Misery Loves Company

by A Warrior's Prophet

Two former rangers are currently miserable in their lives. For Adam, love has betrayed him. In Tommy's case, physical pain has become a constant companion. Can they help each other overcome their misery? AU, Slash

4. Unforeseen Complications

Misery Loves Company

By

A Warrior's Prophet

Disclaimers: See Chapter 1.

Author's Notes: Just a note of warning, there will be a character death in this story—not saying who or when though!

Chapter 4— Unforeseen Complications

As Adam hit the interstate, he thought about what the kids had told him. If Jason had been up there 6 weeks ago, when it got so bad, why didn't he tell him? Why did Jase keep that info from him before he went up to see Tom? It might have helped a little when dealing with his friend in so much pain.

At least he'd have been a little more prepared. Granted, he didn't think that anything could have fully prepared him for seeing his friend in that condition. When he thought of Tommy, he remembered a lean, strong, and agile fighter--long-haired and good looking--a bit insecure and guilt-ridden at times, but a great friend and a fabulous person. To see him having trouble walking and sleeping, taking all those meds, and drinking too much--it was almost unbearable. And to think...it could all get much worse. That is, if Hayley was right.

And some of those scars, especially the one he'd found from the wreck. How bad were Tom's injuries? What had he and Jason kept from all of them? He sighed heavily. When he got back to Angel Grove, he was going to sit down and have a long talk with Jason and it was going to happen today if he had anything to say about it.

Of course, there were some good things that came out of this weekend. It was really great to hang out with his old friend again--to catch up. And if that goodbye was anything to go on, there just might be another element to their relationship. He was far from sure if the former ranger commander was interested in him or not and to be honest, he didn't know if he was ready to get into anything yet. And for it to be with another man...and old friend at that...that was a big decision. Monumental, even.

Although, he did have to admit that it felt really good to just be held by someone that cared. It had been a long time since he felt that someone gave a damn about him. Yeah, he talked with Jason and Rocky, but it wasn't the same. With Tommy, it was like he really understood. There were a couple of times that he was sure that the man was flirting with him. He blushed slightly. That massage was good and if he was honest, if his friend was interested, when the time was right, he could see himself with Tommy.

But that was a little bit down the road. He had to think over some things first. Like was he even ready for something that huge. First off, they had to figure out a way to help the man, even if it meant someone moving to Reefside.

He would have to talk things over with at least Jason if not Jase and Rocky. If things were going to progress like Hayley thought, Tommy was going to need some help. And he still couldn't understand why his friend had made no attempt to seek out help from the advanced medicine that was surely available from their E.T. friends.

Shaking his head, he slowed down for the exit to Angel Grove. Then again, there was the famous Oliver guilt complex, but he wouldn't let that get in the way of his health. Would he? With all the working out and stuff that the former green ranger was doing to try and, as the kids put it, 'stay ahead of it', surely Tommy wasn't just going to sit there and let it claim him.

He thought about this for a while. 'Well, even if he's willing to sit by and let it happen, I'm not and I'm sure our friends feel the same way. We've got to make him see sense.'

Not too long afterwards, he parked at his apartment and pulled his duffle bag from the seat. After getting into his place, he sat down heavily on the couch and reached for the phone. 'Jason Scott...you better be home.'

Jason picked up the phone on the second ring. "Jake's pizza. How do ya want your pie?"

Adam sighed. He was so not in the mood for this. "Jase hey, it's me." He paused and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "We need to talk, bro."

The first red ranger frowned. "What's wrong?" He could tell that something was up with his former teammate.

"It's Tommy--why didn't you warn me? Why didn't you tell me how bad off he was? We need to get together and talk about this."

Sighing softly, Jason looked at his watch. "Look, there's a couple hours still until we need to be at the dojo for class. Why don't I grab us some Chinese and come over?"

"Yeah sure, that'll be fine. I'll be waiting." He hung up and decided to go and take a quick shower before the other man got there. He tried to formulate what to say and how to say it.

Jason shook his head as he got up. 'This is not how I wanted to go about telling Adam about all of this.'

He grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out the door and going to a Chinese place they both liked. After paying for the food, he got back into his SUV and went to Adam's. Making his way to Frogboy's apartment, he knocked and waited for him to answer.

As he went to the door, Adam took a steadying breath. He really didn't want to jump his friend, but he had to get some answers. Opening the door, he said in a tired voice, "Hey Jase, come on in."

The Original Red Ranger slid by the other man, making his way to the couch and setting the take-out bag on the coffee table. "Got you the usual. Added a couple more potstickers and dumplings to the order." Taking a seat, Jason started sorting the orders.

"That's fine. I'll get some plates and drinks. Whatcha want?"

"Considering I'm helping you with the class tonight? Water or a Gatorade if you've got it."

"Alright." Adam came back into the living room with both hands full. Setting a plate and a fruit punch Gatorade down in front of Jason, he took a seat in the chair. "That smells good--I must be hungrier than I thought."

"That or Tom didn't feed you very well while you were there." He picked up the drink and shook it before opening it, then took a long drink. "Thanks."

"No, he fed me just fine. We even had breakfast and dinner cooked for us yesterday by his TA."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "His TA? What, did the kid screw up and have to cook as punishment?" He chuckled softly at the thought.

Adam smiled in spite of himself. "Well, the breakfast was sorta like self-imposed punishment. The dinner was for Teacher Appreciation Day at school. The kid thought that not enough students did anything for Tommy, so he was making up for it."

"Damn, kid must really look up to him in order to do something like that. Surprised Tommy let him in on the weekend to do that kind of stuff for him." He took a bite out of one of the dumplings.

"Oh, Tommy didn't let him in--he sorta let himself in. Either he picked the lock or knows where the spare key is kept--not sure which. But yeah, he definitely looks up to Tommy. They have an, uh...interesting relationship."

"Oh really? He doesn't talk about him that much. I know Tom's said that he has one and that he has a mouth on him."

Adam laughed. "That's the understatement of the year! My introduction to Kyle was at the mall on Saturday. Tommy needed some new pants for work, so we went shopping for a couple of hours. While he was out in the mirror looking over some pants he was trying on, first a female student of his came by and told him how she'd love to watch him write on the board all day in those pants. After that, Kyle happened along and told him that they made his ass look big. I was laughing so hard I had to hang on to the clothes rack."

Jason dropped the dumpling he was trying to pick up. "You're kidding me! And the kid's still alive?!"

Grinning, Adam nodded. "Yeah, and that's not all. I ended up chasing him out of the house in my boxers..." he paused because the look on the former Red Ranger's face was too much. "I'll explain later. Anyway, once I caught up to him he explained what he was doing in the house in the first place and then told me that the boxers wrapped the package nicely. He's a trip!"

He shook his head. "I've got mixed feelings about meeting this kid now. Not sure I want to find out what he'd say about me." Jason started eating again.

"There's no telling. But seriously, I think he's a good kid and he seems to really care about Tommy. A little too much for T's liking, I think. He tries to do everything he can to help out and our friend seems to think he's doing too much. The boy has some health problems and Tommy says that he doesn't take care of himself like he should."

That made Jason frown. He knew that their friend had a soft spot for the underdog. "Do you know what kind of problems?"

"Some kind of anemia from a snake bite when he was a kid. Has caused him a lot of problems. The kid is so skinny you wonder if he's eaten in days."

"Only type of anemia I've learned about like that is hemolytic. Can cause a lot of problems, even leading up to the person having to have their spleen removed, but that leaves them on daily antibiotics for the rest of their life. If he had it for a while, could have left him with anemia on a permanent basis." He shook his head. "Tommy sure knows how to pick them." He was quiet for a few minutes. "So, while I realize that his TA might be a fun topic, it's not what you wanted to talk about."

Adam's demeanor changed. "No, it's not. I want to know why you haven't told me about Tom's problems. I had no idea he was this bad off. Why were you keeping things from me?"

Jason sighed and looked at Adam. "If I had told you that your friend, who was so athletic and always on the go, was now in pain so bad at times that he couldn't move...would you have believed me?"

Adam fixed him with a serious look. "I wouldn't want to believe it and I would find it hard to believe, but if it was coming from you--yeah, I'd've believed you. He woke up in the middle of the night last night hurting. I could practically see his back spasming."

"How bad was it? I mean, what did it take for it to relax and him to be able to go back to sleep."

"Ummm, let's see...Soma, Naproxen, Vicodin, and a massage. I eventually got him back to sleep, but I had to use visualization techniques to get him to calm down and slow his breathing. It seemed to hit all of a sudden. One minute we were asleep and the next he was shifting around and groaning."

"It's starting to get worse then. For it to wake him up and it take that much to get him to be able to relax and go back to sleep..." He took another bite.

'What was he doing in bed with T? Did they have sex? What the hell went on up there this weekend?' He looked over at Adam. "What about the rest of the weekend? Any other times that he seemed to be having problems?"

"Oh yeah. I had to help him up the stairs Friday night. Of course, all the drinking might have contributed to that, but his back was hurting pretty bad. But even when he didn't let on or say anything, I could tell that he was in pain. And I had a chance to sit down and talk to a couple of his rangers--Trent and Kira. They told me about Hayley's prognosis and the last time he had to be hospitalized. Seems you went up there and helped out. Any reason you didn't tell me about that?" Adam's tone was getting more and more stern. He didn't like to be kept in the dark.

"Other than he asked me not to tell anyone and you were still dealing with the crap from Brooke, plus getting things off the ground here? Not to mention you were trying to get me and Rocky finalized with our teaching credentials for the dojo."

"Still...you could have told me something more than you did. And why is it that he hasn't tried to contact Eltar or Triforia, or somewhere? They might could do something to help him. I asked Tommy about that and he didn't seem to have a good answer."

Jase snorted. "He seems to think he deserves what he's getting. That everything he's dealing with right now is his karma for everything from his days as the Evil Green Ranger up to and including the crap with Mercer and Mesogog."

Adam's eyes widened. "That's insane."

"Yeah, but that's the Oliver guilt complex at work. You know how he is at times. Hell, even when Gasket had him brainwashed and we got him back, he still felt bad for months about how he treated us in that arena."

"I remember. Damn, I would've thought that he'd have gotten past some of that by now. If he's hanging on to all of that stuff that happened over all of those years, he's dragging around a lot of baggage. Couldn't we talk to Billy or somebody and get them to contact someone about his condition? If he won't do it for himself...."

"I've been thinking about that. With what Hayley said last time and what you're telling me now, I'm thinking it's time we took that step." He finished eating and sat back with a small sigh. "It worries me sometimes that he's there in that house all alone. Hayley won't always stand up to him about stuff and I don't know how this Kyle kid is around him. Kira and Trent are only there every once in a while because of school. If he has another attack like the one that landed him in the hospital last time and no one's around to help him--" He shook his head. "Might not kill him, but he might wish he was dead."

Closing his eyes, Adam lowered his head. "I don't want to think about that--him lying on the floor in so much pain that he can't move--all alone." He looked up at his friend. "We've gotta do something. Somebody needs to be closer to him. It takes too long to get there from here. We were talking about that while I was giving him a massage...." he trailed off, remembering something else he wanted to ask the Original Red. "By the way, while I was rubbing his back, I felt all of the scars that his ink is covering--including the ones from the racing accident. Now Jase, I want you to tell me the truth--how badly was he injured in that wreck? I know there's more to it than you two let on when it happened."

Jason leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I don't know if I can do that Adam. That day...the weeks after...I've tried so hard to forget about all of that." He drew in a shaky breath. "I've got a copy of the injuries he sustained in a file I've got. I'll explain the ones you don't understand, but I'm not sure I can go through that again."

He closed his eyes, trying to force back the images of them having to stop the race and bring in the 'jaws of life' to cut the section of car that Tommy was impaled on away from the rest of twisted metal just to get him out. The agonizing ambulance ride where the paramedics lost him twice and were able to get him back, but only barely. How useless he felt sitting on the bench and staring down at the body of his best friend as they worked to try and stabilize him so surgeons could fight for his life at the hospital. No, those were images he didn't want to think about or remember any more than he had to.

Adam hadn't meant to upset Jason like that, but the fact that it still affected him that much ten years on told him that he had been right. There was stuff that he didn't know. "So you'll let me read it? All of it?"

"Yeah, I don't have it with me, but I've got it at home." He sighed. "The scar on his side is from where he was impaled on a piece of metal. They had to actually stop the race so that they could use the 'jaws of life' and get him free." He looked over at his former teammate. "Do you know why I became a paramedic? Why I've continued studying when I can so that I can work on getting my Physician's Assistant license?"

"Well, I assumed it was because it was a way for you to continue to help people just like you've always done, one way or another."

