The Reefside Hospital emergency room was unusually quiet in spite of the dangerous and unexpected storm that had rolled in this morning. The time of day and the repeated warnings had successfully kept people in their homes and off the roads. There were still a few people who had ventured out and ended up in the Emergency Room, but they were not backed up the way Dana had expected they would be on a day like this. Working in the ER was funny that way; you never knew what was going to happen.
Dana had been working the 11pm -7am shift since Sunday night. Traditionally, the enemies attacking the Rangers chose to fight during the day. It was only very rarely that the Rangers had to fight a nighttime battle, but the Lightspeed staff had come to train for any situation, and that included training overnight personnel. Dana didn't mind working the graveyard shift – it was generally quiet and gave her the opportunity to double check paperwork and procedures. Lightspeed Rescue had prepared a mountain of data that they hoped would be useful for the Reefside emergency teams; but it'd be no help at all if it weren't clear and easy to read.
Dana had been preparing to call it a night, but then out of nowhere Jason had contacted Carter. Carter hadn't had time to explain what was said, but Dana could tell by the look on this face that something important had passed between the former Red Rangers. Carter had rushed out with two crews made up of entirely Lightspeed personnel; that was unusual as well. Carter liked to include the trainees as much as possible, but his choice of teams made it clear to Dana that an actual Ranger emergency was underway and they needed the most experienced and discreet people to work with.
When Carter did call in from the rig he'd asked the dispatcher to make sure Dana was the doctor available for the intake – that was a sure sign that the incoming patient had a Ranger related injury. But when the dispatcher passed on the message that the victim was "red as an apple" Dana knew it was the Red Ranger himself who had been injured. She gathered the Lightspeed doctors and nurses who were available as well as the Reefside staff they had been training.
Because of the innate healing capabilities of being a Ranger, it was very rare that a Ranger would be brought to the hospital. Generally the Ranger suits offered enough protection to withstand almost anything dished out in battle. Ironically, it was usually when Rangers were off-duty that they sustained injuries that required hospitalization. And that was often because parents or other outsiders became involved – unable to explain that they'd heal on their own and unable to give no rational explanation for why a trip to the ER was unnecessary, the Rangers had to suffer through a trip to the hospital. Dana could recall the one time a very abashed looking Kelsey had ended up in the ER as a result of a rock climbing fall. Kelsey's mother just wouldn't go for the "I'm a Ranger, Mom. I'll be okay!" argument. Remembering the look on Kelsey's face still brought a smile to her face.
Dana looked at the clock and tapped her foot impatiently. Carter had called in two minutes before so they should be getting close if they storm didn't get in their way. She turned to address the handful of nurses and doctors around her. "Carter should be rolling in at any minute. He mentioned to the dispatcher that the "banana" and "blueberry" are in transit as well as the "apple". Dana smiled at the grins elicited by her ridiculous sounding statement. The code they'd developed was inelegant, but it got the message across about who was being brought in without sharing unnecessary information over the open airways. "At this point, none of us knows what to expect. This is a very unusual situation, and anything can happen."
At that moment the nurse monitoring the radio called out, "They're pulling up right now!"
With a nod to the assembled group, Dana said, "Let's get to work!"
Dana rushed out the automatic doors to the ambulance bay. The overhanging roof kept the rain from falling directly on them, but offered no protection from the water laden wind. Carter hovered protectively over the young man on the stretcher as Jason and the other EMT wrestled the stretcher out of the ambulance and onto the pavement. Dana grabbed the foot of the stretcher and began pulling even as Carter began to talk.
"Seventeen year old male. No apparent injuries – no bleeding, nothing broken. No apparent head trauma, but he presents as non-responsive."
Dana steered the stretcher to a private room. Carter continued to give the rundown of Conner's condition and the entourage followed. "Blood pressure is low, and falling. Pulse and breathing are rapid."
Dana nodded as Carter was talking. She was making her own assessments as the stretched was parked and stabilized. The boy looked athletic and might have normally had a healthy tan – now his skin was pale and waxy looking. The pulse in his neck was weak and feathery. His skin was clammy and his lips had taken on a slightly blue hue. Clearly the boy was going into shock. "What's his name?" Dana asked as she took out her penlight and alternately flashed the light in each eye – no response.
"Conner." replied Jason.
"Conner… Conner, can you hear me? My name is Dr. Mitchell. We're all here to help you." Like a well oiled machine the nurses and doctors attending the intake sprang into action. Machines were brought in and hooked up to monitor pulse and heart rate; an oxygen mask was placed over Conner's nose and mouth; clothing was cut away and heated blankets brought in.
