Frost covered the grass of Angel Grove Central Park as Laura slowly walked down the giant grassy hill trying to remember where the shelter was. She had run for a while, but had quickly tired and was now trying to make her way back to the shelter to get at least two hours of sleep before school.

As she approached a tree, Laura suddenly spotted Jason and Malcolm jogging into the park with a man who looked like an older version of Jason. All three of them were wearing jogging outfits and looked surprisingly rested.

For a moment, Laura was tempted to see them and then she spotted Katherine run into the park and towards the three, paying no notice to the fact that she was hiding near the tree.

"Jase, it's Katherine," Malcolm hissed as he spotted Katherine running towards them. "She looks upset."

Jason nodded, but remained silent as Katherine approached, "Jason, Malcolm, I can't seem to find Laura," she said in a worried voice. "I've been following her all night, but she got away from me."

"Rocky dropped her off at the shelter last night before he took Malcolm and I home," Jason replied.

Katherine shook her head, "When I was on my way back to the reservation with David and Mark, we saw Laura on the outskirts of the city," she replied in a worried voice. "I tried to get her to come to the reservation with us, but she yelled something about someone named Ashley and ran back into the city."

"Maybe she went to the school," Malcolm cut in worriedly. "The school's closed for the rest of the week, though, while they fix the heater. I don't know why she didn't just stay at the shelter last night."

Laura swallowed hard and moved around the tree. She edged around the tree and saw a very steep grass hill below, one that would require careful ascension, but it would keep her from being seen.

Swallowing hard, Laura gently eased her way down the hill, but suddenly slipped on a patch of frost and screamed as she fell forward and rolled the rest of the way down. As she lay there, Laura could hear footsteps approaching, but she was too afraid to move and risk being taken back to Los Angeles.

"Hey Jason, it's Laura," Laura suddenly heard Malcolm say in a concerned voice. "She's hurt."

Another voice suddenly spoke, "Jason, Malcolm, don't move her too much, okay?" it said in a gentle voice as footsteps moved across the frost-laden grass. "I'll go get supplies from my ambulance."

Ignoring the pain that radiated from her ankle and forehead, Laura slowly rolled on to her back and was surprised to see Malcolm and Jason kneeling on either side of her, "Laura, are you okay?" Katherine asked as she approached the three. "I've been trying to follow you all night because you ran away."

"I wanted to go back to the shelter and you wouldn't take me," Laura replied in a shaky voice as she sat up and touched her aching forehead. "I was afraid that you were going to take me back to Los Angeles."

Katherine sighed and shook her head, "David's house was closer to where we were than the shelter," she replied in a gentle voice. "I didn't want you having to spend the night alone after you had that nightmare about Kimberly; it obviously scared you pretty badly. You took a pretty bad fall…"

"My ankle and my head sorta hurt a bit," Laura replied in a tired voice. "I slipped on some frost."

Jason nodded, "My dad, Malcolm, and I were jogging and we were talking to Katherine when we heard you scream," he commented in a gentle voice. "My dad went to get supplies to help you."

Laura suddenly saw Thomas running across the grass with his arms full of supplies and her heart froze, "I don't want strange adults near me, Jason," she whispered in a faint voice. "Just tell your dad to leave."

"My dad's a paramedic," Jason replied in a concerned voice. "He's trained to help injured people."

Laura shook her head and winced as she tried to move away, "Please, just listen…"she whispered.

"Dad, hurry up!" Malcolm yelled as he took off across the grass after seeing Laura's eyes glaze over.

As Laura felt herself sinking to the ground, Katherine knelt beside her, "What's wrong?" Katherine asked, concerned when Laura didn't respond. "Jason, why isn't Laura talking to me? She's awake."

"…Not ever again," Laura mumbled groggily as her eyes slowly closed. "…not ever again…"

"What do you mean school is cancelled for the rest of the week?" Billy asked in a shocked voice as he gave Mr. Caplan a look of disbelief. "I didn't think the earthquake did that much damage…"

Mr. Caplan nodded as he placed a sign on the front door of the school, "The heater is severely damaged and Tommy Oliver's in the hospital because of it," he replied in a firm voice as he gave stern looks to Billy, Adam, and Rocky. "School will not reopen again until the heater is repaired and all is safe again."