He shook his head. "I was all set to become a cop. That's why I was hanging out with Tommy that weekend. Then he had the accident." He paused for a moment, swallowing hard. "They.... they lost him twice on the way to the hospital... sitting beside him... I felt so useless, helpless... there was no command center that I could teleport him to... no Alpha or Zordon to come up with something to save him.... just two humans who were using everything they knew to keep him alive. I never reported to the Academy. Once he started healing, I began classes to become a paramedic. Started out as an EMT-Basic, worked as that while I got my EMT-Intermediate. Then I continued working while I got my paramedic qualifications." He raised watery eyes to Adam's. "That accident didn't just change Tommy, it changed me."

Now it was Adam's turn to swallow hard. Rarely had he seen the other man get that upset that quickly. "Jase...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you. I...I didn't know it had been that bad. But why wouldn't Tom come home to Angel Grove? Why did he want to go to Silver Hills instead?"

"Because Angel Grove didn't have the capability of helping him, not to the extent that he needed it." He took a couple of deep breaths and let them out slowly. "It was about three weeks before he could see again, Adam. Not to mention the damage done to other parts of his body."

Adam twisted quickly in his chair from how he had been sitting. "He was blind?! Why didn't I know about this?!"

"No one knew about it, Adam. That's why he wears glasses now. At least for reading, driving, and working on the computer. Sometimes for other stuff. Think about it Adam. When you first saw Tommy, the room was a bit dimmer than normal for a hospital room. It's because bright lights gave him headaches."

The former Black Ranger tried to recall events from a decade earlier. "I seem to remember that, but why didn't he want anyone to know? We're his friends, his good friends...why exclude us like that?"

"Because a lot of you guys would have hovered. He was having a hard enough time with me being there every day and worrying about him. You know how he gets, Adam. We weren't doing it to be mean. Plus, you guys were just getting settled in your lives without having Ranger duties. Yeah, it might have been months, but still."

"How did he deal with it? I know he was scared...that had to be awful."

"A lot of meditation. Once he was able to, we started his rehab in the pool and hot tub. We went through a lot of movies and books as well. I'd read to him or we'd listen to one on tape." He grinned. "That's actually where we first met Wes."

"No way. Seriously? How did you meet that nut?"

"Apparently, he was trying to impress someone by showing off on a motorcycle. Of course he wrecked it and broke his leg in like three places. Didn't require surgery, which was lucky, but he was laid up for a bit. Ended up sharing a room with Tommy for a while."

Adam had to smile, in spite of all this new disturbing information. "Wes and Tommy locked up together in a room...bet that was interesting!"

Jason snorted. "I almost got kicked out of the hospital because I tied Wes to the bed with his sheets and gagged him with a dirty sock."

"You're kidding! What on earth did he do to deserve that?"

"He was singing 'Henry the 8th' and had been for about three hours. First couple, I was able to ignore him. Tom was having some tests done at the time, so he wasn't in the room. Then Wes started singing in different voices. That just sealed it."

Because Adam knew Wes as well as he did, he had to laugh. "Oh my gosh...I'll bet he drove poor Tommy crazy." He stopped though, and got serious again. "I thought there was something different about Tom when he started classes with us that Fall. And you guys were even closer, if that was even possible."

Nodding, Jason sighed, sitting back again. "We did a lot of talking while he was in the hospital. That accident--it shook him enough that it was almost four months before he really trusted himself driving again. That's why he quit the circuit and started school. We did all the applying and that while he was still in the hospital. If you remember, it was several months before we did any really serious sparring."

"Damn, that man sure has been through a lot. And even though he's in as much pain as he is right now, he was still really concerned about me and my problems. Told me to come up or call him anytime I needed to." He sighed.

"Because that's who he is, Adam. That's why he's the kind of friend you know will be there for you when it all goes to hell." He snorted. "Hell, that's why he looks after people like his TA. Tommy will deny he's hurting to those that don't really know him and go home acting like everything is fine, but as soon as that door is closed, he'll collapse in tears from the pain."

A pained look crossed Adam's face. "Tell me that doesn't happen much, Jase. Please. I can't take the thought of that." The fact that he was becoming very attached to Tommy suddenly dawned on him. 'But he's my friend, has been for a long time now. That's all it is....right?'

"I wish I could Adam. It's happened a few times when I've gone up to see him, find out how he's doing. Then there are the calls I get from Hayley like the one six weeks ago. Or sometimes he'll call me, drunk and in pain, wanting to know if he can take anything to make it stop." He sighed. "It scares me sometimes."

"We've gotta do something. I don't know what, but we can't sit down here an hour and a half away and leave him up there by himself in that condition. If we do, then we're not really friends." He could feel the lines forming on his face. "If anything happens to him..." he trailed off as he lowered his head again.

"I know, but whoever goes is going to have to do some groundwork first. The biggest thing is finding work. I don't think it'd be hard to convince him to let whoever it is stay there. Although, it might take that kid he's mentoring a few times to get the idea it's not smart to sneak into the house anymore." He watched Adam as he thought over what was just said. 'Is he falling for him? Have I missed any chance at being able to keep Tom?'

While Adam knew that of the three of them that were in Angel Grove--himself, Jason, and Rocky--it would be he or Jase that would be the one to move. Rocky and Tommy were friends and had been for a long time, but they just weren't as close as say, Jason and Tommy. Which brought Adam to his next question. "Jase, don't take this the wrong way--I'm just curious. Since you've been here all along and known about his condition...and considering that you guys are so close...why haven't you moved up there before now? For that matter, why are you letting anything keep you from being with Tommy permanently? I know you love him."

Jason blushed and hung his head a bit. "Mainly my dad. I've tried so hard to be a good son for him. Played football even though I didn't really want to, but it kept him off my back about martial arts. And when I said I was going to the police academy, he was happy for me. Then the wreck happened and I didn't go. Add to that the fact that he flat out refused to talk to me anytime I said I was with Tommy after I told him I was bi. He even hit me once and I just took it." He raised his eyes to Adam again. "I'm not ready to let him go just yet, Adam. I love Tommy, you're right about that, but I love my dad, too. And him not being able to accept me loving Tom and being with him, ends up with me and Tommy arguing. Until my dad accepts me like I am, or I'm ready to give up on him, I just--" He stopped and hung his head again. It was the one subject he and Tom had gone round and round on every time his best friend and sometime lover asked him to move in. It was the one point that kept them from being together full time.

"Jase, you've gotta stop living your life to make your dad happy. We're all pushing thirty pretty hard now--it's time you did what you wanted and loved who you wanted. I realize that you love and respect your parents, but you're not happy living a lie. Those girls you've been going out with are nothing more than hood ornaments and you know it."

After a long pause, Jason finally lifted his head and looked at Adam. "I know what you're saying is right bro, but my family means so much to me...I'm just not ready to make that step. I worry about Tommy a lot and I go to see him whenever I can, but...as far as giving up everything and starting a serious relationship with him...I just can't do it. Not yet."

"Do you expect him to wait around for you?" Adam asked, then didn't wait for an answer before he continued. "He deserves to have someone with him that cares about him Jase, and if you're not ready to be that person, for whatever reason, do you want him to wait for you?"

"No, of course I don't. I expect him to do what's best for him. If he were to find someone else that made him happy and would take care of him, I would be happy for him. A little disappointed and probably a little jealous, but I wouldn't try to stand in the way of his happiness. Surely you know me better than that."

"I do, but I just wanted to make sure you remembered that." He sat back a bit and stretched his legs out, wincing as his thigh protested the move. "And remember to never take one of his Muay Thai kicks to any place you might need for a week or so."

A grin broke out across Jason's face. "Oh? I take it you got the business end of one of 'em. Hurts, doesn't it?"

Adam snorted. "Nearly my entire upper thigh is bruised. 'Hurt' doesn't even cover it at times. Hell, we were only going 40% and I still think it's going to end up bruising almost down to the bone."

"Just think what it would have felt like if he were healthy. I got one full force about a year ago...took a couple of weeks before I could walk without a limp," he said with a giggle. Absently, he looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh crap Adam, we're gonna be late!" he said, jumping up and grabbing the empty take-out containers.

Standing up, Adam flexed his leg a bit. "Mind taking the first part of the class for me? I'm going to need to do some extra stretching to make sure I don't hurt something, especially for the advanced class."

"Sure, no problem," he said as he headed for the door. Then he turned back to his friend. "Adam, don't worry. We'll do something to make sure that someone is there for Tommy when he needs us. We'll just have to figure out what."

"I know, but something tells me we might need to be pushing things along a bit quicker. Think I'm going to start scouting stuff out for a dojo up there. He seems to think there could be a chance for one to make a good profit in Reefside, if it's done right." He followed Jason out the door and locked it behind him.

"Well, it's certainly something to think about. And you're right, we do need to start making some sort of arrangements--with or without Tommy's blessing." With that, he waved to Adam and climbed into his truck, headed for the dojo.

Climbing into his own truck, Adam followed Jason to the dojo, parking behind it so that they could enter through the back and get changed before opening the main door and letting their students in. When he walked into his office, he flipped on the light and grabbed his gi from the coat rack in the corner before heading to the locker room.

The office that he shared with Jason and Rocky wasn't that big, so he changed in the locker rooms. Only he didn't have a locker in there. Putting the hanger on a hook, he started changing and shot a look over at Jason. "So we're working on forms for the belt tests with the first group and some sparring with the second, right?" He wanted to make sure that he was on track with what they had talked about last week.

"Yeah, that's right. The belt test is coming up week after next and the black belt test is in three weeks. I think that..." he stopped and suddenly stared at Adam's thigh. "Damn boy...did Tommy do that to you or did you get hit by a truck?"

"Tommy did. Told you I thought it was going to end up bruising down to the bone. I soaked it for about half an hour in his hot tub last night and it was only starting to loosen it up then."

Jason knew it had to hurt, but he couldn't suppress a chuckle. "He's brutal. When and if he ever gets back to his old self, I don't think I'll spar with him anymore. Do you know he weighs as much as I do now?"

"I can believe it." He used some of the muscle rub they kept in the locker room on his thigh before putting his gi on. "And we will find a way to get him back to his old self, but if you think any of the rest of us are going to go against his ass, you're nuts. That man is all yours in that department."

Jason laughed. "Well, I guess that's as it should be considering he and I going at it was how our friendship started. Of course, then there was the whole trying to kill me thing... Man, I wish he could get past some of that."

"Hopefully, we can finally get him to let it go." Adam tied his belt into place. "Heck, maybe we can get Kyle and Hayley to help with that as well." He rolled his head a few times. "I'm going to go open the door and let them in. See you on the mats." Walking slowly, Adam headed to the front door, forcing himself to focus, for the next couple of hours at least, on his students more than on one of his best friends.

Three hours later, Adam had finished teaching both classes, locked up the dojo, and was making his way home. As he passed the place where the old Angel Grove Youth Center used to be, memories came flooding back and so did the worries about his former commander. 'What are we gonna do? Can I really deal with moving again so soon? Should it even be me? Maybe Jase should do it and if he's living up there it could help to pull those two together. I don't know.' He drove along, lost in thought until he reached his apartment complex. After parking, he ran over to the mailbox since he'd forgotten to do that when he'd gotten back from Reefside earlier in the day.

Pulling out the various pieces of mail, he saw a manila envelope squeezed into the back. With a frown, he removed it from the box and tucked the rest under his arm before locking it back. As he started towards his apartment, he read the return address and paused. 'Boston... God, what does that bitch want from me now?' Sighing, he shook his head and continued the trek to his apartment.

After getting inside and kicking his shoes off, Adam started going through his mail, purposely leaving the big envelope until last. 'Whatever it is she wants, she can just get the hell over it. I'm done with her, her family, and her lawyer.' Eventually though, he found himself staring at it as it laid on the kitchen table. "Oh what the hell...may as well open it," he said as he grabbed it and tore it open with very little care.

Inside, on the firm's letterhead, was a letter from his lawyer. He read it once... then again before hurriedly removing the rest of the papers. The piece of paper that made it all real for him was on the letterhead of the District Clerk of Suffolk County. All it said was,

FINAL DECREE OF DIVORCE

D-1-FJ-98-284920

IN THE MATTER OF THE MARRIAGE OF TAE-HYUN JIN "ADAM" PARK VS. BROOKE LEIGH MCKINNON PARK

You are hereby notified that the above order has been signed on April 12, 2007 by the Judicial District Court of Suffolk County Massachusetts in the above numbered and entitled cause.

That was it. That's all it said.

"It's really over," he said to himself. He started reading through it again, to make sure he was reading it right. He removed the rest of the papers and found the final stamped and signed divorce petition along with a copy of the original petition. He sighed. "Everything I went through...everything I had with her...and it comes down to this."

He looked through the papers once again without any real reason. With a heavy sigh, he pushed them away and left them scattered across the table. "Fine. Whatever. Now I guess I just get on with the rest of my life."

He sat there for several minutes, going back and forth between staring into space and staring at the legal papers in front of him. "I wonder what she did when she got her copy? Her and her office boy probably went out and celebrated. Fuckin' bitch."