Dana started issuing orders. "We've got to stabilize his blood pressure. Get me 2 units of saline and start an I.V. I want a CAT scan and MRI of his head ASAP. I want neurology called and Dr. Riley brought in immediately. I want a tox screen to rule out any outside agents. Has anyone been able to contact his parents?" Everyone worked efficiently and soon Conner was stabilized to Dana's satisfaction. Only then did she turn her attention to the others in the room.
Jason had managed to simultaneously stay out of everyone's way while maintaining some sort of contact with Conner. Once most of the peripheral people had left the room, Jason had settled on Conner's right side gently holding the boy's hand in his own. The other two Rangers were standing silent and wide-eyed pressed up against the far wall. Dana didn't know how they managed to stay in the room all this time; it was possible that since they were the "banana" and "blueberry" the Reefside staff assumed they should be allowed to stay. There was nothing Dana could do about that at this point; at least they might have some helpful information.
Dana approached the two Rangers. She was glad to see that someone had tossed some blankets around them as well – or, more accurately, around the boy. The girl had lodged herself so far under the boy's arm that there was no way to get a blanket around her shoulders. It didn't matter because the boy simply held the blanket around both of them. It was a good thing because the girl was looking shocky herself.
"Rangers?" Dana half-asked, half-stated.
Carter stepped closer to the small group to make the introductions. "This is Ethan. And this is Kira." He placed a hand on Dana's shoulder. "And this is my wife, Dr. Mitchell."
Dana smiled at Carter before turning back to the Rangers. "Otherwise known as Dana; Lightspeed Rescue, Pink Ranger."
Ethan had brightened at being introduced to yet another Ranger, but Kira didn't act as though she'd heard any of it. She stared fixedly at Jason and Conner. "How's Conner?" Ethan asked. Kira's gaze flicked momentarily to Dana, and then drifted back to Conner.
"He's stable for the moment. I won't lie to you – there's a lot we don't know yet about his condition. What can you tell me about what happened?"
Ethan grimaced and shook his head. "Very little. I was on the far side of the fountain. Between my fight and the storm, I couldn't see what was happening with Conner and Hunter. I don't think Conner's drone was any worse than the ones that Kira and I were fighting. But Cam said something about someone new being dropped in on the fight. By the time I got to Kira and Blake, Hunter had freaked out. The storm was out of control. There was lightning everywhere. Maybe Conner got struck by lighting?" Dana could tell that Ethan was deeply unsettled by Conner's incapacitation and was grasping at straws to explain his state.
"It's unlikely his injuries are the result of a lightning strike. You Rangers can withstand much more than that when morphed. Did anyone else see what happened? Kira?" Dana's voice was gentle as she addressed Kira.
Kira shook her head minutely. Her voice barely reached above a whisper when she responded, "Didn't see. Blake." Two fat tears rolled down Kira's cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut and crushed her face into Ethan's chest.
Ethan held Kira a little tighter. "Do we know…?" he asked Carter imploringly.
Carter shook his head "no". "We haven't heard from the guys in the other rig yet. I'll let you know as soon as we know anything."
Ethan nodded. "Cam knows more than I do about Conner. He saw what happened. He went to get Hunter. He can help you more." Ethan looked miserable and dejected.
Dana placed a reassuring hand on Ethan's arm. "You've done a good job, Ethan. And you're taking good care of Kira." Dana knew better than attempting to make the Rangers leave, so she settled for having them sit and taking any further discussion out of the room. "Why don't you sit with Kira over here?" She gently maneuvered them toward an empty stretcher. Carter adjusted the height so they could sit without having to jump up onto it. The Rangers sat down simultaneously, and both of their gazes drifted back toward Conner.
With a look, Dana indicated that she wanted to speak outside of the room. By some unspoken agreement, Carter and Jason switched places. But the look on Carter's face clearly read that he wanted to be filled in later. It actually made Dana a little more comfortable leaving Ethan and Kira in the room with Carter instead of leaving them alone with Conner.
In the hallway, Dana securely closed the door to the room and turned to face Jason. "What are you not telling me?"
"When I arrived on the scene Conner was in so much pain he'd drawn his arms around his head and his knees up to his chest. Carter and I had to wrestle him out of the hold he had on himself to get him onto the stretcher. Carter administered a mild sedative in the ambulance, but nothing that would have sent him into the state he's in now." Dana listened intently as Jason continued to talk. "Conner seems to be drawing away mentally, and he's pulling back fast. It seems to help him when Carter or I are in contact with him. I haven't worked out exactly why yet."
