The room became as quiet as a still image, every single person lost in their own thoughts as to how this even happened. When did it happen?
Even after his years of being an EMT, and the constant exposure to blood and other bodily fluids, Jason was not immune to seeing that coming out of him. He could happily carry a detached arm in an ice bucket, but only if it was someone else's.
Now if the room would just stop spinning, that would be great.
"Oh My God!" Zack shrieked, coming to Jason's side.
His hands hovered over Jason's gash, unsure what was the correct thing to do here. Under normal circumstances, red was Jason's color, but it couldn't have been more true that very moment. Everything was turning red; His jeans, his shoes, his jacket!
Take it out or leave it in? Take it out or leave it in? Take it out or leave it in?
The retired rangers didn't exactly know who to turn to as it seems their medical professional was in too state of shock to direct them in what to do. Billy was a scientific prodigy, but he left the medical training to those in that field. He'd stick with aerospace and astrophysics.
Zack only did the most logical thing and removed the accessory protruding outside of his oldest friend. That was the correct thing do, right?
"Ahhhhhh," Jason hissed, feeling the pain wake him up, "What the hell are you doing?"
Zack stood, eyes wild in a panic, one knife in hand, "I don't know!"
The original red ranger looked down at his wound, seeing his innards for the first time in his life. This was bad, so very, very bad.
"You're not supposed to take it out," Jason could feel the blood flowing out of him at this point, his fingertips going numb,
Shit. That would have been good to know before he pulled it out.
"Okay," Zack panicked, sticking the knife back inside of Jason.
"AaaAaooowWww,"Jason cried out, feeling the room spinning a lot more than he hoped.
He was starting to believe that Kimberly had been right all along, they all really were idiots.
Where was the damn alcohol Rocky had spiked?
"We have to get him to a hospital," Adam brought his hands to his curling hair, gripping the long strands, "he'll bleed out if we leave him like this!"
All eyes turned to Tommy, who out of all of them did the best under pressure. When the time came to look for someone to be in charge, it always either fell to Jason or Tommy, and seeing as how Jason was struggling to stay awake because of the sight of his own blood, Tommy was the next obvious choice.
Tommy hadn't even realized he wasn't breathing until the need to speak became necessary. "Right!" He said, feeling the air fill his lungs.
He turned to Kimberly, her lips lightly parted. As she had been the only one that was more than semi conscious the night before, she could vaguely piece back when this could have happened, and if she was right, then she was certain they had bigger fish coming their way.
She reached into her pocket, finding a dangling pair of keys sitting inside of her shorts. Fuck. That confirmed it, they were screwed.
"Okay," she let out a shaky breath, "You guys grab Jason, I'll meet you downstairs!"
Tommy didn't get a chance to react before she bolted out of the room, keys in hand. He watched her leave, hoping in the back of his mind that she didn't just abandon them high and dry.
"Jason," Tommy crouched down to his bleeding friend, putting his rolled up jacket on his wound with mounting pressure. "We gotta move."
The former red ranger was able to nod before finding the energy to move his legs. Tommy and Adam looped Jason's arm around their shoulder, taking some of the weight off their dearest friend. If anything happened to Jason then Trini would destroy them, that is if Katherine didn't get to them first.
The trip down the elevator was spent trying to keep Jason conscious. It wasn't that the wound was severe, but any sight of blood was making Jason just a tad woozy.
They ignored the wild eyes and gasps from everyone in the lobby, right now wasn't the time to care. This was an emergency. The cool morning air bit at their skin, the rising sun just barely illuminating the sky.
The sight of Kimberly pulling up in a 1970 Red Cadillac convertible was as much as a shock as Jason's stab wound. She looked just that much smaller in the driver side, her hand beckoning them to come into her direction.
"Get in!" She hollered, pulling up in front of them.
The guys did just that, carefully helping Jason into the back seat.
The remaining former rangers packed themselves inside like a can of sardines, finding the space wherever they could.
"When did we get a car?" Zack murmured quickly, his brain still confused as ever.
Adam and Rocky turned to each other, hoping that maybe one of them recalled renting a vehicle.
"I don't remember driving here!" Billy sighed, feeling his heart pick up.
Tommy secured himself in the front, sandwiched between Zack and Kimberly, while the rest found themselves a spot in the back.
Kimberly was driving off before they were able to close the door, speeding down Las Vegas Boulevard.
"Just hang on, Jase," Kimberly yelled over her shoulder, her eyes still pinned to the road, "the hospital isn't far from here!"
"No," Jason shook his head, the world still spinning around him, "I can't go to the hospital! They'll draw my blood and know I did some kind of drug. I can get fired."
"Jason, I don't think you have many options right now," Kimberly tried. "We have to get you patched up and then we'll worry about your job!"
"No way! I can't lose this!" Jason protested, feeling the air flowing in his face bringing him more and more to his senses. "Trini and I are saving up for a house, we're wanting to get married, she's pregnant!"
