Tenaya stirred a little as she felt a gentle touch on her forehead, and a hand softly stroking her hair. She started to come to, trying to focus her vision. She looked up, seeing Ziggy standing over her. He pressed a finger to his lips to indicate to her to keep quiet.
She mumbled something under her mask, which came out a little muffled. Ziggy pulled the mask off gently, allowing her to speak unrestricted.
"Where were you?" She asked him weakly. "You promised you'd be there for me."
"Dr. K and Dillon insisted you didn't get any visitors. They want you to get some rest to recover." He told her. "For what it's worth, I'm here now."
"I wanted to see you." She whispered gently. "When he captured me, when he was torturing me...I thought I'd never see you again. You're the one I wanted to see when I woke up..."
"Look, Dillon's taking this new role in your life seriously." Ziggy explained as he looked deeply into her eyes, continuing to stroke her hair softly. "He was pretty serious about taking Dr. K's advice with your recovery. He knows I've looked after you before, I guess...he just wants to make up for lost time."
"I want you to do it." She replied, grabbing one of his hands. "I really..."
"Tenaya, you know what Dillon's like, he's just taking things a little seriously." Ziggy told her. "You know it's been awkward for you too. We'll tell them eventually, just...try to get better. Once you do, you can move back into the living area. That'll make seeing each other easier."
"Ziggy, you say you love me, but so far...you haven't told anyone about us." She whispered, looking away from him. "Are you just telling me what I want to hear?"
"Tenaya, I'm not ashamed of you." He assured her, turning her face back towards him. "I love you, when you were missing; I was going out of my mind. I didn't care about anything but getting you back."
He pulled her covers up, making sure she was warm enough.
"I'll tell the others, but we have to let Dillon know first. It'd only be right that he knows." Ziggy told her, caressing her hand gently with his thumb. "Once you're strong enough to go back to your room, we'll tell him together."
"You promise?" Tenaya asked him. Ziggy smiled and nodded at her. Dillon was his best friend, and he hated the thought of sneaking around behind his back. That said, he was terrified of his reaction when he found out about them. Dillon had indeed been finding it hard figuring out where he and Tenaya stood with each other. He would probably feel like Ziggy had taken advantage of her while she was vulnerable, and the big brother was meant to hate his sister's boyfriends by policy anyway. With Dillon, it was verging on suicidal to bring up that situation, but looking down on Tenaya, feeling her in his presence; he knew that he had to be with her. As much as facing Dillon scared him, he wanted to be with her.
"We'll tell all of them, I promise." He told her with a childishly cheerful grin on his face. He leant down, kissing her deeply, allowing her to feel the warmth of his embrace once more. She smiled up at him.
"You just rest." He told her, replacing her mask. "The sooner you get better, the sooner we can tell the others. Then we can be together as much as you want."
She just smiled as he said this. It sounded like a wonderful thought. Ziggy made his way to the door, stopping by the light switch.
"I'll come back as soon as I can." He told her. "I love you."
He felt a warmth within him as he heard her say something muffled beneath her mask. He didn't need to hear the words; he knew what she was trying to say. He went out into the main Garage, finding himself confronted by Summer.
"You know considering the fact he only sleeps about three hours a night you might want to be a little more subtle." She suggested.
"I thought she needed something..."
"She does need something Ziggy." She told him. "She needs the man that loves her. Don't try and deny it, I figured it all out."
Ziggy sighed and sat on the stairs, wringing his hands through his hair in anguish. Summer came over beside him and put an arm around him.
"Does he know?" Ziggy asked her.
"What do you think?" She asked him. "Do you really think if he knew that he wouldn't be here?"
"I guess not." Ziggy replied, sinking further into himself. "Can you keep it quiet?"
"Ziggy, because you love Tenaya you understand the position this puts me in. You know I can't do that." She told him. "It's alright, I won't tell him yet, I want to give you a chance, but you know you have to tell him right?" He nodded in response.
