Take care of your brother. The words echoed over and over in Cam's head. He knew it wasn't a dream or something he'd imagined. He had been given a directive by Blake's mother, taken it to heart. And it grieved him that he had failed.
Cam thought he'd done all he could, out there in the storm. He'd healed Blake the best he could, and turned him over to Dana's capable hands once they'd arrived at the hospital. What more was there for him to do? But after Kanoi's abrupt arrival and departure Cam was left alone with Blake and he began to focus his frantic mind on where he'd gone wrong; it was so obvious, and he berated himself on not realizing it sooner. Blake's physical condition was okay, far better than it should have been; it was his strength of his spirit that had been weakened.
And where did Blake find strength when he was weak – in Hunter. He was just as tied to Hunter here in the hospital as he'd been in the storm; Cam should have realized that. Instead, he had let Blake send Hunter away. He should have stopped Hunter from leaving, he should have intervened – he should have made Hunter stay because Blake needed him just as much as ever. But now it was too late. If Hunter had stayed with Blake, he would have had enough strength to sustain them both, but he had gone to help Conner. And Cam was certain, that though Hunter was physically with Conner, there was a part of him that was still with Blake. Hunter had enormous resources of power – enough to support two of them, but probably not three; at least not for long.
It was tearing Cam up inside. He desperately wanted to go and help Hunter, but he couldn't leave Blake. Even if he did rush to Hunter's side he didn't know what he could do for him - he couldn't support him as a body type and his Samurai power wouldn't easily pass from him to Hunter – but he felt like he had to do something. Even greater than the turmoil in his mind was the ache in his heart. The thought that he might lose Hunter before he ever had a chance to act on his feelings drove Cam to the edge of despair.
Cam was so caught up in his spiraling thoughts that the entrance of the Wind Ninjas caught him by surprise. Movement in the hallway got his attention, and the sight of the three black clad ninjas brought him to his feet. In spite of Cam's worry over Blake and Hunter, he felt a moment of pure joy at the sight of Dustin. A totally genuine smile warmed his face. "Dustin!" Cam cried in greeting.
Dustin smiled in return, and Cam was astonished when the Earth ninja swiftly crossed the room and grabbed him in a swift hug. Cam found himself doing the back-slap thing that Hunter and Shane did all the time; and he was surprised that within Dustin's presence he felt much calmer and more centered than he had just moments ago. Cam stepped back and took a good look at Dustin; he appeared totally normal, but something had definitely changed. Dustin caught Cam's look, and instead of shrugging it off or trying to escape scrutiny by making some goofball comment, he gazed serenely back at Cam. That in itself was different.
Tori and Shane had followed Dustin into the room, but Tori didn't stop when she reached Cam. Striding around the ninja reunion, Tori hovered at the edge of Blake's bed. To Tori, he appeared pale and drawn. The Wind Ninja's entrance hadn't caused him to stir; even when she reached out to caress his face there was no reaction. Tori, throwing inhibitions to the wind, climbed into the bed taking up the position Hunter had vacated just a few hours ago. Lying on her side, Tori curled her body around Blake's. She drew him closer to her so he could rest on her shoulder and she could wrap her arms around him.
An idea seized Cam. "Tori? Will you stay with Blake?"
She nodded her head and closed her eyes as she gave her whole focus to Blake. Cam was relieved and distressed at the same time; it suddenly became clear to him that time was very short. Cam led the way out of the room. Crossing the threshold from the room to the hallway caused Cam a pang of anxiety, but he ruthlessly pushed it aside. He was taking care of Blake, by taking care of Hunter. Cam paused suddenly at a loss. It occurred to him that he had no idea how to find Hunter or anyone else.
"They're down here." Dustin stated softly as he took the lead and headed down the hallway. Shane followed without hesitation leaving Cam to trail in their wake. Cam was surprised to see the number of people gathered in the room. Kim, Jason and his father were gathered around Tommy who was sitting slumped in a chair on the left side of the room. Billy, Haley, Dana and Carter were clumped on the right side of the room, closer to the door than the bed. Evan McKnight had taken up a position on Conner's right side, and Hunter was seated in a chair that was wedged between the wall and the bed on Conner's left.
