"What are you doing?" Wes asked, watching Eric pull out his phone. "The car has GPS."
They had just left Lightspeed and were heading toward Angel Grove to pick up Christine Scott at Carter's request. Eric was driving.
"Calling Taylor," Eric said, dialing and connecting the phone to the car speakers.
Wes frowned, looking at the time.
"It's 1:45a, Eric," he said. "Should you really wake her up?"
Eric ignored him as he waited for an answer. She answered after a couple of rings.
"Eric, what's going on?" Taylor asked sharply. "Is everything alright?"
"Not exactly," he said. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"It's fine," she said. "How can I help?"
Eric hesitated.
"I can't explain a lot right now," he said. "I'm on my way to Angel Grove to pick someone up to take to base. Wes is with me. But… can you and Devin come to base? I'm going to be here a while longer and I'd feel better if you were both here."
Wes looked at Eric in surprise. That's not what he had expected. There was a pause on the other end of the line.
"Yes," Taylor said after a moment. "Eric—what's going on? Did something else happen?"
He sighed.
"I'll explain more when you get there," he promised.
"Ok," Taylor agreed reluctantly. "Do you want us there today or can I come Monday morning? Devin was supposed to go to the park with Sarah and the kids today. She was excited about it."
"Monday is fine," Eric said. "Just as soon as you can."
"Ok. We'll be there first thing Monday," Taylor promised. "Wes—am I supposed to bring Liz and Stuart or…?"
Wes hesitated and then shook his head.
"No," he said. "They'll be alright with Sarah. But when you see her tomorrow can you tell her to just be a little more cautious than normal? I'll text her, too, but—"
"I can do that," Taylor agreed. "But you two had better be ready to explain what's going on the minute I get there."
"As soon as you get here," Eric promised.
"Alright," Taylor sighed. "I'll have to tell the others I'm leaving town."
Eric groaned.
"Can you just not?" he asked hopefully.
"I think they're going to notice," Taylor said drily. "Most of them see me too much on a regular basis not to. I do have to tell someone so they don't think I disappeared, Eric."
"Fine…" he muttered. "But I don't want them telling anyone else and causing a panic before Carter or Tommy actually send out a message."
Taylor sighed.
"Well, if I tell Alyssa right before I leave and ask her to keep it quiet," she mused. "It will take her at least a day before she feels guilty enough to give in to Danny or Max pestering her. And they probably won't tell Cole for at least another day. So that will buy you until maybe Wednesday before word really starts spreading that something is going on. Is that long enough?"
"That should be plenty," Eric said. "And if not—well, I tried."
Taylor laughed.
"Alright," she said. "Now focus on driving and watch each other's backs. I don't know what's going on, but if you're worried enough to ask me to come then I want you taking care of each other."
"I'll keep an eye on him, Taylor," Wes grinned, looking at Eric.
Eric rolled his eyes.
"We'll be fine," he said. "I'll see you first thing Monday."
"So, why are we packing to go somewhere again?" Will grumbled, walking down the stairs with his bag over his shoulder. "Shouldn't someone just be coming by to tell us he's dead?"
Christine was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her bags already by the door. She rolled her eyes at her brother.
"I don't know," she said shortly. "And it wasn't even the police who called me. Some Commander Gray-something or another. He just said he was calling in regard to an incident and said he got my information from Jason's phone."
"So, he's dead then, right?"
"I don't know," Christine huffed. "He didn't say one way or another. Just that it involved him and that someone would be here within the hour to pick me up. And he recommended I pack anything I need for a short stay at their facility. Though how I'm supposed to pack when he won't tell me where I'll be staying I don't know."
Still muttering, she started digging through her purse to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything and double checking her bags.
"Well, at least it looks like she's awake," Wes commented as they pulled up.
Eric parked in front of the house and turned off the car. They both climbed out and glanced around before heading up to the front door. Wes took the lead, knocking on the door while Eric waited behind him. They only had to wait a moment for the door to open. Both of them were surprised to see a man on the other side of the door instead of Jason's wife.
"Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Wesley Collins," Wes said. "This is my partner, Eric Myers. We're looking for Christine Scott?"
