Thanks to Veronica Moose, Lonly Girl, and Buffyxenaman for being my first reviewers. Now lets continue...

Chapter 2

Carter Grayson was staring at the large burning warehouse. The radio reported that there was smoke coming from the building situated by the industrial docks in Mariner Bay. By the time they arrived to the scene, the building was engulfed in flames. Some bystanders that lived nearby said a few kids always hung around there and did a lot of foolish things. The statements made Carter morph and run towards the building on a natural impulse. He barked some orders before running into the blaze.

Kelsey radioed to him that the kids would most likely be on the third floor of the warehouse. He saw some stairs to his right and began ascending the stairs, adrenalin fueling his muscles. He burst into a room to three kids around the ages of thirteen to fifteen pressing their bodies close to the floor and covering their faces with their shirts.

Joel and Chad entered the room and each ranger carried a kid out. When they placed the kids in awaiting ambulances, the eldest boy grabbed Carter's arm. "There's…someone…else inside." he said through a fit of coughing.

"Who?"

"His name's Steven. He's a kid that lives on my street, he follows us around all of the time." said the boy.

Carter nodded and ran back into the inferno. Dana called him over the radio when he was on the third floor again, searching for the missing boy. "Carter, you need to get out now! The fire chief said the building used to store fuel and some tanks are still inside. His crew is trying to keep the flames away from the tanks, but the fire's too hot."

"Just after I find the boy." he said. Bursting into another room he called the boy. There was no answer. He looked for a few more minutes, calling the boy the whole time and praying he find the child before the tanks explode.

"Carter, get out! The place is going to blow any minute!" yelled Ryan into the radio.

Carter began to protest when he heard a muffled explosion from behind. "Oh no." he said and turned to face the wall of flames rushing towards him. Before he could react it hit his body and pushed him with such force he was blown right through a brick wall. He was unconscious before he demorphed in midair and was unaware of his plunge into the freezing waters of Mariner Bay.

-:o:-PRLR-:o:-

Carter gasped when he awoke from the memories replaying in his sleep muddled mind. He groaned and curled up as best he could to ease the pain in his bandaged chest as it protested to the startled gasp. When the pain lessened, he lay back on the pillows and placed a hand on his forehead, wincing when he felt a bandage there.

Becoming more aware of his surroundings, he noticed an IV going into his hand, a heart monitor beeping to his right and the cool air of an oxygen mask pressed against his face. He began to cough hard and pushed himself to a sitting position to ease the pain in his chest. When his coughing lessened somewhat, he saw there was another person in a bed next to his. The other patient stirred from his commotion and rolled over to face him, still sound asleep.

Carter's eyes grew wide when he saw the other patient was in fact Dana. She was curled up on the bed with a blanket over her. Her blonde hair was all disheveled and her face was peaceful. No tense lines from worry or stress, just a serene expression. He could wake up to that sight everyday if he could. Shaking himself of the thought, he decided to let her sleep.

When he went to lay back down the coughing came back and it was even worse. Tears streamed down his face as he continued to cough. He took the oxygen mask off his face to try and get fresh air, hoping it would alleviate his coughing. He felt a gentle hand rubbing his bare back and he blinked through tears to see Dana standing by his side. He could tell she was worried and allowed her to put the oxygen mask on his face and raise his bed so he would be in more of a sitting position to help ease his coughing.

He heard her talk to a nurse, who rushed in from hearing the disturbance in his room. The nurse nodded and left, by his guess getting the doctor. By then time he finished coughing the doctor came in. "Ah, Mr. Grayson," she said, "How nice of you to return from dreamland and grace us with your presence." He looked at her quizzically and she gave him a small smile. She reminded him of Ms. Fairweather, if she had dark brown hair instead of deep red. She continued talking. "You've been a guest here for a few days, Mr. Grayson. How are you feeling?" she asked as she jot down information from the heart monitor then proceeded to slip a BP cuff on his arm.

"Chest hurts." he answered in a wheezy voice when the BP cuff was removed.

"That's understandable. You were pretty banged up when you arrived. You had a mild concussion and a few cracked ribs from your friends trying to revive you from your plunge into Mariner Bay."

Still standing beside Carter, Dana couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body as she remembered Carter being pulled out of the water unconscious.

The doctor's voice pulled Dana out of her memories. "You also have a mild form of BLI."

Carter tried to think, he knew what BLI was. He thought for a moment and then it popped into his head. "Blast lung injury?" he rasped and hissed as the doctor's cool stethoscope touch his back as she listened to his breathing.

"Very good Mr. Grayson, I knew that knock on your head wouldn't inhibit your memory." she said with polite sarcasm and smiled while pulling out a penlight and checking his eyes. Satisfied at his vitals, she leaned casually against his bed. "It's not too serious, but I want you to keep that oxygen mask on unless told otherwise." She eyed him for a second and he blushed a bit under her scrutiny. "You'll have a bit of a cough which I know you've found out already and a little difficulty breathing. If your breathing becomes more strenuous, press the call button and a nurse will get me." Carter nodded in understanding. The doctor looked at Dana and arched an eyebrow. "I trust you'll keep him in line during his stay here?"

Dana nodded and eyed Carter. "Oh, he better behave."

The doctor nodded and winked. She then left with a small smile on her face.

Dana helped Carter lay back in bed and then pulled up a chair to sit down. He watched her fiddle with her rumpled pink blouse. "How are you?" he asked.

"Everyone's fine." she answered, "They're probably hanging out at the base. They'll be by later. They were pretty much here for the last few days and were kicked out by the nurses yesterday." She knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help herself. It was something she always did whenever she was nervous.

"That's good." said Carter. "But I asked how you were?"

"Me? I'm fine, but bored." she smiled, still not meeting his gaze. "You know you're not much fun when you sleep all the time." she said trying to mask her unease with a joke.

"Dana." he said in a soft, but serious tone. She couldn't resist and raised her head to look in his tired eyes. "Please tell me. Are you really okay?"

She nodded her head and looked down at her hands resting on her lap. "I will be."

Carter reached his hand towards hers and intertwined his fingers with her soft and delicate fingers. She was surprised at the gesture and when she looked up he was fighting the urge to sleep. She saw he wanted to say something. "Dana…" he whispered, turning his head to face her.

"Shh…" she said. "You can tell me later. Now get some sleep before I have to call the doctor and get you in trouble." Carter snorted a small laugh. She brushed his bangs away from his face and continued to stroke his soft light brown hair with her finger tips. She watched his face relax and listened to his breathing even out as he fell asleep. Little did she know her father was standing at the door smiling. He snuck away unnoticed giving the two rangers some much needed time together.

(TBC)