Chapter 4: All she ever wanted

Author's Note: Ronny's background

Song: Stand by Rascal Flatts

Being stuck in bed was not something Ronny did often. She hated being sick, hated the feeling of weakness. Her mind was strong, but her body was unwilling and unable to perform the tasks she needed it to do. Her friends were taking a huge risk going to Zaire for her, she'd be damned if she couldn't at least make an appearance against the Fear cats. So if she had to stay in bed until they called her out, she would do it.

You feel like a candle in a hurricaneJust like a picture with a broken frameAlone and helpless, like you've lost your fightBut you'll be alright, you'll be alright

All she ever wanted was to fit in. That was one of the reasons she became a race car driver, she wanted to be like everyone else in her family. The only girl in a group of males, she adapted herself to become one of them; conversing about engines and motor oil and competing just to make herself known. She knew they loved her, why else would they have chosen her to be part of their family. But sometimes the loneliness made her wonder who she really was. Was she only the tough race car girl, or was there more to her than even she understood?

She had never allowed herself the chance to explore other options. Even if she hadn't heard Mr. H's explanation to the other rangers about her condition, she knew what they didn't know yet; her career was over. She would always be at risk of further injury and illness. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take, she would have to find another dream to chase, another passion deep inside her to pursue.

She wondered what her family would say when she told them. Could they accept her as she was now? Would they be able to accept that she changed? Worse, would they even care? She wasn't his real daughter or their real sister. These were the moments she wished she knew who she really was, moments she was desperate to find out why they gave her away, why she wasn't worth keeping. It was these secrets that drove her to perfection, drove her to keep her heart hidden. It was the kind of hurt you could never get over.

She was tired of her own thoughts and memories as she lay reluctantly in the medical center. She had tried so hard to push them away and pray that they never returned but here they were and she was forced to deal with them. The sound of the alarm was a welcome reprieve for Ronny, as she headed to the command room to meet with Spencer and Mr.H.

"When your energy levels hit 25, I'm bringing you back in immediately." Spencer ordered the yellow ranger. She nodded in agreement, hoping her powers would sustain her for another fight. "Overdrive: Accelerate!" She whispered as she was filled with power and headed to the forest to face the Fear cats once again.

'Cause when push comes to shoveYou taste what your made ofYou might bend 'til you break'Cause it's all you can takeOn your knees you look upDecide you've had enoughYou get mad, you get strongWipe your hands, shake it offThen you stand, then you stand

"I must stall them." Ronny muttered to herself as she evaded the Fear cats as much as could without expending too much energy. "I hope they've almost got that diamond." She wished as she felt her energy diminishing quickly.

The two men were sitting in the medical center carefully tracking Ronny's condition. A flashing blue light alerted them to her decreasing power levels and they immediately teleported her back. Not a moment too soon as her ranger uniform disappeared and she clung to Mr. Hartford for stability before completely collapsing once again.

"She can't do it anymore Andrew." Spencer persuaded his boss. "She's very unstable. She doesn't have much longer before we have to put her in the coma." He reminded him grimly.

"I know." Andrew agreed slowly. "I hope the others get back soon." He sighed as he reattached Ronny to the wires and tubes that would save her life. As he got no argument from the yellow ranger, he knew for sure that Spencer was right.

"It's working; she must realize how weak she is." Moltor shouted gleefully from his lair as he watched the yellow ranger retreat quickly from the fear cats. "It won't be long now." He rejoiced, confident his plan was working and oblivious that the ranger's had plans of their own.

Ronny remained unmoving for the rest of the day much to Spencer and Andrew's chagrin. Instead of rising or even remaining the same, her energy levels were slowly decreasing. Andrew hadn't left her side since she returned from her battle, feeling immensely proud of this girl who had given literally everything she had as a power ranger.

He remembered the day he gave the yellow overdrive tracker to Ronny. She had won her seventh race in a row, a new record in race car driving. She was as fearless then as she was now, one of the traits that made him choose her. But still he didn't feel like he knew her, like any of them knew her. For as outgoing as she was, she was very private about her life. She was confident by nature, but there were times he could see a look in her eyes that seemed far away; memories that seemed to haunt her.

Her sudden rasping disturbed him as her lips were an unnaturally blue color. "She can't breathe." Spencer announced as he ran in from the command center. "We need to put her on a respirator now!" he commanded Andrew forcefully. The two men worked together to calm the yellow ranger down enough to force the breathing tube into her throat. With the artificial respiration, her body relaxed not having to work so hard to get air. The pair sat close to her side, waiting for any change in her condition that would give them hope.

Forty-five minutes later, the group of weary rangers entered into the medical center.

"Thank goodness." Spencer announced relieved at their appearance. Ronny needed that yellow diamond without delay as her power levels were currently stuck at 19.

The question 'How's Ronny?' died on his lips as soon as he saw her appearance. Mack was shocked at how sick she looked. The steady rasp of the respirator filling the silence in the room was a stark reminder that she was in for a long battle.

"The last battle completely exhausted her." Warned Spencer sadly even as the mood in the room was rejoicing over the found yellow diamond. "It will take some time for her to recover." The butler reminded them as Andrew took the yellow diamond and put it into a power conversion generator and attached more wires to the yellow ranger's body.