As they had been doing since they became conscious, the group let out a loud and collective gasp.
"What?!" Tommy cranked his head, facing a helpless Jason.
How dare Jason not tell him until that very moment. He should have known before Trini did… if that made sense at all.
"I think I'm dying," Jason let out through labored breaths.
Of course he was being overly dramatic.
Kimberly's mind was racing faster than her current ride. She couldn't just let him die, although she knew his wound wasn't bad enough. While she didn't agree with everything that Jason said or did, he had been right about one thing, family doesn't turn their back on family. Since the dad-to-be wouldn't let her take him to a trained medical professional, she figured there was one other place she could take him. There was someone that owed her quite a favor, and she was more than prepared to cash it in.
"I know a place you can go," Kimberly bit her lip, taking the first exit to her right.
Jason tried to remain awake as they hit every bump and crack on the street. Each second felt like hours as they drove deep into the downtown area.
The surrounding buildings shifted from a wonderland of lights and flair, to gray and industrial. The grime and graffiti only familiarizing them with a Las Vegas they never saw on any of the trip brochures. Where the hell were they?
Kimberly stopped behind a long warehouse with a single rolled down metal door. The guys turned to her, watching her give them a nervous smile.
"This is it," she told them, unbuckling her seat belt.
She turned up to the building, recalling the last time she had been in there for a rave. She almost didn't recognize it without the police sirens in the background breaking up her good time.
The guys followed closely behind, Jason still clutching his jacket to himself to stop the bleeding.
Kimberly came up to the metal door before releasing three hard and loud smacks, the clanking sound traveling down the road.
They were muted, nothing but the sound of Jason's deep breathing.
The sound of the metal door coiling up had the guys clutching their chests. It wasn't that they didn't trust Kimberly, but nothing good every came from the shady part of town.
A 6-foot-tall Cuban man opened the door, his Versace silk shirt unbuttoned revealing a glistening pack of muscles. He rubbed his tired eyes awake, finding the feisty brunette of his dreams standing there with a group of men behind her.
"Mi amor!" He greeted her, taking her by the shoulders and planting a delicate kiss to her cheek.
He took a look behind her, wondering what Kimberly had gotten herself into this time.. and what that would mean for him.
"Hi, my love," Kimberly returned the same, a pink touch to her cheeks.
"I was just wondering when I was going to see that beautiful face of yours… and you brought friends," He told her with a thick Spanish accent.
Tommy tried to not let this get to him. Whoever he was clearly had a close relationship with his… wife? God, he had almost forgotten for a moment. Did he even have a leg to stand on? He was literally getting married to someone else later that day… maybe.
"I need your help, Raf," Kimberly went over to him, her lip sandwich between her teeth.
Could he ever turn her down? He moved from the door, allowing her inside, the men following closely after.
Rafael closed the door behind them, sealing them inside the old building and away from the eyes of the city. His home was as fabulous as he was, half dressed mannequins with clothes that were barely pinned covering all of the walls. Tommy tried to ignore the lines of cocaine on the far off table.
"How can I be of service?" Raf turned to his new guests, his hands coming together in front of him.
Kimberly walked over to a pale Jason, removing the jacket from his side to reveal his wound.
Blood had covered the laceration and all of the surrounding skin, making it difficult to decipher what was where.
"Ay, Kimmy, what did you do?" Raf jogged over to him, his brow lifted to inspect the gash.
That was the only man Kimberly didn't castrate for calling her Kimmy.
Jason hissed at the removal, feeling the pain over take him once again. He had been losing substantial blood since this wound first appeared hours ago.
"I didn't do anything," She brought her hands to her hair, "I think it was Vinny."
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Raf took several steps back, shaking his head. "You're bringing me into this? I can not help you!? The man will stab me before I have time to blink!"
Kimberly turned serious, her eyes pleading with his to reconsider. Sure they were utterly screwed, Vinny Russo and his crew of idiots were more trouble than a hungry pack of wolves, but that would have to wait until Jason was better.
Kimberly came with her own set of issues and secrets, but she wasn't about to let her friend bleed out. When Raf had gotten himself entangled with the wrong crowd of Las Vegas, it was Kimberly that bailed him out again and again.
"You owe me!" Kimberly stood her ground, seeing a disgruntled Raf rub a hand down his face.
Damn it!
"Fine! But I stitch him up and you were never here!" He threw his hands in the air, running over to his med kit hidden in his cupboard.
Rafael knew better than to ask questions when it came to the case of the mysterious life of Kimberly Hart. If she was in trouble then he had no choice but to help his dear friend.
The men had watched the conversation unfold, trying to come up with an explanation as to what the hell they had just gotten themselves into. Who was Vinny and why did he stab Jason?
Raf brought Jason to a nearby chair, throwing the former ranger in a heap.