"Whatever is going on with him is clearly Ranger related. As far as I can tell there is no physical injury beyond the serious bruising of an intense fight. I know you called in a neurologist, but I'm afraid we're dealing with something even beyond that. It almost looks like he might be under some sort of spell or a mental attack. Can these Tyranodrones do spells like Rita and Zedd oruse mental attacks like Queen Bansheera?" Jason's expression was filled with deep concern.
Dana shook her head. "I have no idea. These monsters have only been in Reefside for a few weeks, there's not a lot of data yet on what they can do"
Before they could continue, an intern approached the pair. "Excuse me, Dr. Mitchell." The young woman stated hesitantly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you said to let you know if anything unusual…" she looked over her shoulder. "There's a group of people here, some look badly hurt. And they're all, um…" The intern made a face like she didn't want to be laughed at for saying something stupid, but then she jumped in and said it anyway. "They're all wearing different colors." She said with emphasis on the colors while giving as significant look.
Jason and Dana exchanged a look of their own. "Where are they?" Dana demanded.
The intern looked relieved and pointed. "Exam room 3." The intern scurried away as Dana took off with Jason on her heels. The announcement of the new arrivals made no sense to Dana. In Reefside there were four active Rangers, and three were currently with Carter in the room they'd just left. Dana wouldn't have been surprised if a man wearing mostly black had burst into the ER looking for them, but an entirely new group of Rangers on the scene was not what she was expecting. On the other hand, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that another Ranger team had come in to help; but if that was true, and one of them was also badly injured, it would indicate that the enemy they faced was even greater than they feared.
Exam 3 was a larger room located off the main hallway of the emergency room. It was sectioned off from the corridor with a curtain; it wasn't a private room like the one where they'd placed Conner. If this really was another group of Rangers, Dana would have to do something to ensure a little more privacy. Loud voices raised in argument greeted them before she or Jason could see anything. From what Dana could make out, the hospital staff was trying to clear some of the extra people out of the room, but they were loudly refusing to leave.
Dana recognized the exasperated voice of Dr. Brody; he had very little tolerance for circumstances that fell outside of the norm. She didn't know why he insisted on working in the ER when he had so little flexibility, but she couldn't deny that he was an excellent physician. Dana pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the room. "Can I be of assistance Dr. Brody?"
Brody grimace and waved absently at the assembled adults. In spite of the fact that Lightspeed had been brought in to train for unusual circumstances, Dr. Brody rarely took advantage of Dana's expertise. He usually treated her as some sort of underling – it raised Carter's hackles, but Dana simply ignored him. "Get rid of these people. I have work to do."
Dana took a quick look around the room. On the stretcher in the center of the room lay a man who had been severely burned. Glued to his burn-free side was a man in a red shirt and a woman in yellow. Hanging back slightly to the side was another trio – two men and a woman. Dana did not recognize the woman, but she knew both of the men. Her startled "Billy?" was echoed by Jason's "Tommy!" The former Red Ranger pushed past her to join the group near the wall. With confirmation that this was a Ranger situation, Dana had no problem taking it out of Dr. Brody's hands.
Briskly Dana approached the dithering doctor. "Dr. Brody," she stated firmly, "I'll take over from here. Could you please send Lonnie and Wendy in immediately?"
"Who do you think…?" Dr Brody began to splutter.
"I think that in any Ranger related emergency I am the senior physician. You may choose to believe in Rangers or not, but I am now giving the orders. Is that clear? I need those nurses now." The usually relaxed and calm Dr. Mitchell's eyes flashed with dangerous intensity. Dr. Brody wisely chose to stop arguing and left to find the nurses Dana had requested.
Leaving Tommy supported by Jason and Kim, Billy stepped over toward Dana and the stretcher where Adam had been placed. Rocky was watching Dana with some suspicion after the encounter with the unpleasant Dr. Brody. Billy alleviated the tension by quickly making introductions around the room. "Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Kim, "he stated as he pointed around the room, "Ninjetti Rangers this is Dr. Dana Mitchell, Lightspeed Rescue, Pink Ranger."
Rocky visibly relaxed as Dana approached the stretcher. "What happened?" she asked. As she moved toward Adam's unburned side, Rocky reluctantly stepped out of her way, but kept one arm tightly wound around Aisha's waist.
"Explosion." Rocky answered succinctly. "And…" He looked at Billy, but there was no simple way to explain how Adam had been stuck in transit in the aftermath. "Explosion" he repeated again.
