

Pina keeps repeating the scan over and over, watching the readout anxiously. "Come on, come on, come on!"

I can feel how hot he's getting and it's starting to concern me. "Pina-"

"I know, Zedd. Hang on, Tommy, please hang on." The last - said almost like a prayer - frightens me. I set my hand on his chest, needing the reassurance of the feel of his heartbeat. It's racing under my hand, frightening me more. How much of this can he take before his body just gives out?

I can hear Dar muttering under his breath. I listen closely. Oh hells, this can't be good if Dar's praying. I know that he can see the scanner from where he is. I can feel the tears gathering in my eyes. I can't lose him - not now! I swear I'll never forgive Scorpina or myself if he doesn't pull through this. I don't care if what happened was beyond her control. He wouldn't be in this state if it wasn't for her sudden blood lust and me letting him go instead of handling it myself. I lightly press a kiss to his forehead before I rest my own against it. "Come on, Thomas. Come back to me, love."

I can hear the machine stop and Dar moving it over his arm and restarting it. What's the point of healing him if he's going to die? They should be trying to bring down his fever not worrying about his damn arm! I remember a remark I used to make when I was young and foolish, when people would accuse me of being reckless. 'Well, at least I'll be a pretty corpse.' I push away the macabre thought even as my mind applies it to my mate.

I can't even reach him through the bond since he blocked me out again. I realize again that he probably did it so that I wouldn't know exactly how hurt he was and now that block is denying me what might be his final moments. In spite of the fact that he seems to be unconscious, I beg, "Please, Thomas. Let me in. You have to let me feel you." I run my fingers through his hair once more.

He speaks, sounding like each word is a struggle. "Zedd… can't… let… you… in… Hurt… you."

"I don't care! Please, love."

"Have… faith."

Have faith? In what? Before I can ask, he seems to lapse back into unconsciousness. I kiss him lightly on the mouth, my heart breaking at the lack of response. "Don't leave me, Thomas, not yet."

I'm barely aware that Dar has moved the machine over to the counter. I'm startled out of my misery at Pina's triumphant cry. "YES!" I look up to see her face blazing with - joy? "Zedd, I know you really don't want to, but you have to back away from him - right now."

"But-" I feel Dar pull me off Thomas and drag me back. "No!"

His body starts to convulse and I try to lunge toward him, but Dar holds me firmly despite my best efforts to hit, kick, and finally bite him. I barely hear Dar's words. "Zedd you have to calm down. I wouldn't keep you back if I thought he wasn't going to make it. He's as stubborn as you are, Zedd. He's not going to die that easily."

Pina continues to scan him as he jerks and twitches. As disturbing as it is, I will myself not to look away. After what seems like forever, Thomas suddenly goes completely limp on the table. "Thomas!"

"You don't have to shout, Zedd. I'm not deaf and I'm not dead." His soft spoken words slowly sink into my brain as he slowly turns his head and looks at me. He's still breathing heavily and trembling slightly, but he is alive and seeming to be recovering from whatever just ravaged his body so brutally rather quickly.

Once more I try and get to him, but Dar still holds me firmly as Pina addresses the younger man. "I know that you're tired and achy, Tommy, but you know what you have to do now."

He nods, slowly sits up and turns. He slides off the table. For a moment, his knees buckle under him, but he catches himself on the table. Pina starts toward him, but he holds up a hand to stop her. "I can do it."

"It won't be the same as before" Pina says. What won't?

"I know. They've already told me." Who told him what? He straightens up and releases his hold on the table. He takes a breath and calls out, command in his voice, "I call forth the power of the falcon!" There is a flash of white and Thomas is dressed in his Ninjetti uniform, which can only mean one thing.

"He's accessed the great power" Dar murmurs.

"But not as a Ranger" Thomas answers. "The Ninja Ranger powers were different even if they came from the same source. Before, they worked with the Ranger powers I already had. This is - different. Power down."

The morph drops immediately. Pina scans him quickly. "You'll probably need to rest to let the powers finish their work. From what I'm seeing, you seem to be - evolving."

"I'll rest eventually" he says. "I have something I have to do first."

He turns and nods at Dar to release me.