The next few days felt like eternity as the rangers took turns sitting with Ronny and monitoring her progress as well as fighting Moltor and Flurious and their henchmen. Rose would come by and read her favorite book to Ronny every morning to pass the time, conversation not being her strong suit even when Ronny was awake. Next to visit would be Will who would bring down Ronny's favorite Hip hop music to fill the silence of the room and keep his mind off the machines keeping his best friend alive. Dax would visit after lunch, filling Ronny in on all the events of the day like he always did, never leaving out one single detail. Tyzonn would meditate and send positive energy throughout the room, hoping Ronny would absorb the energy and it would heal her. Every night, Mack would spend sitting by her side, writing her a letter every day that she was asleep. He found it easier to write the words rather than say them to her.

"Where's the yellow ranger?" taunted Moltor with a laugh as the five rangers arrived on the scene he had caused.

"You can't hurt her anymore." Mack vowed angrily as he took one step closer to the enemy they had battled time and time again. He had let Ronny down before and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"She won't recover; she'll probably die while you useless losers are defeated out here."

His words lit a spark in Mack as he was overwhelmed with his emotions, charging the foe furiously. The red ranger surprised Moltor with a series of quick devastating hits. Without the lava lizards to protect him, the other rangers joined in taking out their worry for Ronny on the evil master mind. Moltor wasn't stupid enough to stay in a battle in which he was outmatched, so he retreated, at least consoled by the fact that one ranger would be down soon enough.

"Mack, what you did out there was reckless. You're the team leader they need you to stay calm." Mr. Hartford rebuked his son firmly, yet compassionately. He understood the burden his son was under with one teammate out of commission.

"Yeah, I know dad." He replied harshly. "I'm going for a walk." He decided, walking out before his dad could continue his lecture.

"He'll be fine sir." Rose observed quietly as she watched the red ranger stalk by her as she entered the library. "He's worried like the rest of us." She said truthfully.

"She's going to pull through." Dax voiced optimistically, joining the pair after he had showered from the exertion of the battle.

Mack's walk led him to where he always ended up since Ronny had been diagnosed with terminal energy drain. The room was dark and quiet and it comforted him to know that at least she wasn't in pain. Despite the tubes and wires, Spencer had assured him that Ronny was resting comfortably. He slouched his tired body in the chair next to her bed, a position he had claimed as his own the last few days.

He needed her to wake up, she was his support system. She understood the weight he carried as the leader of the power rangers, even going as far as to share the burden with him. Ronny never let him get too down on himself when he felt like he should have done something better or different. Nor would she let him escape for too long in his world of adventure mysteries instead dragging him to join in a group activity. She and Dax were the glue of the team, he thought with a smile, both of them forcing their less gregarious teammates to step out of their comfort zones. 'Without them, we wouldn't even be a team.' Mack recognized with sudden clarity. "We need you Ronny," he murmured softly, impatient to have her with them again.

A sharp high pitched sound emanated from the machine next to him. He turned to check out her vital signs as Spencer hurried into the room. "Temperature is 103 degrees and rising." Mack reported anxiously. Even though she didn't know he was there, he held her hand as much to comfort himself as well as her.

"Her body is fighting the power of the yellow diamond." Spencer announced urgently as he raced to slow down the amount of yellow liquid that was streaming into her blood. "If it goes into her too fast, it will overwhelm her system and cause it to shut down." He explained tensely as the reliable old man recalibrated the converter.

Her eyes opened slowly as she struggled to recognize her strange surroundings. Despite all their battles and injuries, her stubbornness had kept her from ever staying too long in the medical center. It may have been the memories of a long time ago of spending day after day in the hospital praying for a miracle for her aunt that made her so reluctant to remain in such an environment. She had long ago given up on hope and in turn a part of her innocence had been lost that day.

Her brown eyes blinked furiously as panic threatened to overcome her when she tried to open her mouth to speak. "Don't" Mack warned her gently as he caught one of her flailing hands.

"Keep her calm," Spencer demanded, as he took on the task of removing the cumbersome tube from her throat. He slowly pulled it out, careful not to drag it against her vocal cords, tears ran down her face from the discomfort. "Welcome back." He greeted her with a smile. "Now, don't try to talk, it's going to hurt for awhile." He recommended strongly. Ronny nodded that she understood the seriousness of what Spencer was telling her, but his words did nothing to ease the fear that she felt. Now that she was awake, she was aware of the pain that she was in. Her body was achy and fatigued from the battles and the shock of her energy loss, her throat raw and glands swollen, and the pounding headaches made her wish she were still asleep.

Mack sensed her discomfort and sought to alleviate her pain. He gently eased her weary body into a more comfortable sitting position, rearranging the pillows to cushion her bruised body. She smiled to show her appreciation for his kindness, even if she didn't understand it. Despite their mutual admiration and friendly affection for each other, they had never expressed it with words. The red ranger entertained her with one of her favorite movies until she was allowed to have more visitors.

"Mack, what are you doing here?" She wondered curiously as soon as she cleared to speak.

"He's been here every day." Spencer declared with a grin much to Mack's embarrassment. The butler held back a laugh as a light blush came over Ronny's cheeks as well. "Here have some water, it will help soothe your throat." He said changing the subject.