"Jason!" Kim exclaimed, poking her head into the living room. "What do you and Marc need from the resort? Jake is on the phone with the concierge right now. They are going to pack some of our things from our rooms and deliver them here before we leave so we don't have to go get them."
Jason glanced up from his phone. He'd been answering another text from his mother, making an excuse as to why he couldn't come for dinner that night without telling her anything about Tommy. Breakfast was done and they were all waiting to hear from Trini or Billy on what was happening next. Adam had just stepped out of the room a few minutes before to answer a call.
"We're fine, Kim," Jason said, shaking his head. "Christine is already bringing us some stuff from home. She should be here soon. Also, since when does a hotel deliver your luggage to you at a private address?"
"Oh," Kim said, frowning. "Alright…and I'm not sure. But when Jake called to tell them we wouldn't be back for a few days they offered so, apparently, they do...But maybe it's just because we're in Tommy's wing?"
She ducked back out of the room to talk to Jake.
"Just have them grab basics," she said. "I don't know that I trust Christine to grab anything practical. And we don't even know how long we might be at this base."
After breakfast there had been a bit of a scramble to find clean clothes for everyone. Zach had his luggage still in his car, so he was fine. As had Tanya and Adam since it was their house everyone had crashed at. Aisha had stopped at her house before joining Tanya the night before to grab clothes for herself, Rocky, and their kids. Kim, Jake, Jason, and Marc, however, didn't have quick access to anything without taking time to drive to the resort and back.
"I'll let them know," Jake said. "Is there anything else you want from our rooms?"
She shook her head.
"I already gave you my list," she said. "Thank you!"
An hour later there was a knock on the door. Adam opened it and was surprised to see Mark with several bags.
"Oh, hey Mark," Adam said. "When Kim said someone was bringing them things from the resort, I was not expecting you to be the delivery man."
Tommy's head of security shrugged.
"Kat called the resort," Mark said. "She didn't tell us the details, but we know Tommy is going to be out for a while. So, Tim and I figured we would help however we could. When Jake called to say none of you were going to be back for a few days he thought they might want some things."
"Thanks," Adam said gratefully.
"Anytime," Mark said. "Please keep us updated. The staff are all worried."
"We'll do our best," Adam promised. "Thanks again."
Taking the bags, Adam said goodbye and shut the door as Mark turned to leave.
"Kim!" he called down the hall. "Your stuff is here."
She popped out into the hallway.
"Wonderful," she said. "Do I have time to shower before we leave?"
"Go ahead," Adam chuckled. "I told Trini we were waiting on your stuff before we got ready to go. She's supposed to call me back soon with another update."
"Thanks!" Kim exclaimed.
She grabbed one of the bags and took off. Jake, who had followed Kim out into the hall, just watched her go with an amused look.
"I hope everything she needs is in that bag," Adam said, watching her go.
"I'll go check," Jake said, shaking his head. "But this bag should be Jason's. Because it isn't one of ours."
"I'll give it to him," Adam said, heading toward the living room.
Everyone else was crowded into the living room. The kids were running around in circles or playing with toys while the adults were sitting and trying to have a conversation.
"Jason, this is yours," Adam said, tossing him the bag.
"Christine was here?" Jason said in surprise. "And she didn't ask for me?"
Marc looked just as surprised at the mention of his mother. But Adam shook his head.
"It's from the resort," he said. "Mark just dropped it off."
"Oh," Jason frowned. "I thought I told Kim not to worry…"
"And you thought she wouldn't?" Aisha snorted. "You've known her for too long to think she wouldn't do it anyways."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Jason sighed. "But I'd still like to wait for Christine. If she shows up and I'm not here… I don't want her getting upset or thinking I lied to her."
"Don't worry, Jason," Tanya said. "If she doesn't show up before you leave, we'll just tell her there was an emergency and you couldn't wait. It will be fine."
"Thanks," he said. "But I'm still going to ask where she is."
He sent a text message asking for an update. Adam also took out his phone to call Trini and let her know they would be on their way soon.
"Hey, Trini," Adam said, walking back out into the hallway. "They have their luggage now. Kim is taking a shower and then we can get loaded up. Has anything changed?"
"No changes, just waiting on Tommy. There isn't anything more Dana or Angela can do right now," Trini said. "And Billy and I still think it's best if Tanya and Aisha keep the kids there. Tommy is stable and dragging the kids here would be hard on all of you. But you do need to bring Jason, Zach, Kim, and Jake. I know they have questions and it's time they finally got real answers."
"Already planning on it," Adam confirmed. "They were asking last night, but we told them it would have to wait until we got there."
"Oh, bring Marc, too," Trini added. "He's old enough now. I need to talk to him, too."
Adam frowned.
"What kind of talk are you thinking?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure Jason is—"
"Nothing too detailed," Trini said quickly. "But he's bound to have noticed things at this point and since I'm sure Jason will be around all of us more often, it's better that we cover our tracks now. Tell Jason not to worry. We won't reveal more than we have to."
"Alright," Adam said. "I'll let you know when we leave so someone can plan to meet us."
"Oh! Wait!"
"What is it?"
"Any chance one of you can check if Tommy left his truck unlocked?" Trini asked. "My luggage is still in there… I'd like to have it. I mean, I have some things here but…"
Adam chuckled.
"I'll run to the dojo and check," he said. "If I can get in, I'll bring your stuff."
"Thank you, Adam."
Adam ended the call as he stepped back into the living room.
"We're leaving as soon as Kim is ready to go," he announced. "So, you may want to change, Jason. You, too, Marc."
"Wait—me?" Marc said in surprise. "Where am I going?"
"You're coming with us," Adam said, glancing at Jason. "Trini wants to talk to you about something."
"About what?" Marc asked.
"I'm not sure," Adam said, shrugging.
"Just go get dressed," Jason said, standing up and handing Marc the bag. "I'll get my stuff after you change."
Marc nodded and ran out of the room. Jason followed, dragging Adam out into the hallway with him.
"What does Trini want to talk to him about?" he asked quietly. "He doesn't know anything, Adam. And I'm not sure I'm ready for that to change."
"Trini isn't going to tell him anything that isn't necessary," Adam assured him. "But he's fourteen, Jason. He's going to notice things the younger kids don't. The more you are around the rest of us, the more he is bound to notice. JJ is only ten and Tommy and Kat are already having a hard time—though they have stayed more involved than you. He's going to have to know something—if only enough to keep him from asking more."
Jason sighed. He didn't really have an argument.
"You're probably right," he admitted. "But still…"
"It'll be alright," Adam said. "You can trust Trini's judgement. So go get ready. I want to get on the road soon."
"Christine should be here any time now," Jason said. "Could we just wait for her? She promised she was on her way."
Adam glanced at the time.
"I'll give you another half hour, Jason," he said. "But Rocky and I need to get you all to base so we can still get home tonight. I don't want to leave Tanya and Aisha alone with the kids for another whole night. They didn't get any more sleep than we did."
"Yeah, I get it," Jason sighed. "Half an hour works."
"Alright," Adam nodded. "I'll be back in a few. I just need to run to the dojo real quick and see if I can get into Tommy's truck—Trini left her bag in there. And probably let my staff know it's going to be there for a bit."