He glanced back as he gestured to Eric. His partner was eying the man who had answered with some suspicion. Wes was thrown off, too. Neither had expected a strange man to be answering the door of a fellow ranger's house where they were supposed to be collecting his wife. Then a woman hurried up to join the man. She didn't look upset, which was starting to make Wes think they had the wrong house.
"I'm Christine Scott," she said, frowning at them. "What do you want?"
"We're here to pick you up," Eric said. "You should have received a call from Commander Grayson?"
"Oh! Yes," she exclaimed. "I just can't believe it…"
She started sniffling.
"He said you were going to…to take me to Jason," she said.
Then she started crying, putting her hands over her face.
"Everything is going to be alright, Mrs. Scott," Wes said immediately, trying to calm her down. "Yes, we're going to take you straight to your husband as quickly as we can. Where is your bag so we can get in the car?"
She gestured behind her into the house. Wes nodded and looked at the man with her.
"We'll take it from here, sir," he said.
"He's my brother," Christine said quickly, reaching out to touch his arm. "Will has to come with me. I need him."
"Oh," Wes said, a little surprised. "Uh…ok. That's fine. We have room. Do you need a moment to get your things, too?"
Will shook his head.
"I'm already packed to go," he shrugged.
Wes nodded. Will turned to walk back inside and picked up a duffle bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Christine spun in place, grabbing a suitcase. Spinning back around, she thrust it into Wes' chest. He grunted but caught it. But she wasn't done. Grabbing two more small ones, she shoved those at him, too, and dropped her purse on top. As he struggled to juggle all of it, Christine stalked away toward the car. Will just smirked and followed his sister with his bag.
Eric had to stop Wes from falling off the porch with the luggage as the siblings shoved past both of them. Shaking his head, Eric eyed the siblings and then reached over to grab one of the bags from Wes.
"Come on, bellboy," Eric sighed.
"I can't shut the door!" Wes protested.
Rolling his eyes, Eric stepped around Wes and locked and shut the front door. It took a few minutes, but they got all of the luggage tucked away and climbed back into their seats. After making sure the siblings were settled in the back, Eric took off back toward Lightspeed. In the backseat, Christine had resumed her sniffling as soon as Eric started driving.
"I can't believe this is happening," she cried.
"Ma'am, everything is going to be alright," Eric assured her.
He had taken a look at the car's computer when they climbed in. There hadn't been any major updates from Carter, meaning Jason's condition was still the same as when they left.
"Kind of an inappropriate comment, don't you think?" Will scoffed.
"Why?" Eric frowned, glancing in the mirror.
Christine started wailing loudly.
"Because my husband is dead!" she sobbed.
Eric and Wes exchanged a shocked look. Neither of them had said anything that would imply Jason had died. And Carter definitely would have updated them if that had happened since they were bringing his wife.
"Jason's not dead," Wes said, glancing back over his seat.
Christine started crying louder. Eric sighed.
"Your husband is in surgery," Eric said, raising his voice slightly over her crying. "He's not dead. He's alive and in surgery."
She was still crying loudly, not listening to either of them. Wes sighed and pulled out a handkerchief to give to her. Eric checked the computer again to verify Jason's status in case Carter had told her something he hadn't told them. The only update he could find was Jason was now out of surgery. And still alive.
"Ma'am," Eric said firmly, still trying to be heard above her sobs. "Your husband is alive. All of my updates say he is alive. And he's actually out of surgery now. They wouldn't lie to us."
"It's just so hard!" she wailed. "I'm not ready to be a widow! There's so much I'm going to have to do now and he's not here to help me!"
Eric and Wes exchanged another look.
"For the third time, Mrs. Scott," Eric said, slightly more irritated now. "There is no reason to presume your husband is dead. No one said anything about him dying. Jason is out of surgery and expected to make a full recovery."
Christine continued to wail and sob at the top of her lungs as Eric and Wes groaned. It was going to be a long drive to Mariner Bay.
Tommy heard Christine before he saw her. It sounded like she was crying into a megaphone to make sure everyone heard her.
"Well, that's just great," Tommy muttered. "She's going to wake everyone up—I hope Dana gave Conner more meds on her last trip or he is going to be awake and in a lot of pain."
Shifting, Tommy put his feet back up on the stool Hayley had brought him earlier and prepared to defend his seat. He wasn't going anywhere. Carter opened the door and held it open. Christine walked in, wailing and crying followed by her brother and then Eric and Wes.