"I know I have to tell him eventually. I've already promised Tenaya that we'll tell him once the doc gives her the all-clear to go back to the main living area." He replied. He looked into Summer's eyes pleadingly. "I'm not messing around with her. I really love her, you know that right?"
"Ziggy, that's exactly why I want you to approach this gently." She replied. "If I thought you were messing with her, I'd already have told Dillon and we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. I've seen what the two of you are willing to do for each other, to go through for each other."
"I've never met anyone like her." He told the Yellow Ranger. "I never thought I could feel that way about anyone."
"She'll be fine." Summer assured him. "I'll help you with Dillon."
"Thanks Summer, that really means a lot to me." Ziggy told her. "You don't know how much."
"Get some sleep." She instructed him. "In the morning, Chas will be doing some more training with you. Tenaya will be looked after; you just worry about that game. You wouldn't want to end up in hospital just as she's getting out would you?"
Ziggy watched her go, feeling the usual warmth he always did from her. She always did all she could to smooth things over between the team members. She had reached out to him when he came into the group, helping him become one of them. He knew that she would have his best interests at heart.
He went up to the guy's bedroom, finding his way to his bed and started to get changed for bed. He still wanted nothing more than to see her, to remain by her side. Right now though, he knew that Summer was right. The best thing he could do for her was to concentrate on the game, and make sure he got through it alive.
Flynn yawned loudly and wandered into the main Garage, finding Scott working out with Gem and Gemma. He was sparring at that moment against Gemma, while Gem sat on the sidelines, shouting encouragement and commentating the match, all interspersed with the usual sound-effects the twins added to everything.
He had to try hard not to laugh as he watched them, thinking that rather than being focused on his training as he usually was...he actually looked to be enjoying himself. Flynn had to admit that while their energy and enthusiasm was still wearing and a little unsettling at times, they were starting to grow on them. If anything, they were kind of fun to have around.
He left them to it, making his way into the lab, finding Dr. K working hard on the computer.
"So what are you up to today good doctor?" Flynn asked her cheerfully as he arrived.
"I'm currently sorting through the information Summer, Dillon and Ziggy brought back from their recent mission to the Venjix factory." She informed him. "I want to compile as much data as possible before we arrange an attack."
"Well I don't remember much about what they said, but I do remember you describing that thing they're building as a 'doomsday weapon'." He responded, putting a hand on the back of her chair to look over her shoulder. "I for one would like to go and destroy that factory before that thing gets off the ground."
"That was precisely my thoughts Flynn." Dr. K replied, accessing more of the information Summer had downloaded to the Series Yellow morpher. "Not to mention we have to find a way to rescue all those workers."
"Now that is a lot of slaves!" Flynn replied with a low whistle as he looked at the list of names. "Even with all the Zords we'd only be able to bring back about a dozen. There must be hundreds of people in there!"
"I think I may be able to construct a three dimensional map of the compound from the information in here." She told him. "That should allow us to plan a strategy that will allow us to evacuate the prisoners and destroy the factory."
"That's all well and good, but we still have that little problem of what we do with the prisoners when we release them." Flynn reminded him.
"This is uncomfortable. You have to understand that I'd only ever suggest this as a temporary measure." Dr. K sighed. "We simply don't have the transport vehicles to bring them back. Of course, we do know that there is somewhere they can be safe outside the dome..."
"You're not seriously suggesting..."
"For all his aggression and antisocial disposition, D46 does keep the only colony of humans surviving out with the dome that we can confirm the existence of hidden and safe." Dr. K reminded him. "If we can't bring them to the dome yet, then the resistance is the only other option."
"In case you'd forgotten, D46 doesn't really play too nicely." Flynn protested sarcastically. "In case you'd forgotten, you might just want to look at the state he left Tenaya in, and she isn't exactly a delicate little flower."
"Who isn't?" Scott asked as he arrived, mopping his brow after his hard-fought sparring session with Gemma. "It isn't like any of the women that live here are exactly helpless. I mean, we've all fought with Tenaya, Summer can hold her own, and Gemma's just given me a pretty good run for my money. You know, when I first met them, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to take them seriously, but now?"
