Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own nothing except for my creativity.
Slowly the drugged haze leaves her and after about a week, her head has cleared enough to allow her to speak.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Mia looks up at her brother and asks, "Where am I?"
He smiles and replies, "You're in the hospital."
"Knew that. Which?"
"Oh," surprised he answers, "the one on the corner of Queens and Sharon. It is next to Panorama Tech."
Beep... Beep... Beep...
She thinks for a little more and asks, "Why?"
"You saved a kid's life. A man tried to take him away from his mother, but you stopped that from happening. You fought the guy off, but he pushed you off a bridge," Terry responds. "Do you remember that?"
"A little." She raises her hand to the bridge of her nose. "Glasses?"
He smiles and chuckles, "Yeah, the doctors think your contacts washed out while you were underwater or something like that. They didn't want to put in your contacts while you were drifting in and out of consciousness."
Beep... Beep... Beep...
She rolls her eyes and stammers, "Hate these. They like Urkel." His chuckle turns into a full blown laugh when she says this. Mia looks down at the hand that was just at her nose and realizes it has been wrapped in bandages. "Hand?"
"You had gone to pick up Jayden's present for Antonio. It was an octo zord lure. You refused to let go of it, even when you were barely conscious. The EMT's had to sedate you to open up your hand. The hooks lodged themselves into your palm." As he speaks, he then shifts around uncomfortably in his seat. Mia looks at him quizzically, attempting to figure out what makes him so nervous. Then he glances down at his shoes and realization strikes. She looks down at his legs and then realization strikes.
Beep... Beep... beep.. beep..
She shifts in the bed a little bit and then stutters, "Legs…Terry. Can't feel them." He looks back up at her, and she sees tears running down his cheeks.
beep.. beep.. beep.. beep..
He shakes his head. "Mia, when you fought off that guy you had a fracture in your T10 vertebrae. When you hit the water, that fracture turned into a break and severed your spinal cord irreparably," he says, voice quavering. The moment he says this, memories flood her brain like a tsunami just as tears flow down her cheeks.
beep.. beep.. bep. bep.
She sees the man in the hooded jacket. She remembers trying to fight him. She sees his scarred face just as he throws her over. she remembers the weightless feeling of the air as she falls. She remembers the feeling of the water as her back slams into it, and not being able to move or swim, but still trying. She remembers the water seeping into her lungs just before she…
bep. bep. bep. bep. bep. bep.
Terry stands up out of his chair and wraps his arms around her. He rests his chin on her head and she leans into his chest. The room fades away as Terry removes her glasses to pull her closer. As she dampens Terry's shirt, she can only focus on the spot where she knows the folded up wheelchair rests against the wall.
bep. bep. beep.. beep.. beep..
A nurse slips in and places a familiar box on the chair that Terry sat in. As Mia calms down, Terry lets her slip from his grip and returns her glasses to her face. They see the box and smile bitterly.
beep.. beep.. beep.. beep..
"Doughnuts?" Mia asks.
Terry chuckles, "Yeah, these are the ones that Dr. Sam brings in for some of his patients. Do you want one?" She nods yes.
beep.. beep.. Beep... Beep...
Terry picks up the box and places it on Mia's lap. Then he moves her over to the side of the bed and hops in next to her. He pops open the box and pulls out a chocolate on chocolate doughnut. He smiles and hands it to his sister and then takes one for himself.
He turns to Mia and with chewed up doughnut still in his mouth, he mumbles, "Works every time."
She rolls her eyes and replies, "Close mouth, chewing."
He swallows, then teases,"I'll stop talking with my mouth full, when you don't. Yeah, that's right! I see the chocolate in your mouth. Ever heard of practice what you preach?"
Mia gulps her doughnut down and smiles. "You're right," Mia replies. She points down at the box in her lap, "Works."
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Terry pulls his sister close as they both look at the wheelchair, wondering what will happen next.
A/N: What did you think? Do you think Mia will be able to continue on as the pink ranger? All questions that could be influenced by you in a certain comments box…