Christine had a purse draped over one shoulder and was clutching a folder in her hands as she continued crying. See Jason in the cryogenic chamber, she started crying louder. Tommy winced. Eric and Wes exchanged looks that said they had been dealing with this the entire way to the base.
"He's dead!" she wailed dramatically, throwing herself in Will's arms. "He's dead!"
Tommy rolled his eyes. Carter just stared in confusion—he certainly hadn't told Christine Jason was dead.
"He's not dead," Tommy said sharply, timing his comment to land between her cries.
Christine stopped, her crying immediately cut off as she spun to see who was talking. When she saw Tommy sitting next to the chamber, she glared at him.
"What did you say?" she snapped.
"He's not dead," Tommy repeated slowly. "He's just sleeping."
Christine stared, fumbling for a response. She couldn't act like she hadn't heard him at this point.
"Hear that beeping?" Tommy continued. "I'm pretty sure you can now that you're done being dramatic—that means his heart is beating. So, he's not dead."
"What are you doing here?" Christine demanded.
"Recovering," Tommy said. "This is a hospital after all."
Christine's next response was interrupted by the door flying open, Zach stumbled in looking around with wide eyes. His clothes were rumpled and clearly slept in. Seeing Jason in the cryo chamber and Tommy sitting next to it, Zach ran straight to him and ignored everyone else.
"Is Jason alright?" he asked, looking between Tommy and Jason. "I heard someone yelling that someone is dead. What about—"
"Zach, chill," Tommy said, interrupting and grabbing his attention. "No one is dead. There was just a misunderstanding. Look—Jason is fine. Dana just wanted him in the cryogenic chamber for a little while. When he's ready she'll turn it off and he'll wake up."
Zach took a few deep breaths as he stood next to Tommy, watching Jason.
"I'm sorry, man," he said, shaking his head. "I've been tossing and turning all night. I keep seeing it happening… and then I heard the yelling and…"
"Take the other bed for a little while, Zach," Tommy said quietly. "We can talk once we're alone again. Try and close your eyes."
Sighing, Zach nodded and took Tommy's advice, walking away and climbing into the empty bed.
"What is happening?" Christine demanded. "Who is that and why is he in my husband's room?"
"That's Zach," Tommy said shortly. "He's one of Jason's friends—you've met him. And this isn't just Jason's room. Zach can use my bed for a while—I'm not using it right now."
Christine sputtered, looking back at her brother. Carter, Wes, and Eric were still watching, unsure if they should interfere or not. Will stepped up by Christine.
"Do you think you could give us a little privacy?" Will snapped.
"This is my room," Tommy said, not budging.
Carter frowned.
"Tommy—" he started to say.
"Let's give them some privacy," Eric interrupted. "Let them hash it out themselves."
He gave Carter a push toward the door.
"Come on, Wes," Eric said, grabbing the back of Wes' shirt and hauling him after.
Ignoring their protests, Eric shoved the two reds out the door and into the hall.
"What was that about?" Carter asked.
"That woman is crazy," Eric said. "And if Tommy wants to argue with her, more power to him. I had to listen to her theatrics the entire way here. Wouldn't listen when I tried to tell her Jason was going to be fine. She has a screw loose and I'm done dealing with it."
"Eric, her husband was just shot," Carter frowned. "Cut her some slack."
Eric shook his head.
"You can't cut crazy slack—it just makes them worse," he said.
Carter sighed.
"So, when did Tommy move back to the med bay?" Wes asked, looking at Carter. "I thought he checked himself out Friday night. I heard Dana complaining about it."
"He did," Carter said. "I don't know why he says that's his room—it's not."
"Who cares?" Eric shrugged. "Dana isn't going to care that he's back—it means she can keep a closer eye on him. It isn't like anyone else was using that bed. Conner has his own room and Adam and Rocky are both back on the residential level. Not to mention there are eighteen other rooms in the hall and if we hit the point where we need that many rooms, I think we'll have bigger concerns than where Tommy is sleeping."
Carter didn't have an argument for that.
"Alright, it's fine," he said. "I have to get some work done. So, if you two can wait to escort them to their—"
A phone started ringing in his pocket. Carter pulled it out, glaring at it.
