Summer sat in the waiting room of the therapist's office, fidgeting nervously. She didn't really like the idea of having to go through therapy, but she knew that she needed help if she was ever going to get over what Ronan had done to her.
She could only manage small, nervous glances over to the secretary sitting at her desk, sorting through her paperwork. She felt like everyone that looked at her as she came into the office was judging her, trying to figure out what kind of maniac she really was. As the secretary looked over to her, Summer quickly snapped her gaze away and began playing with her necklace nervously.
"Is it your first time?" The secretary asked her in a comforting tone, recognising the signs. Summer nodded, but was still unable to look at her. The secretary got up from her chair and made her way over to Summer, extending a hand.
"My name's Max." She introduced herself. "I hate Maxine. You don't need to worry; no one's going to judge you here."
"Summer." She replied, giving her hand a quick, weak shake.
"Would you like something to drink?" Max asked her. Summer nodded gently.
"Could I have some water?" She asked. Max made her way to the water cooler and poured her a cup.
"You know you really don't have to worry. There's nothing wrong with needing help." Max assured her. "Dr. Young is really nice."
"I'm sure he is." Summer mumbled as she took the cup from her. "I never thought I'd end up having to do something like this."
"Nobody does." Max replied. "I know I didn't."
Summer looked up at her, finally able to look at her as she heard this admission. Max was a lot taller than her, and incredibly skinny. She was wearing a pale blue business suit with a pink blouse. She had short blonde hair. She seemed to be a few years older than Summer.
"You had therapy?" Summer asked her. Max smiled at her and nodded.
"For a long time I had OCD." She informed the Yellow Ranger. "You don't need to worry; no one will judge you here."
At that point, a man entered the office. He was short, and a little paunch, but he had a kind, warm face and a certain air about him that was soothing. He wore a brown tweed suit with a white shirt, and a deep red tie with yellow ducks on it which looked completely out of place given the rest of his attire. He had faux horn-rimmed glasses that were quite thick, and thin, silver hair with a large bald patch at the crown topped his head. He gave Max a warm smile and came over to her, shaking her hand.
"Sorry I'm late; the kids took ages to get ready for school." He informed her. He turned to Summer and offered her a hand. "You must be my new client. I'm Dr. Young, but everyone calls me Cliff."
Summer couldn't help but smile at him. She had always thought of therapy as a daunting prospect. She wasn't used to opening up and telling people what she felt. Even before she joined the military, she had grown up around it, and had been a cadet from a young age. Being so close to Scott and Colonel Truman, she had grown up around military personnel, and had a very closed and strict outlook on the way she dealt with her feelings.
She had quite a masculine mindset and tended to bottle everything up and deal with it herself. She had always thought that admitting she needed help was a sign of weakness which she could ill afford. She was already on to a disadvantage in her career choice being a woman with many of her instructors and fellow recruits looking down on her. She had always kept her feelings private; a secret between her and the teddy bears she kept hidden from everyone else's prying eyes. Something about Dr. Young though just let her know that Max was right. He wasn't a stern man in an over-starched shirt with a judgemental gaze like she had always imagined when she thought of psychologists. If anything, he had a slight air of a kindly old grandfather or supermarket Santa Claus.
"I'm Summer." She responded.
"Feel free to step into my office." He said to her, gesturing to the door. She got up and made her way in, finding it a lot different than she was expecting.
She had a very stereotypical idea about what a psychologist's office would look like. A dark, oak-panelled room with deep red drapes and a high backed dark leather chair opposite a large, leather couch, but nothing like this.
His office was large, and decorated in light colours. There was indeed a couch, presumably for the patient to lie on, but it wasn't like she pictured. It was a modern design, bright red, and looked to be very comfortable.
"I know, you're thinking of the pictures of Freud's office in bad library books aren't you?" He asked her.
"I don't really know what I was expecting." She told him. "I guess I'm just nervous."
"Well that's natural, but this is a safe and secure environment." He informed her sincerely, gesturing for her to sit on the couch. "If you don't mind, I like to record my sessions to help me write my notes later."
