Friday
Syd fell into bed exhausted, hoping finally to get some well-needed sleep. However with the opening of old wounds, came the haunting of old memories.
"She doesn't love us. She doesn't need us." Her dad's voice reminded her over and over again any time she asked about her mother.
"Why did you leave me? Why don't you love me?" her eight-year-old voice called out at night, a lonely girl longing for her mother. Sydney cried herself to sleep many nights in her young life, starving for the love of a missing mom, and the attention of a distant father.
She tossed and turned, as a vague memory came to mind that she must have blocked before because it was not one of her usual dreams.
"I hereby give full custody of the girl, Sydney Adrianna Drew to her father Jonathan Drew. The mother Adrianna Drew is not permitted visitation at this time." The judge gave his ruling; the sound of his gavel banging gave a sense of finality to the little girl whose heart was breaking.
Sydney tore away from her aunt (her dad's sister) and ran towards her mother. She was stopped by one of the police officers. "MOMMY! Come back!" she screamed as she was forced to watch her mom be escorted out of the courthouse.
Syd kept screaming, hoping her mother would come back for her. How could the judge just take her away?
"MOM! Come back!" 18-year-old Sydney screamed as she thrashed about in bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she was entrenched in a nightmare that was all too real.
"Syd, wake up." Z said worried, pushing on her shoulder in an attempt to stir her. But Syd twisted away from the yellow ranger, the momentum throwing her off her bed. The pink ranger landed on the floor with a sickening thud just as the boys came to check out all the commotion.
"Syd!" Sky shouted, as she lay crumpled on the floor. He quickly checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. He forced his heart to keep beating as he realized she was still breathing. However she was still unconscious.
"What happened?" Jack asked as the blue ranger lifted the petite girl off the floor and held her close to comfort her even though she didn't know he was there. Sky paid no attention to the conversation around him; he just gazed at the broken girl in his arms.
"She had a nightmare." Z whispered, still scared at the sight of Syd flying off the bed and her failed attempts to wake her. "She wouldn't wake up." She said tearfully.
"Shh. She'll be okay." The red ranger reassured her as he gathered her close for a hug. "Let's get Syd to the infirmary and have Dr. Manx check her out." He declared with concern.
"She's completely exhausted." Was Dr. Manx's diagnosis. "Physically, mentally, emotionally. She's just overwhelmed." She explained to the troubled rangers. The four were gathered around Sydney's bed as she lay peacefully, thanks to the sedative Kat had given her.
"What about the nightmares?" Bridge wondered curiously.
"Hopefully the sedative I gave her was strong enough to keep her in a deep sleep so she can sleep fully." Kat said optimistically.
None of them were eager to leave their teammates side, but Sky made the decision for them. "Guys, go get some rest. I'm staying here with Syd." He declared firmly. They all nodded and left the blue ranger to keep watch over the pink ranger.
12 hours later Sydney's eyes fluttered open. 'Where am I?' she thought confused as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. White walls replaced her pink one, and technical equipment replaced her stereo and television. As she went to rub her eyes to see if it was another of her dreams, she noticed that her right hand was weighed down. A large warm hand covered hers and a smile came to her face as she noticed the face of its owner.
Feeling rested, she reluctantly slipped her tiny hand out of his so she could stretch. The slight movement woke the blue ranger. "Hey." Syd spoke softly as his eyes opened suddenly.
"How are you?" he asked kindly as he sat up in the chair. "Awake." Was the best she could offer. She wasn't too sure how she felt.
"I can see that." He replied with a chuckle. "You scared us last night." He offered shyly.
"What happened?" Syd inquired worried. Sky brushed a stray curl out of her face as he explained softly, "you had a nightmare and fell out of bed."
Syd grimaced at his description. "Sorry." She murmured apologetically, noticing he hadn't moved his hand and it was now softly stroking her hair.
"Don't be." He reprimanded her. "It's not your fault." He promised her.
"Lunch time." Jack's cheerful voice interrupted the moment as he pushed in the lunch cart followed by Z and Bridge.
The yellow ranger raised her eyebrow to Bridge as they took in the affectionate scene they had just barged in on. Sky reluctantly, yet quickly moved his hand away from Syd to accommodate the lunch cart.
"You better be hungry." Z mock threatened her roommate. To her surprise, Sydney found herself with a voracious appetite, as plates of food were uncovered.
After lunch the others had to finish their arrangements for the incoming visitors, leaving Syd alone to her thoughts. Kat had released her from the infirmary with a promise to come back if she still had trouble sleeping. As a ranger she would need her energy for upcoming battles.