"We'll take care of them," Eric said. "That sounds like it's probably important."
Carter shot a glare at him before answering the phone as he strode off down the hallway.
"Hello?" he said. "Jayden? Why are you—no, Tommy doesn't have the phone right now. I do… No, he's fine… No, he's not unconscious. Tommy is fine. He just doesn't have the phone right now."
Carter disappeared into Dana's office, cutting off the conversation.
"Was that the ranger phone?" Wes asked, leaning over to Eric.
"I think so," Eric said. "I recognized the ringtone—it was the Samurai's. And I'm pretty sure Carter didn't give Jayden his personal number. Though I guess Tommy might have if Carter annoyed him?"
"Then why does Carter have the phone?" Wes said slowly. "Tommy still had it before we left—right?"
"Don't ask questions you don't actually want the answer to," Eric said, leaning against the wall by the door. "Clearly we missed something—but I really don't want to know or get involved."
Inside the room, Tommy didn't move after Eric, Wes, and Carter left. He just stayed where he was staring at Christine and Will. In the second bed, Zach sat up to look at Tommy.
"Tommy, if I'm in the way I can just go back to the other room," Zach said. "I didn't know you were in this room. I thought you were down—"
"Nope, this is my room," Tommy said, glancing over at Zach.
Zach frowned.
"So when—"
"It will all make sense when you wake up, Zach," Tommy interrupted again. "It's not even 5a and you're tired, so go to sleep."
Zach hesitated for a moment but then rolled back over. Tommy turned back to Christine and Will who were now standing on the other side of the cryo chamber. Both were clearly aggravated by his refusal to move.
"Could we please get some privacy?" Christine snapped. "I'd like to be alone with my husband."
"Fine," Tommy said.
Instead of getting up, however, Tommy grabbed the sliding curtain and moved it so it blocked their sight of him. Christine and Will exchanged irritated looks.
"Will," Christine hissed. "What are we going to do?"
She gestured at the curtain and then at Jason in the chamber.
"Well, he's not dead," Will said, barely audible.
As they continued to talk, Will and Christine huddled together and spoke at barely a whisper. They didn't want Tommy to hear something. Just because he couldn't see them anymore didn't mean he wouldn't be able to hear them.
"Obviously," Christine said irritably. "Your plan was supposed to work. So, what now?"
"I don't know—hit a button?" Will retorted. "Machines malfunction all the time. There has to be an off switch somewhere."
They both looked down at the machine, but there were no buttons or anything to push in the immediate vicinity. Desperate to find something, the siblings started slowly moving around the cryo chamber as they looked for a control panel. Forgetting how close Tommy was, Christine walked around the head of the bed and bumped into his chair as she prodded various places around the machine.
"Looking for something?" Tommy asked, pulling the curtain away to see what was going on.
Christine and Will just froze for a moment as Tommy looked at them expectantly.
"Oh—uh…" Christine fumbled. "We were—we were just looking… I just wanted to turn the beeping sound off so I could sit with him in quiet."
Tommy frowned.
"That beeping sound is his heart monitor—remember?" he said slowly as he glanced between the two. "And the sound tells you that Jason is just fine. So, enjoy it as a constant reminder that Jason is alive and going to make a full recovery."
"Well, how do you know?" Christine asked, flustered. "Maybe there is something wrong with this—thing. How do they even work it if there are no buttons on it?"
Tommy raised an eyebrow.
"It's all on the wall behind me," he said. "That's what control panels are for—they control the machines and their settings. And if something was wrong with the cryo machine it would be making a lot more noise—it does have alarms if anything malfunctions."
"Ok then," Christine said. "If you know how it works, then open it."
"Not a chance," Tommy said.
"I want to be able to touch him," Christine said with a small sniffle.
Tommy shook his head.
"Sorry, opening it would wake him up," he said. "And it's too soon for him to wake up."
"Then how long?" Christine demanded, her tears gone again. "I want to be able to hold his hand…"
"Doctor's orders—it stays closed," Tommy said firmly. "And it's going to stay that way until they decide he is ready to wake up. So, until Dana or Angela say otherwise…"
Tommy shrugged, hiding a grimace. The motion still hurt. But he was trying very hard to act like nothing much was wrong with him in front of the two siblings. Every instinct had been screaming that something was wrong from the moment he heard her coming down the hall—she was not acting like any concerned spouse he had ever known. And adding that to everything else that had been happening between her and Jason the last few weeks—he was extremely concerned.