"Mister Caplan, can I have a word with you?" Adam asked, suddenly feeling like he should come to Skull's aid and make sure that there was opportunity for Skull to finish school despite the cancer.

Billy looked at Adam, but before he could reply, Mr. Caplan reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper, "Billy, I was going to organize a formal assembly, but I guess this will have to suffice," Mr. Caplan said in a gentle voice as he offered the paper to Billy. "You've exceeded all academic expectations of Angel Grove High and let me congratulate you for that. You've graduated with honors."

"Billy, maybe now that you don't have to go to high school anymore, you can help Skull," Adam commented in a worried voice. "Mister Caplan, we ran into Skull at the hospital yesterday and…"

Mr. Caplan nodded, "Eugene's mother contacted me last night and explained his situation," he replied in a more somber voice. "Once school is back in session, you can talk to me about how to help him."

"Guys, since school's out, let's go visit Tommy at the hospital," Rocky spoke up in an excited voice as David and Mark approached from behind. "I'm sure his uncle could use a break…"

As Rocky, Adam, and Billy walked off, David approached the school with Mark holding his arm with one hand, "School's out for the rest of the week, boys," Mr. Caplan said dismissively. "See you next week."

"We should go find Kat," Mark commented as Mr. Caplan walked away. "She's been out all night."

David sighed, "Maybe she found Laura and they are at the hospital," he replied, wanting very badly to drop by the hospital and find some way to see Tommy. "If you want, we can take my truck."

"That sounds like a good idea," Mark replied in a pleasant voice. "Let's go and enjoy the day."

As David and Mark turned and headed back towards the parking lot, Billy, Adam, and Rocky returned to the school grounds; they had forgotten that they had taken Rocky's truck to school that morning.

Beep-beep-boop-boop-beep-beep.

Quickly looking around to make sure nobody was around, Billy lifted up his Communicator, "Go ahead, Zordon," he said in a low voice. "Rocky, Adam, and I were just on our way to visit Tommy today."

"That will have to wait," Zordon's voice replied. "You and Adam need to come to the Command Center."

Adam and Billy exchanged a look, "You guys better go," Rocky said. "I'll go visit Tommy by myself."

Nodding, Adam and Billy teleported away. Rocky sighed and hurried back towards the parking lot.

Feeling utterly helpless and disgusted with himself for being so weak, Skull sighed and stared at the IV line that was delivering chemotherapy drugs into his body. The hospital was crowded and since his mom had to go to work that day, he found himself having to rest alone in the ER until the treatment was over.

"…She just passed out at the park," a very familiar voice sounded as Skull heard the screeching of gurney wheels. "Jason, Malcolm, why don't you and your friend hang out in the waiting room for now?"

Wondering why Jason and Malcolm were in the ER instead of being at school, Skull swallowed hard and got up from his bed. He gripped the IV pole for support and slowly made his way out of the curtained are where he had been put to go through the treatment.

He could see Jason, Malcolm, and a blonde girl lingering near the waiting room. As he opened his mouth to call out, Skull suddenly felt light-headed.

"Skull, hold on," Malcolm said, suddenly noticing Skull getting ready to faint. "Jason, get a chair."

Skull groaned as Malcolm and Jason carefully maneuvered him into an empty chair, "Do you want some water, Skull?" Jason asked in a worried voice, concerned about Skull and why he had an IV in his arm.

"I have to wait for the treatment to be done," Skull replied in a faint voice. "Who's the pretty girl?"

Katherine smiled at being called pretty, "I'm Katherine Hillard," she replied in a gentle voice as she came forward and offered her hand. "You said you're having some sort of treatment? Treatment for what?"

"I've got a recurrence of a cancer I had when I was younger," Skull replied softly, leaning forward to try and combat the sudden dizziness he felt. "My first chemo's today and then I'm supposed to rest."