"Bout time, the bastard bit me" Dar grumbles, much to Pina's amusement it seems. He does however let me go finally and I take a hesitant step forward before I stop, unsure. Where does this leave us now? Will he be summoned to fight again? I almost lost him today, how in the hell can I deal with him putting himself in constant danger again? Why couldn't he just be happy with me protecting him with my power, why did he have to take up that damn type of power again? And that in mind, will his power clash with mine, as Rita's does? How are we going to be together if his power makes my whole body crawl in discomfort like hers?

He frowns at my hesitation. "What's wrong, Zedd? You practically tried to kill Goldar to get to me a minute ago - what's the matter?"

"I don't know" I admit.

"His power isn't like Rita's or Zordon's" Pina informs me. "It's much more similar to what you felt near the sacred grove. It won't harm you and yours won't harm him." Well, that helps.

I cross over to him and slowly set a shaking hand on his chest right over his heart. The strong steady beat soothes me slightly as does the fact that while I can now feel a bit of the power he holds, it doesn't cause any actual discomfort or distress.

He gives me a minute to adjust to the new development before he smiles at me in what seems to be just a bit of amusement. "See, still me. Just…better."

Frowning at his statement I shake my head slowly. "Don't need you to be better. I love you how you are."

"I know you do, but I needed me to be better. This is a good thing Zedd, I promise. Come on, Zedd. Let's go to our room. I've had a really long day and I'd rather you were with me when I rest."

He takes my hand and leads me out of the room, snatching up his staff as we go. Minutes later, we're in our room and Thomas is stripping off what remains of his clothes, retaining his boxers. Making note of my now quiet worry, he looks to me as he places his staff next to mine along the far wall. "You're upset."

"Not upset." Thinking it over, I amend my statement slightly. "Was upset when I thought I'd lost you, now I'm just…"

"Just?"

"Concerned." I finally state feeling that's the closest I can come to labeling how I currently feel.

"Concerned." Nodding and taking a breath, he sits down by the window. "What are you concerned about?"

"You."

Raising a brow he looks at me in interest now. "Me? You're going to have to narrow it down a bit more there I'm afraid. Are you concerned because I got hurt? Are you concerned about me having access to my powers again? Are you concerned because of what happened with Pina today?"

Cutting him off before he can guess any further, I hear the words come before I can really stop and think about them. "I'm concerned you're going to leave me."

Looking stunned, he takes a minute before responding. "What?"

"You don't need me now. I know you're restless here, you don't have anything to do that interests you. You've almost regained the skills that you lost when injured. Now you have access to your powers again…if you don't have anything to keep your interest, and you don't need me to protect and take care of you, I'm concerned that it's only a matter of time before you realize I don't really serve a purpose for you."

Crossing the space between us, he moves only a breath away from me before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "Zedd, has anyone ever told you that you are completely exhausting at times." Do what now? At my lost look he shakes his head and continues. "Zedd it's true I'm restless right now because I have yet to find my place here, but once I do I'll settle down because I'll have something to focus on that I know will serve a purpose. Also, you're right, I don't need you to protect me and take care of me. I'm grateful that you did that for me when I was unable to do it for myself, and I appreciate the fact that you would still want to now, but I don't need you to and again that's a good thing. Me not needing you to means that we can start looking out for each other and focusing more on our future together. You're not going to lose me Zedd." Placing his hand on the back of my neck he pulls me down slightly to rest his forehead against my own. "You're stuck with me, remember? Now deal with it."

Smiling slightly as he releases me with a parting kiss, I remove my own clothes, still watching him closely as I do though. "I suppose I could be 'stuck' with far worse." Smiling as this earns me a snort and roll of his eyes I continue, just a bit more seriously. "Thomas, are you really all right?"

"I will be" he answers. "Tell you what, until I am, you can protect me and take care of me all right?" I know he's only teasing me, however realizing I may not get another chance I give a nod of agreement.

"And you can't protest it."

"Protect away oh mighty Lord Zedd, just do me a favor and let me sleep while you do, okay." Quickly we both climb into bed and he immediately curls up against me. He yawns and says, "I know earlier I said we'd play tonight, but even with as much as I want you right now, I don't think I can follow it through. I'm sorry."

"There will be plenty of time after you rest," I assure him. I press him closer, grateful that he's still alive and still mine. I know that he should probably have showered to get the dirt off his back, but - if necessary - I can do that for him after he falls asleep. "Sleep, love."

In moments, he does and I'm not far behind him.