"Then I'll just have to talk to the doctor," Christine sputtered. "They can't keep him in this—this thing!"
"Out and to the right. Four doors down across the hall just before the elevator. Not sure if Dana or Angela are on duty right now. I'm sure they can answer more of your questions."
Christine sputtered for a moment and then spun and stalked out of the room, grabbing Will's arm and dragging him after her. After the door shut behind them, Zach rolled over again.
"So… that was weird—right?" Zach asked, looking at Tommy.
"Yep," Tommy said, looking at the door.
He hadn't heard anything they'd been whispering about, but he had a feeling the siblings were up to something—and he was pretty sure it wasn't for Jason's benefit.
"Should we be concerned?" Zach said slowly.
Tommy sighed, looking at Jason sleeping in the cryo chamber and then turning to Zach.
"Probably," Tommy answered. "But I don't plan to leave this room until they leave the base—or Jason wakes up and tells me to go away."
Zach nodded.
"Good," he said, stifling a yawn. "Cause whatever reason they want Jason awake now for probably isn't good for him."
"Seriously, Zach," Tommy said. "Go to sleep. I'm not getting out of this chair anytime soon and no one is going to wake Jason up early. He's going to be fine and so is Conner."
"Alright," Zach conceded as he yawned. "I'll sleep. Or at least try to."
Grabbing the blanket this time, Zach got comfortable. Tommy got himself comfortable again and pulled out his phone to text Ethan for an update.
Dana looked up when her office door opened. Carter walked in, arguing with someone on the phone.
"Tommy is fine. He just doesn't have the phone right now," Carter was saying as the door shut behind him. "I don't know how long I'm going to have it… because he needs time to recover. Now. Do you have an actual problem?"
Dana raised an eyebrow as Carter dropped into the chair across from her desk.
"Then I have work to do, Jayden," Carter sighed. "If anything critical changes you have my word I will update you. Goodbye."
Hanging up, Carter stuck the phone in his pocket. He rubbed his forehead.
"I've had this phone for three hours and it's already giving me a headache," Carter muttered. "Dana?"
"Yes?" Dana said, a little amused.
"Did Tommy talk to you about moving into Jason's hospital room?" he asked. "Because he is insisting that it's his room, too, and that he's not leaving."
"That's great news," Dana said, sounding relieved.
Carter frowned.
"You're ok with him just putting himself in there?" he said slowly.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Dana said, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe he will actually relax for a change. Not to mention it makes it easier to monitor his recovery if he's somewhere I have access to. Angela will be relieved to hear it, too, when she comes back on duty."
Carter paused.
"I guess I didn't think about that," he said. "I guess that will make it a little easier on you and Angela."
"Exactly," she smiled.
The door opened again and Christine and Will stormed in. Dana looked at them in surprise while Carter quickly stood up. Eric and Wes stayed in the hall.
"Are you the doctor?" Christine asked, looking at Dana.
"I'll get out of your way," Carter said, glancing at Dana and then back to Christine. "Excuse me, ma'am."
Carter nodded to Christine and then quickly slipped out the door as Dana stood to greet her guests. Dana watched him go before turning her attention to the siblings.
"Yes, I'm Dr. Grayson," she said. "You must be Mrs. Scott."
She offered her hand in greeting, but Christine just looked at her and then sat down in the chair Carter had vacated. She set down a folder of papers as Will grabbed a second chair. Dana stared in surprise for a moment. She quickly recovered, taking her own seat.
"How can I help you?" Dana asked, folding her hands together on the desk in front of her.
"What is happening with my husband?" Christine demanded. "No one is telling me anything. I was woken up by a phone call telling me he'd been shot, and I was needed immediately. No one told me he was alive, so I spend an entire car trip with strangers thinking he's dead just to find out you've stuffed him in some machine and expect me to be alright with it. He's my husband—shouldn't I have a say in his care?"