With that, he pushed himself up from the table and shuffled to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. When the water finally started turning cold, Adam got out and dried off. He had just finished pulling on a clean pair of boxers and sleep pants when his phone rang. 'Wonder who that could be?' Walking over to the phone, he answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey Adam. I just thought I'd call and see how your classes went. I know you're probably still pretty sore from the weekend."

A soft smile graced his face as he chuckled softly. "Yeah, Jason asked me if I got hit by truck. Told him no, I jumped in front of your leg to save a student."

"I'm still sorry about that, Froggy. Next time we spar, you owe me a bruise," Tommy laughed.

"We'll see. Can't give you anything that would be noticeable. Your students might think someone was trying to hurt you." He laughed again. "Or your TA might think you were into the rough stuff. He already thinks we're sleeping together."

Tommy briefly remembered the conversation he'd had with Kyle at the market. "Ahh...don't worry about what Kyle thinks. He's gonna think what he wants regardless," he laughed. "How were your classes?"

"Yeah, I bet he will." Walking over to the fridge, he grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and went over to the couch. "Classes were okay. I had Jase take half of the first one so I could stretch out a little better. Don't need to add a pull or strain to anything. Second class," taking a drink, he sighed, "I want to string up by their belts and beat with an Escrima stick."

"What on earth have they done?" Tommy chuckled.

He snorted as he plopped onto the couch. "What haven't they done? They're supposed to be the advanced class and five of them are testing for black belt in about three weeks, but sometimes I think the beginning kids have more respect."

"How old are they? Want me and Jase to come and teach them some respect?"

"Jason was there. This is the group that I want you to help me scare by coming in and sparring with Jason. The oldest one is twenty and the youngest just turned fourteen."

"I think something could be arranged. Maybe when I come down to visit your school, Rex and I can go at it. Got any know-it-all smart-asses in that class?"

"Two. One that gave Jase lip tonight, which I'm surprised the kid was able to walk out of the school after he was used to 'demonstrate' proper fall techniques."

"Would they happen to be legal adults who've signed release forms?" he asked with a giggle. "Cause if they are, I'd be happy to 'demonstrate' some Muay Thai moves on them. At only about 30-40%, of course."

"They are and I would be more than happy for you to arrange a 'demonstration' of Thai techniques with them as your 'volunteers'." He chuckled softly. "Considering that Jase and I neither one will be volunteering to do it."

"No? Ah, come on. I'll take it easy on ya!" he laughed. "Well, we'll have to arrange something then." He paused. "Glad you got back to Angel Grove alright. Remember, my hot tub's yours any time you need it. You need to visit more often anyway." Tommy could hear in Adam's voice that something was bothering him, but decided not to push. 'Maybe,' he thought, 'he's just tired.'

"Oh trust me, I remember that. Could actually use it a bit tonight. Ran the shower out of hot water." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Hell, could use some of that scotch you've got, too." He was quiet for a moment. "You know, I had a pretty good weekend up there. Re-connecting with you, meeting Kyle and just being able to relax a little. Gotta thank you for that."

"I'm glad you had a good time. I enjoyed it too--I really did. And I'm sorry about Kyle. He's just...well...he's just Kyle." He paused and chuckled. "I guess I need to go--gotta get up for school in the morning. Let's stay in touch, okay?"

"Don't worry about it, T. He seems to be a good kid. Just needs someone to watch out for him a bit." He tried to fight off a yawn, but couldn't. "Yeah, I should probably be getting to bed as well." He was quiet for a moment. "I'll definitely be staying in touch Tommy. Besides, you're coming down soon, right? To help me scare a bit of sense into my students. I'd tell you that you can stay with me, but I think my place is a bit small. And the bed ain't the greatest either."

"That's no problem. I can either stay with Jase or at my parents' place. And yes, I'll come down soon to hang out with you guys...promise."

"Good. Let me know when you're coming down and we'll plan some stuff." He fought down another yawn. "I'm gonna let you go, man. And Tommy, please take care of yourself? For me, as a friend, if not for yourself."

"I will. And you take care of yourself too, okay? I'll talk to you soon."

"I will." With that, they ended the call and Adam put the phone back on its cradle and headed for bed, but before he got even halfway there, the phone rang again. "What did you forget?" he asked, sure that it was Tommy.

"Um, nothing that I know of. Adam?" Xander was hoping he'd gotten the number right, but was already forming an apology in his mind if he had the wrong one.

Surprised at the Australian accent coming through the phone, he stammered a little. "Oh...uh...sorry...was expecting someone else. This is Adam."

"Good, was thinking for a moment that I had the wrong number. It's Xander. Hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh, hey Xander. No, you didn't. I wasn't in bed yet. How've you been?"

"Good. Been busy, but good. How about you?"

"Oh, the same. My dojo is still getting off the ground and I have a lot of work to do over there. Spent the weekend with an old friend, trying to catch up with all the people I've missed since I was out East. You remember Kira's Dr. O, right?" He grinned a little, thinking how the girl's eyes lit up every time she talked about her former teacher and mentor.

"Yeah, he was one of the first, right? Only started off evil and then became her mentor before joining them for what? His fourth, fifth color?"

Adam chuckled. "Yeah, that's him. Tommy Oliver. Still can't get used to calling him 'Doctor'. And it was his fourth color."

"Is that the friend you caught up with? I know that you were asking Kira for his number so you could give him a call." He laughed softly. "From what you said, it does seem like a big leap. Well, it sounds like you had fun, which means my news will be that much easier for you to hear."

"Oh? And what news would that be?"

"Well, I told you guys how I was engaged, right? Well, she's been feeling a bit off the past week or so and we went to the doctor today."

"Oh? Is she okay? Her name is Madison, right?"

"Yeah it is and she should be okay in about 8 and a half months. We're going to have a baby."

Adam could hear the younger man's smile through the phone. "Really? That's great, Xander! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. We've been calling people since we got back this afternoon. When Maddie told Tori, you could hear the squeal from across the room."

"Awww, that's great. I know you're happy about it--I can hear it in your voice. I'm sure you'll both be great parents."

"I really am. We've talked about it, but weren't really trying. Decided to get married a few months after the baby's born, so be expecting an invite to the wedding probably next spring."

"Cool--I'd love to come. Well, good luck with everything and let me know when the baby's born, okay?"

"Will do, man. I'll let you go so you can get some sleep. I'll get your address and stuff from you later. Night Adam." He hung up, then looked down the list of names he had, seeing who was next.

Adam hung up and smiled slightly. He liked Xander and was happy that the young man was going to be a father. Of course, the news could have come at a better time. Here he was getting the final notice that his marriage was over--no wife, no kids, hell...he didn't even have a house anymore...and there was Xander...engaged, just found out that he's gonna be a dad, getting married... Adam sighed deeply and shook his head.

Putting the phone back on the charger, he headed once again for his bedroom. At least with him and Brooke, there were no kids to fight over. While he wouldn't mind kids, a divorce was something he would find hard to put them through, especially with the custody battle that would have ensued solely because the McKinnon's had money. Shutting the door, he walked over to his bed and took a seat before just falling backwards. 'And the day started off so well, too. If I had known this is how things were going to turn out, I might have stayed another day at Tommy's and just let Jason take the classes for me.'

He laid there for a few minutes, all sorts of thoughts swimming through his mind. Eventually, he managed to crawl under the sheets and settle down. 'Tommy's bed is much more comfortable that this,' he thought. 'And I kinda miss having someone beside me, too.'

He reached over and turned off the light, then laid there, staring up at the ceiling. 'Was he really flirting with me? Or has it been so long that what we used to do in friendship just seemed like he was?'

Thankfully, he was getting too tired to think anymore. 'I'll think more about it tomorrow. Maybe I can figure something out then.' He slowly drifted off into a fitful sleep, sure that his dreams wouldn't be pleasant ones.

---

Adam slept in the next day, tired and somewhat drained from the weekend. He was still a bit sore—some from his classes, but mostly from the bruises that his old friend had put on him. He rubbed his thigh absently as he walked into the kitchen to find something for breakfast. Or was it lunch? He wasn't sure.

Walking by the kitchen table, his eyes scanned over the legal papers still spread out on it. 'Fuckin' bitch,' was all that went through his mind. Pulling something out of the freezer, he tossed it into the microwave and went into the living room to turn on the TV. 'Lovely...daytime TV. What a thrill.' He toyed with the idea of just going down to the dojo and catching up on paperwork. 'Why not? I got nothing better to do, right?'

After eating the little bit of food that he'd fixed for himself, the former Green Zeo Ranger laid down on the couch to try to keep himself entertained. He couldn't pay attention to anything on the tube, though. His mind was still occupied by all the various thoughts that were swirling around in there.

The final divorce decree; how bitter he was about the way his marriage ended, leaving him alone in a tiny apartment feeling like a used piece of garbage; Xander's phone call last night and how happy he sounded; and then there was Tommy. So many different emotions and questions were associated with that name right now. First and foremost, his friend's physical condition was the cause of a lot of worry. Regardless of what Tommy said, it was obvious that the man was in a lot of pain. And from what Jase had told him, Adam was sure that he was getting worse. And how much did the racing accident contribute to his current state?

As he had thought, Tommy and Jason had been keeping stuff from the rest of them. Remembering the conversation with his friend from the day before, he shook his head. It really tore Jason up just talking about it. There had to have been some permanent damage from an accident that bad. The question was, what could be done about it? Especially since Tommy himself didn't seem open to exploring all avenues of possible treatment. 'Hard-headed fool. Does he enjoy being in pain?'

Adam stopped and thought about that. 'Of course he doesn't, but he does seem to think he deserves it. That is, if what Jason says is true. And knowing Tommy, I wouldn't doubt it. But that's crazy—why can't he see that? He absolutely wasn't responsible for what he did under Rita's control. And I'm not sure what all went on with this Mercer/Mesogog thing, but...he couldn't have been as responsible as he thinks. Tommy's a good man—he always has been. Heart of gold. Why does he have to blame himself for everything all the time?'

Other thoughts concerning his former commander were also swimming through Adam's mind. He had gone to Reefsideto spend some time with an old friend—to reconnectand relax. He had definitely done that, but...he came away with the feeling that something else was going on there. Question was, was it all in his head? Had he been lonely and done without for so long that he was reading too much into Tommy's actions and words? But if he was right and there was a spark there, no matter how small it was at the moment, was he ready? Ready for any kind of relationship? He wasn't at all sure about that. And the idea of entering into something more than friendship with another man, especially a close friend—that scared him. No need to deny it.

But as Tommy had so off-handedly reminded him, Adam had 'tested the waters' back in college and might have continued along that path if he hadn't met Brooke. 'Damn...probably would've been better off with a guy,' he thought with a sneer on his face, glancing in the direction of the papers on the table.

'Oh what the fuck ever...I can't sit around here all day,' he thought, getting disgusted with himself. 'I think I will just go on down to the school.'

With that, he drug himself up from the couch, turned off the TV and went to get dressed. Maybe he could salvage this day after all.

---

Once he had sat in his small office going over his finances for a couple of hours, Adam actually felt a little better. His fledgling business was really coming along quite well. He had a good number of students already with more signing up all the time. Apparently, Angel Grove had been in need of a good, traditional martial arts school and that's exactly what Adam was providing. Of course, it helped that two of his instructors were very well-trained, multi-degree black belts who happened to be his best friends and who also happened to be teaching there free of charge—but naturally, Adam did pay them something for helping him out. The thought of him being the boss and Jason and Rocky his employees—that was funny. He didn't think of it that way, though. They were all still good friends who had fun hanging out and teaching various martial arts skills to anyone who wanted to learn. The only difference was now Adam wrote the checks to pay the bills and they all got paid for teaching. Weird how things turn out.

The ringing phone jarred him from his thoughts as he reached out to answer it. "Jae Shin Do Martial Arts, this is Master Park. May I help you?" he answered. That still sounded funny too. It turned out to be a woman that he had graduated from high school with who wanted to enroll her oldest son in karate classes. She had heard through the Angel Grove grapevine that Adam owned and ran the place and that Jason and Rocky were teaching there--she really wanted her son to learn from them. She had been one of the many high school kids who hung out at the Youth Center after school and she vividly remembered watching them all spar and train. She even asked if Tommy was teaching there.

Adam had laughed. "No, believe it or not, he's a high school science teacher in Reefside," he had told her. "A doctor of paleontology." She was amazed. So a meeting was set up for later that day for her and her husband to come in with the boy and sign him up for classes.

'I guess sometimes it pays to live in a small town,' he thought.

It did. The majority of his students were either old friends or the children of old friends, but word was getting out and he was content with that for now.

Half an hour later, he heard the back door being unlocked, opened, and relocked. 'Must be either Rocky or Jason.' Moments later, a head poked in the door.

"Hey man, what are you doing here already?" Rocky asked.

"I work here, remember?" Adam said, getting up from his desk to put something away in the file cabinet.