Jason frowned, "Maybe you should be resting while you have it," he replied, concerned by how weak and sick Skull looked as he sat there. "Malcolm, Katherine, and I can help you back to your bed."

Skull swallowed hard for a moment and then nodded, "I'd like that," he replied in a faint voice.

"Ah, look at those Power Rangers helping a sick person," Rito sneered in an amused voice as he looked through the telescope and saw Katherine and Jason help Skull to his feet. "How utterly disgusting."

Still dressed in the clothes she had been wearing when she was captured, Kimberly came into the room looking amused, "Perhaps we can use that sick person to lure the Rangers into a battle, Master?" she suggested in an amused voice. "Their powers are weak and a battle will use their energy even faster."

"Perhaps you, with your beauty, can capture that sick boy," Rito suggested in an amused voice.

Kimberly nodded, "I will do your bidding, Master Rito," she replied evilly. "After all, you did save me and I will be eternally grateful for your kindness."

Skull fought the urge to smile as he lay back against his pillow, "Thanks," he replied, letting out a tired voice as Katherine and Jason covered him up with his blanket. "I hate to kick you out, but I…"

"Get some rest," Katherine said in a gentle voice. "I hope the treatment works for you…"

Skull sighed sleepily, "Eugene Skullovitch," he replied tiredly. "I'm known as Skull around school."

Katherine smiled and quietly left, as did Jason. Skull sighed and quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Malcolm, meanwhile, had waited in the waiting room and had suddenly heard his Communicator go off while people were around. Not wanting his identity to be known, Malcolm had quickly hurried outside.

"What's up, Zordon?" Malcolm asked in a hushed voice, relieved that nobody was around to see him.

Zordon sighed, "Teleport to the Command Center immediately, Malcolm," he ordered in a quiet voice.

Malcolm sighed and quickly teleported away; hopefully it wasn't anything too urgent.

After making sure that Skull was alone and unattended, Kimberly slipped into the curtained area where Skull was sleeping. She gently nudged him several times and smiled when Skull finally opened his eyes.

"Kimberly?" Skull asked in a faint voice, surprised to see her there. "I haven't seen you for a while."

Kimberly smiled sweetly at him, "I've been visiting my mother in Paris," she lied in a sweet voice as she gently stroked his hair. "I heard you were in the hospital sick and I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Well, that's really nice of you," Skull replied, fighting back a yawn. "I wish I wasn't so tired."

Rito suddenly appeared next to her, "Don't worry, you'll get plenty of rest in the Dungeon of Despair," he sneered as he smiled at Kimberly. "Well done, my sweet; you have made him feel safe."

"Time to take a trip, Skull," Kimberly said in a wicked voice as she took his hand. "Say goodbye."

As he was teleported away, Skull let out a pained scream and promptly lost consciousness.

Malcolm touched down in the Command Center to find that Adam and Billy were already there and standing by Zordon's tube, "Adam, Billy, and Malcolm, Kimberly has been captured and brainwashed by Rito Revolto," Zordon explained. "She has been trained to believe that the Power Rangers are her enemies and she gave most of her Pink Power to Rito to strengthen his failing energy reserves."

Suddenly, the alarm went off, "Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha whimpered as he hurried over to the Viewing Globe and looked into it, "Rito and Kimberly have kidnapped an innocent civilian and have imprisoned him!"

Exchanging concerned looks, Adam, Billy, and Malcolm hurried over to the Viewing Globe and were horrified to see Skull lying helplessly on the floor in a dark dungeon in his gown and scrub pants with nothing but his hospital blanket and the IV still in his arm, "Oh man, it's Skull," Adam said, really worried by how sick Skull looked as he lay there. "Where exactly did Rito and Kimberly take him, Zordon?"

"Skull has been imprisoned in the Dungeon of Despair," Zordon replied. "He is in very bad danger."

Malcolm sighed, "Jason, Laura, and Tommy can't help us," he commented. "We'll have to go ourselves."

"Alpha will teleport you there," Zordon replied. "You'll only have a limited time to try and rescue him."

Malcolm nodded and held out his Ninja Morpher, "Orange Tiger Ninja Power!" he yelled.