Half an hour later, Christine still hadn't appeared. So, they started loading up Adam and Rocky's cars. Adam had gotten back a few minutes before, having successfully retrieved Trini's luggage.
"Kim and Jake, you're riding with me," Adam said. "There's room in the trunk for your bags. You'll both need to ride in the back."
"In the back?" Kim repeated. "Why?"
"I'll explain on the way," Adam said. "We have a bit of a drive ahead of us. Zach, Jason, and Marc—you'll be riding with Rocky. Jason, take the front seat with him."
They had all just finished putting luggage in the trucks of the cars when Christine finally pulled up to the house. Jason sighed in relief and walked over to the car to meet her.
"You almost missed us," he said. "I told you to hurry. It's been almost three hours."
"I'm sorry," Christine pouted. "But I wanted to make sure you had enough in case you were gone for a few days and some of your stuff was dirty. So, I washed it."
Jason sighed, taking the duffle bag from the car.
"Thank you," he said, trying to be patient. "I do appreciate it. But we have to go."
"Fine," she sighed. "Oh, but I also brought you some food. Something to eat that isn't hospital cafeteria food."
She grabbed a small lunchbox out of the front seat and held it out to him.
"I made you a sandwich and put some snacks and a water bottle in there," she said. "Just in case."
Jason hesitated but took the lunchbox.
"Oh, and I made one for Marc, too, so you don't have to share or worry about him."
She grabbed a brown bag and handed it over as well.
"Thanks," he said. "I'll call you when I can."
"Ok…" she said. "And I'm sorry your friend died… let me know if you need anything else."
Jason stopped, frowning.
"He didn't die, Christine," he said shortly. "It was a rough night, but he's going to be fine. We're going to visit him right now. They moved him to a private hospital early this morning."
"Oh," she said quickly. "I'm sorry—I just thought…"
Jason shook his head.
"It's fine," he said. "Look, I've got to go. I'll call you when I can."
He turned and walked away, climbing into the front seat of Rocky's car. Christine got into her own car and drove away.
"Everyone ready?" Rocky asked, glancing around the car. "Let's get out of here."
"Here, Marc," Jason said, handing the brown bag to him. "Your mom sent you food."
"What is it?" Marc asked, taking the bag and eyeing it suspiciously.
"Not a clue," Jason answered, shaking his head. "Just take a look. If you don't want to eat it, we'll toss it later. Actually, if it isn't something simple like a sandwich, still don't eat it. I still don't trust her cooking…"
"Alright," Marc said, opening the bag to inspect the contents.
On the road to Mariner Bay, CA
"So where exactly are we going?" Kim asked a little while later, leaning forward to talk to Adam. "And why are we both back here?"
Adam glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
"We are going to Mariner Bay and the Lightspeed Rescue base," he answered. "Billy and Trini will explain more when we get there, but it is the best place for Tommy to be right now. Dana knows his entire medical history—including all of the things we can't share with a regular physician. Plus, the rangers have access to a lot more medical resources and advances than any normal hospital."
"Oh!" Kim exclaimed. "Wait… Lightspeed—Dana is a ranger!"
Adam laughed.
"Yes," he said. "She is Lightspeed's pink."
"I should have guessed that," Kim said. "Especially since I have heard about Lightspeed before."
Jake was glancing back and forth between Adam and Kim.
"Should I be hearing any of this?" he asked hesitantly. "I mean, I knew about Kim and I guessed some about the rest of you but…"
"You are about to know a whole lot more," Adam said, smiling at Jake through the rearview mirror. "It won't be everything, but if Kim trusted you enough to talk about herself then it isn't a problem. The reds have already voted to let you in on our world—to the extent we let any non-rangers in. Especially since you have clearly had years to spill our secret and you haven't."
"I'd never do that," Jake quickly assured him.
"I wouldn't have brought you if that was even remotely a concern," Adam answered. "Tommy vouched for you with the rest. So did Rocky and I. And Conner."
Jake looked at Adam in surprise.
"Conner knows?" Jake exclaimed.
Adam just smiled and nodded, but didn't expand on Conner's involvement.
"So then why are we back here?" Kim asked again.
"Security," Adam said. "The base is a safe haven for all rangers. But someone has to watch who comes and goes and there aren't enough rangers that we want to make someone sit at a gate. And we risk a breach if we just rely on technology. But the fewer faces they recognize the better—and they don't know any names at all. Except for the Lightspeed team and some of the groups who are publicly known."
"But aren't you worried about them knowing who you are?" Kim asked.
Adam shook his head.
"No," he said. "They only know my face. They don't know my name. And only select members of Lightspeed's organization—or the SPD officers—are allowed to guard the ranger entrances. They have some of the highest security clearance on the base."
"Oh," Kim said. "So, we are back here so they don't see us?"
"Exactly," Adam nodded. "And they won't actually look in my car at all. Because the first thing they will do is verify if my vehicle is authorized for entrance—which it is. So as long as I don't speak or look at them, they'll let us through without a problem."
Kim and Jake looked at each other.
"But what if someone took your car?" Kim asked. "Couldn't they get in with it?"
"I'd like to see them try," Adam chuckled. "What is the first instinct when you pull up to a guarded entrance?"
They didn't answer for a moment, thinking.
"Oh," Jake said, catching on. "You would look at the guard."
"And possibly try to identify yourself," Adam said, nodding. "If that happens, they'll let the car through and radio ahead a warning. They won't get much further after that without someone intercepting them. So, if I'm arriving in an authorized car, I don't look at them or speak unless I'm under duress. That tells them I'm supposed to be here."
"What if the car isn't authorized?" Jake asked curiously. "Like what if we were in my car?"
"Then the driver needs to be on the authorized list," Adam said. "There is a very specific list of faces they have to memorize as part of this job. The guard will have you roll the window down when they don't recognize the car so they can verify the driver. You simply make eye contact and state how many others are in the vehicle with you. If I don't make eye contact or say anything besides the number of passengers, they know there is a problem and the same procedures as before follows."
"You have really thought this out," Jake said. "I'm impressed."
"It wasn't me," Adam said, shaking his head. "Captain Mitchell came up with most of it when we decided to base the ranger embassy on his base. He wanted all rangers to feel safe coming here at any time. No one makes it past the gate without one of the two forms of authorization. New rangers are escorted in until they can be added to the system. And any alternate forms of arrival have to be cleared ahead of time—or are met with force."
"Will they need to know my face?" Kim asked hesitantly.
"No," Adam said firmly. "They only know the faces of the reds and a few others who come and go frequently. The fewer the better—especially for those of us who still want our identities to remain firmly a secret. For anyone who will only come occasionally, they will give you a marker for your vehicle."
Kim sat back in relief, and they were all silent for a few minutes.
"So, where exactly is this place again?" Jake asked a little while later.
Mariner Bay, CA
"Mom, where are we going?" JJ asked, trailing behind her. "Cause it kind of seems like we're just going back to the room and I'd rather wait for dad to wake up."
It was morning and Kat was leading the way down the hallway.
"Going to meet Billy," she said, not explaining any further.