"She and her brother were always training back at Alphabet Soup." Dr. K said, keeping on working, trying hard not to look at him. Not only was it hard for her to keep her mind on the job thinking about him in his gym equipment, she had also noticed that when talking about the women on the team, her name had been noticeably absent. Her one hand was holding a pencil, which she started drumming on the desk. "I suppose Gemma impressed you during your sparring session. She is quite formidable..."
"Formidable isn't the word for it. She's amazing!" He rushed out, excitedly. "She's fast, she's strong..."
"She's tall, she's attractive." Dr. K muttered under her breath so he couldn't hear. The drumming got a little harder and louder.
"I have to admit, they took a little getting used to." Flynn said with a shrug. "But they've impressed the hell out of me in the field so far."
"Hey Scott!" Gemma chirped enthusiastically as she and her brother came into the room. "You ran out on us in the middle of training."
"It's your turn again." Gem added.
"Come on!" Gemma giggled as she grabbed the Red Ranger and virtually dragged him back to the training area. "We haven't finished yet!"
"Would you like to join us?" Gem asked Flynn. "It'll be super fun!"
"I was actually going to help Dr. K..."
"Its fine Flynn, I don't need your assistance." She told him. Flynn just shrugged and went with the Gold Ranger, leaving her alone in the lab. As soon as she was finally alone, her face twisted into an angry scowl and she grabbed the pencil in both hands, snapping it, and throwing the pieces as far as she could across the lab. She rested her face on her hand, leaning on the table as she felt her frustration rising. Indeed she didn't need Flynn's help right now. Of course it hurt to think that it also appeared that Scott didn't need her. Then again, why would he? It wasn't like she could compete with Gemma.
Chas was sitting in his doctor's office, running through a few more tests. He winced in discomfort as the doctor flexed his leg to check the range of motion.
"It looks like the range of motion is almost back to normal." Doctor Williams said with a smile on his face as he inspected it. "Your wound has healed up nicely. How is the pain?"
"It isn't as bad now as it was." He replied honestly. "It's a little uncomfortable at times."
"Well I'd probably recommend against taking part in that game, but I doubt you're going to listen to me by now." Dr. Williams told him, drawing a needle. "I'd just like to give you a little something to help with the discomfort."
"Are you sure that's necessary?" Chas asked him. "I could always just take a couple of Aspirin before the game."
"Trust me; this'll have you feeling so much better." Dr. Williams assured him. Chas felt the needle go into his thigh, and the painkiller was injected into him. It didn't take long for it to begin to affect him.
"I feel a little strange." He informed the doctor. "Is this normal?"
"It is quite a strong painkiller, that's why I wanted you to take it early, so it has time to work through." He explained. "You'll feel a little light-headed right now, but it should pass in the next few minutes. Trust me, it'll help."
Chas just nodded in understanding before pulling his clothes back on.
"I'd like you to come back in tomorrow for another dose." He instructed Chas, giving him an appointment card. "It'll be fine; it should just help with the worst of the discomfort. We wouldn't want you having to pull out of the game halfway through now would we?"
"No...of course not...um...thanks doctor." He replied as he finished getting dressed. He took the appointment card and left. As soon as he was gone, Dr. Williams pulled out his cell phone and made a call.
"He's just left my office." He told the man on the other end. "I gave him the shot just as you wanted."
"Excellent." Fresno Bob replied in a cold tone. "You are certain..."
"The dosage I'm giving him will have the desired effect within the next couple of days." Dr. Williams assured him. "If he takes that dosage for much longer..."
"My boys will make sure he has plenty of need for painkillers." Fresno Bob interrupted him. "I'll create the demand. Just make sure you keep up the supply."
Dr. Williams hung up, and hung his head in his hands. He hated having to do this. He knew that what he had been asked to do to Chas was wrong. It stood against everything he had been trained to do as a doctor. He just didn't have a choice. With Fresno Bob breathing down his neck, he couldn't refuse. He knew exactly what it would cost him.