"Black Frog Ninja Power!" Adam yelled as he whipped out his Ninja Morpher and held it out.

Billy sighed and whipped out his Morpher, "Blue Wolf Ninja Power!" he yelled in a determined voice.

"…Dad, you're going to be late for work," Laura heard Jason say in a soft voice. "…I can stay…"

Laura opened her eyes and was surprised to see that she was lying on a hospital bed upright in a hospital gown with a blanket covering her legs. She saw that her left foot was wrapped in an Ace bandage and propped up on a pillow while her arms and hands were covered in IV's and clips.

"Jason?" Laura asked softly, deeply unnerved that she was surrounded by a closed privacy curtain.

The curtain was suddenly pulled open and Laura was surprised to see Jason standing there with his father, who was now wearing a paramedic uniform.

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty," Jason joked, trying to ease the uncomfortable expression on Laura's face. "Seriously, Laura, how are you feeling?"

"Is my ankle broken?" Laura asked in a tired voice, worried that she wouldn't be able to walk for a while.

Thomas shook his head and smiled, "Nope, only sprained," he replied in a gentle voice.

"When can I get some crutches so I can go back to the shelter?" Laura asked, very anxious to be out of the hospital and back where she could keep her thoughts to herself. "I'm feeling better now."

Jason frowned and Thomas suddenly looked concerned, "You're suffering from dehydration and malnourishment," Thomas replied in a fatherly tone. "Jason mentioned that you live at the Angel Grove Shelter and you work at the Juice Bar after school. When do you find time to eat and rest?"

"It's not that simple," Laura replied in an upset voice. "There's too much going on right now to even…"

Laura sighed and gently massaged her forehead, "Your friend Katherine went to the shelter to get your things and I called Lieutenant Stone to come talk to you," Thomas cut in, seeing that Laura was clearly feeling overwhelmed. "I'm going to ask him if there's a family in Angel Grove that you can stay with…"

"No, you don't understand," Laura replied in an upset voice. "He'll want to send me back…"

Overwhelmed and overtired, Laura turned her head to the side and began to cry. Thomas sighed and gently led Jason out of the curtain area, closing it a bit to give her privacy. Jason looked at him confused.

"Dad, I don't understand why Laura's so afraid," Jason stated in a soft voice. "She always wants to run."

Thomas sighed, "Jason, you have to understand that not all parents are as loving to their children as your mother and I are," he replied in a somber voice. "Some parents have problems and they take the anger and frustration connected with those problems out on their children through physical abuse."

"Oh man," Jason replied with a frown, suddenly feeling bad for Laura. "Will Laura be okay, Dad?"

Swallowing hard, Thomas shrugged, "Maybe with enough help and support, she'll be able to move past it," he replied. "Speaking of help, is your friend Tommy still in the hospital and is his uncle with him?"

"Yeah," Jason replied, wondering why his dad wanted to talk to Dr. Oliver. "Do you want me to…?"

Thomas shook his head, "I have to go to work," he replied gently. "I should say goodbye first."

Jason sighed and followed his dad back into the curtained area, "Mister Lee Scott, I'm sorry I freaked out at you at the park," Laura said before anyone could speak. "I didn't know you were a paramedic until…"

"It's all right, Laura," Thomas replied in a kind voice, smiling at her. "Just get some rest, okay?"

As Thomas left, Laura sighed and massaged her forehead again, "Katherine mentioned that you talked about someone named Ashley last night," Jason commented in a curious voice. "Who's Ashley?"

"My younger sister," Laura replied in a tired voice. "She's still in Los Angeles with my parents."

Jason nodded and sighed, "If you don't feel like talking about her, we don't have to," he said, seeing how tired it made her to keep talking. "Maybe you should rest for a while. I'll be here if you need anything."

"Okay," Laura replied, too worn out to argue. "You have to wake me when Katherine gets back with my clothes so I can get dressed. I'm not going to talk to Lieutenant Stone dressed like this."

Again, Jason nodded, "Don't worry, I will," he promised. "Maybe we can also visit Tommy later."