She was already nervous about having this conversation without being able to talk to Tommy first. They had talked about it in the past, but they had always talked about telling JJ together. But now they were here, and Tommy was unconscious, and JJ was already asking questions. He was going to start putting pieces together sooner rather than later now that he was surrounded by everything Power Rangers. They had covered the basic rules of the embassy when he woke up that morning, but with who Tommy was they needed to go one step further.
"Why?" JJ pressed.
Kat sighed.
"We will talk about it when we get there," she answered patiently.
JJ grumbled but didn't argue. They reached the Command suite, which JJ just knew as their rooms, a moment later. They were all being very careful not to call it the Command suite in front of the ten-year-old. If only because Kat had zero intention of telling their son that Tommy was the current acting head of the rangers. Billy was waiting outside.
"Greetings," he said, nodding at them.
"Good morning, Billy," Kat answered with a faint smile. "Thank you for helping."
"Of course," he said. "I am happy to assist."
Kat opened the door and ushered JJ in.
"We'll use the other room," she said. "No distractions and less chance of the kids interrupting us."
Billy chuckled and nodded, knowing exactly which kids she was talking about. JJ frowned and followed in confusion as Kat led the way across the kitchen and opened the far door.
"What is this room, mom?" JJ asked curiously. "I was in Rae and Izzy's room and they don't have a place like this."
They had just walked into a small conference room. There was a set up for a projector on one wall and a large table filled the middle of the room. A dozen chairs sat around it.
"It was meant to be a meeting room," Billy answered. "However, it no longer fits our needs. Now it is reserved for small, exclusive meetings. It is not used frequently. Mostly when someone needs to meet with your father."
"About him working with the Power Rangers?" JJ asked, dropping into a chair.
Kat sat next to him while Billy sat on his other side.
"Sometimes," Billy nodded.
"So, then why are we in here now?"
Kat took a deep breath.
"We need to talk to you about your dad," she said.
JJ's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face.
"Why?" he exclaimed. "Did something happen? Is dad ok? You said he was gonna be fine!"
"JJ, no," Kat said quickly. "Nothing like that. Nothing else happened and your dad is going to be just fine. I swear. He's the same as when you last saw him a little bit ago. We just needed to talk."
"About what then?" JJ demanded. "Are you sure nothing is going on? Is dad gonna be paralyzed or something?"
Kat sighed.
"Wait—is he?"
"No, JJ," Kat repeated. "I promise he's going to be just fine. But we needed to talk to you a little more before everyone gets here to see him. I want to make sure you understand why we are here instead of a normal hospital."
JJ frowned.
"Isn't it just cause dad helps the rangers sometimes?" he asked.
"Yes," Billy agreed. "At least, to an extent. But there is a little more to it than that. Because there is more to the story your father told you the last time you were here."
"There is?"
Kat nodded.
"There is."
"So, your mother and I agreed it was best we share some further information with you," Billy continued. "Especially given our current circumstances. It is important you understand some of the concerns that have been expressed and the information surrounding those concerns."
JJ nodded slowly.
"But what else do you know that I don't about dad?"
"Do you remember the rules your mom covered this morning?" Billy asked as an answer.
"Yep," JJ nodded. "I don't ask questions cause the rangers like their privacy. And if someone does tell me something I need to keep their secret from anyone who doesn't already know. So, if I'm not sure I just don't say anything. Or I get locked in here til I can be good…"
Billy chuckled as JJ tacked on the last part.
"Close enough," he said. "As to what I know about your father… well, I know everything. Because I was there."
"What does that mean?" JJ frowned.
"You know I am also involved with the rangers, correct?"
JJ nodded.
"However, I am not involved due to your Aunt Hayley's involvement," Billy said. "Rather, it is because I am the original Mighty Morphin' blue ranger. Your father's teammate for a time."
There was a moment of silence as Kat and Billy waited for JJ's response. For a minute he said nothing, staring at Billy.
"No way!" he finally exclaimed. "Really? That's like the coolest thing ever! Mom!"
He whipped back around to look at Kat.
"Mom! Uncle Billy is a Power Ranger!"
"I know," she said with an amused smile.
"You did?" he said. "Wait—were you one, too?"
"I was not one of the original six rangers with him," Kat answered, shaking her head.
JJ frowned, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'll come back to that later," he said, turning back to Billy. "This is so cool! But why are you telling me now?"
"Because your dad is—ill," Billy said. "And we are uncertain as to the actual cause. You remember your father said part of what he does for us is keep our identities a secret, correct?"
JJ nodded.
"So, he already knows you're a ranger?"
"He does. He knows all of us and is a trusted ally and good friend. Which is why we protect him."
"And he found out cause the bad guy made him fight you and you rescued him?"
"Yes and no," Billy said. "Your father was actually aware of who we were before we knew his true identity."
"But how?" JJ asked. "I know dad is smart, but how did he figure it out when no one else did?"
"He was given the information by our enemy when she placed him under the spell that forced him to fight us," Billy answered.
He paused, taking a deep breath as he looked at Kat. She nodded. This is the part Tommy had always been concerned about.
"He then fought against us for a period," he continued. "As her green ranger. Making several attempts to kill us all before we were able to free him."
JJ blinked. He turned to look at Kat who nodded.
"Dad was an evil ranger?" he said in surprise. "He didn't just fight you? He was an actual ranger who was evil?"
"Yes," Billy confirmed. "Though it was not by choice. As your father explained before, he was forced to fight us."
"I guess it makes more sense he fought you as an evil ranger instead of a normal person…"
Billy nodded and pressed on. The idea was to get a bulk of the information out now, so that maybe JJ wouldn't ask more questions. And give him a chance to process it before Tommy woke up.
"The witch we were fighting. She kidnapped him and brainwashed him. He was given a sword that further possessed him. We could not get through to him. Eventually we were able to destroy it, freeing him from her control. At that time, he chose to join us and continued to fight with us for a time before his powers were taken away by the same witch."
"But how could she just take them?"
"There was a situation with a candle and his coin," Kat answered. "That they weren't able to resolve in time."
JJ looked at her in surprise.
"You know," he said accusingly.
"Your father has never kept secrets from me, JJ," she said. "I wasn't around during that time of his life, but he's told me about it."
He still eyed her but went back to Billy.
"Why did dad keep fighting with you?"
"He wanted to make reparations for any damage he unintentionally caused," Billy explained. "Though none of us have ever blamed him for the actions that were not his own. However, we were happy to have his strength. Our leader offered him a place among us, and his skills were invaluable to our efforts. We had gained a valuable asset for good. One that saved all of our lives on more than one occasion."
Billy's phone went off and he glanced at it. Sighing, he stood.
"I apologize," he said. "But my presence is required for meeting a new arrival. JJ?"
"Yeah?"
"I will leave you with some time to think on all of this," Billy said with a smile. "If you have more questions now, feel free to ask your mother. She is fully aware of your father's ranger history. Or you and I may talk more later."
"Ok."
Billy slipped out, leaving Kat and JJ alone. Both were quiet for a moment.
"JJ, are you alright?" Kat asked quietly, putting a hand on his knee. "Did you have any questions?"
He looked up from staring in his lap.
"So, you've known dad and Uncle Billy were rangers?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"I guess that explains a lot more," he sighed.
"Is there anything else you'd like to know?"
JJ shook his head.
"No."
"Ok," Kat said slowly. "But if you think of any I'm right—"
"Yeah, yeah," JJ said, standing abruptly. "I know. Can we go now?"