"This will hurt," Raf told Jason, making firm eye contact with him.
Tommy came to Jasons side, holding his friend down while he watched Raf remove the blade and pour a cleaning solution on the wound.
"Ahhhhh," Jason cried out, feeling himself rev up.
Raf gave an apologetic groan but forged on. The faster they got him sewn up the better.
Rocky cringed in the background, feeling just that much more responsible for this. He didn't mean to get them in this situation, but he did do his job. He was certain this would be a memorable night for all of them.
Rafael pulled out his sewing kit, carefully piecing back together the exposed tissue. At least enough to get him through the day.
"So pretty boy, are you gonna just watch me or are you gonna tell me who you are?" Raf looked up, making eye contact with Tommy.
Kimberly felt a smile creep up her lip.
"Uh, I'm Tommy," the former green ranger said, unsure of his situation.
He watched Raf continue sewing up Jason, now having a few questions of his own.
"Who are you?" Tommy asked, stealing a long look at the man that had his arms wrapped around Kimberly earlier.
Raf smiled, feeling the heat from Tommy's gaze. This should be fun. He beckoned towards Kimberly, "I'm her lover."
Tommy's grip on Jason tightened just that much more, feeling a pit form in his heart and a rage go up his spine. Why did that comment piss him off and why did he suddenly want to rip that man apart? He shouldn't feel like this. He loved Katherine, right? At least a part should. Why was he still so possessive of Kimberly after all of this time? She brought something out of him, something primal.
The former green ranger shook, using all of his strength to tame the beast inside.
Tommy wasn't expecting the loud laugh coming out of Raf, bouncing off the walls in the room, "I guess I should tell you it was a joke before you kill me."
Raf watched Tommy exhale, releasing a heavy sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Kimberly. Her dear friend played on a different team all together. Tommy didn't have to worry about Raf feasting his eyes on Kimberly, but more so on himself.
"Relief looks good on you," Raf told Tommy before shooting a wink at Kimberly. He continued working on Jason, only a few more stitches to go before he was all done.
The rest of the guys watched, Zack feeling a little woozy himself. He needed to lay or sleep or be knocked out because looking at a needle go in and out of Jason was the opposite of a good time.
"Looks like we're done," Raf sighed, finishing up the last stitch.
Jason looked down at his closed laceration, feeling his brain slowly unscrambling. Did it still hurt? Like a heart attack, but it was now bearable.
Raf looked at Jason, noticing the still pale appearance, "You need blood."
No! That's where Jason drew the line. Getting sewn up by an unknown acquaintance of Kimberly's was fine because he had no other choice, but getting blood put inside of him? Nope!
Raf didn't even give Jason a chance to protest. He was on his way to his stash of blood over by the fridge.
"Do you want Hep B or Hep C?" Raf asked nonchalantly, holding two different bags of O- blood.
"What?" Jason used the last bit of strength to attempt to sit up. Alright, he was out of here.
"I'm kidding," Rafael laughed, receiving a light smack from Kimberly in the arm, "I don't get much interaction with people, as you can see." He turned to the painted mannequins that filled the warehouse.
While his place didn't scream sanitary, Rafael truly was. He was the underground medic for all of those that did the crime, but could not do the time. His blood drive heist only added to his collection of supply, giving his clients the best treatment.
Jason shook his head, "No offense, but I'm not letting you stick any more needles in me."
"Jase," Kimberly told him gently, "you can trust Rafael, okay? He's not going to hurt you. He's just going to make your recovery quicker."
Oh, yeah. Trust the guy with the supply of blood.
Kimberly was having no luck, and the rest of the guys tried to look anywhere but at her, giving her the answer that they couldn't be of any help. She turned to Tommy, hoping that he was still in her corner.
"Tommy," She pleaded, "Come on, we can't let him walk out of here like this. He's lost too much blood."
There was a glimmer of the old Kimberly Hart still in her eyes, making him quake where he stood. He would walk off a cliff without a safety net and know he would be okay just by the sincerity in her face. There was a time when he trusted her word above any one else's, over Zordon's, sometimes even his own. He never question her or her integrity, and he was trying to tap into that at that very moment.
"You have to listen to him, Jason," Tommy told him, releasing an exhale. He still trusted her, even after all this time. Even though she was a complete stranger to him. His head screamed at him to run, but his heart told him to trust her. And if there was one thing Tommy did best, it was follow his heart.
Defeated, Jason nodded, giving his arm to the flamboyant Cuban man.
Raf didn't even get the opportunity to stick the needle in his arm before a series of pounds came from the door, startling everyone in the room.
"Police! Open up!"
Author Note: Hey everyone! Things are picking up real quick! I'm hoping the next chapter will be up soon! I hope you guys liked this new chapter! Let me know what you guys thought in a review or a PM! It always makes my day! See you guys next time!