"That'll be nice," Laura replied sleepily as her eyes closed. "Especially if I have to say goodbye."

As Laura slept, Jason sighed and found a stool under the bed. He sat and silently watched her sleep.

Malcolm, Billy, and Adam touched down in Dungeon of Despair and looked around. They saw only light coming from barred windows in each corner of the room and they could hear a faint coughing sound.

Unfortunately, before they could begin their search for Skull, Rito appeared before them with an amused looking Kimberly at his side, "You won't find him," Kimberly sneered. "The Dungeon of Despair is too big and you've got limited powers. Why don't you just go back to Earth where you belong?"

"Kimberly, you don't understand," Billy said in a concerned voice. "Skull's got cancer and he needs…"

Kimberly cackled, "He needs NOTHING but despair!" she yelled. "Now go, while you still can!"

Rito cackled and tapped his bone sword on Malcolm's Power Coin, causing Malcolm to sink to his knees and almost faint, "My power's getting drained," Malcolm hissed as he tried to pull away from Rito.

"Every time I tap your Coins with my sword, I take some of your power," Rito cackled as Billy pulled Malcolm back out of harm's way. "I can do this because my sweet Kimberly gave me her Coin."

Billy winced, "We have to get back to the Command Center," he said, disturbed by how badly the forcible loss of power seemed to affect Malcolm. "We'll have to come back for Skull later."

"Yeah," Malcolm replied as he fumbled for his teleporter. "You'd better not hurt Skull, Rito,"

Malcolm's hand suddenly dropped and Adam knelt next to him, "C'mon," Adam said gently.

Rito cackled as Malcolm, Adam, and Billy teleported out of the Dungeon of Despair; he had finally gotten some power from the saintly Malcolm.

Adam, Malcolm, and Billy touched down in the Command Center and Malcolm immediately collapsed from the power drain Rito had initiated, "Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha exclaimed as he hurried over to Malcolm.

"Rito's sword touched Malcolm's coin and Malcolm collapsed," Adam explained as he demorphed and knelt down to Malcolm, who was still in his power suit. "He said that every time his sword touches one of our coins, a little bit of our power goes to him and that Kimberly giving him her coin helped him…"

Malcolm groaned, but he didn't speak as Billy and Alpha helped him up and walked him over to the cot that was just outside the control center, "Alpha, take Malcolm's Power Coin and Morpher," Zordon replied as Billy and Alpha lay Malcolm on the cot. "See what damage Rito has inflicted on it."

"Will Malcolm be okay?" Adam asked in a concerned voice as he walked over to the cot.

Alpha nodded as he collected Malcolm's Ninja Power Coin and Ninja Morpher, causing Malcolm's power suit to disappear, "He just needs time to regain his energy," Zordon replied. "Adam, Billy, you should leave your Ninja Power Coins and Morphers here so Alpha can analyze them along with Malcolm's."

"Guys, I'm fine," Malcolm said in a faint voice as he forced his eyes open. "I just need a little sleep."

Adam and Billy quickly gave their Morphers and Power Coins to Alpha, "I want Alpha to run a complete bio-scan on you before you leave, Malcolm," Zordon said. "The damage Rito did could be serious."

"Do you think the same damage was done to Tommy's Morpher?" Adam asked, suddenly remembering that Tommy had also undergone magic torture at Rito's hands. "We should go get his coin too."

Zordon nodded, "Billy, stay here and analyze the Coins and Morphers so Alpha can run a bio-scan on Malcolm," he replied. "Adam, go visit Tommy, explain the situation, and get his Morpher and Coin."

Adam nodded and teleported out of the Command Center, "Just close your eyes and relax, Malcolm," Alpha said as he approached the bed where Malcolm lay. "You need to conserve your energy."

Adam touched down in the quiet hospital room, startling Tommy, who was trying to eat a large bowl of soup without help but having trouble because of his low energy level, "Adam?" he asked tiredly.

"Tommy, I need your Power Coin and Morpher," Adam said in a distressed voice. "Right now."