A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder accompanied their arrival. Everyone in the room looked up with varying degrees of hope on their faces, except Shane. Shane visibly flinched and Dustin laid a calming hand on his arm. Cam didn't understand any of that, but right now, Shane wasn't his concern. Cam was torn between going to his father and checking on Hunter. Heart won out over head, and Cam crossed the room to stand by Hunter's side. Once there he felt foolish. There was really nothing he could do. Cam looked down at Hunter and then scanned the rest of the room. It seemed that everyone was at a loss, yet at the same time they were expectant. Cam could feel it too. The storm continued to roll in.
The drive to Kira's house was surrealistic to say the least. Through one short action, Ethan had changed everything in his worldview. He was feeling okay with it because it had gotten him what he needed – a ride to the hospital, but his parents were not dealing with it as well; actually, just dad was not dealing well. Surprisingly, Mom had taken the morph in stride. She was the one who hustled them into the car and wove them swiftly through the flooded streets to Kira's house. Ethan was shocked by her silence; for the first time probably ever, there was no interrogation, no demands for an explanation. She just sat in the driver's seat with an unreadable, yet not angry expression on her face. Ethan was grateful for her unspoken support because Dad seemed to be falling apart.
He hadn't said anything to Ethan since they'd gotten in the car. Not that he wasn't talking, because he was. He was sort of asking himself questions out loud and then answering them. Ethan had tried to jump in once, but a look from Mom in the rearview mirror and a tiny shake of her head changed his mind. He didn't like sitting in the backseat and listening to his father lose it, but Mom didn't seem overly concerned, so Ethan allowed himself to focus on Kira and what they would have to do next.
As soon as his mother pulled into the Ford's driveway, Ethan jumped out of the car. He had unmorphed at home, so was wearing his street clothes as he made the dash up to the Ford's front door. The storm was building in intensity, so the short jog from the car to the door left him soaked. Ethan didn't mind, in fact he welcomed it; all the rain was an indication that Eric was getting closer and that meant they were closer to helping Conner. Ethan rang the bell impatiently. He started talking as soon as Angie Ford opened the door.
"Mrs. Ford! I need to get Kira. We have to go back to the hospital…it's urgent."
Angie pulled Ethan in out of the rain as he was talking and gave a slight wave to his parents who were still seated in the car. "What is this now, Ethan? Is everything alright? Has something happened to Conner? Our phones are still out – I haven't heard anything."
"It is about Conner." Ethan hedged. He really didn't want to lie to Mrs. Ford, and he didn't think it was his place to share Kira's ranger identity with her. Taking a big leap of faith, but feeling confident he was reading Kira's mother correctly he continued, "We have to get back to the hospital. I think Kira can help."
Angie Ford peered at Ethan with unusual intensity. He got the feeling that she was seeing things no one else could see, but he didn't shrink from her gaze. Satisfied with whatever it was she recognized in Ethan, Angie turned her face toward the ceiling. "I think she can help too." She turned back to Ethan. "Why don't you run up there and get her?"
Ethan blinked in astonishment. Was that it? Angie looked at him expectantly. Ethan snapped out of his daze and made a dash for the stairs. "Second door on the left." carried up to him from Kira's mother as he jogged up the stairs. Ethan identified the door he was looking for and crashed through before his mind could catch up with his actions. It wasn't until he was a few steps into the room that it occurred to him that he had just barged into Kira's bedroom. He froze for an instant and looked around. He didn't know what he'd been expecting to see, but there didn't seem to be any secret girly paraphernalia out in the open that he shouldn't be seeing, so he kept moving.
It didn't appear to Ethan that Kira was sleeping, unless she was a fan of sleeping sitting up. She was propped up against a mountain of pillows and surrounded by a fluffy yellow comforter, but unless she could sing in her sleep he didn't think she was sleeping. But, she hadn't reacted to his entrance either – what was up with that? Ethan wasn't sure how to approach Kira; should he shake her? Pull the blankets away? What if she was doing some meditative thing and he messed up her karma?
"Kira?" Ethan called out as he sat at the foot of her bed and gave her leg a little shake.
"Ethan." she replied as she opened her eyes, not at all surprised to see him there. "You figured it out, didn't you?" It was really more of a statement than a question. Ethan was stunned to realize he could feel how strong Kira's faith was in him; that was new. She graced him with a glowing smile and Ethan realized that Kira was radiant with renewed energy and confidence, but Ethan didn't think it all came from his arrival. She'd been getting herself together since they'd left the hospital. It occurred to Ethan that it was his dad's insistence that they leave the hospital that made this radiant Kira possible.