Unlike Conner, it was clear that Adam's injuries were physical and needed to be dealt with immediately. The nurses Dana had requested had come in while they were talking and were busily attending to Adam. Dana was most concerned about stabilizing his blood pressure and preventing organ failure due to shock. The Rangers were very lucky that Reefside Hospital had one of the leading burn units in the state. With efficiency that left the other Ranger's breathless, Adam was swiftly assessed, stabilized and moved to the intensive care burn unit on the hospital's third floor. His absense left Rocky and Aisha looking lost and bereft.
Dana, well aware that burn treatment was not her area of expertise, left Adam in the capable hands of those better trained to deal with his injuries, and turned her attention to the remaining Rangers. Of those left in the room, Tommy seemed the one most in need of medical attention. By the time Dana had turned her attention to him, he was being fully supported by Jason and Kim. It hadn't seemed to occur to anyone to find him a place to sit down.
Dana suppressed an eye roll as she approached Tommy and pushed him onto the stretcher that was directly behind him. He seemed somewhat confused and shaken. He didn't put up nearly the amount of fuss that Dana was expecting when she started to examine him, and she thought that was a very bad sign. She had worked with enough former Rangers to know that they usually shrugged off injures with an "I'm okay and everything's fine" attitude. Tommy was exhibiting no false bravado; in fact, he looked nearly as lost as Rocky and Aisha. Dana's concern was growing.
"What happened?" she asked the room at large.
Billy stepped in to answer. "No one's really sure. By the time we arrived in Mesogog's lab, Tommy was already in bad shape. He could barely stand and seemed to have a very difficult time getting focused. When he called on the spirit of the Falcon, it helped him for a bit, but by the time the battle was over, he was done. He passed out right after we transported."
"Whatever it was that happened, it caused a lot of pain." Jason paused and then amended, "A lot of mental pain." Dana turned to Jason, surprised. She didn't really see him as part of this grouping. Her expression was full of inquiry, but the only response Jason made was a shoulder shrug. "I could feel it."
Dana turned back to Tommy. Some things were starting to fall together. "Tommy? Can you tell me what happened to you? How were you injured?"
It took Tommy a moment to focus on Dana's face. Then a shudder wracked his body as he recalled the torture he'd endured at Mesogog's hands. Kim gasped in response involuntarily, and Jason stepped closer to lay a reassuring hand on Tommy's back. He murmured encouragingly "You're okay, Tom. It's all over."
Tommy shook his head in the negative. "Not over." Tommy seemed to regain some energy and focus. "We've got to track down the Rangers. Conner's hurt bad."
Jason and Dana exchanged a glance – Tommy missed it, but Kim did not. Suddenly, Tommy's wardrobe caught Dana's eye. He was not dressed in shades of red like Rocky; instead he was dressed in black. In a flash, it all made sense. "You're the Black Ranger!" she exclaimed.
Tommy grinned with a ghost of a real smile; "So much for my "Christmas tree Ranger" title." he said, referring to the nickname given by his teammates referencing his former color combinations.
Kim jumped in, not wanting to let the glance between Jason and Dana get away. "Do you know where the other Rangers are? Is Conner here in the hospital?"
Tommy suddenly looked much more alert. Dana knew that as soon as he got an answer, he'd want to run down the hall and see Conner for himself. So she planted herself in front of Tommy and placed her hands firmly on his legs. It took Tommy a moment to realize he was trapped. "Yes, Conner is here. Carter is with him."
Rocky, Aisha and Billy drew closer to hear what Dana had to say. "His condition is very serious, and we're not sure exactly how to treat it." Tommy's face was etched with guilt and urgency. Dana continued, "It sounds to me like you may have sustained similar injuries, I'm going to need your help, Tommy, to help Conner get better."
Tommy was now actively trying to get off the stretcher, but Dana, Kim and Jason kept him in place. "Tommy, listen to me." Dana demanded. She knew it was mean, and it would mess with his head, but she had to play the cards she had, and guilt was the biggest one. "I'm going to let you go down into the ER to see Conner, and then I'm going to treat your injuries. If that means I have to poke and prod you, I'll do it. If that means you have to sleep for 3 days, you'll do it. You're going to tell me everything you can remember about how you were injured and how you reacted. If I can find out what makes you get better, it will help us help Conner get better. You're not in a position to play the hero and ignore how you're feeling. In the end, it'll be Conner who pays if you do."