Frowning, Tommy looked around and saw his Morpher and Power Coin on the table. He pulled himself forward, but as his fingers brushed against the Coin, he suddenly felt as if he were being drained.

"I can't touch them," Tommy replied in a faint voice as he sank back against his pillow. "Why?"

Adam sighed, picked up the Morpher and Power Coin, and slipped them into his pockets, "Zordon said that you wouldn't be able to use them again until you regained your energy naturally," he explained in a gentle voice. "Zordon wants them analyzed because when Malcolm, Billy, and I tried to rescue Skull from Rito, Rito touched Malcolm's coin with his bone sword. It made Malcolm collapse…"

"Skull was captured again?" Tommy asked, processing the information. "Wait, Malcolm collapsed?"

Adam nodded and looked around, "Tommy, where's your uncle?" he asked in a worried voice.

"About an hour ago, he got a call on his emergency cell phone and said he'd be back in a little while," Tommy replied in a tired voice. "I was hoping he'd be back before lunch, but I guess he's busy."

Before Adam could reply, Jason came into the room, "Hey Tommy," Jason said, smiling at him.

"Jason, what are you doing here?" Tommy asked in a faint voice. "Is everything all right?"

Jason sighed, "Your uncle is downstairs waiting to talk to her and Lieutenant Stone," he replied, having been asked by Laura not to tell anyone anything specific. "Katherine's helping Laura get dressed."

"Katherine?" Tommy asked, suddenly worried for Laura's safety. "Jason, isn't Katherine still…?"

Jason shook his head, "Not anymore," he replied. "Adam, what are you doing here?"

"Skull was captured by Rito and Kimberly," Adam explained. "When Billy, Malcolm, and I went to try and rescue Skull, Rito touched Malcolm's coin with his bone sword and drained Malcolm of some power. We took Malcolm back to the Command Center and Zordon wants to also analyze Tommy's Coin."

Tommy sighed, "Because I was also tortured by Rito," he added in a weak voice. "Is this the end of us?"

"I don't know," Jason replied somberly. "Adam, you better get back to the Command Center."

Adam nodded and teleported out of the hospital room, "Touching that coin made me feel very tired," Tommy said in a faint voice, suddenly having no desire to eat. "I have to go back to sleep, Jason."

"Maybe when you're out of the hospital, Alpha should run a bio-scan on you too," Jason commented, concerned by Tommy's sudden exhaustion. "Maybe Rito's found a way to drain us all of our powers."

Tommy nodded and suddenly looked very solemn, "If only I had my strength back," he said in a sorrowful voice as he fought to keep his eyes open. "We have to find some way to fight back."

"We'll talk about it later after you've rested," Jason gently said. "I'll stay here and you sleep."

As Tommy drifted off to sleep, Jason noticed David lingering by the door, "David, what are you doing here?" Jason asked, concerned at what David might have overheard. "Tommy's having a sleep."

"I was hoping to visit Tommy, but I can come back when he's awake," David replied in a gentle voice.

Jason nodded, "Yeah, that might be better," he said, wondering why David wanted to visit Tommy.

David nodded and walked off down the hallway. Jason turned back to face Tommy and sighed.

Since the curtain had been drawn, Laura could see Lieutenant Stone and Doctor Oliver talking in the waiting room, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She sighed; it would soon be all over and she would be put on a bus back to Los Angeles to probably end up hurt again or killed by the abuse.

"Hey Laura, are you all right?" Katherine asked as she saw the sorrowful expression on Laura's face.

Laura looked at Katherine, who was lingering at her bedside, "I really don't want to be taken back to Los Angeles, even if Ashley is there," she said in a tired voice. "It was too much being there, Katherine."

"I don't think it will come to that," Katherine replied in a reassuring voice even though she was uncertain whether or not it was true. "At least you're safe right now, clean, and in more comfortable clothes."

Laura looked down at the dark sweat pants, loose t-shirt, and slippers Katherine had helped her change into after a quick shower, "Thanks for your help, Katherine," she said in a gentle voice. "I mean it."

Just then, Rocky came into the ER with Adam and they spotted Laura and Katherine, "Laura, what happened?" Adam asked in a concerned voice as he approached his friend. "Hey there Kat."