"I did have some help." Ethan answered. "But I think we can do this. Are you ready to go?"
Kira nodded affirmatively, "I just need a minute." Ethan averted his eyes as Kira threw off the blankets she'd been nestled beneath – again, he wasn't sure what he'd see, but he figured better safe than sorry. Kira chuckled as she breezed past Ethan to gather up some socks and shoes. "It's just pajamas, Ethan." Swiftly she pulled on her socks and sneakers, and then she grabbed a sweatshirt to throw over her pajamas. "Let's go." she announced when she was ready.
Together Kira and Ethan jogged down the stairs. Ethan was surprised that Mrs. Ford was waiting for them at the bottom. She handed Kira a jacket and Ethan an umbrella. "Take care of each other." she whispered gently as she pulled Kira into a hug. Ethan was surprised again when he got a hug as well. Together they ran out into the rain toward the car. Piling into the back seat Kira greeted Ethan's parents. "Mr. and Mrs. James, thanks for the ride."
"No problem, honey." replied Mrs. James. Mr. James just sat with his head in his hand and continued to talk to himself. Kira thought she heard him say something like, "she's just a little bit of a thing…" Frowning in confusion, Kira turned to Ethan.
He could read her expression, and she'd find out soon enough that his parents knew their secret because they had to talk on the way to the hospital so he jumped right in. "I told them who we are, Kira." Kira stared in disbelief; even in her shock, Ethan could see her trying to come up with some crazy explanation to give to his parents. Ethan got an unexpected assist from his mother.
"He showed us actually." Kira turned unbelieving toward Mrs. James. "It was quite a light show in our living room."
"Ethan!" Kira admonished staring at the Blue Ranger in shock, but there was nothing else to say.
"Honestly honey, there was no other way we'd let him out of the house," Mrs. James continued,"…and Conner needs you. Don't be mad at Ethan."
Kira could hear the sincerity of her words, and feel the depth of her husband's confusion and denial. In an instant, Kira was able to let go of all of her shock, and focus on the matter at hand. She turned to face Ethan. "So what do you know? What do we do?"
Ethan took a deep breath. "I think…I know …Conner is trapped. We've all been trying to break our way through to him in our own ways, but that's not the help that Conner needs. He definitely needs our strength, but we can't give it to him unless he lets us in."
"How do we make him let us in? We've been trying all day!" Kira responded with concern.
"We don't. We can't reach him. But Eric can." Ethan paused letting Kira process what he was saying. He knew given the pieces she'd make the connection. Her understanding was obvious when the light dawned on her face.
"Eric? Conner's twin?" she encouraged excitedly.
Ethan answered with equal excitement. "He's on his way…" Ethan couldn't prevent the gleeful squeak in his voice as he announced, "Ninja streak!"
Kira's jaw dropped. "No way! You mean…" Kira made some swift leaps of logic as she spoke aloud. "the whole…with Hunter…Eric's a Thunder Ninja!"
"And he's bringing a storm!" A streak of lightning split the sky as if reinforcing Ethan's statement. Kira jumped at the crash of thunder that accompanied it, but her face was lit with joy. "If Eric can get through to Conner…" she began.
"We can help him like Tori and Shane helped Dustin..." Ethan continued.
"And the storm can help Hunter and Blake!" Kira finished excitedly. "Ethan! That's wonderful!" She threw herself across the space in the back seat to grab him up in a hug. He happily squeezed her back.
"Where should I drop you kids off?" asked Mrs. James from the front seat. Reefside Hospital loomed before them.
"The front entrance will be fine, Mom." Ethan replied. "Eric will know how to find us."
"Then I'll find somewhere to park, and we'll find you when we get inside."
Ethan leaned from his seat behind his father to reach out and squeeze his mother's arm. "Thanks, Mom. You don't know…"
She patted his hand as she turned to look at the Rangers in the back seat. "I don't know yet, but you can tell me tomorrow. Go help Conner now."
Needing no further encouragement, Ethan and Kira climbed out of the car. Ethan watched his mother pull away with a look of amazement on his face. Kira just grinned. Neither one of them was bothered by the whipping wind or increasing rain. They both stood expectantly at the entrance. They didn't have long to wait. A long, low rumble of thunder announced the arrival of the one they'd been waiting for – Eric slowed from a streak to a walk and approached.