"I know, but...I just didn't expect you to be here already."

"Well, I needed to catch up on some paperwork and I really had nothing to do at the house to keep me busy, so...here I am."

Rocky made himself comfortable on the small couch and watched his best friend work for a few minutes. "So, how was your weekend at Tommy's? Have fun?"

"Ummm yeah, I did," Adam answered, hardly looking up from his desk.

"What did you guys do?"

His friend didn't answer right away. After several moments, he said, "Oh you know...went out to eat, watched some movies, went shopping, sparred, jogged...that sorta thing." Again, he scarcely looked up.

Rocky noticed right away that Adam didn't seem himself. Either he was really tired, or something had upset him and the former Red Ranger thought he knew what.

"He's got you worried, doesn't he? Jase told me the condition he was in when he was up there last month. Hard to believe that Tommy, of all people, could get so bad off." He paused and then asked, "How is he, Adam?"

The former Black Ranger stopped what he was doing and sighed heavily. At last, he looked Rocky in the eyes and his friend could see the worry on his face before he even spoke.

"Rocko...I'm scared for him, I really am. Whatever Jase told you, he didn't say enough. And he's up there practically by himself—if he needed someone, what would he do?" Adam sighed again and then proceeded to tell Rocky about the condition their good friend was in.

"But you said you sparred with him, right? He can't be all that bad off if he can still spar," Rocky offered.

"It comes and goes, apparently. He's bigger and stronger than he's ever been, but when that pain hits, it cripples him. But I'll tell you one thing, I'll think twice before I spar with him again. When I change into my gi, I'll show you the bruise he put on me."

Rocky grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. You know he's been studying Muay Thai, right? Have you seen the size of his legs lately?"

"Yes and no, in that order."

"He could cut you in half with those shins. He's every bit as big as Jase, Rocko. And he's taller, so he's pushing 210-215 now."

"Damn. Well, when he comes down in a couple of weeks, I'm sure I'll get a good look," Rocky responded.

"How do you know he's coming down in a couple of weeks?" Adam asked.

"Oh...ummm...well, I just thought that he'd be coming down to see the school and all, right?" Rocky lied. He made a mental note to kick himself in the ass at his earliest convenience—he'd nearly given away Adam's surprise there.

"Uh huh...you don't lie very well, Rocky. What's up?"

"Nothing...it's like I said. Maybe Jase said something to me about it, I don't know. Anyway," he said, trying desperately to change the subject, "when is our favorite paramedic supposed to get here? He was going to teach me something before class tonight."

Adam eyed him suspiciously and then looked at the clock. "Another twenty minutes or so. Why don't we go change?"

"Sure, sounds like a plan. Besides, I want to see the damage," he giggled.

They went into the locker room and Adam revealed the large, black and blue bruise on his upper thigh that their former commander had put there. Rocky drew in a quick breath and grimaced.

"Ouch! He did that with his shin?"

Adam nodded.

"Remind me not to spar with him," Rocky said, then reached out and poked the unsightly mark.

"Hey! Don't do that...asshole," Adam said while swatting his hand away.

Rocky grinned at his friend. "Aw, does wittle Adam have an owie? Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

Adam tilted his head in his friend's direction. "You know, if you'd like a matching one, I'm sure I could oblige you, Ape Man."

"Oh, like you could right now, Frogboy." He quickly reached a hand out and ruffled Adam's hair.

The former Green Ranger snatched Rocky's hand and, bringing his arm up behind his back, slid his other arm around his friend's throat. He proceeded to pull him up from the bench where he'd been sitting. "How's that, Jerkface?"

Rocky rolled his eyes and grabbed the wrist of the hand that was across his throat, turning it outward and putting pressure on the joint before dropping downwards. "You were saying?" He flipped Adam over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the former Black Ranger. "Getting old there, Adam?"

Adam let go of Rocky as he landed on his back, but swung his legs around, knocking the other man to the floor before moving over to pin him to the ground. "You were saying?"

Bursting in the door and rushing over to where the two men were, Jason had expected to be breaking up a tussle between two of his teenage students. "What the..." he stopped when he saw who it was that was making all that noise. "Well, well...aren't we being role models. I should give you both 10," he said, shaking his head.

Rocky pouted. "Aw, come on Sensei. He started it." He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Adam protested. "Did not! He poked my bruise!"

"Well, I just wanted to see what it felt like."

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh my God...would you two 'gentlemen', and I use the term loosely, get up off the floor and get outta here? I'm sure you have something better you could be doing, Masters Park and DeSantos. Damn..."

Rocky chuckled softly and got up as Adam sat up. "No problem Master Scott." He finished getting his gi on and was tying his belt into place as he walked out of the locker room. "Just remember that you promised to show me a new move, bro."

Adam shook his head as his friend walked out, then looked up at Jason. "Sorry about that." He got up slowly, flexing his right leg to ease the cramp that was developing from the way he had Rocky pinned.

Jason grinned. "No problem. Actually, it's kinda funny." He hung his gi up and starting changing. "Oh by the way, I talked to Tommy this afternoon. He said to tell Froggy 'Hey' for him. So...Hey!" he chuckled.

"How'd he sound?" He finished changing and tied his belt, then took a seat on the bench to talk with Jase while he changed.

"He sounded good, actually. Seems pretty happy." He stopped and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would ya?"

Adam shrugged. "Maybe. I know that it felt pretty good to see him again. Although, seeing him like that was a bit hard at first and it makes me worry about him. Still, it was good to catch up and if it made his weekend, then I'm glad."

Smiling warmly at his serious friend, Jason said, "I think it did do him good, Adam. But you should know, he's pretty worried about you too."

He cocked his head, frowning slightly. "Why? Because of that bi---... because of Brooke?"

"He said that he knew you were still pretty torn up about the whole thing because you were on edge a lot this weekend. He could tell that you're still hurting." Jason locked eyes with his friend. "Is there anything we can do, bro?"

Sighing softly, Adam shook his head. "Not really. It helped some talking with Tommy about it."

Jason placed a big hand on his friend's back. "That's good--I'm glad. He always has been a good listener. I am too, ya know. So...if you ever need to talk...I'm here for ya man, okay?"

"I appreciate that, Jase. And I might take you up on it, but just, not right now." He met Jason's eyes again. "It's still a bit too raw, you know?" 'Especially after getting those papers from the bitch yesterday.'

Nodding his head slowly, the original Red Ranger tried to console his friend. "You deserve better, Adam, and I'm sure you'll find someone to make you happy. But if you ever need me for anything, you know where I am. Now, I gotta stretch out for class. You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be--just a little tired today. Thanks Jase." He put his head in his hands for a moment. Maybe he should have tried to go back to sleep for a bit.

While Jason and Rocky taught, Adam was busy in the office, finishing paperwork and meeting with the couple that had called earlier. As it turned out, he knew both of the parents—they had graduated with him and had gotten together while in college. According to them, they had started dating during their junior year and had gotten married soon after. Their son was six years old now and they had another one on the way—due in about two weeks. As soon as Adam had caught sight of the mother, he had jumped up to find a pillow to help cushion the hard wooden chair in his office. She already looked uncomfortable enough. They were a nice family—the son seemed to be well-behaved and respectful of his parents—a good sign.

'Just the kind of son I'd like to have some day,' Adam thought.

After a little more 'hey, do you remember what's-his-name' and talk about high school, the young family left and Adam joined his friends out on the mats. Once all the students had left, Rocky talked Adam into working off a little stress with him.

Jason was watching from off to the side as Adam and Rocky sparred a bit. He could tell that Adam was a bit distracted during class and it was even more apparent during the impromptu spar. He was about to say something when he watched Rocky catch Adam on the right thigh with a round kick. Shaking his head, he made his way to the former Black Ranger. "You okay, Adam?"

Adam had grabbed his thigh and hissed loudly. "Uhh, damn..." he groaned. Once he caught his breath, he straightened up. "Yeah...I'm okay." He wasn't convincing.

"Why don't we call it a night? You need to get off that leg for a bit... put it up... ice it. Might want to take a couple Tylenol or Aleve if you've got it."

Adam limped over to a chair. "Yeah, I will. I just need to sit for a minute."

Rocky walked over to him. "I'm so sorry, man. I tried to pull it when I realized where it was going to hit."

Master Park looked up at his best friend. "It's okay Rocky, I know you didn't mean to." He sat and rubbed it gently for a minute. "Tommy will be glad to know that you both have similar aim."

Jason chuckled softly as he knelt by Adam and pushed his hand out of the way. "Falcon boy has unbelievable aim for this kind of stuff." He started gently massaging the area on Adam's leg. "Ape Man there just gets lucky from time to time." He looked up at Adam. "Seriously though, tonight prop your leg up a bit and ice it. Use some of that muscle rub and I've got a bruise cream in my bag that might help as well."

"Alright, I will." He let Jason continue massaging for a couple of minutes. "Listen, I've gotta go by the grocery store before I can go home, so I need to get outta here. Would you guys close up for me?"

Rocky nodded. "Yeah, no problem man. It's the least I can do after that kick."

Standing up, Jason nodded at him. "Come on, I'll go with you to the locker room and give you that other cream." He held a hand out to his friend.

After changing into his regular clothes and getting the cream from Jason, Adam headed out the back door. "Thanks guys--see you tomorrow." He was able to walk with only a slight limp, but it still hurt like hell. "Man, that's just my luck--hit twice in the exact same spot." Getting into his truck, he started toward the grocery store, trying to decide what he needed to get. As he stopped at a traffic light, he watched a young couple pushing a stroller cross in front of him. He shook his head slightly. "Man, is there a population explosion going on or what?"

Once the light changed, he continued on to the store. After parking, he started inside. 'Okay, so need bread for sure and juice. Guess I'll just have to see what looks good once I get in there.'

Wandering through the aisles, he picked up several things that he could fix easily without burning down his apartment. He ran into a few people that he knew inside the store. Two of which were older ladies that were acquaintances of his mother's. Once he'd spoken to them and turned the corner into the next aisle, he happened to overhear their conversation.

"Well, you know the only reason he's back in town is that his marriage failed. Luckily he has enough smarts to do something he's good at, but I always did wonder about that boy."

"What do you mean? I always thought Carolyn's son was sweet. He's always been very polite to me," the second lady said.

"Oh, I never meant to imply that he wasn't polite, but did you ever wonder why most of his friends were boys? I mean, he only dated once that I know of, girls anyway. Who's to say that his marriage didn't fail because she found out that he was swinging for the other team."

Adam felt like he'd been hit in the chest. He didn't really know these ladies and it shouldn't have mattered to him what they thought, but to hear that right now was not something he needed. He sighed deeply and shook his head. 'I should've stayed in bed today,' he thought as he headed for the check-out. He really hadn't finished getting his groceries, but he had completely lost interest. 'I just wanna go home.'

After paying for what he had bought and loading it in his truck, Adam started for home. 'The divorce decree... Xander calling... man, it's been a helluva 24hrs.'

All the way home, he thought about what the ladies in the store had said. 'How dare they even speculate that I might be gay just because they only knew about one girl that I dated. Old biddies...got nothing better to do than talk about other people. Now that's the drawback to living in a small town.'

He got his groceries into the house and put away the things that had to go into the fridge or freezer. The rest he left on the table. Going into the bedroom, shedding clothes as he went, he put on his sleep pants and then plopped on the couch and turned on the TV.

Flipping through the channels, everything that seemed to be on was about someone having a kid... someone going through a divorce... Shaking his head, he finally settled on a repeat of CSI. 'I should eat something, but I'm just not in the mood. God, why can't people keep their opinions to themselves?!'

He sat and fumed about that for a few minutes. 'My preferences are nobody's business but my own. I should've went back around and told those old women what really happened to my marriage--that the nasty whore found somebody else that she'd rather fuck!' He growled at the thought of that. Picking up the hardback book on the coffee table, he chucked it at the wall and took out the picture that hung there.

He got up, pacing back and forth in his living room, hands on his hips.

"And then she tried to lie about it to my face! AWW! That fucking bitch!" Using his arm, he swept the pictures and books that were on one of his shelves to the floor.

"I shoulda went after him...I shoulda acted like a man and went over there and beat the living hell outta him! God, why did I have to act like such a wuss? I just walked off and let him have her...not that I wanted her anymore after that." He stomped into the kitchen and looked into the fridge. "Damn it! Now I gotta go back out!" Slamming the fridge door shut, he went back into the bedroom and pulled on a hoodie and his shoes. "I need a damn drink," he spat as he grabbed his keys and headed out to the parking lot.

The liquor store up the street from his apartment was not a place that he usually frequented. Today was definitely an exception to that. Going inside, he grabbed a bottle each of some 'guys' he knew: Jose, Johnny, Jim and Jack. The four J's and any one of them were guaranteed to help a man drown his sorrows.