Kat sighed and stood.
"Yes," she said. "Come on…"
On the road to Mariner Bay
"Are we there yet?" Zach complained from the backseat. "Or can you at least tell us where we are going? I hate riding in the back…"
Rocky took a deep breath.
"For the millionth time, Zach—no," Rocky said irritably. "And I swear, if you ask me that one more time you can walk the rest of the way. We have a teenager in the car and you're the bigger problem!"
"You can't leave me," Zach protested. "I don't even know where we are let alone where we are going."
"That's not my problem," Rocky retorted. "Quit complaining, we'll be there soon."
For the first part of the ride, Marc, Zach, and even Jason had tried to get Rocky to tell them where they were going. But he wouldn't say anything. He just kept saying they would get answers when they arrived. He followed closely behind Adam's car the entire way.
Zach grumbled but fell silent.
A little while later they pulled off the main road and onto a side road that ran parallel to a tall fence. It was double layered and topped with barbed wire. Security cameras could be seen every so often.
"Where are we?" Marc asked, staring out the window.
"Almost there," Rocky answered.
Ahead of them, Adam slowed and turned in at an opening in the fence.
"Alright," Rocky said. "When I pull in, no one says a word."
"Why—" Zach started to ask.
"Not a word," Rocky interrupted. "I'm serious. Don't say anything and look straight ahead. Jason, put these on."
Rocky fished out a baseball hat and some sunglasses.
"Alright…" Jason said slowly, confused but following the direction.
"Someone will explain more later," Rocky said. "Me or someone else. Just do what I say until we are past the gate—alright?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Adam's car had continued on past the guard house, so now it was their turn. Rocky pulled up, slowing to a stop next to the guard house. He stared straight ahead, not saying a word, and the other three in the car followed his lead. A moment later, the barricade went up and the guard was waving them through.
"You can take those off now, Jason," Rocky said once they were through. "Just stick them in the glove compartment."
"Dude, where are we?" Zach asked, looking up ahead.
Ahead of them several large buildings could be seen. Adam, still in the lead, was heading straight toward one of them.
"Welcome to Lightspeed Rescue," Rocky said in answer. "Home of the Power Ranger embassy."
"We're at a Power Ranger base?" Marc exclaimed, leaning as far forward as he could with a seatbelt on.
He was looking ahead eagerly now. Jason, on the other hand, flinched when Rocky announced where they were. He had been stressing through most of the ride about what Trini was going to tell Marc. Now Rocky had straight out told his son they were going to be around Power Rangers.
"Dad! The ground is opening!" Marc half-shouted in Jason's ear.
Jason refocused on what was happening ahead of them. Marc was right. Part of the pavement was lifting up and Adam drove straight into the tunnel that had appeared. Rocky followed without hesitation. The tunnel led to an underground garage. There were other vehicles parked there including some vehicles they recognized. Rocky parked next to Adam and they all started climbing out of the cars. Marc was bouncing excitedly and looking around.
"Welcome to Lightspeed," a voice said behind them.
"Hey, Carter," Rocky said, pulling bags out of his trunk.
Adam was doing the same, not fazed that Carter was meeting them. Zach, Kim, and Jake looked at Carter in confusion, not recognizing him right away. Jason recognized him but hesitated as he glanced at his son who was bouncing up and down next to him.
"It's good to see you again, Jason," Carter said with a smile.
"You too, Carter," Jason said hesitantly.
"Dad—he's a power ranger!" Marc said eagerly, tugging on Jason's shirt. "Do you really know a power ranger? Why didn't you tell me?"
Jason winced.
"Umm… well…" he hesitated, scrambling for an answer.
"We asked him not to," Carter answered for Jason. "Your dad helped us with a situation some years ago and we asked him not to talk to anyone about it. So, if you don't know, that means he kept his word."
Jason breathed a sigh of relief, nodding a silent thank you to Carter. Rocky handed Jason his two duffle bags and tossed Zach his. Jake had already gotten his and Kim's bag from Adam's trunk. Adam was carrying Trini's bags.
"Follow me," Carter said, walking away.
Marc was still bouncing as he walked next to Jason.
"I know you are excited, Marc," Jason said, glancing over at him. "But aren't you supposed to be too cool to act like this?"
"I don't know," Marc said, shrugging.
"It might have something to do with the 38oz bag of M&Ms he ate on the way here," Zach commented, shifting his bag on his shoulder.
"The what?" Jason exclaimed, looking at Zach.
"Yeah, it was in the lunch bag you gave him," Zach said.
"And you let him eat the whole thing?" Jason said, exasperated.
"Hey! He's not my kid," Zach said. "I don't have kids. I don't know what they should eat."
Jason groaned.
"Marc, what else was in there?" he asked.
"Umm… a giant bag of beef jerky," Marc said. "An orange. Oh! And two cans of soda."
Jason grimaced.
"And did you eat it all?" he asked, afraid of the answer.
"No," Marc said, shaking his head. "I still have the orange."
He pulled it out of his pocket and Jason sighed.
"Great," he muttered. "I guess I should have checked first…"
"I was wondering why you let him have that," Zach snickered.
Jason shot a glare at him. Carter led the way out of the garage to an elevator. He placed his hand on a scanner to open it and then again on another scanner inside the elevator once they were all inside. Marc continued to watch excitedly.
"This is so cool," he said.
"We'll be heading down to the ranger levels," Carter explained as the elevator started moving downward. "Tommy is in the med bay one level up from residential. You can all see him a little bit later, but he still hasn't woken up."
"Does Dana have any idea when he might wake up?" Adam asked.
Carter shook his head as the elevator came to a stop.
"There's no way to tell," he said. "It's completely up to Tommy at this point. He'll wake up when he is ready."
The elevator door opened. Trini was waiting on the other side.
"Why are the rangers helping Tommy?" Marc asked curiously, looking at Carter as they all piled out of the elevator into a wide hallway.
"Because they consider Tommy to be one of them," Trini answered before Carter could.
"Really?" Marc said in surprise. "But why? Is he a ranger?"
Jason braced himself for Trini's answer. He still didn't know what she intended to tell Marc.
"When Tommy was fourteen, he was put under a spell by an evil witch," Trini said, ignoring Marc's second question. "He was forced to fight against the rangers in Angel Grove for a long time as the green ranger. Eventually they rescued him, but they still felt responsible because the witch wouldn't have taken Tommy if it wasn't for them."
Marc stared silently as Trini explained. Behind him, Jason, Kim, and Zach all flinched a little at the reminder of what happened to Tommy. Even after all this time it was still a sore spot.
"After they freed him, Tommy helped keep their secrets," she continued. "So, to repay him for his help, they now offer Tommy and his close family and friends protection and aid whenever they require it. That's why Dana came to bring him here, where he will get the best care possible while he recovers."
"If she can keep him in bed," Rocky muttered, grunting when Adam elbowed him.
Trini put a hand on her hip, glaring at the two men.
"How about you two go with Carter so he can show Zach, Kim, and Jake to their rooms?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I need to talk with Jason and Marc for a moment."
"We're going," Adam said.