Kira was struck by how his face was exactly like Conner's; it was eerie to see him because her mind wanted her to believe it was Conner standing there, not Eric. But though her eyes could tell her they were the same, her heart could recognize the difference. "Ethan. Kira." he stated in acknowledgement – even his voice was an exact match for Conner's.
"Eric." Ethan held out his hand to Eric who clasped it firmly.
With no preamble, Eric stated, "Let's do this." Nodding in acknowledgement the Rangers nodded and as one they turned and entered the hospital.
Eric hated hospitals, he always had. It seemed to him, that whenever he visited a hospital, it was always Conner who was on the desperate end of things. He couldn't stand to see his brother like that, but at the same time, he understood why it happened. Conner may have been the younger brother, but his role was that of protector. It didn't matter that Eric had been born first; Conner had naturally gravitated to the position that suited him best. He had enough strength and resolve for both of them. But not this time. This time, it was Eric who needed to be strong.
Kira asked the receptionist at the desk for Conner's room number, and they headed up in silence. In the back of his mind, Eric could feel the storm growing as he got closer to his brother. Down a silent hallway they walked, pace quickening as they approached their goal. Walking in Conner's room, Eric was astonished by the number of people gathered there. Without letting go of Conner with his left hand, Evan McKnight opened up his arms to his oldest son, and Eric rushed forward into his embrace. Eric was surprised by two things: somewhere along the line he'd grown as tall as his father; and Evan was trembling and crying in his arms.
"We'll get him back, Dad." Eric assured his father. "We can bring him back." Eric broke away from his father's embrace surveyed the room. It was clear to him, though it might not have been clear to the others, that there was one significant source of power in the room directed at Conner, and it emanated from the Crimson Ranger seated next to Conner's bed. Eric walked around the bed to approach him; taking a deep breath, Eric kneeled on the floor near the chair where Hunter was seated. He laid his hand on Hunter's arm and took a deep, centering breath. Ignoring everyone assembled there, Eric concentrated on communicating with the Crimson Thunder Ranger. Hunter was much further away than Eric had anticipated; and their time was very short.
Eric tried to take what information he knew and what he was picking up from Hunter to make a shared visualization with it. At first Eric surveyed the scene as a distant observer. There was a dark and fathomless pit. Suspended in some way above the abyss was a very small outcropping of stone that at one time might have been connected to the edge of the chasm. It was connected no longer; it was a tiny, floating island of stone. Even as Eric watched, minute particles of the stone ledge were drawn away down into the gaping darkness.
Seated on the pocket of stone was Hunter. He was balanced precariously because he was not supporting himself alone. Eric could see as he moved closer, that Conner was lying across Hunter's crossed legs. He was prevent from slipping off of Hunter's lap by the hold Hunter had on him with his left hand. But, because of his height he didn't fit completely on Hunter's lap, his legs were draped over Hunter's and dangled over the endless nothingness. The sight of Conner suspended over the abyss caused Eric's insides to clench with fear. He moved more quickly forward along the edge of the chasm.
As Eric got closer he could see Hunter straining to maintain his position, and Eric quickly realized why. Conner wasn't the only person Hunter had a hold on. Slung across his back, with one arm around Hunter's left shoulder and the other drawn up under Hunter's right arm was another figure. Eric knew it had to be Blake. Blake was in an even worse position than Conner. The stone island had give way beneath him completely – he was dangling freely above the void; the only thing preventing him from slipping completely was Hunter's fierce grip on his wrist. Hunter's face was a mask of agony caused by his attempt to maintain a hold on both Conner and Blake but it was clear he would not release either one.
Eric took action. Drawing on the massive storm he'd begun, he used his power to extend the area where he stood in a bridge to get to Hunter. As he stepped forward across the abyss, the power sustained him and gave new strength to the rocks already there. Eric though he heard screams of protest from the pit below; the darkness railed against the invasion of light, but he ignored them. Carefully, he extended his own power until it reached the edge of the outcropping where Hunter was seated with both of their brothers. Eric sent wave after wave of power to Hunter, rebuilding the fragile platform on which he was seated. He made sure to first extend the area behind Hunter so Blake would have a foundation to settle on.
