It's cold on the medical bed when Ziggy comes to. He doesn't bother opening his eyes, knowing they will only be met with the blinding lights of K's lab. Fuzzy from sleep, Ziggy slowly becomes aware of voices speaking in hushed tones nearby.
"It must be some new plot of Venjex. He's losing energy at a remarkable rate."
"The latest attack-bot. Ziggy was hit by a blast, but we thought it had been a malfunction. Nothing seemed amiss."
K and Scott. They sound worried.
"Fortunately, I seem to have pinpointed a temporary solution. Series Green is only severely weakened when he is not in close proximity with another ranger. Something about your specific energy readings helps return him to more regular levels. As long as he remains nearby one of you at all times, he shouldn't be in any mortal danger until I can find a way to reverse the effects of the attack-bot."
"Not a problem," pipes Summer. Is the whole team here? "Ziggy will just have to get used to the company."
Ziggy groans aloud, but mostly just to get their attention. He doesn't mind company; it's being alone he's never warmed up to.
"How're you feeling Zig?" asks a gruff voice from very nearby and Ziggy blinks blearily to see Dillon looking down at him from the chair he has pulled up next to the bed.
"Okay, I think. What is this I hear about energy-zapping attack-bots?"
K explains her findings all over again and Scott clarifies with less scientific jargon when Ziggy just stares at her blankly. It seems that although being around the other rangers seems to keep him from passing out, he is still being slowly sapped of his energy. K warns him that he likely won't be able to do even moderately strenuous activities for any length of time and he'll be sleeping more often. Another mouthful of gibberish, decoded this time by Flynn, reveals that K believes the proximity Ziggy must be from another ranger to keep breathing normally is somewhere between ten and fifteen feet.
"What about my bedroom? I'm closer than fifteen feet to Dillon through the wall." Uncertainty mars K's expression and Ziggy can tell how much she dislikes not understanding the situation fully.
"I'm not sure. It could be fine, but you might want to consider buying a sleeping bag."
No way. If Ziggy is going to have to be watched all day; he'd rather sleep in his own room. He says as much. Then, because everyone must be thinking it, Ziggy asks, "What are we going to do during battles?"
Ziggy already feels like a burden. Seeing the tense, unhappy look on Scott's face doesn't make it any better.
"We can spare two rangers for a while, right?" says Flynn, optimistically. "We got by alright with just three before you four showed up." He waves an arm to indicate Dillon, Ziggy, Gem, and Gemma.
Scott still seems wary, but he says, "Flynn's right. Ziggy you will stay here with one other ranger if there is an attack."
Ziggy wants to argue. He feels fine now, just heavy from sleep. He can still fight. But he remembers what it felt like before he passed out. The dizziness, the disorientation… he'd only be in the way on the battlefield if someone had to try and be at his side at all times. He can sense that they're about to start the awkward business of creating some sort of rotation for who has to babysit him when Dillon says, "I'll stay."
Seven pairs of eyes, each at some variation of shock, turn to stare at the black ranger. Ziggy tries desperately to keep from sounding too hopeful when he says, skeptically, "You will?"
"Sure. That way the rest of you can still access your Zords."
Ziggy deflates a little, but of course that makes sense—
"Plus, we're partners right?" continues Dillon, nudging Ziggy lightly and Ziggy lights up so fast he knows even K must have noticed. "Just know that I'm not going to spend all day listening to that noise you like to call music."
"Hey! I'll have you know I have impeccable taste in music. It's not my fault you can't appreciate the finer things in life."
"My music is the 'finer things in life'. And we'll be listening to it every day this week until you learn that." Dillon grins smugly at him.
"Oh no. No no no no no." Ziggy turns to the other rangers pleadingly. "You guys can't do this to me. Someone, anyone else, but Dillon. I'll be dead before K can ever find a cure."
The other rangers look amused, proving entirely unhelpful. Summer says curiously, "What kind of music do you listen to Dillon?"
Ziggy shudders dramatically and answers for him. "The half-machine, car loving, meathead over here will only listen to CLASSICAL music." He shakes his head sadly. "It boggles the mind, really."
.
When the other rangers finally file out and K clears Ziggy to leave, Dillon escorts him out of the lab, still teasing about Ziggy's soft spot for metal bands. Ziggy returns the jabs in kind, but his mind is still looping back to when Dillon had said, "I'll stay," like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Ziggy likes the rest of the team, he really does. Gem and Gemma always laugh at his jokes and take his every plot to make money seriously. Trying to pull K out of her shell is one of Ziggy's favorite pastimes. Scott is surprisingly patient when showing him new fighting techniques, Summer makes a point to pull him aside every so often and ask him how he's doing, and he and Flynn having remarkably similar food and film tastes, making for entertaining movie nights. However, Ziggy is, and will probably always be, most at ease around Dillon. He's not sure how it happened, but Dillon is without a doubt the best friend he's ever had and, even more shocking, the opposite seems to be just as true. So while Ziggy wouldn't mind hanging around any of the other rangers, Dillon is definitely his first pick, and he gets the feeling that the black ranger knew this and acted accordingly. It's… comforting.
They've stopped walking while Ziggy was absorbed in his thoughts and Dillon is now staring at him, part curious, part worry. "Going to swoon on us again so soon?"
"I did not swoon! I blacked out. Manfully." Dillon gives him a doubtful look. "No, really. I'll probably get an award and everything for how stoically I handled it."
"Stoic. Right."
"Listen mister. I'm a very sick individual and you should treat me with a little less sarcasm and a bit more chivalry."
Dillon is silent a moment and Ziggy mentally celebrates what looks to be a victory when suddenly Dillon ducks down and swoops Ziggy's legs out from under him. Squawking, Ziggy flails madly as Dillon somehow manages to situate him in his arms bridal style and start walking casually up the stairs.
"I—what—put me down!" Dillon ignores him. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"Being a gentleman. Isn't that what you wanted?"
A snort comes from the living room and Flynn sing-songs, "You two have fun on your honeymoon!"
Crossing his arms, Ziggy glares at Dillon's chest. He has changed his mind: Dillon is the last person he wants to spend all his time around.
.
.
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Short update. I do what I want, Thor.