The clerk was a guy about his age that he thought he recognized. "Having a party?" he asked casually as he rang up the liquor and a couple six packs of an imported bottle beer. "You could say that," Adam answered. 'A pity party,' he thought. He picked up his packages and drove back to his apartment, giving the mailbox a glance. "Forget that...probably just more bad news in there."

Taking his packages inside, he locked the door and applied the safety chain. Then he shed his hoodie and shoes, tossing them and leaving them where they fell. A trip to the cabinet produced a tumbler and he added an ice cube to that before pouring some of the scotch into the glass. He took a long drink, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat. 'Just need to be able to stop thinking for a while.'

When the glass was empty, he poured some more and drained that. And again. He had three good-sized drinks before he even sat down. Moving toward the couch, he kicked several items out of his way without really looking down. Finally plopping down in front of the TV, he lost count how many times he filled and drained the glass.

As he went to fill the glass yet again, the phone rang. He looked over debating whether or not he wanted to spare the energy to get up and answer it. Finally, he decided that it wasn't worth it and refilled his glass before sitting back on the couch once again.

When that glass was drained, he moved to fill it again. As he sat up and reached for the bottle, his world spun madly for a few moments before he toppled forward, barely missing the table before landing in a heap face first on the floor. As his eyes slid shut of their own free will, he sighed. 'Least now I don't have to think.' His breathing slowed and evened out as he gave in to the call of the darkness.

Sometime later, Adam had no idea how long, he struggled to his knees and crawled to the bathroom to take care of business. Being very unsteady on his feet, he used the wall to guide him as he tried to make his way to the bedroom. He stumbled and fell at least once before pulling himself into the bed and passing out again.

When the accursed sun came streaming in the windows some hours later, Adam woke with a loud groan. He struggled from the tangle of sheets and pulled the blinds closed with such force that they were nearly ripped from the window frame. Bleary eyes tried to focus on the alarm clock, but he still couldn't see well enough to make out the numbers.

"Screw it—I don't have any reason to get up," he mumbled to himself and fell back onto the bed, curling up around a body pillow.

When he next saw the light of day, he had been woken by the need to relieve himself. After shuffling to the bathroom, he made his eyes focus on the state of his living room. Adam looked at the broken frames and trophies scattered on the floor and felt bad about it for a moment or two. Then the anger retook him.

"Nothing important anyway," he growled and went into the kitchen to find something to ease his dry throat.

The Gatorade helped some and he did feel a little hungry, but he had very little in the house to eat. His abbreviated visit to the grocery store the night before had not provided him with much. He remembered that well and it still hurt.

"Ol' bats—I should've told 'em off!" he groused.

He managed to make himself a sandwich, but he only took a few bites before abandoning it. He tossed it aside and pulled another bottle of liquor out of the brown paper bag. That's what he really wanted. He started with a small drink, but quickly began pouring more and more into the glass.

Somewhere along the way, he noticed the time. 'I don't feel like facing those kids tonight—especially not that bastard Brad. If I'd've been Jase the other night, I'd've wiped the floor with his ass. Better call the guys and tell them that I'm not coming tonight.'

Picking up the phone and dialing Jason's number, he told the Original Red Ranger that he wasn't feeling well and was really tired. Jason happily agreed to teach for him. Now that was done—he could just stay home and be alone. Just him and the bottle of the night.

The next day went pretty much the same way. He left the house once to go out and get some beer and more liquor, and then holed up in his apartment for the rest of the day. This time, he called Rocky to take his classes.

The next few days kinda ran together until Adam didn't really know what time it was or even what day it was and didn't particularly care. Many times during his more sober moments, he had thought about calling Tommy, thinking that, of all his friends, he would be the most likely to understand. But he never did. For one reason or another, he'd always dismiss the idea as a bad one and go back to drinking.

Taking out his aggression on inanimate objects became a daily thing. Every time he would allow himself to think about his now ex-wife, her infidelity, her uppity family that never really liked him anyway, the situation that he had found himself in out in Boston, etc., etc. he would start throwing and breaking things. He even punched the wall several times, leaving good-sized holes.

His misery continued throughout the weekend, until sometime on Monday. While attempting to get up off the couch, Adam stepped on one of the discarded liquor bottles and fell backwards, striking his head hard against the table. He was unconscious before he actually met the floor as a large lump began forming on the back of his head.

Jason looked up as Rocky came into the office. When Adam hadn't shown up that day, he'd come in to cover the classes. Now, the second Red Ranger was pacing the office. "What's on your mind, Rock?"

He stopped and looked Jason in the face. "When was the last time you heard from Adam?"

"Wednesday, when he called to tell me that he wasn't feeling good and asked if I'd take the classes for him. Considering how tired and distracted he looked Tuesday night, I could believe it." He sat back. "How about you?"

"Thursday. He called and asked me to take the classes because he said he was tired and felt like he was coming down with something. I've tried several times to call him—I just tried again before I came in here—but he won't answer." He paused and thought. "You haven't heard from him since Wednesday? It's Monday, Jase--that's four days!"

"I tried calling him Friday and yesterday, but he wasn't answering either his house phone or cell." He was quiet for a moment. "Think we should go over there?" Jason had just assumed that Adam had called his best friend, even if he wouldn't talk to anyone else.

Rocky thought for a minute about that. Adam was a grown man and under normal circumstances, he'd call if he needed help, but Rocky was afraid that these circumstances were anything but normal. "Yeah...I think we should."

Jason suddenly had an idea. "Hang on--let me try something." Picking up the phone, he dialed a number he knew very well.

"Hello?"

"Hey Tommy...listen, have you heard from Adam by any chance?"

Tommy frowned. "No, not since he got home from visiting me last Monday. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Well, probably not. He called in Wednesday and Thursday saying that he wasn't feeling well and asked Rocky and me to take his classes. Only thing is, we haven't heard from him since. I was hoping that he'd called you."

"No, he hasn't. I actually tried to call him Saturday, but his cell went straight to voice mail and no one answered his house phone."

"Ah well...it was a shot. I guess we're gonna have to go over there," Jason answered, starting to get really worried. He had no idea what they'd find when they got in that apartment. His experience as a paramedic made him even more leery. "Okay, thanks Tommy. We'll let you know when we find out something."

"Yeah, please do Jase. I'll be at home all night. Kyle was supposed to stop by, but I think I'll call him and tell him that I'll just see him at school tomorrow." He was starting to get worried about his friend now, especially after some of the stuff that Adam had revealed to him that weekend.

"I will, bro...and try not to worry. I'm sure it's nothing," he told Tommy, but he didn't believe that any more than his friend did. Hanging up, he got up suddenly and started heading toward the door. "Let's lock up and get over there--something's not right."

Rocky nodded. "All we have to do is lock the door behind us. I already did the rest while you were on the phone with Tommy." He was quiet for a moment. "Hate to ask Jase, but do you have your jump kit with you? I don't think Adam would ever do anything to harm himself, but it's not like him to just drop out of touch."

"Yeah, I always keep it in my truck. Let's go." They went out the back door and locked it, then climbed into Jason's SUV. On the way over there, both men were quiet--a sure sign that they were worried.

Once they reached the apartment, Jason parked beside Adam's truck. "Well, at least we know he's here."

Rocky climbed out and looked over at Jason. "He given you a key yet?" He shut his door and joined Jason on the other side.

"No, he hasn't. I guess we'll start by pounding on the door. If that doesn't work, we'll kick it down."

"Hope it doesn't come to that." Rocky followed him to Adam's apartment, noticing the couple of newspapers and pizza coupons that had been dropped at the door—some were stuck in the door. No one had opened it in days, it appeared.

Rocky cleared his throat, then pounded on the door. "Adam! Are you in there?"

Nothing. No sound came from inside. Jason stepped over to the door and knocked loudly. "Adam?...Adam please come to the door. We're worried about you. Can you hear me?" he asked in a loud voice. He waited a few seconds and then knocked again. "Adam! If you can hear me, I need you to open this door!"

They heard a door opening alright, but it wasn't Adam's. It was his neighbor across the breezeway. Jason put on his best professional voice.

"I'm sorry if we disturbed you. Our friend Adam Park lives here and we haven't heard from him in a few days. We're starting to get a little worried. You haven't seen him by any chance, have you?"

The middle-aged lady stepped a little ways out of her apartment to talk to the two young men. "No, I haven't. I usually see him at least once or twice a day, but the last few days—nothing. I thought he might have gone on a trip or something, but his truck is out there."

Rocky and Jason nodded. "I did hear a big crash coming from in there a couple of days ago, but I thought maybe he just knocked something over and broke it. It's all very strange," she said, looking a bit worried herself.

"You haven't heard loud voices like an argument or anything, have you?" Rocky asked.

"No. Except for that loud crash, I haven't heard a thing."

"Thank you, ma'am. We're gonna get in there and find out what's going on, one way or another. If I have to, I'll break the door down—don't let it frighten you, okay?" Jason told her. "I'm a paramedic—I'll handle things."

She nodded and returned to her own apartment while the boys tried to decide what to do. They were at the end of their patience. Worry was taking over and if they told the truth, each was having thoughts about what they were going to find--and they weren't pretty.

"Adam...one last chance...open the door or I'm gonna kick it in," Jason commanded using his 'leader voice'. They waited to see what would happen.

He had decided to give their friend exactly two minutes to open up or he was gonna take that door down. Just as time was running out, the neighbor came hurrying back out.

"Wait...Mr. Landers, the landlord, is on his way over here to let you in. I called him and told him what was going on and he said he'd unlock the door for you. He's an older man, a widower, who seems to have taken a liking to 'our little Adam',"she said.

"Good, I really didn't want to bust the door down anyway," Jason said. Rocky was conspicuously quiet. The worry was getting to him.

Before very long, an older man with white hair showed up with a big ring of keys. He introduced himself as Jake Landers and then asked the men how they knew Adam. After explaining that they were old friends, Jason showed the older man his fire department ID and badge, proving that he was a paramedic.

Seemingly convinced, Mr. Landers found the key to Adam's apartment and unlocked the door for them. However, he wouldn't go in.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," was all he said as he turned to walk away.

Jason watched Mr. Landers leave and tentatively opened the door. 'Please, please God don't let that smell be here.'

The last time he'd gone on a call where the person hadn't been seen for a few days, they had found them dead on the floor. He shivered as his thoughts turned briefly to that day.

'The smell is what I'll never forget. That sickly sweet smell of death--there was no real way to describe it, but once you had smelled it, you would never forget it. If we get that door open and I get hit with that smell, I'm gonna freak...' Shaking his head, Jason pulled himself out of those thoughts and pushed the door open.

The first thing that hit him was the odor: stale alcohol, old food, and vomit. He relaxed slightly and stepped into the darkened apartment only to hear the crunch of glass beneath his feet.

"Watch your step Rocko. There's glass on the floor." He walked a couple of steps over. "See if you can find a light switch."

"No problem." Rocky eased in the door, wrinkling his nose at the smell and found the light switch. When he hit the lights, he gasped at the destruction that he found. "Damn. I can't believe Adam did this."

Glass littered the floor from broken picture frames; trophies had been swept from the shelves that once held them and joined the other detritus that resided there. There were even a couple of holes in the walls that looked like they had been made by fists. Empty liquor bottles piled around the couch and mixed with the beer bottles.

"We need to find him," Jason stated, moving further into the apartment. "Adam! Where are you man?" He opened doors as he came to them. The bathroom was empty, but the toilet hadn't been flushed after someone had last puked in it. Flushing the contents, Jason was at least relieved to notice that there was no blood in it. 'Please be alive, Adam. I don't want to have to knock Rocky out if we find your dead body that just hasn't started to smell yet.'

The last door they came to was the bedroom. Here again, Jason hesitated. 'What am I going to find when I open this door? Is he dead? Or is he alive and just passed out? God, please let him be alive! Besides Rocky, I don't want to be the one to have to tell Tom that Adam's gone.' He bowed his head and sent up a silent prayer while Rocky hovered by his side, anxious as well about what they would find on the other side of the door.

Stale puke was the first thing that hit Jason's nose, making him wrinkle it in distaste. The soft light of the setting sun gently lit the form that rested in a pair of boxers on the bed. No covers nestled over the pale body that looked to be motionless on the black sheets. There was a small pool of dried puke near Adam's face. From the doorway, Jason could not tell if his friend's chest rose and fell. His heart started sinking as he made his way shakily to the bed. Behind him, he could hear the small groan that escaped Rocky as he took in the sight in front of him.

"Oh Adam." The former Red Ape made his way forward slowly, hesitatingly... afraid of what he'd find or that Jason would confirm. His best friend looked so small curled up in the middle of the queen-sized bed and the dark sheets did nothing but accent the paleness of his nearly naked form.

"Jase.. is he--" Rocky couldn't bring himself to finish the question as he watched the paramedic take a seat on the bed next to their friend.

