15
Tommy barely slept. Couldn't even nod off even though his body protested with fatigue, trying to drag him into the depths of darkness.
How could he sleep when there was so much going on around him? Doctors and nurses raced back and forth as they tried to take on everything that came through the doors. Even in the weary hours of the morning, things didn't slow down. A few more car accidents with minor injuries, a pregnant woman who wasn't sure she was in labor, someone who had unexplainable chest pains, a child with a fever...and yet, none of them brought in police presence.
The doctors and nurses continued to do their jobs, setting patients up in triage and figuring out who was the ones they needed to see right away, and who they could take their time on. Tommy watched it all happen with Avalon quietly sitting by his side, knees drawn up, an elbow resting on her knee, quietly gnawing at her fingernails. Every time someone of authority moved through the double doors that led to the off-limits are of the hospital, they'd both stiffen, waiting for the worst.
But they'd be passed by.
The parents milled around; those that waited to hear about their children. The Scotts, Kwans, and Ms. Hart stayed close to each other, holding hands, preparing each other for the worst. The Taylors reassured them the best they could, tried to ignore the growing pain they also felt, knowing it was their son who had put them in the situation. The Cranstons were with the police, shutting down the party back at their cabin, his parents were floating around, fielding reporters, being there for everyone.
It was the presence they should've been happy for, their parents were there, everything was going to be better. Even into their late teens, sometimes into their twenties, people felt better when they knew their parents were coming to comfort them. And yet, Tommy didn't feel comfort for it. Instead, he felt nothing but shame.
Shame for the decisions he'd made and for what had happened.
He'd played a part in it. Even when in the backseat of the car, focusing so much on Kim, he'd played a part in the accident. His friends made fun of him, teased him for the affection he showed her as they always did. But he didn't feel as much shame—that was never the right word, Tommy was never ashamed of the love he had for Kimberly—thanks to the liquid courage.
He broke out from the rules that were always put on him, he rebelled a little bit for the first time in his life. They all rebelled for the first time in their lives—save for Billy and Avalon—and they paid they price. It was why they shouldn't have tempted fate. They were a part of something bigger, something that resulted in the safety of Angel Grove…but that pressure was harder to breakthrough as the days went by.
No one knew the pressure they were under; they went to school, they did extracurricular activities, they volunteered, they found time to be with their friends and family, and they had their futures to look forward to, all the while being a power ranger. All the while, having to make sure people were evacuated in enough time so that there weren't any casualties while fighting against Rita's and Zedd's monsters.
We should've thought of that, Tommy thought, rubbing at his face. At his tired burning eyes. I should've thought of that. I'm the leader, I'm supposed to lead. I'm supposed to set the example. He refused to let the other thought enter this head, the nagging thought that, maybe that was the problem. Maybe he was too preoccupied with being a role model for everyone, for every age, that he let the pressure get to him. That he used the time to blow off some steam too literally and there was no way to come back from it.
"Billy!"
Tommy looked up when he heard Avalon's quiet gasp. Looked up as the double doors pushed open and Billy strode through them, looking as tired as ever. Even more tired than pulling an all-nighter for their final tests and projects could render him as he worked to help all his friends stay up to speed. No, the sort of fatigue Billy sported was of someone who'd seen death before and tried not to let what happened that night affect him. He worked hard to stay calm, cool, collected, and maybe was a second away from breaking down.
He looked over at Tommy and Avalon, and Tommy could see from where he was sitting that relief washed through Billy's eyes. Avalon got to her feet and, in seconds, was in her boyfriends' arms, holding him as tightly as he held her. But he kept his eyes on Tommy. Gently brushed Avalon's hair with his hand, but kept his eyes solely on Tommy.
Tommy slowly stood and walked toward Billy. Unsure of what to do. He'd never been like that around the blue ranger. Cautious, unknowing. As it were, the blue ranger was the one who approached him with that sort of trepidation when they first met. Unsure if he were truly friend or foe after Rita had gotten ahold of him, had bestowed upon him the Dragonzord Power Coin, had turned him into her evil minion.
Is that how Billy saw him now? As nothing short of evil? Because he did nothing to stop Zack's antics and, instead, allowed himself to become swept up into it. Allowed himself to get into the car and, thusly, create even more pain and torture for those that were waiting for news on their loved ones? If it were just Zack and Angela, they could be a united front, but having had openly defied Billy's worries?
Tommy brought up a hand to his forehead, it pounded as a memory came to him.
"I'm worried about Zack. I think he's drinking too much."
"He's fine. You're worry too much."
When it was Billy's worries that, precisely, had gotten them out of numerous jams before. His worries over the structural integrity of their zords and the weapons they carried that spurned the blue ranger forward in fortifying everything for them. Something they all praised him for, in times of a "Power Ranger Crisis" and yet when they were surely going through a real crisis Tommy brushed him off. As if he were an annoying pest.
What sort of friend was he?
The thought made Tommy stop in his tracks, lowering his head as shame paralyzed him. What sort of a friend was he, if he were able to give into peer pressure so easily? If he were able to turn his back on his friends and allow them, and himself, to fall into the line of fire?