"I apologize for any implication that Jason had passed," Dana said. "It was not intentional on our part. As you have clearly seen, he is alive and is doing quite well given the circumstances. I am also sorry I wasn't there to meet you in his room. There is a lot going on right now and I must have missed the message that you had arrived."
"Well, that's all fine," Christine sniffed. "But Jason is my husband and I deserve to know what is happening. Why wasn't I called immediately?"
Dana took a deep breath.
"Again, Mrs. Scott, I apologize," Dana said patiently. "Unfortunately, we did not immediately have access to Mr. Scott's emergency contacts so we were not able to reach out until I could get that information. We did call you as soon as we were able. Now."
Dana turned to her computer to pull up Jason's files, her tone firm as she took control of the conversation.
"Mr. Scott was shot three times," she said, turning back to Christine and Will. "Two of the injuries required emergency surgery. My surgeon says everything went well and at this time we expect him to make a full recovery."
Dana kept going, talking through all of the details on Jason's condition. Any time Christine or Will tried to interrupt, she just politely asked them to wait in case she was already going to answer their question—much to their displeasure. She also explained that Jason had signed paperwork giving the rangers authority over his medical care while he was under their protection. Though she didn't tell them it was part of the ranger packet and was meant to allow them to help in a ranger emergency without having to call emergency contacts. However, right now it gave Dana the advantage of being able to keep Christine from demanding Jason be removed from the cryo chamber.
Out in the hall, Eric and Wes were discussing with Carter where to take Christine and Will while they were with Dana.
"There are a couple of rooms right across from Mighty Morphin'," Carter pointed out. "Probably the easiest since that's where Jason has been staying."
Eric shook his head.
"After what just happened between them and Tommy?" he said. "Not a chance. And it's not like Jason is going to be back in that room for a while. We're better off distancing them from that suite. Especially since she doesn't know who he is."
"I guess that makes sense," Wes admitted. "But we don't want them completely unsupervised since they aren't official attachments. They'll need help. So, where?"
Eric didn't answer right away, thinking it over.
"West hall at the south end," he finally said. "Close to an elevator so they can come here, but away from the Command suite. And we're just down the hall to keep an eye on them."
"You mean to be available for them?" Carter frowned.
"Sure," Eric shrugged.
"Wait," Wes said. "Won't that put them like right by the Ninjas?"
"And…?" Eric asked, crossing his arms. "What's the point? They aren't going to care if they're seen. And, if they do decide they don't want to be seen, they're the best ones to move without notice."
"It's fine," Carter said before Wes could argue. "That will be fine. Now, I have things to take care of. Please let me know once you've got their handprints in the system."
Turning, he stalked down to the elevator and left Wes and Eric to wait for the siblings.
"Were there any questions I didn't answer?" Dana asked when she was finally done.
"How did he even end up here?" Will inserted. "Why not Angel Grove hospital? If it was an emergency, wouldn't that have been closer?"
"Technically, yes," Dana admitted. "Angel Grove hospital was physically closer. However, Mr. Scott was being escorted by a ranger as he does not have credentials to access this base without the escort. It is fortunate that they were close enough to be able to respond so quickly and they brought him here using ranger methods of transportation. It is likely he would not have survived his injuries if they had waited on an ambulance."
"Ranger escort?" Christine sputtered. "He's not that import—I mean…"
She stumbled a bit and Dana waited.
"Dr. Grayson, I love my husband," Christine finally said, collecting herself. "But why would Power Rangers escort him anywhere? I'm still not sure I even understand why he was here in the first place. It isn't like he's an important person."
Dana took a deep breath.
"One of your husband's friends is under the protection of the rangers due to special circumstances," Dana said. "We do allow controlled visitation when they are under medical care with us, and Mr. Scott is on the list of approved visitors. When he was called back to Angel Grove for an emergency, we offered to escort him as a favor so he could return here after."
The story Dana gave them was the cover Carter had created based on what information he had on the incident. They had to scramble for a story after Tommy told Dana that Christine didn't know. Especially since they knew she'd question Jason's presence at Lightspeed at some point.
"Now, if there are no further questions about your husband's condition," Dana said, quickly changing the subject and standing up. "I know you were concerned about the cryogenic machine we placed him in. If you'll follow me back to his room, I have just a few things about that to go over with you that may ease your concern."