Summer followed his hand to see that he was pointing at a video camera. She looked at him, a little unsure.
"Anything that happens in here is completely confidential. Any notes I take, any of my recordings, anything at all that happens in here. All of it is confidential." He said comfortingly. "The only thing that will leave this office is whatever you feel comfortable to tell people. You're safe here."
"Thanks." She replied, taking a seat. "So what are we going to do?"
"Well today we aren't going to anything too stressful. I just want to get a little background." He told her. "Why don't you just tell me a little about what's been happening?"
Summer settled into the cushions and thought long and hard about that. She had been running from what had happened for so long, she didn't know if she could face it. She had no idea where to begin.
"Take as long as you need." He instructed her. "Just begin when you feel comfortable."
Back at The Garage, Dillon and Ziggy were quietly playing cards to pass the time as they awaited word on their friends. Scott had called to let them know the latest about Sam and Flynn, so they were understandably upset already. They were just waiting now to hear when Flynn would be released.
"Call it." Ziggy told him, throwing a couple of credits onto the table. Dillon put down his cards.
"Ace high." He announced in an exasperated sigh. He really wasn't paying attention, or even caring much about the game. A fact that was evident from the amount of money Ziggy had already won from him. He pulled the stalk of his lollipop out of his mouth and flicked it into a trash can across the room before pulling out another and popping it into his mouth.
"Full house!" Ziggy announced happily, throwing down his cards and pulling the cash in towards himself. "You know if you keep this up, I'm going to own your car, your clothes, even that little watch of..."
"You will never get that watch Ziggy." Dillon interrupted him sharply. He crossed his feet on the table and continued sucking on the lollipop. "Anyway, you've won enough of my money. I'm getting a little bored now."
"Dude, I've got to ask, what's with all the lollipops?" Ziggy asked him. "I mean you must go through about a dozen of those a day."
"15 to be exact." He replied. "I learned a while ago that my bionics take a lot of energy. I can either eat a lot of sugar, or I can eat like 6000 calories a day. This way is easier."
"So why lollipops?" Ziggy asked him. "Why not pixie stix or sherbet or..."
"I don't know." Dillon replied with a shrug. "I just found a load of them in my car when I woke up three years ago. I guess I've just developed a taste for them."
Ziggy smiled, but felt a little badly about asking now. Although his tone was light, Dillon furrowed his brows a little any time he was reminded about a part of his life he had no memory of. He had since explained that he couldn't remember anything beyond three years previously. He explained that he had woken up in his car along with a few tools and no memory of who he was or where he'd been. He didn't even know his real name. He had taken the name "Dillon" from the brand name printed on the side of a power drill he had found in the trunk. As much as he always maintained an air of quiet confidence and indifference, Ziggy had surmised that it still deeply troubled him how little of his life he really knew. In a lot of ways he could understand. As much as there was a lot in his own life he would sooner forget, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to remember none of it.
"Is there any word on Flynn or Sam yet?" Dr. K asked them as she arrived from her lab. Despite no longer communicating with the Rangers through the computers from her secure lab on the third floor of the Ranger Headquarters, she still restricted how much contact she had with them. She would come down to explain their technology or run through mission briefings, but if she was lost in her research, as she regularly was, she would disappear into her lab.
"Flynn's just waiting on the all-clear and having his release forms signed." Ziggy answered her. "Sam's still in a coma on life support."
"Summer's not back from her therapy session yet." Dillon said a little coldly. "But I'll let her know you were so concerned, I'm sure she'll be flattered."
Ziggy just let out a low whistle and backed away discretely. He didn't even want to touch that one. Dillon and Dr. K had never really gotten along, not even after she had dropped the whole "Wizard of Oz" thing of speaking through the computers.
Just like Scott, Dillon rubbed her up the wrong way largely because he had a habit of doing things his own way and could be more than a little defiant when he didn't want to do something. In her case though, it seemed to be a lot deeper than a mere irritation at being disobeyed. It was like he deeply insulted her, or threw out of balance her existence whenever he didn't immediately fall in behind her. She seemed more than irritated, she seemed angry, almost enraged whenever anything didn't go according to her orders. Even Scott tended to follow her without much question.