Once the area around Hunter was strengthened to Eric's satisfaction, he approached the weary Thunder Ninja. Hunter looked up at him blearily, recognizing the face, but understanding that it was not Conner who came to his aide. Eric knelt before Hunter in much the same way he was kneeling beside him in the hospital room. "Hunter, "Eric began. Suddenly he was at a loss for words. How could he possibly express his gratitude to his brother ninja for saving his twin? Eric tried to keep his focus on Hunter, but he couldn't help taking a glance at Conner; what he saw filled him with fear. Even with Eric sustaining Hunter, Conner was still slipping away.
With renewed resolve, Eric continued. "The battle is not yet over, Hunter…but we're almost there. You have to understand, that when the time comes…you can let him go." Eric gazed at Hunter intensely, needing to know if Hunter understood what he was saying. But Hunter looked rebellious. He'd been carrying Conner for days, and it wasn't that easy to let him go now. Eric realized how what he'd said could have been misinterpreted so he shook his head and rephrased. "Give him to me, Hunter. You can let Conner go, and give him to me. It's time for me to carry my brother."
Hunter gave a slow nod; he understood. Eric nodded in return. He placed his hands on Hunter's shoulders and poured the power of the storm into him; even without physical contact, he could feel Blake responding as well. But there was nothing from Conner, not yet. It frightened Eric and drew him quickly back to reality. Pushing himself to his feet, Eric staggered away from Hunter and returned to Conner's side. For the first time since his arrival, he reached out to his brother.
Ethan and Kira drew closer to the bed as Eric reached out to Conner; Kira held tightly to Ethan's hand. Hunter had roused enough to watch Eric with bleary eyes; he hadn't noticed the arrival of the other Rangers. Tommy rose in anticipation from the chair where he'd been seated. Evan stepped back slightly so Eric could be in a better position next to the bed. Everyone in the room could feel the increase in power around them, but only those with ninja sight could see the corona of crimson power that engulfed Eric from head to toe; rapid peals of thunder and streaks of lightning punctuated intensity of the storm outside.
In spite of the noise of the storm outside, the silence in the room was so profound that no one could miss Eric calling out softly to his brother. "Con? Conner?" Eric pushed down the bedrail keeping him separated from Conner, and sat, holding his hand, on the edge of the bed. Only Evan could see the pain and intense concentration on Eric's face as he tried to make contact.
Eric had encountered, as all the Red Rangers had throughout the day, the intensely fortified shield that Conner had erected to protect himself from Zeltrax. But this would not be an obstacle to Eric; he wouldn't let it be, because it never had been before. Whereas in their lives Conner was stronger in body, Eric was stronger in mind. The reason why Conner was so comfortable dropping his shields and sharing his strength with Kanoi was he'd been doing it all of his life with his brother. Conner did not have the experience or expertise to fully control his mental power, but he did have the long standing habit of listening to Eric and following his lead.
Again, Eric tried to visualize what was going on with Conner. He found himself standing in a courtyard directly in front of Conner. Conner was curled up on his side on the pavement, with his arms wrapped around his head, tightly encased in a glowing shield that was shrinking upon him even as Eric watched. Eric dropped to his knees and reached out his hand, laying it on Conner's head.
In the hospital room, Eric slid off the bed until he was kneeling facing Conner. His left hand rested on Conner's head while his right grasped Conner's unresisting hand. Over and over he called out, "Conner, I'm right here. You've got to let me in."
Evan trembled against the wall as he listened to Eric plead with Conner. He almost couldn't bear to watch, yet he couldn't turn away.
"Conner, listen to me. I can help you. Let me in."
Tommy instinctively moved closer to Ethan and Kira. Jason and Kim were right behind. All eyes were locked on Conner; wishing, willing any movement, any reaction.
"Its okay, Conner. You're safe here. Let me in."
Eric was persistent, and Conner responded. Never once in their lives had he refused to give Eric what he wanted. From a great distance, he heard his brother's voice, and he did what he wanted – let down his shield to let him in.
Hunter could feel the change, and he did what Eric had asked. He let Conner go.
Conner opened his eyes as he squeezed Eric's hand. Eric looked up and met his gaze. But all of Conner's power had gone into maintaining the shield around his mind. Without Hunter's assistance, there was nothing left to hold him to this life. His eyes closed and his hand went slack. All of the machines monitoring his life signs simultaneously flat-lined and started blaring their alarms.