'Adam you'd better be alive.' With a shaking hand, Jason reached out to feel for Adam's pulse. The first thing he realized was that his friend was cool to the touch. He swallowed hard. 'Please just be cold from not being covered up... not because you're dead.' It took him a few moments to finally find the throbbing vein that told him life still flowed through the former Black Ranger's body. A closer look at the other man's chest showed the slight rise and fall. Letting go of the breath he'd been holding, Jason looked over at Rocky. "He's alive. Do me a favor Rocky. Start some water in the tub, make it warm but not hot, and grab my jump kit. I left it by the door. I'm going to try and wake him up."

Rocky nodded, tears of relief coming to his eyes. "Yeah, no problem Jase." He made his way to the bathroom, taking deep, shuddering breaths as he did. 'He's alive. For a few minutes, I really thought he was dead.' As he started the water and put the stopper in place, the former Red Ranger sent up a silent thank you to God that his friend still lived. Once the water was going, he went to get Jason's bag.

After Rocky had left, Jason gently opened Adam's mouth and made sure his airway was clear before rolling him onto his back. The other man offered no resistance nor did he show any signs of waking at the movement. He pulled the penlight out of his shirt pocket, a habit that carried over from his shifts, and used it to check Adam's pupils. 'A little sluggish, but if he's as drunk as he smells, that's to be expected.' Carefully, he began to check his friend over, feeling for anything broken or out of place that might have resulted from his stumbling around or violent outbursts.

Coming to the Frog's right hand, the paramedic found several small cuts and a few bruises, but there was no shifting of bone beneath his skilled fingers. Moving down, he found the fading bruise below his ribs. 'Probably from sparring with Tommy last weekend. I'll ask him about it though, just in case.' A slight push on both sides of his pelvis resulted in nothing, which was another good sign. As he continued working his way downward, he winced at the still deep purple bruise on the man's right thigh. 'Damn, between Tommy and Rocky, that definitely went to the bone. Going to bother him for a few more days, especially after not really using it for almost a week.' When he was finished, Jason sat up with a sigh as Rocky came back into the room.

"Here you go, Jase." He set the bag down at the first Red Ranger's feet. "He okay?"

"Well, I found a few new bruises on his right hand, which is the one I think he put through the wall. Other than that, he seems to be okay. Check the water for me and lay out some towels." Jason knew that he had to keep Rocky busy for a few minutes. When he had left again, Jase pulled his blood pressure cuff and stethoscope out of the bag. With practiced ease, he began getting vitals on his friend. 'What the hell brought this on Adam? Why didn't you call someone? 90/56... if you weren't an athlete, I'd be worried with numbers like that.'

Removing the cuff and putting it away, he turned his attention to listening to the heart and lungs of the still form beneath him. 'Lungs are clear. Means he didn't aspirate any of that crap he was puking back into his lungs. Of course, if he had, then we'd be calling people and letting them know--' He shook his head, breaking out of that line of thought. Sighing softly, he jotted down the pulse and respiration as well, then put a hand in the middle of Adam's chest. 'Now, time to see if you go to the hospital or I treat you here.'

With a little force, Jason shook his former teammate. "Adam. Come on, man. I need you to wake up." Getting nothing in return, he shook him a bit harder. Still nothing. 'All right. Then let's see how you feel about knuckles in your chest.' Making a fist, Jason applied a bit of force to his knuckles as he gave Adam a sternal rub. "Adam! Wake up man."

Adam groaned softly and tried to swat at the thing in the middle of his chest. He lacked the energy, however, to raise his hands that far. Instead, he settled on opening his eyes. Slowly, feeling like they were weighed down, he managed to get his lids up and a blurry face greeted him. It took several moments for him to be able to focus and when he finally recognized who hovered above him, he groaned again. "Jase?"

Jason snorted. "Sure ain't your fairy godmother." He placed the bottle of water that Rocky had gotten without prompting at his friend's dry lips. "Small sips." Gently, he lifted Adam's head enough so that he could drink without choking.

After several small sips, Adam finally sighed and let Jason lower his head once again. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring the question, Jason frowned as he started checking the back of Adam's head. "Adam, does your head hurt?" He had found a knot the size of a baseball near the base of the other man's skull.

Wincing at the pressure on the spot, Adam groaned softly. "Yeah, more now that you're pressing on that spot."

"Do you remember if you hit your head or anything?"

"Think I hit it on the coffee table. Went to stand up and slipped on something. Remember falling back, then waking up on the floor. Came to the bedroom after that."

"Well, you're not going back to sleep for a bit. You also won't be alone for the next couple of days." He was tempted to take Adam back to his place. It would be easier to keep an eye on him there and the change of scenery might do the other man some good.

Adam started to say something but started coughing instead, then leaned to the side and threw up the water he'd just drank.

Shaking his head, Jason held him up until he was done, then looked over at Rocky. "I'm going to get him cleaned up. Mind stripping the bed for him and putting some new sheets on?"

"Yeah, I've got it. I'm going to open a few windows as well, try to get rid of the smell a bit. Once I'm done in here, I'll go ahead and start on the living room."

"Thanks Rocky." Jason made sure that Adam was finished heaving, then picked him up. 'He's lost a few pounds. Definitely wasn't eating while he was drinking.' "Just relax and let me do the work Adam."

"Don't think I have the energy right now to argue about it." He rested his head against Jason's shoulder.

Moving carefully, Jason got him out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, then placed him in the tub, boxers and all. After setting him down, Jason rolled a towel up and put it behind Adam's neck, helping to hold his head off of the edge of the tub. "All right, let's get you cleaned up. Then we need to talk, buddy."

"Figured you were going to say that."

"Considering you scared the hell out of Rocky and me, plus Tommy's worried as well... least you're alive to talk about it." Carefully, he started washing Adam off. He left the boxers in place until he had the rest of the man clean, then handed him the soapy cloth. "I'm going to take your boxers off and go grab you some clean ones along with a pair of pants and shirt. When I get back, we'll take care of your hair. Think you can manage this?"

"Yeah, thanks Jase." He'd been embarrassed at first to have the Original Red Ranger washing him but he slowly relaxed, letting the warm water and Jason's careful hands warm his chilled frame. Lifting his hips, he let Jason remove the soaked boxers and started washing the last areas left as the other man left the small bathroom.

Going into the bedroom, Jason nodded in approval. Rocky had already changed the sheets and opened the window. He even had a couple of incense sticks lit that were helping to get rid of the smell. Making his way to the dresser, Jase pulled out a clean pair of boxers, sleep pants, and a t-shirt. He added a pair of socks as well, wanting to keep the former Black Ranger warm.

He decided to let Adam have a few moments to himself and went out to the living room to see how his other friend was doing. "You okay, Rocky?"

Rocky sighed as he threw the last of the bottles into the trash. "I've been better. I'm glad that he's alive, but...what the hell, Jase? What happened to send him into such a spiral? He looked happy last week after he got back from Tommy's and then this." He shook his head before shrugging. "I don't know."

Walking over to his successor, Jason put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him through this. I'm thinking about taking him back to my place for a couple of days. I'm off until Thursday morning and then I work a 24hr shift and am off the next two days after that. If you take the dojo for tomorrow, I'll pick it up on Wednesday and you can sit with him for a while, deal?"

"Deal." He looked around the small apartment. "It might take that long for the smell to really leave this place."

"Yeah, know what you mean. I'm going to go help him finish up in the bath and then I'm going to bring him out here so we can talk. Think you can make some coffee? We might need it."

"No problem." Rocky paused for a moment. "Thanks for doing this, Jase."

"It's nothing, Rocky. You're both my friends. I'm just helping out a friend." He gave the other man's shoulder a squeeze, then headed back to the bathroom. Putting the clothes on the counter, he took a seat on the closed lid of the toilet.

"Think you can dunk your head under the water? I'll hold you under your shoulders if you need it."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, think I can manage that." Together, they managed to get his hair washed. Letting the water start draining out of the tub, Jason helped him to his feet and handed him a towel. Once he had dried himself off, he let Jason help him get dressed then leaned against the other man as they made their way out to the living room.

Jason guided Adam to the couch and helped him settle back on it. Kneeling down and looking him in the face, the paramedic asked, "Is there anything we can get you? You need to get something on your stomach."

Adam sighed softly. "Something light. Think I have some Sprite in there."

Rocky went to get it and Jason asked him to also grab some crackers for Adam to munch on. Once he brought the items from the kitchen, they waited for their friend to take a sip of the drink to wet his dry throat. Jason spoke first. "Bro...I guess the most obvious question is: Why? What happened to cause this?"

Adam took another drink, trying to get his thoughts together, then sighed again. "Rocky, there's some papers on the table, mind grabbing them? You can look them over before you give them to Jason."

Rocky already knew what he was talking about. While cleaning the living room and kitchen, he had noticed them laying there and took a quick look. He went and retrieved them before handing them to Jason. "It's his final divorce decree," he said quietly.

Jason took the papers from Rocky and looked them over quickly. All he could do was shake his head. "When did you get these, bro?"

"Monday night when I got home from the dojo." He took another sip, then closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were filled with tears, threatening to fall. "It'd been a good day, you know? Spending the weekend with Tommy helped me relax and forget about things for a while. Well, except him and how he was doing... but the rest of the stuff just kind of faded, you know? The classes Monday night, except for Jerkoff #1, were even pretty good. Tommy called me once I was home to make sure I was okay." He sighed. "Then Xander called."

"Xander? Who's Xan--...oh yeah, the Mystic Force Ranger that was on the mission with you. What did he want?" Rocky asked.

"To tell me he's having a kid. He'd just gotten engaged to Madison shortly before the mission. All I see are happy couples... families... people we went to school with having babies with people they love." He raised watery eyes to his friends. "Why can't I have that? Why can't someone love me enough to want to stay with me? I did everything that bitch wanted me to...everything...I worked for her dad instead of opening a dojo...we moved to Boston so she could be closer to her family...all so she could be happy...and I was happy...least I thought I was...then she fucks around on me behind my back and tries to lie about it? What did I ever do to her to make her do that to me?"

Jason reached over and put a hand on Adam's leg. "Nothin' man, you didn't do anything. It was all her. Even in college she was all about herself, I remember that. You did nothing wrong, Adam."

Rocky knelt beside his best friend. "You were too good for her anyway. I always thought that. You deserve better and you'll find it--just give yourself time," he said, rubbing Adam's arm.

"But I did everything for her. I even turned down a chance at getting my Master's for her so that we could move back to Boston." He started crying. "At least we didn't have any kids. I know that bitch and her parents would have used everything they have at their disposal to keep them from me." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Why can everyone else find someone that loves them and I can't?" He turned to Jason. "Tommy loves you and you love him. Even though you're not together, you still love each other. I'd even take something like that instead of not having anything."

Jason's eyes widened a bit at that. It was true, but it was still a sore spot. "Bro...I wish I could have something more permanent with Tommy, but all that's complicated. The important thing is that from now on, you do things for yourself. Stop trying to make everyone else happy and do what you want. Opening the dojo is a great start."

Rocky spoke up when Jason had finished. "Do you think that Brooke's parents had it in for you? Something you said makes me wonder."

He shrugged. "Her dad never really liked me. When we got there, he pretty much told me that I would be working for him and that I started on the next Monday. I wore a suit and tie everyday and hated going in to work." He eyed them both. "I've never hated going to work before, ever. Even doing the stunt show, it was hard, but I enjoyed it. And teaching at the Youth Center was more fun than an actual job. Hell, the only good thing that came out of it was that I made enough that I could put some away, even with what she spent."

"You should've stood up to the man, Adam. He had no right to do you that way," Rocky exclaimed.

"He was just trying to keep Brooke happy, weren't you?" Jason asked.

Adam took another drink, his hand shaking slightly. "Mostly. Part of it was me trying to prove to her dad that I wasn't just another useless Asian trying to pervert his daughter."

"Oh come on...don't tell me the man is a bigot as well as a pompous ass!" Jason replied.

"He was drunk one night shortly after we got to Boston. Said that he never should have allowed his little girl to marry a pathetic slant-eye like me. That the only reason I was with her was for the money."

Both Rocky and Jason felt their blood pressures rise. How could anyone treat their friend like that? "That's fucked up man, you know that, right?" Rocky asked. "You're one of the finest people I've ever known and .... that sonofabitch, I...." Rocky couldn't even continue his thought--he was seeing red. He clenched his fists and paced back and forth.

"Rocky's right, Adam. You shouldn't have to put up with that." He leaned over and pulled the young man into a tight hug. "Things are gonna get better for you, bro--I just know it. Hang in there. You'll be happier than you ever could have been with her and her fucked up family."

He finally released his control on the tears that had been falling only lightly. "God Jason, I just want to feel wanted again... like someone gives a shit about me and cares about me for me... not for what I do or have... but for me." He broke down then into harsh sobs, clutching tightly onto the Original Red Ranger.