Dr. K glared at him with her usual icy, emotionless stare.
"Summer's life wasn't in danger." She told him matter-of-factly. "I wish her well in her treatment, but she is able to function. She is..."
"Her life might not be in danger, but she's far from alright!" He roared, standing up so quickly his chair went flying. "She needs to take medication every night just so she can sleep without being tortured by the man who tried to rape her, had her sent to prison and blew his brains out all over her! She's seeing a therapist so that she doesn't suffer a complete breakdown!"
"All I was saying is that she is safe." Dr. K said, batting her eyes a few times. She was clearly a little taken aback by his outburst, but she still didn't seem to be overcome with any kind of empathy. "My concern..."
"Save it Doc!" He snapped turning on his heel and storming over to his car, and firing up the engines and speeding from the garage. Ziggy came out of the corner and approached Dr. K.
"I was only going to say that my concern for Flynn and Sam doesn't mean I don't want Summer to get better." She told him, gesturing after the Black Ranger.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Ziggy replied as he pulled on his jacket, making his way over to Flynn's hummer. "You know how much he cares about Summer. I'm sure he knows you care about her, he's just a little touchy right now."
"Where are you going?" She asked him as he opened the door to Flynn's hummer.
"I promised Ms. Foster that I'd stop by the orphanage for a little while today." He informed her. "Dillon said he'd drive me, but...well..."
"What if Venjix attacks?" She asked him.
"We all have our communicators." He reminded her. "We'll be there if we're needed."
"What about Summer?" She asked him. "Do you really think she'll have her communicator on?"
Ziggy let out a little sigh. He knew that Dr. K didn't mean to be insensitive; she just seemed to have a little trouble understanding others. She was far from a social creature.
"If Dillon comes back, can I recommend something?" Ziggy asked her.
"Of course." She replied.
"Just...don't talk." He advised her. After that, he started up the vehicle and pulled out of the garage. Dr. K just stared blankly after him uncertain as to what he meant. He knew what she said had upset Dillon because it sounded like she wasn't concerned about her condition. She just still didn't understand why it upset him that she reminded him her life wasn't in danger. Surely the most immediate danger to the team was Flynn's condition; it would weaken the team if he was rendered unable to fight.
Back at Venjix's headquarters, Tanaya's treatment was completed, and the restraints holding her into the chair sprung open, allowing her to rise. Her mechanical components had all been repaired. The injuries to her biological components were all but completely healed. Venjix regularly injected her with a serum that helped flesh, tissue, muscle; even bone knit and heal many times quicker.
The deepest cuts from her battle with Flynn, the ones on the arm she had broken, were little more than faint white scars, and she knew that even they would fade soon. The wound in her stomach that Sam had inflicted and later cauterised with a blowtorch had completely vanished. Completing her inspection, she changed her bodysuit, replacing it with a fresh one and putting the other one into a chamber for repair, before heading for the main chamber. The only reason Venjix would release her was if he had an assignment for her.
"Tanaya 7, I have intercepted some security footage that is of interest to me." He informed her as she arrived and stood in position. "One of the Rangers has shown a connection that may be exploited."
"What connection?" She asked him. Venjix generated an image of the footage for her to see.
"The Green Ranger." She commented as she saw Ziggy disembarking from Flynn's hummer and fetching a crate out of the back seat.
"He is at an orphanage in the Eastern Quadrant, he is alone." Venjix told her. "Go after him, and this time, do not come back until the task is complete. Destroy anyone and anything that gets in your way."
"I'll be there within half an hour." She responded, dropping her face shield. "The Green Ranger will be destroyed within the hour."
"You said that about the Blue Ranger." Venjix reminded her. "You are clear on your instructions?"
"If anyone gets in my way, I destroy them too." She replied.
Meanwhile at the orphanage, Ziggy held a crate with one hand while he rang the doorbell. After a while, the door opened and a grey-haired woman opened the door. Her face split into a huge, bright smile.