"NO!" Eric yelled leaping to his feet. His sudden rush of power short circuited all of the equipment in the room. He pulled Conner into a seated position and inserted himself onto the bed behind him. Conner's head lolled against Eric's shoulder. Outside streak after streak of lightning lit the sky leaving semi-permanent afterimages on the sky. The thunder overhead became a deafening roar.
Simultaneously Ethan and Kira yelled, "DinoThunder, Power Up – HA!" And with their transformations the room inside became as light as the sky outside. Without consultation, both Ethan and Kira ripped off their helmets and leapt onto Conner's bed. Ethan literally climbed over Cam and Hunter to get to Conner's left side, and slid himself into the position behind Conner opposite Eric. With no bed left to rest on, Kira simply stretched out, resting on Conner's chest. The three of them reached out where they could to each other, and together poured every last ounce of strength within them into the failing Red Ranger.
Tommy couldn't withstand the backlash of Conner's collapse. He crumbled to the floor, his breathing and heart rate erratic. In spite of his own desperate condition, he still tried to get to Conner, but he was too weak to get very far. Instinctively, Jason knew that the power Eric could channel through the storm was the best bet Conner had; Tommy's own limited resources would help very little at this point. Against Tommy's protests, Jason dragged him back toward the chair where he'd been seated earlier. But instead of placing Tommy in the chair, Jason sat down on the floor in front of it. Leaning against the chair for support, Jason pulled Tommy back against him and wrapped him in his arms. Kim immediately joined them and flung her arms around Tommy as well. Jason was a little surprised when Billy did the same on Tommy's other side.
In all the confusion, none of the Dino Rangers or the others assembled near the door had noticed Hunter's reaction to Eric's power surge, but Cam did. Hunter had pitched forward in the chair where he was seated, his body clenching like in a seizure. "Hunter!" Cam cried in distress ignoring Ethan completely when he climbed over them. Hunter had been stretched so thin, working so hard to sustain himself and the others on the merest wisps of power that the influx of power from Eric was too much to handle. It was like giving a man dying of thirst a ten gallon jug of water and letting him drink it all at once.
Cam grabbed the arm of the chair where Hunter was seated and gave it a mighty yank. Once Hunter was no longer wedged between the bed and the wall, Cam was able to grab him and hoist him across his shoulders. It surprised Cam that it was Dustin, and not Shane, who stepped in to support Hunter on the other side. It wasn't important – what mattered was getting Hunter out of this epicenter of power and back to Blake. Dustin knew without speaking what Cam wanted, and together they ran for the door with Hunter slung between them.
Rapidly they made their way down the hallway with Shane in the lead removing any obstacles in their path. Shane led the way into the room as well. Blake was trembling on the bed in Tori's arms, and she looked up at the others with panic when they entered.
"Get him up on the bed, Cam." Dustin ordered pointing at the empty bed across from Blake's. The easiest way for Cam to get Hunter situated on the bed was to crawl into it first and pull Hunter up with him. Cam held the Crimson Ranger tight as he began to shake and twitch, much like Blake. Dustin, standing between the two beds, gave a nod to Shane who began to push the bed with Cam and Hunter closer to the one holding Tori and Blake with Dustin guiding the movement. When the beds were so close that there was barely enough room for Dustin to stand between them, Shane stopped pushing and joined Dustin there.
Shane and Dustin clasped hands; Shane reached with his free hand to Hunter, Dustin reached with his free hand toward Blake. The three Wind Ninjas were suddenly encased in brilliant lights – each in their own color. Cam was staggered by the depth of power each was able to access. He called on his own Samurai power – a light to balance theirs. Now Blake and Hunter were caught between the bookends of Tori's blue and his green light, with Shane and Dustin's red and yellow in the middle. Somehow, all of the colors meshed together to form a whole – allowing the power from the storm to reach the Thunder Ninjas without allowing them to be overwhelmed.
Though Hunter still trembled in his arms, Cam could feel that he was calming. Proximity to Blake was a benefit to them both, and Cam could sense their natural balance exerting itself. The power was beginning to be passed back and forth between them. Through their shared awareness, Cam could feel Tori's relief at Blake's reaction as well. Cam breathed deeply and tried to calm his own shattered nerves. He held on tightly to Hunter and buried his face in the Thunder Ranger's shoulder repeating over and over in his head Please don't leave me, Hunter. Please. Never knowing that the others could hear every word he said.
Well friends, I hope it was worth the wait!