She returned to her room and found the letter from her father. Carefully she placed the harsh words aside instead settling for the check. Sydney knelt on the floor and pulled out a box from under her bed. She put the check in the box where she had kept all her other checks from her father. Contrary to rumor, Sydney wasn't as careless with her money as others would think. She had been saving up for the day she could gain her independence from her dad.
Today, her eighteenth birthday that day had finally come. With all the furious preparations going around her, it was easy to slip away unnoticed. Despite all her confessions of last night, Sydney still had her pride. She tucked her box of savings under her arm and headed to the garage.
She was so focused on her destination that she neglected to pay attention to her current surroundings. As she turned a corner she ran into a hard wall of strength; both her and her box tumbling to the floor. Gasping for breath, Syd desperately tried to gather up her papers before he could see what they were.
"Syd?" Jack asked quietly as he held a check out to her inquiringly. She gently pulled it out of his hand and placed it with the others back in her box. Syd put the lid on tight, but made no attempt to move away. Jack hesitated to speak, instead choosing to wait for her to initiate the conversation. He didn't want to frighten her away.
"I've been saving these since I started at the academy." She disclosed with just a bit of shame. "I always planned to move out when I was old enough." "I wanted to be able to take care of myself." She said more confidently, as if daring Jack to challenge her statement.
"Why today?" the red ranger wondered curiously, as he tried to put all the pieces together of the mystery that was the pink ranger.
"It's my eighteenth birthday." Came the soft declaration. "Happy Birthday Syd." Jack acknowledged with a smile, honored that she would tell him about her secret. Even if he had to have knocked her down to do it.
She brushed off his greeting nonchalantly. "It's just a day." She disagreed hurting even as she said it.
"Eighteen is such a milestone." Jack persisted nonetheless.
"So is ten, and thirteen, and sixteen." Sydney argued bitterly. "No one cared then, and no one cares now." She said angrily, finally picking up her box and storming away. Jack wouldn't just let her go so he followed her.
In her anger she didn't notice when he beat her to the jeep. "Let me." He demanded quietly, holding out his hand for the keys. She was in no condition to drive. Not after today. Not after the week she had. He was relieved that she gave him the keys without question. He wasn't in the mood to wrestle them out of her hands. Given her emotional state, he knew there could have been some fierce swings on her part.
"We care you know." Jack broke the solemn silence. Syd nodded that she understood as she stared out the window watching the scenery go by.
"But you didn't mean us earlier did you?" Jack clarified with great sensitivity. He sighed when she didn't answer; but the tear that escaped down her cheek didn't go unnoticed. As much as Syd had shared with them, he realized he didn't truly understand the complexity of her situation or the depth of her suffering.
"You'll never be alone Syd." Jack reassured her. "You'll always have us." The red ranger reminded her truthfully.
"Where you've guys been?" Bridge asked as soon as they reentered the compound. "We've been looking for you everywhere." He continued on hurried. "Everyone's coming in a hour, and Cruger is driving us all crazy with his last minute commands." The green ranger attacked verbally before they even knew what hit them.
"Chill." Sky mockingly rebuked his roommate, sensing that Jack and Syd were in no mood for his verbiage. The pink ranger was frozen in the doorway, as if the effort to move was too much for her. Jack remained glued to her side, protective of the fragile girl next to him.
"Stay?" Z offered hopefully as the four rangers tried to persuade the distressed girl into the opening festivities.
"Today's just another reminder that my family is one big farce. NO matter how much you guys love me and I love you, it isn't the same." Syd said sadly leaving the group behind.
Z let out a defeated sigh as she watched her roommate slowly leave the room. "She needs more time." Jack confided in the group. "It's too much, too soon. Let her have her space." He commanded them, turning to go to his room to get ready for Parent's weekend.
"What do you know?" The blue ranger demanded angrily as he entered Jack's room right behind the red ranger. Jack expected this reaction, but what he didn't know was what to say to relieve the anxiety on Sky's part. He had guessed for awhile that he had stronger feelings for their teammate, but this whole dramatic saga had bought out the protective side of Sky they had never seen before.
Jack noticed the tense but worried look on his face and realized how deeply the blue ranger cared for Syd. He was just confused on what to do and how to help her. "I know that she's missing the family that she deserved but never had."
As the silence grew, Jack continued. "Everyone thinks she's a princess, but they have no idea. She's alone Sky. SPD is all that she has." Jack shared with him what Syd had told him earlier.