He headed off down the hall behind Carter, hauling Rocky behind him. Zach snickered as he followed the rest, the whole group disappearing around a corner down the hall. Jason and Marc stayed with Trini.
"What's going on?" Marc asked, looking between Jason and Trini. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," Trini assured him. "But this is your first time here and since you are old enough, there are some things you need to know that some of the younger kids don't."
Marc blinked in surprise. Jason put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.
"Ok," he said slowly.
"Now, while you are here you are going to see familiar faces," Trini said seriously. "Some of them may be rangers. Others will be here because they have helped the rangers in the past or are currently working with them. The most important rule I'm going to give you is this…"
She paused, making sure she had Marc's full attention.
"We are trusting you by letting you be here," she said. "So, in turn, you are not to ask anyone if they are a ranger. Nor will you go out of your way to try and figure out if they are on your own. If a ranger is comfortable with you knowing their identity, they will share it with you on their own. And if they do, you will keep that information a secret from anyone who does not already know. Or anyone you aren't sure knows. Can you promise me that?"
Mark hesitated for a moment, looking at Jason. Jason just nodded.
"I promise," Marc said firmly. "I won't say anything—or ask anything."
"Thank you," Trini said. "Since you are fourteen you are going to hear more than the other kids do—possibly even JJ. And he already knows a lot more than he should because of his father."
Marc nodded solemnly. Billy came walking down the hall to join Trini. He'd just walked out of a room at the far end of the hall in the same direction the others had gone.
"Sorry I am late," he said. "I was with Kat and JJ when I received your message. Then I was stopped by Kelsey calling on my way out to meet you. We are still trying to find Joel's hat. Rae and Izzy have found somewhere quite creative this time and they are not sharing."
Trini sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Why he lets them get anywhere near his hat if it is such an issue I will never understand," she said. "But Marc has given his word to follow the rules."
"Perfect," Billy said, nodding.
He paused, glancing at Jason and then back to Marc.
"Marc, you know me as one of your dad's oldest friends," Billy said.
"Yeah," Marc nodded. "At least I do now… dad never really talked about you before. He said you weren't around anymore the one time I asked about you in the pictures."
Billy chuckled, looking at Jason again.
"He was correct to an extent," Billy said. "I did live off planet for quite some time. But I would like to formally introduce myself to you."
Marc and Jason both frowned, looking at Billy.
"I fought as the original blue ranger in my youth," Billy said. "And now I work with the ranger network to protect past rangers and their families. It will be easier for you to be here if you know that. Just as you should already know that Trini is the UN ambassador for the Power Rangers."
Marc's eyes opened wide and his head whipped back and forth between Jason, Billy, and Trini. Jason stared at Billy in surprise. He had not expected him to just tell Marc that information.
"Your friend is a power ranger?" Marc finally managed to stammer out, looking at Jason.
"Yes, he is," Jason confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Did you know?" Marc asked.
"I did," Jason admitted. "But it's always been a secret."
"So, is that how you got involved?" Marc said excitedly. "Because you knew Billy?"
"Sort of," Jason said hesitantly.
He didn't want to actually lie to Marc, but he wasn't ready for Marc to know about him yet.
"Come on, Jason," Trini said. "We'll show you where you two will be staying."
As they walked, Trini and Billy explained a little more of the set up. They were heading in the same direction the others had disappeared in.
"There are four levels to the ranger portions of Lightspeed's base," Trini started. "All four are underground beneath the garage where the vehicles are kept. Directly under the garage is the command level where we run security and where we meet in emergencies. Below that is our medical floor that is essentially its own hospital. It has everything we could possibly need to take care of someone in any kind of medical situation. The residential level, where we are, is next followed by a recreational floor where you can find things like the gym and cafeteria. Each floor is set up in a square with a center column for support. Essentially an underground tower."
She paused for a breath as they turned the corner at the end of the hall.
"The residential area is broken up into sections," Trini continued. "That way if we were ever to have an emergency that required all rangers be called back to the embassy at once, they all still have at least a little privacy. Each team has their own suite with enough space for themselves and potential spouses or children. It includes private bedrooms with bathrooms and a common area with a small kitchenette. They are based on a standard but customized to cater to the team assigned to the area when possible. All of the ranger suites are all along the outer edge of the tower to allow for larger rooms. We currently can house up to nineteen full teams if necessary. Five each on the north, east, and south sides of the tower and four on the west. Two of those rooms are currently unassigned but ready for use should a new team crop up. All of the rooms on the inner column are smaller and meant to house ranger family members should we ever actually need to retreat here to defend ourselves."
"So where are we staying?" Jason asked.
"You will be staying in my suite," Billy said. "I have the most extra space since most of the rest of my team is not usually around. Trini shares with me as well. This way you do not have to stay separated in the guest area where we would house more extended family in an absolute emergency. Kim, Zach, and Jake will be staying with us as well."
Jason shot Billy a look, but he just shrugged with a smile. They'd made it around the corner and past the first door and now Billy stopped in front of another. Rather than placing his hand on the sensor, he tapped a few options first and then placed his hand. Jason was only partially paying attention, his gaze now focused on the symbol on the door. Their team's symbol.
"Place your hand here, Marc," Billy said, stepping aside.
Marc followed his instruction without hesitation, placing his hand on the sensor pad. It lit up for a moment and then the door opened. Jason jumped a little and shook himself out of his thoughts.
"I have placed your handprint in the system," Billy explained to Marc, gesturing for them to enter. "Most doors require handprint access except for some of the public areas such as the cafeteria. The system will recognize if you are allowed access or not. If you are not allowed, the door will simply not open."
Jason glanced around as they walked inside. The room they entered had an open layout, allowing it to look a lot bigger than it actually was. To the left when they walked in was a small kitchen and dining room space with a large dining table. Hayley was sitting at the table working on her computer. To the right was a living room with a large couch and multiple recliners. Zach, Kim, and Jake were looking around with Rae and Izzy pointing out things and showing them where things were. Adam and Rocky were nowhere to be seen. Straight across the room on the back wall were six doors that Jason guessed were the bedrooms. Each door had a symbol on it that Jason recognized immediately.
"Daddy!" Rae exclaimed when Billy entered.
He caught her when she ran and jumped into his arms.
"Did you find the hat?" Rae giggled.
"No," Billy said. "Are you ever going to give it back to Joel?"
"Maybe…" Rae said.
"Izzy, will you show Jason his room?" Billy asked before turning back to Jason. "I had them place two beds in the room, so you and Marc do not have to share."
Izzy nodded excitedly and bounced over to one of the doors, though Jason knew without following her which one would be his. Billy was just covering for him. Jason and Marc followed her. Jason paused in front of the door, touching the symbol on it briefly with a smile. Marc didn't even notice as Izzy opened the door. They went inside to take a look. Jason glanced around as he dropped the two duffle bags on one of the beds. There was a bathroom like Billy had said, but there was also a closet and a dresser. It was essentially set up to be a bedroom like someone would have in an apartment.
"We can put our things away later, Marc," Jason said. "Once I actually figure out how long we are going to be here."
Marc bounced back out of the room and Jason followed, snagging the lunchbox out of the bag Christine had brought. Marc had eaten his food, but Jason hadn't even opened his. He just wanted to put it in the fridge to keep it cool in case he wanted it later.
