Chapter Three
Doctor Erick Schutlely sat in his office and flipped through his recent notes from Doctor Thomas Oliver. A look at Thomas's career path and basic history would never lead anyone to suspect that he had seen and endured the traumas that he had described- so far. He felt that his patient had not even begun to go in to the true horrors that had happened in his life. He often times wondered if Thomas would ever be able to really go in to all of the details that he would need to, in order to move past it. He had worked with enough soldiers to understand there were things that couldn't be repeated, but Thomas was a paleontologist and a dojo owner. That didn't exactly scream 'high risk for PTSD' and yet- he was due for his weekly appointment in just a few minutes.
"Dr. Oliver- it's good to see you, come on in," Erick said as he opened the door to his office and found Tommy sitting in the waiting area. He had been amazed at how much Tommy had shared in the group session earlier this week and he hoped that him seeing that other people had been through similar events would help him to open up even more. He needed to open up more.
"Hi, Doc," Tommy muttered and Erick watched his actions closely. Something was definitely bothering the younger man and history showed that these sessions were the most difficult with Tommy. When he was bothered by something- he could not focus on anything else until that was unearthed. He let out a small sigh as Tommy passed him and went to sit in the chair across from his desk. He had learned long ago that patients with PTSD rarely were willing to lie down on a couch. He even oriented his desk so that they could keep an eye on his door and windows at all times. It was a little thing, but it was something that made many of them comfortable enough to sit with him.
"Tommy, I was really impressed with what you shared with the group on Monday. It took a lot of bravery to talk about what has happened with them. Can we continue to build on that today?" Erick asked and Tommy shrugged. Well, that was certainly not a promising start. "How about we discuss what's bothering you?"
Relief flooded Tommy's features and he looked up to meet his gaze. Erick tried to settle himself in his chair a bit more comfortably, but couldn't quite manage it. There was something about Thomas Oliver that was different from all of the other PTSD patients he had ever had. There was something in his eyes that told him he was always being examined by the man. That Tommy was always judging if he could really be trusted with whatever was on his mind.
"I'm going back to California in a month or so," Tommy stated and he waited. He knew Tommy had grown up in California. He even knew that some of the trauma had happened there. He didn't know the rest. He wondered if tonight would be the night where he started to learn about the rest. "They're dedicating a new dojo to one of my colleagues that passed away. I haven't gone back to California since last year. Since they all died."
He allowed silence to fill the room. He felt that is was an important part of Tommy's story that they had never broached before. He just hoped that the man would continue to open up about it and that he would not clam up.
"Almost all of us lived in California- Kimberly was a rare exception that left the area. She managed to get away from all of it when she was younger. Rocky was one of the last ones to be killed. The last couple of nights- I've been dreaming of that last interaction. I've been trying to figure out what I could have done to save him too," Tommy blurted out, as if the idea of sitting with the idea too long hurt him. It was as if he just wanted to unload all of it and hope that unloading it would give him some sort of relief.
"Have you told Kimberly?" Erick asked and he was shocked when Tommy shook his head no. The man normally was much more open with his wife, but he did not have time to investigate that at the moment. While Tommy was willing to talk, he wanted to hear him. "What happens in the dream?"
"I asked Rocky to meet me for dinner..." Tommy started and he felt himself being transported back to that day.
Flashback
Tommy checked his watch and looked around the restaurant again. Rocky was late. It was not like Rocky to be late. He was the ranger that was late to everything. Aisha had asked him to try to talk some sense into Rocky when it came to taking this threat seriously, but he was not sure that there was anything he could do to change the man's mind. Even he was not willing to do go sequester himself at the Command Center, but he felt that it was quickly becoming their only option.
He raised his hand to Rocky when he saw him enter the restaurant and smiled as his friend headed towards him. He looked just as happy go lucky as he always had. Tommy was pretty sure that he had a substantial amount more gray hair due to the last three months. It was interesting to see how differently the two of them were taking this.
"You look like you need a drink," Rocky stated as he grabbed the drinks menu and quickly flagged down a waitress. "We're going to need a couple shots of Jack."
"Sure thing, hun," the waitress cooed and Tommy gave him a harsh look.
"C'mon, Tommy. I've probably got a week or two left- I might as well have fun," Rocky quipped and Tommy closed his eyes. He was scared about how true that might be and he did not want for it to be true for him. He wanted for the rest of the rangers to live. "Dude, joking. What else have you found out?"