Jason held him tight, rubbing his back while he cried. "Let it out man, just let it all out. You'll feel better." He looked up at Rocky and shook his head slightly. Adam's breakdown just made the second Red Ranger angrier. He looked like he could chew nails and spit out screws.

He turned back to Adam. "Bro, I know that this might not be much consolation, but you have lots of friends that love you dearly. Me, Rocky and Tommy for starters. We've always been here for you and we always will be."

"I know, but you guys are friends... and I love you for that... but I want that 'one', you know? That's all I've ever really wanted besides a good job and a roof over my head... kids would be a good bonus, but not a necessity." He sighed. "She's going back to her maiden name. Like we were never married. Hell man, she was the first person that I gave everything to."

"That's what we all want, Adam," Rocky said. "I know how you feel about that--I'd love to find 'the one' also, but...I guess we just have to be patient."

"I agree with Rocky--that's something that all of us want. And I know she was special to you man, but...it just wasn't meant to be, I guess. I really do think that you'll find that 'one' that you're looking for--and probably when and where you least expect it," Jason added.

Adam sighed, then took a couple of deep breaths. He was emotionally and physically spent. Plus, now his head was starting to hurt. He coughed a couple times and was starting to sit up from where he rested against Jason when the room spun and he put his head back down before swallowing hard. "Think I'm going to be sick."

"Hold on," Jason said and looked at Rocky who was already standing nearby. "Get him to the bathroom," he said, helping to get Adam to a standing position. Rocky did as he asked, taking his best friend by the arm and side and hurrying him out of the room. Just then, Jason remembered someone..."Oh my God, I never called Tom back!" he exclaimed and pulled out his cell phone to dial the number.

Adam hit his knees as soon as Rocky helped him to the toilet and proceeded to get rid of everything he'd taken in. Then he dry heaved for several minutes before breaking out in a cold sweat as he rested his head on his arm. "Fuck me."

Tommy answered before the second ring. "You'd better be calling to tell me that you've found him and he's okay."

Jason sighed. "He's pretty much okay--just terribly hungover and upset. Seems he got his final divorce decree in the mail and didn't tell anyone. That bitch really fucked him over, Tommy." He paused for a moment. "But he'll be okay physically...emotionally, I don't know. I think it's gonna take a while."

"Should have known that things were worse than what he was telling me." Tommy took a seat. "Every time we talked about it, he would tense up. Yeah, he opened up a little, but not a lot. He still held a lot of stuff back." He sighed, running a hand through his short hair.

"He's opening up and talking about it more now, so maybe that'll help. I just hope he doesn't clam up on us again. Before now, you're the only one he's really talked to about it. Maybe if we can keep him talking, he'll come to grips with it sooner. Too bad you're up in Reefside."

"Yeah, I wish I could get down there, but the soonest would be this weekend. If finals weren't approaching, I might be willing to ask for a sub."

"This weekend is perfect. His birthday is Saturday and we're planning a surprise for him. You can come down and stay with me. I'm gonna have him come home with me tonight and stay at least until after the weekend."

Tommy frowned for a moment. "He's really bad off, isn't he? If you're taking him home that means you don't want him to be by himself. What aren't you telling me Jason Lee?"

"I'm not keeping anything from you, Tom. I'm just worried about him. He's been holed up in this apartment since Tuesday night drinking and trashing the place. He hasn't eaten much at all and he's pretty sick right now. I just don't think he should be alone, that's all. I wouldn't lie to you, bro."

"He trashed his place?! That's not like Adam at all." He shook his head. "Kyle's been pretty good lately so I'll give him a reprieve and let him grade the tests for me this weekend. That'll allow me to leave after school on Friday. You sure you've got enough space for both of us?"

"Yeah, I've got plenty of space. You can sleep with me and Adam can have the guest bed," he suggested. "And yeah, he tore this place up. Punched holes in the wall with his fists, broke just about everything in the living room that was breakable and threw everything else in the floor. It was a mess. Liquor bottles and beer cans everywhere, not to mention the smell of sour food and vomit. Just nasty."

"That really doesn't sound like Adam. Yeah, I'll definitely be down this weekend. Friday's supposed to be an assembly day with it being held in the afternoon as a pep rally of sorts. I might see if Randall will let me go early." He was quiet for a moment. Just thinking about sleeping in Jason's arms again was giving him other thoughts that he shouldn't be having considering what they were talking about. He groaned softly. "I'll be happy to share a bed with you as long as you put another cover on the bed, blanket hog."

Jason smiled warmly. "Now I'm really looking forward to this weekend," he said, having his own ideas. "And yes, I'll put more blankets on the bed, just for you. Call me and let me know what time you'll be here so that we can make some plans, okay? As soon as I know something more about the party, I'll let you know."

"Call me tomorrow around lunch time. Kyle's leaving early so I'll be alone. We can talk more then and if Adam's around maybe I can talk to him as well. And I'll definitely call you to let you know for sure so we can make plans. Then, if you don't hear from me by 3pm on Friday, call. That way I can tell you if I'm on my way yet or not." He was definitely going down there this weekend. Even if it meant letting Kyle off of 'restriction' a little early.

"Okay, sounds like a plan. I'll try to have Adam back to human by then," he said with a small chuckle. "Take care of yourself for me, okay? I miss you."

"I'll take care of myself. You and Rocky take care of Adam." He was quiet for a moment. "I miss you too, Jase. I'll see you Friday, I promise."

"We'll take care of Froggy, don't worry. Talk to you tomorrow," he replied and, after their goodbyes had been said, closed his phone and went to find out how the 'patient' was. He found him and Rocky in the bedroom, sitting on the bed.

Rocky got up as Jason came in the room. "He was pretty much wiped out when he got done throwing up. Mainly dry heaved for almost five minutes. Brought him in here to lay down when he was through."

"How are you feeling now, bro?" Jason asked, taking a seat beside him on the bed.

"Really tired and my head is hurting." He shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable. "Kinda sore all over."

"Well, don't get too comfortable just yet--I'm taking you home with me, okay? You don't need to be alone right now," Jason said. He stood up and went over to his friend's dresser and started pulling out clothes. "Rocky, find me a duffle bag."

Rocky went over to the closet and pulled a duffle bag out. "I'll get this Jase. You might want to keep him awake. He was trying to go to sleep on me and I know you said he had to stay awake for a bit. He also wouldn't drink anything else for me."

Jason handed the clothes to Rocky and went back over to Adam. "Don't go to sleep on me yet, okay? We're gonna get you over to my place and then you can go to sleep. Will you try to drink something for me?"

Adam sighed. "I'll just throw it up again and I'd rather not. Really just want to sleep, Jase."

"Okay, I understand that. I'm gonna start an IV on you then because I know you're dehydrated," he replied and pulled the necessary things from his bag.

Wearily, he held his arm out. He wasn't going to fight the burly paramedic about it. "So any chance I can convince you to just stay here?" He knew that it wasn't likely, but he was still going to give it a shot.

Jason chuckled softly. "Man, there ain't enough of this place left for us to stay in. No, you'll come home with me for a little while. When you're ready to come home, we'll come over here and help you put your apartment back together again, deal?" He inserted the IV and started it dripping, securing everything with tape.

"I really messed it up that bad, huh?" He winced slightly as his friend put the IV needle in, but held still. He remembered doing a few things, like throwing things to the floor, but not much else. He held his right hand up, flexing it slightly. "I don't remember getting these."

"On the way out, we'll show you how you managed to mess your hand up like that," Rocky chimed in, still putting Adam's things into the bag. "And yes, you really messed it up that bad."

"Speaking of your hand," Jason said, gently taking hold of it. "I need to clean it and then I want to wrap it. It's a little swollen, but I didn't feel anything broken. If it's still like this in a couple of days, we'll get it X-rayed. Considering you own a dojo, I don't think you'd get too many questions about punching something wrong." He set the hand on Adam's stomach while he got the stuff he'd need from his bag, then held it while he carefully cleaned the cuts.

Adam winced a few times while Jason was applying the antiseptic. "Have you called Tommy in the last few days?" he asked out of the blue.

"Actually, I just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago. We called him earlier to see if he'd heard from you. Then promised to call him once we'd found out how you were doing. We'll call him tomorrow from my place during his lunch hour. He said that Kyle was leaving early and he'd have the time." He applied some antibiotic ointment to the area and covered it with a non-stick pad before taping it in place. Then he started wrapping it with an elastic bandage.

"Oh...the reason I ask is because...well, did he say anything about me calling him? While I was drunk?"

Jason frowned at him. "No, he didn't. I know that he said he tried calling you a couple of times and you didn't answer. Why? Do you think you called him?"

"Well, I know that I thought about it a lot but...I can't remember whether I actually did it or not. I hope I didn't. That's the last thing he needs."

"Adam, if you had needed to talk to him, he would have been glad you called. Granted, he might have called Rocky or me to come over and make sure you were all right after you got done talking to him, but he would have listened to you no matter what." He placed a gentle hand on Adam's side above the bruise he knew rested there. "Speaking of Tommy, did he give you this bruise? I know it looks like it's fading, but I want to make sure it's not something that happened that you don't remember."

"Yeah, that one's from him too," Adam replied.

Rocky chuckled. "You were just a punching bag for him, weren't you? I think I'm gonna have to take him on the next time he's around." Rocky thought that maybe he could get Adam's mind off of the things that had been bothering him.

"Just making sure. It's below your ribs, but just above your kidneys." He raised an eyebrow at Rocky's words. "Bro, I'm not treating any 'war wounds' you get from going up against T. Bad enough Adam here looked like he tried to take on a tank when he got back last week. I'd hate to see what your wimp ass would look like when he got done with you." He cracked a grin at Adam and winked.

Adam couldn't help but grin a little. Picking on Rocky was a favorite past time and it felt good to be doing it again. Rocky was a good sport about it and could actually hold his own in any fight, but he would be very unevenly matched if he actually tried to take Tommy on.

"Yeah well...we'll see," Rocky said in his own defense.

Jason chuckled softly, then looked over at Rocky. "You got everything he'll need, which will include a pair of shoes?"

"Yeah, I got everything--clothes, underwear, shoes, toothbrush, etc.--he's all set."

"Good." He turned back to Adam. "Are you warm enough with just a t-shirt or do you want a hoodie?"

"A hoodie would be nice--I'm feelin' kinda cold," Adam said quietly and shivered a bit to punctuate his statement.

Jason nodded and grabbed one out of the closet, then helped him sit up. "Let's get the IV bag through first." Once he had it through the armhole and sleeve he handed it to Rocky. "Hang on to this a minute. Once I help him with the hoodie, I'm going to pick him up. Then I want you to put the bag between us by his shoulder."

"Gotcha," Rocky said and did as his friend asked.

"Jase, I might be able to walk--you don't have to carry me," Adam protested in a weak voice.

Jason shook his head as he helped Adam the rest of the way into the hoodie. "No chance, buddy. You're dehydrated and you've got a headache, probably a mild concussion. You haven't had any solid food for I'm guessing several days. I'm not going to take the chance of you passing out on us heading for the car. Just relax, okay?" He handed his keys to Rocky, then carefully picked the younger man up. "All right Rocko, give me the IV bag and let's go."

The second Red Ranger took the keys, grabbed the duffle with Adam's things and Jase's jump kit and headed toward the front door. He made a quick check around the tiny apartment to make sure that nothing had been left on and opened the front door for Jason and Adam who were coming up behind him. Just as they were getting outside, Adam's neighbor opened her door and stuck her head out. Seeing Adam being carried like that with an IV connected immediately caused a frown of worry to cross her face. "Oh my gosh! Is he okay? What happened?"

Jason nodded. "He'll be okay. Just has the flu or something and is a bit dehydrated. He knocked a few things over in his haste to get to the bathroom a few times, so that's probably the crashing you heard. I'm taking him to my place for a couple of days, but he'll be okay."

Rocky cleared his throat and had to turn away for a minute. The ease with which Jason made up that very believable lie was making him giggle.

"Oh thank goodness." She reached over and patted Adam's shoulder. "I was getting worried about you, Honey."

Adam blushed softly. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but thanks for calling Mr. Landers. I'd hate to have to buy a new door because Trouble 1 and Trouble 2 decided to bust it down due to the fact that I was finally sleeping when I had the flu." It only made things more convincing with his voice being slightly scratchy from all the throwing up he'd done.

"Oh, you're welcome. You get well, okay?" She turned to Jason. "Take good care of him, all right?" She had become quite fond of her young neighbor who had helped her with odd jobs on several occasions.

"I will, you have my word on that. You have a good evening." He eased past her with Adam in his arms and down to his SUV, then waited for Rocky to open the door. "Had to start getting a case of the giggles, didn't you Rocko?"

He started giggling again. "I'm sorry man, but...you can just lie like a rug, can'tcha? Just rolls off your tongue. I don't know if I can believe anything you say anymore," Rocky said while putting the things he was carrying into the truck.