Out in the living room, Trini and Hayley were talking quietly with Zach, Kim, and Jake. Billy was crouched down talking with Rae and Izzy. When Jason came out, he stood back up.
"Rae and Izzy are going to show Marc around for a while," Billy said. "There is a gym where they can run around, a cafeteria if he is hungry, and several other ways to keep them entertained. There is also a small library if he has any homework to work on."
"Uh, Billy?" Jason said, walking over to the fridge. "Some of us do take a break in the summer…"
Billy paused and then laughed.
"I apologize," he said sheepishly. "My daughters are homeschooled, so they essentially have school all year long. It keeps them motivated."
"And out of trouble," Hayley said drily. "Or at least some trouble. Girls, when you are showing Marc around you need to let him open the doors. Remember, you have special access to some areas that he doesn't. Ok?"
"Ok, mom," Izzy agreed.
"And we are heading to the med bay," Trini told Jason.
"I want to visit Uncle Tommy!" Rae announced, heading for the door.
Billy caught her.
"Not right now," he said.
"But he's in a visitor room," she pouted. "You said I can visit in a visitor room."
"Uncle Tommy is still sleeping," Billy said. "You do not want to wake him up while he is sick—do you?"
Rae frowned, thinking.
"No…" she finally sighed. "But you can't wake him up either."
"We are going to talk to Dana," Hayley said as Rae wiggled down out of Billy's arms. "So, if she is in Uncle Tommy's room we will wait for her in the hallway. Alright?"
Rae nodded.
"Ok," she said. "Can I visit later?"
Billy and Hayley both nodded.
"Yes, you can visit him later," Hayley promised. "Now be good and show Marc around. And again, let him open the doors. And no hacking the panels!"
She shooed them out the door as the adults behind her exchanged concerned looks. Trini and Billy were the only two not fazed by the comment.
"Should they be alone?" Zach asked.
"It's fine," Hayley said. "If they try anything the system will alert me. They just need a reminder sometimes when they are excited."
She walked back over to the table and picked up a tablet.
"Now," she said briskly. "Let me get all of you entered into the system while we head to the med bay."
Tablet in hand, Hayley shooed them all out the door and back around the corner toward the elevator as she started entering them into the system.
"You will all have more access than the kids," she said as they walked. "Though there will still be areas off limits to most of you, as well. But it's mostly just a couple of places on the command level and that's because the fewer people who have access to secure areas, the more secure they are. Jason—both hands, one at a time please."
She held out the tablet for him to place his hands on, one at a time. She took it back when he was done and then typed a few more things in. Reaching the elevator, she unlocked it and let everyone in before following herself.
"Kim," she said. "Same thing."
Kim placed her hands on the tablet one at a time. Hayley pressed her hand to the panel to get the elevator moving.
"So, our medical floor is fully equipped to handle all kinds of medical emergencies," Hayley said as she took the tablet and got it ready for Zach. "There are twenty recovery rooms set up with two beds each around the outer edge of the tower structure—though they could hold more in an actual emergency. Which we pray never happens. The other half of the floor is dedicated to treatment rooms and the operating areas as well as storage for equipment we don't use very often. Fortunately, we don't have to use the area much. But we like to be prepared. The rooms on the center column are mostly offices and more storage. Zach."
The elevator had stopped, but Hayley didn't immediately open the elevator door. Instead, she held out the tablet to Zach.
"So, why doesn't it just open?" Jason asked curiously as Hayley finished with Zach and moved on to Jake.
"Security," Hayley answered absently. "Everyone is able to use the elevators. Built into the central support of the tower, they do run all the way up into the public levels of the building. But we needed to be able to restrict floor access. So, if someone who isn't allowed on the command level tries to open the elevator there, the door simply won't open. Same thing keeps anyone from trying to access any of the ranger levels without authorization. Hence the need to use the scanner both inside and outside of the elevator. Anyone without authority wouldn't even be able to take the elevator down this far. It just wouldn't move."
Finishing with Jake, Hayley placed her hand on the pad and opened the door. She continued to fuss with the tablet as she led the way down the hall.
"You should all be set now," she said, locking the tablet. "If you have any questions about where you are allowed to go, just ask. Here we are."
They found Rocky and Adam talking with Angela and Kat in the hallway. JJ was sitting in a chair looking at his phone, earbuds in his ears. He glanced up as they walked over and immediately went back to his phone.
"How is Tommy?" Kim asked, rushing to give Kat a hug.
"Still the same," Angela answered. "We still don't know for sure what caused it—and it is going to take us a while to figure it out without a reference. The lab is running blood tests, but it will be a process figuring out exactly what he was drugged with since we don't have a starting reference."
In the room, Conner was lounging in the chair next to Tommy's bed when Tommy started to shift around like he was waking up. He started mumbling and Conner shot upright.
"Dr. O?" he said, leaning forward. "Dr. O, can you hear me?"
Tommy didn't answer immediately, but his eyes opened. He looked around slowly, blinking his eyes as he tried to process his surroundings. Ethan, Trent, and Kira, who were sitting nearby, rushed over to join Conner by the bed. The latter two had arrived not long after Ethan and Conner early that morning and none of them had left the room since.
"Where am I?" Tommy mumbled after a moment.
"You're at Lightspeed," Conner answered. "In the medical bay—but everything is fine."
Tommy grimaced, his brow furrowing as he looked around again.
"Lightspeed?" he repeated. "The base?"
"Yes," Conner said. "We're at the base."
Tommy started shaking his head.
"No—that's not… that's not right," he muttered. "I was… somewhere…"
The monitor he was hooked up to started to beep faster as Tommy's heart rate started to go up.
"The dojo," he said, trying to remember how he got here. "There was—they were there and… JJ. They took JJ."
His heart rate shot up again. Tommy started to sit up.
"JJ is fine, Dr. O," Conner said quickly, putting a hand on his shoulder to try and keep him lying down. "Ethan!"
Ethan turned and bolted toward the door. Tommy was still trying to get up.
"No," he said. "No—they took them. I have to—I have to get them. They're gone. Conner, they took them!"
"Dr. O, I swear," Conner said. "They're in the hallway. No one was taken. Everyone is safe."
Out in the hallway, the group was still talking when they heard raised voices from inside the room. Before any of them could open the door to see what was going on, it slid open and Ethan popped out.
"Oh! Hi!" Ethan said, glancing around in surprise at the group. "Umm… JJ!"
He grabbed JJ by the arm and hauled him into the room. JJ yelped and started to fight back in surprise until he realized it was Ethan who had ahold of him. Ethan disappeared back into the room with JJ. Kat followed to see what was going on. Everyone else started to crowd in behind.
Inside, Tommy had woken up. Conner was standing over his bed, trying to keep him from getting up with his hands on Tommy's shoulders. Kira and Trent were standing behind him as Ethan booked it across the room with JJ. The heart rate monitor was beeping faster as Tommy's heart rate spiked.
"Slow down, Dr. O," Conner said. "Don't get up—you're safe. We're all fine. I swear."
Tommy's head was moving from side to side as he looked around in confusion and he was still trying to sit up. Conner's grip on his shoulder was the only thing keeping him lying down. Kat, seeing him awake, ran over to his bed.
"Tommy!" she exclaimed.