Tommy lifted his chin and forced himself to look Billy in the eye and nod once. A sign he was glad Billy was okay, relieved. They were still teammates, friends, no matter what bad blood may be between them. Bad blood that, he was sure, leaked toward Avalon, who had done nothing short of glare at him once when demanding to know what'd happened to Bailey, then resulted to sitting quietly beside her, anger and horror radiating off her in waves.
Billy nodded back, let go of Avalon, and, after a second of hesitation, reached out toward Tommy. Grateful, Tommy practically collapsed into Billy's arms, holding him tightly. Billy held him back just as hard, giving Tommy the silent signal that he understood. That being out in battle, being out in the real world, it didn't matter who was at fault. They were all a team, they were in it together, they had to be there for each other.
They could deal with the reality of it all one things settled down. Once they knew everything was okay. The, potential, bad blood didn't need to be spilled until wounds needed to be reopened.
Tommy patted Billy on the back, then moved out of his space. Didn't remove his hand from Billy's neck, eyed him closely. "'Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Billy replied. "Absolutely fine." He gave a humorless laugh. "Nurse Tate thinks I have a really hard head. I'm sure my stubbornness to know what happened to the rest of you didn't help."
"They're not telling you lot anything?" Avalon asked, her voice quiet, tiny. A grave contrast to how strong and powerful it habitually was. She gestured around the waiting room. "We haven't heard anything since we got here. Other than a few injuries…" she shook her head, her eyebrows pulling together in a deep and frustrated frown. "We don't know what's happened to who."
"Just a bump on the head for me," Billy remarked, touching the bright pink spot just off his temple.
"And Bailey?"
Billy pressed his lips together, looked meaningfully at Tommy. Within the silent moment, Tommy knew Billy was questioning how much he should tell his girlfriend. If Avalon turned into a bit of a murderous rage when they were facing monsters and Bailey got hurt…what would happen if something really happened to her? Or else, Tommy reasoned, Billy wasn't quite sure what he'd seen either, maybe he'd been knocked out.
Clearing his throat, Billy added, "Nurse Tate thinks its remarkable, that all I've got is a bump on the head." His tone was meaningful.
Tommy got it. Saw when Avalon nodded quietly, that she got it, too. He couldn't say too much without anyone knowing of their abilities. It was because of their abilities as Power Rangers that they weren't hurt worse. A sickening feeling suddenly struck Tommy. If it meant they weren't hurt worse, and someone was in grave danger…what'd happened to them?
He craned his neck to look over Billy's shoulder, once again willing Kimberly to come through the doors with the bright smile on her face that always warmed a room. Even when she was in the hospital for an injury after a gymnastics stunt that went wrong, she would greet everyone with a bright smile and made sure they were having a good time during their visit.
But she still didn't come.
Neither did Jason, Trini, Bailey, or Jason.
"Your father went to break up the party," Tommy said instead.
Billy snorted quietly. "You mean people still wanted to enjoy the party, even though we were all sent here? Figures." Something flashed through his eyes, a look Tommy had never seen before. It was gone within seconds. "I should let him know I'm okay."
"You're not leaving," Avalon accused him.
Billy shook his head. "I was going to give him a call. I'm sure he'd be worried that he still hasn't heard from me." But before Billy could make the move toward the phone, before he could even take a step, the atmosphere around the waiting room changed. The receptionist at the front desk flicked her gaze toward the rangers then to just behind them, eyes lighting up with curiosity that she couldn't' quite pique as she answered the phone.
Those in the chairs in the waiting room shifted, sat up straight, watched as Lt. Stone and other police officers—Bulk and Skull—Tommy noted, walked out of a backroom with Zack between them. Their faces were solemn as they approached.
Lt. Stone went straight up to the rangers, who watched him with a shared sense of trepidation as he approached. "I know things are hard for you right now," he said. "But, let me first say that I'm so sorry for what's happened tonight. I don't want to see something like this happen as much as you want it to."
"Thank you," Billy said stiffly.
"Whatever," Avalon murmured, eyeing him with distrust.
Tommy was silent.
"We have some questions we want to ask you," Lt. Stone continued. He nodded toward Zack, who was being led away in a pair of handcuffs. "We asked Zack, but he held firm. There's somethings about what happened tonight that…that doesn't really match up with your story."
"Surely, you see that now's not the best time," Billy said firmly.
"I understand you're all going through something difficult," Lt. Stone said, an apology creeping into his tone. "But when there are death investigations, we have to come about it at every angle."
All at once, Tommy, Billy, and Avalon stiffened. Held onto each other tighter, moved closer together. Became a united front, as they had to be…if one of their friends were dead.
A/N: I don't even want to think about or mention how much time has passed since I've written anything for Power Rangers. But I'm coming back. I know I've said it before, but this time I really am. I just finished watching a making of the MMPR The Movie featurette on YT, the most recent one, and re-read my 10 chapter version of the movie and got re-inspired. Then I realized how long it'd been since I updated this, re-read a bit of and here we are.
These guys really are going through the ringer of their emotions; worried about their friends, their loved ones, and yet they still have to deal with other people wondering if they're rangers.
~Av