"Not human, basically untraceable. Definitely coming after all of us next," Tommy said and Rocky settled. The seriousness in Tommy's voice took the jovialness out of the room. "You and Aisha need to hide."
"And you don't?" Rocky shot back as the shots arrived and they both downed it. It spoke to the state of things that the both of them were willing to do shots at 2pm. "C'mon, Tommy. You have the biggest target on your back."
"I am well aware of the target on my back. I haven't stayed in the same place for more than three days in the last two months," Tommy stated and Rocky stilled in his seat. Tommy was taking this issue that seriously? He was even trying to hide from what was coming after them?
"Have you called Kimberly?" Rocky asked and Tommy looked down at the table as he signaled for another shot. He definitely needed another shot or five if Rocky was going to force him down this road. He did not want to talk about Kimberly. "That would be a no. It's not that serious until you haul her out of her life."
"You know where I stand on this and why," Tommy fired back and he then took a deep breath.
"Yeah- she's bait. She doesn't even know she's bait. That's a real brave move," Rocky shot back as he glared over at him.
"Nothing has been anywhere near her. If I saw the signature near her once- I would go get her myself. Until then- it's not worth tipping off that she's a ranger," Tommy forcefully stated. "Ish is worried, Rocky."
"I'm well aware that my wife is worried, Dr. Oliver. We are taking precautions- but I am not going to stop living my life for whatever this is," Rocky said and Tommy stared out the window. There were a couple more things he could try, but he didn't know if it would change his mind.
"You're close enough to the Command Center that you could move yourselves there and just leave for work. Think about it," Tommy tried and Rocky shook his head. He would not be locked down to go back and forth between his teenage hang out. "Rocky- you, Ish, and Adam…logically you're next."
"Katherine?" Rocky asked and Tommy took another shot. He had gotten the news earlier this morning and was still reeling from it. The Hillards had called to inform him of what had happened and he had barely held it together with them. As far as he knew, there were nine rangers still alive. Maybe eight as he had not attempted to contact Andros and betray his association with the rangers. "Tommy- what the hell is this?"
"I don't know, but I really wish that you would get off the grid for a little while and we can all work this out," Tommy countered and Rocky shook his head no. Tommy closed his eyes and forced back the panic that was rising in him. Would any of them survive this?
"I understand the concern, but I'm not going to hide," Rocky said and he smiled. "Whatever this is- it'll get one hell of a fight from me."
"The last ranger that said that to me was dead within 24 hours, I really hope you don't share the same fate," Tommy remarked as he tossed a couple of twenty's on the table and stood to leave. He could tell Aisha that he tried, but he could not sit here and have a casual meal with his friend if he was not willing to do something to protect his own life.
End of Flashback
"Tommy- you do realize that Rocky made his own choice. It was not your fault that he was killed shortly after that," Erick remarked as he watched Tommy join him back in the therapy office. He decided it was best to not ask for clarification on what the Command Center was. Or why he was so certain that that place was a safe haven.
"I could have insisted. I insisted with Kimberly and…" Tommy started and Erick quietly held up his hand to stop him.
"The reason you could insist with Kimberly and it work is the same reason that you knew better than to insist with Rocky. You knew that insisting would not change his mind- it would only make him fight it harder. Did you do everything that you could to protect them?" Erick asked and Tommy barely nodded his head yes. "All you can control is what you can do. Each of them made their own choice, Tommy- do not feel guilty that their choices were different than yours."
"How am I going to face his parents?" Tommy choked out as the tears started to cloud his vision and he reached for the box of tissues on the corner of the desk. "Rocky and I…"
"Do they know the full situation around how he died?" Erick asked and Tommy shook his head no, but he was sure that they would ask. He was sure they would ask him if he had known something was after their son and he could not lie to them. He could not pretend that he had been in the dark. "Do you know the full situation?"
"I know enough to fill in the missing pieces," Tommy whispered and as he closed his eyes flashes of Jason and Zack's deaths played in his mind. All he had to do was switch faces and it was Rocky and Aisha. "It was the same for all of them."
"My suggestion would be that you answer what they ask and you'll have Kimberly with you. She can help," Erick said as he looked at the clock and realized they only had a short amount of time left.
"She has her own burdens with this trip- I don't want to add mine as well," Tommy stated and he then stood. Erick was always surprised at how quickly the sessions went and how soundly Tommy ended them when he was done talking for the day. "I'll be at group on Monday."
"See you then, Dr. Oliver," Erick said as he ushered him out of his office and silently went back to his desk to start notes on this latest session. Today had been a breakthrough, but it certainly left more questions than answers.