By the time Dana had finished her impassioned speech Tommy was no longer struggling against any of them. The look of horror on his face was painful to see, but Dana needed to make it clear that she meant business. She'd do whatever she needed to do to ensure that all the rangers got well – including the self-sacrificing, pig-headed, red or black wearing leaders. With a satisfied nod Dana stepped back, giving Tommy a clear path to the door.
"Jason, can you take them down to see the others? I'm going to get a room ready with more privacy and see if anyone was able to contact Conner's parents yet." Jason nodded in assent and led the others quickly down the hallway.
Before Dana got two steps closer to the reception desk, the intern who had interrupted her earlier approached her again. This time she looked much more confident. "Mike and Duncan are coming in with the other rig. They say there's a possibly spinal injury with a possible blueberry, possible shock with a possible apple and a ride-along kiwi." The intern smiled.
Dana jogged in the direction of the ambulance bay. Mike and Duncan were the other EMTs Carter had sent out. Dana hoped that this was the last batch of Rangers to come in; if there were any more, she didn't think she'd be able to keep them all straight. Mike and Duncan were already in the hallway by the time Dana met them. She immediately steered them down the hall where the other Rangers had gathered. There was a small private room next to the one where Conner was stationed; this way they'd all be closer together and better able to share information.
The young man on the stretcher was covered with blood. But in spite of his apparent loss of blood, the color in his face was good and he seemed to be breathing easily. The tall blond man following the stretcher looked dazed yet intent. The "kiwi" seemed to be the best option to talk to for information.
"Dr. Mitchell. Lightspeed Rescue, Pink Ranger."
The "kiwi" blinked. "Cam Watanabe. Ninja Storm, Green Samurai Ranger." Dana's instincts were right. This was definitely the man to talk to – Ethan indicated that he might know what had happened to Conner. Cam pointed at the stretcher, "Blake Bradley, Navy Thunder Ranger." then at the tall man, "Hunter Bradley, Crimson Thunder Ranger."
As Blake was being settled by the ever swarming nurses and orderlies, Dana listened to Mike's rundown of the injuries. She was surprised to hear that Cam had healed some of the injuries, but this was not the time to investigate that; instead she needed to focus on the remaining injuries. "Okay, I need Neurology contacted. We need someone specializing in spinal cord injuries. Order a CAT scan and MRI of the spine and lower back. Get him started on an antibiotic IV, and keep and eye on his blood pressure." Dana's orders were followed quickly and professionally.
Dana turned her attention to the other two. She made a leap of logic and guessed that Hunter would want to stay in proximity to Blake – that seemed to be happening a lot today. "All of the other Rangers are next door with the Dino Thunder team. I suggest we join them and consolidate our information. I'm assuming you'll want to stay here?" she asked Hunter.
Hunter simply nodded and pulled a chair up beside Blake. "They'll have to take him out for some tests soon. When they do, just come next door. They'll bring him back here when they're done." Hunter barely nodded in response to Dana.
"I'll make sure he lets them take Blake out for the tests." Cam said to Dana in an undertone after he draped a blanket around Hunter's shoulders..
"Good enough." she replied as she led Cam to the door. It was time to sit everyone down and figure out just what had happened. No one group seemed to have a clear picture, but Dana was determined to work it all out.
TBC
Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to read and respond. I'm actually kind of surprised by the amount of support for the Cam/Hunter pair. (I knew Dany would flip, but I wasn't expecting the overwhelming glee from the readers at large.) Thanks to AngelMouse5, Pink-Green-White-4Ever, Jenna Summers, MzDany, Hybyrd0, Funky in Fishnet, Ben Skywalker, CMR, Manders1985 for your enthusiastic support!
Jenna Summers – Yes, Conner's outside assistance definitely has to do with all the little quirks Kanoi has been noticing. I'm hoping that when I finally get to that point where I'm coming from will really make sense. I think it will!
MzDany – I knew that 47 would be the chapter for you:grins: I'm not a doctor… (I just play one on tv – ha, just kidding.) Somehow this chapter turned into an Ode to E.R. – I could just picture Noah Wylie running down the hall and bumping into Dana. I hope I didn't go overboard with the doctor talk, but I wanted to give a flavor for all the craziness that happens in the emergency room.
Ben Skywalker – Trent…ah, Trent. I started this story way back in the day and set it around the time of "Ocean Alert". No White Ranger then. But, if I do lose my mind and go for a sequel, Trent will definitely factor in.
Manders1985 – the Cam/Hunter hints were very subtle (maybe too much), but now that they're out there things will be interesting!