Walking around her desk, Dana opened the door and waited for Christine and Will to stand. The siblings exchanged looks before following. Dana led them back down the hall to Jason's room, explaining the purpose of the cryo chamber as they went. Wes and Eric, who had been waiting outside her office, followed them back down the hall.
"As I was saying before," Dana said as they reached Jason's room. "The cryogenic chamber is the best thing for Mr. Scott right now. It is allowing his body to heal itself faster because it isn't focused on everyday functions—the machine takes care of those for him."
She opened the door to Jason's room after a light knock to announce their presence, letting Christine and Will enter ahead of her. Tommy was still in his chair by Jason with his feet propped up. He was reading, but put the book down when he saw them coming back in.
"Tommy—why is Zach in your bed?" Dana asked as she walked over. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"No more than usual for this time of the morning," Tommy replied evenly. "And after Zach's night last night I didn't think you'd protest too much if I was encouraging him to sleep."
Dana sighed and rolled her eyes before she turned back to Christine and Will.
"Did you have any other questions for me?" she asked them. "I do have another patient to attend after I'm finished in here."
"How do you know he's alright in there?" Christine asked. "You can't even touch him."
"The technology that runs these is highly advanced," Dana assured her. "If there were any issues with your husband at all it would alert me immediately."
"And what if an emergency does happen?" Christine pressed. "Like what if it breaks and you need to get him out?"
Dana raised an eyebrow.
"In the extremely unlikely event that the cryo machine malfunctions, the control panel will alert the doctor on duty," Dana said. "We would either repair the issue or—if it was not a quick repair—we would end the program and wake him early. But you don't need to concern yourself with that."
"I just want to be able to help," Christine said. "How does the monitoring work? That way I can watch it myself when I'm in here."
"I think that's a little complicated for someone who doesn't even have a PHD—let alone an MD," Hayley interrupted before Dana could answer. "Probably shouldn't be touching anything until you get one."
Christine spun to glare at her. Hayley had just walked in and was smirking at Christine, a food tray in her hands.
"And you do?" Christine spat. "You have a PHD?"
"Several—amongst other things," Hayley said as she walked over to Tommy in his chair. "Breakfast—eat. It's oatmeal. And you got upgraded! You get blueberries this morning."
Hayley set the tray down on his lap. Tommy, who hadn't been overly excited by the bowl of plain oatmeal, brightened when he saw the blueberries. Dana chuckled. Christine was fuming—about the insult and now essentially being dismissed. The talking woke Zach up again and he rolled over.
"Do I smell food?" he yawned as he sat up.
"This is mine," Tommy answered.
"How long has Zach been here?" Hayley asked, frowning. "And why didn't you tell me? I would have brought something for him, too. Now I'll have to go all the way back downstairs. I'm not a waitress, you know."
Grumbling to herself, Hayley stalked back out of the room.
"I could have gone to get my own…" Zach said, watching her go in surprise. "I'm not actually injured…"
"It's fine, Zach," Tommy said. "She's just grumpy because I didn't warn her—Hayley likes to take care of people. It's part of why she owns a café."
"This is ridiculous," Christine burst out. "Can someone just show me to my room? I've been up all night, worried about my husband, and I'm tired of listening to other people complain. I need to sleep."
Dana, Tommy, and Zach all turned to look at her while she had her mini rant.
"I'll have Eric and Wes escort you," Dana said, gesturing for them to follow her to the door. "They'll explain how to get back here and where you can get something to eat as well."
After she showed the siblings out the door, Dana turned back to Tommy.
"I'm going to go check on Conner," she said. "Is there anything you need?"
Tommy shook his head. He had his phone out and was texting while he started to eat his food.
"I'm fine, Dana," he answered, glancing up at her. "I have breakfast and I'm comfortable. I might even take a nap in this chair later. So go take care of Conner."
Sighing, Dana turned to leave. She knew it wasn't worth arguing with Tommy.
Wes and Eric escorted Christine and Will down to the residential level. They took them to the room they'd agreed on with Carter.
"This is where you will both be staying while Jason is recovering," Wes said, stopping in front of the door. "The panel here opens the door. Mrs. Scott, if you would please place your hand on it."
She eyed it suspiciously.
"Why?" she asked, not reaching to touch it.