His head whipped in her direction as Ethan dropped JJ next to the bed.
"Dad!" JJ exclaimed, drawing Tommy's attention to him. "You're awake!"
"JJ," Tommy said, relief in his voice as he sagged back against his pillow. "JJ, you're alright."
"Umm… yeah?" JJ said.
"Tommy," Kat said, grabbing his hand. "Thank goodness."
"Kat?" he said.
His heart rate had calmed down a little, but it was still up. Angela and the rest of the group from the hallway had crowded inside and flooded the room with people. Tommy looked at them but didn't acknowledge anyone. He just looked back at Kat, JJ, and the Dino Thunder rangers. Conner had taken a step back now that Tommy wasn't trying to get out of bed and Hayley had joined the group by the bed.
"What's going on?" Tommy asked. "I don't understand… why are we here?"
"It's alright, Tommy," Kat said soothingly. "Everything is fine."
"But we weren't—here…" he said. "The dojo…"
"What do you remember, Tommy?" Angela asked as she hurried forward. "Do you know who I am?"
He frowned, turning his head to look at her.
"Angela," he said slowly. "Why?"
"Ok, that's good," she said. "I just want to see what you can remember right now. Do you know her?"
She pointed to Kat.
"Kat?" he said, frowning.
"And she is?" Angela pressed.
"My wife," Tommy said irritably.
Kat squeezed his hand again and he looked over at her.
"How about her?" Angela asked, pointing to Hayley this time.
Tommy sighed.
"Hayley," he answered.
"Who is?"
"Obnoxious," Tommy said shortly.
"I think we should probably stop that line of questioning, Angela," Kat said. "I don't think it's helping."
"What is going on?" Tommy asked again. "How did I get here? Where did—they were back and I was surrounded. And…"
He trailed off, shaking his head with a grimace as he tried to make sense of what he remembered.
"They weren't there, Tommy," Kat said, placing her free hand on his cheek to get him to focus on her. "It wasn't real—you were hallucinating."
"I was—what?" he said, closing his eyes for a moment. "No—I saw them. They—they took JJ."
His eyes shot open, and he reached for JJ to reassure himself as his heart rate spiked for a moment.
"I saw them," he muttered, shaking his head.
"Do you remember anything else?" Angela asked.
Tommy closed his eyes again, his brow furrowing.
"We were at the dojo…" he said slowly. "A party? I—the kids were there. They were playing… and then I saw the tyran—I saw them. But I was with—Rae. I was with Rae."
His heart rate spiked, and Tommy tried to sit up again.
"Whoa, Dr. O," Conner said, jumping forward to stop him. "We covered this—you can't get up yet."
"Rae—where's Rae?" Tommy asked. "Hayley—"
"Rae is fine," Hayley quickly tried to assure him. "She is with—"
"Here I am!" Rae interrupted, popping out from under the bed.
Several people jumped as the little girl appeared next to the bed.
"Rachel!" Hayley exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Rae looked up at her mother as Tommy breathed a sigh of relief, falling back against his pillow again.
"I wanted to see Uncle Tommy," Rae said.
"I thought we told you that you had to wait until later," Hayley said, crossing her arms.
"It is later," Rae responded. "You didn't say how much later…and he's awake now."
Hayley took a deep breath.
"Ok, you're right," she said. "But you still shouldn't be here."
"But I was quiet," Rae protested. "I didn't wake up Uncle Tommy—they did."
She pointed at the four Dino Thunder rangers.
"Hey!" Conner exclaimed. "Don't blame me—I didn't tell anyone you've been under the bed for the last fifteen minutes."
"It was them," Rae said, pointing to Trent and Kira now.
"That's better," Conner grinned as his friends protested.
Tommy's heart rate had calmed down again, but it was still not where it should be. The door opened and Dana walked in with Carter. She paused and looked around.
"Alright, out," she ordered. "There are too many people in here and not enough space. Tommy is already agitated enough that I can see it from here."
She strode toward the bed as everyone started protesting.
"Out, now," she repeated, glaring around at the rangers. "Tommy—how are you feeling?"
He frowned at her.
"Confused," he said irritably. "I want to know what's going on."
"You went crazy," JJ said, leaning on Tommy's bed.
Everyone looked at JJ in surprise.
"What?" Tommy asked, looking at his son.
"JJ!" Kat exclaimed.
"Well, he did," JJ said. "He was talking about things that weren't there and dinosaurs that don't exist. You were hitting people and wouldn't let me come out from behind you even when mom was trying to talk to you—it was like you were under some kind of evil spell. Maybe it was that w—"
Ethan clapped a hand over JJ's mouth, but it was too late. Tommy's heart rate shot up again as his eyes widened and he gripped Kat's arm in panic. The monitor's alarms started going off.
"We're gonna go—" Ethan exclaimed, scrambling.
"To lunch," Conner inserted. "Out!"
Ethan immediately hauled JJ toward the hallway. Hayley grabbed Rae and shoved her toward Ethan.
"Take her with you," she ordered.
Ethan grabbed Rae with his free hand and disappeared with the kids.
"What did I do?" Tommy demanded, looking at Kat. "You have to tell me, Kat. What did I do now?"
"Tommy, you didn't do anything—it's fine," she tried to reassure him. "There was no spell."
"Then what?" Tommy exclaimed. "Something happened. JJ wouldn't have said that if something hadn't happened!"
"Someone drugged you," Kat said quickly. "That's all—ok, so it's still not good. But it's fine. There was no spell, and you are going to be fine and we are all ok."
"I hurt someone, Kat," Tommy snapped. "It's not ok! What did I do?"
Hayley grabbed Rocky's arm and yanked him forward.
"It was just Rocky," she said. "Look—he's fine."
Tommy turned to look at Rocky and Hayley.
"It was just me," Rocky said. "Just some bruises—and you give me those all the time. You just didn't hold back as much as you do in practice. But I'm fine."
Tommy stared at Rocky, trying to decide if he should believe him or not. There was a dark bruise on his chin that was very visible now.
"Everyone needs to get out now," Dana demanded, exasperated. "You are all making this worse. Please go."
Carter started helping Dana by pushing some of the rangers toward the door. They reluctantly started following directions.
"Did I say something wrong?" JJ asked once they were in the hall. "I didn't mean to!"
Ethan sighed, shaking his head as he ushered the two kids down the hall and around the corner to the elevator. The other rangers would probably be crowding out into the hallway any minute now that Dana had gone inside.
"Your dad just isn't thinking real straight right now, JJ," Ethan said. "He's just a little confused. But he's going to be fine, so don't worry about it."
JJ frowned and then he gasped.
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Is it because I was talking about mag—"
He froze. Ethan glanced at him, raising an eyebrow as he placed his hand on the sensor to open the elevator.
"JJ?" he said.
"You broke him, Ethan," Rae snickered.
"You ok, kid?" Ethan asked.
"It's fine," JJ said quickly. "Never mind. Are we getting lunch or not?"
Ethan shrugged and walked into the elevator, taking them with him.
A few moments later it was just Kat and Conner left with Dana, Angela, Carter, and Tommy.
"Let's go, Conner," Carter said firmly, reaching for the younger red's arm.
"Not a chance," Conner said, shaking his head and stepping away from Carter. "I'll go sit in a corner out of the way, but I'm not leaving."