"I had a little mishap this morning," Laura replied, not wanting to discuss the truth with anyone.

Adam nodded, "Katherine, I saw Mark sitting in David's truck on my way in here," he commented.

"Yes, Mark's doing some schoolwork and it's easier for him to work where it's quiet," Katherine replied in a pleasant voice even though she was nervous being around them. "I should really get going…"

Laura grabbed Katherine's arm, "Katherine, don't be afraid of being around us," she said in a gentle voice. "You're not under Rita's spell anymore, so we want you to be our friend. Right guys?"

Before Adam or Rocky could reply, Lieutenant Stone came over to them, "Laura, Doctor Oliver and I need to talk to you and Adam Park in private," he said in a serious voice. "Rocky DeSantos, why don't you and your little girlfriend go find something to do for a little while? You can come back later."

"Why do you need to talk to me too?" Adam asked, suddenly wondering if he was in trouble.

Instead of answering Adam, however, Lieutenant Stone gave Rocky and Katherine a look that told them it was better to get lost right away. Giving Adam a smile, Rocky and Katherine moved away from the bed and nearly bumped into Dr. Oliver as he approached. Adam suddenly looked very, very afraid.

"Relax Adam, we're all just going to have a conversation," Dr. Oliver said in a gentle voice. "Breathe."

The curtain was then pulled closed, making it impossible for Rocky and Katherine to hear the rest of the conversation, "Katherine, did you find Laura?" David asked as he approached them. "Is she okay?"

"Laura's fine," Katherine replied gently. "I do think we need to go out and have lunch, though."

David nodded, "I went to see how Tommy is feeling, but his friend Jason said he was sleeping," he commented in a calm voice. "Perhaps taking Mark out for lunch would be an excellent idea."

"I'm really hungry," Rocky commented as he followed Mark, David, and Katherine out of the ER.

"Is the scan over?" Malcolm asked in a weak voice as he forced his eyes open. "Billy, Alpha?"

Ignoring the pain he felt in every inch of his tired body, Malcolm forced himself to sit up on the bed and look at Zordon, "You should be resting," Alpha said in a concerned voice as he hurried over to the cot.

"Where's Billy?" Malcolm asked, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Oh, Alpha, I don't feel so good…"

Alpha sighed and helped Malcolm to lie back down, "It appears that what happened to Tommy has also happened to you," Malcolm heard Zordon say in a solemn voice. "Rito has taken not only some of your powers, but also your life energy. Billy is down in the Power Chamber analyzing your powers."

"Oh man," Malcolm replied in a faint voice. "First Tommy's put in the hospital and can't use his powers, then Kimberly's kidnapped by Rito and brainwashed. Now I've become too weak to use my powers."

Suddenly, Malcolm let out a painful yell, passed out, and promptly vanished from the Command Center.

Katherine screamed, nearly causing David to swerve, "Someone just fainted in the park!" she yelled, suddenly seeing someone in the nearby park collapse to the grass. "David, stop the truck!"

Unaware that an on-duty ambulance was now behind them, David pulled his truck over to the side of the road, surprised when Rocky and Katherine burst out of the truck and began running across the grass.

"David, what's going on?" Mark asked, suddenly startled by the yelling. "Did we hit someone?"

David shook his head as Thomas, who had gotten concerned by the truck in front of him, approached the driver's side window, "Is everything all right?" Thomas asked in a concerned voice.

"Some person collapsed in the park," David replied in a concerned voice. "My friends went to see…"

Thomas frowned, "Stay here," he said in a gentle voice. "I'll go get supplies and help the person."

Meanwhile, in the park, Katherine and Rocky had reached the person and quickly realized that it was Malcolm, "Malcolm, wake up," Katherine said in a worried voice, realizing that Malcolm was unconscious and his breathing was very faint. "Rocky, he's not waking up. What do we do?"

Before Rocky could reply, Thomas came running over to them with another paramedic at his heels and supplies in his hands, "Malcolm!" Thomas said, horrified to see his adopted son was unconscious.