"So I can put your handprint in the system," Wes said patiently. "That way it will open the door for you. That will also allow you to operate the elevator without us so you can go to visit Jason or go down to the cafeteria for food."
"Oh."
Still wary, Christine slowly placed her hand on the panel. It scanned her hand and then Wes pressed a couple of buttons. He did the same thing with Will before pulling out his phone to text Carter their prints were in the system. All Wes could do was attach the prints to their door. Someone else would actually set up their access to anything else. With that settled, Wes gestured for them to walk inside. He followed them while Eric stayed standing in the doorway.
"Bedrooms are on that side of the suite," Wes said, gesturing. "There are two rooms, so take your pick. Each room has its own bathroom. You also have a small kitchenette, or you are free to use the cafeteria one level down. Now right here…"
He reached over to pick up a packet of papers that was sitting on a table just inside the door.
"Read through this information," he said, showing them the packet. "This is everything you might possibly need to know about the base and your status as guests of the rangers. There is a map and a list of things you have access to and their locations. There is also a copy of the rules and regulations in detail as well as a copy of behavior expectations. A simplified version of all of that is posted on the wall next to the door."
Wes pointed at it and Eric actually reached up to tap it.
"If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask," Wes continued. "The phone on the table here is for emergencies. Pick it up and press the button. Someone will answer who can assist you."
"So, like room service?" Will asked.
Wes and Eric both shook their heads.
"No, not room ser—"
"Then what's the point?" Christine frowned.
Eric and Wes exchanged a look.
"They can answer your questions," Eric shrugged. "So, if you really want room service, ask nicely and maybe the embassy staff might oblige. But they are under no obligation to act as room service of any kind."
"Anyways," Wes said. "There will also be someone else stopping by later this morning who can answer more questions and who will show you around the base. They will escort you—at the very least until all appropriate permissions are set regarding where you are allowed to go. If you are hungry there are a few things already stocked in the refrigerator and cupboards for your use."
"And with that, we will take our leave," Eric said.
He turned and stepped out into the hall. Wes quickly followed, leaving the siblings alone in their room. Walking away, they started down the hall toward their room.
"And now I'm going back to bed," Wes yawned.
Eric stopped and looked at his watch.
"It's already almost 5a," he said. "We may as well just go get in a workout."
"Nope," Wes said, shaking his head. "Bed."
"Just some morning calisthenics!" he called after him.
"Not happening!" Wes called back.
Shaking his head, Eric jogged to catch up.
"This is why they say you're the weak one," Eric said.
"I might be the weak one, but at least I'll be happy," Wes shot back with a grin.
The two friends continued to bicker as they headed back toward their suite.
Kat sat at the table, staring at her cup of coffee. The food on the plate in front of her was cold—she had only eaten a few bites. Between Tommy being cryptic about what was going on in the med bay and the text he had sent not long after, she didn't have much of an appetite. She hadn't been any more pleased than Tommy to hear Christine and Will had been brought to base.
Right now, she was just anxiously waiting for the boys to wake up. It was only 7a, so she didn't expect to see them awake quite yet, especially after the full day they had the day before. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that Kat didn't hear JJ's bedroom door open.
"Mom?" JJ said right next to her.
Kat jumped, nearly spilling her coffee.
"Oh, JJ," she said, one hand going to her heart. "You scared me."
"Is everything alright?" JJ asked. "Where's dad? Is he still sleeping?"
Kat shook her head.
"No, he's not here," she said. "He went up to the med bay early this morning."
JJ's eyes widened.
"Is dad ok?" he asked.
"Dad is fine," Kat quickly reassured him, pulling him into a hug. "He went up to see a friend and as soon as you, Marc, and Trevor are ready for the day we'll head up there. Ok?"
"What friend?" JJ frowned, wiggling out of her hug. "Are Adam and Rocky ok?"
"As far as I know they are both still sleeping in their beds," Kat said. "Your father said he would explain everything when we got there. Now sit down. I'll make you breakfast while we wait for Marc and Trevor to wake up."
"I'll go wake them up!" JJ exclaimed, darting away before Kat could stop him.
"JJ, no—"
He had already disappeared into his bedroom. Kat sighed and went to make breakfast for them—and something else for herself—as she texted Tommy.