"Carter, just leave him," Dana said before Carter could argue. "You trying to force Conner out is just going to aggravate Tommy more and you know he isn't going to leave on his own. You wouldn't either if one of ours was in that bed."
Kat was trying to calm Tommy down with Angela's help. The alarms had stopped, but his heart rate was still a lot higher than either Dana or Angela wanted it to be.
"Kat, is there anything you can do to help him calm down?" Angela asked. "He needs to relax, and I'd rather not have to sedate him."
"I don't know," Kat said, hesitating for a moment. "Wait—Adam. Let Adam back in. He can help Tommy meditate. They meditate together all the time."
Conner was at the door in an instant, not waiting for Dana's permission.
"Adam," he said. "Help."
Adam hurried back in and followed Conner back to the bed. He guessed without asking why Conner had asked him for help.
"Hey, Falcon," Adam said calmly. "It's going to be fine. Everyone is alright—even Rocky. They are all right outside in the hall."
He sat down in the chair next to Tommy's bed. Tommy looked up at him.
"Breathe," Adam said slowly. "In. Hold. Out."
He repeated that a few times, breathing with Tommy as he did.
"Close your eyes," Adam said quietly. "You're on a beach. It's quiet. Breathe."
Tommy closed his eyes, still gripping Kat's hand as Adam continued.
Sometime later the door to Tommy's room opened and Adam walked back out into the hall followed by Dana, Angela, and Carter. Everyone was waiting anxiously for them.
"Is he ok?" Kim asked.
"He's asleep," Dana said. "Actually asleep. Getting all worked up like that exhausted him."
"We were able to ask him some more questions once he calmed down," Angela added. "Right now everything is looking good. But we will have to run some more checks when he wakes up next. And there is a good chance he won't remember waking up this time, so we may have to explain again."
"Kat and Conner are going to stay with him so he isn't alone if he wakes up," Dana said. "But I think it's best if he isn't crowded until he is given a clear explanation. So, the best thing for everyone to do right now is go back to your rooms and get some rest. I know most of you are going to want to stay and wait for him to wake up—and that you didn't sleep last night."
Looks were exchanged as none of them had an argument for that statement.
"And I also know a lot of you are going to be here until he is fully on the mend," Dana added. "Which is fine—we are happy to have you here. But what I need you to do now is go to the cafeteria and get something to eat since I doubt any of you have had anything since early this morning and it is now nearly two o'clock in the afternoon. And then, again, I highly recommend you go back to your rooms and get some rest. I am not your mother and I can't make you, but I think you all need some sleep."
Rocky glanced at his watch.
"Actually," he said, looking at Adam. "We should probably head home. I should get Aisha and my kids back to our house—as much as I appreciate you letting them stay last night."
Adam nodded in agreement.
"Keep us updated," he said, glancing around the hall. "If anything changes, we can be back in an hour—or sooner in an absolute emergency."
"It's going to be a long drive home without lunch," Rocky sighed as the two men started to turn to leave.
"We can grab something from the cafeteria real quick," Adam suggested.
Rocky shook his head.
"As much as I would love that," he said. "It would take them too long to get something together we could take in the car. They aren't going to have sandwiches just sitting around in to-go bags. I'll just eat an early dinner once I get home with Aisha."
"We'll have to get gas, too," Adam said. "So, you can always get a snack there to hold you over."
"Wait a minute," Jason said, jogging to catch them. "I have something you can take that's ready to go now. It's just in the suite."
"And then come straight down to the cafeteria, Jason," Trini called after him. "You need to eat and then we have to talk."
He waved behind him in acknowledgement as he took off down the hall with Adam and Rocky. They headed back to the Mighty Morphin' suite and Jason ran inside, coming back out quickly.
"Here," he said, holding out a small lunchbox. "There's a sandwich and a water in there. Maybe something else—I can't remember. You guys can take it. It's not a lot, but it'll tide you over til you get to the gas station."
"Thanks," Rocky grinned. "Good luck with Trini."
Jason frowned as the three men started back around the corner to the elevator.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Jason asked.
"You'll find out," Rocky laughed.
Adam rolled his eyes and smacked Rocky's arm, touching the panel to open the elevator.
"Let's go," he said. "Are you driving or am I?"
"I'll drive," Rocky said. "I took a short nap in the hall while you were helping with Tommy."
"Oh, Jason!" Adam exclaimed as the elevator door started shutting. "Here."
He tossed his car keys to Jason as he stopped the doors.
"Just in case you need to leave before we get back," he said. "Rocky and I can just take his car. Call us when Tommy wakes up again."
The elevator doors shut. Jason stared at it for a moment and sighed before heading for the stairs that were adjacent to the elevator. When he walked out of the stairway down on the next level, Billy was walking by. He stopped and looked at Jason.
"I do not often see anyone actually use the stairs," he commented.
"Adam and Rocky were using the elevator," Jason said with a shrug as he looked around.
Like the residential and medical floors above it, the recreational level was set up in a square with the central column in the middle. But this level was meant to give the rangers a place to relax, exercise, and train. Just across from the western elevator and stairs—where Jason was coming from—was a large open gym. It was meant for a variety of uses including group training. A smaller gym set up with exercise equipment occupied part of the south side along with a few smaller rooms like the library and some specialized training rooms. The east side housed the large ranger cafeteria with the kitchen that had a separate entrance meant for the embassy staff. It also had a lounge room with couches, chairs, and tables for use as a hang out area. The lounge was stocked with games and other things the rangers could use to entertain themselves. The north side held the pool room with an Olympic sized pool and several smaller pools and hot tubs. The center rooms were small training rooms and equipment storage.
"There is a second elevator on the other side," Billy pointed out, pointing Jason down the hall. "Also, you could have gotten in the elevator with them and come back down after they got off on the garage level."
"Ah—right…" Jason said sheepishly. "I didn't think about that. At least not until after the door shut behind them…"
Billy laughed as they headed around to the other side of the floor and into the cafeteria. Nearly everyone else was there. Some were already eating while the rest were waiting on their food from the kitchen. Trini saw them walk in and hurried over to Jason.
"Jason, here," she said, handing him a piece of paper. "Alright. Here's a menu."
He glanced at the piece of paper she had handed him as she continued. Billy just kept walking.
"Decide what you want and then go to the computer over there," she gestured as she spoke. "Input your order the way you want it—be specific. The kitchen will get your order and it will come out through one of the slots."
As Jason watched, one of the waiting rangers grabbed a plate of food from an open slot.
"As soon as you have your food, meet me by the doors," she finished. "We are going up to a conference room on the command level. I have NDAs for you to sign."
"NDAs?" Jason repeated, frowning.
"Non-disclosure agreements," Eric offered from the nearby table.
"I know what an NDA is," Jason retorted. "But why am I signing one?"
"One?" Ethan snorted. "One? That's funny."
Trini sighed.
"Yes, so many NDAs," she said. "And so much to catch all of you up on. Now hurry up and get your lunch—this is going to take a while."
Shooing Jason toward the computer, Trini turned to start ushering the other three she wanted toward the door.
"She scares me a little," Jake said to Kim.
"Good," Kim said. "Because she scares me, too. And I have no idea what's going on right now."