Jason settled Adam into the back. "You warm enough? I've got a blanket in the back if you're not." He used his jump kit that Rocky had brought out from the apartment as a pillow for his friend and hung the IV from a spot in the roof handle that was meant for clothes.

Adam shivered again--he knew he must be deathly pale. "I'm still cold, Jase," he said with more than a little worry evident in his voice. He looked up at his good friend wanting some kind of reassurance.

Grabbing the blanket, he tucked it around his shivering friend. "Part of it's because you're dehydrated. The IV is also a little cold. When we get back to my place, I'll wrap it in some hot packs to warm it and I want you to try some tea before I let you sleep." He pulled the hood up on Adam's hoodie. Looking over at Rocky, he nodded at him. "Sit back here with him. Share some body heat with him. I know a couple shortcuts to get us back to my place a little faster."

"Will do, boss," the former Blue Zeo Ranger said and climbed into the backseat with his best friend. While rubbing his arm he added, "You'll be fine, bro. Jase's got it all under control." His warm smile helped to reassure Adam just a bit and he settled down for the ride to the paramedic's apartment.

Jason managed to get them to his place in less than ten minutes. After parking, he climbed out and went around to the back. Handing Rocky his keys again, he nodded at him. "The silver one with the red band opens the door. I'll take my kit and Adam if you grab the rest of the stuff."

They were able to get their 'patient' into the apartment and settled pretty quickly. Rocky put the clothes they'd brought for Adam into the guest room and went to see if there was anything more he could do to help.

Jason was originally going to put Adam in the guest room for the night, but decided against it. Instead, he took the former Black Ranger into his own room and settled him in the king-sized bed. Setting his jump kit down, he looked at Adam. "How are you feeling?"

Groaning and stretching a bit, he replied, "About the same...a little warmer maybe, but my head still hurts...and my stomach." He then curled up into more of a fetal position and moaned again.

"Adam, I need you to lay back for me, okay? Tell me if anywhere I press hurts." He was hoping the man's stomach was just sore from throwing up and not eating, but if it was appendicitis or anything else, they'd be going to the hospital. He made Adam lay back and moved his hands out of the way. Pulling his shirts up, he carefully started feeling his way across the other man's stomach. He moaned a little from time to time, but there was no sharp pain or rebound guarding.

Rocky stood by and watched, but then had to ask, "Jase, you don't think it's anything serious do you?"

Jason sighed, before talking to Adam, answering Rocky at the same time. "Well, it's not your appendix, which is what I was afraid of. I'll grab the heating pad for you and while you're awake, keep it on your stomach. You're muscles are pretty tight and I'm guessing it's from you puking and not having anything in your system." He replaced his friend's shirts and pulled the blankets up a bit. "Speaking of, I want you to try some dry toast and tea for me. I've got something I can give you to help with the nausea, but we need to try and get something into your stomach, okay?"

Adam quietly nodded and looked up at them both. "I'm sorry about this, guys. I never meant to cause so much trouble."

Giving his shoulder a squeeze, Jason shook his head. "You're a friend Adam and you need our help right now. You'd do the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot." He quickly activated 2 hot packs and wrapped them around the IV bag that was half gone. "You relax for a bit. I'm going to make you some tea." He stood up and looked at Rocky. "No wrestling Ape Man." Walking out of the room, he sighed softly. 'He's alive and we can help him. Just wish we'd realized how bad the bitch had really worked him over.' Once in his kitchen, he turned on his tap to hot and filled the kettle. After that was going, he filled a pan with hot water from the tap and put the new IV bag in it, letting the water warm the fluid inside. Quietly, he set about getting things done to help his friend.

Rocky rolled his eyes as Jason left. "I promise, no wrestling." He walked over to the bed and sat down beside his best friend. "Still cold?"

"Yeah, but not as bad." He paused and then got a strange look on his face. "Rocky...what day is it?"

He was quiet for a moment, then looked at his friend. "It's Monday, Adam. No one's heard from you since Thursday when you called me."

"Mon--...you're kidding me. I thought...thought it was probably Saturday."

Rocky shook his head. "That's why we were pretty much freakin' out, bro," he said as he patted Adam's leg. "We were afraid that...well, never mind." He lowered his gaze and sighed.

Adam frowned. "No, Rocky. Tell me. You were afraid that what?"

The second Red Ranger couldn't look him in the face. "Well...we were afraid that something awful had happened to you. I guess Jase and I just assumed that you'd called the other. When we realized that no one had heard from you since Thursday, we got over to your place as fast as we could." He paused and drew a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "It's just not like you to drop off the radar like that. We were afraid that we'd find you dead, man."

He sighed. "I honestly didn't realize that much time had passed, Rocky. After calling you on Thursday, everything else is just a blur. Mostly it's filled with drinking, passing out, waking up and drinking some more. Think yesterday is the first time that I actually puked, but I went right back to drinking." He looked up at his friend. "It was the only thing that let me not think... every time I started thinking about her, I guess I broke something or punched the wall." Reaching out, he took hold of his friend's hand. "But I wasn't trying to kill myself."

Rocky looked him in the eyes. "I know that. I could never believe that you would do something like that. We just didn't know what had happened to you. Your apartment looked like a war zone when we finally got in there--I thought Goldar had come back and carried you off or something."

"If something like that had happened, you know that one of Tommy's connections would have said something. There's always someone watching, Rocky. You know that as well as I do." He sighed. "I'm sorry I scared you guys like that. I just wanted to forget about that bitch."

"You definitely need to get her out of your system--she's gonna cause you nothing but pain. Like Jase told you, when you least expect it, you'll find someone special. Just hang in there." He stopped and looked toward the door. "Speaking of our favorite paramedic...where did he get off to?"

Jason snorted as he came into the room with a tray. "Getting our friend something to put in his stomach." He set the tray on the nightstand and checked the IV bag. Seeing that it was almost done, he went ahead and changed it. "I warmed the fluid up in this one, so it should help you warm up a bit." He looked down at Adam. "Think you can try some tea and toast for me now?"

The 'patient' looked at the food warily. "Ummm, I'll try but you might want to have a trash can handy."

"I've got something I'm going to give you for the nausea. So we'll try a bit of the tea first while that takes effect." He moved to his kit and filled a syringe with the contents of one of the vials he kept there. Grabbing an alcohol pad, he went back over to Adam. "This might sting a bit when it first goes in, but that'll pass. Should only take a few minutes to kick in." He wiped the port down and injected the med into Adam's IV line. Once he was done with that, he plugged in the heating pad and turned it to 'low' before settling it over his friend's stomach on top of the sheet then resettled the covers.

When Adam felt the medicine hit his veins, he hissed. "Mmmm...that does sting, damn. But if it'll help..." he trailed off. "I was just apologizing to Rocky here. I need to say 'sorry' to you too," he said looking up into Jason's face.

Jason shook his head. "No, you don't. You being alive is the best apology there is." He shooed Rocky over a bit and sat beside his friend. "Adam, you're my friend and you were a teammate. You had my back in a lot of fights and you've been there as a friend as well. Did you scare the hell out of me? Yes, you did, but I know what it's like to feel like the world is against you. I went through hell after losing the Gold powers... physically, emotionally... it was hard. Emily was great at first, but she didn't understand. That's why we broke up and that just added another level to my misery. Tommy helped me out of that... just like I helped him deal with some of the crap from his Evil Green days. Now, I'm just repaying you for some of what you did when we were Rangers."

Adam nodded and sipped on the tea. "I guess in the world of rangers, it all evens out eventually, huh?" he grinned and took another small sip.

Jason grinned. "Eventually." He picked up a piece of the toast and handed it to him. "Try a couple of bites, see how it settles."

Doing as he was instructed, the former Green Zeo Ranger ate some of the toast and drank most of the tea. Everything seemed to settle okay and he began to feel a tad bit better. He couldn't stifle the yawns though, as his body was telling him that it was time to get some rest. "Can I sleep now, please?"

"Finish that bit of toast and I'll let you sleep." Jason looked over at Rocky. "You're welcome to crash here tonight. I'm going to keep Adam in here with me, but you can use the guest bedroom."

"That'll work. I'd be too worried at home by myself. Promise you'll come get me if you need any help, okay?" Rocky replied.

"I promise. Think you even left some clothes over here from when your place was being fumigated, so you can take a shower if you want. Kitchen's open to you if you're hungry."

"I'm always hungry and I missed dinner, so yeah...you can find me in the kitchen!" Rocky announced with a grin. "Get some rest bro and call if you need anything, alright?"

Adam nodded and watched Rocky go. "Um, Jase... the couch is fine... I mean..." He blushed.

"No sir, you're not sleeping on the couch. I want to stay close in case you need anything." He looked at Adam and grinned. "The bed's plenty big enough for two, Froggy."

Finishing the toast, he took another drink of the tea before setting it aside. "Guess there's no way I'm going to win this argument, is there?" He yawned again and felt his eyes growing heavy. "The stuff you gave me... makes you sleepy too, doesn't it?"

"No, you're not winning this argument and yes, it does make you sleepy. Now get some rest and let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay." He closed his eyes, letting his own exhaustion and the meds take over. He never felt Jason get up and settle him more under the covers nor did he hear the other man leave the room.

Rocky looked up from the eggs he was making as Jason came into the kitchen. "He asleep?"

"Yeah, he's asleep. Should stay that way for a while." Jason yawned and took a seat at the counter, watching Rocky cook.

"In all the years that I've known him, I've never seen him like this, Jase." He scrambled the eggs a bit more, then flipped the ham slices in the pan next to it. When Rocky was worried, he cooked. Jason sparred or beat the hell out of a bag... Adam usually meditated or paced... he cooked. Checking on the toast, he buttered it as it popped up and put it on the stack. "I'm making you some too, so don't think about falling asleep yet mister."

"No, my stomach's growling--I fully intend to eat before I lay down." He stopped and took a drink of the Gatorade that Rocky had put in front of him. "He's just going through a bad time right now, Rocky--he'll recover. He's strong in body and mind, so don't worry. Maybe he's blown off all the steam that he needed to and he'll start getting over what that bitch did to him now."

"Still can't believe some of the stuff he told us." He finished the eggs and divided them between two plates and added a couple of ham slices to them. He put one down in front of Jason and the other beside him. Grabbing his own drink, he took it and the plate of toast to the other side of the counter and sat down. He said a quick blessing and then took a couple bites. "Think we should still have the party this weekend?"

"Thanks," Jason said when Rocky gave him the food. "As far as the party goes...I don't know right now. I think that it would be good for him if he's feeling up to it, but I guess we'll have to wait and see how he is over the next couple of days."

"Yeah, he does kinda look like death warmed over right now." They ate in silence for a few minutes. "Think if we do have it that Tommy will come down for it? If Adam talked to him once about her, he might again."

"Oh yeah, Tom's comin'--I called him earlier while we were still at Adam's place. I had to let him know that he was okay...well, alive anyway. I told him about the party and he said that he'd definitely be here for it."

"Maybe we should have it." He finished eating and took a long drink of Gatorade. "I mean, what better way to show Adam that he really does have people that care about him. He needs to know that his friends really are there if and when he needs them."

"I agree and I know it would be good for him to be surrounded by his friends, but we'll have to see how he's feeling. I'm almost sure he's got a mild concussion and his stomach won't be right for days. But if he's feeling better by say, Thursday, we'll go ahead as planned."

Rocky nodded. "You're going to keep him here until then, aren't you? And probably for a little bit after?" He really didn't want his best friend to be alone right now and he was half-tempted to just move Adam into his place, forget about the little apartment.

"Oh yeah, Frogboy is staying here at least until after the weekend. No way am I letting him go home to be alone. He'll be okay to do that eventually, but not right now."

"Good. And that place is definitely going to need a good cleaning before he can stay there again." He took their empty plates to the sink and rinsed them off before putting them in the dishwasher, then stretched. "Thanks again for doing this Jason."

"Hey, like I told Adam, no thanks are necessary. I'm glad I can help. Hopefully we'll be able to have the party and he'll be back to his old self by this time next week. Or at least on his way to it with a real start at healing after Brooke. Tommy coming down should help too. So, you ready to hit the hay?"

"I hope so. Hate seeing him so down." He tried to fight off a yawn, then grinned. "Oh yeah, sleep sounds good." He shut off the light in the kitchen. "Let me know if you need my help with anything Jase." He chuckled softly. "And so you know, he's a cover hog."

Jason laughed. "So am I, according to Tommy. Good night, Rocky--sleep well." Jason made sure that everything was locked up and then quietly made his way into his bedroom. Adam was still sleeping peacefully right where he'd left him thirty minutes earlier. He turned the heating pad off and set it on the floor. Pulling off his clothes and putting on a pair of sleep pants, he carefully climbed into the big king bed on the other side from his friend. "G'night Froggy--hope you sleep well," he whispered and then settled down to try and get some rest. It had been one hell of a day.