"Uhhh," Malcolm groaned as he opened his eyes and saw the crowd around him. "What happened?"

Thomas smiled as his partner approached, "According to your friends, you fainted in the park," he replied, suddenly recognizing Katherine and Rocky. "Did you overdo it on the jogging today?"

"Yeah," Malcolm replied, knowing that he wasn't able to tell the truth. "I'm sorry Dad. I really am."

Thomas sighed and carefully helped his adopted son to sit up, "My partner's going to give you some fluid and then we'll take you to the emergency room just as a precaution," he said in a gentle voice as he let Malcolm lay against him for support. "Once you're cleared, I'll take you to visit Tommy, okay?"

Too exhausted to speak, Malcolm nodded and sat quietly as the other paramedic took hold of his arm.

"Tommy, are you awake?" Dr. Oliver's voice suddenly filtered into the quiet hospital room.

Tommy sighed as his uncle came into the room with Adam, who was pushing Laura in a wheelchair they had borrowed from the emergency room. Tommy frowned at seeing Laura's bandaged ankle.

"What happened?" Tommy asked in a concerned voice. "Laura, did you get in a fight?"

Laura shook her head, "I slipped on some grass this morning, fell down a large hill, and sprained my ankle when I was trying to run away," she replied in a soft voice. "I already had a talk with your uncle and Lieutenant Stone about it, so let's not talk about it now. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

The bathroom door suddenly opened and Jason came out, "I feel like I've been asleep my whole life," Tommy replied in a pleasant voice as he sat up. "Maybe tomorrow, I'll get to do a little walking."

"If you can keep yourself out of mischief and eat a decent supper, maybe," Dr. Oliver replied as he grinned at his very persistent nephew. "Anyway, Tommy, I thought you and Jason would like to visit with Adam and Laura for a while. I have some work I need to do, so I'll be back around suppertime, okay?"

Tommy nodded and Dr. Oliver silently left the room. A moment later, Rocky and Billy entered the room.

"Zack wanted to come, but he's busy," Rocky said. "However, Billy's got some awesome news!"

Before Billy could speak, however, Thomas knocked on the open door and helped a tired looking Malcolm walk into the room with Katherine trailing behind them, "Just stay up here and out of trouble, okay?" Thomas said as he led Malcolm over to a chair and sat him down. "Jason, make sure Malcolm stays in that chair while I'm gone to turn in my radio. I'll come back and get you guys in a bit, okay?"

Jason nodded and Thomas smiled before leaving the room, "Skull was captured from the hospital by Kimberly and Rito," Malcolm said in a tired voice. "Zordon sent Billy, Adam, and I to try and rescue him, but Rito took some of my power by touching my coin with his bone sword. That's why I'm so weak."

"Guys, I'd like to apologize to all of you now that we're all together," Katherine spoke up in a remorseful voice as she walked into the room and looked around at all of them. "I didn't mean to cause problems."

Tommy smiled at Katherine, "You're not the first one to be under one of Rita's spells," he replied in a gentle voice. "Right now, we've got bigger problems; we have to figure out how to save Skull. What was Skull even doing at the hospital this morning, though? It seems really strange that he was here."

"Tommy, Skull's got cancer," Jason cut in, knowing that they could all help him. "He was having a chemotherapy treatment this morning and Kat and I talked with him a bit. Kimberly and Rito must have come right after we left him to rest. They must have decided to capture Skull to try and trap us."

Tommy sighed, "Once I get my strength back and am allowed to use my powers again, we'll have to get Zordon and Alpha to help us rescue him," he replied in a worried voice. "I hate this situation."

"I hate to bring this up now, guys, but Billy does have some better news," Rocky suddenly cut in.

Billy sighed and took out the rolled up piece of paper, "Mister Caplan said that I've graduated high school early, guys," he said as he unrolled the diploma and showed it to everyone in the room.

As excited chattering filled the room, Dr. Oliver moved down the hallway to greet David, who was coming as they had agreed. They would talk now and soon, David and Tommy would again meet. Hopefully, then, things would get better.

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