"You're late Ziggy." Ms. Foster told him, waving him in. "You said you'd be twenty minutes ago."
"Sorry, the guy who was giving me a ride let me down." He told her. "I had to borrow a friend's car. I don't drive as fast as Dillon."
"Well after taking five attempts to pass your driving test I'm not surprised you aren't confident driving." She chuckled. "Come on in, I'm sure the kids would love to see you."
Ziggy made his way through to the main play area, looking around with a warm smile. It had been quite a while since he had last actually gone to the orphanage, but he was glad to see that things had changed for the better. Many necessary repairs had been made, the entire house had been redecorated, and there seemed to be many new toys and resources for the kids.
When he had stolen the shipment of medical supplies for the kids, he had a considerable surplus left over once they were cured of Gamma Sickness. What the orphanage didn't need to heal the children, he managed to sell under the counter to a local hospital and forwarded the money to Ms. Foster. Obviously she had used those funds well.
"I see you've made some improvements." He commented, putting the crate down on the floor. He opened it, revealing numerous toys he had bought with the money he had won from Dillon. "It makes my gift seem a little redundant."
"You've given this place more than enough Ziggy." She told him.
"Well you've given me a lot too Ms. Foster." He replied.
"Please, call me Helen." She said with a warm laugh. "It's been a long time since you were one of the kids under my care."
"I guess old habits just die hard." He told her. "You never gave up on me, never even when I was with the Scorpion Cartel."
"You were just looking for a family." She stated, putting her arm around her. "You were just looking in the wrong place. I always knew you'd figure that out eventually. You always did have a good heart. I knew that even before you brought us the medical supplies."
"Thanks Helen." He responded. "It means a lot to me that you still care."
"I always did." She assured him. At that point, a few of the kids ran screaming into the building. One of the girls ran up to the Matron, hugging her legs for comfort, tears running down her face.
"Kelly what's wrong?" Helen asked her, disentangling the terrified youngster from her.
"There's a bad lady outside." She sobbed. "She has Charlie and Wendy. She said she'll hurt them if Ziggy doesn't go outside."
Ziggy's face went pale as he realised what was happening. Looking outside, he confirmed his suspicion as he saw Tanaya 7 standing outside, holding a young boy in her left hand, a little girl in her right, suspending them above the floor.
"Come out and face me Green Ranger." She yelled. "Otherwise the tiny humans will die."
"Keep the kids in here." He warned the Matron. "I'm going out there, lock the door as soon as I get outside and don't open the door for anything!"
"Ziggy you can't go out there!" Helen screamed.
"I have to Helen." He told her. "If I don't she'll kill them, and then she'll come in here after me. She won't care if she has to go through all the kids to get to me. This is the only way."
She hugged him warmly, a few tears beginning to form in her eyes. She had been the closest thing Ziggy had to a mother for most of his life. Like all the kids in her care, he was like a son to her.
"I'm so proud of you." She whispered. "Please be careful."
Ziggy nodded and left the building, ensuring Helen locked the door behind him. He came into the yard, standing before her.
"You got what you wanted. I'm here, now let them go."
Tanaya dropped the boy, who ran and hid behind a climbing frame a little way off. Tanaya pulled the frightened, sobbing girl in front of her and lifted her face-shield, staring at her in wonder.
"These tiny humans are curious creatures." She commented, her confusion obvious. "Are many humans this size?"
"They're kids Tanaya." He responded cautiously. "Humans aren't like machines. They aren't created at full size; they are born as children and grow into adults."
"So this little one will be an adult someday?" Tanaya asked him.
"She's scared Tanaya, put her down." He instructed her. "Please, I'm out here, you got what you wanted. These kids are no threat to you, just let her go."
Tanaya shrugged and set the little girl down on the ground, at which she ran screaming as fast as her little legs would carry her to the climbing frame to hide with the boy. Tanaya lowered her face shield.
"The Blue Ranger's down." She taunted him. "Now it's your turn."
"RPM Get in Gear!" Ziggy screamed as he prepared for battle.